Merry Christmas 2014

Luke 2:11-20 - "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

"And suddenly there was with the angle a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

"And it came to pass, as the angles were gone away from them in heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

"And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

"And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

"And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

Merry Christmas from the cast and crew of Change and Cherish! May everything be cheery and bright! See you tomorrow for a full report on the day today!

Prayer: Driving Home

Luke 2:10 - "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people."

Our family started the drive up to Washington from Logan today.

Back in my mission days, before anyone drove anywhere, we would be sure to sanctify our journey with a prayer. It's true that I never drove on my mission, and therefore rarely was in a car, but throughout my stay there, though we were no strangers to hearing news about accidents, the missionaries were always kept safe and protected.

So, though all of us were tired and beat from a late night the day before, after our prayer, any worries I personally had about the twelve hour drive vanished. I feel confident in our safety and good fortune no matter what happens.

May your own travels be filled with prayer, safety, and love this season!

Hindsight: SLC Filming

Luke 2:9 - "And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid."

Last Christmas, while I was on my mission, my family made a video they sent to all our family and friends. Because I was in Jamaica, I was, unfortunately, unable to be a part of the video.

This year, as part of our jaunt to Logan, we ran down to SLC for about half an hour to film this year's Christmas video, and I was actually able to be a part of it!

Unfortunately, in a few days, we'll be splitting again. Most of us will head on up to Washington tomorrow to spend Christmas eve there, and then, about a week later, I'll be back down to Provo.

When I was younger, all I ever focused on was leaving the house and cutting my own swathe through life. My appreciation for what I had was diminished by my focus on what I didn't have. I wanted this now, I wanted that later, I wanted to be on my own. It was only when I left that I was truly able to understand what I had. Experiences like these are going to be far and in between, but while I'm here, I'm going to appreciate every second I have.

Here's to hoping you will, too!

Choices: Family Time Commences

Luke 2:8 - "And there were in that same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night."

I honestly could go any direction with this blog post.

I could talk about how home is where the family is, because we never seem to vacation at any place any of us would actually call home. We're actually all just cooped up in some stranger's basement for a few days.

I could talk about how awesome it is to be with family. After all, my sister won't be able to spend Christmas with us, so we had a mini-Christmas right here in the basement with her. Only a family would go so far to break the very bonds of tradition for one of their own.

I could talk about how obsessive I get about things, like with our new board game Pandemic, especially considering its cooperative nature. This means a loss only serves to infuriate me more because we have no one to blame but ourselves. It's especially embarrassing when an series of inanimate objects trounces you repeatedly.

I could talk about forgiveness and love in times of trial and need.

I could talk about the importance of the sacrament and our determination to get the entire family to one together before who know when we'll be able to do that again.

I could talk about honesty and the bravery of one of our own in the face of miscommunication.

I could talk about how my point is, something about being with family teaches you a lot of things about life and yourself that you really can't learn on your own. Even when you're out of the house, families can still teach you so many things, which is probably why a lot of us go looking to form our own when its time. So, no matter the situation, no matter who or where you are, be sure to enjoy what you have as much as you can.

Love you guys! See you under the tree in just a few days!

Sunday Snapshot: Growth

"Thy Mind, O Man, Must Stretch" - John W. Welch

Falling Acoustic (VIDEO) [Added Commentary]

Doctrine and Covenants 124:1 - "... for unto this end have I raised you up ..."

In a fit of emotion, I wrote this song. Video link and lyrics are below.

[Lyrics]

I got so far to another mistake

Was feeling so good now I ain’t that great

Why did my mind have to come so late

To the station waiting for me to leave

I’m falling

Westside, inside, outside, left side

Falling

Too close to the edge

I’m drowning, I’m moving, I’m screaming out for help

But there’s just one thing

To Keep me afloat

When I run, I tire of every little breath

When I scream, the fire pulls me close to death

It’s one thing to lose yourself

Another when you’re gone

And I’m gone

OH, I’m gone.

I’m falling

Eastside, outside, inside, right side

Falling

Gotta step back from that ledge

I’m holdin’ on, I’m beggin’ on, but one thing I don’t know

Is why I fall

Why can’t I say never again.

Oh, why can’t I say not again.

Hey there! I wrote a commentary about this post on March 3, 2016. Click here to read it!

Experiencing All: Party Crashers [with Added Commentary]

Genesis 30:27 - "... for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake."

So I'm sitting in my room late Wednesday night, trying to give a care about my upcoming finals, with nary a shower or a change of clothes earlier in the day to get me going, when I heard a knock at my door. Oh great, I thought. Someone locked themselves out of their room. Again. Dragging my gym shorts off my couch and running a finger through my gnarled porcupine hair, I approached the door and cracked it open.

To my surprise, I wasn't greeted by a resident, but by one of my RAs. His opening statement was a bit more complicated, but the story boiled down to this.

"So, my uncle gave me tickets to a free dinner at a Brazilian restaurant hosted by UVU parking. I don't have a car, but you do, so wanna crash it?"

Well, duh.

So I actually showered and changed and jumped in a car and got lost on the way to this Brazilian restaurant. When we arrived, our entire plan boiled down to finding the event, sitting down, and hoping nobody asked any probing questions. After all, my friend's uncle was expected at the event, and seeing how we were from a rival school, any investigation might result in us being exposed for frauds. It was all very exciting.

So we found out where the event was and sat down in some empty seats, squashed between other empty seats. The food was bank, man, and the fact that we were getting it ... for free ... because some UVU executive was paying for this fantabulous feast when we totally didn't deserve it. I pay parking tickets, not give them.

Thankfully, we were lucky in that there were actually several factions represented at the event, so most everyone thought we belonged to a different group than the one they were associated with. Unfortunately, we couldn't avoid the moment forever. An older couple asked us what it was like, working parking. It was time.

We hadn't discussed an alias or plan prior to the event in case we did get asked such a question. I'd formulated one of my own, perfectly designed to throw my friend under the bus. "I'm with him." Of course, I never had the chance to use it, because my friend answered for us. "Oh, my uncle gave us his tickets."

Huh. Never thought about honesty.

The old couple was surprised. They nodded. They never said another word to us.

It was awesome.

Point is, besides the hilarious experience, imagine where I would have been had I rejected such an opportunity. Probably sitting on the couch, staring at the ceiling, wondering how the Glorious Revolution fits in regards to Marcus and what New Testament epistle he appeared in. True, studying would have been the best priority, but I gained a memory, something I won't be quick to forget. 

My challenge to you today is to not put experiences before something that can be put off for later. True, at some point, I had to buckle down and take the exam, but my two hour excursion didn't hurt that. This season often has us focus a lot more on its preparations than for what it is actually intended, namely, spending time with friends and family and spreading and feeling love. So go out there! Crash a party! Above all, have fun. 

Hey there! I wrote a commentary about this post on February 25, 2016. Click here to read it!