New Apartment – Among Other Things!

Although I have learned this lesson a few times, I am learning it again now. The lesson is to just go with what happens, or rather if life gives you lemons make lemon mirage pie. That could have gone several ways:

throw them at people for your own entertainment, see if you can fit the entire thing in your mouth, throw them as high as you can to see if they splatter, and the boring one make lemonade.

Well this post is lame up to this point, and it seems that this is all I write about, mainly for my family to read. I have finally moved into my apartment, and am supposed to be writing a talk on How the Priesthood Can Bless Lives. Obviously not doing that.

As many of you know I have been living in a dump for the last well year. Monday I moved out of it! Halle-freakin-lujah!

As I was moving my stuff my happy meter kept going up and up and up. My new roommate, who has his own room as well, is extremely clean as well and this is going to be a great summer. I would actually invite people to my apartment now, whereas before I was ashamed to go there myself.

In addition to this new move my roommate is gone all weekend, so I have the entire clean apartment to myself…house party anyone?

You really don’t realize how much a clean apartment can affect your attitude and mood. I had been living in that crap hole for far too long, and had stopped tons of the stuff I love to do.

In addition to my recent move, I bought two new suits. I have placed images of them below:

 

Ok so I don’t look as metro in the suit, as these two brethren do but I still look pretty good. PS the grey suit isn’t that light a color, and has a vest. I was having difficulty finding the exact suit so I used this one.

My Mum and Sister are coming in to town for the next two weeks so things can only get better!

I love to write, and below is a short poem I wrote. It seems most of my poetry currently turns out a bit like this:

My Time Will Come

I am at the same point again. It seems like deja vu, and I remember the ending. It didn’t turn out well then and it’s not panning out now.

I get interested but it’s a two way mirror and I’m on the outside. I punch the glass to try and get through but with every hit it gets stronger.

What’s the point? You win some I lose some, the game never changes. Heart broken every time. You’d think I’d learn and just give up, but I’m too stubborn for that!

It’s like a merry go round that never ends. I ride it until it’s my turn to get off, but my turn never comes.

I’m laying flat on my back staring at the stars and wonder if anyone else out there feels the same. I’m just a small speck in the universe. How could I matter?

It’s great to impact others, but when will I impress them? You know, the ones that actually count. Be obedient and patient, you’re trying too hard. Well maybe that’s true, or maybe they aren’t trying hard enough.

Either way again I lose, but ask me again tomorrow and it may be different.

Tomorrow came, and the dew has yet to leave. Although the day gloomy the fog is gone.

The sun is radiating from with in, that’s almost the only light I have received of late.

Trying to make heads or tails of this upside down world. I was told once “the world is a messed up place, deal with it.” Well I’m dealing with it as best I can.

I feel as though my feet are cemented in place while all around me is traveling. I am the only constant!

All I can think or say is my time will come, my time will come!

Social Experiment Number 2 – A Fast Car on a Wet Curvy Road

Today at work my frustrations with my job reemerged, and my Manager pulled me aside to talk to me about it. Well I was on my way to talk to my brother when I was pulled aside and as soon as I finished with my manager I continued on to talk to my Brother.

Family has a way of putting things that sink deeper then outside individuals. While speaking with my Brother he told me things I already knew about myself, but for some reason it jostled something loose inside of me allowing me to make a change.

After work I headed to the temple to do a bit of thinking. That was the most distracted session I have ever had! Although enlightening it was enlightening in a different way. A new social experiment idea emerged from the event!

As I thought about creating a new social experiment, it occurred to me that the type of things I would be trying out would not create a social experiment to do so. Scratch that idea, then again my previous social experiment was testing the reactions of a tool. I sincerely doubt that most tools are bright enough to come up with anything remotely clever.

I will get back to you all on whether or not this “Social Experiment Number 2” will come to fruition.

A week later:

That experiment will not come about here. I did try doing the experiment, and the only thing I have to say about it, is its like driving a car really fast on a wet curvy road.

I watched the below video, and it sort of summed up in a religious way my thoughts. Although it is on the Book of Mormon the spirit has a way of teaching everyone what they need to learn no matter the subject.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T – Give it to Get it!

It seems to me every time I write it becomes spiritual in some way. Well I wanted to try and break from the mold…hopefully it will work.

My 4 year mark from being home from my mission was May 1st, and I mention this date because it is significant for another reason as well. The announced death of Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden. Osama bin Laden for short.

They showed the announcement and celebrations all over the news, and although he was bad in our eyes, I am not his judge. Nor do I proclaim to be perfect in my actions before God. I realize under his direction thousands of innocent people were killed. Well how many people were killed throughout the years under our direction? (So much for not bringing the spiritual into it. I didn’t even make it 3 paragraphs.)

I am an American and tear up when I hear of a soldier defending our country, an innocent person dying, or the National Anthem, but history is all about perspective.

You may think this controversial and if you do I think you are an idiot. “Nuff Said”

Yesterday I had the opportunity of helping a friend move to a new apartment, and in doing so was also given the opportunity to rip a screw out of their wall. Growing up my father taught me how to clean up a wall with putty after damage has been done to it, and this was my opportunity to use that skill.

Why is this important?
1) Its about my family and friends
2) People of the rising generation are smart but they are arrogant and give no credit where credit is due. (Note this does not include everyone of that generation, but a majority.)

Talents are given for a reason. That reason is to bless the lives of others. If you are keeping a talent to yourself or misusing it you’re an idiot!

I know I have used that word a bit freely but that is the best way to describe it. Pull your head out and realize the source from where all blessings come!

Well there is a point and process that came from all this. I was pulling the screw out of the wall and it was not budging. I took a hammer to it in hopes to just pull it out but it was pretty well stuck in the wall. Doing this I broke a sweat, and took my button up shirt off. My undershirt was an American Eagle shirt – American Eagle has been my favorite store since I was 11, short advertisement – with the name across the front in the Oakland A’s colors and old school fashion.

This shirt reminded me of my Grandpa who passed away November 2009. I miss him incredibly, and owe a great deal to him. I look at his personality and work ethic, and can see that I was brought out of a very similar if not the same mold for which I am grateful.

He raised my Dad to be a wonderful man, and my Dad did the same for me. Whether or not I learned it is a different subject.

I want to be frank here: Our generation, including myself, needs to be more grateful for those who have gone before us. Respect your Elders, Parents, Women, and each other. You are no greater than they, and you don’t need to get respect before you give it! If anything these people have had a lot of experience, and have been through the same things. Although sometimes their experiences are outdated there are still great pearls of knowledge to be taken from them!

Conclusion:
Put away your iPod, iPhone, iPad, iEverything and talk to those around you. Don’t be so worried about what others think, or if something is going to be fun or not. Not everything in life is going to be fun! Sometimes its more important to do things for others. You know that service thing people sometimes talk about, well its actually fun too, and makes you feel good as well!

If anyone takes anything from this post, I hope its that last paragraph. Take time to think!

One is the Loneliest Number…Good Thing We are Never Alone!

Its that time again! I went to my mission reunion around conference time, and all the elders I knew were either married or engaged and almost everyone (married that is) had kids. To add to this on a daily basis, I found out that another friend of mine is engaged! Yes I am happy for them, but at the same time I feel like a massive piece…

Its interesting to think about the trials that we MUST pass through in life to become like our Father in Heaven. Were it not for this stretching of our patience and faith, we would have no way to really know how to be like our Father for we have never gone through the same things he has.

Yes we think a lot about he knows what we are going through, but reverse the thought. We need to know what he has gone through, and is going through if we are to obtain the mind of God.

Last night I had an opportunity to give a blessing to a young lady in my ward and, not boasting of my self, I felt incredibly close to my Father in Heaven. As I receive more and more opportunities to give blessings and serve and follow the spirit I draw nearer to Him. I can feel his presence ever closer.

When these opportunities come, the numbness or emptiness of being single or lonely goes away. For this I am grateful to my God.

Now why would I share such an experience? Well I shared it because I think these kinds of thoughts aren’t shared enough.

“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

Do we talk of Christ, or rejoice in Christ? Well I want to be one that can say this scripture with conviction.

Now with these things said, I say the following: When I was at my mission reunion I felt out of place and uncomfortable among people I loved, which was nothing to fault them. I don’t know why but the marriage thing really bugs me unlike anyone else I know. Its as if I am the only person on the planet thinking about it, which I know can’t be true.

That said, why would I feel out of place? I think it is in part because as crazy as this may sound, “Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan,” and as such I don’t feel whole without my other half whoever that might be. I have learned that lesson, the lesson I would like to learn now though is how the bleen am I supposed to make that commandment of being married happen?

Going back to the before mentioned principle of service = joy, I sort of missed that principle with the last few splurges I went on.

1) I became a fast food junkie, eating out like 1 – 3 times a day Mon – Sat.
2) I bought a longboard, probably in part do to a quarter life crisis or something.
3) I immerse myself into the gospel, my calling, and work so as to escape the other things.

Although the 3 point isn’t bad of itself, it can become bad if taking over the other aspects of life like mine was. That said I would rather spend too much time doing that than some of the other things people spend their time doing!

Why do I write all this? I write it in hopes that someone will learn something from the situation in which I am currently in. What, I don’t really know but something!

Dirt – Are You In It, or Less Than It?

Today is my brothers birthday, and being that my mind was sort of carried away to remembering the past.

I have not had many memorable birthdays, the only three that I really remember were the two prior to my mission and when I turned 12 and received a basketball. That was probably also the last birthday I had when my grandparents were able to come, and may or may not have made that day a little bit more special.

Here in brief summation of the two before my mission:
18: With the rights that come along with this birthday you would think it would be one to remember, but I don’t remember it for that. I remember it because everyone else forgot about it! Yeah its true. My Dad was out of town, and my Mother and Sisters were at Knob Noster. My brothers were both out in Utah and I spent the day by myself reading. I didn’t receive a phone call or even a card until a week later.
19: Due to the fact that the previous year was great! My Mother surprised me and flew out for my birthday and was partially instrumental in throwing a surprise birthday party for me. My brothers were there as well as several friends. I received a few things, but the thing I remember most was a long sleeve button up shirt from AE. My brother (same brother that has a birthday today) shoved my face in my cake, and it was the first time that has ever happened.

Why do I even bring all this up? Well I bring it up because it pushed my thoughts onto something greater!

My thought process from time to time (or always for those who know me better.) is very abstract. Last night I went on visits with my bishop and he shared an experience on dirt. What is so significant about dirt? Its better than you, because its strictly obedient!

Helaman 12:7- 8 – “O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth. For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.”

As I was thinking about this scripture and other lessons I have learned I again realized that no matter what happens to us, (whether a great birthday or one in which we spend it in solitude) if we trust in God and seek to do what he asks of us it will always turn out for our best interest!

I currently live in an apartment where spiritual conversations or experiences are few and far between. I come home to Jessica (the massive poster on the wall of a less then modest AE model), and less than appropriate movies. I mention this because those who are followers of Christ live in a country very similar to my apartment. There are bombardments of the unholy every where, and most people, myself included don’t stand up to these things. The values and standards continue to be dropped and most of us stand by idly watching thinking this isn’t going to affect me directly.

Well it is, and it will even further. Yes we must create our sanctuaries or retreats where we can go to for comfort and solace, but we are also to be in the world! We are to be in its daily affairs and seek to help and to serve where ever possible.

Now I come back to dirt, because there are two uses of the word covered in this post.

1. Dirt as in Earth or soil.
2. Dirt as in a filthy condition.

Well you are either going to go one way or they other. There is no sitting on the fence! The ball is in your court, you make the call what your going to do with it.

My Menace Mark – Quarter of a Century Old!

The dares for the most part are over, but a new milestone is coming into view…Only 20 days away and I become as “Brigham Young” has said, a menace to society. Well that quote, is just as factual as Christ saying “I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it!”

In my opinion, being a quarter anything sounds pretty cool: Quarter-pounder, Quarterback, Quarter Horse, Al Jefferson or even just one of the best decision makers on the planet the US Quarter.

Well I sort of stopped celebrating my birthday seeing as its not that big a deal, but this is one of those milestone years and I have to do something. So I am writing this post for ideas.

I am a member of the LDS church so I am not going to get wasted, stoned, or do anything crazy illegal but I want to do something so suggestions are not only welcome, but needed!

I thought about doing some major trip or flying somewhere I have never flown, but that is sort of hard to do in 3 – 4 days.

Please comment below, any ideas are appreciated!

The Invention and History of the Dare – Formally and Informally

It is not my purpose here to write a detailed history of the dare, but touch briefly upon the historical events that led up to the dares and character to which has been developed in me from this intangible force of, some could argue, nature.

The informal invention of the dare was long before most scholars would claim, but a factual event that happened and has been proven by scrolls that I found in the catacombs I found below my grandfathers basement. It has been revealed that the place where our first parents resided was Adam-ondi-Ahman, and I have come to the conclusion that this is how the scrolls or manuscripts have come to have been placed in before mentioned catacombs.

Upon reading them I came across a not so well know story of a Gilgamesh and Steve. Both were grandsons of Adam, and had yet to reach their 100th birthday. As most historians would know the 100th birthday during this time was very similar to the Jewish right of passage today known as the Bar Mitzvah (Son of the Commandment) minus the dreidels and wedding singer.

As the story goes, Gilgamesh was a very curious young man, and Steve was one to see how far Gilgamesh’s curiosity would go. One morning, weeks before their 100th birthday, the two young men were walking through the field past Cane’s garden, Steve turned to Gilgamesh and bet him that he wasn’t mature enough to be a man and the only way to prove it was to take a watermelon from Cane’s garden. Gilgamesh being prideful in his heart passed over into the garden and took the largest watermelon he could find.

To spare the detail, Gilgamesh was the second human ever to be killed. It is after him that the oldest poetry was named.

Time continued on and the bet or dare continued to take form or shape, but it wasn’t again until late in the High Middle Ages that it was as great a change in the history of events.

In 1222 AD Knights coming back from the 5th crusade created a game called “Do It or I kill You.” This game very similar to our truth or dare, wasn’t widely spread due to the great amounts of death from other causes including disease, wars, and poor sanitation. Another name for this game and dares in general was “Mans Ego.” It was less popular and didn’t take well either.

Time continued on and finally came the first lasting formal invention of the dare. In 1929 during an  anti-prohibition party in the Florida Keys at a place called Eddie’s fish basket Truth or Dare was invented!

If you think this game hasn’t impacted the lives of millions if not billions through out the world, try and find one person who has not played it!

(The “historical” events of this blog post are extremely loosely based on actual places, events, and people.)

With the preface to the post out of the way onto the real reason for the post:

This year I have re-cultivated a character trait which was once a big part of my being. Before my mission you could dare me to do almost anything. No I never did anything bad, but there may have been some trespassing involved and other things along those lines.

At the beginning of this year I was challenged or dared to go on a date a week, well I have kept up with that up until this week. I will tell you if I failed this week later…Then I was dared to be a Tool/Jerk for a week, which was a lovely experience. (Not so much) The most recent among several other dares was growing a beard. Well I am on the second week of it, and it is growing on me…literally!

Reason I bring this up is because its one of those things that can add spontaneity or excitement to your life. Don’t believe me try it out!

Nice Guys vs. Tools – Who is the Winner in the End?

Dating and relationships are something I have never liked working at. They have always been and hopefully won’t always be necessary evils. That said this week I will be performing an anthropological study (for lack of any better term. If you think of one let me know) I guess I could use psychological study, but then I makes me sound like I am doing tests on human subjects.

In a way I sort of am, seeing as what I am going to be doing is acting like a jerk to test the reaction of the female species. Yes I called them a species.

Last night, as I was pondering on what I would like to call “the nice guy syndrome;” which is to say nice guys always finish last; my roommates were talking and I entered the conversation to receive some advice. (Oh and ps ladies, if you think this theory is incorrect you are wrong.) I say this from experience. I have grown up as the nice guy and have been in the following situation more times then I care to count.

Situation 1:
Nice guy, great friend always willing to help and open to talk. Friend of the nice guy is dating a tool or jerk, and hates being treated horribly, but continues to stay with the guy.

Situation 2:
Nice guy, great friend always willing to help and open to talk. Friend of the nice guy never sees the nice guy as any more than that…burn

So back to the story…I leave the comfort of my room and go to talk to my roommates. To save their identities lets call them Brock and Chester. (Funny enough both tool like names, although I am not referring to them as being tools.) I present the problem before them and the solution that almost instantly comes up, is start acting like a tool.

Well me being the nice guy I had no idea where to start, but soon caught on so well that Brock wanted to punch me. Not bad I guess for only acting all through High School and some in College. I probably would have won an Emmy for that performance.

Ok so it probably wasn’t that good but, even though they knew I was acting the part of a tool both were getting pretty upset. Funny if you ask me, but not me and would probably never work for an extended period of time.

Characteristics of a tool:

• Careless
• Selfish
• Arrogant
• Prideful
• Full of oneself
• Cocky with little to nothing to back it up
• Vain
• Simple minded
• Obsessed with looks
• Shallow

(I hope by now you get the picture, if not follow this link: Ultimate Tools)

So after discussing and practicing for a few hours, I went to bed. I woke up in the morning determined to adjust this some how to make this experiment work.

The solution came to me at work! I decided that I don’t need to be a tool to everyone, because there is no sense in reacting towards guys in a ignorant manner. After all it wasn’t them to which this experiment was targeted. The solution and probably 1/2 of a tools genetic make up was: Jerk. This is something a lot easier to carry out, and a lot of the dress of a tool is lost. (Happily) The only characteristics I would really have to emulate are: careless, self centered, and arrogant.

Not near as bad as a tool, but still gets the point across.

Hypothesis:
If being a nice guy repels girls from wanting to date you, then doing the opposite and acting like a jerk will attract girls.

Day 1:
Now to the part that I think you all are most interested in. Throughout the day I did get more attention then usual by ignoring the females or being short in response to them, but not enough evidence in the situations present to lead to this hypothesis being ruled out. The evidence today did lead toward being a greater truth then an untruth though.

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:  MIA

Day 5:

BOM in 100 Days!

Currently I am in Orem, Utah, and I know I just broke some of my personal blogging rules by stating an actual place but I don’t care. In my ward a week ago we were challenged to read the BOM in 100 days. There are 531 pages in the Book of Mormon, so that would be 5.31 pages a day! Not too much but you get behind and it adds up really quickly.

The reason I even mention this is because I have a testimony of the book, but I haven’t been as diligent in studying it since my mission. In the first week alone I have felt as if I was learning at the same caliber or degree as I did when I was on my mission! Pretty cool right? Well I think so!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the “Mormon Mission” it is two years of serving our Father in Heaven through the service of others. We pay our own way and go around searching for people to help and teach.

That preface out of the way, I started reading the Book of Mormon and immediately (meaning the same day) life as I knew it changed completely. I would like to challenge you to do the same. Start reading theBook of Mormon, whether you are LDS or not; it really doesn’t matter. I promise that anyone who is religious at all that if they read this book with an open mind and a prayer in your heart your testimony of your savior will increase in greater measure than any other single thing you can do.

Why do I say this? Well because I am trying it again and every time I try this challenge I am blessed abundantly in every aspect of life.

Today is the Beginning of the Rest of Your Life…Mine too!

So we meet again! Its been a while, mainly because I have had nothing much to report since last I wrote here. I have been wanting to write for a few days now though and really didn’t have a subject matter until now.

Here goes:

Nope I got nothing, I was waiting for my crazy improv side to kick in but it didn’t its been beaten down to much in the last little while, due to offense taken by those who take themselves too seriously and seek to be offended. Well if you are that person then to quote myself “Pull Your Head Out” haha

Yeah I said it! Life is already too difficult for people with out having to walk on egg shells, and its people like that, that make it worse. When I was serving in Ukraine God blessed my life and the lives of Ukraine with this talk: And Nothing Shall Offend Them.

This is a beautiful talk given by David A. Bednar. Granted I should not seek to offend people nor should others but life would be a lot easier for people if they weren’t so uptight! That being said for the longest time my personal theme song for my self was Don’t Worry Be Happy.

I thought this picture looked ridiculous & made me laugh

Its hard to be Christlike, but even harder if people are stressed about the pressures of life and worrying too much about what others think. The Savior of the world, the only person who is or was or will ever be perfect in this life gave everything for others always placing them first. I think we all could take a page from his book at least in that aspect of life (hopefully all the other aspects as well, but I think this one could really help =)

Thats it! I love or at least want to love everything about life and am working to do so!