Happy Sunday: Fishing, Fall, and the Word of God

Oh hey, again.  I write to you in a worn-out, dazed, yet completely fulfilled state.

Worn out from very early mornings and very late nights.  When I was on my mission, I promised myself I would sleep in for the rest of my life once I got back to America.  Yeah, that happened once, maybe.  I realized I'm just not the sleeping-in type.  I feel like my greatest hours of productivity are in the wee hours of the morning,  There's no greater time for hiking, baking, reading, working out, fly fishing....  Yes, I went fly fishing for the first time ever with my friend Conley.  I got to tromp around in Provo River wearing waders that were about 30 sizes too big for me.  I kind of just imagined I was in "A River Runs Through It" and that Robert Redford would pop out from behind the cattails at any minute.  The setting was stunning.  Catch of the day:  two bushes, several sticks, and a nasty knot in my line.  So sue me.  Conley said I had great casting form, so the way I see it, as long as I look good fishing, the number of fish caught is of little importance.

Gone Fishin'......I've always wanted to say that

Dazed from concocting and eating an array of foods deemed "Fall Foods" for a spontaneous Harvest Fest that Lani and I threw at our apartment this afternoon.  There's something about foliage changing colors that puts one in the mood for anything containing pumpkin or cloves.  On the menu:  pumpkin scones (made from a real pumpkin, folks.  Be impressed.); baby spinach salad with cranberries, pumpkin seeds, candied almonds, apples, and home-made pomegranate balsamic dressing (which may have splattered all over the kitchen and myself when I was making it); banana bread; chili; caramel apples; apple cider; and delicious spicy wassail.  You know that feeling you get after eating too much sugar?  Like your teeth are wearing sweaters?  Yeah.  Got that right now.

Photos courtesy of my roommate, Sierra Debenham

Completely fulfilled because this weekend was General Conference, a conference held semi-annually when the prophet, his apostles, and other general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak.  It was great.  Powerful.  Straight-forward.  Bold.  Inspiring.  Spiritual fuel.  It was confirmed to me over and over again that President Thomas S. Monson really is a mouthpiece for God and a living witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

Taken on my hike to Stewart Falls last weekend

Happy Sunday and Happy Fall, everyone.

One Free Ride Closer to World Peace

For the past several months, I have been on a quest to find answers for world peace.  This is what I've got so far:  flash mobs, Jimmer's All-Stars, and hitchhiking.  Flash mobs made the list back in March because...well...unity is just beautiful!  Jimmer's All-Stars was added last week after I watched Jimmer and a gaggle of other NBA rookies play together for charity at the Marriott Center.  Surprisingly, it wasn't even the charity part that hooked me.  They could have been playing to campaign for Obamasaurus and I still would have been over-come with joy watching those former competitors join together as teammates to play the happiest game of basketball I've ever watched in my life.  As of Tuesday night, hitchhiking made the list.  Nothing promotes peace like picking up seedy strangers off the side of the road.  Especially when they look like this:

So, props to our kind benefactors who made it possible for Brett, Stephen, and I to tear up the dance floor (Also, dancing = world peace.  Seriously.) at Randi Olson's wedding reception.  We only had to wait there with that sign for 10 seconds.  Literally.  That's love.

Siberian Stress Relief

This is what happens to me after studying too much tor a Russian Lit exam.

I also made up a song today using the 12 Russian words I know.  It's actually pretty good and likely to be performed at an open-mic night somewhere in the greater Provo area.

Happy Sunday: Be Good

BE GOOD. It's my favorite catch phrase, farewell, advice, admonition... I'm sure that I have personally told you to be good at some point or another. It just rolls off the tongue. My mantra, perhaps. I never really knew why, until I read THIS today:

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)

BAM. In the fight against evil, your greatest weapon is your goodness. Believe it or not, there are actually good things happening in the world right now. Easy to forget sometimes, but nevertheless true. We have the media and our own human desire for scandal and gore to blame for that. My friend recently posted this video. It may have made me shed a tear or two...or 30...of joy. Good people doing great things actually exist in this hand basket headed for Hell! Be one of them. Be good.

I Miss Jimmer (Part II)

[Part I can be found here.]

Indeed, the only highlight from the BYU-Utah football game this weekend was when Jimmer's smiling face on the sidelines graced ESPN for about 6 seconds.  For an instant of wild imaginative bliss, I truly thought Bronco Mendenhall was going to toss him a helmet and sub him into the game.  If only...

I'd probably watch a lot more BYU football if this was the case.

There was, however, another redeeming factor from Saturday night's embarrassing showcase of hog slop.  This was the fact that possibly the biggest fan in Cougar Land was my dear friend, Emily Craner.  Emily was on holiday from the the Greater Northwest Region, experiencing Utah and Mormonism in its extreme for the very first time.  Not being a member of the LDS faith, Emily was entitled to yell whatever tactless, profane comment she could aim at any crimson-clad Ute fan she saw walking around Provo town.  This isn't to say that I, as a Mormon, don't think these things (what?!  There's a fine line between animosity and school spirit!), but Emily was at liberty to blurt out loud whatever she pleased without feeling ashamed.  She may have created some hostile enemies while driving down University Ave.  Luckily for her, 1.) this isn't East L.A., and 2.) she'll never see them again.

During the game, shouts of  "Take that, you Ute!  It's God's wrath!" and "Come on Cougars, do it for the pioneers who crossed the plains!" could be heard in loud, sporadic bursts coming from Emily's seat.  I was happy to see that she had remembered some Mormon history from the tour of Temple Square we went on a few days earlier.

Her best cheers were Jimmer-themed.  She taught me that every Jimmer Mania catch phrase and proverb that was used during basketball season could easily be applied to a football game.  If you played for one BYU team, you might as well play for all of them, in Emily's mind.  I admit, I like her logic.

Mostly, I just miss Jimmer.

Happy Sunday: Lifting Burdens

Today in Sunday School, someone made a poignant comment that resonated with me.

We are accustomed to thinking that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for overcoming sin. In reality, it encompasses much, much more. It is for overcoming trials.

One of those simple things that I've always known, yet forget to apply.  The Atonement is real. Remember it. Use it. Apply it. In moments of weakness, sorrow, triumph, joy...allow the Savior to play an active part in your life.

Happy Sunday,

Me

Mad Cow Disease

is actually what happens when a territorial cow living in Spanish Fork canyon turns into a straight up gangster when innocent Honda Civics filled with bright-eyed hotspring-seekers encroach on his hood.  His hood in the woods.  A potential rock slide to our left.  An abyss of forest to our right. Gangster cows straight ahead.  To make Homer's expression more appropriate to Utah geography, we were "between a red rock and a hard place."

Gangster Mama cow was ready to throw it down, out of protection for Gangster Baby.  We were so close I could see the evil gleam in her eye, the spittle frothing at her mouth, the knife tucked into her sock.  I was fully expecting home girl to charge head-on into my car, smash the windshield, then pop a cap in  all our heads.  

Fortunately, enough screaming on my part and moo-ing on everyone else's part was enough to keep the Moo Thug at a relatively safe distance.

At least 12 other members of her gang were spotted on our way to the hot springs.  Most likely a lucrative business set up by these rabid bovines to prey on unsuspecting adventurers and traffic them into their hood in the woods.  Never again to return.  Let this serve as warning to all those who ever plan on hitting up the Spanish Fork Hot Pots.