Black Friday!!!

Wow what a crazy mess! I really wasn't in it for me, but somehow ended up out there. Sears at 4, Walmart at 5, Home Depot at 6...what was I thinking? It was successful, though, and I am in one piece!

New Moon

The Gap

So...I had no idea people were still reading this thing...I guess I better keep it up. Stay tuned for more complaints about old people and driving, and elevators...I will try to fit lots of rays of sunshine in there as well!!

Sweet Spirit

We find the strangest things in mission cars that are turned into us...some things are completely nasty, and some are so hilarious that we never let them go. This is hilarious. The phrase "Sweet Spirit" is not usually a complementary term. Well...we found a bottle of perfume in a mission car called...you guessed it..."Sweet Spirit." It says it's from Sister Missionary Mall. LOL. It smells like New Car Scent though, so hopefully those investigators like girls who smell like cars. I'm just waiting for this scent to come out: "Flirt to Convert."

The Ups and Downs....Elevators part 2

I love elevators. They help me conserve my dwindling knee cartilage. Stairs are wonderful for marathoners. I'm not a wuss, I will race anyone up the stairs at any time...my knees just tell me to save that for a rainy day...

Here are the downs...just a few words about ettiquette, common sense if you will. It seems appropriate to me that one boarding the elevator should wait for those who are exiting. It makes sense, just like you'd wait for someone to get out of the seat at an amusement park before you board their seat. What's funny, is when you are trying to exit and someone is boarding oblivious to your presence and then glare like it's your problem. Learn to wait.

Another gripe that's been a long time in coming...we have quite a large parking structure I park in and the elevators are slower than molasses(as my grandma would say). This causes quite the line by the elevators. I am all for respecting my elders and would like to be courteous in every way, but....(bless their hearts) there is a plethora of seniors where I work who without fail will cut around the 20 foot line of people at the elevator and cruise up to the front. Remind me that when I'm old, I can forget my manners....if someone is having trouble walking, sure. Totally understandable. Down right impatient, no excuse. C'mon people. Back to respecting elders...in this line, if there was a debate in that line by the elder on who was oldest...or more debilitated....there would be a serious blood bath. There really are that many here.

Sigh....that's been a while in coming. I don't mean to be rude, I'm just all for common sense and manners.

Why I Believe

Everyone has their own story, why they believe what they do. Maybe it was a life-altering event that made them stop and think. Perhaps they had always been searching and finally found what they are looking for. I thought it was time to tell my story. It’s not dramatic, may not give you goose-bumps or cause you to jump up and give me a huge “amen,” but I hope it will let you know exactly where I stand, and if it makes sense to you, then I hope you will check it out further and find out for yourself.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, otherwise known as “Mormons.” I was born in the Church, grew up in the Church, and deep down I have always known that it is true. Let me explain my last statement. Everyone goes through times in their lives when they wonder what is and is not true. Everyone wavers a bit. Opinions change, life always throws curve-balls and just dissidence in general causes one to wonder, “Is this really true?” Well, I can tell you that through all the ups and downs of my life, deep down I have always known that the Church is true. Now I will explain why.

It just makes sense.

It fits together. It really does. Of course there are always things I may never understand about the church, but I’m content with that. It’s all part of life learning in general. What I’m about to explain may not make sense to you, but I will tell you what makes sense to me.

The Earth:
Have you looked outside lately? Let me tell you about where I live. I can drive 30 minutes and look down from mountain tops, and then drive 30 minutes in the opposite direction and be in an amazing desert. Five more hours takes me to a beautiful red rock canyon. In looking at the wonders of this world, can one really say that it’s all fallen together by chance? My answer is a resounding NO. There are some evidences of evolution in this world, such as bacterial evolution to resist a certain kind of antibiotic, and other evidences on a larger scale, but I believe that things were put here on purpose. The Earth was not founded on chance. It just doesn’t make sense.

I believe that a loving Father in Heaven created this world for us. He wanted to give us somewhere beautiful to learn and grow in our earthly existence.

Us:
Why do we get up in the morning? Why do we age? Why do we learn? Is there a purpose behind this? The more I live, the more I know the answer. We were put here in this place and time to learn certain things. Have you ever been in a situation where you were able to help someone and felt that it wasn’t a coincidence you were in the right place at the right time? Life is not a coincidence. So…if our being here is not a coincidence, then there must be a reason for us to be here. Another thought: after all we learn here, would it make any sense for life to be completely over when we die? Absolutely not. Also, if there is life after death, wouldn’t it make sense for there to be a life before our earthly life as well where what is to come would be explained to us? I believe this to be true.

I believe that we lived before we came to this Earth and that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who knows us and wants us to learn and to become the best people we can be. We have a purpose. He loves us. When we die, we will have the opportunity of living with him.

You may wonder why I have started out with what I believe about the Earth and us. Well, these things are absolutely tangible to us at this time. They are concrete to us. We can see them, touch them. Sometimes, to those who struggle with belief, it’s easier to start with what they can see.


God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost:
I have already addressed the topic of evolution, so in light of that, I have already stated that there MUST BE A GOD. Since there is a God, what is he like? Many believe that he is a cold hearted, domineering being who exercises His will upon his children. We see so much pain in this world, how could one endure the sight of it? My thought is different.

I believe that our Heavenly Father is an all-knowing, merciful God who loves his children in such a way we are unable to comprehend. He allows us to use our agency, to make choices that will bring us joy or sorrow. He has a plan for this earth and for his children. Prayer links us to our Father in Heaven. He listens to us and blesses us according to what he sees is best for us.

Jesus Christ:
We all sin. We all do things we regret. As a prerequisite to living with Him again, God requires that we are clean and pure. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done some things in my life that were less than choice; and if there were no Christ, then we would be doomed to live in darkness with Satan forever. That’s where the Atonement comes in.

I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth to be an example to us. He taught us the way to return to live with our Heavenly Father. He suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane. Then he died voluntarily to take away the bonds of death so we can live again. This one paragraph I have written doesn’t even suffice to describe in the tiniest way the Atonement affects our lives. I invite you to read the accounts in the Holy Bible to understand more fully the last days of our Savior upon this earth.

Christ is a very personal Savior. Since He has suffered all things, he knows our pains. He is the ONLY ONE, save Heavenly Father, who knows EXACTLY what we go through. He has felt our heart-aches, our grief, cancer, AIDS, starvation…He knows. Because of this, why would we not turn to someone like this? I know what some of you are thinking…He lived so long ago…I don’t even know if He existed. It’s just been passed down through written accounts. This takes me to my next topic.

The Holy Ghost:
This last member of the Godhead is also referred to as the Spirit, or Comforter. I’ve heard many people explain manifestations of the Holy Ghost in different ways: warmth, peace, burning, clarity, love. The Holy Ghost quickens our minds and helps us understand concepts. It is a catalyst. It helps our Heavenly Father communicate with us. I have felt it when I’ve been discouraged. The Holy Ghost brings me peace. He confirms when something I’ve been studying in the Gospel is true. To me, it brings clarity. Kind of like one of those “aha” moments, and then I feel in my heart that it is true. It’s hard to describe, really; but I know when it hits that those feelings are coming from an outside source.

Let’s talk about you for a minute….as you’ve been reading my posts about what I believe, you may have felt something. Maybe something is clicking in your mind. Maybe all of this is making sense to you. Maybe you’ve even felt warmth or calm. That is the Holy Ghost speaking to you, confirming to you that what I am saying is true.

I believe that the Holy Ghost comforts, inspires and confirms truth. He has the power to carry knowledge into our hearts. He is part of how our Heavenly Father communicates with us.

My previous topics are beliefs that are shared by many Christians. I enjoy talking with Christians of all denominations and rejoicing on the commonalities that we share. I embrace our diversity.

The following topics are those that are unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The Book of Mormon:
We believe the Book of Mormon to be the cornerstone of our religion. If the Book of Mormon is true, then the Church is true. If it is not true, then the Church is not true. It’s as simple as that and makes perfect sense to me.

The Book of Mormon is a record that started in 600 BC by Lehi. He lived in Jerusalem and sailed to the Americas. This record, which was kept on engraved plates, was passed down through generations until about 421 AD. It also includes the record of an ancient people who lived at about 2600 BC in the Americas. In approximately 400 AD, a Prophet named Mormon had possession of all these records that were passed down and he abridged the book, combining all of the most important and most sacred teachings. Now you know why we are called Mormons—because we believe the Book of Mormon to be true.

I believe The Book of Mormon to be true. I absolutely believe that the record was passed down from generation to generation and was then translated by Joseph Smith (my next topic). I will explain later why this makes sense to me.

Joseph Smith:
This is a tricky one for some to believe. I don’t know how many times I have heard accounts saying, “I think I might believe in the Mormon Church…if it weren’t for the story of Joseph Smith. That I just can’t believe.” To me, this is one parts of our religion I most easily believe. Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805 in Sharon Vermont. His family was poor, and Joseph had little opportunity for education. In fact, he only had the education of a third grader. In those times, a great religious revival was upon that area and surrounding areas. He and his family were torn between religious sects and Joseph wondered which church he should join. He did what many of us would do if we had questions about spirituality or where our lives should be directed. At the age of 14, he prayed. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. They told him that none of the churches upon the earth at that time were true. Of course many of the churches had some correct teachings, but they did not have the fullness of the Gospel. After this vision, he was mocked by neighbors and shunned. Many people would crack under this kind of pressure, but he did not. He states, “Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.”

After this vision, he was tutored by Angels and our Heavenly Father, and was given plates, or sheets of metal which were engraved upon. With the help of our Heavenly Father, he was able to translate the record. This is the Book of Mormon.

Many may believe that Joseph Smith was crazy. After studying details of his life, I know that he was telling the truth. There are details in the Book of Mormon that simply could not have come together at the hands of a man with a third-grade education. For example:

° The Book of Mormon contains Hebrew literary forms, such as Chiasmus.
° The geography in the Book of Mormon is consistent with possible geographical sites in Central America.
° Characters on the plates were authenticated by scholars of Joseph Smith’s time, and the translation verified. Professor Charles Anthon certified that the translation was correct and consisted of Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyraic and Arabic. When he learned how the plates were obtained, he revoked his certification. The translation was also verified by a Dr Mitchell.
° The events in the Book of Mormon could not have been fabricated by one with a third-grade education

I believe that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet of God. He translated the plates into the Book of Mormon and restored The Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth.

I could really go on and on. There are many who try to prove religious truth through logic, and I have presented what makes sense to me. This is only a part of it though. As individuals, part of our education on this earth is to put together puzzle pieces of knowledge, line upon line, and then to decide what we truly believe about these pieces of information. I know I mentioned this before, but that is where the Holy Ghost comes in. As I put together these puzzle pieces, occasionally, I will feel a spark of clarity in my mind, letting me know that something is true. At other times, I will feel peace and warmth. This is where common sense is verified and a foundation is laid for obtaining more truth.

I’m not going to go as into depth as I would like to, but I want to voice my opinion and share what and why I believe. I know that the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints contains the fullness of the Gospel today. I also know that if we are faithful and do the very best we can that our Heavenly Father will help us to become like Him. We will grow, and learn and by helping each other, become the best we can be. I know that because of the Atonement of our Savior, we can live together as families forever. Many of you reading this probably already know what I believe, but I feel that reading the testimonies of others always strengthens my own. Many of you may not be familiar with the topics I’ve covered, and if not I encourage you to think about them, or at least know how I feel concerning them. If anything I have mentioned makes sense to you, or if you would like more information, please visit www.mormon.org.

The Prize

We had this super fun activity at FHE last night. "Scrabbled Eggs" was the title. We were put into groups and had to search for a certain color egg at the church house. Oh...and we had to be tied to a member of the opposite sex, of course...this IS a singles activity. After we gathered the eggs, we broke them open to find Scrabble letters. Then, we had to spell out animals. It was crazy fun. Of course, we were all in high competition mode to get rid of our tiles and beat the other 19 teams (yes, 19 teams).

We won.

We dominated.

We kicked everyone's trash.

We cheated.

Not...

We tried to cheat, and then we played it straight.

We won.

Here is my prize.

It's a pig.

It oinks when you press it down, and then "lays" candy. Alright, fine.

It poops.

It should poop...wait a minute!! The "hole" isn't LARGE ENOUGH for the candy to escape! My candy laying plastic pig is constipated! Are you kidding me? This just can't happen. Not with my pig.

Time for Operation Disimpaction.

I'm not joking. First attempt with a pen was a total failure. As a professional veterinary surgeon, I was quite disappointed with my attempt. I then decided to use a file to create a larger opening.

Success!!! The pig is much happier, and my co-workers are enjoying the benefits.

My pig is now a happy little pig. :)

That Warm Feeling...

I got my first sunburn of the season yesterday. If only I had a quarter for everyone who asked if I "got a little sun." I feel like a lobster. The nice thing is that when my hands are cold, my arms warm them right up.

The best part is how I got the burn...yesterday I went Visiting Teaching. It was so fabulous outside that we decided to sit in her front yard on a blanket. Usually I can chat for about half an hour. We had such a great time that we ended up chatting for about an hour and a half. Seriously sooo much fun. I decided it was time to go when I looked down and saw how pink I was. Great that we got to feel that nice, warm feeling. I'm still feeling it. :) Gotta love Visiting Teaching.

Elevators (the first in what I'm sure will become another series)

So they just "upgraded" the elevators leading from my floor up and out eventually to the main floor. The "voice" in the elevator (no it's not in my head but thanks for thinking I'm nuts) sounds totally alien. My new elevator hobby is making fun of the voice. The old voice at least sounded human...

Here's another thing...it makes me giggle when you see awkward behavior on elevators. For example, I was waiting for an elevator just a few minutes ago, ding, the door opens, and there is a gentleman about six inches from the door, thoroughly surprised that there is someone waiting for the elevator. Startled, he says a quick "sorry" and moves along...sorry for what? You were just standing too close to the door and made things really awkward for yourself. It made me chuckle. Sometime I want to try that just to be strange.

Here's my favorite thing, and no it has nothing to do with jumping, these elevators are too slow. We have 3 elevators in a row and sometimes when you press the button to go up (waiting for an elevator), 2 of them will be ready to go. If my coworker Kate is with me, that means an elevator race. Like a couple sixth grade girls, we each dash into our separate elevators and see who gets up or down first. Kate usually wins. Drat. On one occasion, we surprised a kid on the custodial staff by dashing out of the elevators laughing. Ha ha he thought we were crazy. Yeah pretty much.

My second favorite thing is riding up to prayer meeting. This little trip is on the elevator that scales all 26 floors, so we have a lot of territory to cover. This means that all kinds will be boarding this elevator, including the absolutely humorless (yes I believe quite a few of those work here). I sometimes cringe on these elevator rides because my most entertaining coworker has a habit of making barnyard noises or inappropriate comments about his non-hangover from the previous weekend. He makes sure the elevator is filled to capacity. Slightly embarrassing when the CEO's secretary is in the car. However, mostly good times and lots of laughs when we get off.

More to come, I'm sure. :)

Something Unexpectedly in Common (#2 in the TRAX series)

SO here I am, reading New Moon for the second time. I think I am now at a good point in my life to read it, when I'm not bound to get totally immersed and depressed over Edward's absence (oops, did I spoil it?). Oh...I forget how great the kissing parts are. I think I'm roughly 14 years old. Wait...16. Let's make things legal here.

ANYWAY, here I am on TRAX, happily starting my book. I'm nearing my stop, so I sullenly close my book. I glance around the train for anything interesting and I see to the side of me on the opposite aisle, a man in work boots. Furthermore, dirty jeans and Carhartt jacket. Better yet, a nice bushy cop/fireman style 'stache. I'd say early 50's. Lo and behold, he has his nose buried in New Moon. BIZARRE!!!! Actually I'm betting his wife or his 14 year old daughter requested that he read the book. Either that, or he lost a bet.

I guess that just goes to show that literature touches the hearts of people of all stages of life in all situations and unites us in our love for a little Twilight....that was hideously cheesy...Edward is calling me now. :)

Twilight--Seeing Stars

Friday night was the big release party for the Twilight DVD. Melinda and I were trying to decide between the party at Borders and the party at Hot Topic. We decided to go where the crowd would be more entertaining....Hot Topic of course. I won't go into details, but it did not disappoint. Very interesting people there. After a long wait in line and a few naps, we finally had our DVD, poster and a special edition movie cell. We crashed and watched the movie, which was fabulous of course....Edward...wow.

SOOOOO....at the release we filled out a raffle card for a few prizes. They had a store display , a special edition Edward doll, and an autographed, framed picture of Jacob (Taylor Lautner). Well...I got a call yesterday and I won the autographed picture. SWEEEEEEEET!! I picked it up yesterday. No I do not swoon over 17 year old boys, that would make me kinda gross, but he is cute and I'm sure he will fit in nicely with my (soon to be) collection of buttons, movie passes, and poster. I really don't get into this kinda stuff, but here I am. And I must say that I do love sparkly boys. Got the T-shirt for that one.

If I worked at REI, I would be broke...

So I decided to spend my REI dividend on Saturday...I found the perfect hiking pants. Amazing! They are so comfy and they fit so awesome! REI is seriously mostly favorite. :)

Big Love? Eh. Big Deal

Since I work amid a major center for the "Big Love" HBO contraversy, I have heard many takes on this story and seen many ways people are reacting to this. My take is this: It's not the first time media producers have taken shots at the church that they claim to be in good taste. We have all been through this before, and it will pass. Personally, I don't have the time to make a huge deal out of all this. The more we boycott and make a fuss and create Facebook groups about this subject, the more free publicity HBO gets. That is EXACTLY what they want. Contraversy and opposition creates news and draws attention. Now, I'm not saying to become a door mat for the world's slander, but we can send HBO an email, post a comment with our feelings, etc. It's a TV show, we've been this direction and it will pass. A while ago, a movie was made regarding the Mountain Meadows Massacre. It totally flopped (per the Church official statement, see the link on the side of my blog). The less attention we give to this crap...yes I said it, the less people will care. The Church will move forward and this great work will continue to go on and as a last note, the Church is much bigger than HBO.

The Joys of TRAX!! (the first in what I'm sure will become a series)

Taking TRAX to work is great. I get to catch a few extra minutes of sleep, read a book or just veg in general and enjoy not dealing with Mr. Moron driver in front of me cutting me off. However, there are a few sacrifices...dear ones.

I've actually been just dying to post this, and it's about time. This event occurred a few months ago, but many people have heard this story. It's just too dang funny. It wasn't funny at the time, though.

Once upon a time, I boarded a relatively crowded TRAX train. There were no seats available, so I proceeded to the nearest stairwell to just hang out. Keep in mind that I am down about two feet from the rest of the riders. Well, the train got more and more crowded, and people were standing close to the stairwell. I really wish I could post a diagram to give you the full effect of my unfortunate position. Let it suffice to say that the side of my face was in rather close proximity to the derierres of those backed up to the stairwell.

Bet you can't guess. I heard something. Close. Really close. Uncomfortably close. Something that invokes major embarrassment usually, but in my case, utter disgust...something that made me want to yell,"Did you seriously just f*&t in my face? You did not JUST do that!!!!!" Oh. My. Heck.

Wait for it...

I kept my mouth shut and started texting some friends to let them know of my plight. I was just praying that I wouldn't receive the "full effect" of his careless casualness. Oh, and might I mention, no apology, no nothing. So here it came....oh my freaking nasty! What the heck did this guy eat for lunch? Are you serious?! I really wanted to run...far, far away to lands of sweet flowers or maybe freshly baked bread, but no. Trapped in a TRAX train next to a guy who just broke wind in my face. Getting off at my stop couldn't come soon enough.

Sure, it's flat out HILARIOUS now, but I remember it well...

Land that I Love

So I just thought I'd give some quick props to this beautiful state that I love. Not only do we have four seasons here, but where else can you drive for 20 minutes and be in awesome snow covered mountains and then a few hours later, land in the desert with red rock canyons. There is so much to do and see. I just love Utah! I think I'm getting a case of Spring Fever...

Color Me Addicted!

I thought ceramics class was over after High School...wow I was wrong! My friend Kate told be about a place where you can paint ceramics and they fire them there. I thought I would take my mom and try it out. Not only was it fun, we were both totally addicted on the first visit. The one on Foothill seems to be the quietest place to paint. We soon found out there are four stores in the Wasatch Front. That is sooo dangerous! We've been to all of them, picking up pieces that are unique to that store. This is going to be one expensive hobby, I can tell. I'm ok with that though, because my mom and I don't really have many hobbies that we share. We found one here and the time I get to spend with her in having this much fun is a total investment. Here are a few of my projects.