Midnight in Paris (2011)

This movie stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams.  It was recommended to me by a friend back in Provo.  Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams are engaged and vacationing in Paris, France.  Owen Wilson's character, a writer, is a bit of a romantic, and longs to live the Parisian dream--walking the streets, sitting in streetside cafes, writing his novels.  One night, he gets in a strange taxi and travels back to Paris in the 1920s.

Content:
There wasn't much objectionable content.  It's rated PG-13 for "some sexual references and smoking."  There's a lot of alcohol consumption as well.  But it is quite clean, especially compared to other PG-13 movies.  You see Rachel McAdams' character in a towel, but she's pretty well-covered, and it's not intended to be a "sexy" scene.  The filmmakers probably could have included quite a bit of objectionable material, and I'm glad they didn't.

My Thoughts:
It was an interesting movie, and it has a "moral of the story," which I must admit I'm a fan of.  So this movie falls somewhere between "merely entertaining" and "high-quality film" on my personal hierarchy.  I liked the message of the film: being happy with where you are in life and not longing to be somewhere else.  President Uchtdorf has expressed similar ideas in the past.  He taught us not to wait for our "golden ticket" in life, and not to wait on the road to Damascus.

The movie is also pretty, as it all takes place in Paris.  And some of it takes place in the past, so it's fun to see the different costumes and things.  Overall, I liked it.  Though I don't think I will be putting it on my list of favorites, I think it is a good, family-friendly film that could prompt some good discussion afterwards (one of my favorite parts of watching movies).

New Christmas Songs

There are some Christmas songs I've heard for the first time this year (so they may not be new to you, but they are to me) that I really like.

Michael Buble - Cold December Night



Michael Buble and Idina Menzel - Baby It's Cold Outside
The video is kind of cute, though the song itself is still a little sketchy.



Pentatonix - That's Christmas to Me
I don't know if you've heard of this a capella group, but they're really good.  This song is really catchy.



Comment if you know of any more new or little-known Christmas songs that are good!

Survey

Dearly Beloved Siblings,

I've created a survey that will initially take a bit of time to fill out.  But the future benefits, including time saved, will outweigh the time it takes up front.  I love you so much, and probably still will if you don't do the survey, but I still would really like you to do it soon!  I think it will be especially helpful for Secret Santa (and you should tell me when you guys draw names for that).
Thanks!

Your Dearest Belovedest Brother,
Nick

Ferguson

As you are hopefully aware, there's a lot of discussion going on right now about the events in Ferguson, Missouri.  I've read a fair amount about it, though most of it from websites and articles that avoid moderation like a Congressman.  I've also read plenty of emotional facebook rants, sprinkled with profanity, taking positions at opposite ends of the spectrum.  From all of my reading, I have come to one conclusion: I don't care what your position on the issue is, just please, for crying out loud, be intelligent about it.

I can't stand reading these articles where Michael Brown is portrayed as a gentle giant, just on his way to visit his dear grandmother one afternoon before heading off to college the next week.  He assaulted a police officer after robbing a liquor store.  I'm not saying he was a bad person, or even that he deserved what happened.  I'm not even touching those issues right now.  What bothers me is when some people ignore information that doesn't agree with their stance.  I think it's dishonest.

Another thing that bothers me is ignoring the larger issues entirely.  This case has brought up a lot of legitimate discussions that need to be had about things like police militarization, gun violence, attitudes towards police, and racial profiling.  These are really important issues, and they need to be addressed if we want to improve society.  But some people refuse to acknowledge that these are issues simply because they don't think this case represents those issues.  They say that the officer was justified, and race/violence/other issues had nothing to do with it.  I don't know if that's true, but even if it is, even if race had nothing to do with it, it's still a legitimate issue.  On the other hand, it really bothers me when people posted, following the announcement that the officer would not be indicted, things like "Another case of the justice system failing us," and similar things.  The American media and people have a real problem: they assume guilt.  They assume they know whether or not someone is guilty, and once they've made up their minds, nothing will change them.  We don't know exactly what happened, and we don't know (and I don't think we can know) the degree to which the officer is responsible.  We cannot assume someone's guilt.  One of the foundational principles of our justice system is "Innocent until proven guilty."

So, before I descend from my soap box, I urge you to think and be intelligent when you express your opinions and when you read others' opinions.  Kind of the same points I wanted to make in my post about the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Please be intelligent.  The world needs more people willing to stand in the middle and look at all views critically without getting carried away by emotion.
And now I'm stepping off the box.

Karaoke

Last night I did karaoke for the first time (in public, that is).  It was a nice little jaunt outside of my comfort zone, though that may come as a surprise to some of you, since you only see the witty, charming, affable side of me.  Singing is not one of my strengths, nor is performance of any kind, especially when I'm the center of attention.  But I think I was able to tough it out because it was a group of people that I've gotten to know pretty well and that I feel pretty comfortable around.  I sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with my friend Logan.  Turns out that one isn't really in my range, but there's not much you can do once you've started.  It was a lot of fun, and I had a few ideas for songs that I didn't get to do because of time.  But it's something I think I'd like to do again.  We should do it for New Year's!  Along with Just Dance.  I also added it to my list of dates to go on.  In the future, though, I'm going to make sure I find a song that's in my range before I go.

Stars!

I try really hard not to read too many of these random things that people post on facebook because it can waste a lot of time.  However, I really like stars and nature and pretty things, and this video is all of those things.  It's just a short three minute video.

Enjoy!

New Page: Books

I've just put up a new page like the Movies page, but for books.  There are more details on the page, but it's basically the same idea.  I've got some favorites, as well as a list of books I'd like to read.  As always, I welcome comments and suggestions.

New Pages

I've just added a couple pages to the site.  They should appear at the top of the page beneath the blog title.  One is date ideas, including both dates I have done and dates I would like to do.  May they inspire you in a moment of need (especially you, brothers, since you should be planning more dates than the girls).  The other page contains a list of favorite movies as well as movies I'd like to see.  I enjoy quality movies, so maybe next time you think "what should I watch?" my list can help you along, or maybe give you ideas you may not have thought of.
Have fun with them!  If you have questions or suggestions for anything, let me know.  I like to hear your ideas too.

App: Circa News

Being up-to-date and informed about current events is a great feeling.  It makes you feel knowledgeable and confident when talking with others.  And I think it's important to be aware of what's going on in the world.  However, keeping up with the news can be intimidating.  There's so much of it to wade through.  Then you have to worry about the bias of the source.  To really understand an issue, you often need to read several sources.  And that seems to be enough to dissuade a lot of people.  It seems so hard they don't even try.  Well if that sounds like you, I may be able to help.

My Arabic TA, who was also my TA over the summer, introduced me to an app called Circa.  Circa pulls together news from a number of sources and synthesizes it into bite-sized chunks.  So I open up the app and read the headlines (you can customize what kinds of news you want to see), and if something sounds interesting I open it up to read the little explanation.  If I'm still interested, I can scroll down and read past news about the same thing, and it will also suggest other related articles.  I can also "follow" a story, and my phone will give me a notification whenever something is added to that story.  Circa recently added a feature which has become a favorite of mine: the Daily Brief.  I pick what time I want to get it every day (I get mine at 7 am), and it lists the biggest news stories of the past day.  Even if I just scroll through the headlines, I feel a lot more informed about what's going on.

Here is a link to the Google Play page: Circa News

TED Talk on Being Happy

I was introduced to this TED Talk by my TA here in Jordan.  It's a really good one.  He talks about how we often think of things backwards; we think that success leads to happiness.  In his research and experience he has found that happiness leads to success.  It's really interesting, so if you get a few minutes go ahead and watch it.

Procrastination

Over the summer my Arabic TA told me about a really great article on procrastination.  Of course, I procrastinated reading it until today.  But I finally did, and it's really good.  It's very enlightening to have someone explain so well what goes on in my head when I'm procrastinating.  It's also presented in a really fun and creative way, which makes it easy to understand and remember.  I think there are one or two cuss words, so be warned.  The article is definitely worth reading, though.  So when you're putting off doing your homework, or anything else, take a moment to read this for some inspiration to get out of the procrastination rut.

Blog: Wait But Why
The article is two parts.  Read the first one, and there's a link on that page to the second one.

Don't Let Fear Guide You

Earlier this year I spent a lot of time deciding whether I should do Arabic during the spring and summer to come to Jordan this fall (the fast track), or to wait and do things the normal way, coming next fall.  One of the things that worried me about doing the fast track was that I wouldn't know very many of the other students.  Most of them had been taking Arabic together for two years, and they had been in a lot of other classes together.  I had been in classes with some of them, but I didn't know any of them very well.  I was a little worried I wouldn't have many good friends in the program.  But despite my worries, I decided to do the fast track.

My spring and summer Arabic classes were small--six to ten students, all of whom were planning on going to Jordan this fall.  That was good for me because I do a lot better, socially-speaking, in smaller groups.  I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the class "clicked."  We got along really well, and I made some good friends.  I even met a couple of the others in our study abroad group, but I was still worried about the thirty others that I didn't know who would be on the same study abroad program.

Since arriving here, I have gotten to know a lot of the other students much better.  It has been intimidating at times, since they are all such good friends already, but knowing the small group from spring/summer has given me a foundation, and things have gone well since then.  Today someone brought cake to class for my birthday, several people wished me happy birthday, and a roommate bought me a Jordanian dessert.  Yesterday I walked into a classroom smiling (I had been talking to or joking around with another student in the hall), and one of my classmates said "Nick, are you ever not smiling?"  (I've changed a bit since elementary school I guess.)

I'm not saying these things to brag or anything; I'm just trying to make a point.  Imagine if I had let my fears stop me from going through with my plan.  I would be missing out on all of these experiences.  I'm glad I didn't let my fears stop me.  I think that's an important lesson, and one I'm still learning.  I can't let fear of failure stop me from pursuing a career, or any course of action that might seem intimidating.  So learn now what it took me years to realize!  No fear!

Deodorant

Dear Brothers,

I ran out of deodorant just before leaving America, so I had to go to the store to buy some for the study abroad. That meant I was asking myself a lot of questions. What brand should I get? What scent? What size? Should I try something new, or go with the boring, but reliable one I've been using? Should I spend more for one I really like? Luckily for me, almost all of those were satisfactorily answered.

After looking through all the deodorant I saw, debating, and comparing prices, I looked down to my right and saw a little green deodorant that had escaped my eyes. I picked it up, noting that it was significantly cheaper than the others. Skeptical, I uncapped the stick and moved it towards my nose, which was still recovering from smelling so many different deodorants. I wasn't sure what to think, but the price and size (slightly smaller than the others) tipped the scale of indecision, and I bought my Brut.

After nearly a month, I must say I quite like it. I like the subtle, but decidedly masculine scent. And it's cheaper than all the others. What more could I ask for? I know you probably aren't shopping for your own deodorant yet, but when you are, I suggest giving Brut a try.

Love,
Nick

Man's Search for Meaning

In Man's Search for Meaning Viktor E. Frankl first narrates his experiences in the concentration camps of World War II.  He was a trained psychiatrist, and so frequently analyzed himself and those around him.  The second half of the book is more technical, and in it he describes the theories he has formulated and conclusions he has come to as a result of his experiences.

Though it's a relatively short book, I have been reading it for several months now.  I went through the first half fairly quickly because it is narrative.  The second half is a little slower because it's more academic in nature.  But in the second half I have found a lot of great messages.  I just posted one quote on facebook, but that's not the one I want to write about now.  This is what I just read:

I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system.  I have termed this constitutive characteristic "the self-transcendence of human existence."  It denotes the fact that being human always points, and is directed, to something, or someone, other than oneself--be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter.  The more one forgets himself--by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love--the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself.  What is called self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more he would miss it.  In other words, self-actualization is possible only as a side-effect of self-transcendence. (p. 110-111)

Does that sound familiar?  I'm reminded of two quotes that say similar things.  Conveniently, I found both in this Deseret News article telling President Hinckley's story.

"I wrote home to my father and said, 'I'm not doing any good here. I am just wasting my time and your money. I don't see any point in staying here."' 

The answer came: "Dear Gordon. I have your letter. ... I have only one suggestion. Forget yourself and go to work. With love, Your Father." 

President Hinckley said of that moment, "I pondered his response and then the next morning in our scripture class we read that great statement of the Lord: 'For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.'

The scripture referenced is Mark 8:35.  It is very interesting to me to see science confirm the gospel in this regard.  Nor was Frankl seeking to prove the gospel true; he was Jewish.  This is only one of several instances I have found in the book of science confirming gospel principles.  I highly suggest reading the book, but even more important than that, I suggest trying to live it.  We find ourselves in serving and loving others.  A life focused on self is an empty one, full of regret.  Live a full life by giving it to others.

Language Learning Travel Opportunities

I wish I had known about this when I was in high school.  Although I'm not sure that I knew how strong my interest in language learning was at that point.  My regrets aside, there's a scholarship funded by the State Department called the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) that sends students on overseas summer programs to learn languages the government deems important.  They pay for pretty much everything.  Here are the languages they offer:

• Arabic
• Chinese
• Hindi
• Korean
• Persian
• Russian
• Turkish

Learning a language makes you stand out.  And it will help you get into college.  And it will help you get a job.  Besides all that, you would get to travel!  The scholarships are merit-based, which means you don't have to be poor to get it (some scholarships are need-based, and based on government criteria we don't qualify).  It never hurts to apply.  If any of you are interested in learning languages, I think you should apply.  Even if none of those languages sound particularly appealing right now, they could be.  If you'd asked me before my mission, I don't think I would've expressed interest in any of them, but now I would do just about all of them.  Here's the website: NSLI for Youth

Deadline for applications is October 30.

Elder Bednar Devotional: Social Media

Elder Bednar gave a devotional on campus earlier today.  He spoke on using social media to hasten the work of salvation.  It changed my perspective a little bit on social media.  Because we're so often told of its negative consequences and so often warned of the pitfalls of technology, I generally try to limit my use of social media (it's not too difficult when the only social media I use is Facebook).  However, I never really consider the good I could do through social media.  Elder Bednar talked about all of the different ways we can share the gospel through social media.

He also gave some guidelines for using social media:

1. Be authentic: do not exaggerate, embellish, or pretend.
2. Edify and uplift: do not debate, belittle, or be overbearing or contentious.
3. Respect intellectual property: don't use anyone else's stuff.  Elder Bednar announced at this point that members are allowed to use church materials (photos, videos, etc., I believe) without requesting permission.
4. Be wise and vigilant: the internet never forgets.  Be careful what you put on the internet because it will be there forever.

Here's the link to his address.  I highly recommend watching it.  It's very inspiring.  He also talks about several things the Church has done so far to use social media.  It's worth watching.

Elder Bednar: Share Goodness

Different Trials

These are some thoughts I had around the 24th of July, when there is always a lot of talking about pioneers.

Some say that our trials pale in comparison to those of past generations.  They reference the difficult lives and trials of pioneers and others who lived in less technologically advanced times.  Indeed, everyday life was difficult for them.  When we need food, we go to the grocery store.  They grew their food.  When we want a house, we pick one and get a mortgage.  They built one.  Every summer we drive an air-conditioned car across smooth roads for a few days to get to a beautiful valley.  They walked across the plains through summer heat and winter blizzard to a dry valley they had to call home.  They had it pretty rough.  We have it pretty easy.  Right?

I disagree.

Their physical trials certainly exceeded ours.  We worry very little about our day-to-day needs.  Our food, homes, and our safety are provided for us with little effort on our part.  Does that mean our lives are easier?  Not at all.  Our trials are simply different than theirs.  Theirs were largely physical--comparatively, not exclusively--ours are largely social.  But your victories when you overcome temptation and trial are just as great as theirs were when they overcame their own.

President Uchtdorf, in his "All is Well" talk that I wrote about recently*, said that, just as we are unlikely to want the pioneers' trials, they would be unlikely to want our trials.  Each of us has a set of trials we face, and I think that we would all hesitate to switch our set of trials with anyone else's.  Our lives are personalized to our needs.  The Lord helps us shore up our weaknesses through the difficulties we experience.  So never feel inferior to past generations!  Feel inspired to fare equally well against your own trials.

*Y'all really ought to read that talk.

The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Basic Introduction

Image source: CNN.com

Summary:
Here's my main point, if you don't feel like reading everything: be an intelligent, unbiased, thoughtful consumer of media.

The Nitty-Gritty:
For those who'd like to better understand, let me begin:
I am absolutely not an expert on this region of the world nor of the conflict which has raged there for so long.  However, I have studied it a little more than most people, I think.  And though there is a lot I don't know, I know enough to think that what I do know may help you.  Allow me to explain the situation:

The Current Conflict:
A couple months ago three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and later found dead in Gaza (Palestinian land under Israeli control).  Then a Palestinian (Arab) teenager was found burned and killed near Jerusalem.  Hamas, a very extreme political party holding power in Gaza, and Israel began exchanging fire.  Israel sent in ground troops after a while to destroy tunnels used by Hamas militants to cross into Israel.  Cease-fire agreements have been made and broken willy-nilly.  Casualties have been terribly high in Gaza (nearing 1200, last I knew), and very low in Israel (below 100).

Why people are upset:

• Israeli fire has hit three U.N. schools and shelters in Gaza.  As indicated by the casualty numbers, many are concerned that Israel is targeting civilians.
• Hamas refuses to negotiate unless Israel lifts the blockade on Gaza.  Hamas is also accused of using civilians as human shields (not literally--this just means that they do not have an organized military presence the way we think of it; the combatants are out among the civilians).

Most people in America side with Israel, saying that Israel has the right to defend itself.  Hamas has declared in no uncertain terms that it wants Israel done away with.  Also, the Palestinians in Gaza are largely Muslim, and most Americans are biased against Muslims.  Because America is a Christian country by and large, many Americans feel a certain affinity for Israel as home to the Holy Land.  One of the most important things to understand is that the situation is NOT simple.  It is not black and white, with one side wrong and one side right.

Background Information You Need:

Israel was created by the United Nations after World War II as a homeland for the Jews of Europe.  That sounds really nice, especially considering what the Jews went through in World War II.  However, the land that Britain (then in control of much of the Middle East) unilaterally decided would become Israel already had people living in it: the Palestinians.  There had been no independent Jewish state there since the Romans took control in the first century BC.  What does that mean?  Israel is occupying Palestine.  That, put very simply, is why the Arabs are always upset with Israel.  (Note: US support of Israel is one of the biggest causes of the hate directed at the US from some people in the Middle East and around the world.)  They don't want Israel to exist because it is a symbol of their occupation and displacement.  Imagine if the United States decided to carve out a chunk of Mexico for itself, and started sending US citizens to live there and push out the Mexicans.  How happy would those Mexicans be?  This information is often too conveniently left out of explanations that favor Israel.

But the situation is still more complicated.  Think of the United States again.  We displaced a lot of Native Americans early in our history.  Slavery existed for the first century of America's existence.  Do you feel responsible for that?  Of course not.  You didn't do anything wrong.  You weren't there.  In the 75 years since Israel was created, its demographic has changed.  Those that immigrated are dying, and new generations are born--generations that have grown up in Israel.  They are not at fault for the circumstances into which they are born.  Do you think that makes the Palestinians any happier that they are still homeless?  Absolutely not.  It doesn't help that the Israelis have continuously pushed the Arabs farther out to create new settlements for their citizens.

Conclusion?

So, is Israel justified in its attacks?  It certainly can be seen as self-defense.  They want those tunnels destroyed because terrorists use them to attack Israel.  Hamas has basically vowed to destroy Israel.  No one likes being attacked or destroyed.  Does that justify their seemingly indiscriminate bombings of Gaza?

Is Palestine justified in its attacks?  I don't know, were the American revolutionaries justified in attacking the British redcoats?  They want their homes back.  Does that justify the acts of terror that have been perpetrated against Israel?

I hope you can see that the situation is just too complicated (and I have simplified things as best I can), and cannot be resolved easily.  You can't please everyone.  Someone will always be, probably justifiably, very upset.  What's the solution?  Don't judge hastily.  Don't believe everything you hear--most sources are VERY biased in one direction or the other.  Always consider the source of the information you get.  Stick up when you hear someone oversimplifying.  Help other people understand better.  Remember that the agendas of the governments and individuals in power do not always represent the views of the people.  Each Arab and each Israeli is a child of God.  He weeps over such conflicts that destroy both physically and spiritually the lives of many involved in them.  Acts of unkindness and evil are wrong, no matter who perpetrates them (and both sides have long lists of offenses).  This is where I step off of my soap box.  I think I've made my point.  But I do want to include some examples of things you might hear or see.  If you'd like to understand even better, read on.  Please comment if you have any questions or points you'd like to make.

More Information:

Here is a video that many are saying accurately explains the conflict.  It doesn't.  If you watch it, please think about what you are listening to--it's an excellent example of oversimplification.  I'll add some notes of my own below that may help.

• 00:38 Concerning his explanation with the peace sign: Considering the short explanation I gave, why do you think Palestinians and other Arabs do not recognize the right of Israel to have their own state?  I think their objection is that the Israeli state is in their state.
• 00:57 His explanation of the creation of the state of Israel:  He says they split the land into an Israeli and a Palestinian state.  This sounds fair.  Until you remember that it all belonged to the Palestinians.  Is it a surprise that no Arab countries accepted this decision?
• 2:53 "All the Palestinians have ever had to do": In other words, all they have to do is accept defeat?  Accept being occupied?
• 3:05  You mean the Palestinians wanted more than 95% of a small portion of their land back?
• 4:10 Oversimplification is the name of the game with his final question.  Let's say a bully steals your lunch money.  You want it back.  He offers ten cents back.  You reject it.  It's yours, and you want it all.  Someone poses the question:  If you stopped asking for your money back tomorrow, what would happen? (The bully is fine with it.  He got your money.)  If the bully stopped bullying tomorrow, what would happen? (You still want your money back.)  I realize the bully analogy is a vast oversimplification, but I think it is effective in helping you think about things from the other point of view.
• 4:55 Again, there is a big oversimplification problem here.  Look at the dates of the three Jewish states.  The second ends in 63 BC.  The third starts nearly two millenia later in 1947.  He seems to be implying that no one lived there in between, and that the land was just empty and waiting for the Jews to come back.

Here is a video unfortunate in its accuracy of the history of the region.

The region has been highly contested throughout its history.  This video reminds us that "ownership" of land is itself a very complicated thing.  Who is to say who owns what?  Is it the people who owned it millenia ago?  Centuries ago?  Decades ago?

BBC, generally a reputable news source, has a good explanation that I skimmed over.  It's informative, and seems pretty fair.

BBC News: Gaza-Israeli Conflict

This article is pretty short, but listen to the clip near the top of the page.  They talk to informed experts on both sides of the issue, and both make excellent points.  It's thirteen and a half minutes long.  Towards the very end they play clips of comments from callers.  Some make great points, others seem woefully uninformed.

Examining the Deep Divisions of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

I realize that most of what I have said sounds very pro-Palestinian.  That's because I feel like the prevailing opinions are blindly in favor of Israel, and I think it is very important to consider both sides.  I'm still trying to figure out what my personal beliefs are, but one thing is absolutely sure: it's complicated.

"All is Well"

I just finished reading an address given by President Uchtdorf in Ogden earlier this month.  He speaks about the pioneers, and what we can learn from their example.  The talk is very applicable--it's much more than one of those "listen to me tell you about everything the pioneers did" talks.  He makes clear and relevant connections to our lives.  I'll share a few parts that I liked.

When I think of the lyrics of that hymn ["Come, Come, Ye Saints"] and the context in which it was sung, it brings tears to my eyes. I am very much aware that all was not well with these Saints. All they had to do was to look around and see how it really was. They were plagued by sickness, heat, fatigue, cold, fear, hunger, pain, doubt, and even death.

But in spite of having every reason to shout, “All is notwell,” they cultivated an attitude that we cannot help admiring today. They looked beyond their troubles to eternal blessings. They were grateful in their circumstances. I am in awe of those wonderful souls who, despite every evidence to the contrary, sang with all the conviction of their souls: “All is well.”

I have my own reasons for loving the song "Come, Come, Ye Saints," especially the second verse, but I love how President Uchtdorf talks about it.  I have really tried to be a happy and an optimistic person over the last few years.  Sometimes--as recently as last night--someone will ask me "How was your day?" to which I generally respond that it was good.  However, it is when they ask what made it good that I am unsure of how to respond.  A lot of the time it was just a normal day.  Nothing too good or too bad happened.  Other times, I've had what could be objectively described as a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day for any number of reasons.  But even when that happens, I still manage to be positive about it.  I'm not trying to toot my own horn here; I still get frustrated, disappointed, or saddened by things.  I am very grateful, though, that I have cultivated the kind of attitude that allows me to be happy regardless of circumstance.  President Uchtdorf explained it splendidly in his talk.

We can learn something from the pioneers. They woke up each morning with clearly defined purposes and goals that everyone understood—to serve God and fellowmen and to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley. Every day those purposes and goals were clear to them; they knew what they needed to do and that each day’s progress mattered.

I often get preoccupied with things that need to get done.  I wake up with a list: shower, shave, eat, catch up on news, read e-mails, pack a lunch, and try and get to class on time.  I spend the next several hours in school mode--going to class and doing homework.  Before I know it, it's night-time and I haven't consecrated any of my time to the Lord that day.  It is so important to wake up with priorities and goals, and to focus on those.  I need to be better at that.  I know that if I do things in the proper order, the Lord will be a lot happier to help me out with the other things.

When we complain about a Church meeting that has gone four minutes over its allotted time, perhaps we can hear the voices of those blessed pioneers: “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right.”

This one hit home.  I was recently complaining to someone about meetings ending late, meetings seeming to drag on when nothing is being accomplished, people talking too long at the podium, and institute lessons going over.  So this paragraph was a much-needed slap in the face.  One thing I struggle with is complaining.  I just do too much of it.  I need to adopt the philosophy Elder Wirthlin learned from his mother: "Come what may, and love it," (Oct. 2008) or, at the very least, "Come what may, and quit whining so much about it."  Interesting that this portion of President Uchtdorf's talk is titled "Optimism."  And I thought I was doing so well at that.

I'll end with one more quote from the talk.  I hope that it will be enough to inspire you to read it yourself (the link is at the bottom of this post).  If you read with a "what can I do better" attitude, you absolutely will come away with something (or some things, in my case) to work on.

The pioneers were not supermen and superwomen. They were just like you and me. How often did they wonder if they could go on? They must have asked themselves over and again, “Can I do what I have been asked to do?”

But they pressed on. In faith, one step at a time, they pressed on. They trusted in God and His divine and merciful plan. And they left a legacy that will inspire and strengthen generations to come.

"All is Well" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Healthy Dessert

Katherine, the girl I went out with last night, is doing a sugar-free thing for a little while, which presented me with a dilemma. I wanted to have some kind of dessert or snack after bowling, but I didn't know what I could get that was sugar-free.

I remembered that some of the girls I worked with last summer also tried a sugar-free diet, so I called my friend Hannah. She gave me a few ideas, including "yogurt parfait," which is what I went with in the end. She explained it as yogurt with granola and fruit, so I bought some strawberry yogurt, Honey Bunches of Oats granola, and a mango.

When Hannah explained it to me it sounded okay. Probably not going to be my favorite dessert, though. Well, it turned out to be absolutely delicious! We finished the mango last night, but there's some leftover granola and yogurt, and I just had more today. So if you are looking for a healthier dessert, this is a good choice.

Note: The yogurt isn't absolutely sugar-free. Katherine is just trying to avoid things like sweets, so she was okay with it. If you're trying to find something absolutely sugar-free, best of luck to you!

Truth or Dare Bowling

Last night I went on a date with a girl in my ward named Katherine.  You should already be impressed that I went on a date.  Anyways, I checked the weather the day before to find predictions of thunderstorms.  So all the great outdoor date ideas I'd been considering were out of the question.  I decided we would have dinner at my apartment, then go bowling.

Now, I enjoy regular bowling, but I wanted to make it a little more memorable.  I decided that for each frame we would have to bowl a different way.  For example: lefty, backwards, or granny-style.  I started looking online for some more ideas and found a site that suggested truth or dare bowling.  So I found/came up with a bunch of questions to choose from.  But because I wanted the best of both worlds, I decided that we would do truth and dare.  This is how we did it: the first bowler picks a dare at random (I printed off the truth questions and the dares and cut them into individual strips), and both bowlers bowl that way.  Then you pick a question at random, and both people answer.  It works better if you pick the question before bowling so that you have some thinking time.

You could do this a lot of different ways.  You could make it work with a group too.  Have each person pick an individual dare or question instead of all doing the same one.  If you do that I'd suggest returning them to the pool afterwards so that other people can still get it (and so you don't run out of papers).  You could actually do truth or dare and let people choose which they'd like.  Or you could say odd-numbered frames are truths and odds are dares.  Or if your score is odd, you have to do a dare, and if it's even you have to do a truth.  I'm sure there are even more things you can change.  If they let you, I'd suggest putting up the bumpers so that there aren't gutter balls (you'll get a lot).  Unfortunately at the BYU alley you have to have someone under twelve for the bumpers.

I had a lot of fun, and I got to know my date better.  And I didn't even have to make conversation!  The truths were plenty to keep it going.  Sometimes we had to remind ourselves were bowling because we got talking too much.  We had a great time, and the result was quite amusing: we tied.

Let me know if you want to see the list of Truth questions and Dares that I used.

Elder Ballard's CES Devotional

May's CES Devotional by Elder Russell M. Ballard was great!  Though he discussed heavy topics like technology, pornography, and (gay) marriage, he kept the mood light and made a few jokes along the way.  He talked about some really important things though.  I highly suggested watching, or reading, at the very least, this talk.  I suppose the CES devotionals are directed at the young single adult age group, but I think this one was very relevant to teenagers, and I think you will get a lot from it.  So here it is!  It's Sunday, so watching this is a great way to spend some time today!

CES Devotional May 2014

Love,
Nick

My Celebrity Look-Alike

Last night after institute I introduced myself to girl I sat by during the lesson.  She gave me her name (Melanie) and told me that when I was wearing my glasses I looked like Clark Kent.  I laughed because no one had ever said that to me before until two days earlier.  Catherine (the one I went to the Murder Mystery dinner with) said the same thing to me just the other day.  I thought it was funny that two people said the same thing so close together when no one else ever has.  But as they say, "in the mouths of two or three witnesses" are celebrity look-alikes confirmed!


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One of the Reasons I Like Country Music

It's unfortunate that Jake is on his mission, so he isn't going to read this (at least not for a while).

In the last year and a half I've become a big fan of country music.  Just like any other genre, there are songs that I like, and plenty that I don't like.  But one of the reasons I like country music is because it seems like country artists express religion far more than artists in other genres (gospel music excepted).  I have a few examples of songs that I've become aware of recently:



This is "Love Without End, Amen" by George Strait.  I'm likely to be a fan of any song about father-son relationships, but this one is really good.  I like the shifts in perspective in each of the three verses, especially the last one.  Next is another George Strait song.



The other day I had a very spiritual conversation with a good friend.  We got in the car to head home, and this song was the first that came on.  I really like the humble reflection in the words of the chorus.  Hopefully we don't need to wait for the milestones in our lives to open our eyes.



This one is a previously unreleased song by Johnny Cash entitled "I Came to Believe."  Listen to the lyrics.  I'd really like to learn some more about Johnny Cash and how he changed his life.  I'm hoping to watch the film Walk the Line sometime.
Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of the Killers, sings a cover of this song that I really like.  It's in a short video about the new Johnny Cash CD.  The song starts at 1:03, but I suggest listening from the beginning.  He talks about some of his own feelings about the song.



Hope you appreciate my thoughts--feel free to comment with your own.  Do you know any songs where artists express their spiritual sides more?

Murder Mystery Dinner

Last Saturday night I went on a double date to the Old Spaghetti Factory at University Mall in Orem.  We were there for a Mafia Murder Mystery show put on by performing group Salty Dinner Theater.  It was a lot of fun.  We arrived between 7 and 7:30.  They gave us three menu options, took our orders, and showed us to our seats.  The actors and actresses roamed around the room talking to the guests at all the different tables.  They were really friendly and made it a lot of fun.

The show started after we got our appetizer and continued throughout the evening.  There were several musical numbers too.  I think my favorite was "Come Fly With Me" because I knew the words.  The actors and actresses interacted with the audience a lot, which was fun.  At the end of the show, one of the characters dies, and everyone has to write down who they think it is and what they think the punishment ought to be.  They collected everyone's slips and sorted out the ones who got it right as the ending was explained.  Then they brought in the slips of those who got it right, and the guilty parties (they picked two of the actresses--the one who was actually guilty and the one who most people voted for) had to undergo their punishments.  Some of the punishments were drinking a glass of water sprinkled with parmesan cheese, getting ice cream in the face, and singing I'm a little teapot.

The whole evening was very enjoyable and memorable.  The company had a photographer there, and they put some of the pictures on facebook.  I look pretty ridiculous, so I'm not tagging myself in the one I'm in.  But feel free to look at their facebook page.  I had a great time, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Notes:
It was a really fun date, and I'd definitely do it again.  It works as a single, double, or group date.  It was a somewhat expensive date (thank goodness she asked me out and told me she'd be paying).  Tickets are $15 each for adults, though I think Catherine said she found a deal on Groupon.  The tickets didn't include dinner, and each of the menu choices was about $10.  The meal included a salad, the main course, and ice cream at the end.  Appetizers cost extra.  I wasn't sure what to wear, so I went semi-formal with a button-up and khakis.  It ended up being a safe guess.  I probably could have gone a little dressier (tucking in my shirt or wearing a sport jacket), but I also saw people in jeans, so it was pretty flexible.  It's nice to dress up though.  If I remember, the show lasted an hour and a half or so.

Note 2:
I saw the director of my study abroad program there--turns out his son was one of the actors!

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2013)

Image Source: Wikipedia

Starring;
Chris Pine*, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Costner
*So we know Rebekah wants to see it.

Rating:
PG-13 for sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language.
There's some knife fighting that's a little gruesome.  Lots of gun violence, but not too much blood shown.  As far as language goes, there is one f-word near the beginning/middle of the movie.  Bad language didn't seem very prevalent throughout the movie though.  Ms. Knightley, after exiting the shower, sports a towel for a short bit in one scene.  There's also a flashback to two of the characters laying in bed next to each other (covered by sheets).

The violence is basically necessary to the film--it is an action movie.  And I think the violence isn't over-the-top.  There's basically no objectionable content, as far as sex/nudity goes.  The biggest downer was the f-bomb.  Unfortunately, it's difficult to find a PG-13 movie these days that doesn't use include one.

My Impression:
I was expecting this film to be a stereotypical action flick, and it surprised me a little bit.  It certainly isn't revolutionary, but it was different enough to set itself apart.  Jack Ryan isn't a James Bond--he's a financial analyst with a Ph.D. in economics.  That makes him more accessible as a character.  He seems more real.  I liked the story, and I think I may check out some other Jack Ryan movies, or maybe even read some of the books.  The movie was clearly meant to entertain--it's not one of those "make you think" movies--but it does the job well.  I would recommend this movie, but let me know what you think!

Suspenders

Boys, buy yourselves a pair of suspenders.

The first Sunday of May I wore suspenders (only $6 at Walmart) instead of a belt.  My suit jacket mostly covered them up when I was at church, but as I was giving my old roommate a goodbye hug he realized I was wearing suspenders.  He exclaimed "Oh, suspenders!"  My friend Catherine, standing nearby, said "Are you wearing suspenders?"  When I confirmed that I was indeed sporting suspenders she told me "That is the most attractive thing I have seen all day."  (And it was the afternoon already!)  In addition to the lovely compliment from my lovely friend, I got even more compliments when the elders' quorum president and I went around to all the apartments to meet all the move-ins.

You may think you'll seem old-fashioned, but you will really be classy and dignified!  Have the confidence to be the best-dressed guy around.



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Also, you will feel cool because suspenders are the classiest way to carry a personal firearm.


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Introduction

Because I love you, dear siblings, and because I live so far away from you, I've come up with an idea to stay involved in your lives.  The result is this lovely blog, the background of which I designed myself.  I'll have to add in trees at some point, but it's getting late tonight.  I was having a hard time coming up with a name, so this is what you get.  It might not make a whole lot of sense, but it works well enough, right?

Feel free to leave comments for me--I want to hear what you have to say!

Love,
Nick