Let the Music Set you Free!

I love music!  I can definitely say I have always loved music.  Growing up it was always just a huge part of my life, even when i didn't want it to be.  But I am a firm believer that there is a power in music that just can't be accessed anywhere else.  I would even say there is something godly about it.  Just think about it, how often in the scriptures do you hear an account of a marvelous event and almost always it is mentioned that there was singing or music.  I think that so much more can be expressed through music.  If you really think about it you can express anything on the spectrum of Love to Hate using the exact same word but just said or sung in a different way.  The lyrics might not have anything to do with it in fact they often don't have anything to do with it.  But the music affects you in such a way that it can change your mood.  For example I can't be upset or sad when I listen to Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.  It just makes me laugh at the beginning because of the close memories that i associate with this song.  And the happy upbeat sound of his Ukulele just makes me smile.  Whenever I am down about anything I have a bunch of different songs that I can play or listen to and just like that the day is so much better. 

It goes in every which direction though, there is music that evokes every emotion imaginable.  And I just love it.  One of my favorite things to do is to have my iPod on shuffle as I walk to class.  Sometimes my mood dictates the music that I listen to so I find myself skipping past loads of songs till I get to one that just fits.  Other times the music dictates what mood I'm in, when I put my headphones on and hit play that first song can set me down a path for the rest of the day.  Funny how that works.  And if you look around you can see it in those around you.  Well at least I'm sure you can see it in me, cause I'm that guy walking around with his headphones on with a stupid grin on his face and almost skipping to the beat (depending on the music I'm listening to at the moment).  Its great isn't it!  I really do just love it so much!

I have already sort of mentioned this but music is so intimately tied to memory.  In fact the moment I type this my iTunes switched to a song by The Starting Line and almost immediately I was reminded of Junior High, getting together with a bunch of my buddies and playing the original Halo.  I just give a slight grin and chuckle and enjoy the music.  Other times it reminds me of times with my family, especially during the Holiday season.  For me Christmas music doesn't just remind me of the birth of my Lord and Savior, but it reminds me of great times spent with my family and friends.  One specific example for me is the Forgotten Carols by Michael Mclean.  Christmas doesn't start for me until I listen to that music, and then remember the great times spent with my family seeing the musical each Christmas Season at Cottonwood High.  And on top of that the time spent driving to work during Christmas with Josh listening to Homeless or out in the Mission field with companions.  There are so many great memories tied to that music. 

This life is about making memories with those you love, and is there anything greater then getting a small reminder every once in awhile when you listen to some music?  So I guess what I'm trying to say is enjoy the music, and let that music tie you to those you love and care about.

Faith vs. Fear

So last night as i was thinking before drifting off to sleep, and i had a very interesting point brought to my mind.  Some preface is necessary.  For quite sometime now i have been trying to make some decisions in my life.  Pretty important stuff i suppose, and as such i have gone before the Lord to ask some help.  I had been praying about some of these things for quite sometime and really hadn't received an answer.  Luckily during church on Sunday we talked about President Uchtdorfs talk entitled "Continue in Patience."  I recommend reading it because it is an excellent talk for anybody, patience is something we all need.  So after realizing that maybe i needed to be a bit more patient, and acting upon that patience.   I received an answer.  Its not something that is spelled out for me in black and white, it is something that i need to act upon.  A principle that i have learned, and now the Lord lets me choose for myself.  That is probably one of may favorite things about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  He doesn't just solve all our problems for us, i mean what would we really learn.  In life we learn things best by doing, not by having someone else do it for us.  Is it harder this way?  Sure, but is it much more worthwhile in the end?  You bet!  So i felt impressed to pass on what the Lord taught me.  And oddly enough it goes along perfectly with some of the stuff i have been learning in Institute.  Coincidence...I think not!

What is fear?  Well according to m-w.com fear is "an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger."  We often speak of fear of the unknown.  And last night i realized that fear IS the unknown, or the fact that we focus to much on the unknown, and not on the known.  To help illustrate this well I'll illustrate it. 

So everything on the right side of what you know is the unknown (duh), and generally speaking we are afraid of that.  We as a people like to know things, when we don't know something we generally are afraid of it or at least don't trust it.  So what happens when we experience fear is we focus to much on what we don't know instead of focusing on what we do know, the faith portion of the drawing.  When we focus on what we do know, the basics, the simple truths, then it makes it so much easier to increase that total knowledge and continue on with the progression.   It doesn't matter if you know next to nothing, if you focus on that which you do know, then you can increase your knowledge.  But if you keep all you focus on the unknown, out of fear we will not progress in other words we experience damnation.   

Lets take an example something really easy.  Say you are hungry and you want to go try a new place to eat.  Now here if we focus so much on the unknown, like will i like this new place or is it gonna make me sick, or who knows what.  Any fear when it comes to a decision, in the end 9 times out of 10 it will stop you from going and trying out your new restaurant.  But if you focus on what you do know, like your hungry and your friend told you the place was good.  Well then you'll probably end up going.  I know a really trivial thing, but you can do it with anything.  I catch myself doing it all the time.  I stop myself from doing something because i dwell upon the unknown instead of acting upon what i know.  I may not know the outcome, but i do know what i know now.  And if i don't act then fear wins, and there is no progression. 

This is something I've probably known for quite sometime, but for some reason it never really registered, so last night the Lord answered my prayers, and now it is my job to act upon the knowledge that i gained.  So don't let fear overcome you faith.  Act upon the knowledge you have now and that knowledge will grow.  This applies to so many aspects of life whether the question is of great importance (normally the harder ones to overcome) or as trivial as lunch time.  Act upon what you know and life will be so much better!

Fantasy Football

Right now I could be using my time more wisely and be studying, but having just suffered a crushing loss in Fantasy Football, I have decided to get some of my thoughts out.
I've always been a fan of sports, in fact i would go as far as saying i love sports. There is just something about it. Almost indescribable, unexplainable, but sports of any kind there is just a magic behind it. I do have to say that growing up i was biased towards a few sports. Mostly baseball. I understand that a lot of people don't like baseball but i love it. I am one of those people who can sit down and watch a game on TV, something that a lot of people just can't stomach. That's just who I am. And as i have grown older i have come to love most sports. Doesn't matter what it is, well besides nascar. But i don't really consider nascar a sport. But that is a topic for another day. What I'm trying to say is as I've grown i have learned to love those sports that as a kid i just didn't get.

My love for the NFL started the summer before my senior year. I was invited to participate in Fantasy Football with 9 of my best friends. At the time i jumped at the opportunity mostly because that meant kicking it for a Saturday with good friends having a good time, and also cause fantasy kinda intrigued me. Well since then I've developed my LOVE for the NFL.  Have my fantasy teams ever been really good? No not really, I'm not to the point yet where i spend days and weeks before the draft planning my team. This year i didn't have that luxury anyways, i was out of the country. So when draft time came i mostly just put my trust in technology and took the highest player on the list.

Well this year it hasn't really worked out for me. After a tough 1 point loss tonight followed by a call from my opponent Brock to rub in the win, i was a little broken.  Gloating is just part of the game you love it when your the one dishing it out and you just kind of suck it up and take it when you lose.  I know what your thinking its just a game and your not even doing anything for it. But still being a sports lover and a very competitive person any loss is a tough loss, especially those when you are so close to the win that you can taste it.  I mean come on Packers you had three interceptions that were given back because of dumb penalties.  And man you should have just let them score and then had time to go for it, it at least would have given me enough points to win my game.  But alas that wasn't the case and i lost. 1-2 record not looking so hot right now. 

But i still love the game, it makes watching football so much fun, and since I've never really had a NFL team it helps me to invest something into the game, which always makes the game better.  So even though fantasy football just gives that added measure of stress that a starving college student doesn't really need, I'll take it.

New Look Same Great Taste!

Well i figured it was time that i updated the look of my blog. And today after being pretty productive, i felt like i might as well do something i like. So i did.
And while i'm on the thought of New look same great taste, how many of you really think thats true, i mean i have been dissapointed plenty of times by a deceptively cool new look, but the product was not as good. So watch out cause next time you go to pick up your newly designed favorite food item, it might not be as good.

Best and Worst

Alright, after my last post being a somewhat serious matter, today i have decided to delve into my thoughts on reentering the real world after having spent 2 years in another nation not worrying about any of the latest and greatest.

I found things to be a lot different upon my return. I mean for some reason as a missionary you just assume that everything back at home is on pause. You leave and enter into a world where you could care less who just came out with the greatest new technological advancement or who has hit the music scene. All of that just isn't important to you. You have a whole other take on life, and it is awesome! But alas it doesn't last forever, sooner then you think you are thrust back into the world, and hey turns out that in 2 years a lot actually does happen even thought you don't really hear about it. So this post is dedicated to the things that i find ridiculous, and amazing that has happened in the two years i was gone.

Lets start off with the ridiculous, i get back and everybody speaks of "tweets" and Twitter. I don't think it is important for people to be able to know what i am doing all the time, really its just another waste of time, plus it just sounds weird to read somebodies tweet.
It turns our that phones are smart. Whatever happened to my classic candy bar phone or the good old flip phone of yesteryear. They're almost extinct, no your phone needs to be smart. I mean if your phones not smart then your dumb...so i hear. Luckily i am not one to prescribe to such logic, to me world i think that this is the first step to machines taking over the world. I just saw Terminator Salvation, and let me tell you the future looks bleak. So next time you go to answer that smart phone watch out it just might try and melt you brain. You could be the first fatality in what will be an all out war. And even though Christian Bale may be hard core, by the time he realizes his phone is out to get him it will be to late.

They may advertise it will protect you, but come one readers we all saw iRobot as well. That is how they get you.
And if your smart phone doesn't get you i'm sure you could be killed by this kid, I'm not sure that you've heard of him, cause i sure hadn't but he goes by the name of Justin Bieber. Just another one of those pop musician kids who in a couple of years will fall off the map because he entered puberty. Another interesting fact as a guy your voice generally drops when you hit puberty, bet you he didn't plan that into his youtube debut. However during the Renaissance they figured out an answer to this problem so Justin if it means that much to you just go talk to a music history professor find out what i'm talking about and then consult your pediatrician. And if that ends up working out for him don't worry world cause the drugs alcohol and domestic violence suits will for sure get him. He'll end up like all of our childhood favorites. Lindsay Lohan, Brittney Spears, or both Spears sisters for that matter, really the list could go on forever. But hey who am i to judge, i don't even know who the kid is.


Alright i guess i should leave political things away from this happy place...but i'm not to sure about this Obama guy, speaking purely from a political standpoint i'm not to sure america chose correctly, just a thought. My excuse is i was out of the country. Whats yours America? But before i go any further i probably should work on being a bit more informed. So we'll leave it at that.

And on an ending note of things i find not quite as ridiculous but lost a lot of its luster in my eyes...facebook. Still a good thing but not what it used to be, will it go the way of myspace? This writer says yes, why you may ask? Well something bigger and better always comes along. And just as we have shown in pretty much everything, we go for that stuff. What will the new facebook be called? I don't know but if we get to send in suggestions or vote in anyway, i would vote for "Spaces for Faces in My book: A stalkers best friend" your votes would be much appreciated.

Alright enough of that lets move onto more positive things. What changed from the July 2008-July 2010 that is a great improvement. Well this one requires a bit more thinking on my part, mostly because it seems the crappy stuff always takes the forfront in the news.

So the good stuff well number one would have to be youtube. Thank you Preston for helping me enter back into the real world. Youtube was cool before my mission but man it just goes to show how far you can go by being an idiot and having your friend work the camera. Thank you youtube. And thank you idiots alike.



Next on the list is America as far as i can tell, has so far successfully avoided the manpri. For those of you who don't know what the manpri is, let me inform you. The capri is what happend when shorts and long pants were breed with one another creating a hybrid crossbreed child known as the capri. An acceptible fashion statement for women, however in mans strange pursuit of wearing womens clothing and passing it off as his own and "in style," the manpri was born. All the rage in europe right now along with mullets and fannypacks(mostly among teenagers and those in there twenties, not all of eupropes population is tastless.) The manpri is one fashion from europe we Americans need not adopt. So please America stay strong and avoid the almost inevitable onslaught of manpris that will come in the coming years. As for Mullets well that never really left, mostly just went into hiding among Americans who find there homesweet home in trailerparks. And fannypacks, well we'll let the europeans keep that one as well.

And for my final thought on the great things that have happened in the last two years is...well i don't know that i really have one that would be worthy of such a big unveiling. So i'll just say i find Hulu a great idea, i mean who needs to pay for cable anymore, i just tune in through the miricle that is the internet.

And that was the best and worst according to yours truly!

Who Am I? Who Are You?

Alright world, or maybe a better phrase would be Alright small group of people who actually read this, since i haven't posted regularly in quite some time. But I'm trying to work on that. So here it goes the idea for this blog came to me as i have been reading some books on the topic for example i just recently finished "The Last Lecture"
and "Tuesdays with Morrie"
both terrific books by the way i would recommend them to anyone. And Currently I am reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" So if you have read these books you may understand where i am coming from, if not like i said read them, and hopefully my post can add some insight into things.

So all to often in life we hear the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Or people will tell you "I'm still trying to figure out what i want to be?" etc... Well I have been thinking a lot about this recently since I'm at the point in my life where if i don't have it figured out i probably ought to get it figured out. So as i have thought about it and read these books, another question was posed to me, which i feel is a lot more important then the first question. Who do you want to be when you grow up? I mean think about it... its not what you do that really matters. It is who you are and how you live you life. When all is said and done, what will others say about you? Or better yet what will you say about yourself?

Peoples portrayals of themselves are often very interesting to hear. I once sat in a room with a few other people, and we were asked to share with the group a talent that we felt we possessed. The things that people said were very interesting. Some of them i agreed with completely, from my point of view i could see exactly what they said is a talent or a trait they embodied. Some of them i was somewhat confused by. Who was correct, did i have a false perception of the person or did they have a false perception of themselves. In all comes down to perspective. We all have an interesting perspective, the way we see ourselves, and the way others see us is often very different.

Isn't this a part of our lives here, figuring out who we are and how we can best use our time here. Once again it isn't about what you do or how much money you made, but did you make a difference, who were you? How did you live your life? I believe that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, and as such we have limitless potential. We truly can accomplish anything we put our minds to. He understands us perfectly, some of you may disagree with this statement, but i know it to be a truth. Some of you may argue that i can't know that. Well that is a discussion for another time. For the time being just trust me. There is someone out there who knows us perfectly. And the cool thing is he is there to help us figure that out. He is there to help us figure out who we are. And can show us how we can live our lives to the fullest. We only see a small portion, whereas he can see the whole thing. That is why older people are often wiser. They have experienced so much in there lives. There perspective has been widened. That is also why the input of a loved one can help us grow so much. We see what we choose to see, and at times that means we are blind to the obvious, and a pointed comment from someone we love or someone we trust can help to open our eyes and point us in the right direction. With the help of others we can discover who we are, and better lead our lives. What will they say when your time has come? What will you say when all is said and done? Remember it isn't about what you do, its about who you are, and how you live you life.

I'm Back

Alright world, after a long stint away from the world of blogging, I am back. For those of you who actually tried to follow my blog while i was on my mission, sorry that i kind of crapped out like 10 months into my mission. But it is a very busy time and every second counts. Those of you who have served missions understand this point, and for those of you who haven't take my word for it. But alas that time in my life has passed and real life has hit like a ton of bricks.

Since being home I have taken the time to get into the normal flow of life. And it is still weird somedays, but i'm home. I am pretty well ready for school i've got a place to live and a car, the only thing that is lacking for me to fully embrace real life is a job. But that will have to wait till i am actually up at school. So that is whats up with me right now.

Sorry this was such a lame post, i promise a lot more in the future, but hey i am just trying to break into the things.