March MADNESS 2

I've learned two important lessons recently.

1. There is a time and season for everything. God is the caretaker, He knows what He wants me to be.
2. Sometimes, I ask, "why do you cut me down? I am doing splendid, and all I want to do is the right thing, why do you do this to me?" when I need to say, "Thanks God for loving me enough to hurt me". Refer to Hugh B. Brown's short talk "The Currant Bush" for the full story.

March has been a tough month. I've trudged through this semester slowly, and it was all good till March slapped me in the face with a fly swatter. A really big one. Now, my reward I'm going to give myself for a job...sorta well done, is the Owl City/Lights concert on the 12th of April. Actually, forget Owl City, the only person I'm waiting to see and meet is Lights. haha.

Two Finals tackled, 3 more to go. Here is the final stretch!


I've heard a quote that goes something like this... "friendship is like a train. you ride it, and get off at your stop". which means that with some friendships, its not meant to last. I thought that was ridiculous, but now I think some ways its true. I think relationships can be eternal, but sometimes it can't be helped. relationships fade. even the strongest of relationships disappear not because it was bad, but because life happens. And I'm sure in heaven, things will be different. Looking back at my entire life, I can't say I've grown up with a few best friends. None of my best friends now were even known to me 5 years ago. My close friends last year are no longer close friends this year. And its been the case year after year, especially with female friends so I can't say it won't be different next year. Sure, the Big Three will be intact (though how long that lasts perhaps we'll never know, "but I do know, here today, that the Black Knights will emerge victorious once again." - quote from Independence Day), and sure, there have been friendships retained from last year and years prior, Katie, Ash, Asia, Kelsey, Erin, Larissa, but the fact remains that the majority of people I met last year I only see once in awhile or on facebook.
The friendships I thought for sure would translate over to this year have dissolved (though again, not for any bad reason). However, it does make for every year to be interesting. Mike and I discussed this before, its like a TV show or Harry Potter. We got the main group, and then we have a revolving door of supporting casts and guests every year. So we shall see...as always.

Reading this makes me seem like some kinda lone wolf forever consigned to rove here and there. I guess it does sound a bit depressing, but I've had good times and I personally am not too bothered by it. Despite the transient state of my friendships I don't treat them as something trivial. However...this maybe the reason I've accumulated friends on facebook.

NEw FEATUre. YEAH!

So. I'm so excited I discovered this feature last night on my microsoft word as I typed up my group's skit (which is, if nobody knew, going to be the best once again yay ya).

So to celebrate, I'm going to use it! yeah!

The other day, we played a game in Chinese class where we were given words, and we had to describe what the word was so the other person could guess what it was. Here's how our game went.

(the word I'm describing is 船 "ship")

M: 我從中國坐blank到這裡。

似雪：Uh...自行車？

M：No...

S：公共汽車？

M：No。。。

S：走路？

M：What? ...how can you walk from China to here?

S: OHhh... I thought you were saying "go from school to here"...

M: XD

(i think you can guess what word is being described)

S: *looks at her word* Choo choo!

M: 火車。

S：Yes!

M: X|

(the word is 南部 "south")

M: 東，北，西，blank....

S: *looks at her book* 船！

M：*facepalm*

S: ?

M: Ship?

S: *looks at her book again* Oh! 南部！

M：*head desk*

(the word ship was right next to word south....LOL)

Quote of the Week

At a Chinese speech contest

"Steven, I'm so excited. I've never seen so many Asians in my life!" - Shalise


First thought through my mind, "Yes Shalise. You are from Utah".

EVERYBODY's GETTING ENGAGED.

so. Park is engaged. I can't believe it. I mean, after all his single adventures and escapades. After all that's happened. This. This changes everything. I mean, I always thought that if I never ended up getting married we'd just move in together. Even though, in light of the Gospel, that could never be...it still seemed like a likely possibility. Celebrating bachelorhood forever. But no...

its like waking up one day to realize that you're not a boy anymore. Its like discovering you could smell like the man you want to be when you first used old spice. Its like that one episode of Hannah Montana last night when Miley moves back to Tennessee and Oliver goes on tour and they all split. Its like hearing Katie Moon got engaged. I mean. People that have been there for what seems like forever, all of a sudden, get married? What's up with that? Its....crazy.

I said it in my last post. See what I mean? See?! Yeah. Time to grab the closest girl and hang on tight.

Its That Time of Life

I was talking to Mike the other day. Or was it Lyz? I can't remember. But anyways. I was talking when I realized when I would get married. Or at least, when I would start feeling the urge to get married. Because right now, I just feel pressure to date and get a girlfriend. And I'm dating, so that's no problem. But I'm not in the mindset yet to be married. Don't get me wrong. I'm looking forward to it. I'm preparing myself now in every way possible for the day to arrive. I'm organizing my finances, trying to return to a decent level of intelligence, getting healthier and more fit, taking more hobbies, learning to serve my sister, doing the spiritual needs daily, working harder. But I don't feel my time is yet soon.

However, I know when I will be more ready. When my guy friends start dropping like flies. AKA, getting married. And like how it is with many things, the signs of the times are already beginning to show. This year, an unprecedented amount of my friends are hooking up and tying the knot. Its crazy. Its like everyone just decided to at the same time. Its ridiculous. Its like there are new engagements every week. First one of my best friends, Katie, got hooked up, and then engaged. That put a dent in everything. Next, Dezzy became taken. Then I just felt stranded. Luke and Ash hooked up, Mike went on a dating stint, Park got hitched. Then Breanne's missionary came home, and now she's got a ring on it.

A bunch of my freshman year guy friends are now either in a relationship or married. Following that, a series of mission buddies tied the knot. The latest in this craze has been Heather and, just found out today, Becki.

As a result of all this, the average age of my friends has suddenly dropped by 2 years. Its no wonder I keep hanging out and dating sophomores and freshman. Everyone else gets married! Am I missing something here? I mean, the last girl I took on a date barely turned 18 four months ago. oh dang.

Those are the signs of the times my friend. And so, I know, when Mike and Luke are walking out of the temples with their eternal companions, and my next to closest buds are asking me to help with their engagements, I'll know its time. Then maybe I'll turn to my freshly turned 18 year old girlfriend and think, "let's do it to it".

Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week.

“I remember the first blog I ever put up on myspace was, what I would do in the event of a zombie uprising. …because I lived across from Mount Pleasant cemetery, which is like the biggest cemetery in Toronto…and there’s like Presidents and like people who survived the Titanic. If you can survive the titanic, you’re gonna make a strong zombie. So I was like, there is lots of danger here, so I started thinking about what I would do. And uh, I planned an escape route, and sort of where I would go. I thought the CN Tower would be a nice place. CN Tower is like a very tall tower in Toronto. I can get up there, you can probably hole up with the food that they have until the zombies die off, and you can look out and just be like “ok, they’re dying down there”. And when they’re dead… “

- Lights

great minds think a like. everyone's gotta have a zombie evacuation plan!

Lights is sooo funny.

how come the trials always seem to pile on all at around the same time? I handled some with ease, and thought I was clear, but....obviously not. Well, we'll see what happens.

Performed at the volleyball game last night. I think i did pretty well, except for the fact i was looking down a lot...on account of the fact that I think I would have been too nervous if I looked up at the audience. There were so many people there!! But it went great, I messed up a couple times, but overall, better than I feared. And the crowd got pretty into "Transform Ya" so that was awesome. It was a good growing experience. I don't even know if we won or not. lol.

So I reread Holland's talk "Remember Lot's Wife". The first time I heard it, I felt a renewal of energy to have more faith and to do better and to look forward to the future. This time reading it I realized there were some things I need to repent of.

He talked about how Lot's wife turned back to look at Sodom and Gomorrah after having been commanded not to. She was turned into a pillar of salt. So why such a severe consequence? I have always wondered that myself. Apparently, according to Holland, it wasn't just that she looked back, but looked back longingly, perhaps with some resentment toward God and doubting the future. Its interesting to note that Holland says, "faith is always pointed toward the future". It builds on the past but doesn't live there.

For us, its either not letting go of the past because of the good old days there and/or not letting go of past mistakes of both yourself and others. I realized I've done both, especially, very frequently, the first one. too often, when times get hard I say "well, maybe i can just go back to california. I had more friends there, more people who cared, family, and a sharper dating pool" and I start reminiscing of old times wishing for the past. I've done this probably from high school onwards. In my mind, the past starts to become better and better, or at least, better in my mind. but that is not faith. That's regret, and doubt, and fear. Once my faith is weakened, my hope goes, and I start going into a downward cycle of negative thoughts.

But why is looking into the past so bad? I believe because of two things, one, it represents doubt toward God which is the opposite of faith. Second, it opposes change, which, ironically, is both something we are joyed at (when we hear of people's conversions) and something we are horrified at (just change in general). "It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement" (3). This applies to both fear of the future, and the refusal to forgive past mistakes. Once people have repented fully "It is NOT right to go back and open up some ancient wound that the Son of God Himself died trying to heal" (4).

God has so many blessings awaiting us, but we need to look with an eye of faith. When we don't we lose energy and time in unbelieving. We must "rise above the past" (4) or, in looking into the past all the time, we have not time to look out for others.

If you want to build faith, believe in God, and believe in the future. Believe the best is yet to be. of course, a large part of that is determined by your free agency to choose, to choose God, to choose the future. "That is a New Year's resolution [Holland asks] you to keep" (6).

I haven't even talked about half the stuff that is in this talk, it is just that good.