Ring out the Old, Ring in the New

This year…

I discovered my love for poetry

I learned what it means to mourn with those that mourn

I spent way to many hours in the library

I didn’t spend enough time with my friends

I tearfully celebrated the end of my childhood

I acquired two new jobs and quit one old one

I watched the first of my good friends get married

I tried about 20 flavors of cheese

I lived through my first real winter

I embraced the power of the dark side :)

I worked harder in school than I ever have before

I sacrificed some things I love to do so (you may have noticed the lack of blog posts)

I danced the night away

I said goodbye to most of my old friends for two years

I met many new and wonderful friends

I witnessed some of the most amazing musical talent in the world

I learned to deal with differences

I discovered some strengths

I recognized a lot more weaknesses

I spent a couple more semesters with the best roommates ever

I succeeded

I failed

I read

I wrote

I sang

I loved

I lived.

Next year…

I will take more pictures

I will get to know everyone in my ward

I will recognize when something else is more important than studying

I will spend more time in the scriptures

I will focus on love

I will read thousands of pages and write dozens

I will try new foods

I will spend an unforgettable spring term in London

I will, once again, spend too much time in the library

I will fail, and I will succeed

But most importantly, I’ll keep trying

“For my purpose holds to sail beyond the sunset… to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” – Tennyson

Love

It is why little creatures

do big things.

It is the light that guides us.

It is what we reach for

in moments of uncertainty,

and it is what makes us certain

when others doubt.

It makes the impossible

possible.

It lifts us to our highest potential

and teaches us compassion.

It gives even the most cowardly

the courage to do what's right,

and it gives the most courageous

a reason to do so.

It changes us

from the person we would have become

into the person we were meant to be.

It is what makes life worth living

and worth dying for...

and it is why good

will always conquer evil.

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love."

- Albus Dumbledore

Writer's Block

Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,

That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,
Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain -

I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe;
Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain,
Oft turning others' leaves to see if thence would flow
Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burned brain.
But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay;
Invention, nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,
And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way.
Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,
Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,
Fool, said my muse to me, look in thy heart and write.

Sir Philip Sidney

An Education in Hipsterdom

There has been good deal of discussion about hipsters around Club 19 this year, yet I have come to realize that many people stil aren't entirely sure about what defines a hipster. Since my knowledge of them is so vast, it's only right that I share some of the things that helped me to understand this... fascinating... culture.

I'm sure you

can't read this, so here's the link.

How to be a Hipster - Wikihow

Hipster Harry Potter Blog

As you can see, with the help of stubleupon (where my roommates found these images) and facebook (where they posted the links on my wall), my roommates and I have become quite the hipster experts. We even thought of 'ipster 'arry potter before the blog totally stole our idea (which is totally mainstream of them, those wanna-be hispters).

His word bubble says, "I keep my gold at gringots because it's underground."

Facebook has also turned out to be a great medium for showing off our hipster knowledge and/or making fun of them. Here's an example...

Anyway, if you still don't understand hipsters, don't be too hard on yourself... you're probably just too mainstream. And getting support from mainstream society would totally ruin my hipster reputation, so if you did learn something or were entertained or whatever, keep it quiet, OK?

Sincerely,

A Hipster in Training

Happiness

Today has been a good day. Here are some of the things that made me happy today.

This cartoon.

This song.

This movie.

And these folks.

plus Tessa, who I believe was taking this picture. :)

It really is a fine life.

Gracenotes

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things

-Alma 26:12

Today I had one of those epiphany moments. One of those experiences that reminds us why we're here, reminds us just how lucky we are. It started with a story Brother Marsh told us today in Book of Mormon. The story went like this:

A patriarch was dying of a heart problem. All the doctors told him to get his affairs in order because no one had ever survived this condition. The patriarch was prompted to go talk to a certain young doctor about it. This doctor told the patriarch the same thing, but when he was told about the prompting, the young doctor agreed to perform the surgery if the patriarch would first get his affairs in order and say goodbye to his family. As the doctor began the surgery, he prayed for inspiration. As an answer to his prayer, he saw a diagram appear over the heart, detailing exactly how he should sew up the valve. That doctor was Russel M. Nelson, a current member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

I was really struck by this story. Elder Nelson was directly instructed, by the Holy Ghost, how to perform a new and life saving heart procedure. He didn't invent the surgery, Heavenly Father revealed it to him. I realized that we can't really attribute human brain power to any innovation. All knowledge comes from God, every discovery is inspired in some way. After all, we were created by our Heavenly Father, so even our capacity to think is a blessing from him.

But there is something Elder Nelson had to do to perform the new heart procedure; he had to be ready to receive the prompting. He had to have the faith to begin the surgery in the first place. He had to have the medical training necessary to understand the heart and how to operate on it. He had to be worthy and have the spiritual capacity necessary to receive the prompting when it came.

I realized that that is why I am here at BYU. It's not so I can single handedly solve all the world's problems. It's not so I can show everyone how smart I am. It is so I will have the tools necessary to be an instrument in God's hands. It is so when he calls on me to comfort a child, to be there for a student, to teach someone something that will change their life, I will be prepared. I will have the education and the spiritual discernment necessary to follow the promptings of him who is the source of all knowledge, him who knows how I can help others far better than I do. That Heavenly Father who has brought me to where I am and who will guide me to wherever I am going. I'm not here just to become an English teacher, I'm here to become a servant of God.

(FYI- I stole the title of this post from my friend Jason Ray's blog, and I think he stole it from Brian Doyle. Just giving credit where credit is due. :))