Conclusion: Freshman '15

Not the Freshman 15 you were most likely thinking of. I however, was referring to the year 2015.

Wow, it's crazy how fast this semester has gone by. Thinking back on all that has happened, so much has changed. I have changed. I have learned so much about myself and this is only the beginning. My classes have been so good. The professors here at BYU are so amazing and yes, the assignments have pushed me out of my comfort zone. I know how to write long papers, "think anthropologically," find deeper meanings in the scriptures, how to be healthier, and how to better understand myself. College has sparked a desire of learning that before wasn't at all the same. 

I started this blog with the word of "NEVERTHELESS." This word is more powerful than I originally thought. This word is used often in the scriptures. It basically means that whatever is preceding the word "nevertheless" doesn't get as much emphasis as what comes after the word. For example, "Life is hard, nevertheless, I can overcome. That means that I CAN OVERCOME is more important in that sentence. When I chose the title Nevertheless BYU, I wasn't sure what to put in front that had less emphasis. I decided that a lot of words could be put there, but that wasn't the point. The point is that BYU comes last and whatever is in front doesn't mean as much. All I know is I am so grateful to be here and to have all the opportunities that I have been given. I am so thankful for a God that loves me enough to let me be here in my life. I am so thankful to keep learning and growing here at BYU and to use what I learn here as a stepping stone for things to come.

Here's to the beginning of the rest of my life.

Boys vs. GIRLS

Dear Diary,

I don't understand. Where had I not been clear? I said I wanted a study break, not that I DIDN'T want one. Was that not obvious enough? He was the one who texted me first, obviously that was intentional. WAS IT NOT? Did he accidentally think he was texting someone else and then eventually realize that it was me? It even showed that he "read" the message. What was he trying to do, play hard to get or something? I thought things were going just fine from the way he acted on our date last week. Does he not feel the same about me? What if he started talking to another girl, but just sent that text out of habit? All the thoughts in my head were making me sick. I can't believe I fell for this! Was I really this naïve? Did he think he could honestly pull a fast one on me? I remembered the way he was looking at my friend Rebecca. Suddenly the dots are connecting! He did at least think she was cute, especially the way he looked at her the other day. I knew it! It has been almost 2 hours! By this time I was over him anyway. He is not worth my time anymore . . .

I am never speaking to him again. In fact, I'm going to convince my parents to move out of state. I don't think he remembers what my brother looks like. Maybe I'll post a picture of us, so he'll think I'm dating someone else. That for sure ought to make him jealous. What if that doesn't work? Maybe I'll just go egg his house or something. Yeah, that should work too. Well, I'm off to see if we have any in the fridge. I'll probably write tomorrow.

Yours truly.  

Dan: groggily glanced at the clock on the wall, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and realized that he had accidentally fallen asleep.

On The Road to Emmaus

Here is something I learned about through study and in a conversation with a friend:

The dear friends of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, appeared early in the morning on the sacred ground of the sepulchre. Upon their arrival, they discovered the stone was rolled away from the tomb. When they entered in, they “found not the body of Jesus” (Luke 24:3). Two men in shining garments spoke to the disciples inquiring, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” The disciples and friends bowed their faces to the earth in fear, but they remembered the words, “He is not here, but is risen.”

Two of them that same day traveled to the village of Emmaus. As they were walking, they talked about the things that had happened that day. While they communed together another man traveled with them along their way. This man was Jesus Christ, “But their eyes were holden that they should not know him” (Luke 24:16). When they arrived closer to the village, Christ “made as though he would have gone further” (Luke 24:28). The two men constrained him, wishing that he would abide with them. “And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them” (Luke 24:30). As soon as he blessed and broke the bread of sacrament, he vanished out of their sight. They then turned to one another and asked, “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened unto us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). Jesus Christ walked with them and they didn’t even recognize it was him until they felt the burning in their hearts.

There is a painting of Christ on a bench in the middle of a beautiful park. Across the bench is a teenage boy. The boy had a pack and a bed roll beside him next to a bench. It seemed as if the boy was far away from home. This painting struck me because I have always seen Christ with the little innocent children, but what about a struggling, imperfect teenager? It touched me so deeply, thinking about how lost this boy must have felt. I pictured myself on this park bench, weary and far from home, from a heavenly and earthly home. The Savior of the world would take the time to sit next to me with nobody else around. I felt so overwhelmed thinking about the time he would spend listening more intently than anyone I have ever known would. He would not only sit with me, but He would cry with me as I cried, laugh with me as I laughed, and hold me when I needed to be held. He takes time specifically for you and for me. Just as with the two men traveling to Emmaus, we sometimes fail to recognize the Savior walking beside us during our times of trouble until we are looking back at our experiences in retrospect. I hope more than anything that I can recognize the Savior’s presence alongside me. I want to allow the Savior to be more involved in my life because he is not only my Savior and my redeemer, but my friend.

His Mirror

Since I am a Freshman in college, I thought it would be fun to throwback to my freshmen year of High School. I wrote this for a school writing contest. I might or might not have won first place. ~ENJOY~

Other girls flirting through show and tell pomp,

Riding the fast track when all signs read slow.

Tying knots,

Instead of bows,

Expecting no others to survive.

Rolling their eyes at the compliments,

-Expectantly dropped coins-

In their little piggy banks.

Here I was,

Causing no wide-eyed double-takes.

No tragic legend: “Trail of Tears,”

Strewn about with bloody hearts.

Peering behind a clouded vision,

To what my reflection had become.

Unrecognized by no one,

Not even myself.

In my dreaded hour of despair,

Tender arms enclosed around me tight.

He cupped his hands around my chin,

Tilting me towards the mirror He held.

I discovered a light illuminating my features,

A priceless beauty became the whisperings in my head.

The sun with all its magnificence,

Fit snugly into the palm of my hand.

The years came knocking,

Waving goodbye in time.

Through friend or foe, trial and error,

I never used my own mirror.

Clutched in both hands, with all my life and soul,

Was the mirror He gave me.

Throughout the battle field of life,

I’ll never let go.

In a place after life,

Amidst an endless line of people,

All waiting for our actions to call us home,

I was reunited with those other girls.

Upon their waited turn,

They averted their gazes,

Fumbling with their fingers to untie the hard-driven knots,

That had been carefully tied.

Gaping into their little piggy banks,

To find themselves hopelessly broke.

The worldly beauty pointed and laughed,

Shedding the masks that covered those girls,

Each taking a closer look at the small-fine print,

Leaving them no promises kept.

They each took a turn gazing into His mirror.

With brimming tears and fear in their hearts,

They each saw a girl beaming back.

But, they sank to their knees,

For looking into the mirror,

They didn’t see themselves as they were,

Only what they were meant to become.

I calmly realize that it is my turn.

I stare deeply into the mirror I had clutched,

For I had seen a girl I recognized.

I saw myself as I was,

Smiling right back.

COOKING 1010101

How to make Cougar Cakes

Disclaimer: No people were harmed in the making of this video.

I've never been the class clown or anything, but when my roommate Jessica suggested we have an act in the ward talent show, we knew it should be funny. We spent a few days planning out what we wanted to do. If anyone knew what we started out brainstorming, they wouldn't have guessed beforehand what we ended up doing. We only performed the real act twice. Once was for the auditions and the second time was for the real thing. It was super intimidating because when we performed for the ward activity specialists, they simply looked at us bewildered, not even a chuckle.

The day of the talent show we were put towards the middle of the program. The closer we got to our act, the more we were freaking out because Brian hadn't showed up yet! He was taking a chemistry test and nobody had heard from him for hours. They ended up putting our act toward the end until he finally showed up. Thankfully he did because we didn't know of anyone else who would be willing to get their face dunked in a milky, cake mix, egg soufflé.

NAILS OR LEGS?

 A jabbing pain was piercing my thigh. I wanted to cry out in agony as the intensity began shooting up my leg. I stifled my cry, not wanting to attract any attention. Without looking down, I grabbed around the tender area of my thigh, hoping to relieve the fiery tension. I was scared to discover what was hurting me so badly. I eventually worked up the courage and I looked down and noticed a long nail protruding out of my leg. How it got there, I had no idea. The moment of confusion and bewilderment was drown out by all the agony. All I knew was I wanted the pain to stop. How could I get this nail out? I thought of all the most convenient ways that I could accomplish this task. What would be the easiest? The less time consuming? Or create the least about of mess or pain?

I knew this wouldn't be an easy task because my leg would simply have to go.

If there is a nail in your leg, don't cut off your leg. Simply, take the nail out.

If there is something in your life that is hurting like a nail in your leg, don't be irrational. Cutting off your leg might seem like a solution, but there are other ways to solve the problem. 

One less leg hurts worse.