#20 - Conclusion (That's A Wrap)

As I conclude this semester and my opportunity to learn in Writing 150, I would like to reflect back on the growing and learning that took place in this class. It was great to learn from Sister Steadman and I really enjoyed how she wove family stories and family history into the class. This really helped me see the hand of God in my life. At the beginning of the semester I was signed up for too many religion classes because I was unsure of which ones I actually wanted to take. One of those extra religion classes that I signed up for was a family history class. After attending one class session, I had an impression that I should not take that class but should take the Living Prophets class instead. I am so glad that I listened to this prompting as I have been extremely blessed to also look at family history as a part of increasing my ability to write in Writing 150.

Another thing that I have been blessed by this semester is the opportunity to continuously write. Honestly, I have not been a huge fan of writing in the past because I have not been a very strong writer. In the future, however, I will feel a lot more comfortable in my ability to write. By constantly writing throughout this semester I have been able to learn what my strengths and weaknesses are and in turn fix those weaknesses. I feel that if I had only been able to push myself to write more in the past that I would have been able to strengthen some of my weaknesses even sooner.

Overall, this life is short compared to the eternities and we must live it to the fullest. As I close out I would like to leave the world with one last contemplation of life. That is, never lose sight of who you are, never forget your divine heritage, and never waste a moment.

#19 - Creating Habits for the Future

With the semester coming to a close and my first year of college in general, the time for reflection on my habits has arrived. Over the past semester I have really enjoyed the opportunity to learn and grow beyond that which I thought was possible. I thought that I had much of life figured out before I came to college but the Lord keeps surprising me with all the things that I can learn.

Even though there is much that I have learned, there are some habits that I have contemplated in my life and would like to develop in the future. One example is to exercise more. My studies have in fact gotten better since I started to work out more. During the last couple of weeks I have indeed felt a difference in my energy level. I have been able to stay awake while studying and overall am more productive in my studies. Before these last few weeks I did not think that I had the time to work out or I thought that I would be tired from working out and my studies would in turn suffer. This statement, however, has been proved wrong.

Another example of a habit that I would like to better implement in my life is focusing better. Throughout my life people have thought of me as one who likes to work hard and set goals. Well, that is true, but I feel that I could have made life a lot easier for myself this semester by focusing better. It seemed at certain points in the semester that I could have been a lot more efficient with time by getting more sleep. The lack of sleep in some instances was a result of giving into small distractions throughout the day that added up in the end and kept me from finishing what I needed to earlier.

I feel that a mission will be of great benefit in helping me make these habits a part of me. Hopefully when I get back in two years that I will be ready to move forward, learn, and accomplish all that my Savior has in store for me.

A little bit of gym humor.

#18 - Around the World in _______ days!

As I pondered the thought a few Sundays ago of living outside of the United States for two years, the thought came to mind of all the places that I would like to travel to. The few places in the world that I would love to travel to would be Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. I know that is a wide variety of places and that they may not be places that many people would like to visit, but I promise that there is a reason behind each one. In the case of all of them I think that each place has a natural beauty. They each have some amazing sites to see. If I were to actually get the opportunity to travel to some of these places then I would most likely do it in groups, meaning that I would go to Australia and New Zealand at the same time then Germany, Switzerland, and Italy at the same time.

   

    

In terms of fun things to do, there are some once in a lifetime opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. For example, in Australia there are a ton of things to do such as the Sydney opera house and the beach. Then outside of Sydney there are some amazing nature opportunities such as snorkeling off the coast and of course there is the outback. In terms of New Zealand there are also some amazing sites to see and experience. Some examples of these include seeing glaciers or the amazing natural forests and sites that God has created. I feel that a trip such as this one would give me a new appreciation for the creations that God has blessed us with.

Sydney Opera House

New Zealand

   

In terms of a trip to Europe there are always great things to see there especially in the countries of Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Although safety is definitely a concern in traveling to countries in Europe, these seem to be a little on the safer side of things. In Germany I would love to see the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, and Neuschwanstein Castle. They all are important parts of history, or in the case of the castle, intriguing and beautiful. In Switzerland there are amazing experiences that can take place in the mountains as well as in your mouth such as the Lindt Chocolate Factory. Italy although often visited by many, offers the amazing opportunity to journey into the past with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, cathedrals, Pompeii, and just the beautiful sites of Rome in general.

Neuschwanstein Castle 

Lindt Chocolate Factory

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Overall, I like to travel and would love to travel to these places at some point in my life. Along with all the sites present in these countries I would love to visit the temples in each of these countries. I feel that the most glorious site of all must be the temple.

Sydney Australia Temple

Auckland New Zealand Temple

Frankfurt Germany Temple

Bern Switzerland Temple

Rome Italy Temple

#17 - Lasting Relationships

This past Sunday as I took my weekly Sunday night walk before the start of another insanely busy week, I began to contemplate on the relationships that I have made over the past year and the opportunities that lie ahead. I will admit that I am a little sad to see the semester come to an end, knowing that many of the people that I have shared happy moments with this semester I will never see again. However bitter that may seem, it is still a sweet moment to think of the good times that have occurred.

For example, one of my greatest memories and one of the funnier things that happened over this past year occurred with one of my friends, Peter. We were on our way back from the temple on a cold winter night when it began to snow. It was dark and we were alone making our way from the Provo temple to the campus library on foot. It seemed with every step that we took that the snow seemed to come down faster. It got so bad that we were struggling to fight the wind and the snowflakes blowing into our eyes. We both eventually made it to the library with mounds of snow on our heads and wondered why such a thing would happen on the way back from the temple. It seemed to be bad timing, but the experience although it may seem like a small one, was unforgettable.

Friends have changed my life and shaped me into who I am today. I am grateful for all the wonderful people that the Savior has put into my path to help me become what I am up to this point. I wish them all good luck on their future endeavors and know that they will be successful.

Just another day with Peter.

#16 - "I Love to See the Temple"

This semester as well as last semester I made a goal to go to the temple every single week. Whether I went with friends or had to make the trek up to the Provo temple by myself, I saw a real change in my life both spiritually and temporally. Every time that I went to the temple there was a feeling of love and peace that could not be felt anywhere else; especially on campus where life seemed so hectic all the time.

In terms of the spiritual growth that I have seen within myself this year at BYU through my weekly temple attendance, I have seen a growth in my love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. While in the temple as I mentioned beforehand I have felt peace there that I have not felt anywhere else. This sense of peace has allowed me to realize that when times were tough this semester that I was not the one pulling the weight; I was not alone. I was, in fact, being carried by Christ who took me the distance when I did not think that it was possible. This applies to one of my favorite scriptures that is often quoted by athletes. It is Philippians 4:13 and it says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Even though time was often tight, when I made the effort to go to the temple each week, I was somehow able to finish everything that I needed to. I have found this to be true on many occasions throughout the last year. In fact, so many that I lost count. I do not know how this happened or that I was deserving of such a blessing, but I do know that I would not be as successful in school right now if it were not for regular temple attendance. This opportunity of having a temple so close while in college has changed my life and perspective on so many things.

Typical Friday temple trip to the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

#15 - Great Expectations

Upon returning to BYU in two years I have big expectations for myself. I have for a long time pushed my mind and body to the brink in order to better myself in any possible way. 

One way that I intend to continue to do this when I get back is to work towards applying to the accounting program. It is a hard program to get in to and many people desire to get into the program but only few are actually accepted. If you want to get into the program then you must have a strong desire and work ethic to do so. I feel that when I get back from my mission I will be even more mature, smart with time, and successful in general. A combination of these factors I feel is key to achieving what it takes to get into the accounting program. 

My dad when he went to BYU was able to meet the rigorous requirements and is now quite successful. I hope that one day I might be able to be as successful as he is and pave my own happy path for my family. My father through his influence and experience from his job has been able to give me some great advice that has helped me get to the point that I am now and I hope that I might be able to do that one day. 

I can now see why the authorities of the church have said gain as much education as possible. Education is the key to being successful, comfortable, and able to successfully support a family in this world. Right now getting into the accounting program is my number one goal and priority for when I get back from a mission and I hope to make it come true.

#14 - Growing Up Through America's Pastime

I love to play baseball. Playing baseball for four years in high school presented me with opportunities of self-improvement beyond the sport of baseball itself. I learned through the rigors of high school baseball to drive my capacity to achieve, to overcome setbacks, and to provide leadership to others.

Playing on a team with a history of high achievement, in a very competitive league created a challenging opportunity for success. As one of the starting pitchers on the team, I often pitched against talented opponents. When failure arose, I practiced even harder striving for improvement in my skill and the ability to raise my performance to even higher levels. This realization and dedication to improving taught me to persevere, in turning weaknesses into strengths, while constantly striving for success despite arising disappointments.

As I progressed through the baseball program, I was expected to be a leader. For instance, during my sophomore year one teammate was often bullied for his inexperience. Rather than join the debasing of his morale, I uplifted him, which lead to the team changing their view of him and encouraging rather than degrading him. Through this experience and multiple other leadership situations on and off the field, I learned compassion and further developed communication skills.

The rigorous experiences of baseball have led to significant personal growth. The further development of consistent perseverance, communication, leadership, and personal drive for improvement has positioned me well for success in college and beyond.

The good ole' days.