Matthew 6:7-8

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

To me, this scripture is another way of saying you get what you want. And wanting is an action. I always used to think it meant that what I ask for in my prayers will be given to me. That hasn't really been the case, unless those things are also what I strive for day by day. Praying for these things, it seems, has been more of a reflection on what I'm already seeking, rather than being the key to obtaining what I desire.

Gospel Perceptions

Henry Eyring speaking of science: "There is, of course, no conflict in the gospel since it embraces all truth. Undoubtedly, however, science is continually challenging us to think through again our conceptions of the gospel." I really like this quote.

An issue that I've been questioning lately is how people at church actually know what they say they know. To be honest, unless you're a prophet or extremely spiritually blessed we don't really know all the things we say we know. We believe in them. We use our faith. For example, I do not know that I existed before I was born. That doesn't mean I don't believe it. I do believe it. I just don't know it. Of course the Holy Spirit can confirm truth and strengthen our conviction, but that still leaves us short of actual knowledge. We must live by faith.

How does this tie into Henry Eyring's quote? I feel that just as people had gospel perceptions of the earth's creation or evolution or similar subjects that have been essentially disproven by science, so we still do have gospel perceptions that are likely far from the truth. These conceptions are based on truth, just as the old conception of the creation, but have been molded significantly by cultural and social pressures, even into something that is untrue. Science didn't change the gospel; it only changed our perception of the gospel. Truth is still truth. I believe as we grow in experience our own conceptions of the gospel will change and we will be able to reflect on which "truths" are a product of our environment and which truths are precisely that: true.

My thoughts on this subject are incomplete. I would love to hear your opinion. If you read this, please tell me, what do you think?

I'm an Explorer

As I've followed the running schedule I've set up for myself, I find myself not knowing exactly where to go. This past week I started running towards the mountains, Maple Mountain to be precise, and found a little trail leading into the "foothills". I ran up and down and all around a system of paved trails. At times I was forced to slow to a walk to carefully navigate a steep descent. My trips into unknown trails, I realized, made the running a whole lot more fun.

This isn't the first time I've wandered as I jog. One time I started jogging up rock canyon, and I didn't stop until I got to the top of the trail, discovered the rock canyon campground, and followed a dirt road for at least a mile until it went no further. When I started running that day I had no intention of ending up in the woods. But as I started going up rock canyon, I pushed myself to keep going further, and a little further, and a little further. Each minute there was another sight to see, another "novidade." Like that Pocahontas song, "Just around the river bend." I just had to keep going.

After thinking about this the other day, it came to me: I'm an explorer! When I run, I like to do more than run. I like to explore my neighborhood and all the other ones too. I rarely run the same route. Hiking is one of my favorite activities, and it's not because I want to conquer another mountain. It's because I want to see another sight and enjoy another view. I explore nature. Rarely do I repeat a hike I've done before. Traveling is an activity I wish I could do more often. And while I enjoy the major landmarks and tourist attractions, what I really enjoy about traveling is exploring the city and discovering its residents in their daily activities, such as riding a city bus in San Francisco or hanging out in a city square in Rio de Janeiro. I explore their culture. There is so much to be seen and experimented in this world. Discovering more of the vast unknown is what intrigues me. I'm an Explorer.

Summer Chill

Summer term is coming to an end. I'll be done this week, finally. This weekend has been fun and relaxing. Not much of note in my life to relate, so I've dedicated this post to an ancient film. I'm writing on my new Windows 7 system, much improved from Vista. But that's for another post.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang may be one of the coolest lazy Sunday afternoon videos ever made. From Truly Scrumptious' lovely hat collection to Dick Van Dyke's uber-sweet inventions, the show is just full of treats. Truly Scrumptious was even made into a celebrity barbie. I really wish I had one of those egg and sausage makers in the mornings. The characters are classic. The little girl is Jemima, reminds me of syrup, and grandpa is hilariously eccentric.


Watching this movie is really a walk down memory lane. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was one of the staples of my childhood. I watched it frequently along with such movies as All Dogs go to Heaven, Swiss Family Robinson, and Robin Hood. I will never forget the songs from the movie. Roses of Success was my favorite. I think it still is.

I'm sitting next to my friends Michele and Nero (aka Ron John) in Jose's apartment. Ron John is from Nepal and seems to really be enjoying it. Michele the hispanic brazilian wannabe keeps making faces. There's also Cassie who sings to every song, and Rachel and her friend who just giggle at everything on the show. And Korance can quote the movie extensively. A classic - All in all a good Sunday evening party.

Monster Nebo

About a month ago Blake, Stephen, and I took on the monstrous Nebo. It was a beautiful summer Saturday morning following a light rainstorm the night before.


The drive brought us almost to the top it seemed, so we had our doubts about how difficult the hike was actually going to be. The tall peak on the left was our destination.


I kept myself busy with a new found hobby of mine on the way up: picking wildflowers. I loved the red clay.







After an hour or so we made it to the ridge. The hike to this point wasn't too challenging. The ridge offered some fantastic views. That's Mt. Timpanogas in the distance. Yes, Mt. Nebo is taller than Timpanogas.






It was a pleasant stroll on the top of the world, until we got to this:



I was sucking wind within 2 minutes, dripping like a wet towel.


We made it to one peak, but had one more to go after that. The last quarter mile was climbing over loose rock along the ridge to the very top. By that time I had to stop every 15 steps for a few seconds to rest my exhausted quads.




At last we made it!


Jumping over 11928 ft (3635.7 m).


Someone had a little too much fun in the glorious sunshine!


Some friendly local folks from Utah county showed up as we were eating lunch at the peak. I kept overhearing them talk about "Spanish." Saying Spanish is this, and Spanish is that. That confused me because they didn't seem to be the type to know a foreign language. But then Blake explained to me that they mean Spanish Fork! That's local talk, that is!

On a scale of 1 to 10 for amateur hikes, I would rate this hike as a 9.5. It stretched me that much! The incredibly steep climb at the high elevation just about did me in. The wildlife and the extensive stretch along the ridge though make this hike far worth the effort. It was definitely a highlight of my summer.

Thought: Starving Student Lifestyle

Does anyone else find themselves wondering how people afford what they do? It seems that almost anyone I talk to has either recently bought themselves a new toy or gone on an extravagant vacation. Where does all that money come from? I'm sure some people really do have killer summer jobs, but not everyone, right? I can't complain, of course. I myself took a 2 month "study abroad" in Brazil. That wasn't exactly inexpensive. But that has been my one splurge. I use a car that I got for a great deal (thanks Julie!) and is practically worth about two iPods now. I have no cool phone, a practical laptop which probably isn't even worth as much as my car, and a few board games that cost me about $100 total. Those are my most valuable possessions. Granted, I could and probably should spend a little bit more once in a while, such as for my clothes that I frequently wear holes into, but I simply don't understand how other "poor starving students" have iPods, smart phones, macs or other expensive laptops, new cars, amazing cameras, attractive bikes and at least one gaming console. Are their parents paying for this all? If not, where does all the money come from? And I'm pretty sure lots of them are not on scholarship, so add in tuition to all of those expenses. Sometimes I just can't help but wonder.

Fun in the sun

Stadium of Fire

Last night I worked as security at the Stadium of Fire. I was on the job at 5 PM and started with a nice pork BBQ sandwich courtesy of the police department. From 6 until 8:20 or so I peeked in an innumerable number of purses. All of the ladies had to throw their candy away and dump their water out. Most people accepted it without complaining, but a few people weren't very happy, and I even got sworn at once.

I got to go in to watch the show soon after.



About 600 scouts, 500 dancers, Jenny Oaks Baker, the Five Browns, and some others took the stage. When they finished Carrie Underwood was on. I think she put on a great show. I'm just not a big fan.



Once Carrie was done, the real show began. The fireworks were some of the best I've seen. I tried to get a couple photos, although the pictures do not represent how great the show was. In addition to the big fireworks, they shot some straight into the middle of the stadium! That always got a gasp from the crowd.



There was a big USA chalked onto the field. The scouts lined it with glowsticks at the end and the dancers filled the map with sparkling lights.

Earlier in the day I wasn't looking forward to giving my whole evening to the event, but now I'm glad I did. The work was really sort of fun, and it was pretty much a free show. I would recommend it.

Lagoon

Tuesday I met up with my family and cousins at Lagoon. I invited a few friends to go along too. I didn't get any very exciting pictures, but at least you can see what my mom and dad do when they're at an amusement park! Wicked is their best coaster. You are shot straight up, crest a peak, then go straight down. It's a pretty nice ride. I also really like the Samurai. You get thrown around in every conceivable way. My favorite part of the park though is Lagoon a Beach. I really enjoyed cooling off for one, but the environment is just really relaxed and fun.