Michael O.

I have a wonderful friend named Michael, who I met at EFY last summer, that I often talk to on the phone. I honestly always miss his calls (I think I miss 88% of the calls I receive, so I guess this is not a surprise), but he is patient and either calls me again or waits for me to call him back. This sometimes takes days, but he is a loyal friend and has decided that he wants to keep in touch, and I really appreciate that. He lives in Nebraska, and doesn't have texting or Facebook, so phone calls are our only source of communication. It's fun though, talking to someone who is so far away. It makes this huge world seem a little smaller, even if it's just for 20 minutes.

He and I became friends very randomly. We were waiting for a class to end so that we could go inside for the next class, and happened to be standing next to each other and started talking. Our conversation became a get-to-know-you session, and we basically were friends from then on. It was cool to have a friend outside of my company. I loved my company with all of my heart, and will never forget the bond we had (I truly believe we had all been friends before), but Michael was different. We sort of counted on each other when we needed to just breathe for a while, talk to someone new. I have to say, despite how much I love my Many Fishers friends, I don't really keep in touch with any of them. Just Michael. He is just a genuinely good person, and for whatever reason is interested in my strange life. I like people who care just because; I like to have people in my life that I know will always listen.

"Let the praises ring...

'cause he is everything."

Nothing I could say now explains my feelings more accurately. He is everything.

Two Words: Idiot Children

For the first time in my life, I had to babysit drunk people. Drunk people that included myfreakinbrother. Tomorrow, when he has a pounding headache and doesn't want anything to do with me, I'll kill him. I swear, I'm going to beat him up. And you know, I'm gonna beat up his friend for taking off his pants in front of me. What fun we will have.

Thanks a whole lot, love you too.

Forgiveness

With all of the miracles that have occured this year, it is so hard to imagine the time that my mom hated the fact that I was going to church and wanted to be baptized. So much has happened in this year. It is incredible.

I was just thinking about something that happened months ago. My mom really did not want me to be going to the Mormon church, and tried so many different things to keep me from going. One Sunday she sent me to Wellspring Episcopalian church and told me to "take a break from the Mormons," even just for one day. It's so funny (not funny...just ironic) that she was so persistent on sending me to Wellspring, because she herself said she would never set in that place. After Holy Apostles closed, a large number of those people went to Wellspring, and my mother had no desire in the world to see those people who tore her heart out. Understandable, I'd say, especially since I felt the same way about them. But still, this is where she chose to send me for the day.

It was so weird walking into that place. I was overwhelmed with this feeling that I didn't want to be there, and I was really nervous. I saw so many people...Steve Roth, the Stewarts, Bob Hirsch (who is technically my "god father"...how strange), Emily Moore, the Barth's, and all of these people that I had not seen in what felt like ages. I felt exposed; I had kept these feelings of resentment and overwhelming sadness for so long, and it was hard to face it head on like that. I wanted to tell them all that they still had it wrong, that running away would never fix their problems, that I finally found the truth.....I just wanted to cry. In that moment, as I was sitting next to Bob, in one of his crushing, yet friendly hugs, I realized that this part of my life is my past. I needed to accept that I had moved on; these people were part of my journey, but no longer. Somehow, I needed to let go of all of these people and all of the things that I blamed them for.

Interestingly enough (though not coincidentally, for our God is not a God of coincidences), the pastor's sermon was about forgiveness. I honestly don't remember much of what he said, I just remember feeling the spirit like I never had. Not because I was sitting in Christ's true church. Not because he was preaching true doctrine. I felt the spirit because I knew that forgiveness was exactly what I needed. I needed to forgive those people in order to move on with my life.
During that service, my life was changed. I had been thinking all morning that I was forced into this horribly awkward, sad situation, and I just wanted to leave and go to my church. My opinion changed though: I was brought to that service. That service was a vital piece in my journey. As I sat among the people who had hurt me more than anyone else has, I forgave them. I forgave them all. My heart was softened, and I realized that maybe they weren't to blame after all. The adversary has great power in his false churches and teachings; even greater power in the selfish nature of humans. Regardless, the greatest burden was lifted from my shoulders, the biterness was gone, and I was able to enjoy the rest of my time there talking with old friends.

My mom didn't realize how much she helped me by sending me to Wellspring that day. She didn't cure me from my "Mormon fever" - not at all. Actually, she added to it. When I left Wellspring, I actually drove right over to the Tufts building and went to the last half hour of Sunday school. The Orchard Ward is my home, and being away from it even for one Sunday made that so very clear to me. At that point in time, I already had a testimony of the restored gospel, but I think I was still a little uneasy at times. Experiences like this one at Wellspring are what consistently proved to me that I was right where I belonged.

I'm so thankful for the Orchard Ward. Those people are are my family, my greatest friends. I'm so thankful to know the truth, and I'm so thankful that I knew it 10 months ago, and believed it. The gospel is true. Jesus Christ is my Savior and King - he died to save my life. Not only are Mormons just naturally awesome, but they have the greatest truths a person could ever know. What's cooler than that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Missing in Action

I have really missed this. I love writing in here.

I'm eighteen. 18. Dix-huit. I can't believe at all that I'm already an ADULT. Ew. That's a weird thing to say. But cool at the same time. Since I'm an adult maybe I should say kool, with a K. Or actually maybe I shouldn't.

I only have 5 months of public high school left. Depending on the day, that either seems like forever or not nearly enough time. I'm so excited, but scared out of mind all at the same time. There are some things I'm sad about already, like the fact that "goodbyes" are inevitable...so many of them. But most of them will just be "see-you-laters." Some of them really will be goodbyes, which I'm okay with. I wish my fellow Warriors the very best in life, but I will be okay with moving on.

It's just weird. Strange. Foreign. I've never had to leave before. But, BYU is calling my name. I must go to it. (Does that make me sound like a loser?)

Daniel Jeffery BUTT

I love my brother more than anyone else in the world, but I can't handle his extreme moodiness sometimes. He can be so happy and friendly one minute, and grumpy and mean the next. It makes me so sad, especially when we have days off of school like this, and spend all day together. It would be so much easier if he would just .................AAAHHHo98uzhsiikaw3.jsa

But it's not just him. I know I'm a jerk sometimes too. And he truly thinks that JUST BECAUSE I'M MORMON I think I'm better than everyone else. So his view of my view of other people (does that make sense?) also puts a damper on things. He, like my dad, genuinely hates Mormons. My dad actually knows Mormons, and apparently had some bad experiences with some as a child. By no means is this an excuse for his generalization of Mormons as evil and Satanic, etc., but he actually has experienced knowing Mormons and being around them....my brother never has. His reason for hating Mormons is fueled by some unknown source; it's like he hates them just for fun. He makes it very clear at times just how much he hates them. Whenever he talks about them, he gets this look on his face like he just smelled his foot after running 7 miles without socks. It's pretty intense.

I just don't understand it. It breaks my heart....because whatever he thinks of Mormons as a whole is what he thinks of me. I don't know how to make him understand that I'm not just Mormon because I thought it would be cool; I want to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I AM a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I will be until the day I die, and for the rest of all eternity. That's a big commitment, and not something that I take lightly. I do stand up for my church. I do stand up for what I believe in. And it does create tension and arguments within my home. I am somewhat of a stubborn person, and I don't like to just back down in an argument, because I hate to let people feel like they can walk all over me. But I'm also trying my hardest to learn to stop and argument before it starts. It's just a long, difficult proccess that often drains quite a bit of my energy.

I need to pray every single day to be a positive example to my family. I want to show them that family is the central part of my life, just as it is central to the teachings of the church. I would do anything to show my family just how much I love them. Heck, I would do anything for my family. They need to see that, and I need to be the one that shows them. I have 8 months to really show that, and to improve the way that I approach the situations I am faced with. I should remember to pray for guidance and help in those times. Remember, remember.

Man, life can be hard sometimes when you're not perfect. Thank goodness I know someone who is.

Joke of the Day

What's red and smells like blue paint?

.....Red paint.