ReAL Salt Lake

On Friday night my friend Shea Miller invited me to the ReAL Salt Lake game. It was my very first (and hopefully not the last) professional soccer game. I learned so much about soccer that I never knew as a little kid running around frantically after the ball trying to get a turn to kick it in any direction I could. The ReAL just got a new stadium this season in south jordan, right by Jordan commons. It's a really nice stadium too. They played the "New England Revolution" and won 6-0. It was neat because they Revolution apparently had been undefeated before they played us. So if you have a chance I would highly recommend going to one of these games. It made for a good night, especially since the Jazz didn't do very well against the Lakers.

A little accountability......

So here is a little accounting of my new years goals.  I had a few goals: 1) don't drink soda, 2) lose 20 pounds, and 3) don't eat anything after 10 o'clock.  So far I haven't drank any soda.  This has been so much easier than I thought it was gonna be.  I haven't really even missed it, except for once and a while here and there.  I've lost 20 pounds, thanks to not drinking soda and exercising a ton.  I learned from a doctor that the first 1/2 hour of your workout just burns carbs.  Everything after that burns fat.  So I extended my workout and started burning fat.  My third goal hasn't gone very well.  I didn't eat anything after 10 p.m. for a month or so, but it kind of fizzled out.  I'll have to get back into it.  Anyways, just thought I'd account for my goals.

What I learned from worms

On Wednesday it was raining pretty hard and as I was walking to class I noticed hundreds and hundreds of earth worms on the street and in the gutter.  I took this picture next to a garbage can where the water in the gutter piled up the earth worms.  I started to think about how this was a bird paradise (I know, weird thought process).  But then I noticed how there wasn't any birds to be found.  I thought "what the heck, this is the perfect time to get a free meal with very little effort."  Then I saw a little robin, the only bird not worried about getting wet.  But alas, he was hunting around the grass to find worms.  I thought, hey you idiot come over to the street there are worms everywhere. 

Eventually I started thinking about how this applies to life.  Often times we are too comfortable to acquire all the blessings around us.  None of the birds wanted to leave their nests, but if they would be willing to get a little rain on their wings they could have the best meal of their life!  Likewise, if we are willing to take time and look around us we will see so many blessings.  I for one don't think about that enough.  Heavenly Father helps those who help themselves.  I once heard someone say "we talk to God on our knees, he talks to us on our feet."  To me that means that when we want answers to our prayers we need to be doing something about it.  Answers come on the go.

That little robin probably had no idea that there were thousands of worms laying helpless on the street because he wasn't willing to go a little out of his way.  I challenge everyone to look for opportunities where they least expect it (sounds like a fortune cookie).  I have been so blessed in my life.  Most of those blessing came from unexpected sources.  But I think more important than looking for opportunities for ourselves we should seek ways to help others.  When I was on my mission and serving people everyday that is when I was the happiest, even when the people didn't appreciate it.  I've recently decided I want to stop being selfish and think of others.  Because "when (we) are in the service of our fellow beings, (we) are only in the service of our God."  

Getting hit while crossing easy street

Sometimes I really wish there was an easy button for the opposite sex.  I think I've figured out why girls and guys can't figure each other out.  Here's my theory.  Girls (as everybody knows and can't argue) are very complicated creatures.  Guys are very simple, probably too simple.  As Jerry Seinfeld puts it "nothing goes on in guys heads.  We are just walking around, looking around."  So women expect men to be more complicated than they are, because that is what makes sense to them.  They can't understand that guys aren't.  So even though they try to de-complicate stuff when they work with guys, it still isn't enough.  To them, something like a hint can be extremely obvious, but it still goes over a guys head.  I'll let you girls in on a little secret;  STOP TRYING TO GIVE GUYS HINTS! It won't work.  They won't get it.  Please just say what you are thinking.  It's scary, I know, but if you want something to be understood then just say it.

Which brings me to my next point:  Another problem I have with the whole guy/girl misunderstanding is when a girl will agree to several dates, and have no intention of ever dating the guy.  Every girl I've talked to about this always says "but its rude to say no to a date."  Well let me tell ya, its much more rude to lead the guy on and keep going out with him.  If your not interested, then don't do little things that the guy might interpret to mean you are into him.  Anyways, sorry to get on my soap box about this.  But it really does bother me.  Well...................................that's all I got to say about that.  

   

A Tender Mercy

Saturday morning we went to the Jordan River Temple for Matt to take out his endowments.  It was really neat to be there for that.  My mom of course cried because it was her baby going through the temple.  She has entered the stage of crying every time we mention missions.  She did it with me, but just recently entered this stage with Matt, so we would tease her and say she must not be sad with the thought of Matt leaving.  Anyways, we had a lot of family there which made it really neat as well.  It was me, Matt and my parents.  My aunt Joni and Uncle Elder Neuenschwander, Aunt Marcia and cousin Dave, My grandma and grandpa Lee, and Aunt Karla.  We then went to Olive Garden afterwards for lunch.  I'm glad Matt has made the choice to go on a mission and serve the Lord, and that we are all worthy to be in the temple together.  I wish my sisters and their husbands could have been there.

Climbing to semi-great heights

This afternoon Gordy, Amy, Anne, and I went rock climbing up Rock Canyon Park here in provo.  It was really fun.  Kind of a spur of the moment thing.  It was my first climb of the season, and I definitely showed it.  My forearms were burning, and I couldn't even finish the climb.  Apparently all those push-ups in the ROTC haven't helped me in the climbing department.  Luckily I wasn't trying to impress any girls that were present or I would have felt like even more of an idiot that I already did for not being able to conquer the rock face.

Gotta start somewhere

Well, I've started a blog.  I guess if you are reading this you probably figured that out.  I'm not sure what I'm gonna write on here, or how often I'll update it, or even if anybody will look at it. So stay tuned.