Happy Easter to all! I completely forgot about having this blog! :-/ oh well... I'll try to be better at it. I'm in Palmyra visiting my grandparents who are missionaries for our church here right now. I love being here and spending time with them! They're wonderful! I'm glad the weekend.
Last week was General Conference and in the Sunday morning session Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a beautiful dissertation on the atonement and resurrection of Christ. Completely fitting for the Easter season. I had forgotten that it was Palm Sunday.
Quickly my mind flooded back to all of my Easters growing up. Every year my mother gave each of us a little plastic egg every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with some object to remind us of something that happened in the last week in the life of the Savior. I thought back to the plastic palm leaves, the three dimes, little tack nails and finally the empty egg that we received on Easter morning. I didn't ever look forward to that last egg. There was no surprise. Sure, I understood that the egg was empty because Christ's tomb was empty and he was resurrected. But as a child I still liked the thirty pieces of silver better...
As I was sitting in conference last weekend thinking about these object lessons that I had year after year after year. I realized that that little empty egg was by far the most expensive and most valuable gift over all the other eggs. It really wasn't empty. It was completely full of life! Eternal life! It's because that tomb (or egg if you're going with the analogy) was empty that we are able to live again. That's unconditional. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done or what you do or don't believe. The fact of the matter is that we are all going to be resurrected - an eternal uniting of body and spirit after they've been separated by death. What a wonderful gift!
I don't know if I can accurately convey the real joy I feel about that. It's just so miraculous the whole thing! The greatest gift truly!
I hope that you all have a wonderful and blessed Easter! Until next time!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, November 14, 2008
An intellectual way to procrastinate
I went last night with Jennie to the lecture on China. The reporter took Route 312 through all of China and told us about his experiences. It was the fastest hour of my life! I wish I had him as a professor! It was absolutely fascinating! I couldn't belive all of the contradictions that exist in the Chinese culture. They have a one party system and yet an open market. There were so many more! Through a series of unfortunate events pushed for by the government some people became HIV positive. These people are confined to one area and essentially are just left there to die! How horrible is that?!?! I had the hardest time fathoming how little they cared about a human life with that and late term abortions just to keep the population low. Life is everything to me. It is the greatest gift. How someone can not appreciate the scantity of life is beyond me. It just doesn't make sense in the slightest!
On a more happy note...I went shopping today and got some nice cranberry nailpolish, cute boots and an inspi(RED) shirt from Gap. I love it! Now all the girls have one! YAY! AND I still have money left over!! :) I'm sleepy but still need to read my research....tomorrow I am not looking forward to in the slightest!
On a more happy note...I went shopping today and got some nice cranberry nailpolish, cute boots and an inspi(RED) shirt from Gap. I love it! Now all the girls have one! YAY! AND I still have money left over!! :) I'm sleepy but still need to read my research....tomorrow I am not looking forward to in the slightest!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Syllabi are thorns in my eye
I don't understand the idea of having syllabi for college classes if the professors aren't going to stick to them. I also don't know what delusional instructor would plan to have seven sections of reading covered in one eighty minute class. Obviously if after several weeks you're continuously falling behind, why continue to torture your self and the students. When I become a professor I'm not going to be like that. Just not going to happen. What's the point of cramming three exams into three weeks. There's not enough material even covered to make one good exam let alone three crappy ones.
The end of the semester is nearing and my workload just skyrocketed because of inconsistent professors. In my Social Political Philosophy class instead of spending two weeks on Marxism like my professor JUST said on Tuesday, we spent two days. Tuesday Chapter 10, Thursday Chapter 11 and who really knows what we'll be doing in there after our Thanksgiving break.
In my Ancient/Medieval Philosophy class we just had an exam on Tuesday, lecture today, paper due (technically but not really) next Tuesday and then ANOTHER exam on Thursday.... Two lectures and an exam... WHAT!? Then we have two lectures and then a take home exam (again...WHAT?!?) and then the last three class are class presentations. I just don't understand all the huge busy work. If it was like a multiple choice quiz or something I could maybe understand but these are each 100 point assignments - EACH! And we have less than a month of classes. Actually much less because of the Thanksgiving holidays.
Let's take a sidetrack and see exactly how many days we have left. Today is over so I'm not even going to count it... or tomorrow since technically I don't have any classes. SO then we have next week. I'm taking a vacation the entire week of Thanksgiving - YAY- So when we get back we have exactly two weeks (December 2-December12) of classes. Then the madness is technically over. But who am I kidding. It's not going to be. So that's what 15 days?? 15 days for 60% of our grades!!!!!! And you wonder why I'm slightly freaking out.
My Spanish professor has an excuse. She never deviates from the schedule if she can help it. And right now she can't she has bronchitis and has had to cancel classes for this entire week. So we are supposed to have a 5 minute presentation, a quiz, a test and a 30 minute presentation all in the next 15 days. She has a plan B that will eliminate the test - yes - but I'm wondering what is going to replace it. We'll just have to see. But the other professor doesn't have any medical excuse. It's just too much work for so little time. Too much jam-packed into a short 14 week semester. You'd think that after a few years of teaching you'd figure that out. I may be a little harsh in all of this but I'm just frustrated. There doesn't seem to be an end in sight and it all just keeps being pushed back and back. Thankfully he is not one to strictly uphold deadlines for papers which I am taking full advantage of.
I also have a 2000 word research paper on Marriage practices for Hindu Indian. I haven't finished doing all my research with it. And that's due on Wednesday... or Saturday - he's one who is so loose on deadlines he gives several different dates. But I have a reflection paper due by Saturday.
Thankfully guitar is going really well. I'm actually taking the next class (Intermediate) next semester. I love it. Next semester I'm hoping will be a lot better than this one. I have Spanish which isn't going to be too difficult, modern contemporary problems, modern and contemporary philosophers and critical thinking. Two of the classes are with a professor I just love. He's the reason I changed my major to Philosophy in the first place. I should probably tell him that, huh? And the other one should be interesting.
SO i'm exhausted. Enough griping. All in all life isn't bad - in fact it's amazing! I just had to vent a little! :) NOW, I think I'm going to do some cooking and then take a nap and do some of this huge amount of homework. *Sigh*
The end of the semester is nearing and my workload just skyrocketed because of inconsistent professors. In my Social Political Philosophy class instead of spending two weeks on Marxism like my professor JUST said on Tuesday, we spent two days. Tuesday Chapter 10, Thursday Chapter 11 and who really knows what we'll be doing in there after our Thanksgiving break.
In my Ancient/Medieval Philosophy class we just had an exam on Tuesday, lecture today, paper due (technically but not really) next Tuesday and then ANOTHER exam on Thursday.... Two lectures and an exam... WHAT!? Then we have two lectures and then a take home exam (again...WHAT?!?) and then the last three class are class presentations. I just don't understand all the huge busy work. If it was like a multiple choice quiz or something I could maybe understand but these are each 100 point assignments - EACH! And we have less than a month of classes. Actually much less because of the Thanksgiving holidays.
Let's take a sidetrack and see exactly how many days we have left. Today is over so I'm not even going to count it... or tomorrow since technically I don't have any classes. SO then we have next week. I'm taking a vacation the entire week of Thanksgiving - YAY- So when we get back we have exactly two weeks (December 2-December12) of classes. Then the madness is technically over. But who am I kidding. It's not going to be. So that's what 15 days?? 15 days for 60% of our grades!!!!!! And you wonder why I'm slightly freaking out.
My Spanish professor has an excuse. She never deviates from the schedule if she can help it. And right now she can't she has bronchitis and has had to cancel classes for this entire week. So we are supposed to have a 5 minute presentation, a quiz, a test and a 30 minute presentation all in the next 15 days. She has a plan B that will eliminate the test - yes - but I'm wondering what is going to replace it. We'll just have to see. But the other professor doesn't have any medical excuse. It's just too much work for so little time. Too much jam-packed into a short 14 week semester. You'd think that after a few years of teaching you'd figure that out. I may be a little harsh in all of this but I'm just frustrated. There doesn't seem to be an end in sight and it all just keeps being pushed back and back. Thankfully he is not one to strictly uphold deadlines for papers which I am taking full advantage of.
I also have a 2000 word research paper on Marriage practices for Hindu Indian. I haven't finished doing all my research with it. And that's due on Wednesday... or Saturday - he's one who is so loose on deadlines he gives several different dates. But I have a reflection paper due by Saturday.
Thankfully guitar is going really well. I'm actually taking the next class (Intermediate) next semester. I love it. Next semester I'm hoping will be a lot better than this one. I have Spanish which isn't going to be too difficult, modern contemporary problems, modern and contemporary philosophers and critical thinking. Two of the classes are with a professor I just love. He's the reason I changed my major to Philosophy in the first place. I should probably tell him that, huh? And the other one should be interesting.
SO i'm exhausted. Enough griping. All in all life isn't bad - in fact it's amazing! I just had to vent a little! :) NOW, I think I'm going to do some cooking and then take a nap and do some of this huge amount of homework. *Sigh*
Monday, November 10, 2008
My biggest distraction today
Three weeks in a row? Does this really happen? I'm trying to play coy but not wanting to be standoffish. Why would he be right in my line of vision and then after seeing each other move right in front of me but with a huge pole in the way?? Talk about frustrating. I'm trying to be productive and grade some papers and I was doing just fine until I saw him. Now I can't seem to focus on anything. And my hearts pounding like a middle schooler. How insanely pathetic is this? I think I'm going crazy. This cannot be happening to me....can it?
Question
How do you know when something is right? Not just the right choice like what movie to see or something. But really really right? How do you know if you're reading too much into situations? Or if you aren't accepting things for what they really are? How do you know what should be??
Any ideas???
Thanks!
Any ideas???
Thanks!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
"Gotta Be Somebody"
Here's the new Nickleback song "Gotta Be Somebody". I really love it. :)
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I´ll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we´re meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I`ll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when I find the one that I'll spend forever with
`Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There`s gotta be somebody for me like that.
`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.
Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And... this feels too right
It´s just like Déjà Vu
Me standin’ here with you
So I´ll be holdin`my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when I find the one that I spend forever with?
‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There´s gotta be somebody for me like that.
`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.
You can´t give up!
When you're Lookin´ for a diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you´re holdin` on
‘Cause it could be the one, the one you´re waiting on
‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me Ohhhhhh.
Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.
Nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there.
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren't enough
So I´ll be waiting for the real thing.
I'll know it by the feeling.
The moment when we´re meeting
Will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen
So I`ll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when I find the one that I'll spend forever with
`Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There`s gotta be somebody for me like that.
`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Somebody else that feels the same somewhere.
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.
Tonight out on the street out in the moonlight
And... this feels too right
It´s just like Déjà Vu
Me standin’ here with you
So I´ll be holdin`my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when I find the one that I spend forever with?
‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There´s gotta be somebody for me like that.
`Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.
You can´t give up!
When you're Lookin´ for a diamond in the rough
Because you never know when it shows up
Make sure you´re holdin` on
‘Cause it could be the one, the one you´re waiting on
‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Someone to love with my life in their hands.
There has gotta be somebody for me Ohhhhhh.
Nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there.
Nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares.
Is there somebody else that feels the same somewhere?
There has gotta be somebody for me out there.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
History in the Making
I witnessed an amazing historical event last night. The election of the first African American President, Barack Obama. I was listening to my iTunes on random over three years ago when I heard the most motivational speech ever. I went to see who it was. It was the Democratic National Convention with Senator Barack Obama. I was amazed. I felt that there was hope for America - back then. Even before any presidential talk started. The same message he held to through out his campaign. Sure he didn't always say things that were 100% true but neither candidate did.
Political analysts have compared Obama to John F. Kennedy. That is a very serious idea, I think. I have a person connection and respect for the late President Kennedy. And I do see all of the parallels. JFK was the last Senator to become President, they both brought two young children to the White House. Both were younger and were criticized for not having enough experience, etc. etc. etc.But one thing is more profound for me than anything else. JFK started the civil rights movement that made it possible for Obama to be our next president.
It is truly amazing to see that now race is superceded by personality and qualifications. I feel that as time goes by race will play even less and less of a factor in politics. And because of that religion as well. It unnervs me to no end when people say he would be a bad president because he's Muslim. For one, he's not and two, even if he was why would that even matter. Does it matter that he's Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Buddist... you name? Does it matter? We're all people. Our religions are what we believe and I know plenty of good people who are not Christian. Be open minded people. As Dr. Seuss once said "A person's a person no matter how small." I'd like to change that just a little: "A persons a person. PERIOD."
I'm so greatful for the opportunity to live in this day and age. I know our world's not perfect but I am proud to be an American, I am proud to be free, I'm proud to live in this wonderful world in the 21st century. It's a great day to be alive. :)
Political analysts have compared Obama to John F. Kennedy. That is a very serious idea, I think. I have a person connection and respect for the late President Kennedy. And I do see all of the parallels. JFK was the last Senator to become President, they both brought two young children to the White House. Both were younger and were criticized for not having enough experience, etc. etc. etc.But one thing is more profound for me than anything else. JFK started the civil rights movement that made it possible for Obama to be our next president.
It is truly amazing to see that now race is superceded by personality and qualifications. I feel that as time goes by race will play even less and less of a factor in politics. And because of that religion as well. It unnervs me to no end when people say he would be a bad president because he's Muslim. For one, he's not and two, even if he was why would that even matter. Does it matter that he's Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Buddist... you name? Does it matter? We're all people. Our religions are what we believe and I know plenty of good people who are not Christian. Be open minded people. As Dr. Seuss once said "A person's a person no matter how small." I'd like to change that just a little: "A persons a person. PERIOD."
I'm so greatful for the opportunity to live in this day and age. I know our world's not perfect but I am proud to be an American, I am proud to be free, I'm proud to live in this wonderful world in the 21st century. It's a great day to be alive. :)
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