I-Thou

 "The inhumanity of man toward man is our greatest sin."
-Ellen G. White
I agree with Ellen G. White that there times where man is inhumane to each other. However there is also those Christ like moments in history when a person looks beyond themselves and truly loves and cares for others. When we look beyond ourselves we not only are able to see others the way Christ would have us see each other but also we become less caught up in our own problems. By simply realizing that the center of the galaxy is not wherever I happen to be I can become a much greater influence for good in other's lives.

From Finals to Freedom

            I feel like I am an egg that got flipped out of the frying pan and into the freezer. After the stress, sleep deprivation, and overall grumpiness that Finals entails the trips to the college campuses felt as if we had been teleported to Shang Walla. Shang Walla consisted of three visits to the amazing college campuses of BYU, UvU, and U of U.

          

          Our first field trip was to BYU. My 6 hour BYU experience began with a campus tour. We trekked up to the top of the Spencer W. Kimball building where three real life college students (in their natural habitat) pointed out various buildings and explained what activities or classes happened in them. Despite the frigid air my desire to become part of the BYU tradition burned even brighter.

           

         UvU had my favorite tour guide. Her positive attitude and knowledge of the campus overcame my skepticism and gave me new perspective on UvU. The institute, class sizes, their leadership programs, honors programs, and of course Jamba juice were all facets on this newly recognized gem of a campus. I liked how the tour was mainly indoors and enjoyed seeing the colorful pipes running overhead like Giant pieces of stretched taffy.  Despite the stretched taffy overhead I didn’t get the same feeling that the college would stretch me as much as BYU would.

         I along with McKay had to swallow some (but not as much) BYU pride when we went to U of U. I must confess my views are slightly biased but I will try to give an impartial review of the campus. The Library for one was very impressive. The cool technology, plethora of white boards , and of course the womb chairs scored an 8.5 on the rector scale of awesome. The intriguing glass meeting rooms and the fact that you could write on the glass walls was definitely the highlight of the day. UofU overall appeared to be a great school and it scored high on the list of medical schools I would want to attend.

         

 

        The college campus experiences not only gave me new insights on nearby colleges but also insights into myself. I don’t know exactly what major I will be studying but I realized even more, my dream of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. However, sometimes this dream grows distant as the seemingly endless days drudge along. I need to not let what is most tempting at the moment prevent me from getting to where I want to most. By looking at the big picture and remembering that I am a son of God and that I have a special purpose in this life, life will have much more meaning.

​I’m just a regular high school student, but then again so are millions of other people. Although the environment and culture I am surrounded by may be very different from other students there are also many things I have in common with other students. I have experienced the stress of finals, the fear of wondering if an essay is due next period, and the relief of the weekend. These experiences are small but if they help bring  someone closer to Christ then it will be worth it.



My thoughts on Elder Ballard's talk "Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet"

In Elder Ballard’s talk Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet Elder Ballard said “In many cases it is with words that you will accomplish the great things that you set out to do.”

This quote provides amazing insight. When I think of greatness I often think of historic military leaders in ancient Rome and Greece, but in reality we too can become great through use of words. Words can be used to build up or tear down others. By helping to build up others we not only help them to become great but us as well.

​Another interesting quote from the above mentioned talk describes the rapid growth of modern technology. It states “This is the world of the future, with inventions undreamed of that will come in your lifetime as they have in mine.”

​It is sometimes hard to maintain inner peace in a world of rushing and clashing ideas.However, it is exciting to think of the possibilities that modern inventions could hold. Maybe there will be a teleporter, a way to breathe underwater, or a way to visit space at a low cost. Whatever inventions may come it is reassuring to know that the Lord’s Principles will never be outdated.

 Augustus

My Perfect Day

My perfect day would not involve waking up at 6:20 and frantically trying to get ready for school and print off an assignment (that was today). My perfect day would begin with me waking up aboard a helicopter directly over southern Florida. After stretching, I leap out of the helicopter and stretch my new wings. I plunge for over a thousand feet before pulling up in a sharp loop and soar 10,000 feet up without effort. I spiral down at mock 5 and pull up just above the waves. My toes brush the top of the waves and I inhale the sharp briney smell of the ocean. The ocean wizzes past as I speed to a Disney cruise liner where I land for a lunch of tropical smoothies and crab. The crab digests as I float on the tropical thermals and I feel hungry again by the time I land in Disney World. After a quick snack of Disney's finest I ride Space Mountain until closing. On the very last ride of the day, I wake up.