From the Mind of Albert Einstein

By far, one of the greatest minds known to mankind...I present some of my favorite reasons as to why I love Albert Einstein:

Behold: 

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

"In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep."

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

"...one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought."

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction"

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
(Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us "universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

Whoa...

My First Christmas in Heaven

The following is a beautiful poem that was given to my family this year.

My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring
For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, you know I hold you dear
And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift from my heavenly home above
I sent you each a memory of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other as my Father said to do
For I can't count the blessing or love he has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear:
Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Top 10 Reasons Eve Was Created

10. Adam would frequently become lost in the garden because he would not ask for directions.

9. Adam would require someone to locate and hand him the remote.

8. Adam would never go out and buy himself a new fig leaf when his wore out and would therefore need Eve to buy one for him.

7. Adam would never be able to make a doctor's, dentist, or haircut appointment for himself.

6. Adam would never remember which night to put the garbage on the curb.

5. If the world was to be populated, men would never be able to handle the pain and discomfort of childbearing.

4. As the Keeper of the Garden, Adam would never remember where he left his tools.

3. Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when he was caught hiding in the garden.

2. It is not good for man to be alone!

And finally, the Number 1 reason Eve was created. . .

1. When God finished the creation of Adam, He stepped back, scratched his head, and said, "I can do better than that."

"A Journey Worth While" by Kevin Wheeler

This was written by my brother after my Dad passed away.

"The day was long. The trail was rough.
We’ve put many miles between the trailhead and us.


Climbing the pass tested our stock.
The switchbacks were many, kept our eyes t’ward the top.


To look at the mountains you can surely see
That God had a plan on how t’would be.


Every tree and every rock, the snow capped peaks,
The bugle of an elk, the sound of a creek.


As we near camp, we’re tired and sore.
It’s been a long day. We’ll ride no more.


Now the sun sets on a day worth while.
It’s replaced by the moon in the shape of a smile.


Staring at the campfire I am lost in my thoughts…
Time stands still…


And I pray.


Lord, it’s been a long day, now I’m ready to rest.
I know I ain’t perfect, but I tried my best.


Thanks for your gifts, Lord, the ones that I love.
The days of plenty, the days of want.


The sunny days, the rainy days too.
There were times I wanted to quit, but you got me through.


You’ve always given me hope like the rising sun.
If I die before I wake, Lord, I hope to hear you say…


Well done."

Someone else's thought...but a good one.

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

The Single Goddess Mantra

I am unique and individual.
I am constantly growing and discovering myself
and the world around me.
I respect myself, as I respect others.
I will only partake in healthy relationships.
I find contentment from within,
whether I am in a relationship or not.
When I do love, I love fully and completely,
and expect nothing but the same in return.

Grow in Peace

Buttprints in the Sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.

But then some strange prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
"But Lord, they are too big for feet."

"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you along.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."

"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."

"Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."

-- author unknown

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

Soon to be spring at BYU-I

Monday, February 25, 2008

At least that is what we hope...until it starts to snow again. But, the time has come to prepare for the inevitable twitterpation that seems to occur on the BYU-I campus every spring....AKA:"Oh crap, not again, please make it stop!!!" What exactly is "Twitterpation?" Oddly enough, there are definitions on the internet. Whether correct or not, the best I found was: "Twitterpated: An enjoyable disorder characterized by feelings of excitement, anticipation, high hopes, recent memories of interludes, giddiness, and physical overstimulation which occur simultaneously when experiencing a new love. These feelings take over without warning, usually at odd times (such as at a check-out line), with or without the partner present, and make it difficult to concentrate on anything but romance. They interfere with work and safe driving, but should be experienced at least once in every person's lifetime."

Well, that begs the question: "How in the heck are we to get twitterpated?" Either the guys here are married, taken, or too scared to try. "Why not just ask the guy out," you ask? Well, if we do, then that freaks the guy out even more! How dare we show interest in a guy! He will view it as only showing an interest in getting married. (True, but that's besides the point.)

We are told to find someone here, but we can't hang out. We are told that we should "stop looking and it will find us." What?! How is that supposed to work? Someone online put it best in regards to finding "that 'special someone' when you are not looking," when they said, "I'm so sick of hearing this. How exactly do you "not look" when you want a relationship? I lost my watch about 4 months ago. I quit looking about two months ago, and I still haven't found it." Amen. I don't want to say how long ago I "lost my watch," but it seems like everyone else knows what time it is and I wasn't even given a sundial!

We are also probably so petrified to get our hearts broken that we don't even try. My roommate Sarah, told me that "sometimes we need to put our heart out in the middle of the highway and let it get run over a few times before it will stick to a tire."

So, I will try to turn my heart into roadkill. And for those who actually get to participate in the "BYU-I DO," or the "Ring Before Spring, or Your Money Back," I say unto you: "Congratulations, I hope you have fun!" But for the time being, please let everyone else wallow in our own lack of twitterpation so that we can just enjoy the spring!

The Sudden Sign of the Self-Sustained Single-hood

Sunday, June 1, 2008

That is probably not the best description, but it had a good ring of alliteration to it. But mainly, my premise is about the pains of going through the "Single- Hood" (...for further reading, may I suggest "What I Wish I'd Known When I was Single" by John Bytheway...pure poetry).

http://www/momorialcards.com/images/blue_heart_shaped_clouds.jpg

Some of the odd instances shown on the movie the “Single’s Ward” ring true (or in the case of our small selection…a Single’s Branch), yet I find that there are missing references to the biggest problem faced by the members of these institutions (sometimes best described as mental institutions). Anyhow, I am mainly speaking for the female gender when I point out the difficulties of finding dates and/or friends within the circle of the people you meet with on a weekly or sometimes biweekly basis.

When searching for someone who seems to you to be a good match for you, it is somewhat dangerous to make this fact known to the other members of your sex for the following may occur: the recipient of this information may miraculously find the object of your own affection to be irresistible to them. This causes concern. On the one hand, you are in the state of mind ready to pull out a full-on “smack down” on this person, thereby creating a hostile environment to be involved with. Another issue with the "crush crusher” (or the person who now realizes that they also have a crush on the person that you have had a crush on), is that you may begin to doubt yourself in relation to gaining a relationship with this person--- for the other person might "get" to him before you can (...especially if you work reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllly slowly). This will not end well for someone.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinielsen/318070770/

So now comes the conundrum: Do you let this person spin their web? Do you brawl with this person in the proverbial emotional “cage-fight” of the Single’s Branch? Or do you secretly sacrifice your entire attachment, hoping that the “crush” will find someone else (or already have someone else), so that you do not have to watch the “crusher” with the championship title (in other words, the title, "Mrs")?

(*Odd analogy, yes, but you get my drift. I haven’t been able to watch the “rip your heart out movies (aka: Chick Flicks), because of the whole “ripping your heart out” situation…so I am left with “blow-up, explosive action” movies to quell my theatrical lust…).

Furthermore, not only can you be faced with the fact that a friend has a crush on the same person that you do while in the “Single-hood,” but there may come the occasion, that they are acquainted with someone that you may find attractive and desirable. It then creates a horrible situation if you let them know this, or heaven forbid, ask them for help to gain favor with the guy. In this case, you have reversed the situation becoming a “crusher” yourself. Ouch. This is probably why singles “hang out” or do not even ask people out because the politics behind the whole thing becomes so mind boggling that ‘it’ may not be worth ‘it’… (Who am I kidding? ‘It’ is worth ‘it’, if I can just get ‘it’!) When did human relations become so difficult?! This is probably why arranged marriages were so popular back in the day...

By Mark Burdett on Flickrwww.flickr.com