BYU vs Ole Miss is in 33 days.
It's an 8 hour drive away. With a baby.
BYU's first game as an independent, against an SEC team that I'm optimistic we will defeat.
Expenses: We'd have to buy tickets. (Currently $44 total on stubhub for two people). Hotel would be paid for with hotel points. Gas down there. Food.
I haven't been to a BYU football game since BYU Utah in 2007 (Hall to Collie 4th down miracle, see below)
Just kidding, how could I forget going to BYU v. Washington in 2008? (Thank you, refs....)
It would be another weekend gone. (Remember, we travel a lot during the week). While we're home for the two weeks prior and the week after, we'll be gone each week for a month after that. Time home is really nice. (This really is the difficult point. I treasure my weekends home, especially ones that don't involve travel on either side. They are very nice.)
I'd probably have to take some valuable vacation time off on Friday in order to get there in time for the fireside. (I don't have a lot of this, and I'm trying to save up for holidays and future real vacations, not just a long weekend).
We don't really know anyone else that's going, besides one other couple from our ward (with whom we are pretty good friends, although they are old enough to be our parents).
So...........should we go?
Whether or not we go, I really really want to go to a BYU game next year, either against Georgia Tech or Notre Dame.
Here's a followup question. Are YOU going? And if no, why not?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
To Post or Not to Post
I was talking to my brother-in-law the other day. We hadn't talked in awhile, and it was really fun catching up, hearing about his new job / baby / residence, telling him about our crazy lives. I asked how his new baby was doing, and what he looked like. Torrie then reminded me that there pictures on the internet, on Facebook.
I thanked her for the reminder, then continued: "I'm sorry I haven't seen the pictures, yet. I'll do it tomorrow. However, do you want to tell me what he looks like?"
He had no problem and described the little guy for me. We talked for a little longer and then ended our conversation, hoping to see each other soon. (Which would be real fun.)
However, the incident above brought up something in my mind which I think about fairly often.
The problem with facebook, blogs, etc. is that they take away some of the motivation to talk to people.
Don't get me wrong. I love keeping in contact. I love that I was able to spend five minutes this morning looking of pictures of a youth temple trip of a branch I served in while I lived in Italy. It was really cool to see some of the primary kids going to the temple.
I enjoy seeing updates of my cousins, uncles, old college friends, things like that. It makes me feel connected to them. I like that.
I like putting up a comment about Clara drinking out of a straw and getting tons of likes and comments. That's fun and makes me feel loved.
However, I do not like knowing everything in advance when I do talk to someone. Let me explain. I talked to someone today and I already knew every single thing they were going to update me about. Why? Because I had read their blog. I knew everything they were going to say. I knew the insights they had thought of. I even knew the little jokes they were going to make. I knew it all.
What an unsatisfying conversation! I didn't feel any extra connection to that person after the conversation. None of the warm glow of friendship that comes after seeing/talking to someone you hadn't in awhile.
Torrie has gone through the same thing - a conversation with someone she hadn't seen in awhile, yet nothing new came about, because it was all on facebook for everyone to see. Perhaps you have, as well.
Contrast that to a conversation I had yesterday with an old friend. Although we are pretty updated on each others lives, he asked deep questions. It wasn't just a pursory question of "How's your work going?" He asked specific questions, follow-up questions, and expressed real interest. I did the same to him as well. We talked about our families, goals, projects, etc. It was very satisfying and afterwards, I felt that I had been able to reconnect with a good friend. While this person is on facebook, and both of us post occasionally, the conversation was of much greater detail and intensely more satisfying.
So rest assured, I will not blog about everything. I will not facebook post about everything. There is more to me than meets the world wide web's eye. I would encourage you all to do the same, and if you're going to have a conversation with someone who you know looks at your facebook and/or your blog, come up with some new material as well.
I thanked her for the reminder, then continued: "I'm sorry I haven't seen the pictures, yet. I'll do it tomorrow. However, do you want to tell me what he looks like?"
He had no problem and described the little guy for me. We talked for a little longer and then ended our conversation, hoping to see each other soon. (Which would be real fun.)
However, the incident above brought up something in my mind which I think about fairly often.
The problem with facebook, blogs, etc. is that they take away some of the motivation to talk to people.
Don't get me wrong. I love keeping in contact. I love that I was able to spend five minutes this morning looking of pictures of a youth temple trip of a branch I served in while I lived in Italy. It was really cool to see some of the primary kids going to the temple.
I enjoy seeing updates of my cousins, uncles, old college friends, things like that. It makes me feel connected to them. I like that.
I like putting up a comment about Clara drinking out of a straw and getting tons of likes and comments. That's fun and makes me feel loved.
However, I do not like knowing everything in advance when I do talk to someone. Let me explain. I talked to someone today and I already knew every single thing they were going to update me about. Why? Because I had read their blog. I knew everything they were going to say. I knew the insights they had thought of. I even knew the little jokes they were going to make. I knew it all.
What an unsatisfying conversation! I didn't feel any extra connection to that person after the conversation. None of the warm glow of friendship that comes after seeing/talking to someone you hadn't in awhile.
Torrie has gone through the same thing - a conversation with someone she hadn't seen in awhile, yet nothing new came about, because it was all on facebook for everyone to see. Perhaps you have, as well.
Contrast that to a conversation I had yesterday with an old friend. Although we are pretty updated on each others lives, he asked deep questions. It wasn't just a pursory question of "How's your work going?" He asked specific questions, follow-up questions, and expressed real interest. I did the same to him as well. We talked about our families, goals, projects, etc. It was very satisfying and afterwards, I felt that I had been able to reconnect with a good friend. While this person is on facebook, and both of us post occasionally, the conversation was of much greater detail and intensely more satisfying.
So rest assured, I will not blog about everything. I will not facebook post about everything. There is more to me than meets the world wide web's eye. I would encourage you all to do the same, and if you're going to have a conversation with someone who you know looks at your facebook and/or your blog, come up with some new material as well.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Note on Joseph Smith
I wanted to put up one of my favorite stories about Joseph Smith on June 27, in honor of his martyrdom in 1844. However, I wasn't online that day. So I'm putting it up today. I wish I had been able to be there.
Elder Parley P. Pratt (1807–57) recorded an occasion when the Prophet’s extraordinary teaching ability influenced thousands in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: “A very large church was opened for him to preach in, and about three thousand people assembled to hear him. Brother Rigdon spoke first, and dwelt on the Gospel, illustrating his doctrine by the Bible. When he was through, Brother Joseph arose like a lion about to roar; and being full of the Holy Ghost, spoke in great power, bearing testimony of the visions he had seen, the ministering of angels which he had enjoyed; and how he had found the plates of the Book of Mormon, and translated them by the gift and power of God. He commenced by saying: ‘If nobody else had the courage to testify of so glorious a message from Heaven, and of the finding of so glorious a record, he felt to do it in justice to the people, and leave the event with God.’
I admire his courage. The more I read and study his life, I am consistently hit by two things:
1. His conviction
He would do what he believed God commanded, no matter what the consequences.
2. His lack of hypocrisy
I look at my life and see many times when I do not fully practice what I profess to believe. I do not see that with Brother Joseph.
A quick note, for context's sake: For me, personally, the most important thing that God accomplished through Joseph Smith is that through his works - such as his teachings and sermons, the restoration of the Priesthood, the translation of the Book of Mormon - he allowed me to know more about Jesus Chris and His atonement.
Elder Parley P. Pratt (1807–57) recorded an occasion when the Prophet’s extraordinary teaching ability influenced thousands in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: “A very large church was opened for him to preach in, and about three thousand people assembled to hear him. Brother Rigdon spoke first, and dwelt on the Gospel, illustrating his doctrine by the Bible. When he was through, Brother Joseph arose like a lion about to roar; and being full of the Holy Ghost, spoke in great power, bearing testimony of the visions he had seen, the ministering of angels which he had enjoyed; and how he had found the plates of the Book of Mormon, and translated them by the gift and power of God. He commenced by saying: ‘If nobody else had the courage to testify of so glorious a message from Heaven, and of the finding of so glorious a record, he felt to do it in justice to the people, and leave the event with God.’
I admire his courage. The more I read and study his life, I am consistently hit by two things:
1. His conviction
He would do what he believed God commanded, no matter what the consequences.
2. His lack of hypocrisy
I look at my life and see many times when I do not fully practice what I profess to believe. I do not see that with Brother Joseph.
A quick note, for context's sake: For me, personally, the most important thing that God accomplished through Joseph Smith is that through his works - such as his teachings and sermons, the restoration of the Priesthood, the translation of the Book of Mormon - he allowed me to know more about Jesus Chris and His atonement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)