Head Above Water

Hey.  Wow, it's been way too long.
I have not been focusing on my goals.  although, as I look back on it, I'm doing all right when it comes to getting up, serving, and cleaning my room once a week.  I've slacked off big time on making my bed every day.  That usually happens when I clean my room once a week.

Right now, I'm taking a study break to write.  In three weeks I'll take my first section of the CPA exams.  I'm so ready for that.  Studying has been great.  I really like what I've learned.  I know more about Taxes and Accounting Regulation than I ever knew.  It's pretty cool, guys.

I'm trying to keep my goals alive in my mind, but I do have to admit, that I've put them on the back burner.  My schedule seems so erratic, but I know that I can get back on track, if I really want to.  The primary motivation to keep on this is really to prove to myself that I can change, that I can overcome the natural man (Mosiah 3:19).  If I can do this and really change, I think it will give me confidence in a lot of other aspects of my life, especially in attaining those distant goals that I have in mind.

Well, back to studying.

Fall... Get Back Up Again? No Queda otro

You ever had the flu before?  I hope not, but if you have I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I haven't written for the past while.  Man, I got hit hard.  I was out from a Wednesday night until Sunday morning (two weeks ago).  And when I mean, out, I mean not functional.  It was good to catch up on some sleep, I guess?  So, I got behind on a lot of my studying, which made me feel a bit stressed.  That Sunday that I was recovered, I was called as the Elders Quorum President here in the branch, which by the way is quite exciting and intimidating.  So, I've just been playing catch up ever since, and have been a bit reluctant to write on my blog.  I haven't even kept track of my goals.  I've been trying here and there, but haven't felt much drive to stay on top of my goals.  Then, I got a friendly inquiry from my dear friend Erin (check out her blog) of how my goals were going, "... you haven't updated your blog in awhile."  So, here I am.

Thoughts have gone through my head, "Is all this really what I want?  Are these goals really necessary?  Get back up again?"  I've concluded, "No queda otro," which in Spanish translates to there's no other way.  These goals that I've set for myself aren't just off the fly, capricious fancies.  They are based on eternal behaviors of happiness, and not doing them, for me, is not really an option if I am to keep progressing.  The whole idea of making a goal and sticking with it is important in and of itself--self discipline, accomplishment, progression, etc.

So, thanks to good friends and the nudges of the Spirit, I am back at it.  Had a good workout this morning.  Having a test later on today that I still haven't studied for is also a bit motivating to get up early.  Guys, if you've set goals for yourself, keep going.  It's hard.  I figured that I would hit times like this.  Make yourself accountable to somebody.  And those of you that are "accounting," keep on your friends.  It means a ton.

Week 5: Bombed!

Week 5 was a bomb.  There was one day this week that I completely just blew my goals off.  I think I was just tired of trying to wake up early, so I didn't feel like going to sleep on time because it wouldn't have mattered.  It came the weekend, and I totally forgot to clean my room.  I still tried to serve others and think outside of myself.  I kept that going, but kind of bombed on the other stuff.  This week is going to be much better.  I don't have time to be giving up like that.  Thanks for keeping me on top of things.  I've got great friends that are helping me keep on my goals; to you I am every thankful.  Good friends.


I've been reading the Old Testament for the first time, the whole way through.  I sure love it.  I've been reading about the children of Israel in the desert.  They were kind of disobedient, and the Lord didn't put up with it.  The more and more I read the scriptures, the more I start to understand the nature of God and truly how much it is exemplified in the paternal love that is shown by my own father (and my mother for that matter).  Sometimes God can be pretty "harsh" with his children on earth--He commanded that they be killed if they disobeyed the Sabbath day.  At first that seemed pretty harsh to me.  The more and more I've been pondering about his dealings with the children of Israel, the more I've realized his plan.  He was preparing a people to live in the promised land.  He had to establish a pure and worthy base of followers to establish the purity of his law. He did the same with the early pioneers.  He brought them through the western wilderness.  Many perished because of their faith.  Many decided not to go because of a lack of faith.  It was through asking them to sacrifice to live his laws that he built a firm based on which to establish his kingdom once again.  And when I think about death in the grand scheme of things--it's hardly a punishment.  Death and how we day really doesn't affect our salvation, only hastens it.

I love the scriptures.  I'm grateful for the Holy Ghost that teaches me about God and his love for all of his children.  He really wants us to be obedient to him so we can be happy.  He is merciful... very merciful.  I have felt that in my life.

Jesus Christ

Taken from www.mormontemples.com

I know He lives!  His power to save, to heal, to direct and change is real.  It is the strongest and only eternal power to purge the darkness and fill with light.

Jesus, the very thought of thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far thy face to see
And in thy presence rest.


Nor voice can sing nor heart can frame
Nor can thy mem'ry find
A sweeter sound than thy blest name,
O Savior of mankind


I feel so blessed to have a knowledge of Jesus Christ and his atonement for me... and so blessed and humbled to know that he loves a sinner like me.

My Alma Mater

Spirit of the Y from BYU HD Video on Vimeo.

Goals: Week 4

Well, here is the update for the month of January.  I'm still hanging in there!  I was talking with a friend this week and just realized how much this getting up early changes pretty much everything.  Apparently that is when your body functions the best; you do your best thinking.  


I still have a problem with going back to bed later in the morning.  I know it's because I allow myself to think that I can--I'm not being disciplined.  Any suggestions on how to get up and stay up?  I read my scriptures right away usually and sometimes practice the piano to keep my mind awake and "firing," but I usually end up telling myself that I'm sleepy, and then I'm gone!  Any ideas would be great, friends.




The mind is powerful.  What choose to let stay in our minds eventually ends up becoming our actions, indeed.  I've just noticed that so much more this week with this struggle to stay awake in the mornings.  Also, the law of agency, this ability to choose, also does not allow us to escape the consequences of our actions.  There were some evenings where I had a hard time falling asleep by 10:30.  As a result the next day I was more tired from waking up early.  There is really nothing I can do to escape those consequences no matter how much I will it in my mind.  So, yeah, I definitely believe in this idea of thought transforming into action, but there is the caveat of the consequence of our choices.




I had some time to kill yesterday, so I go to take some pictures down in Kansas City near UMKC.  I only had my point and shoot, but I still got some good stuff.  PS: if you're going to Frank A. Theis Park (just south of the Nelson Atkins Museum), you gotta watch you're step this time of year.  Apparently geese love this area; they eat a lot, and you can probably guess where I'm going.  Wow... it was like a minefield.  So, just a warning.


The sun was setting, so there were some beautiful scenes to look at.  There wasn't anything impressive until I started heading north.  Along the bridge along I-35 there was an incredible view.  I was tempted to stop in the middle of the interstate and get out to take a picture.  Then, as the sun started disappearing behind the horizon, the sky started turning purple along with some vibrant oranges and deep blues.  I tried to look at it as much as I could and still drive.  I wanted to burn the image in my mind.  It was spectacular.  I needed a shoulder to pull of on.  Hopefully I'll have that image after the resurrection.

Goals, CPA, and Love

I think the title will make more sense.  They really are all unrelated.

Week three went a lot better!  Because I have you all to write to each week, I was more motivated to work on things.  I gave myself an overall score of 90%.  I'm going to work hard for 100% this week.  One thing that I'm trying to realize while doing this are my motivations.  I think one of the main motivating factors is my accountability to my blog.  I'm not sure how much of that really is driving why I'm doing this.  And if it is driving it, is that Okay?  Maybe that's good as a kick-start to forming a good habit?  Either way, I feel a lot better about myself and the things that I'm getting accomplished.

I started studying for the 1st of 4 CPA examinations today.  I am planning on taking my first text on April 1.  There are 7 lectures.  I'll cover one per week and then give myself a couple of weeks for review.  The lecture sessions each week last about 4 hours, and then the rest of the week I spend studying the material.  I'll have to say that sitting and listening to a DVD today for 4 hours straight was a bit taxing.  I felt like a zombie afterwards. I better get used to this.  This will be life for the next 7 months. :)

I've been trying to understand the concept of love lately and what it means.  Reading in Tolstoy's War and Peace, I found a great perspective of what friendship is and how love should be viewed in it.  

"We don't love people so much for the good they have done us, as for the good we have done them."

I think that up until just recently, I have viewed my relationships with everyone in the view of the first part of this quote.  I have loved them because of what they have done for me.  Truly, the things others do are quite endearing, and bring us closer together.  But, I think I'm starting to realize that the second part of this is exactly right and the truer definition of love.  Love is a choice rather than a feeling.  I think I've heard that before, but never really believed it.  I'm starting to believe it.