I'm Engaged!!

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The Natural Man

Do you ever do something and afterward think, why did I do that? It drives me crazy that even when I know better, I don't always make the smart choice. How do we combat this natural man tendency? How do we allow the atonement to change us and strengthen us so we stop giving into the deceits of the adversary? I'm bothered that I haven't figured it all out yet.

Discover All That is Human

I read this article this morning and felt it had a profound message for all of us. I highlighted the areas that struck me.


PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The head of the world's most popular search engine urged college graduates on Monday to step away from the virtual world and make human connections.

Speaking at the University of Pennsylvania's commencement, Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt told about 6,000 graduates that they need to find out what is most important to them — by living analog for a while.

"Turn off your computer. You're actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us," Schmidt said. "Nothing beats holding the hand of your grandchild as he walks his first steps."

He also urged graduates not to lay out a rigid path for themselves. Rewards will gravitate to those who make mistakes and learn from them, Schmidt said.

"You can't plan innovation or inspiration, but you can be ready for it, and when you see it you can jump on it and you can make a difference," he said.

The Class of 2009 is graduating in a tough economic climate, but such downturns can be a time for innovation, Schmidt said. He noted that Rice Krispies, Twinkies and beer cans were all products of the Great Depression — not to mention staples of college life.

He playfully compared today's "Google and Facebook generation" to his own: cell phones vs. phone booths, Wii vs. Pong, blogs vs. newspapers, Red Bull vs. Tang.

Perhaps most notably, Schmidt said, members of his generation spent all their time trying to hide their most embarrassing moments. Today's generation records and posts all those moments on YouTube, he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

"And I am looking forward to watching these for the next 30 or 40 years," Schmidt said.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

The World is Flat

I have stat counter attached to my blog. It shows me how many hits I have, how many direct hits I receive, where referred hits come from, what cities people live in who are accessing my blog, etc. etc. However, one thing I wish it told me was who you all are. Today someone accessed my blog from Thailand. I have a bunch of friends traveling the world but I have no idea who is in Thailand right now. I love that someone half-way across the world can stay in touch with me. This technologically globally integrated world fascinates me! Thanks for reading!

(PS - For those worried about privacy factors, I can't stalk you with this analytical information. It just gives me statistics.)

And So It Begins

Today I worked out after a long hiatus. My body groaned and ached and panted as I pushed myself up the hills around my house. But oh! how good it felt! After spending months in the Tanner Building and the last two weeks sitting in a cubicle today felt liberating. It feels great getting back into this habit. Attached is a picture I've posted before, but felt it was appropriate for my exercising today.

Rendezvous

This picture titled Rendezvous is one of my favorites. I find the mystery and romantic feel intriguing. My words are gone from me today so I'll leave you to decide your own thoughts and feelings about the painting.

Seriously?

Did I mention that yesterday Andrew and I have officially been dating for seven months? Wow! It has been quite the ride. Okay, truthfully it hasn't officially been seven months, but October 3rd became our "official" day. Here is the quick story that I hope he doesn't mind me sharing. We were hanging out the night of the 3rd. He was going to Salt Lake that night because the next morning was general conference. Instead of going up right after the BYU football game, he came over to my place and we watched The Hunt for the Red October. He will say I seduced him. But he gave me the invitation. :) The next week was crazy but we still were able to spend some time together before I left for Atlanta Thursday morning. We didn't see each other again until Monday 13th. That is technically the day everything became official but the 3rd is really the beginning of our dating story.

A Fun Update

I have neglected blogging for important things like finals, moving Andrew apartments, and starting a new internship. Andrew and I have had some fun intermixed with school. We went to the Draper Temple open house in February. Since both of us have been temple workers, we were both amazed at how small and quaint it was compared to Provo temple.

In March, Andrew's friend Jon came to visit. That weekend we went to a Passover dinner. It was an interesting experience and fun to watch Andrew down spoonfuls of bitter herbs. Since he loves horseradish, he thought eating them in that quantity wouldn't be a problem but even he was overwhelmed by the after taste.

Last October I bought two tickets to Wicked at the Capital Theatre. I had just started dating Andrew so had no idea who my date would be when the show was playing in April. Happily Andrew agreed to be my date. He wanted to see the play without any previous exposure to the music or storyline. Granted some of his guy friends made him think we were seeing a "chic musical". Fifteen minutes into the show he realized those guys were wrong. The show was phenomenal! Absolutely amazing! I saw it in Phoenix 1 1/2 years ago and this production was superior. Even Andrew gave the cast a standing ovation, something he doesn't do very often which shows the quality of the performance.

To cap off April, we went to the MBA grad night. It was to have a night of fun games, yummy food, and good conversation. Right now I am looking forward for the snow to melt so we can go play at my parents' cabin. Until that happens, I am keeping busy with my internship and organizing the chaos that happened while I was in school.

Jon eating bitter herbs

Andrew reacting to the bitter herbs

Playing rock band

First Year Done!

Almost done

I have one more final due today at 4:00 and then my first year of MBA school will be completed! I finished the multiple choice on Monday but haven't had any motivation to do the case write-up. I can't put it off any longer. Time to get to work.

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts

I love Elder Holland! His words have a sacred spirit to them that are always able to touch my heart. At this Easter season, let us remember the divine gift of our Savior's atonement and His miraculous resurrection. Anything we have is because of Him. Anything we do should be in honor of Him. Anything we are able to become is only through the means and power of Him. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior. I pray we all may repent, come unto Him, and be His disciple.

The Unexpected Strikes Again

I am amazed at how quickly life changes. One moment you think you know exactly what is going on in life; you have direction, focus, understanding. And then in a blink of an eye, it is all gone. It is days like this that I have to remember Elder Maxwell. "There have been, and will be times in each of your lives when such faith must be the bottom line. You don't know what is happening to you or around you, but you know that God loves you, and knowing that, for the moment, is enough." How blessed I am for a testimony of God's love for me, because for this moment it has to be enough.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I finally have an interesting update to share. I officially have an internship! It will be nice not to have that on my plate as I am finishing up semester projects. The company is called Allegiance and they are based in Salt Lake. They want me to start now but school gets in the way of that. :) So I'm "on-call" in the sense that they will keep me in the loop on email and I'll go into the office a couple of times to stay up to speed on the project. School is first and they know that.

My job will be to help them conduct focus groups with their customers and take those results to conduct a market research analysis to help the company know how others perceive their product and how to best tap into the underserved market. They already asked me to fly to Seattle and LA for a day each to help them with their focus groups. I am excited about this because I'll work directly with VP of Marketing, get to travel a bit, get paid!!!! (many of my classmates will probably have to take unpaid internships), and still be able to be part of all the fun here in Utah this summer.

I remember when Bank of America offered me a flyback the beginning of last October for their HR internship. I felt very distinctly not to take it. I didn't know why. It would have been a great internship, with great experience, and with a great location in North Carolina. I am grateful I listened to that prompting even though it created a lot of uncertainty about a summer internship. Life is full of unexpected detours but I am reminded of a phrase one of my religion teachers said: The Lord leads us to the path we would have chosen if we had realized it had been an option. I can testify that has been true for my life. The Lord has directed me and though the path has been difficult at times, it truly has been for my good.

Families Can Be Together Forever

Last summer, we had a family picture. Being in front of the Manti Temple made for a perfect setting. I love my family and am grateful for the sealing powers which bind us together for eternity. Each one of my siblings brings a unique characteristic to our family dynamic. Too often, I hear of families who don't speak to one another or who have not seen each other in five or more years. Having a family who finds a way to overcome differences and misunderstandings has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I have many great memories with my family including Disneyland, the beach, our family cabin, Lake Powell, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, hiking, camping, playing cards, and so much more. My family is amazing!

I Love to See the Temple

Busy, Busy, Busy

Life swooped in and took control of my plans. Spring is right around the corner and I was all geared up to welcome her. But now, the Tanner Building is calling me. Tests need to be taken. Papers need to be written. An internship needs to be found. And all I want to do is enjoy the day with Andrew. Alas, life snatched him too. So our lives have become reading homework, searching for internships, and trying to make it through March with our sanity intact. Pray that we make it.

Election Results

I decided I wanted to be more involved in the MBA program so signed up to run for an MBAA officer. After a long, hard fought race (actually a two day "vote for me" email campaign), I won VP of Communications. Basically, I'm the voice of the MBA program, which is a scary thought. Another new challenge, but an exciting one that I am looking forward to conquering. Good thing I loaded up on credits this semester. Gives me a lighter schedule next year.

100th Post

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence." - Calvin Coolidge

"I am a great believer in luck. I find that the harder I work the more luck I have." - Thomas Jefferson

How Do I Love Thee?

I have many favorite Valentine’s Day memories. Every year since I can remember, my dad has always bought his daughters flowers. Even when I was a little girl, a flower with my name attached would be found waiting for me on our kitchen table. When I was a temple worker, one of my shifts fell on Valentine’s Day. I still remember that session, which included a reunion with a beloved bishop, and I made a promise to attend the temple every Valentine’s Day I could thereafter. One of those times, a poem about my family came to my mind. It was the most incredibly experience to have the words flow into my head. I came home, wrote it (I actually recorded the words on my cell phone on the drive home from the temple), and immediately emailed it to my family. I have an immense amount of love and respect for my family! However, my favorite Valentine’s memory happened while I was an undergrad. Elder Holland came to speak the day after Valentine’s Day and he discussed love and marriage. I have quoted his talk on my blog before, but his words have such an incredible spirit that I wanted to share them again. Many of the quotes will be out of context, which will encourage you to read his talk. For those who want to hear the talk, click here. For those who want to read the talk in its entirety, click here.

I believe that second only to your membership in the Church, your "membership in a marriage" is the most important association you will have in time and eternity--and to the faithful what doesn't come in time will come in eternity.

True charity, the absolutely pure, perfect love of Christ, has really been known only once in this world--in the form of Christ Himself, the living Son of the living God…As in everything, Christ is the only one who got it all right, did it all perfectly, loved the way we are all to try to love. But even though we fall short, that divine standard is there for us. It is a goal toward which we are to keep reaching, keep striving--and, certainly, a goal to keep appreciating.

And as we speak of this, may I remind you, as Mormon explicitly taught, that this love, this ability, capacity, and reciprocation we all so want, is a gift. It is "bestowed"--that is Mormon's word. It doesn't come without effort and it doesn't come without patience, but, like salvation itself, in the end it is a gift, given by God to the "true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ." The solutions to life's problems are always gospel solutions. Not only are answers found in Christ, but so is the power, the gift, the bestowal, the miracle of giving and receiving those answers.

I have taken for a title to my remarks Mrs. Browning's wonderful line "How do I love thee?"… not when do I love thee nor where do I love thee nor why do I love thee nor why don't you love me, but, rather, how. How do I demonstrate it, how do I reveal my true love for you? Real love is best shown in the "how," and it is with the how that Mormon and Paul help us the most.

There are many qualities you will want to look for in a friend or a serious date--to say nothing of a spouse and eternal companion--but surely among the very first and most basic of those qualities will be those of care and sensitivity toward others, a minimum of self-centeredness that allows compassion and courtesy to be evident. There are lots of limitations in all of us that we hope our sweethearts will overlook. I suppose no one is as handsome or as beautiful as he or she wishes, or as brilliant in school or as witty in speech or as wealthy as we would like, but in a world of varied talents and fortunes that we can't always command, I think that makes even more attractive the qualities we can command--such qualities as thoughtfulness, patience, a kind word, and true delight in the accomplishment of another. These cost us nothing, and they can mean everything to the one who receives them.

True love blooms when we care more about another person than we care about ourselves. That is Christ's great atoning example for us, and it ought to be more evident in the kindness we show, the respect we give, and the selflessness and courtesy we employ in our personal relationships.

To give ourselves totally to another person, as we do in marriage, is the most trusting step we take in any human relationship. It is a real act of faith--faith all of us must be willing to exercise. If we do it right, we end up sharing everything--all our hopes, all our fears, all our dreams, all our weaknesses, and all our joys--with another person.

No serious courtship or engagement or marriage is worth the name if we do not fully invest all that we have in it and in so doing trust ourselves totally to the one we love. You cannot succeed in love if you keep one foot out on the bank for safety's sake. The very nature of the endeavor requires that you hold on to each other as tightly as you can and jump in the pool together. In that spirit, and in the spirit of Mormon's plea for pure love, I want to impress upon you the vulnerability and delicacy of your partner's future as it is placed in your hands for safekeeping--male and female, it works both ways.

In the honesty of our love--love that can't truly be Christlike without such total devotion--surely God will hold me accountable for any pain I cause [my wife] by intentionally exploiting or hurting her when she has been so trusting of me, having long since thrown away any self-protection in order that we could be, as the scripture says, "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

In all that Christ was, He was not ever envious or inflated, never consumed with His own needs. He did not once, not ever, seek His own advantage at the expense of someone else. He delighted in the happiness of others, the happiness He could bring them. He was forever kind.

In a dating and courtship relationship, I would not have you spend five minutes with someone who belittles you, who is constantly critical of you, who is cruel at your expense and may even call it humor. Life is tough enough without having the person who is supposed to love you leading the assault on your self-esteem, your sense of dignity, your confidence, and your joy. In this person's care you deserve to feel physically safe and emotionally secure.

At least one difference between a tolerable marriage and a great one may be that willingness in the latter to allow some things to pass without comment, without response.

Think the best of each other, especially of those you say you love. Assume the good and doubt the bad.

One of the great purposes of true love is to help each other in these times. No one ought to have to face such trials alone. We can endure almost anything if we have someone at our side who truly loves us, who is easing the burden and lightening the load. Friends, sweethearts, and spouses need to be able to monitor each other's stress and recognize the different tides and seasons of life. We owe it to each other to declare some limits and then help jettison some things if emotional health and the strength of loving relationships are at risk. Remember, pure love "beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things," and helps loved ones do the same.

Of course such Christlike staying power in romance and marriage requires more than any of us really have. It requires something more, an endowment from heaven. Remember Mormon's promise: that such love--the love we each yearn for and cling to--is "bestowed" upon "true followers of Christ." You want capability, safety, and security in dating and romance, in married life and eternity? Be a true disciple of Jesus. Be a genuine, committed, word-and-deed Latter-day Saint. Believe that your faith has everything to do with your romance, because it does. You separate dating from discipleship at your peril. How should I love thee? As He does, for that way "never faileth."

Love Is a Battlefield

The women in the MBA program never fail to disappoint the Tanner Building. Our element of fun has reached new heights! Today we celebrated Pink Thursday in honor of Valentine's Day dressing in the most sappy garb possible with pink, purple, red, hearts, flowers, etc. Not only did we look smashing today, but we raised awareness of the MBA Women Love by making a spectacle of ourselves.

The first year MBA women!


The winner is Erin Page!


Cute girls in the program!