Calm Down, You're Overreacting

This morning at church, I felt like everything was going wrong. Early choir practice could've been more effective, we were short on time, and there were no hymn books to be found for the congregation to use. I was actually panicking a bit. I realize now that I was really just overreacting. I, along with all the other people involved with music, did the very best I could with what we had. The choir performance turned out all right, and most people had a "smart" device with an app that displayed the hymn book on their phone/tablet. So, everything worked out! It wasn't ideal, but it was enough. I am grateful to receive yet another life lesson on overreacting: It's overrated.

Elder L. Tom Perry: 1922-2015

A wonderful man I have heard and admired all my life passed away at age 92 this afternoon. L. Tom Perry was one of the twelve apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am grateful for the service he has given to his fellow men on earth. I am grateful for the service he gave throughout his life to his country (Marines, WWII) and to the church. I am grateful for the way he treated everyone he met from the common citizen to rulers of nations and organizations. I am grateful for the words he gave every General Conference. I am also grateful for his unmistakeable smile, as well as his optimistic personality. On that note, I am grateful for his example in executing the first widely recognized fist bump at a church conference. :)

God bless, Elder Perry. God bless the Perry family as funeral arrangements are made. God bless the church leaders as they work to fill the large vacancy that Elder Perry left. I am grateful that good people such as L. Tom Perry have lived and do live in this world.

An Epiphany About Vampires, Thanks Wikipedia!

Today I am grateful for Wikipedia and fascinating, full-circle connections that are often discovered between history and current popular culture.

So, today I was curious about the history of the vampire (since it has become such a staple in contemporary fiction and pop culture) so I looked it up on Wikipedia. Their "Vampire" entry is rather extensive and it included information about what people in the 19th century actually did to prevent corpses from becoming vampires. One of the things they apparently did (and I verified this on one of the cited sources, a book by Paul Barber) was to take seeds, grain, or sand and distribute them on the ground near the grave site. The belief was that a vampire would be too busy counting or collecting the grains to attack anyone. In other words, there was a superstition that vampires had some kind of arithmomania. I suddenly thought, "Wait a minute, haven't I encountered a counting vampire before?"



Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigleaftropicals/8539517000

I was blown away. If the folks behind Sesame Street knew about this old superstition, then they are genius (not that I didn't believe that already). If they didn't, then this is an incredibly fortuitous discovery.

As a personal side note, I was diagnosed with OCD as a kid, and as part of that I experienced mild forms of arithmomania. I felt I had to repeat certain actions (flipping switches, closing doors) a certain number of times just perfectly or else I'd have to do it all over again. Some numbers were better than others (I liked 3, 5, 7, 11, and 17, for example). I have since grown out of these habits, although I still like to count the steps as I go up and down stairs.

Learn something new and exciting everyday! 

"Nick, I See You're Smiling." (Dang it...)

While I was sitting in class today, my mind wandered a bit to last night when I watched a few videos of a stand-up comedian's jokes about food labels. One of them in particular was so funny that when I remembered it I started to smile. My class isn't very big, about a dozen people sitting around a long table, and there was a friendly, informal tone about the class. I knew the teacher would notice my smile and ask about it. I repressed my amusement for a little while, but then I got caught. The teacher looked at me and said,

"Nick, I see you're smiling. Was it triggered by something I said?"

Now I was stuck in that awkward but humorous situation in which I was expected to share something, the reason for my look of amusement. Feeling embarrassed, I explained the situation, as well as the joke. Luckily, the joke was actually somewhat relevant to the class discussion. We were talking about editing instruction manuals, and the comedian had made jokes about cooking instructions on food packaging (in particular, Pop Tarts). I was not alone, a classmate revealed that she had that exact joke in mind earlier in the class. She just did a better job of hiding her amusement, I guess.

In any case, I am grateful for a humorous moment I had in class today. It was slightly embarrassing, but the informal tone of the class was such that we could all feel generally comfortable being ourselves in our discussions and conversations.

Hymn Sing

Each month, the music library hosts a Hymn Sing, in which ten to twelve hymns are chosen around a topic, some background is shared on each one, and we sing them. This month, the music librarian asked me to be in charge of Hymn Sing, and I gladly accepted the opportunity. I chose the topic of missionary hymns (especially since I began and ended my mission in the month of May) and found some background stories on ten hymns from different Christian hymnals.

Tonight was the Hymn Sing, and it was an uplifting, successful event for me and for those who came. I really enjoyed selecting hymns, researching hymns, and sharing the stories of the hymns at tonight's Hymn Sing. I am grateful that I was able to organize and conduct a successful Hymn Sing event tonight!

Bells Are Ringing, 'Tis the Season

That's right, I'm talking about wedding season. Today, a girl in my class had an anniversary, I got a wedding invitation in the mail (it was a really awesome one, by the way, with a real wax seal!), and two friends in my apartment complex got engaged...to each other! The genuine joy, gladness, and bliss in the faces of my engaged friends is unmistakeable. There are certainly a lot of emotions associated with weddings and the prospect of a wedding. All other things aside, I am truly grateful to see my friends so happy and in love. I know God is happy with our triumphs, successes, and joys, because He wants us to be happy while we're here on earth. :)

Apples with Peanut Butter

For lunch today, I decided to finish off a jar of peanut butter with some apple slices. As I ate them, it occurred to me that I could hardly remember the last time I had this snack. I've eaten this simple combination since I was young, and eating it today still brought me back to simpler times. Also, I think apples are yummy and peanut butter is great, so I am grateful for a simple snack from my childhood that still brings pleasure and satisfaction.

I hope everyone had a fulfilling Memorial Day!

A Cultural Change: Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

In the days just preceding each general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a meeting among all the general church authorities, in which they discuss gospel topics of interest and concern for the general authorities to discuss as they go to congregations throughout the world and meet with local leaders.

Usually, this general authority meeting covers 15-20 topics. This time, this past April, only two topics were discussed:

1. Welfare and self-reliance, which was discussed only partially, the main topic of the meeting was,
2. Keeping the Sabbath day (Sunday) holy.

I heard all of this from my local church leaders this morning. It is clear that the leaders of this church--as well as Jesus Christ, the true leader of this church--feel that there needs to be a "cultural change" among Latter-day Saints when it comes to Sabbath-day observance.

Cultural change is a repeated topic, both on and off the internet. In the past week alone I have heard, seen, and participated in several discussions which included a call for "cultural change." Usually, the call is to change attitudes, especially in judging others. I can feel the frustration of someone who writes something like, "I can't believe we live in a world where this is still happening!" or, "I am sick and tired of this negative and demeaning aspect of our culture!" After seeing and hearing all of this, you may imagine that hearing the church, and not one of my peers, talk about "cultural change" got my attention.

Yet, what is the call of the church leaders? What aspect of LDS culture do they focus on for us to try to change? It is not specifically in the way we treat others or specifically in the way we dress or work or go to school, it is about our attitude of the Sabbath day, the Lord's day, the 1/7th of our week we need to dedicate to Him.

Why would the church focus on that? Perhaps because it will ultimately affect our attitude the rest of the week. If we focus on Jesus Christ on His day, it will be easier to remember Him every other day. If we focus on home, family, service, inspiration, the things that matter and the things of the Spirit, we will become better people. Keeping the Sabbath day holy will make us more holy. "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). This is something that can be pondered on and worked on individually between oneself and God.

I don't wish to alienate anyone. Today I have been pondering things in the context of my religion, and as I share what I'm grateful for each day I naturally share my beliefs and attitudes. There are many, many pressing issues in this world, and I truly believe that the ultimate answers are found in principles of truth, which are found in the teachings of Jesus Christ. For those of us who hope for a more Christ-like LDS culture, we now know something that we need to focus on. For those of us who hope for a better world culture, we do what we can within our circles of influence. I am grateful to be a little more knowledgeable of what God expects of me.

Thank Goodness It's Saturday!

I woke up this morning to realize to my surprise that it wasn't actually morning. It was 2pm! I had slept for twelve hours or more! I wasn't too surprised, though. I had nothing scheduled, no class, no work shift, nothing. It is certainly a welcome relief after a whole week of waking up early to make it to 8am work shifts. Today was a vacation day for me, and by that I mean I had no direct obligations outside my apartment so I relaxed, cleaned the kitchen floor as I waited for my dinner to cook, and ate my yummy food. I had something eventful planned for every day this week, except today.

So today, I'm grateful that I was able to relax and de-stress as another week draws to a close.

The Temple with Friends

Since there is an LDS temple very close to me, I try to go there every week, or at the very least every other week. Usually, I've gone in the afternoons after work or class, walking about a mile to and from the temple. I've always enjoyed these private walks.

But today I went to the temple with a group of good friends. Someone searched out names of their ancestors, and they brought those names to the temple so we could be baptized there in behalf of those ancestors. Each time I go to the temple, I feel at peace. Whether I'm there to ponder about a question or an issue or not, I feel I am in a very good place. I enjoyed going to the temple with friends. We didn't chat very much while we were in the temple (we went to a candy and soda place afterwards for that), but the camaraderie, the support, and the opportunity to serve together made for an enjoyable and fulfilling evening.

I am always grateful to go to the temple, and today I am grateful I went with good friends.

To God and to Renaissance Composers: I Thank You

My co-workers and I are working on a huge indexing project for a collection of music scores. During my seven hour shift tonight, I made a goal: fill up a cart with music scores and index them all. It was an ambitious goal for me, as I filled a book cart with thirty-five books of music scores.

I then set to work typing the contents of each book onto a computer. All of the books features music from the Renaissance period, some secular and some sacred. I thought about a few things as I was engaged in a task that didn't require much thinking. I thought about the composers of these songs, their devotion to God and their faith (for the sacred songs) and their talent in their musical art (for the secular). I realized I was grateful for the people who wrote these songs and those who preserved them. Their work then, centuries ago, provided something for me to do in my work today.

I also realized that I was typing with much greater speed and accuracy than I ever thought possible for me. I was hardly looking at the keyboard, mostly at the books' table of contents. In my daily prayers, I have often included a request that I would have help as I work hard and strive to do my best at my job. Today, I witnessed that. Today God helped me, allowed me to have the focus and the drive to finish indexing all thirty-five books with ten minutes to spare in my shift! This was just enough time to sit back for a minute (with a sigh of victorious relief) and put the scores back on the bookshelves.

So today, I am grateful for the people who provided 500-year old music for me to work with, and I am grateful for God's help in making great progress in a huge library project.

Got an Offer! Success!

So, I've been applying to internships for the fall, and the thing I've been most nervous about is receiving no internship offers. I knew it was less likely (I've applied to about a dozen internships), but the worry was there sometimes.

I had a phone interview this morning (the first one in my life, actually, all other interviews I've had were in person). Though I was quite interested in the internship, I wasn't sure if I would get an offer from them, until I got an email with their offer!

I have a couple of weeks to decide. I am grateful to find success in my search for fall semester internships. Truly, it seems that things will continue to work out as long as I do my best and ask for help when I need it. :)

Taco Tuesday!

Some of my friends go on this weekly trip to local Mexican restaurants on Tuesdays for tacos. I have never gone with them before because of other conflicts I've had on Tuesday nights, whether it be A Cappella Club or library work...

But not this Tuesday night!

I joined my friends as we walked down to a restaurant a block away. We had great food and great fun in great company. I am grateful that I was finally able to participate in Taco Tuesday this week!

I Had a Great Weekend!

On Saturday, I took a ride on a giant swing. It was terrifying and exhilarating. It was an adventure I had never experienced before. Though I was quite nervous to ride this swing (even with the safety harness), I'm glad I did it.

On Sunday, I made greater attempts to be my best in my church responsibilities, as well as in being a friend to others. I met some new people, and some of my friends told me that they appreciated the way I conducted the music for church and for choir practice. I appreciated that.

Today, I created a homemade variation of the classic party game, Mafia. I had a friend who wanted a Harry Potter version, so I came up with one. Me and some friends tested it, and it met with general success. Even more importantly, I had wonderful and hilarious conversation with several friends over a KFC dinner. We were all being ridiculous, and it was all very fun and refreshing.

What did you do this weekend? Well, I guess many people had more eventful and productive weekends than I did, but that doesn't make my weekend any less meaningful to me. I am grateful for the uplifting interactions I had these past few days. It is such a comfort and blessing to be surrounded with people you can laugh and talk with, even if you've only met them a few weeks earlier!

Vuelie (from "Frozen") and Eatnemen Vuelie

Today I am grateful for a small yet significant musical discovery. This discovery really appeals to my "music nerd" side, and it is a reminder of significant spiritual truth.

 A friend of mine (a fellow music and Disney lover) showed me the origins of that "chant' song that begins Disney's "Frozen."

The song, Vuelie, is indeed based on an old Norwegian style of music, called joik. The composer, Frode Fjellheim, wrote a song in 1996 called Eatnemen Vuelie, which means "Song of the Earth." Cantus, an all-female choir from Norway, recorded the song in 2011 and it became the inspiration for Disney. Eatnemen Vuelie and Vuelie are extremely similar. The only real difference is that the original song acted as a setting for the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus," also known as "Beautiful Savior" or "Crusader's Hymn." Disney asked Fjellheim to rewrite the melody for "Frozen," making the film version shorter than the original version. More details about these two versions are found on Cantus' website.

This morning, I decided to listen to what these two versions would sound like when played simultaneously. The result is gorgeous, especially since it is the same choir (Cantus) that recorded both versions.

Here is a video of the original and the film Vuelie. They are exactly the same for the first 30 seconds, then you can hear a difference in the similar melodies. To play them simultaneously, it is best to start the Cantus video first, then start the Frozen video when Cantus reaches 0:01.

Eatnemen Vuelie (original)

Vuelie (Frozen)

Isn't it lovely? It's as if it was meant to be a double choir piece!

I prefer the original because it's longer, and it uses a hymn I've known for many years. I really like the connection between the title and the lyrics. Eatnemen Vuelie = "Song of the Earth," and one version of the lyrics says "Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son." This song of the earth is a "joik," that is, it "joiks" the earth or paints a musical picture of the earth. What a lovely thought that a song of the earth celebrates the ruler of nature and nations, Jesus Christ! A beautiful tribute to the Savior, who created the earth and gave His life for us, under Heavenly Father's direction.

Nearly Missed My Ride

I was running a few minutes late to catch a ride for a class field trip. I went to the designated meeting spot and I wasn't finding anyone I knew. Then, I heard a car horn and saw my ride approach me along the road. They were just about to leave because they had no way to contact me. All's well that ends well. We all made it to the field trip destination and everything worked out. I am grateful for this small miracle, especially since I had been looking forward to this field trip all week.

Library Projects

I spoke with my supervisor today about the work projects I have lined up this summer. There are a couple of large ones, and a couple of small ones. I've always noticed that I'm the most satisfied and fulfilled in my job when I am busy in my job (as opposed to sitting around, waiting for the next patron). I am grateful to be trusted with these library projects. I appreciate the opportunities I've received and have been receiving to gain small, valuable skills and experiences as a library worker.

A Couple of Fine Old Gentlemen

On my way to campus this morning, I ran into an older man. He was tall and looked fit. To my surprise, he started making small talk. He asked if I was taking spring and summer classes, what my major was, etc. Then at one point he said, "Well you oughta minor in business." That was another surprise. I said I never thought I'd own my own business. The man's reply was that most young people think they never will, but many do. "Entrepreneurship is an important part of America." The man teaches Organizational Behavior on campus. When we parted ways, he wished me luck in my education and career goals.

Later today, at work, an older gentlemen approached me and my co-worker, asking for a certain book. He helped him with his research for over an hour, though a good part of that time was spent with him explaining his life's work, and how this important person and that president asked him to do these things, and how his current research applies. He suffered from fatigue as he walked, but his passion for his work was unquestionable. In the end, I couldn't find what he needed, but I referred him to people who could help him progress in his research. He thanked me and left the library.

Today I am grateful for two unexpected, pleasant interactions, each with a fine, intelligent gentleman. I may never see either of them again, but our brief interactions enriched my day, and inspired me to continue to give meaningful efforts in my study and in my work. That way, I will be able to achieve the expertise and passion in my chosen field that I saw in these two men in their fields.

Friends in Food Service

Today, I am grateful to have friends who work at restaurants. It's not because I get discounts, because I generally don't. I'm grateful because whenever I meet someone who works at a place I haven't tried before or often, I like to visit the restaurant to try the food and say hi to my friend/acquaintance. Today, I decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner. I hoped to see my friend working there, but I didn't see them. So, I just bought some food and left a nice note for the workers (and for my friend). The food was really good! I've tried this place once before, and I forgot how good the food was! I was impressed, and I appreciated the service. It made for a nice highlight to my day. :)

A Mother's Day Call, Four Ways

The highlight of my day was the time I was able to participate in a four-way Skype call with my entire family. My sister, currently serving a mission in Argentina, was able to call us on Mother's Day! There was my mom and dad at home, myself, my sister in Argentina, and my brother and his wife on their honeymoon. It took about half an hour to get everything to work, but work it eventually did. I felt so happy to be together with my entire family for a little while. This was a special Mother's Day blessing.

A few years ago, when I was serving my mission, I asked my mom what she wanted for Mother's Day. She said just being able to talk with and spend time with the entire family was a present enough for her. I am grateful for my mother, who values what matters most in life and in heaven.

For My Brother

I am sorry for my blog absence these past couple of days. I was on vacation and the there were wi-fi issues at the place where I stayed. Where was I these past couple of days? I was in Colorado to spend time with my family. We were all there for my brother's wedding!

I've been to several weddings before, but never before have I been very emotional during the ceremony.I'm so proud of my brother, and for the wonderful person he is. He is a great, outgoing friend to everyone. He is extremely positive. He takes worthy risks and goes on great adventures. He is very comfortable and confident about being himself. He is a faithful man, fortunate enough to have found a wonderful girl to marry.

Just like with my friend's wedding two weeks ago, things will be a bit different, but I will always love and appreciate my brother. I am grateful to be blessed with a wonderful, enthusiastic, and faithful brother. :)

Adventure Time in the Library!

In the library where I work, a few new art books were acquired. One of them was a book all about the art and development of Adventure Time! Yes, the cartoon. Kids and adults everywhere, rejoice! I love seeing something as silly as a cartoon show given validity and scholarly potential by appearing in a book in a library! This made me smile, a lot. I even spent some time at the desk perusing the book, enjoying the colorful pictures and the explanations for the character and scenery design, as well as the character development.

Libraries may not be buying quite as many books as they used to. But when they do acquire new books, they have a reason. Today, that reason was Adventure Time. :)

Service for a Hospital...and a Future Eagle.

I was invited to participate in an outdoor service project. It turned out to be an Eagle Scout project, in which a bunch of local college kids came to help plant shrubs on the grounds of a local hospital. It was slow going at first, as we tried to learn what we needed to do. But once we got our instructions, we went to work. One of my favorite things about service projects is that moment (or several moments) when I look around and notice the tremendous progress that was made. That was fulfilling, and inspiring. We worked for a few hours, and we got the designated grounds mostly covered with the new shrubs! I am grateful for a successful Eagle Scout project. Also, I had fun hanging out with friends in the process. :)

Another Great Talk for Young Adults

I listened to a great sermon given by a church leader this evening. He talked about assessing ourselves on the "spectrum of faith," (between having no faith in God, and a perfect knowledge of God). He based his talk on the 32nd chapter of Alma in The Book of Mormon. I appreciated his remarks. A video of the hour-long devotional is here.

It was also said that we need opposition to help us appreciate the good. This is a fundamental principle I've known about for a while, but today I applied it directly to a few aspects of my life that I was struggling with, and I knew that things would get better as I continue to do what I know is right.

I am grateful for a wonderful worldwide talk given directly to people my age. :)

To the Top of the Mountain and Back

I love hiking, though I get nervous in the dark and I am certainly a novice. Tonight, I went on a hike with some friends. It was a popular spot for college kids and couples because at the top was a magnificent view of the landscape. I had never gone before, and I was not fully prepared for the hike. It was much steeper and longer than I imagined, and add this to the fact that I'm not entirely fit, and I had a bit of a cold. It was the most challenging hike I had ever done, and it amazed me that so many people would take this trail.

Thankfully, I brought water and some snacks. Also, most of us walked in pairs, so I had someone next to me who shared my slow pace. I've been in similar situations before, but this was the hardest yet for me. Each time I'd send many silent prayers to God for protection and strength. Well, I made it there and back. We all made it back safely (another silent prayer, this time of gratitude). A miracle and a blessing for me. :)

I am so grateful for the gorgeous view at the top of the mountain, and the miracle it was that I had the strength I needed to return safely to my apartment.

Paint the Halls with Lots of Colors

In my apartment complex, we were given permission to paint around our front doors. It was exciting, and rather challenging! I seriously spent 3 1/2 hours painting, but it was all worth it. My friends and neighbors came up with great paintings too. I got several compliments on my painting (grey around the door frame, with black letters up top, and turquoise and red scattered throughout). At this point, I don't consider myself to have painting talent. But, I am grateful to be blessed with a bit of an artistic eye. I owe this to art and music classes in my youth, as well as God-given talents.

I believe everyone has an artistic talent of some kind and to some degree, in any discipline of art and expression. It's just a matter of confidence. God wants all of His children to let their light shine, to be their best selves and to help others do the same.