I Survived Another Halloween!

I survived another Halloween! This year, it actually feels like I have survived an ordeal. I was involved in setting up, participating in, and cleaning up a big dance party. This event consumed almost my entire day. Worth it? Certainly! My feet are very sore from dancing and walking and standing for hours, which makes sleeping in my comfy bed tonight a great blessing.

I am grateful I had a great costume this year. I had limited costume resources, and pairing up with my roommate to dress in suits as security guards was a great idea. So much fun! It worked out great as a costume for an energetic dance party tonight.

I'll also say I'm grateful we had safe travels to and from the event.

Leaf Fighting

October birthday traditions are the best.

I ran into a friend today, and she invited me and one other friend to go leaf fighting. It was a birthday tradition for her. This was a new concept to me, but it's quite simple: grab a bunch of leaves and throw them at each other. Yep. It's just like snowball fighting, but with autumn leaves. I hadn't had such child-like fun in the great outdoors in a while, at least not since I went puddle jumping! Actually, that puddle-jumping episode was almost exactly a year ago. Hmm...well obviously autumn is the best season ever.

I am grateful for a great session of leaf fighting.

To the Temple

It has been too long since I've been to an LDS temple. It's been almost three months, actually. My roommate and I made a night of it tonight. It took some time with travel, but once we arrived at the temple, we felt was peace. I felt my faith in God renewed and strengthened a little more, just enough to continue confidently.

I am grateful for an evening trip to the temple with my roommate.

A Good Run

Tonight, I watched the Republican Presidential Debate, and what a wild ride that was!

But instead of going on about that, I'd like to express my gratitude to the success of my jog after work today. It was hard and my body seemed to complain because I struggle with establishing a consistent exercise schedule. But, the light drizzle, the Piano Guys music, and a small labyrinth made this jog an adventure. I am grateful for a good run tonight.

And, of course, all the best to all the men and women who are continually running for the American presidency.

"My Heart Sorroweth..."

This was a rough day for me. A few blunders in the office, attempts to correct said blunders, and general self-frustration. In short, my pride took a few hits today. Then my friends, my home teachers, shared 2 Nephi 4:16-19. I know those verses well, but they never occurred to me today, and I realized that I needed to hear them. My eyes had the beginnings of tears from emotion. Those words from Nephi were exactly what I was feeling and thinking, and the answer at the end of verse 19 is simply perfect.

I am grateful for a familiar answer at the end of a rough day.

The Heart of "Hamilton"

I was once in a theater class in which the teacher expressed the idea that every show has a scene, every musical has a song, that can be called "the heart of the show." My classmates and I didn't get it at first, so he asked us to name that song at the heart of Fiddler on the Roof. We all knew the show, and we named several of the songs: "Tradition," "If I Were A Rich Man," "Mazel Tov," "Sunrise, Sunset," and "Anatevka." None of us were right. The teacher's answer: "Far from the Home I Love." That song, in the teacher's view, captures the central theme of the story. Since then I've enjoyed looking for the heart of every show I encountered, such as Seussical's "Alone in the Universe," or the scene in Our Town where Emily realizes the value of every moment of life.

Tonight, I tried to find the heart of Hamilton. Like every show, it has a lot to say, and many different messages resonate with the different people who see and hear it. If you were to ask me what the heart of Hamilton is, I would say "It's Quite Uptown." Alexander and Eliza have been devastated by awful scandal and terrible loss. The conclusion reached in this song can be heard at 3:40 of the linked video:

Forgiveness, can you imagine?

I believe fewer concepts can be more encouraging. After all that happened to the Hamiltons, forgiveness appeared, and both husband and wife could start to move on with lighter shoulders. I believe that kind of healing is possible because of the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ. How very vital is forgiveness in life, love, and liberty.

I am grateful for what I believe to be the heart of Hamilton the musical. 

Same Story, Different Books

You guys! Check out this cool connection I discovered today! Two stories, one from the Bible and one from the Book of Mormon, that parallel each other.

The Bible tells the story of Paul and Silas when they were persecuted and sent to jail. After a miraculous earthquake, Paul speaks with the jailer and the jailer is converted to the gospel of Christ. (Acts 16:19-33)

In the Book of Mormon a group of new converts, people who used to live on contention and bloodshed, buried all of their weapons. Soon after, their enemies came to their city to attack them. The enemies came and killed everyone they could find, but the converts would not fight. They had fought too much and they decided they were going to be peaceful. Many people died while praying to God. The enemies soon realized what they were doing and were ashamed of what they had done. Many of them were converted to the gospel. (Alma 24:16-27)

In both cases, believers of Jesus Christ are severely persecuted for their beliefs, and their persecutors later saw the error of their ways and were converted. I think it's really great to find more similarities between the stories and principles of the Bible and those of the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for a testimony of two witnesses to the power of staying strong in what is right and true.