Dates as of Late

 May 14 was "rose day" in Korea. So Matt brought me a rose.
It may still be sitting in our kitchen right now, even though the petals are turning purple and the greenery is withered. 

Matt and I have opposite schedules most of the week, but on Fridays, we try to have lunch together. This day happened to be when we ate at the top of the JFSB. This is a shot of the empty campus before the EFY invasion. 

I'm not a fan of this picture, but it proves that we used our Pass of All Passes to go to a BYU soccer game for free! As a side note, Matt had his first churro at the game. Well worth the $1 spent.

In Memoriam

Credit to Wikipedia: Memorial Day "was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service."

As we visited Matt's grandparent's graves today, I thought about the purpose of Memorial day, to honor those who have died that we might be free. It reminded me of someone else who died long ago, so that we could be free from sin and death. I think it is fitting that I saw this mural in another cemetery: 

Did not Christ also die to make us free? This thought put a whole new spin on my Memorial day this year.

Rhetorically, 

Rebekah

Sweeney and Me

Now: 2014

Dear Sweeney,

We had a great three months together in the Dominican Republic. It's been over two years since I've seen you in person, and I'm glad we got to relive some of the memories today. Since then, I've been pondering about some of our other experiences:

• Knocking on EVERY SINGLE door in our area. Not home, you say? We'll come back tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Until we find you or we decide that the house is abandoned.
• Walking up and down the same street looking for the 10/20 store, not realizing that 10/20 was a phrase meaning "dollar store" so that wasn't actually the name of the store--just the type. 
• Having the tallest dominican man as our 'golden investigator.'
• Having an investigator open up to us because we spoke English. 
• The earthquake.
• Karaoke.
• Working with the most awesome youth.

Just to name a few.

But you know what memory means the most to me? The day I got in the Brown's car and they drove me to the capital so I could go home. As I buckled myself in and was waving goodbye, you cried. I probably would have cried, too, if I hadn't been so excited to go home. But I did miss you. And it was a fabulous surprise to see you only a day later when you came down to pick up your new companion.

Then: 2012

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

The Art of Mingling

I was lucky enough to get two part-time externships this summer, one in West Jordan and the other in SLC. This means I'll be spending 4-6 hours a week commuting to and from work. Because I would rather not waste that time listening to radio commercials, I'm opting for audio books! I just finished "the Art of Mingling." As an introvert, it can be very hard for me to talk to others in a party setting or in large groups. While I probably won't remember or use every technique this book offers, I would recommend it just for the conversation starters and tips to end a conversation.

For example, today I went to the Costco pharmacy to pick up a prescription. The line was very long and when I joined it, I expected to spend the next 30 minutes in awkward silence. Starting a conversation in a pharmacy line can be difficult, because you have to avoid the most obvious question of, "So what are you here for?" However, as one man remarked on the efficiency of the last pharmacy he went to, I remembered my new-found mingling skills and engaged in a conversation about ways to increase the efficiency in our current line, such as offering fast passes (I can never avoid a Disney reference), having samples along the way, etc.

So the book actually works. Good thing she had a whole section about mingling in line.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Over the past four months, Matt and I have memorized a few lines from the family proclamation every week for FHE. Every day, we would recite the current week and the past week's lines, and then once a week we would recite everything we had memorized up to that point. We finally completed memorizing the whole document this week!

Jan 13-          WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

Jan 20-         ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

Jan 27-         IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.

Feb 03-          The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

Feb 10-          THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.

Feb 17-          We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

Feb 24-          WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Mar 03-         HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3).

Mar 10-         Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.

Mar 17-         Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations. THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.

Mar 24-         Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mar 31-         Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

Apr 07-         By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.

Apr 14-         In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

Apr 21-         WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.

Apr 28-         Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

May 05-        WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

I've become a lot more aware of my capacity to memorize, as well as the power of memorization. We would frequently remember lines when hearing Conference or Sunday talks and I realized how integral this proclamation is to everything we teach.

Rhetorically, 
Rebekah

Mother's Day

You know what's the best part of Mother's Day? Talking to your missionary via skype! (Okay, there are probably many things that qualify as "best parts" but this was my answer this year). Angela is loving her mission and hasn't lost any of her sass or spunk. I'm so excited for her to come home in 4.5 months!!

We also celebrated Robby's birthday a week early, so he wouldn't have to make the extra trip from Idaho. The party was batman themed (naturally) and there was an ice cream cake per tradition.

Oh yeah, and we also celebrated Mother's Day. Happy day, Mom! Thanks for supporting us, even after we move out of the house.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Chronicles: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

We finished book 5 this week! Since we read the books on Sunday, it's so interesting to see how the different stories relate to the gospel. For example, in this book, there is an island with creatures called "dufflepods" who are rather stupid. They blame all their problems and burdens on a magician who rules the island, and then you find out that the magician actually has them do things to support themselves. Similarly, we're learning about Moses and the children of Israel. All they did was complain to Moses and blame God for their problems, not realizing their blessings.

One symbol I thought was interesting in the book is when they went to the island of dreams, they were only able to leave the darkness when a pillar of light came through and gave them a point of reference. This only happened after Lucy 'prayed' for help from Aslan. I think this really relates to our day, when it can seem we are walking in darkness and it is our faith and the gospel that help us find our way back into the light.

Lastly, one of the lines I really liked was when Aslan remarks, "I keep my own rules." If everyone on the island was invisible, so was Aslan until a spell was given to turn them all visible. Similarly, I believe God also follows his own rules.

What symbolism and lessons do you see in the book?
Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Coming Full Circle

This week, I went to the final show for my cousin's art degree. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts. 

Jen's show consisted of 20 polyhedrons, each with a side added on (starting with a flat circle and building up to a ball.) Some of the polyhedron designs already exist, but for others, Jen had to make up her own design. 

This was a huge accomplishment, and I'm so glad I could see it at her final reception. Jen also provided delicious food, and my favorite part of the night was telling the little kids who wanted treats that they had to look at the exhibit first. I'm pretty sure at least 6 kids sprinted to the exhibit because they wanted cupcakes. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

U of U graduation

One of my good high school friends graduated with her Masters today! Kathryn took two buses and a shuttle to come to my Bachelor's graduation four years ago, so I figured it was the least I could do to attend her graduation. Kathryn has always been an example to me of perseverance and hard work.

The student convocation speaker gave a moving speech about whether college was worth it. My personal conclusion is YES, college and grad school are worth it.  Although I would include a disclaimer that although it's worth it, that doesn't mean it will be easy. Or enjoyable (at times).

We went to a BBQ celebration in Kathryn's honor afterward. It was good to catch up on each other's lives- it's easy to let grad school take up all your free socializing time.

Rhetorically, Rebekah

Now (2014)

Then (2010)