I like this.

http://youtu.be/dUxLK1misbw

finals playlist

HEYOO!
Need some study music to get you through our favorite time of the year? (*heavy sarcasm on the "favorite" part)  I'm sitting here in the library (I know, sad Friday night plans, Michelle) and I am listening to this music and it's getting me pumped for the bajillions of things I have to do by next Wednesday.

1. "America"~Imagine Dragons
2. "Safe and Sound"~Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars (HGs soundtrack)
3. "One Engine"~The Decemberists (HGs soundtrack)
4. "Tighten Up"~The Black Keys
5. "Eyes Open"~Taylor Swift (HGs soundtrack...see a trend forming?)
6. "The Cave"~Mumford and Sons
7. "How We Love"~Ingrid Michaelson
8. "Round and Round"~Imagine Dragons
9. "I'm Through"~Ingrid Michaelson

I also suggest that you plan something fun for when finals are over to give you something to look forward to.  I have a firm belief in the light at the end of the tunnel theory.
This is mine: I will be in Hawaii in 6 days.

You rock, guys! Good luck and finish strong!
XXX

my thoughts on LBGT

I have been thinking about this for awhile and have been delaying blogging about it imply because it's such a heavy subject and I did not know enough.  I still don't know everything, but after tonight I have a pretty solid opinion and insight to the LGBT community and gay Mormons specifically.  Tonight, BYU had a gay BYU student panel where the sociology department had four people who were openly gay and attending BYU answer questions and talk a little bit.  They had a HUGE turnout and I was sitting on the floor.  It was very very interesting.
First of all, I want to give some background information on the LDS Church's and BYU's standing on gays in the Church and in general.
This is what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says officially: look at lds.org and here and here.
This is what the honor code at BYU-Provo says:
"Brigham Young University will respond to homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or attraction and welcomes as full members of the university community all whose behavior meets university standards. Members of the university community can remain in good Honor Code standing if they conduct their lives in a manner consistent with gospel principles and the Honor Code.

One's stated same-gender attraction is not an Honor Code issue. However, the Honor Code requires all members of the university community to manifest a strict commitment to the law of chastity. Homosexual behavior is inappropriate and violates the Honor Code. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings."

Basically and overall, homosexuality and bisexuality is still a controversial subject that everyone, no matter who they are, are having to learn about for themselves.  We have standards in the Church that go for everyone.  Being sexually chaste is very important to us and so that is what we support.  PROP 8 and other political and religious movements that the Church supports is in support of chastity and the family unit.

Even though I have had lots of interaction with gays, I have not sat down with someone of gay sexual orientation and asked them questions, so tonight was a great opportunity for me.  They had an openly gay man who is married to a woman and has a daughter, a lesbian, a single gay man, and a bisexual man.  All are LDS and active in the Church.  They started out with telling their stories about when they knew for sure, what they did after they found out, and how they came out.  Then they answered questions from the students who were in attendance.  They wanted us to not be afraid about asking questions not just at the panel, but with their LGBT friends and family.  They truly believed that they were born this way and it wasn't just a "choice."  

The thing that stuck out to me the most about Mormons having to deal with being faithful members of the Church while struggling with their sexual orientation is that they all thought that they had failed the Lord as a person.  But they all emphasized that they all were at peace with their lives when they realized that their Heavenly Father loves them no matter what.  They all said that they grew closer to God and Christ while searching for answers.  I whole-heartedly agree with this because I have been there.  I haven't had questions about my sexuality, but I have definitely had to deal with other things in my life that not a lot of people understand.  But throughout the whole thing, I have never doubted my Heavenly Father's love for me. 

I think that homophobia is something that comes from ignorance and fear.  Homosexuality is a fairly new thing for a lot of people to deal with, since it has been taboo for so long.  I think that there is also issues with retaliation on both sides.  There are people who have been categorized as "Christian until homosexuality," where they are Christ-like people until they have to talk about homosexuality.  But there are people from the LGBT community who say that people are stupid for not fully supporting who they are.  Either way, it is just because not everyone knows everything about everyone else, just like every other controversial issue in this world.  My advice would be to talk to people who are homo- or bisexual and ask them questions.  Form your own opinion and stick to it.  Then love everyone and be Christ-like no matter what.

Conference Weekend

General Conference is a bi-annual event in the LDS Church where the leaders of our Church speak for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday.  I believe that God wouldn't just leave us in this world without any further guidance beyond the Bible (and, for us, The Book of Mormon).  This is why I just love hearing what our modern-day prophets have to say.  Look at it this way: in a world where technology is booming, would you want guidance on how to build an ark?  No...that's prevalent for Noah's time. What is prevalent for our time is instruction on how to battle the evils and hardships that we encounter today (pornography, death, divorce, etc.).  So God continues to give us guidance through His prophets (right now, it is Thomas S. Monson).  If you're interested in learning more, click here.
To top it all off, it was a gorgeous weekend. Hilary made a yummy breakfast for us Saturday morning and that afternoon, we went to try to get tickets at the conference center in SLC.  We couldn't, but we discovered that they play Conference over the loud speakers in Temple Square.  Since it was just lovely, we laid on the lawn outside the Tabernacle and listened.  Then we hit up the new City Creek mall right across the street.  That place is insaneee.

Ricky-Hilary-Kimberly in the sun at Temple Square

so beautiful!

Sunday morning, I made cinnamon rolls for us (first time ever=SUCCESS!).

After the afternoon session, I went over to Annie and Bryce's for an Oregon dinner with my favorite peeps.  I just love those guys and I'm dreading this summer when we will all part to do our adult things.  Let's not think about it.

embarrassing flashback time! seth--lindsay--me--annie, circa 2007

best week of the semester

Tuesday

Annie and I had our University Orchestra concert.  I forget if I've told you guys this, yet, but Annie and I both needed one more performance credit for our music minors, so we decided that we should give percussion a try.  We both have lots of years of piano and theory behind us, so we figured that if we could count, we could figure out the rest.  Well.  It's been quite the experience.  But I'm proud to say that Annie rocks at bass drum and tambourine and I am decent at cymbals and triangle, now.  

Wednesday

Kira and I went to the Imagine Dragons concert at Velour.  It was so much fun! And it was great to see Kira, again.

papa Dan

post-show

Thursday

I have seen online something that says that Harry Potter was my long term relationship, Hunger Games is my rebound and Twilight was a one-night stand that I don't want to admit to having.  I feel that way.  I went to the midnight showing of Hunger Games because I wanted something to fill the void of not having Harry Potter to look forward to, anymore. don't get me wrong, I love the Hunger Games and recommended the books to everyone I knew way back when they first came out.  But, I mean, the premier wasn't Harry Potter.  I really liked it and have seen it three times, already.  If you haven't read the books, don't see it until you have.

waiting in line

Saturday

Holi Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork.  It's a Hindu celebration of spring that about 25 Hindus and 100,000 Mormons attend.  There are llamas and a concert and then we countdown to throwing colors in the air/at each other.

llamas

right after the throwing--we couldn't see the sun!

me--Hilary--Kimberly

phantom of the opera--the Italian--the sports star

That night I threw my roommate Meagan a mocktail birthday party.  It was half surprise, but not really.  We know how to party in the 224.

on the drinks menu: pina colada--shirley temple--sparkling cider

on the food menu: german choco cupcakes w/ fudge frosting--funfetti cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting--oreo cake balls

pre-party/decor (yes, those streamers will be up until the last birthday at the end of April)

It was a really fun week!