A Work In Progress

My Favorite Poem

2008-07-08T00:59:00.004-05:00

I'm not really a poetry person, but one poem has always had a profound impact on me. Every time I read this poem, it makes we want to do good and be better. I suppose I should read it more often, eh? Seriously though, I love this poem so much. Myra Brooks Welch has done more good with this one poem that any of us can probably imagine.

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile: "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,

"Who'll start the bidding for me?"

"A dollar, a dollar", then, "Two!" "Only two?

Two dollars, and who'll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three--" But no,

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?

Two thousand! And who'll make it three?

Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,

And going, and gone!" said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

"We do not quite understand

What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:

"The touch of the master's hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

much like the old violin.

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,

A game--and he travels on.

He's "going" once, he's "going twice,

He's "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought

By the touch of the Master's hand.

Chuck E Cheese's

2008-06-27T18:08:00.001-05:00

Some things are just down right disturbing. Cool, but disturbing. I'm going to have nightmare's about this.

America's Best Dance Crew!!!

2008-06-13T13:38:00.002-05:00

I'm not one to watch many shows like American Idol or Dancing With The Stars (or TV at all for that matter) but I saw this and I was like, "YEAH! Now THIS is TV!" So it's a show on MTV (Season 2 starts next Thursday at 10 PM EST!) that has dance crews competing against each other. The audience votes afterwards and everyone's happy. :D

There's this crew called the JabbaWockeeZ that are TRIPPIN'! (yes, I just said "trippin"). Anyway, they're the winners of the first season and I've included a couple compilations of there dancing for you (cause they're AWESOME!!!) So yeah, check it out!

P.S. Both videos are tight, but the second one has some REALLY good stuff!

JABBA JABBA JABBA!!!

Facebook Encounters In Real Life? Hm...

2008-05-21T18:43:00.002-05:00

So this is a hilarious (and semi-sketchy) video about what it would be like to have a Facebook encounter in real life. Enjoy!

Windows Windows Windows...

2008-05-21T18:32:00.003-05:00

Have you ever used Windows ME (Millennium Edition) before? Yeah, it's like rubbing salt into a wound and going on a run when the forecast calls for acid rain. Anyway, I thought I'd share my love for Windows ME. :)

I Wanna Dress Like Hendrix!

2008-05-08T22:46:00.001-05:00

Foxy.........

Woofertastic

2008-05-08T22:30:00.003-05:00

It's the totally hip, cool, wicked sweet, almost-as-good-as-chicken-noodle-soup word.

THAT'S WOOFERTASTIC!

Party!

2008-04-26T09:34:00.001-05:00

I think the best part about being home is the parties. Speaking of parties...

TONIGHT!

Timpanogos Park (sp?)

7:30 PM

BE THERE!

Servers... overloading...

2008-04-24T06:43:00.003-05:00

Ever try to get on a certain social networking website and it takes forever to load (or doesn't load at all) because there are a katrillion people trying to do the exact same thing? Yes, such is my life right now. I may have to resort to reading a book. Agh! ;) hehehe

I Can Walk Again!

2008-04-21T17:35:00.001-05:00

Yes. It's grand. :)

Why I Can't Wait For Global WiMAX

2008-04-10T13:07:00.002-05:00

I love the internet. I'm not really one to spend all day doing nothing on it, but I love being able to look up anything at any given time. So now I'm in Camp Lejeune, NC. I don't have internet access in my barracks, so I have to walk about 1/2 mile to the Rec Center to get on the internet. Sure, it's not bad, but it's not exactly convenient having a leg I just busted in Iraq.

"Welcome to Tomorrow!" I can't WAIT for WiMAX. WiMAX is basically this concept: high-speed internet EVERYWHERE! So yes, I will be happy when it arrives in full force. :)

MoTab, anyone?

2008-04-06T19:43:00.002-05:00

Conference was great, no?

I was listening to a Christmas CD today that my parents got for me a while back. It's called "Spirit Of The Season" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and featuring Sissel. Sissel, if you've never heard her, has probably the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, male or female. I went to this concert (the one on the CD) at the Conference Center a while back and was stunned by her voice.

There's a song on the CD called "Lux Aurumque". This is by far my favorite song on the album. We sang the same song in the state Honor Choir (yes, back in high school) in... 2004? Anyway, it's an extremely beautiful song. It's even one worth putting on repeat and listening to over and over (if you're like that). So that's what I've done for the past while.

And I totally hit the wall a few minutes ago. By "the wall" I mean the wall you hit when you don't have any big responsibilities and "doing your own thing" gets boring. I've been trying to stay busy with reading and learning new stuff, but I just want to walk again dang it! *phew* ok, I'm fine. Such is life. :)

Procrastination... Ugh... Finishing Packing... YAY!

2008-04-03T02:56:00.002-05:00

I hate procrastinating. I have a tendency to procrastinate every time I leave home on some sort of military assignment (probably cause I just want to stay home for a while!) So now I'm done packing (my wonderful Mom helped me SO MUCH!) and I leave on a plane in... 8 1/2 hours.

Utah... it's been real... and it's actually been fun. See you in three or four weeks!

P.S. If you haven't seen "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" yet, SEE IT! It's SO GREAT! :)

North Carolina... Ugh...

2008-04-02T22:15:00.003-05:00

I go back to Camp Lejeune, NC tomorrow morning. Let's just say I'm glad it's only for three or four weeks. I've had enough adventuring with the Marine Corps for one year.

Calling All Readers!

2008-03-29T03:10:00.002-05:00

I NEED YOUR HELP!

It's late at night (again) and I was going to put another Dilbert strip on with some commentary (again) but then my mind started working (finally! It works!). I got a crazy idea (I like ideas in the "crazy" flavor) and I want your opinion on it.

As some of you may know, I like writing. It may not be perfect grammar all of the time, but I enjoy it! One of my lifelong goals is to write a book. I like science fiction books, so maybe I'll try working my right brain a little bit. I also like the self-help/self-improvement books, so that's always a possibility. So I don't know what kind of book, but a book WILL be written before I die! All great journey's begin with a single step, right? Well my crazy idea is my single step in my journey to writing my book.

Do you know how people got their writing careers started? (Don't worry. I'm gonna Google myself to death on that one.) :P

Do you know anything about becoming a freelance writer?

Do you have any writing techniques that have really helped you? I could just start writing and writing and hope I get something out of it, but I want to apply it more.

What kind of stuff do freelance writers do? I figure they'd have to be in a niche of some sort (writers interested in computers should send articles to computer magazines, etc.).

Do newspapers accept articles written by anyone? Or magazines for that matter?

The point is, I want to write. I find a lot of things interesting and worth writing about, but I'm not motivated enough to write about random stuff if all I do with it is save it on my computer and never do anything with it.

Any advice would be most helpful!

THANK YOU!

P.S. Thanks for tuning in to my life. I'll try to keep it interesting so I have exciting things to write about. :)

What I Do Late At Night

2008-03-28T02:56:00.005-05:00

Generally speaking, people who stay up late at night are polar opposites. By this I mean that most people who stay up late at night are either: A) doing homework, working on a project, etc., or B) slowly wasting their lives away (it helps if you have Lays Potato Chip crumbs all over yourself and there are infomercials on the TV.) There's always the other group who kind of get stuff done, but that's not what we're talking about. :P

So some of you may wonder, "I wonder what Phil does when he stays up late at night?" Okay, so you probably don't, but since I write what I write, you wonder. Well I'm not wasting my life away, I'll give you that much. I used to heavily read business related books (which I still read, just not as much.) I've slowly evolved and learned what the most fulfilling thing to do late at night is.

This activity which both stimulates the brain by educating and expanding your mind, and entertains is..... ("Drumroll please!")....... READING COMICS!

"Yes, ladies and gents, Phil has become addicted to Dilbert comics!" and I love it. :)

P.S. I like people in the marketing business. I've done marketing myself and consider myself a marketer of sorts. But this comic strip rings true!

A Look At The Apple Tribe

2008-03-24T00:00:00.005-05:00

I'm an Apple fan. Their stuff works! There aren't any compatibility issues. I click on a program, it opens! There's no ctrl+alt+delete. There's no "blue screen of death". I want my Mac to do something, it does it. IT WORKS IT WORKS IT WORKS!!! So now, you may have guessed, I use machines running Windows as little as possible. I wouldn't call myself an Apple maniac, but I love their widgets (having an iPod Touch makes me want to get an iPhone and completely get rid of the phone I have now!)

Here's a fun article about Why Apple fans hate tech reporters. I suggest Windows and Mac users alike should read it (and you Linux users too.) It's a fun look at why Apple fans can be defensive of their beloved products.

To Steve Jobs!

The Cloverfield Effect

2008-03-21T01:25:00.010-05:00

I saw Cloverfield tonight for the third time. I must say it was even better the third time! And I'll probably watch it a fourth and a fifth too! But out of the people who have seen it, many suffer from what I call the Cloverfield Effect. Caused by the jerky, bumpy camerawork, a lot of people suffer from the Cloverfield Effect (my fancy way of saying "motion sickness") from watching the movie. After the first time though, at least for me, the motion sickness tends to leave.

But for those of you who have yet to see Cloverfield but plan on seeing it in the near future (which you should!) I suggest reading over this article, "What's Behind 'Cloverfield' Illness?" It's a WebMD article! Talk about legit!

So yes, Cloverfield may make you a bit queasy, but it's worth it! Enjoy!!!

Enjoying Cloverfield! might cause motion sickness! which can be cured by Motion Eaze!

(or a Coke, or robbing a bank)

(seriously...)

So... it's kinda late...

2008-03-16T02:43:00.003-05:00

My sleep schedule is all out of whack. It's great. :)

Blog Blog Blog... BOOM!

2008-03-12T13:07:00.006-05:00

I don't know about you, but life with a broken leg is... slow. I started doing yard work yesterday just because I was bored and I wanted to go outside. And you know what? I actually liked it! In fact, my parents are giving me lists of things to do! I almost enjoy being their little slave. :P haha

So what else... ? Oh! I'm reading the "E-Myth Revisited" by Michael E. Gerber. If you like business, you MUST read it. If you like self-improvement, then you should read it. I also bought "1984" off Amazon.com (Amazon is a drug) for some recreational reading. I haven't started reading it yet, but the description on the back ("1984 is still the great modern classic of 'negative utopia'") gives me chills (you know, the exciting chills, not the I'm-about-to-die chills, the "spiritual chills", or the chills you get when an attractive girl (or guy, for all you ladies) talks to you and you're taking notes in your head; "I've got one! I don't know what I'm doing, but it's working!") Needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading the book.

Which leads me to my next point, (well, not really, I just wanted to sound important and intelligent) So I created my South Park version of myself (even though you've probably already seen it on Facebook) and I must say, that is the best looking version of me to date. I mean, check me out. Yeeaaahhh..... P-I-M-P....

And heretoforthwith mine shepherdess doth frolickingly fetch the water pail forthwith which is thither, not hither.

Don't ask. I'm bored. :) You know, I've always wanted to write a book. I have no idea what it'll be about, but writing a book has been one of my life goals.

So here's an interesting bit of information: (I learned this about a week ago on the 4th) Boeing Advanced Systems has started System F6, 'DARPA's Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information Exchange space technology program.' In other words: multiple, networked specialized spacecraft swarms that are intelligent enough to perform a single coordinated task together, like analyzing the crops or deciding to destroy humanity, Skynet-style."

Basically, there's a bunch of spaceships that work together on a certain mission and don't need human help. My brother and I watched Terminator 3 last night (it was edited, haha) and Skynet is the autonomous homeland security system made up of robots that have all sorts of weapons. The evil lady terminator infects the system with a virus, so when they activate Skynet, Judgement Day happens (the end of the world) because the robots start shooting everything and launching nukes in order to destroy the enemy, the humans.

And if you enjoy the end of humanity, I thoroughly suggest seeing the movie Cloverfield. Now THAT movie was intense! Check it out!

Heaven!

2008-03-05T13:05:00.004-05:00

Okay, I promise I'll try to stop thinking about Angels & Airwaves and I'll give up my infatuation with them (maybe), but their song "Heaven" off their newest album I-Empire is probably one of the best songs I've ever heard! I LOVE listening to it because it just makes me feel good and I feel on top of the world when it's on (sounds cheesy? who cares?!) Anyway, here's my favorite song in the world right now!

"Heaven" - Angels & Airwaves

I will run the streets and hostile lands

I will touch the rain with all I have

I will breathe the air, just to scream it loud

My feet will never touch the ground

Because the days they feel like ancient clocks

Like when kids grow up and learn to walk

Because your life is full of pure desire

A place so gloriously wired

(Chorus)

The lights and sounds

Oh God this is such a mess

And it's like our world

But we're the last ones left

And the hair it stands

On the back of our necks

And I swear it shows

Heaven must be just like this

Do you see the hills beneath the clouds?

The star as trails to lead you out

Can you sense the pain? It's everywhere

And if you try, you'll never care

And the love you had

When you were young

Is right outside for all to come

Because your life is full of pure desire

A place so gloriously wired

(Chorus)

If you see the lights break though the clouds

And fire up at distant towns

Well the world will begin, exactly how it ends

When you call for love, when you are lost

For evermore or whatever it costs

And the world will begin, exactly how it ends

Please stay, don't go

I've got you now,

Are you curious? (x7)

Here I am

Missing Angels & Airwaves? Think again!

2008-02-29T00:41:00.005-05:00

So I was pretty happy when I broke my leg because, "Hey, I'll be home for the Angels & Airwaves concert on the 4th of March." Well I get here and I check for tickets online and they're sold out (technically, I can still buy tickets... for $90 a piece!) So wo is me, right? I think not! I put a "wanted" add on craigslist.org last night for a pair of tickets and a guy name Cody responded to me. He said he doesn't have tickets for the show on the 4th, but he has two passes to their acoustic performance on the 5th in Taylorsville. So what did I do? I bought them, of course! There's a meet and greet afterwards, so hopefully I can get my picture with Tom Delonge! YES!!!

I was listening to their song "Heaven" from their I-Empire album as I was finishing my errands today. The sun was shining, reflecting off the snow on Timp, and the lyrics just... worked. I drove an extra mile around town just to finish the song. :)

So yes, I'll get out of "high-school-student-obsessed-with-a-band" mode and return to reality. Thanks for joining me!

Positively Driven!

2008-02-27T16:02:00.004-05:00

By the way, here's a link to my new community project "Positively Driven":

Positivelydriven.blogspot.com

Check it out! Come help us all like a happier, more fulfilling, more positive life! We rely on readers like you to keep it going. So come join us!

Twitter and the Rest of the World

2008-02-27T13:13:00.003-05:00

I signed up for Twitter last night. It's all because of that Evan Williams guy! Him and his creating of Blogspot and Twitter and other technological social tools. We'll see if I even use it that much. Either way, I have created a new blog entitled "Positively Driven." I imagine it as a community of people from around the world who are dedicated to positive living; a place to share and learn from each other ways in which we can live happy, fulfilling, and downright positive lives! Come join us! Let me know if you want to be a contributer! That's what it's all about! :D

Emotionally Controlled

2007-07-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

2007 07 24

Some people can be too emotionally controlled. There’s controlling your emotions and then there’s emotionally controlled. The first is something I believe every person on the earth should be well-trained in. To be able to control your emotions can rid a person of potentially embarrassing themselves or acting out of hand in various social situations. The controlling of emotions can even make a miserable day seem a little better or get the adrenaline pumping through the veins right before a big race. It’s definitely a pursuit worthwhile.
People can also be emotionally controlled too. There are major advantages and disadvantages to being controlled by your emotions. Many great pieces of art, whether it be paintings, music, or the written word, have been created during an emotional surge. Without people surrendering themselves to their feelings, many creative people would be out of a job. They would have to resume their lives as a commonplace drone in society.
As I write this I think to myself, “This paper has a research paper feel to it. The fact that I just now called it a paper has tripled the value of Boring Points associated with this… this written work… or journal entry? I can’t think of the perfect word for it. Perhaps I should let myself be controlled by my feelings for a little bit.” So here I go.
Girls seem too emotionally controlled. Why is it that certain women are happy, giddy, and “Just great!” when they have a boyfriend? Yeah, life is good, but do they remember that they’re having these feelings about Joe right now when four weeks ago they had the same exact feelings about Billy? It’s as if they purchase different boyfriends on the first of every month. “New Model!” “Even Better Than The Last!” “Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes, Just Right!” Do these boyfriends come packaged too? Are there giant twisty ties that hold them upright in their giant flashy cardboard box with a large plastic window to show their profiles and accessories? Different types of shoes. Sunglasses. Three or four outfits that makes a girl squeal, “that makes you look SO CUTE!” Yeah, cute. Like a puppy. Which is also purchased for the right price. Girls buy these Perfect-For-The-Moment boyfriends with cuddling and flirtatious looks. After three or four weeks, or even a month-and-a-half, these boyfriends expire and they are thrown to the wolves.
The girl awaits the next model like a leopard ready to pounce for the kill. “Where is he?” they think to themselves. “Is this the one?” “Maybe this is him.” “He looks like a nice guy… and he has a cute butt.” Time rolls on and the female is hungry for prey. They can’t wait much longer. Just when they’re about to explode and go on a murderous rampage on the males, a lone male will make his way towards this fierce creature and give it a little snack. “Hey baby. My name’s Slim Shady. You wanna go out for some ice cream? And then we could watch a movie at my place and get in a tickle fight. Sound good?” The female’s mind races at light speed contemplating the many outcomes of the endeavor. “Well he’s attractive and he says nice things to me, so he must like me!” And so the engagement begins.
When will girls, or even people in general, get a third-person perspective on their lives? It must be inevitable; the emotional rollercoaster that occurs in our daily life.

The Cook-Out

2007-07-13T20:22:00.000-05:00

We had a BBQ tonight as a platoon. There were burgers and corn-on-the-cob and hot dogs and chips and drinks of every kind. They had A LOT of food. A couple of guys and I threw around a frisbee for a while and then we got a game of ultimate going. After a while our platoon sergeant, SSgt Lyman, joined in. It was really fun with him in there. He plays really agressively so that was fun too. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and we got sweaty and now I'm gonna take a shower!

The Dump Ex

2007-06-28T08:46:00.001-05:00

We did a dump exercise the other day (a.k.a. Dump Ex). It was SWEET! Sunday and monday we were at a range shooting our m16s and what not and we brought around 75,000 rounds with us. Well by the end of our normal training exercises we had about 25,000 rounds left over. So what do you do when you have extra rounds? Sign them back in with the ammo people? Heck no! You shoot like it's the fourth of July! We did a bunch of different fun formations that you usually don't do, and it was sweet. I shot about 1,000 rounds that day. It was great!

Training's Almost Over

2007-06-03T14:19:00.000-05:00

I just got done spending the weekend in a very nice room at the Hampton Inn & Suites in San Clemente, CA. It was great! I got a lot of sleep and just relaxed the whole time. This upcoming week is the last week of real training at the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton. I graduate June 12 and immediately fly out to check in at my unit in Riverton, UT. I'll get my deployment papers started and then catch up with my unit at Camp Lejeune, NC. Hopefully I'll get to spend a little time (overnight) at home, but if not, life goes on.
Training has been fun. It's been miserable, but that's what has made it an experience to remember. I'm doing something that I've always dreamt about. It's been an adventure so far and it'll only get better. Life is hard, but that's what makes it worth living.

Post-Semester Blog

2006-12-22T03:42:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm all done with another semester. It was... interesting. My classes ended up being a little boring, but oh well. I did a lot of stuff with Neil. It was a lot of fun while he was around. I worked at Brick Oven for a couple of months, but that ended up not being as fun as expected. So now I have no job, school is done, and I spend all day doing random things (working out, working at my house, etc.)

For all of you who I haven't told (like anyone even reads this anyway) I go to boot camp for the Marine Corp on January 2. I'm going to be a mortarman (I get to blow stuff up by shooting explosives into the air.) I'm really excited to go.

As my roommates were saying their goodbyes to me, they were trying to give me advice. They couldn't think of anything too specific, but Russ said, "Just to let you know, for the next 2 1/2 years you're going to be physically and emotionally stretched." He's right. I have a big task ahead of me. Heavenly Father will help me through. The Book of Mormon is going to be my strength through these tasks. The peace, charity, and physical strength I receive from reading this book of books is the only thing that has helped me make it through the various adventures I've had throughout my life. That, and lots and lots of prayer.

I'm off to bed. The Church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet and Gordon B. Hinkley is the living prophet today. Have a great day!

Home Sweet Home

2006-08-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

On my way home I had a layover in Houston. I was a little bored so I walked around and got some Panda to eat. I was walking back to my terminal when I saw a familiar face. Is it really her? There's no way! There was Angela Olsen with her sister coming back from Honduras. We had the same flight but she sat three rows in front of me and it was packed so we couldn't socialize.
It was a nice trip home. I love airports and flying. Going through security seems to be one of the best parts. Sounds crazy, huh? I love it.
It's great being back home. I thought I would miss Tennessee and Georgia more, but I surprised myself how much I actually DO like Utah. The dry weather, the openness, the mountains, friends, family; it all adds up to "Awesome!"

Ready for school? I know I am! I'm taking some pretty interesting classes this semester. You want to know what I'm taking? Of course you do! Haha

1. Critical Introduction to Literature
2. Interpersonal Communication
3. Fundamentals in Acting 1
4. Creative Process and Imaginative Writing
5. Doctrine and Covenants or the Four Gospels (I haven't decided yet.)

That's a lot of big words, huh? It makes me sound smart. :P

I'm listening to "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves as I type this. I'm putting that fact to blame for my poor writing. I overlook what I'm typing here and I realize that what I'm writing sounds like I'm in junior high. Now I just need to spe11 thyngs like I nEv3r whent tu skool. Th3r3 w3 go.
Blech. Enough of that! That's gross! I don't have much to say. As long I have something to say, I will write. But with absence of thought comes absence of the pen (or keys in this case.) What I really should do is write and write and write until something takes form. Alas, I'm listening to music and only putting half an effort into writing right now. I'll have to write later.

Who Am I Really?

2006-08-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

First off, Jean's reaction (see "The Final Week of Tennessee) to everything that I said to her was a lot of polite nodding and smiling. She thought it was interesting and was glad that I could tell her more and straighten it all out. Sorry the previous post might seem disjointed. Someone called about halfway through my writing it. :P

SO... I've been going to early morning seminary this week. It's at a Morgan's house (a new found brother of mine) and it starts at 6:40--which isn't too early. All of the guys from my ward go every morning so it's a lot of fun.

I was at a ward member's home (Phil Smartt's) for dinner on Sunday night when a certain thought struck a chord. I have pondered it since and what direct meanings it has to my life (and the lives of my friends and family.)

Brother Smartt, as I call him since he's my Sunday School teacher, invites his kids and their families over one Sunday of each month and has a gospel discussion after dinner. He thought Kyle, Joyce (Kyle's wife), and I should tag along last Sunday, so we did! We were mingling with the relatives after dinner when Brother Smartt called us all to attention.

"Now look here," he said with his booming six-foot-two-230-pound voice, "we're gonna have our discussion now so everyone gather 'round and BE QUIET!"
A little one might peep out, "But grandpa-"
"No buts," he answers while he points his 60-plus year old finger at the child, "only your's in that stinkin' chair! Now you're gonna listen and you're gonna like it, ya hear?"
The icing on the cake is the old man's glare he adds to the entire thing. Sticking his head forward a bit and with a seemingly emotionless face, besides the eyes getting so big you would swear they would pop out of their sockets, the old man's glare is an admired expression of mine and will probably take 60-plus years to master.

Okay, so maybe Brother Smartt isn't like that at all. Although, he is a big guy and can be blunt at times.

We started the discussion (obviously, I don't remember what it's about or I'd give you more details), continued the discussion, and was near the end of the whole shebang when the thought came up. We were talking about the celestial kingdom--oh, yes! Out discussion was about the different kingdoms of glory--when one of the daughters, in her early 30's, started talking about Christ (I can't remember what it was, but it tied into the what Brother Smartt says next.)

"Now," Brother Smartt started, "you know why Christ atoned on this world? Do you know why, out of all the worlds, he was sent to this one?"
Everyone was puzzled. I was sure I didn't know it and, from the looks on their faces, I could tell no one else knew it either.
He proceeded, "It's because of all the worlds that God made, this world was the only one wicked enough to crucify their Savior."

I have researched this statement only a small bit and have found no doctrinal support for this claim, but, as I reach into the dusty cupboards of the "Interesting Statements" section in my brain, I do remember hearing the same claim before. I'm not saying I believe it with my heart and soul because, frankly, no prophet or apostle has said so (at least to my knowledge.) After reflecting on it, two main ideas popped into my head: "What a world" and "Who am I really?"

What a World
We live in a wicked world. We all know this. Filthiness, sleaze, deceit, murdering, stealing, and the list goes on. All of the other worlds have good and bad as well. But Christ, descending below all things, made his infinite atonement on this world. If Brother Smartt's statement is true and I really do live in the most wicked of worlds, then there must be a reason I was sent here and not to another world.

Who Am I Really?
People come and go throughout the ages. They're here for a time and then they die and move on. They were sent at certain times because of certain reasons (of which I admit to not knowing all the different reasons.) But I do know that I, and you, reader, are here on this earth at this time because of our righteous choices in the pre-mortal life. We have been told over and over again that we have been reserved for these last days.
Reserved, which Dictionary.com defines as, "To keep back, as for future use or for a special purpose." Which brings me to think, "Who am I really? And what was I like before coming here? If I was reserved for these final days, I must have done something good in my past life. Why was I sent to this world instead of another? What is my special purpose here? I must have been a good man in my past life, but I have forgotten all of it. If only I could remember."

Considering the claims that, a) this is the only world wicked enough to crucify Christ, and b) we have been held in reserve for these days, I see myself and my fellow men with new eyes. God must have said, "Philip," or whatever my pre-earth life name was, "I'm sending you to earth to prepare the way for mine Only Begotten. The world will be worse than it ever has been. People will do horrible things to each other. Many of my sons and daughters will forget about me after falling into selfishness and sin. You will also forget, my son, but you will be able learn of me and do what is necessary to return to me because of your brother Joseph, who has restored my gospel for the last time. You will know when you find the truth. My Spirit will make it manifest unto you. Now go, my son whom I love, and help your brothers and sisters. I will be waiting to help you."

I, nor you, were sent here to fail. Again, we were not sent here to fail! Life is long, but it's really not. What we do now determines what happens to us for the rest of eternity! We have been saved for this final dispensation because we were already righteous. We told God that we would come to earth and follow Him. The decision has already been made. All we need to do is follow through.

The Final Week of Tennessee

2006-08-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

The internet in my apartment has started working so I will write again as I promised.

I made a sale on Friday night to a lady named Jean. She invited me in and gave me a glass of ice water while we filled out the paperwork. I asked her where she goes to church--Kyle thought up that question as a gospel sharing ice breaker--and she said she's Lutheran. She knew I wasn't from around here because the way I talk is "smoother", as she put it, than the way the Southerners talk. I told her I'm from Utah and that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--did that primary song just pop into your head? It did in mine! Then the discussion started:

"So what have you heard about our church," I said.
"Well," she started, "I know you guys go to church on Saturday and there was some guy, Smith?"
"Yeah, Joseph Smith."
"Yeah, this Joseph Smith guy found some plates in the dessert. But that's all I've really know."

I was immediately relieved that she didn't straightway condemn me to damnation because the Book of Mormon is "adding to the Bible" and going against what is said in Revelation 20:18: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." I can't count the number of times people have told me this. "You Mormons are adding to the Bible! It says 'no adding to the Bible' in Revelation! That book is adding to the Bible!" Just smile and walk away, that's all I can do at that point without "Bible bashing"--which is a waste of time and makes things worse than before.

I continued, "Well we actually go to church on Sunday just like everyone else."
"Really?! I thought you were like the Seventh-Day Adventists."
With a slight grin and shake of the head I responded, "No, we're a little different."

I went on to tell her about the First Vision (should that be capitalized? It's a specific event so I would think so. I wish I had English-major-Meridith here to help me with some of the punctuation.) I explained what the Book of Mormon is about and how Joseph Smith came to get it. I told her that salvation can come to all men through Christ and through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and then further expounded on baptism and the restoration of the priesthood.

There's only one inconvenience with sharing the gospel: choosing the "right" topics to talk about and not going on tangents. It all fits perfectly like a million different strands woven into a beautiful tapestry. It's nearly impossible to start at one and continue on without "getting lost" in another strand.

The perfect gospel. This is what we have. We don't claim ancient apostles as the head of our church. We aren't reading the Bible and trying to copy the organization as best we can. We have had and will continue to have direct revelation from our Lord God. That's what makes us so different. Isn't it great to be a peculiar people? :)

It's My Birthday!

2006-08-10T20:26:00.000-05:00

Hey! It's my birthday! Holla back, y'all! It's cool. I'm 18. I can get thrown in jail now. I guess I should stop using mailboxes for batting practice now. Dang... well... I gotta go! See ya!

2006-07-31T20:37:00.000-05:00

I went to youth conference this last weekend and completely fell in love with the people here--don't worry ladies, I'm still single. ;) I had a lot of fun playing frisbee and going to workshops at youth conference and workin' my magic as always. I also gave a talk on Sunday on "Preparing to Serve a Mission." It went better than planned! I was shaking so bad before I got up that I nearly had a seizure in my chair. But then after speaking a few sentences I was able to loosen up. The closing hymn was "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" and I nearly cried during the whole song. It took a while, but now the people here feel like my family. And they are! They are all my brothers and sisters and I hope with all my soul that we (people in Tennessee, people in Utah, and people all over the world) will choose the right so we can all enjoy each other's company in the life to come.
Once again, I have to get off because my manager needs to use the computer (we're at the office) and I still don't have the internet. But look forward with hope! I WILL WRITE AGAIN! Hee hee hee... :)

My Apartment Life

2006-07-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hello again! I'm typing this at the office computer because the network that I usually bum the internet off of is down at the moment.

I got paid today! Yay! Getting paid makes me feel like I'm six years old and I'm finally getting the Christmas present that I've been waiting for all year. Oh yeah, pay day is Christmas day.
Only six more weeks till I get home! I return on August 19 at 11:55 P.M. I'm excited to come back and see my family and friends again. I love you guys! :) This has definitely been an adventure to remember and I still have six more amazing weeks to look forward to.

Guess what? Really... guess what? Ok, fine, I'll tell you. I'm going to the Atlanta, GA temple on Friday with all of the other youth in our stake! It's going to be one of those all-day workshop things. I've never been to a "temple workshop," so this will be another fun experience. I actually made the decision to go while I was at church yesterday. They've had this planned for a couple of weeks, but I initially declined and told them I planned on working that day. Then the thought came to me, "Phil! Hello? You're going to skip the one temple trip of the whole summer so you can WORK?! Absurd, I say! Go to the temple! It's necessary for your salvation and the salvation of others! The Lord will help definitely help you if you do what He says. He HAS to! Again, that is what makes choosing the right so powerful!" So, needless to say, I'm going to the temple on Friday and I'm PUMPED!

Well I gotta go. My sales partner, Kyle, wants to go home to his wife. But I will write again! You can count on it!

Independence Day and Stuff

2006-07-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. We get to celebrate our freedom! What a great thing it is to be free. Think about it; what was one of the big differences between Christ's plan and Satan's plan? Agency, A.K.A. freedom. That's why America is so great! We can choose!

Anyway, enough preaching. Time to write.

I'm stuck in my apartment all day today. I've been sick for the past week, but today it was especially bad (which is weird because I was feeling great yesterday.) I'm taking a lot of medicine and resting a lot, but I want to write and so I will write.

Phil's Independence Day celebrations: I went wakeboarding for the first time! Well, I had gone before, but it was at Deer Creek and it was after the sun had set (in other words, I was focusing more on staying alive and less on wakeboarding.) I actually got up and moved around a bit! It was exhilarating! The best part was wiping out. I don't know why people don't like it. To me, it's half the fun (especially when skiing down a mountain really fast and I can't stop.)
The other great part about wakeboarding was being on a boat. I love boats. I love the feeling of the wind rushing past as the boat speeds along. It's one of those times when the entire world goes away. There isn't anything that needs to be done immediately, nothing to worry about; tomorrow will come and so I will enjoy today.
The final (and best part, kind of) about boating is getting completely fried from head to toe. I recently got a hair cut and my hair is very short so the sun had no problem burning my head ALL OVER. But alas, God has created aloe vera gel. Next to Reeces Pieces, this is one of the greatest things ever created. Haha random thought: aloe vera gel is like repenting. First you get sunburned (sin,) then you feel the burn (sorrow for sin,) then you... rub aloe vera gel everywhere (repent.) Oh well, that could've been really good with some thought. :P
The cap on the night was going to a singles young adult party. It was a little... tiresome, but there were some really fun and interesting people there to make it enjoyable. Oh! The other best part about the whole thing was catching fire flies and squishing them! Their glowing stuff continues glowing when they're squished (great for glow-in-the-dark war paint!)

Well, another blog done. I love this thing. Blogs are so fun! It's an opportunity to share yourself with the world. You wanna say something?! Say it!

"HELLO, WORLD! MY NAME IS PHILIP JAMES WOOLLEY; BORN AUGUST 10, 1988 IN STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA! You bombard me with your culture and try to get me to stray from the path, but I WILL NOT STRAY! I AM HERE TO PLEASE THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND NONE ELSE!"

Oh yeah, isn't that fun?! There is great power in writing or speaking what you believe. Stand up for truth even if it means standing alone. You will never stand alone with God. That's what makes choosing the right so powerful.

Technology nowadays!

2006-07-02T22:22:00.000-05:00

Well this should be fun! A blog of my very own! Kinda like keeping a journal, only different.
WOAH! I can even add pictures! Oh, this'll be fun!
"This'll" ? That's kind of different, huh? BTW this is a picture of Tyler Hansen looking at the San Diego temple. ANYWAY...

I'm in Chattanooga, TN. It's a lot of fun. It's going to get really hot now that July has come. I went on splits with the missionaries last night and we talked to this guy who looks EXACTLY like Joe Dirt. It was a lot of fun because we went to a trailer park. Some of the people there are so cool!

Let's see... what to write... I wrote a letter to my family today and wrote one to Ryan Hess and then I wrote in my journal so I'm a little written out. But life is good. Keep checking up on this and you'll probably get some fun stories.