Daily Insights from my Life #23

Sisterhood: Oh, How We Need Each Other
by Bonnie L. Oscarson (Young Women General President)

"To be sisters implies that there is an unbreakable bond between us. Sisters take care of each other, watch out for each other, comfort each other, and are there for each other through thick and thin. The Lord has said, "I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine."

What I took away from this talk:
This talk, as I read it, seemed to me to focus on how the sisters in the Relief Society and even those outside of the Relief Society need each other. This can even apply to the brethren of the church. We need to be there to strengthen each other and strengthen the families that we home teach. We all have different strengths. We need to strive to lift each other up using our different strengths so that everyone can become stronger and more united as children of our Heavenly Father.

To conclude, I will share another quote from the talk.

"All of these things are evidence that, as our beloved hymn states, "The errand of angels is given to women." If there are barriers, it is because we ourselves have created them. We must stop concentrating on our differences and look for what we have in common; then we can begin to realize our greatest potential and achieve the greatest good in this world. Sister Marjorie P. Hinckley once said, "Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. It is a sociological fact that women need women. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other."-Sister Hinckley was right; oh, how we need each other!

My Dad is Called Again as Bishop

So two weeks ago on the 13th of April, my dad was released as Bishop of the Blackfoot Fifth Ward. Then, after the church meetings, the Blackfoot Fifth Ward was dissolved and spread out between three other existing wards (14th, 10th, and 3rd). The reason this happened is because all four of these wards have had trouble with increasing membership. The Fifth Ward would receive new members/converts and then others would move out, so the numbers never increased. They remained the same.

My dad was then called to be Bishop of the newly reorganized Blackfoot Third Ward.

It was tough to see the ward I and my siblings grew up in be dissolved. A lot of great memories come from that ward. It was hard for others from the ward too.

So the big events in this post are that my dad was released from being bishop of the Fifth Ward, the Fifth Ward was dissolved between three other wards, and my dad was newly called as bishop of the Third Ward (one of the other three wards).

BYU Men's Volleyball Update (and other BYU sports)

The #4 Nationaly Ranked BYU Men's Volleyball Team (#1 seed in conference tournament) is playing #3 Stanford (#3 seed in conference tournament) today in their Conference (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) Championship! The game is being televised on BYUtv at 7:00 PM Mountain Time and will be played at BYU.

During the conference tournament, BYU had sweeped USC (University of Southern California) in the quarterfinals 3-0, and BYU sweeped UC (University of California) Santa Barbara in the semifinals 3-0. I believe with their current track record, they will beat Stanford for the Conference Championship! After that this, they will go on to the Men's Volleyball Championships.

Some notable matches from the regular season:
vs. No. 1 Long Beach State (Won 3-1)
@  No. 3 Pepperdine (Lost 2-3)
@  No. 5 USC (Won 3-2)
vs. No. 4 Pepperdine (Won 3-0)

They have a good season so far with a 20-8 regular season record and undefeated so far in post-season

In other BYU sports news, BYU Baseball has a current season record of 16-25 and conference record of 7-11. BYU Softball has a current season record of 24-21 (11-2 at home) and conference record of 6-2. Baseball plays their next game against Utah Valley on the 29th of April (Tuesday), and Softball plays their next game against Loyola Marymount today at 12:00 PM Mountain Time on BYUtv at BYU. Softball have beat Loyola Marymount 2 times in a row now and will finish the 3-game series today.

Let's Go Cougars!

Article About BYU Football 2014 Schedule

I personally think that with a amazing quarterback returning in his junior year, with great players in the defensive side, and with an offense who are improving, BYU Football has a good chance to win at least 10 this next season.

Here are some highlight excerpts from the article.

Bronco Mendenhall enters his 10th season as the BYU head coach and his fourth as the head coach of an independent program. Scheduling has been more difficult for the Cougars since leaving the Mountain West both in terms of ironing out opponents and the play on the field.

It has led to 10 losses in the last two seasons after five years with at least 10 wins between 2006-11. The 2014 slate isn’t nearly as daunting as the last few seasons for BYU and, with a star returning under center, there are lots of reasons for optimism in Provo.

This offense went from 60th nationally in 2012 to 14th a year ago with Taysom Hill running the show. He gradually improved his efficiency as a passer over the course of the season and enters his junior season with Heisman potential and a schedule that should allow for big numbers offensively.

A return to double-digit wins isn’t unreasonable should things fall right for Mendenhall, Hill and the Cougars.

And then, the article goes into detail about the games and opponents of the season that BYU will face.

It concludes with this...

Final Verdict
The schedule isn’t all that daunting for BYU. Will Texas be clicking on all cylinders with a chance at revenge at home? Likely. But other than the trip to Austin, every other game is extremely winnable. Should Hill continue to develop as a passer, his dual-threat ability could be virtually impossible to stop by most of the Cougars' opponents. Mendenhall’s squad should be in every game it plays this year and may have an outside shot at earning a College Football Playoff berth. - See more at: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/byu-football-2014-schedule-analysis#sthash.2rLvBs2J.dpuf

To read more, go to this link: http://athlonsports.com/college-football/byu-football-2014-schedule-analysis

Let me know what y'all think! :)

Saving Mr. Banks

Last night, my wife and I watched this film, Saving Mr. Banks, after getting it through the mail from Netflix. We liked it. It is an excellent feel-good film. Saving Mr. Banks is a film about how Walt Disney, the great man who helped create many classic movies, strives to transform P.L. Travers' book, Mary Poppins, into a film. P.L. Travers faces challenging times as she doesn't want Hollywood and Disney to take the story of Mary Poppins from her. She also remembers throughout the film her childhood memories with her family and the struggles they went through. Walt Disney strives to make the film, Mary Poppins, a reality. As I watched the film I felt the sadness and happiness of Mrs. Travers' childhood, and I felt the struggles that Walt Disney had. This film stars Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, and Annie Rose Buckley.

I think this film overall is a good movie to watch, especially for all of you who have seen the film, Mary Poppins. I think Saving Mr. Banks will help you love the film even more than before. I think that at least most of you will like it as much as my wife and I did. I think this film does a good job on portraying the emotions and experiences that P.L. Travers had. I also believe that Tom Hanks does a fantastic job with portraying Walt Disney. I loved watching him act.

According to imdb.com, this film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some unsettling images. There is a little bit of swearing. This is the link for the Parents Guide. Parents should go to this link, so that they can see if they want their children to see this film. 

At IMDB.com, the summary for this film is:

Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger and following the events of the film, Marvel's The Avengers, is a focus on Captain America/Steve Rogers' integration into our modern day. He works for the organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. He faces challenges and viewers get to view how he faces those challenges. He is joined by Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff, Nick Fury, Falcon/Sam Wilson, and one of his main adversaries, the Winter Soldier. This film stars Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, and Scarlett Johansson. Don't forget to stay after the credits at the end of the film to see two extra scenes.

My wife and I got to watch it in theaters one week after it was released in the United States. We liked it. It was too intense for Julie so it's not one of her favorite films in the world, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the amount of action, etc, that was involved. I also loved the character development of the main characters Captain America, Black Widow, the Winter Soldier, etc. I enjoy seeing Captain America face the challenges and succeed in overcoming them. I also love the feel of a political thriller.  This parental guide link will be able to let you parents know what is included in the film/why it is rated the way it is. The film was rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout. There is a little bit of bad language in it, but it is not enough for me to take away from how good this film is.

At IMDB.com, the summary for this film is:

Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

Change of Semesters

I apologize for not posting recently. I've been busy with starting up a new semester. I finished the Winter Semester 2014 at BYU-Idaho on the 11th and/or 12th of April. I just started my new semester this last Monday, April 21, 2014. It's been crazy :)

I.Q.

I think this film is a great romantic comedy. The basis of it is that Albert Einstein tries to be the matchmaker between her niece and a car repairman. It is a funny movie, and my wife and I enjoy it a lot. It shows that love can work between two opposite people like a really intelligent person and a car repairman. If you don't have the film, I'm sure you can find it online. I was able to when I was looking for it for my wife. I really loved this film because not only does it have fun and clean comedy, but it has an interesting romance plotline. It's cool to see how a car repairman and a physics genius can fall in love. It shows that even if two people have two totally different interests/careers, they can still find true love. This film stars Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, and Walter Matthau.

It is rated PG for some mild language. The link for the parental guide is: Parental Guide for I.Q.

After looking at that guide link, you can decide if you want your children to watch it. I believe this film is very appropriate for adults at least.

On IMDB.com, the summary is:

Albert Einstein helps a young man who's in love with Einstein's niece to catch her attention by pretending temporarily to be a great physicist.

Daily Insights from my Life #22

So for some of my daily insights, I am going to post what I learn as I read the talks from the recent LDS General Conference (my religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). This will help me study the talks better from conference. These first four insights will be from the four talks given in the General Women's Meeting.

Keeping Covenants Protects Us, Prepares Us, and Empowers Us
by Rosemary M. Wixom (Primary General President)

"Look around you. The future is bright as you see women who have made covenants and are ready to show you the way along the path ahead."
-As she said that, she was speaking to the little girls 8 to 11 years old.

I found as I read and studied her talk that she focuses her talk on keeping covenants. One special thing she said that I liked was "As we strive to keep our covenants, our feelings of inadequacy and imperfection begin to fade, while the ordinances and the covenants of the temple come alive. Everyone is welcome to walk that path to eternal life." She talks about how if we keep the covenants we made...either in baptism, renewing them during the Sacrament, or in the temple...we have our feet firmly planted on the path to eternal life.

She ends her talk with a scripture found in The Book of Mormon. In 2 Nephi 31:19-20, Nephi teaches, "After ye have gotten in to this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. ... Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

What I took away from this talk:
As I read this talk, I thought about the covenants I have made with Heavenly Father through baptism and in the temple. I realized that through keeping those covenants, I will be able to remain on the path to eternal life. That is a major goal for me and my family. A deepest desire of mine is to help my family and myself to get back to our Heavenly Father and gain the greatest gift, eternal life. I know that as I strive to focus on those covenants and worthily partake of the Sacrament every week, I will become spiritually stronger, my weaknesses will slowly become strengths, and I will reach my Heavenly Father again with my family.

I will conclude with her final words, "Each one of us is on that path. Tonight we sang about working the path in the light. As individuals, we are strong. Together with God, we are unstoppable. The Lord said to Emma Smith, "Lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made." We do rejoice that through keeping our covenants, we may feel the love of our heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ."

BYU Women Lost to UConn in Sweet 16

I'm sorry that this is one week late. BYU Women's Basketball lost to UConn (Connecticut) last Saturday, March 29, 2014. They were close in the first half. BYU had 29 points to UConn's 30 points, but BYU fell behind and lost 51-70 in the end.

The girls had a great season and an amazing final tournament (two upsets). They finished their season with a record of 28-7 (14-4 in their conference). Go Cougars!

Some stats:
Morgan Bailey: 14 points (2 3-pointers), 7 rebounds (6 defensive rebounds), 1 assist
Jennifer Hamson: 9 points, 13 rebounds (11 defensive rebounds), 1 assist, 6 blocks
Lexi Eaton: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Kylie Maeda: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Kim Beeston: 16 points (4 3-pointers), 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Makenzi Morrison: 1 rebound, 1 steal
Xojian Harry: 1 assist
Ashley Garfield: 4 rebounds (3 defensive rebounds)
Stephanie Rovetti: 3 assists
(Micaelee Orton and Kristine Fuller both got a minute of playing time but not other stats besides that)

Letters to Juliet

This last weekend on Saturday night (after the priesthood session of the LDS General Conference), I watched Letters to Juliet with some family. The first time I watched it was with my wife while we were dating before we got married. We watched it in a theater in Pocatello, Idaho. This is one of the few romantic films that both Julie and I love (Julie loves Jane Austen films).

Starring actors/actresses like Amanda Seyfried, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, and Christopher Egan, this film is a clean romantic film. The message centers around that sometimes true love never dies through the years. Amanda Seyfried, who plays the main character, Sophie, helps Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), find her true love from childhood years. 

I highly recommend this film to everyone not only because this is a clean film, but because also it is a feel-good film. You get to experience two love stories of two women one who is old in years but still in search of her true love and the other a woman who is searching for a story to write and ends up finding much more than that. It has great character development and is set in some of the most amazing areas of Italy.

This really is one of the cleanest modern romantic films out there.

IMDB.com says this for a storyline summary:

An American girl on vacation in Italy finds an unanswered "letter to Juliet" -- one of thousands of missives left at the fictional lover's Verona courtyard, which are typically answered by a the "secretaries of Juliet" -- and she goes on a quest to find the lovers referenced in the letter. 

This film is rated PG for brief rude behavior, some language and incidental smoking. The main language is that of taking God's name in vain. That only happens every once in a while.  I personally don't think those few things take away from the main story.The brief rude behavior is as it says, "brief". It is a rude hand gesture near the first part of the film. Go to this link, parents guide, to see a description of why it is rated PG.

Gravity

 

My wife and I got this film, Gravity, through Netflix last week and watched it over the weekend. The first thing I'll say is this, don't expect to be able to fall asleep during this film. My wife was thinking she could, and she didn't. It is an intense film that keeps you with the main character played by Sandra Bullock the whole time. Plus, the views of Earth and space are amazing!

These are Oscars it won this year according to www.imdb.com. 
- Best Achievement in Cinematography
- Best Achievement in Directing
- Best Achievement in Film Editing
- Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
- Best Achievement in Sound Editing
- Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
- Best Achievement in Visual Effects

It was nominated for:
- Best Motion Picture of the Year (2013)
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Sandra Bullock)
- Best Achievement in Production Design

Those Oscars are a good way to judge if this is a good movie. Sandra did a great job in her role as a medical scientist on her first space flight. She and George Clooney work together well in a film that I would call a must see (especially for all of you who are fans of the two actors, who love science fiction films, who love space flight stuff, and for those who love amazing and spectacular views of the planet we live on.

In this film, Sandra Bullock becomes stranded in space and has to find within herself the will to make it home.

From imdb.com:
A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after a catastrophe destroys their shuttle and leaves them adrift in orbit.

This film stars Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris. It was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and written by him and Jonás Cuarón. It is rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language. The disturbing images are mainly some dead bodies shown in the first part of the film. The brief strong language also is mostly in the first part of the film. To see a full description of why it's rated PG-13, go to this link: Parents Guide