4ofJuly#2 Daily Insights from my Life #35

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-08-02-mine-eyes-have-seen-the-glory?lang=eng

The video link above talks about the author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and why she wrote it. In my eyes, this hymn/song is one of the greatest patriotic songs ever written. Below are some verses of the hymn. I bear my testimony that I know that the Lord was behind the creation of this great nation. I know he had a hand in the results of the Revolutionary War and Civil War. He has inspired leaders of this nation like George Washington. I testify that God's "truth is marching on", and He is marching with us. If we maintain faith in Him, He will be forever with us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"

4ofJuly#1 Daily Insights from my Life #34

I thought of a thing to do from now up until the fourth of July, Independence Day. I will post something every day pertaining to that special day for our nation. Each will be labeled 4ofJuly in the title of the post. Just in case y'all don't know or remember, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence...that was the day that we as a nation declared to be independent.

President Ezra Taft Benson (at the time a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) gave this talk back in October 1976. It is titled, "Our Priceless Heritage".

May I first pay honor to the founders of our beloved republic.The Declaration of Independence to which these great men affixed their signatures is much more than a political document. It constitutes a spiritual manifesto—revelation, if you will—declaring not for this nation only, but for all nations, the source of man’s rights. Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, foresaw over 2,300 years ago that this event would transpire. The colonies he saw would break with Great Britain and that “the power of the Lord was with [the colonists],” that they “were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.” (1 Ne. 13:16, 19.)The Declaration of Independence was to set forth the moral justification of a rebellion against a long-recognized political tradition—the divine right of kings. At issue was the fundamental question of whether men’s rights were God-given or whether these rights were to be dispensed by governments to their subjects. This document proclaimed that all men have certain inalienable rights. In other words, these rights came from God. Therefore, the colonists were not rebels against political authority, but a free people only exercising their rights before an offending, usurping power. They were thus morally justified to do what they did.Finally, the document concludes with this pledge. “For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives,our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” (Italics added.)How prophetic that pledge was to be!

 When I ponder back on what those brave men did, I am grateful. Like President Benson said when he was just an apostle, God was with those great men and with the colonists as they strove and worked towards independence. I challenge all of you reading this post to remember that God had His hand in the origin of this great nation. With creating this nation, God opened the window for Joseph Smith, Jr., to ponder what church is the true church, and that led to the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I know these things are true, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

One of My All-Time Favorite Pins from Pinterest! #15 [Christ's Example]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241680737639/

I found this on www.lds.org and wanted to share it with y'all.

Jesus Christ, as He was here on this earth, taught through word and example. He gave great counsel in how to improve our personal spiritual lives, and He served others selflessly. I know that if strive to be as He was and is, we will find ourselves coming closer to Him and find more peace and happiness in this life.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger

"Captain America: The First Avenger" is a film about a young man turned into a superhero, because he wants to help fight against those who do evil. He was unfit to serve in the military during World War 2, so he volunteered for an experiment that made him into a super soldier and superhero striving to help take down a man trying to control the world.

This film is rate PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action. The parental guide is this link. There is some crude language, violence/action, and some immodest clothing. Some of the dancing girls wear immodest clothing. There are a couple of kisses, and even with the violence, there isn't a lot of blood...just some.

I would personally recommend this film to all adults and most teenagers. I think this is a good film for most people. I personally wouldn't mind my teenagers 13 and up watching this film. This film includes great character development (especially for Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America). It shows how he finds a way to serve his country. That is something he desperately wants. It also looks very authentic for being set during World War 2. 

This is part of the film/TV saga, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that Marvel Studios is doing. Time-wise this film is placed right before "Marvel's The Avengers".

IMDB.com has this short summary for the film:

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending USA ideals.

My Son Turns Two Years Old

On the 22nd of June this year, my son turned two years old. It was a great evening as we had family over from my wife's side and my side come and come for his birthday party. There was a yummy ice cream cake, presents, and playing with my son. He enjoyed it a lot. Thank you, everyone, for coming to make his day special. As my son says, "Happy Day!"

7DI #7 Daily Insights from my Life #33

Today is:

Day 7: Share your testimony of the gospel.

I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that through the Atonement which He performed for us, we can find comfort and forgiveness and be able to repent of our sins. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me with an eternal love that never ends. I know that Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, knows what I am going through. He has felt it too. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove, and that he was the first prophet of our dispensation. I know that every prophet in our dispensation was called of God. I know that President Thomas S. Monson receives divine guidance from our Heavenly Father for us.

I know that families are key to the Plan of Salvation. If my family (my wife and son and I) remain faithful to God, we will be eternal as a family. I am happy to know that any children born into our family are automatically sealed into our family. I know that through temples, we can receive sacred covenants and find the key to eternal happiness.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

New Poll

I have a new movie poll open! It closes next Friday, June 27, 2014. It is on the right-hand side below Blog News. Just click on the link and it will take you there!

7DI #6 Daily Insights from my Life #32

Today is:

Day 6: Post a song that's helped you.

Joseph Smith's First Prayer is an LDS hymn that I sang as I gained my testimony of the First Vision and in result of the gospel of Jesus Christ, etc.

Here is a link for the hymn: Joseph Smith's First Prayer

My favorite verse of the hymn is:

Suddenly a light descended,
Brighter far than noonday sun,
And a shining, glorious pillar
O'er him fell, around him shone,
While appeared two heav'nly beings,
God the Father and the Son,...

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" is a film based and centered around Tom Clancy's characters from his books. In the film, Jack Ryan is a young CIA analyst. He finds a terrorist plot to damage the United States economy, and works with the CIA to thwart it.

This film is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and intense action, and brief strong language. The only thing I don't like about the film is some of the strong language. Otherwise I enjoyed the movie. I love how it is based off of characters from Tom Clancy's books. I think they did a pretty good job with that and with putting those characters in a situation similar to what Tom Clancy put them in. I recommend this film for adults. Parents can decide if they want their teenagers watching this film. This is a link for the parental guide. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable about having my kids watch it until they are 16 or older.

Overall, I would rate this film 4 out of 5 stars.

The IMDB.com summary is:

Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

7DI #5 Daily Insights from my Life #31

Today is:

Day 5: Share a Mormon Message

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPbDZnrxBLM
Voice of the Spirit (President James E. Faust)

As long as we keep our hearts and minds open, we can hear him.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past

I will now on have the above movie title be a link to the IMDB.com website for the movie.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is the latest installment in the X-Men movie saga. Wolverine is sent back in time in order to protect humans and mutants from certain doom in present day. Sentinels, robots built to battle mutants, are not only killing a lot of mutants, but are also endangering many humans.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language. This is the parent's guide link. This film has some swearing, and it is filled with action and violence. At one point, Wolverine is naked getting out of bed. The camera shows everything except for the private part in front. There is another scene of a man in an army camp showering, and it includes a view of his buttocks. There is also a view of a woman in her underwear. Also, as I mentioned with Mystique in the very first X-Men movie, she is covered in blue scales but her body form is defined. To read a better description of how bad it gets with her, you can read the parent's guide link at the beginning of this paragraph.

Due to all the offensive stuff previously mentioned, I only recommend this film for adults. I personally wouldn't want my kids to watch it until they are adults. I wouldn't feel comfortable showing it to them. I think there is some stuff that are obviously unnecessary. Besides those things, this movie has a good plot line in regards to including time travel and bringing two opposing mutants with differing viewpoints together to stop the extinction of mutants all together. I enjoyed it for the most part.

I would give this film a rating of 3 stars out of 5.

IMDB.com's summary for this film is:

The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

X-Men (2000)

"X-Men" (made in 2000) is the first of many X-Men films. It is centered around two mutants who find their way to Xavier's school for mutants. The mutants face opposition from all other humans because they are feared. The two mutants end up helping the X-Men, a group of mutants Xavier has brought together, to stop another group of mutants who have more evil plans. 

"X-Men" has some crude language, including some sexual banter between two of the mutants. There is plenty of action and violence. I wouldn't let my kids watch it until they are at least 15 or so. One of the female mutants kisses a guy near the beginning of the movie, and one other female mutant's entire body is covered in a type of blue scales and no clothes. No private areas of hers are seen. Overall this film is rate PG-13 for sci-fi action violence. Here is the parental guide.

I would recommend this film for all adults. I advise not allowing your kids to watch until they are at least 13, but it is up to you. I personally think that this is the best of the first three X-Men films. One reason why I like this film is because of the character development of the two new mutants and how they eventually feel like they are part of the team and belong at Xavier's school. It has a good plot line too in regards to the conflict the X-Men have to face in Magneto and the mutants who follow him. I don't really care for the other two. I hope y'all enjoy it. I think people who love X-Men will like this film the most, but others will too.

I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Imdb.com has this as the film's summary:

Two mutants come to a private academy for their kind whose resident superhero team must oppose a terrorist organization with similar powers.

7DI #4 Daily Insights from my Life #30

Today is:

Day 4: Share Mormon Channel's video post. (Found on  Facebook & Google+)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MiF_HKoFr4

I personally know that the Plan of Salvation is divinely given to us by God. Through it, we can find happiness.

One of My All-Time Favorite Pins from Pinterest! #14 [Nature Scene I Love]

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/553450241680629873/

This is one of the many places I want to see one day (maybe on a future cruise...who knows when that will be) :)

It just looks magically beautiful...a place I could just lay on the sand and enjoy the serenity of the surroundings around me. 

7DI #3 Daily Insights from my Life #29

Today is:

Day 3: Share a quote or scripture that inspires you.

Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-9

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."

These are great words of comfort for any who feel that they are alone and that God has forgotten them. I know it has helped me in my life. It is one of my favorite scriptures of all time.

7DI #2 Daily Insights from my Life #28

Today is:

Day 2: Take a picture of where you go to feel inspired

Here is the picture:

This is a chair that sits in our son's bedroom. It is one of the comfortable places for me to sit, read, and/or ponder. 

7DI #1 Daily Insights from my Life #27

7DI stands for 7 Days of Inspiration. As I mentioned before in the previous post, I'm going to follow the thing I posted in that previous post every day. Today is:

Day 1: Share a general conference talk that you love.

A general conference talk I really love is by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. It is titled, "Good, Better, Best".

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=eng&query=Dallin+H.+Oaks

He gave it back in October 2007. It talks about how there are some things that are good to do, there are things that are better to do, and then there are the best things to be doing. I at times think of this when I am making a decision of what choice I should make.

7 Days of Inspiration (6/16/14 to 6/22/14)

I'm going to start posting these starting next Monday as part of my daily insights post series. I saw it on my sister-in-law's Facebook page, and I thought it was a good way to share some stuff that have inspired me throughout the years. I hope y'all enjoy them!

You will be able to see previous daily insight posts under the tab above labeled "Life Insights".

Here are the links to them. Enjoy!
7 Days of Inspiration #7
7 Days of Inspiration #6
7 Days of Inspiration #5
7 Days of Inspiration #4
7 Days of Inspiration #3
7 Days of Inspiration #2
7 Days of Inspiration #1

Five Kingdoms: Sky Raiders

Five Kingdoms: Sky Raiders

"Sky Raiders" is the first book in the 5-book series by Brandon Mull called "Five Kingdoms". This book came out this last March 2014. The second one will come out this fall in October. "Sky Raiders" is centered around a boy who find a mysterious place called the Outskirts with his friends. While trying to rescue his friends, Cole gets involved with helping a new friend, Mira, to save the Outskirts from magic that is unraveling.

I think this is a great novel. It is a perfect mix between Brandon Mull's "Fablehaven" and "Beyonders" series. As reading it, Brandon Mull did an excellent job helping me fall in love with the characters through his great character development. The story-line is very enthralling. I think Brandon Mull makes it easy for you to relate to the characters. I loved this book so much that it has got me really excited for the second one. 

I recommend this book to everyone from ages 8 and up (yes even adults ;) ). It is a great read for anyone. It has no crude language. It includes fantasy action/fighting, but it's not descriptive enough that I wouldn't allow my kids to read it. It is a clean book just like all of Brandon Mull's books are.

Overall, I give this book a 5-star rating.

Goodreads.com gives this summary:

Adventure awaits in the Five Kingdoms; come and claim it in this start to a new series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series.

Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level. 

After Cole sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath the haunted house, he dives in after them and ends up in The Outskirts. The Outskirts are made up of five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. It's an in-between place. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from our world, or from other worlds. 

And once you come to the Outskirts, it's very hard to leave. 

With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, it's up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends, set things right in the Outskirts, and hopefully find his way back home before his existence is forgotten.

A War of Gifts

A War of Gifts

"A War of Gifts", a story by Orson Scott Card, is set during the time frame of the novel, "Ender's Game" (also by Orson Scott Card). It takes place while Ender is part of an army at the school he trains at to battle the Buggers. It introduces a new character along with developing another one from "Ender's Game" that readers didn't get to know really well. The story focuses on religious and culture diversity at the school. It also shows Ender facing the challenge of helping another student (trainee).

It's not as deep in plot as the other novels in the Ender series are, but it's still a good story to read adding some character development to lesser-known characters. I think it's a good example of how well Orson Scott Card writes. I mainly recommend this story/book to adults (especially those who like the novel, "Ender's Game"). I personally would allow my kids to read it when they are teenagers, but probably not when they are younger than 12 or 13. The reason why is because it has a few crude words. I don't think it has more four or five. That is the only thing I dislike about it.

Overall, I rate this story 4 stars out of 5. The reason why is because like the story, the character development, and overall Card's writing. If y'all loved the novel, "Ender's Game", I'm sure y'all will love this story.

Enjoy!

Goodreads.com has this summary:

Orson Scott Card offers a Christmas gift to his millions of fans with this short novel set during Ender's first years at the Battle School where it is forbidden to celebrate religious holidays.

The children come from many nations, many religions; while they are being trained for war, religious conflict between them is not on the curriculum. But Dink Meeker, one of the older students, doesn't see it that way. He thinks that giving gifts isn't exactly a religious observation, and on Sinterklaas Day he tucks a present into another student's shoe.

This small act of rebellion sets off a battle royal between the students and the staff, but some surprising alliances form when Ender comes up against a new student, Zeck Morgan. The War over Santa Claus will force everyone to make a choice.

Spirit Animals: Wild Born

Spirit Animals: Wild Born

This is the first of seven books in this series called "Spirit Animals". This series centers around four young kids who are chosen by special spirit animals. They find out that they are key players in confronting an evil overwhelming their world. It is a fun book. Brandon Mull, author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series', was given the responsibility to create the outline for this series and write the first book. I think it was a good decision to have him be the front-runner and creator of this series. In my opinion, he is a great author. 

I recommend this book because for how short of a book it had to be, Brandon Mull did an excellent job in character development and immersing the reader into a brand new fantasy world. Because of my experience with this book due to Mull's great writing, I am very excited to read the rest of the books in this series. There wasn't anything I disliked about this book. Brandon Mull kept every chapter as intriguing or even more intriguing than every previous chapter. 

I believe those who will really love this book are kids ages 10 and up, but I also believe young adults/adults would love this book too. Just one warning: There is some fantasy action. It is not descriptive (There is no doubt in my mind that I would let my kids read this book), but there is some fighting involved. As with all Brandon Mull books, there is nothing offensive like language or anything.

Overall, I rate this book 5 stars!

In addition to this book, there are directions in the front/back of the book about an online game dealing with the plot of this series for your kids to play.

Goodreads.com has this summary for the book:

Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts - a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children - and the world - have been changed for ever. Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers ...and on you.

The Importance of Being Earnest

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is a romantic comedy that my wife enjoys. It is about two friends who both take on the alternate name of Ernest and gets into some comedic trouble with the women they like. It is one I enjoy too. It is fun for me to see the friendship between the two guys and how the two women they like bond. Then, there is the aunt of one of the guys who adds the antagonistic-type role. During the movie she is watchful over her daughter (one of the woman) in making sure she marries and husband that meets the aunt's approval. Personally this film doesn't reach out to me as others since it is a romantic film, but I do enjoy how the guys learn a lesson of the consequences of lying.

Overall I think this is a good movie for couples (husbands and wives) to watch. I don't think I would want my kids to watch it because of a couple things. There is a scene near the beginning where one of the women that the guys like had a classical painting in her book with a nude woman. It's just like all those other classical paintings that have nude bodies in them. The other thing is that you see a section of a woman's rear end with a tattoo on it. It's a close-up of the tattoo. There is also some kissing/sexual innuendo, but I don't think it is so bad that this film should be rated PG-13 instead of PG (which is what this film is rated...for mild sensuality). There is also some smoking/drinking and one offensive word (it's not a bad swear word). Here is a parent's guide link, so that you can see for yourself what I'm saying.

Overall I would give this movie a 4-star rating out of 5 stars. It was a very enjoyable film that I believe you will all like. The movie stars Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, and Reese Witherspoon.

This is the imdb.com website for the film: Earnest

The House of Hades

The House of Hades

I recommend this book, "The House of Hades". This book is the fourth book in Rick Riordan's "The Heroes of Olympus" series. I talked about the series in the recommendation post I wrote a couple of days ago about the third book, "The Mark of Athena". To see that recommendation, click on this link, The Mark of Athena, or go to the tabs up above and look under "Recommended Books". 

"The House of Hades" continues along the journeys of the demigods mention in the "The Mark of Athena" post as they continue to try to stop Gaea from waking up to destroy the world. One of the big things I love about this book (and as I mentioned before in the other post) and with all his other books in this series is that he is able to not only do very well at switching between different characters' viewpoints without breaking the continuity of the story, but he also is able to have amazing character development. In "The Mark of Athena", he expanded from 3 viewpoints to 4 viewpoints. In "The House of Hades", he expands to 6 viewpoints, and in my opinion, he does a really great job of it. I don't want to give any specific examples in case I give spoilers away.

This book, as I mentioned with the other book of his, is full of romance, adventure, mythology, fantasy, and plenty of non-stop action. Just when you think events are going to calm down, Riordan pulls you in with another dilemma or something like that.

I recommend this book to all teenagers, young adults, and adults. The only thing I dislike about this book is that as I mentioned in "The Mark of Athena", "The only thing I dislike about it is that Riordan had them say a version of saying God's name in vain. Instead of referring to God, they refer to Greek or Roman Gods. That rarely happens though." That only happens like 3 times or less. There is also one male character who says he had a crush a while ago on another main male character, but he says that he is over it. I don't think that was necessary of Rick Riordan to put in there, but it is there.

So overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5-star rating! I really like how Riordan writes. He does a great job with maintaining character development with multiple characters without breaking up the continuity of the storyline.

As I mentioned in "The Mark of Athena", the summary of goodreads.com has spoilers from the previous books so for those who haven't read any before this book, I will not put the summary here. If you want to read it, click on the title link at the very beginning of this book.

Swiss Family Robinson

"Swiss Family Robinson" is a Disney classic film that I watched many times with my family. My mom loved the Disney classics so I grew up with them. This film is about a family from Switzerland who get shipwrecked due to a storm and try to make a new life on a deserted island. It is a family-friendly film that I recommend to all families. Some of the things I really enjoyed about this film is the emphasis on family and how that even though they have arguments, they work through it and become stronger by the end of the film. It is a clean movie with no offensive or crude material. The IMDb parental guide is located here if you want to see it: Parental Guide. 

So if you are looking for a movie to watch with your family one night, I definitely recommend this one. Out of 5 stars, I personally give this movie a 5-star rating. There is nothing I dislike about the movie. It's about two hours long. It was released back in December of 1960 and stars actors like John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, and James MacArthur along with Kevin Corcoran (who also starred in the older version of The Shaggy Dog as the little brother Moochie Daniels).

Enjoy!

The imdb.com summary is:

A Swiss family must survive being shipwrecked on a deserted island.

Daily Insights from my Life #26

Yesterday while I was in the library at church fulfilling my calling as ward librarian, I was studying the Sunday School lesson that our ward was teaching. It is the story of Samuel, Eli, and Eli's sons. As I was reading 1 Samuel 3, the Holy Ghost emphasized in my heart some things that Samuel learned.

First of all, Samuel was ready to obey when called. In 1 Samuel 3:4 and other verses in that chapter, I loved how as the Lord called him, Samuel always said, "Here am I." He was ready.

In relation to that, in verse 9 through 10, Eli taught Samuel that if the Lord calls him again, that Samuel should answer "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth."

I love the righteous example Samuel gave of being willing to listen and obey. Sometimes we can all find ourselves unwilling to listen to something the Lord wants us to hear and do, but I know that if I open up my heart, be humble, and be willing to obey, I will hear the Lord's voice. I know that blessings will come as I listen and obey...go and do the things which the Lord commands me to do.

The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena

I recommend this book, The Mark of Athena. It is the third book of a five-book series that Rick Riordan is writing. The series is called "The Heroes of Olympus". This new series follows the story of Percy Jackson and his friends (ones you fall in love with during Riordan's first series). It starts soon after the end of Riordan's other series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians". This new series also introduces new characters...not only Greek demigods but also Roman demigods. It follows their quest to stop Gaea (Greek Goddess of Earth) from destroying the world. 

In The Mark of Athena, they are on the first leg of the major journey to Greece and Rome. Rick Riordan does really well on character development of the many characters involved in the story. In the first two books of his new series, you only read three individual's viewpoints, and I think he does a great job with those in character development and continuity of the story. With "The Mark of Athena", he overcomes a greater challenge where he is writing four individual viewpoints. In my opinion, he does a great job in keeping plenty of character development involved, and the continuity of the story is as unbroken as in the first two books. There is plenty of and mythology. Goodreads.com has it under various genres. Those include: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Adventure, and Romance.

It is a young adult-categorized book, but can just as easily be enjoyable and exciting for us adults. My wife and I love them as do other adults I know. 

The only thing I dislike about it is that Riordan had them say a version of saying God's name in vain. Instead of referring to God, they refer to Greek or Roman Gods. That rarely happens though. It maybe happens like 4 or 5 times at the most. In sum, it is a clean, fun book to read for youth.

I hope y'all enjoy this book as much as I did!

Just so you know, the first and second book of this series are titled "The Lost Hero" and "The Son of Neptune", respectively. I will probably do recommendation posts for them later on.

The Goodreads.com plot summary is a spoiler summary if you haven't read the two previous books, so I won't include it in this post. If you want to read it, click on the link at the top of this post. The link is the title of this book.

4 out of 5-Star Rating

BYU Football 2014 Schedule

Not to long ago, the 2014 schedule for BYU football was announced. 

August 29, 2014 [Friday] @ Connecticut

September 6, 2014 [Saturday] @ Texas

September 11, 2014 [Thursday] vs. Houston

September 20, 2014 [Saturday] vs. Virginia

October 3, 2014 [Friday] vs. Utah State

October 9, 2014 [Thursday] @ Central Florida

October 18, 2014 [Saturday] vs. Nevada

October 24, 2014 [Friday] @ Boise State

November 1, 2014 [Saturday] @ Middle Tennessee

November 15, 2014 [Saturday] vs. UNLV

November 22, 2014 [Saturday] vs. Savannah State

November 29, 2014 [Saturday] @ California

I'm really excited for this next season. Fall camp starts this summer and then as you can see at the bottom of my blog, the Connecticut games starts in 81 days! I think they can pull off at least a 10-win season (hopefully more). They have a lot of good returning players and first-time players. I'm excited to see how they do. Before the season begins and near the end of fall camp, I will post who my favorite players for the season will be.

Here are the top five games I am most excited for:

1. vs. Utah State!

2. @ Boise State

3. vs. Houston

4. vs. Virginia

5. @ Texas

 

The reason why I chose Utah State and Boise State as the top two is because they are rivals of BYU. Utah State has a longer rivalry with BYU than Boise State does so they are number one. BYU, I believe, was the first Utah college/university to beat Boise State in football last year. It was a great game :)

I chose Houston as the third one because last year it was a really close game. BYU won within a touchdown, so I'm excited to see how this next game turns out (especially since it's going to be played at BYU)

I chose Virginia next because we had a horrible loss to them at the beginning of last season. They didn't do so good throughout the season, so it was sad that we lost to them. I'm excited to see us win that game. I'm pretty sure BYU can do it.

Lastly, I'm excited for the Texas game. We beat them pretty good this last season at home at BYU, so I'm excited to see how it goes in their home city, Austin, Texas. That will be probably one of BYU's toughest games of the season.

Let's go COUGARS!!!

BYUtv's Granite Flats Season 1 & 2

"Granite Flats" is BYUtv's first television drama series that was originally scripted. It is set at the time of the Cold War in a small Colorado town called Granite Flats. A town that is next to an army base where secrets are kept and dangerous events occur. It is a family-friendly show that my wife and I can watch without worrying about seeing or hearing anything offensive or crude. There isn't really anything I can say that I dislike. I like how you see all of the main characters develop and get to follow how they change and grow. It stays interesting and exciting from the very first episode to the last episode of Season 2. Season 3's first episode's air date will be announced later this summer by BYUtv. "Granite Flats" involves spies, the FBI, and a little romance. It is centered around three kids who are surrounded by all of the events happening in Granite Flats. It is fun to see them grow up and mature.

The website for BYUtv is found here: Granite Flats
All episodes from Season 1 and Season 2 are found at that website. It is also aired every Sunday evening on BYUtv.

I recommend this show to everyone. I think families will like this show and find it is a good one to watch together.

Some actors you might know from it are Scott Christopher (who is in a few LDS films like "Mobsters and Mormons" and "The Best Two Years") and a couple from Season 2. Those two are Cary Elwes (from "The Princess Bride") and Christopher Lloyd (from the "Back to the Future" trilogy).

5-Star Rating

IMDB.com's summary is:
It's the 1960s. The height of the Cold War. The rural town of Granite Flats, Colorado, suddenly becomes a hotbed for mystery and intrigue. (The rest of the summary is not included because it has spoilers from season 1)