"Saying thank you, thank you in his own special way."

I wanted to share a song that I had heard while serving in my ward's primary last year. I love how it shows that no matter what language you speak, He hears your prayers and loves you all the same.

1. All over the world at the end of day,

Heav’nly Father’s children kneel down and pray,

Each saying thank you in his own special way,

Saying thank you, thank you in his own special way.

“Gracias.” (grah-see-ahs) “Malo.” (mah-loh) “Wir danken dir.” (veer don-ken deer)

All over the world tender voices hear.

Some say “tak,” (tahk) others “merci,” (mare-see)

“Kansha shimasu,” (kahn-shah shee-mah-sue) we thank thee.

Our Heavenly Father hears them;

He understands each tongue.

Our Heav’nly Father knows them;

He loves them, loves them, ev’ry one.

Source: Children's Songbook, Page 16

"Our Heavenly Father hears them; He understands each tongue. Our Heav'nly Father knows them; He loves them, loves them, ev'ry one." Such a sweet and true message.

We were watching a movie the other night called "Mom's Night Out", where a mom is having a rough time keeping up with being a mother and needs a night out. In the end she finds out that being a mother is the best blessing someone could have even though you will rough times.

Children are a blessing from God. He listens to every one of them and loves every one of them. This I know in my heart.

A "Good Boy"

Recently I heard the term "good boy" used for me since I don't drink alcohol or get drunk. I was at work when it happened, and it got me thinking of how people notice what I do and how I am and act...that it's a good thing to be thought of as a "good boy" in that reference. As Christ taught in the Bible, we need to be a light on the hill. I have standards I try to live by and I feel I am blessed for doing so. I as a "good boy" try to set an example by how I think Christ would want me to be and act. I love the Lord and try to emulate how he would me like to live. I hope I can continue to live by the commandments I have been taught throughout my life as asked by God so that I can know of His love more fully and have his protection from those things that can hurt my body and mind. I know that as I strive to do this that I will be able to have an abundance of blessings both physically, mentally, and spiritually. I love my God, and hope that I can continue to be a good example to others so that they can see God's and Christ's light in my life and desire to obtain the same. I promise it is worth it :)

New Couch!

Got a new couch yesterday! Our old red sectional had broken springs and fabric, so we replaced it with a new grey one! We got it on sale from Big Lots a couple weeks ago. They didn't have any on stock so we ordered one and it arrived earlier this week. A friend helped us toss the old one and pick up the new one, and then my wife and I got the new ready to go for use by cutting the plastic off and getting the feet on. It's a gray Redding sofa.

In with the new!

Orson Scott Card's Women of Genesis

I just finished listening to the last of three books Orson Scott Card named the "Women of Genesis". It's a trilogy of books that focus on Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel & Leah. Part fiction, they follow the stories of those courageous, faithful women who dealt with hardships like not being able to have children, marrying in the Covenant of Abraham, and self-worth. He writes inspiring stories with fictional stories mixed with what is written in the Bible while staying true to the bible.

The three hardships I listed were what stood out to me. Some of them also had strong desires to read the Word of God that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been granted as a birthright. All four are things that I loved about those books.

The desire to be a a good mother is something I see in those women that are close to me. It's a real desire, and I can't imagine how tough it must have been not only for Sarah in the Bible but all other women out there today who have that same struggle. My heart and prayers go out to them.

Self-worth is something that all of us can relate to. We can be insecure of how we look, about our physical weaknesses, our spiritual weaknesses, and our emotional weaknesses. Orson Scott Card does a great job making the women of Genesis relatable to us in those ways. I love that the way they overcome those trials is by turning to God.

Last, but not least, is the desire to read the Word of God and marrying those who share their same religious values and beliefs. They want to feel God's love and have His strength with Him. I'm grateful for the decision I made to marry someone who shares my beliefs and values so that we can grow even stronger together. That was the desire of the women of Genesis as well, and they were blessed for doing so.

If you haven't read them, I recommend them. They are not perfect and make some decisions that are not the best, but they try their best to be be righteous women of God.

To The Black Hills

One of my favorite vacations with my parents and siblings was going to the Black Hills in South Dakota.

The summer after my mission, we camped at the Black Hills and saw sites like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and one of the nearby caves along with some amazing wildlife :)

I loved seeing all that with my family and having quality recreational fun together. My dad regularly took us camping and on annual vacations during which we enjoyed time together and created memories


Source: http://www.theblackhills.com/

Some of my favorite memories from that trip:

• Waking up early in the morning reading a book outside my parents' trailer with my dad.
• Seeing Mount Rushmore with my family. The size of the monument was breathtaking.
• Visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial along with it's museum. Learning of the native americans who call that their mother home.
• Going on hikes and admiring the wildlife with my family.

Those hills are a beautiful sight to see, and I'm grateful that I had the chance to go with my family to see them. My goal is take my own wife and children there one day to my kids the same beauty that I loved seeing.

My Loving Heavenly Father

I'm going to try to post more on this blog in the coming weeks after being inspired by my brother- and sister-in-law about using social media. So I will try to be more regular in my blogging. Comment on if there is any thing special you would want to see me share about on my blog! Thank you in advance for all input!

Today being the sabbath day, I just wanted to share my view on God...that I know he is my Heavenly Father. You and I are spiritual children of him. I love him and his infinite grace and love. As we realize our eternal identity, we will find that we are treasured by Him. Our spirits have no end. We are loved by Him and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Like it says in the Bible, Christ was sent to this Earth more than 2000 years ago to live by example and atone for our sins and trials of pain. By faith in God's plan, we can have eternal life by His grace through the Savior's Atonement. I love the Lord, and I am not ashamed of my testimony of Him.

Reference from the Bible...

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." -John 3:16-17

Then There Were 5

Life Update:

We had our third child on October 25, 2017. She's a girl who is growing into a toddler now at 16 months old. She's a light of our life when she's not being Miss Grumpy :) I had always wanted a daughter. Seeing the relationship my twin sisters had with my dad and the relationship between my brother and his oldest daughter both spurred the desire I had to have a little girl of my own. I have loved a little girl since before she was born. Her desire to come to me for comfort when Mom is not available melts my heart :)

She can be a bother at times to my two boys but I know they love her still :)

Thoughts on the MCU

I'm going to share a few of my thoughts on the Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)!

#1 has and might always will be The Avengers. I don't know what it is but every movie since has not lived up to it. The might and power that happens when 6 heroes are brought together to save the Earth is done very well in that film. Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War are good films but are not as well-done as the original.

The character developments they have accomplished through strings of films is great as well (#2). What they have done is unprecedented. As far as I've seen, no one else has been able to do what Marvel Studios has been able to do. They have taken a variety of directors with different types of films and heroes and meshed them into a 20-film continuous story. DC/Warner Brothers has tried but have not succeeded like Marvel. I think they tried to push too soon. I hear their movies are getting better, so I'm interested to see the direction they go. Sure there can be little flaws in the flow of the MCU but they are not things that bother me nor do I go looking for. I enjoy the Universe for what it is.

Some films are definitely as good for me as others in the MCU, but I still regard them as well-done films.

One last thing I wanted to talk about was how cleaner the MCU movies are compared to many other films out there. They do have some foul language but minimal compared to alot of other stuff you'll see.

I'm excited to see "Captain Marvel" hopefully this weekend. The trailers themselves show what should be an exciting ride. If I have time, I'll quickly share my thoughts on this blog afterwards.

The Giver

The Giver

"The Giver" is a film based on a novel by the same name written by Lois Lowry. It is about a community where everything seems perfect...pain, choices, suffering, and romantic love doesn't exist. A teenage boy is selected to learn about all the pain, pleasure, and experiences from a life in the past that an elderly man named the Giver has stored in his head. When that selection is made, the boy's life will change forever.

There is a lot of stuff I loved about this movie. I read the novel back in high school. The journey that the teenage boy, Jonas goes through a journey that is thought-provoking and moving. The acting was very good. I wasn't so sure about the Jeff Bridges as the Giver at first, but as the movie went on, I knew he was the right actor for the role. The acting that I thought was the best was Brenton Thwaites. His portrayal of Jonas and emotions were really good. The futuristic look of the community was good. 

The only thing I think they could've done better on was having some more experiences shown that Jonas receives from the Giver. Otherwise it was a really well-done film. It was rated PG-13 due to some of the experiences and some action/violence. There is just a bit of kissing, no foul language and the violence deals with some but not much blood.

Overall I would give this film a 4.5 Star Rating. I would recommend it to all adults and teenagers. 

BYU Football 2015 Schedule

Here's the schedule:
Saturday, September 5       @ Nebraska
Saturday, September 12     vs. Boise State
Saturday, September 19     @ UCLA
Saturday, September 26     @ Michigan
Friday, October 2               vs. Connecticut
Saturday, October 10         vs. East Carolina
Friday, October 16             vs. Cincinnati
Saturday, October 24         vs. Wagner
Friday, November 6           @ San Jose State
Saturday, November 14     @ Missouri
Saturday, November 21     vs. Fresno State
Saturday, November 28     @ Utah State

Below at the bottom of this post I have some rankings of these games.

Here are some details that I heard announced yesterday:

• The Boise State game will be a white-out game in Provo where BYU will wear white jerseys.
• The East Carolina game will be a royal blue game in Provo where BYU will wear their royal blue combination of jerseys instead of the normal blue.
• The Missouri game will be played in the NFL Kansas City Chiefs football stadium (Arrowhead Stadium)
• The San Jose State and Utah State games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
• The Boise State, Cincinnati, and Connecticut games will be broadcast on ESPN/ESPN2.
• The Wagner game will be played on BYUtv.

Plus the biggest announcement of all is the postseason plan for BYU. They will play in one of two bowl games if they can become bowl-eligible by getting at least 6 wins. It will either be the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl or the Hawaii Bowl. Whichever bowl they don't get into will be their bowl game for the postseason of 2019.

Top 3 Biggest Away Games for me:
1. UCLA
     -predicted to be ranked team next season; set in the West
2. Utah State
     -Sweet rivalry; need to revenge the double-loss last season
3. Missouri
     -One of the top teams in the SEC last year; going to be played in an NFL stadium

Top 3 Biggest Home Games for me:
1. Boise State
     -Need to revenge the loss last season; I'm from Idaho so it's a special rivalry for me; White-Out!
2. East Carolina
     -One of the top teams in their conference last season; Royal Blue jerseys!
3. Fresno State
     -A western team

Top 5 Biggest Games overall for me:
1. Boise State
2. Utah State
3. UCLA
4. Missouri
5. East Carolina

Dolphin Tale

Dolphin Tale

A touching story for the whole family, this film is centered around an injured dolphin and a boy. Due to the dolphin's tale being trapped in a crab trap, the boy found it beached and made sure it was rescued. With a strong friendship with the boy and a prosthetic tail to replace the amputated tail, the dolphin, Winter, is able to touch more than one life in this moving story.

A recent 2011 film, "Dolphin Tale" is a film for the whole family. It includes some blood when the dolphin is trapped, but otherwise the film is clean and appropriate for everyone to see. There is no crude language, and young boys and girls can easily relate to the boy and girl who help Winter recover from losing it's tail. This film is based off a true story. Including that reason, I also love this film because of the lessons of friendship it teaches all of us. Good and strong friendships can help each of us overcome hard challenges. There is great character development and a bit of comedy also...watch out for the pelican ;). This film is rated PG for some mild thematic elements.

I would give this film a 5-star rating!

The imdb.com summary for this film is:

A story centered on the friendship between a boy and a dolphin whose tail was lost in a crab trap.

BYU Basketball Goes 3-3 in Conf. Games Part 2

The last two weeks has consisted of a 3-3 record for the BYU men's and women's basketball teams. This is the second post covering their conference games.

Men's Team (currently 15-7, Conf: 5-4)
The men's team had a 1-2 record for these last two weeks. Their first game of the three was at Pacific. A game where the team dominated, Haws, Collinsworth, Fischer, and Halford were all playmakers. Collinsworth got his fourth triple-double...which is the NCAA record in a season. With Halford starting the game off with a three-pointer, BYU maintained the lead during the whole game and never even let Pacific tie the score. The second game was a tough loss at Saint Mary's (currently the #2-ranked team in the conference). One thing that Saint Mary's did that hurt BYU was rebounding. Saint Mary's was much better at it, and it's something that BYU needs to find a way to improve on. BYU had some good runs in scoring with Haws, Collinsworth, and Fischer heavily contributing to them, but in the end they weren't able to steal the lead and lost by five. BYU has now only lost by a total 29 points in their six losses (an average of 4.8 points per loss). Their last game ended in a loss at San Diego. They did a decent job try to stay up with San Diego, and the lead switched a few times, but in the end BYU wasn't able to pull ahead and get the win. The head coach, Rose, brought up that the team needs to work on defense.

Hopefully they can improve on defense and offensive rebounding well enough so that they can have a long streak of wins in the coming weeks. The hope is that they can pull off an 8-game win streak leading up to the Gonzaga game in Washington at the end of their regular season. Anson Winder started again in the game against San Diego after an injury. And now Nate Austin, who was supposed to come back soon after a hamstring injury, re-injured his hamstring during practice this last week and will now be down for longer.

Women's Team (currently 15-5, Conf: 7-2)
The women's team also had a 2-1 record for these last two weeks. Their first game was versus Pacific in Provo. Eaton and Bailey contributed a combination of 63 points to the win. The head coach, Judkins, mentioned that it is hard "to guard both of them at the same time." Eaton had a career-high with 32 points, and Bailey with 31 points tied her career high. With ten minutes left in the game, BYU was leading by 32 points. After that all healthy players got some good playing time. The second game was a rough loss versus Saint Mary's. In the first half of the game, BYU performed well and finished it ahead 31-24. Then in the second half, as the coach, Judkins, said, BYU didn't do so well defensively and didn't make the shots they needed to. The first half had three ties and eight lead changes. In the first half, Saint Mary's had 11 turnovers compared to BYU's three. The last game was a win versus San Diego in Provo. The coach said that again they were strong defensively in the first half but then slacked during the second. Xoijan Harry helped in keeping BYU in the game during the second half. She ended the game with 5 field goals (1 three-pointer) and 4-4 on free throws.

One thing that they can improve on is staying strong defensively during the second half...carry over that strong defensive showing they have in the first. If they do so, they will be able to win games more comfortably.

Top 2 Players (TPlay)
Men's Team
@ Pacific on Thursday, January 15, 2015 (Won 93-80)  
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals); Kyle Collinsworth (17 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 block, 3 steals); Honorable Mention: Chase Fischer (18 points, 5-9 on three-pointers, 2 rebounds, 1 assist)]

@ Saint Mary's on Saturday, January 17, 2015 (Lost 77-82)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals); Chase Fischer (19 points, 5 three-pointers, 5 rebounds, 2 assists)]

@ San Diego on Saturday, January 24, 2015 (Lost 74-77)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (20 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 10-11 on free throws); Skyler Halford (12 points, 4-7 on total field goals, 2 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals); Honorable Mention: Kyle Collinsworth (13 points, 9 rebounds (8 defensive), 3 assists)]

Women's Team
vs. Pacific on Thursday, January 15, 2015 (Won 89-72)
[TPlay: Lexi Eaton (32 points, 5-6 on three-pointers, 11-18 on field goals, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals); Morgan Bailey (31 points, 60.0% on field goals, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks)]

vs. Saint Mary's on Saturday, January 17, 2015 (Lost 51-61)
[TPlay: Morgan Bailey (17 points, 3-5 on three-pointers, 10 rebounds (8 defensive), 2 assists); Lexi Eaton (17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal); Honorable Mention: Alohi Robins-Hardy (5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal)]

vs. San Diego on Saturday, January 24, 2015 (Won 54-50)
[TPlay: Lexi Eaton (16 points, 6-9 on free throws, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist); Xojian Harry (15 points, 5-7 on field goals, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block); Honorable Mention: Morgan Bailey (13 points, 8 defensive rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal)]

BYU BBall Teams Go 9-3 With Conf. Openers

I'm doing the BYU basketball posts differently now due to it taking longer than desired to do it the other way. I won't have the lists of stats from the games. I will just have at the end summaries of the scores and who I think the top 2 players for each game are in my opinion.

During the past three weeks, both men's and women's BYU basketball teams combined for an 9-3 record in their first 12 conference games.

Men's Team
The men's team had a record of 3-2 with losses to Gonzaga and Pepperdine. Two of their wins...Santa Clara and San Francisco...were huge wins. The Santa Clara game showcased skills of many players as no one player went over twenty points. Many players contributed from 1 to 4 points to as high as 14. The San Francisco game showcased a whoppin' 15 three-pointers. Chase Fischer, who broke a record in three-pointers in a single game earlier in the season, shot the most during this game with 6 of 9 made. The Cougars scored 99 points that game with Haws, Fischer, Collinsworth, Winder, and Toolson all contributing in a big way points-wise. Plus, Collinsworth had his 3rd triple-double...1 more will tie with the most in a season in the NCAA. The third win was against Portland where Haws, Fischer, Collinsworth, Winder, and Halford all contributed a lot to a 97-point game for BYU. The last win...tonight's game...was against Loyola Marymount. BYU had 13 three-pointers with Chase Fischer tallying up 5 of them.

The two losses came to a tough and very talented 1-loss #6-ranked Gonzaga team and a winning-record non-ranked team, Pepperdine. In the Gonzaga game, BYU had a tough time making there shots with a very talented team defending them, but two players, Haws and Winder were able to help keep them in the game with 9 and 7 free throw points, respectively. And Halford helped with 3 three-pointers out of 4 attempts. Kyle Collinsworth also had a triple-double in that game (his second one of the season). The Pepperdine game was tough. Pepperdine gained a good lead in the first half, and BYU couldn't ever fully recover. They kept it close but couldn't pull out the win. One highlight from the game though is that with Tyler Haws' 26 points, he is now #3 on BYU's all-time scoring list. Pepperdine made great plays and were able to steal the win. BYU lost to Gonzaga by 7 and Pepperdine by 6. As of now BYU has lost by 24 total combined points in all 5 losses this season.

Women's Team
The women's team finished these first three weeks of conference play with a record of 5-1 with their only loss coming against a Gonzaga team which at the time had the same record as BYU (8-4). It was a tough loss for BYU where Gonzaga was a defensive powerhouse when it needed to be in keeping BYU, who worked hard, from pulling the win. BYU lost 62-78.

Their other 5 wins brought on redemption after the loss to Gonzaga. There were some close games and others that were not so close. The Portland win was basically decided on who made the most free throws (BYU). The Santa Clara win was by 29 points (almost 30). BYU dominated in field goal percentage (BYU: 54.5%; Santa Clara: 26.0%) and also had more free throws than Santa Clara. The San Francisco win was also a close one where free throws made made the difference. For that game the lead changed 8 times and the score was tied 6 times. BYU beat Loyola Marymount due to dominating again in free throws (which seems to be common in their close wins). Finally with Pepperdine, BYU pulled out the win with nine three-pointers compared to Pepperdine's 2. Plus BYU had 23 free throws compared to Pepperdine's 10. The top players during these games were Lexi Eaton, Morgan Bailey, Kylie Maeda, Ashley Garfield, and Makenzi Morrison. Morrison during the Pepperdine game set a new record with 7 makes of 7 attempts on three-pointers.

Top 2 Players (TPlay)
Men's Team
vs. Gonzaga on Saturday, December 27, 2014 (Lost 80-87)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (17 points, 100% on free throws, 4 defensive rebounds); Kyle Collinsworth (13 points, 10 rebounds (8 defensive), 10 assists, 1 steal)]

vs. Portland on Monday, December 29, 2014 (Won 97-88)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (24 points, 5 rebounds (4 defensive), 6 assists, 2 steals); Kyle Collinsworth (21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks)]

@ Santa Clara on Thursday, January 1, 2015 (Won 81-46)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal); Kyle Collinsworth (8 points, 15 rebounds (11 defensive), 6 assists, 3 steals)]

@ San Francisco on Saturday, January 3, 2015 (Won 99-68)
[TPlay: Chase Fischer (20 points, 6 three-pointers, 2 assists, 1 steal); Tyler Haws (22 points, 3 three-pointers, 7 rebounds, 1 steal); Honorable Mention: Kyle Collinsworth (12 points, 12 defensive rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal)]

vs. Pepperdine on Thursday, January 8, 2015 (Lost 61-67)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (26 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal); Anson Winder (16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals)]

vs. Loyola Marymount on Saturday, January 10, 2015 (Won 85-72)
[TPlay: Tyler Haws (26 points, 7 of 7 on free throws, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal); Chase Fischer (19 points, 5 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal); Honorable Mention: Kyle Collinsworth (13 points, 10 rebounds, 8 asists, 4 steals)]

Women's Team
@ Gonzaga on Saturday, December 27, 2014 (Lost 62-78)
[TPlay: Morgan Bailey (13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block); Ashley Garfield (9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists)]

@ Portland on Monday, December 29, 2014 (Won 83-79)
[TPlay: Morgan Bailey (31 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal); Lexi Eaton (16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists)]

vs. Santa Clara on Thursday, January 1, 2015 (Won 84-55)
[TPlay: Lexi Eaton (22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block): Morgan Bailey (8 points, 14 rebounds (12 defensive), 7 assists, 1 block, 1 steal)]

vs. San Francisco on Saturday, January 3, 2015 (Won 65-62)
[TPlay: Morgan Bailey (26 points, 12 rebounds); Lexi Eaton (18 points, 3 three-pointers, 3 assists)

@ Loyola Marymount on Thursday, January 8, 2015 (Won 71-63)
[TPlay: Morgan Bailey (22 points, 14 defensive rebounds, 3 assists); Lexi Eaton (20 points, 3 three-pointers, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 steals)]

@ Pepperdine on Saturday, January 10, 2015 (Won 84-78)
[TPlay: Lexi Eaton (29 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 14 free throws); Makenzi Morrison (25 points, 7-7 on three-pointers, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 steals, 88.9% on total field goals)]

My Sister Got Married

This month one of my sisters got married to a great guy. They got married in the temple, and it was a wonderful day for them. I am very happy for them.

BYU Basketball Pull Out Wins 3-0

Another great week and a half for BYU men's and women's basketball with a 3-0 record over three games.

Men's Basketball (Now 10-3)
#1 December 20, 2014 vs. Stanford (Won 79-77)
#2 December 23, 2014 vs. University of Massachusetts (Won in overtime 77-71)

Women's Basketball (Now 8-3)
#1 December 22, 2014 @ Utah State (Won in double overtime 62-58)

These were the last non-conference games for both teams. Starting Saturday, they will be playing WCC foes for the rest of the regular season starting with Gonzaga for both teams...Gonzaga is the best team in the WCC for men's and women's. For both men's and women's BYU basketball they've have pretty decent non-conference records with only 3 losses each. Men's losses came to three good teams in San Diego State, Purdue, and Utah. San Diego State and Utah are both currently ranked. Women's losses came also to three good teams. One is currently ranked and undefeated...Oregon State ranked at #10.

Here's to a successful run in conference games this season starting at their first tough games against one of the best teams in the WCC historically, Gonzaga.

Men's Basketball
With two close wins, I would think they would have gained some more national recognition after beating two well-known universities in Stanford and Massachusetts. With the Stanford game, game #1, One thing that helped BYU stay in the game was 21 of 29 on free throws. They were otherwise pretty even with field goals when compared to Stanford. The lead changed 8 times throughout the game which shows how close it was. Also BYU dominated in 2nd chance points. With the Massachusetts game, the free throws made the difference again...especially in the overtime play. Overall BYU was 26 of 32 on free throws compared to Massachusetts (12 of 17). Otherwise, again, BYU and Massachusetts were even on field goals. Also Anson Winder was a big playmaker in that game when Tyler Haws was struggling. Anson scored a big 25 points off the bench along with Skyler Halford with 8 and Corbin Kaufusi with 6. With those three guys contributions along with a big game by starter Kyle Collinsworth, BYU was able to stay in the game and defeat Massachusetts.

Men's Game #1
Tyler Haws: 24 points; 4 assists
Chase Fischer: 16 points; 2 steals
Kyle Collinsworth: 15 points; 10 total (7 defensive) rebounds; 7 assists; 2 steals
Anson Winder: 13 points; 4 defensive rebounds
Isaac Neilson: 6 rebounds; 2 blocks; 6 points

Men's Game #2
Anson Winder: 25 points; 5 rebounds (4 defensive)
Kyle Collinsworth: 18 points; 15 rebounds (10 defensive); 4 assists; 3 steals
Chase Fischer: 8 points; 2 steals; 2 assists
Skyler Halford: 8 points; 5 rebounds (4 defensive)
Corbin Kaufusi: 6 points; 1 block; 2 steals

Women's Basketball
The BYU Women's team had a very closely fought game with Utah State...a fabulous and intense rivalry game. During the first half BYU struggled with three-pointers with 0 made out of 8 but still got the lead at half-time with 5 free throws. The score at halftime was 23-18 with BYU ahead The second half had Utah State catching up a couple more field goals than BYU (including one more three-pointer) to tie the game. In the first overtime, only 4 total points were scored between the two teams, and then in the second overtime, BYU was able to finish it ahead by two with a lone three pointer between the two teams and 5 for 6 on free throws whereas Utah State was only 2 for 2 on free throws and no three-pointers.

Women's Game #1
Lexi Eaton: 29 points; 8 rebounds (7 defensive); 4 assists; 2 steals
Morgan Bailey: 19 points; 22 rebounds (17 defensive); 2 assists; 1 block; 3 steals
Makenzie Morrison: 4 points; 3 steals
Ashley Garfield: 4 points; 7 rebounds; 2 assists; 2 steals
Kylie Maeda: 2 assists; 1 defensive rebound
Team: 8 rebounds

#SharetheGift 12/24/2014

Today I just want to share a story that happened to me yesterday. My father was dropping some food off for an elderly woman, and I wanted to join and be a part of it. It was a great experience to see a smile on her face when it was explained what all we brought her.

It is an amazing thing to feel that happiness within yourself when you give to others. God fills you with that happiness and a peace that you can't feel otherwise. You can feel peace and happiness other ways, but through doing service it feels different...a better 'different'.

I promise y'all that if you do something to help others through service with a giving heart, you will feel something like I did.

#SharetheGift 12/23/2014

When the star appeared in the sky, three wise men were called by King Herod to go see the Christ child (because the king was afraid the child). So they traveled to Bethlehem to find Christ. In the scriptures, it reads, "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrrh." (Reference: Matthew 2:1-11)

During this time of the year, let us give gifts to others. As the wise men did in giving gifts to Christ, we will be blessed if we do the same in thinking of others more than ourselves. The wise men were led by God through the star to the Christ child, so that they can share the news with others and have the wonderful opportunity to give what they had to Christ their Savior.

Let us do the same in giving to others this season...giving through physical objects or acts of service to those who are close to us. If we do that, it will help be a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

#SharetheGift 12/22/2014

When the angels came to the shepherds in the fields and told them that, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." They were told where to find the Christ child, and went directly to see them. I believe they knew who He was and what joy and peace He would bring to the world. (Reference: Luke 2:8-14)

After they saw Christ, "they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heart it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds." The shepherds were so overjoyed by the news and sight of Christ, that they wanted to share that gift with the world. (Reference: Luke 2:15-18)

I challenge y'all to share the story of Christ's birth to your families. Strive to remember the true meaning and reason why we celebrate Christmas...to remember and celebrate the birth of Christ.

BYU Women's Volleyball End Season with Second Place

This last weekend, the BYU Women's Volleyball team led by great athletes like Jennifer Hamson and Alexa Gray played in the final four of the national tournament and went on to play in the National Championship against the defending champion, Penn State. This would be only the second time BYU has gone to the final four.

On December 18, BYU played the semifinal game against No. 2-seeded Texas. They won the first two sets, lost the third, and then finished the game with a kill to cap the set 26-24 and to win the game 3-1. Jennifer Hamson had a great game with 22 kills, 25.5 points, 10 digs, and 7 block assists. Alexa Gray also had a great game with 19 kills and 20.5 points. The third best player in my opinion was Alohi Robins-Hardy, a dual-threat athlete like Jennifer Hamson in basketball and women's volleyball. She had a good game with 54 assists. and 8 digs.

After winning against Texas, BYU went on to the National Championship to play No. 5-seeded Penn State (defending champion). The first two sets were close in points (25-21, 26-24), but BYU wasn't able to pull the win in either one of them. Then Penn State won the game with a third win to make the final score 3-0. Jennifer Hamson again had a good game with 14 kills, 8 digs, and 16 points. Alexa Gray had 9 kills and 10 points, and Amy Boswell had 7 kills and 9.5 points. Alohi Robins-Hardy had 31 assists and 8 digs. The women had a tough time trying to beat them, but just couldn't pull the win. 

Finishing in second place, BYU went farther than some people thought. They excelled and made an excellent run with 3-0 and 3-1 wins throughout the whole tournament until the national championship. With players like Alexa Gray, Amy Boswell, and hopefully Alohi Robins-Hardy returning next year, they should have another great season. They ended this season with a great 30-5 overall record.

Jennifer Hamson has now finished at BYU and has a big decision to make in whether she wants to pursue volleyball or basketball. The Los Angeles Sparks drafted her earlier this year, so if she wants to go that route she has an open door for her in basketball, or she can go pursue professional volleyball.

BYU has Tough Loss in Miami Beach Bowl

In a tough-fought game, BYU lost their bowl game of the season in the Miami Beach Bowl game against Memphis. The final score was 48-55 in double overtime. It was played yesterday, Monday, December 22, 2014, and they now have an overall record of 8-5.

It was a well fought game. The offense had good drives and the defense had good stops. The offense and defense was also generally good for Memphis too. There were fumbles and interceptions caused by both teams but with BYU having one less turnover. In total yards BYU and Memphis were pretty even with BYU having 425 total yards and Memphis having 480 total yards. BYU and Memphis both converted all 4th down conversions. BYU had more passing yards than Memphis but less rushing yards. BYU was 3 for 3 on Red Zone scoring whereas Memphis was 6 for 7. BYU defense had the only defensive touchdown off of a sweet interception near the end of the game.

There were a lot of good things that happened which I pointed out. Christian Stewart was roughed up quite a bit with 2 sacks and many other hits. At one point it looked like he was sit out and McCoy Hill was going to take over, but Stewart was able to get back out on the field to finish the rest of the game. I think he showed great strength in order to try to get the win for his team. Other offensive players with big games were Algernon Brown, Paul Lasike, Mitch Mathews, Jordan Leslie, and Mitchell Juergens. They all performed with great strength when it was needed of them. There were many defensive players with big games too. You can look at the stats below but some of them were Zac Stout, Alani Fua, Travis Tuiloma, and Harvey Jackson. And all those names are just naming a few out of many who executed when they needed to to keep BYU in the game.

Some of the weaknesses BYU showed were the snaps to Christian Stewart. I don't know what happened there, but there were at least 5 or 6 of them where Christian Stewart showed up to keep those loose balls from being turnovers. Also there were still tackling issues from the defense and special teams. Both the BYU and Memphis quarterbacks (Stewart and Lynch) threw some questionable passes that were intercepted. But regardless of those weaknesses, I think BYU overall did a good job against a good defense and overall good team in Memphis.

They have things they can sharpen up over this break before next fall. Seniors like Christian Stewart, Alani Fua, Craig Bills, and Paul Lasike will be leaving on their own paths, but superb players like Taysom Hill, Jamaal Williams, Bronson Kaufusi, and Mitch Mathews will be returning to help BYU play against one of their toughest schedules yet. They will need them all and others in full health as they battle teams like Nebraska, Missouri, Boise State, Utah State, and Michigan. It is sad to see the seniors leave but they will for sure move on to bigger and better things ranging from jobs from their majors or going to the NFL. We will find out in the first half of next year who decides to try for the NFL. As far as I know, no one has declared yet if they will do it or not, but I'm sure at least a few are thinking of it.

Here's to a tough but overall winning 8-5 season. Injuries were major challenges this year but they were able to overcome them to win their last 4 regular season games after a 4-game losing streak. Here's to another good season next year with at least a couple of NFL prospects returning for their last years at BYU. Let's go BYU Cougars!

With the season and post-season over, BYU football will have spring and fall practices (during the summer) before their first game of next season (2015). That game will be played against Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. I'll probably post during the summer my opinion of the upcoming 2015 season lineup.

Here are some quick stats from the game:
PASSING/RECEIVING (348 total yards; 3 touchdowns; 15.1 average yards per catch)
Christian Stewart (QB): 23 completions for 48 attempts (47.9%); 3 TOUCHDOWNS; 7.1 yards per passing attempt; 2 sacks; 3 interceptions; 2 fumbles (0 lost)
Mitch Mathews (WR): 82 yards with 9.1 average; 1 TOUCHDOWN; longest catch was 25 yards
Mitchell Juergens (WR): 87 yards with 21.8 average; 1 TOUCHDOWN; longest catch was 47 yards
Devin Mahina (TE): 54 yards with 27.0 average; longest catch was 41 yards
Terenn Houk (WR): 42 yards with 21.0 average; longest catch was 24 yards
Jordan Leslie (WR): 1 catch for 23 yards; 1 TOUCHDOWN
Other Players with catches: Devon Blackmon (WR; 1 for 14 yards); Adam Hine (RB; 1 for 11 yards); Keanu Nelson (WR; 1 for 9 yards); Algernon Brown  (RB; 1 for 7 yards)

RUSHING (77 net yards (117 total yards); 2 touchdowns)
Algernon Brown (RB): 79 net yards with 4.2 average; longest rush was 12 yards
Paul Lasike (RB): 11 net yards with 1.6 average; 2 TOUCHDOWNS; longest rush was 7 yards; 1 lost fumble
Mitchell Juergens (WR): 3 yards with 3.0 average
Adam Hine (RB): 0 net yards (1 yard gained and 1 yard lost)
Christian Stewart (QB): -11 net yards (30 lost; 19 gained); longest rush was 8 yards; -1.0 average

KICKING/PUNTING
Trevor Samson (K): 2 for 2 on field goals; longest field goal was 45 yards; 6 for 6 on extra points after touchdowns
Scott Arellano (P): 46.6 average yards per punt; longest punt was 56 yards

DEFENSIVE (88 total (77 solo) tackles; 1 sack; 6 passes broken up; 3 forced (4 total) fumbles(2 recovered fumbles); 6 tackles for loss for 25 yards; 2 QB Hits; 3 interceptions with a touchdown on one of them)
Skye PoVey (DB): 9 total (8 solo) tackles; 1 pass broken up; 1 tackle for loss for 1 yard
Michael Davis (DB): 8 total (8 solo) tackles; 1 pass broken up
Logan Taele (DL): 8 total (4 solo) tackles; 1 QB hit
Alani Fua (LB): 5 total (5 solo) tackles; 2 tackles for loss for 4 yards; 1 INTERCEPTION with a return of 37 yards
Bronson Kaufusi (LB): 4 total (4 solo) tackles; 1 SACK; 1 tackle for loss for 7 yards; 1 forced fumble
Kai Nacua (DB): 4 total (4 solo) tackles
Robertson Daniel (DB): 4 total (4 solo) tackles; 1 pass broken up
Travis Tuiloma (DL): 4 total (3 solo) tackles; 2 tackles for loss for 13 yards
Zac Stout (LB): 4 total (3 solo) tackles; 1 INTERCEPTION for return of 19 yards and 1 TOUCHDOWN
Chris Badger (DB): 4 total (1 solo) tackles
Harvey Jackson (DB): 3 total (3 solo) tackles; 2 passes broken up; 1 QB hit
Manoa Pikula (LB): 3 total (1 solo) tackles; 1 INTERCEPTION with return of 2 yards
Other players with Forced Fumbles: Va'a Niumatalolo (LB; 1) and Graham Rowley (DL; 1)
Other players with Passes Broken Up: Michael Alisa (LB; 1)