Drafts: Pop Culture Over the Pulpit

Tomorrow, be sure to go to LDSLiving.com and look for a blog post called "Sounds Like Scripture (But Isn't)." I'd link you directly to it, but it doesn't go live until tomorrow, so...

I must say, I had the hardest time putting that post together. I was working on it all week. Basically, my assignment was to recycle a blog post from like five years ago, about how "phantom scripture" comes about. 

You know, like that "doctrine" where today's youth were generals in the war in heaven and when we die we'll get to heaven and everyone there will bow to us in awe. Wow, it sounds so pompous and contrived just writing about it, but I distinctly remember being told that story many MANY times as a kid. 

That's "phantom scripture"--stuff that people keep passing around without really knowing where it came from. Everyone keeps attributing it to "um...some general authority...?" until one of the Brethren shoots it down as false.

Anyways, that's what the original article was about, but when I was working on it all week, it just wasn't working for me. It seemed like such a bland topic (it was more about how phantom scripture comes about), and the original article was so aggressive (which we're trying very hard to avoid right now), so I kept looking it over, making little alterations, but not feeling that happy creative flow.

Thankfully I asked my friend Jenny to help me figure out a better angle, and in the end I just rewrote the entire thing. 

Now it's written in a much more chipper "blog voice," and is a little tongue-in-cheek. Once I decided that's what I wanted to do, I wrote the thing in under an hour. We had more trouble coming up with a title and finding a good photo to go with it, but now it's all done, and I'm happy with it! 

I'm sure it'll get the usual internet backlash that we always get no matter WHAT we write, but I had fun writing it, it made my co-workers laugh, and I got it done on time. That's all that matters. :)

Best of all, it definitely got me through that creativity lapse. For the rest of work today I was able to contribute more creative ideas and title suggestions and such to the team discussions, and I finally felt like I was undoubtedly valuable to LDS Living.

Now I need to stay that way. I'm really putting my heart and soul into this job. I love it, and I love the people I work with. It's a shame it's temporary.

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I read this book A) because I saw a movie trailer and was mildly curious, B) because the guy who wrote it, James Dashner, is LDS, and C) because people keep telling me how good it is.

But... I'll warn you now. I'm gonna tear this thing to shreds.

Ultimately, I give it 2.5 stars out of 5. I know SO MANY people like it (it's got a movie coming out, after all), but I really wasn't very impressed. It was decent enough for me to read the whole thing, and I'll read the sequel just to see what happens, but it wasn't anywhere near my favorite.

As I read, I kept notes about what I thought, so here they are in order. Read at your own risk. If you want to read this book, I'm going to spoil a lot of things. In fact, I'll tell you now, DON'T keep reading if you want to read this book and enjoy it first. But if you HAVE read it, please read on and let me know what you thought of it. If you agree with me on some of these points, yay! If you don't, tell me what you liked about it so I can consider the positive points and maybe give this book a second chance.

Update: After sleeping on it, I felt really bad about my tone, so I went back and tried to make this a more constructive criticism. Still don't read ahead if you haven't read the book yet, but if you already read my mean comments before, I'm sorry. Here are some relatively nicer ones. :)

#1. Okay, first of all, the swear words. My friends were telling me about the infamous swear words before I even picked up the book, and they were right. They're...interesting.

I mean, the main character gets to the maze, and other characters have to explain to him, "We use 'klunk' to refer to poop!" (That's almost a word-for-word quote from the book.) Your characters shouldn't have to be told what your swear words mean. They shouldn't just be nonsense words replacing real swears.

Swear words should be taboo for a reason. That's what makes them swear words. Plus they should actually reflect on the culture or surroundings, not just be pulled from thin air and incorporated into a language for absolutely no reason. As a linguist, I kept wondering, "Why do they say shuck? Is shucking corn the worst job in the Glade or something?"

Dashner's words seem to be made up on the fly just to substitute fake words for real-world strong language which would have made this a banned book if he'd included it. It's so transparent that he might as well have left the real swears in. I knew exactly what he was implying, so in my mind, I heard sh-- when he said "klunk," and f--- for "shuck" (I mean, THAT one was so obvious it was laughable.)

That was probably one of the worst offenses, for me. The rest of my critique might be kind of petty. I've studied linguistics, and I've read great books that include realistic fake swear words. Like in Sanderson's "Way of Kings," the characters use "storm" as a swear word because the storms in that world are literally the most chaotic, destructive, terrible thing they know. It makes sense that it would be a strong word with emotional ties in that setting. But when Dashner's characters swear, there's absolutely no connection between the words and the characters' lives. No one goes, "*Gasp!* Watch your mouth!"

#2. The memory loss. I liked how he described the memory loss, at first. Basically, Thomas can remember the names of things, and he can identify smells, sounds, tastes, etc, but he can't remember how he knows those things. He doesn't remember his past at all, just has a bunch of random knowledge in his head. That's fine.

But Dashner tells us this four times in the first sixty pages. FOUR. TIMES. I think we get it, Dashner. Thomas is frustrated. He knows things but can't remember how. You don't have to keep using metaphors and analogies to explain it to us when you already told us. We get it. Poor Thomas. Now move on. You don't have to keep reminding us that he doesn't remember anything. It's pretty obvious from the get-go.

#3. The plot development was just...cheap, if I have to give it a word. When Thomas arrives in the Glade, the other kids could have easily explained everything to him from the beginning, but they don't. They act all reluctant to tell him anything for no logical reason, just because it makes it easier for Dashner to keep the reader in the dark and ensure that we read the whole book from beginning to end.

It's especially obvious when a new character shows up and practically begs to tell Thomas things, but he runs away and doesn't tell the others...because he finds her weird. That's right--he's been thrown into a freaky maze, has no memory, has been dying for answers, knows that his life probably depends on answers, but when someone shows up with info, he gets creeped out and in one rash move throws away his only chance to hear the whole truth.

Yeah. Our hero, everyone.

#4. The characters were so inconsistent that I still didn't feel connected to them even 100 pages in. And at the end of the book, I'm still not very attached to them. Why is Chuck Thomas's friend? I must've missed their defining character moments, because to me their friendship seems forced.

Why is Thomas our hero? Because he's special? His character is so bland that I don't feel for him at all. Yeah, his memory is wiped, but he could still have some character that would make him admirable. Rushing into things without thinking first didn't feel like a heroic character trait to me. It seemed like idiocy. Yay, he saved people, but lots of other characters made rash decisions, too. Any one of them could've been made the hero of the story instead and I wouldn't have noticed a difference in the book's quality. I honestly didn't care what happened to Thomas in the end.

One thing I can't stand about most YA characters is that they're inexplicably better at everything than the other characters. They should have to work their butts off to get to where they are, and in that process learn some cool skill, not just have it automatically for no other reason than to be the "best" character in the book. People love characters who are flawed and have vulnerabilities, not those who are "just the greatest!!!" at whatever they do. In this book, Thomas is revered for being the first kid in two years to come up with a "wait-and-dive" tactic for fighting Grievers.

Really? NO ONE ELSE tried that? Over the course of two years? All those times they were charged by Grievers, not a single person thought to wait until the last second, then dive out of the way? Seriously??

Apparently not, because when Thomas does it on his first night in the maze, everyone's like, "Wow, you're a blooming genius!" (or should I have said "shucking genius"? No...it still feels wrong to me.) "How did you do that?" "You're so special!" "Be our leader!"

Give. Me. A break.

The boys in the story are set apart by appearance only. Their personalities aren't very distinct at all. And the bad guy looks like a bad guy. Come on. At least make it interesting and make him drop-dead handsome, just to shake things up a little. Giving him greasy black hair and stinky yellow teeth is so cliche. I hoped against hope that Gally would actually turn out to be a great guy, but nope. He looks and acts mean, so therefore he's the bad guy. Yawn.

Also, why do people always give the dorky sidekick friends dorky sidekick names? Like "Chuck"? There's no law saying you can't name a dorky kid "Leon" or "Nolan" or "Emmett." Are we going with the theory that when you give a kid a dorky name they grow up to be insecure and unpopular?

Oh, and the girl is exceptionally beautiful. Because apparently there's also a law that says that girls in YA fiction have to be incredibly pretty, even though they're 14 and should (in all reality) be in their most awkward stage of life. Teresa has no personality, so it's not like it would've hurt to make her gangly and youthful, rather than stunningly gorgeous with (and I quote) "perfect skin" and "full lips" and beautiful black hair. The story would have been much more interesting to me if she'd been some scrawny girl with frizzy red hair, instead of the VERY obvious love interest.

#5. When Dashner isn't describing how pretty Teresa is, or how confusing it is that Thomas can't remember things (we get it), his descriptions are just weird. "It made Thomas feel like a small rat." "He had a nose like a fat lemon."

...so you didn't just use "mouse" and "orange" ...why...?

Also, the whole maze-at-night scene was told blow by blow, so we know exactly what Thomas did the whole time. Now, either the nights in the maze are only like two hours long (I dunno, maybe they're actually at the North Pole in summertime?), or Dashner underestimated how long nighttime lasts. Literally, they get stuck in the maze, Thomas saves Alby, Thomas fights Grievers (and we get a blow-by-blow, so I know it didn't take him five hours), Thomas runs into Minho (immediately after fighting the Grievers), they run together to the Cliff (maybe twenty minutes spent here), they beat the Grievers (in like five minutes), and then it's dawn.

What kind of freaky short nighttime is that? I guess I'll just suspend disbelief and say they're actually in Alaska in summertime.

#6. The resolution of the story wasn't satisfying enough at all because everything was so short. Most of the boys in the maze had been there for quite a long time, but our first-person narrator is only there a week before he solves the maze.

One week. Now, don't you think it would have been much more interesting to hear this story from one of the boys who had been fighting for years to get out of there? One who was frustrated and depressed and driven by failure to save everyone and get them out of there? Wouldn't the ending have been much more satisfying? Wouldn't we actually care?

And Chuck's death was so predictable. SO. PREDICTABLE. As soon as Thomas promised him (and only him) that he'd get him home safely, I knew Chuck was done for. That trope of "I failed to keep my promise!! Woe is me!!!" is so overdone. Thomas should have actually cared about multiple people and promised them all he'd save them, and then maybe it would've come as a surprise. Maybe. Instead, Thomas literally sees dozens of kids killed, and...we get nothing. I had absolutely no sympathy for those people because they were just bodies with blank faces thrown into the story to fill space. The nameless extras, if you will. Thomas didn't seem to feel bad about it, either. I vaguely remember him telling us that he was sad, but he sure didn't show it.

Conclusion: So I have two possible theories for why this book was so lame to me. A) Maybe Dashner just isn't a good writer. I don't know. I haven't read anything else of his. Or B) maybe Dashner thinks that, because he's writing to young adults, he has to dumb down the plot.

Because subtlety and real conflicts are too difficult for 12- to 16-year-olds to understand. Not according to J.K. Rowling, but whatever. Anything to add to the YA dystopian society hype that's going around.

The movie looks like they're trying to make this story much more interesting than it actually is. The maze scenes in the trailer alone were more action packed than anything that happens in the book (which is good, because the maze was a huge letdown. Not nearly interesting enough). I'm slightly interested in seeing the movie, just to see if they make it better than the book. But if it is true to Dashner's story, then I don't care to see it. I'm actually surprised anyone decided it would be a good story to turn into a movie. This first book at least has no conflict, and it's so generic. It's got the whole "thrown into an arena with no escape" concept from the Hunger Games, mixed with the "group of special kids all collected together to save the world" trope from Michael Vey.

Maybe the trilogy as a whole will surprise me and turn out to be good. I mean, Dashner published a whole trilogy and a companion novel, so I'll give the second book a chance, anyway. But I just wasn't impressed with this book. As if you couldn't tell from my ranting. I only give it 2.5 stars because I can see why it would be entertaining for kids, and I am sufficiently curious to see the end to the puzzle (so...kudos for that, I guess, Dashner), but as an ELang major who's studied writing and has seen this kind of story a thousand times, it does nothing for me.

I dunno. Maybe I'm just tired of Young Adult fiction in general.

I don't want to tell you not to read it, and I'm sorry I slammed it so hard if you liked it, but this post is mostly for my own benefit. Just to get my thoughts down on paper.

Enjoy or enjoy not. Doesn't really matter to me. :)

Sunday Soliloquy: Self-perception

(Sorry I keep writing these "Sunday" Soliloquies on Mondays. We're just gonna pretend it's still Sunday.)

So this weekend I've been visiting with family, which means I've had to do a lot of reporting on my recent activities. Mostly I've been talking about my job and all the writing I've done as a result, but I also like to throw in there that I do BodyCombat, BodyPump, and Step classes every morning. I'm glad that I can honestly say that I'm doing something active and fun on a daily basis.

But I think that comes as a surprise to most people, and it kind of surprises me that I've found so much enjoyment in hard workouts. There are times when I go to the class and I'm surrounded by in-shape, well-dressed, peppy women, and for a moment or two I feel self-conscious because I'm inflexible, slower, and just wearing baggy sweats.

I've found a way, though, to get through those workouts without feeling self-conscious or giving up when I get tired. It all has to do with where I stand on the gym floor.

See, the room is rectangular, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the left and front sides. A lot of women like to stand right in front of the mirrors. In fact, most choose that left-front corner where they can see themselves from all angles, pretty much.

Not me.

In the front middle is the platform where our instructors stand. There are no mirrors behind them. So I stand directly in front of them, mirroring their movements.

What this does for me is give me the illusion that I'm looking at myself in the mirror, when really I'm watching this powerful, smiling, super-buff instructor go through the moves. So I punch as hard as I can, jump as high as I can, and endure as long as I can, because that's what I see the woman in front of me doing.

I know that this is what makes the difference, because one day, we got there kind of late and had to find a workout space in the corner, right in front of the mirror wall. All during the workout, all I could think was, "Dang, my hips are wide. Holy cow, I'm so inflexible. I look so stupid. What am I even trying to do here?"

When I see myself in the mirror, I just think about my present state of being, and I get discouraged.

But when I look at the instructor and see what I could be, I endure without any doubts of what I'm capable of.

So I was just thinking about that and realizing that self-perception has a strong psychological effect on what we achieve in our lives. If we only focus on the past or on our current weaknesses, we're only going to compare ourselves to others and see how much we fall short. But when we look forward to the future and see what we can be after hard work and determination, we focus on our goals and find the strength we need to accomplish them.

That's just what I've found in my own experience, anyway. Maybe you have some other way of motivating yourself. The moral of the story is just to look forward with faith and never give up on what achievements will make you feel happier with yourself--physically, spiritually, or otherwise.

Drafts: Shameless Plug

Well hello again.

I've been writing so much lately, but I just realized that YOU probably have no idea just how much I've written for LDS Living.These aren't exactly "drafts," since they're already published, but to give you a general idea, here are seven articles I wrote all by myself.

(As in this doesn't include all the other random things I've written for my coworkers. I've done MUCH more than this, even just in the three short weeks I've been here.)

#1. Mormon Report: Mormon Athlete and Mom Hurdles Towards European Championship

#2. FHE: Recognizing the Lord's Tender Mercies

#3. Apostle Photos: When They Were Called 

#4. FHE: Pray Always

#5. Is Your Child 'Mission Ready'? (on missionhome.com, which we also run)

#6. LDS Broadway Star Releases New Album

#7. 40 Things You Didn't Know about Temple Square

I won't be doing this every time I write something, though, so don't get used to this. Go to LDSLiving.com and keep an eye out for my name in the bylines. :)

Recipe Review: Chicken dishes!

Yeah I know. Recipe reviews? Now I'm just scraping at the bottom of the barrel for things to write about. You probably want something mindblowingly awesome to read from me today, don't you?

Well that's too dang bad!

Today all I can think to talk about are the two recipes I tried this last week. I'm trying to be all responsible and make good meals for myself, so here are two successful recipes and what I thought about them. Just in case you're looking for some good chicken dishes to make.

#1--Greek Marinated Chicken

4 out of 5 stars

This chicken had great flavor, even after I only marinated it for about two hours (I usually marinate stuff overnight to make sure the flavor really soaks in). The marinade is really nothing more than plain yogurt, lemon juice, and a bunch of spices. The ingredients are really healthy (I used Greek yogurt and chicken breasts instead of legs like in the picture), and it was really easy to put together. It tasted great on rice with some green beans on the side.

It only loses a star because somehow the chicken was so tender and moist, yet it still tasted dry. It was weird. Maybe I should have marinated it longer or had it with something else more saucy. I bet it would've been amazing after a day in the crock pot. I'll have to try this one again and see if I can bump it up to five stars. I still have enough ingredients for another batch.


#2--Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

5 out of 5 stars. Hands down.

This is my all-time favorite kind of chili. Yes, I found it. After years of chili cookoffs, I've decided that this chili is the #1 chili on my list.

It may have something to do with the less-healthy block of cream cheese you put in it. Maybe. But hey, I got light cream cheese, at least. And I can think of a lot worse meals than this.

(Like the fruit salad someone took to our ward swimming party that had chopped up SNICKERS in it. Don't get me wrong, I love Snickers, I was just disappointed to find out that what I thought was me enjoying nuts and fruits actually turned out to be me enjoying chopped up candy bar hidden under a yogurt disguise.)

This dish is so simple to put together, and you can just throw it all in a crock pot and let it simmer all night. Be warned, though, it smells AMAZING for like three hours before it's done, so make sure you're not starving while waiting for it to be done, or the smell might just drive you insane with desire. In fact, leave the house if you can. For your own safety.


Okay, that's all! Do YOU have any chicken meal suggestions for me? I'm always happy to find new easy but delicious recipes!

Book Review: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I am just cruising through books now that I'm out of school. I read The Help in about three days last week, and now this week I'm starting The Maze Runner. 

I still get these feelings nagging at the back of my head, telling me I have an assignment due. Obviously I don't anymore (FREEEDOM!!!), but reading constantly keeps that nagging voice suppressed. It helps me feel like I'm still learning about the world around me.

Anyways, I really enjoyed The Help. I'd already seen the movie when it first came out (and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book was similar--the movie-makers did a good job of staying true to the story), so the story wasn't a surprise or anything.

But it was still so well-written. From a linguistic standpoint, I was very impressed by the author's use of three separate dialects and voices for her three first-person narrators. It meant that whenever I picked up the book again after a period of not reading, I could immediately read a line or two and know whose point of view I was in. And it made the characters that much more defined in my imagination.

The storytelling is amazing, too. The book isn't a mystery novel or an action/adventure, but the way Stockett presents the story, it makes you curious about the characters' backgrounds and keeps you on the edge of your seat to see how it will all work out for them.

But what I loved most about the book was what was portrayed towards the end. They've published the controversial book exposing the life of black maids and nannies, and the white residents of Jackson, Mississippi are furious. It looks like all those involved are going to lose their jobs and be ostracized from the community, and possibly come to physical harm.

They start to wonder if putting the book together was even worth it, and in the beginning it doesn't seem like it made any kind of difference. Overall, things are still very tense in the South. Civil rights movements are happening in the North, but this little book they put together doesn't seem to be doing much to better the world.

Then, a white woman goes up to the discouraged in-story author and tells her how glad she is that someone stood up for the help--how much she despises the way other women treat their maids, and how much she loves and appreciates her own maid. Up until then, the author thought she didn't have a single ally in the world. But this woman showed her that the book made a difference. It drew at least one woman out of the woodwork and helped her find the courage to take a stand for civil rights.

On the other end, the maids are terrified of what they've done, especially when many of their friends are fired by their white employers, who are suspicious of their maids' involvement in the book. But one maid shows up with good news. Her employer was driven to tears because of what was written about her in the book, and she promised to never fire her maid for fear that others would come to know how she'd wronged her help.

Eventually, more and more good comes from the book, but I loved these very early examples. Even if there had been no further results from publishing the book, we see that at least two peoples' lives were changed for the better. The author and her friends faced danger for taking a stand, but Stockett makes it clear that even if only a few lives were bettered because of it, putting themselves in danger would be worth it to the main characters.

It's an inspiring read. It made me wonder how I would react if I were to witness injustice and immorality. Would I just keep quiet and stay out of it, fearing for my own life? Or would I give up my own social standing and livelihood to try and change it? Would I think it was worth it if I only changed a few lives, or even just one?

Food for thought. It makes me sick to think that the events of The Help were based on very real social situations of the past, but I know that the world is currently full of things that are just as bad if not worse.

What will we do about it if we see the opportunity?

Sunday Soliloquy: Remember, Remember

Last night a very good friend called me up out of the blue and asked me about my mission. Knowing her, I knew that she wasn’t just asking out of curiosity, but because she was thinking about serving a mission herself and wanted to know how I felt about the gospel and about spiritual impressions in general. So I talked with her for almost two straight hours last night. We had a very deep conversation about the Church, about the Lord, about righteous living. We laughed, we cried a lot, and even though we were far apart, I felt so close to her and to the Savior. Both our hearts were so full. It was a moment I’ll never forget, and at the back of my mind during the whole thing was this thought, “I’m so glad I’ve remembered all this.” I’m grateful that even though it’s been almost two full years since I left Paraguay, the feelings and impressions I received as a missionary are so fresh on my mind, that recalling them on command seems as easy as finding my favorite scenes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. But I know it won’t always be that way. I know that the Lord was specifically setting me up for this conversation with my friend, because on Saturday I felt a strong need to gather my old mission journals, put them in chronological order, and start reading them again. It was already on the forefront of my mind when my friend called. I feel strongly that I need to keep reminding myself of my mission, and about the gospel in general. These last two days, that has been a repeated message. Earlier in church yesterday, we had a Sunday School lesson about remembrance. We talked about Deuteronomy 4, where the Lord commands us to keep His Word "between our eyes" and on the doorposts. The Jews take that to literally mean wearing little rolled-up scripture scrolls on a band between your eyes, or in an ornament on their doorposts (which is a pretty cool tradition, I must say). But basically, it means that we just need to always be remembering Him and His teachings. Then, just this morning, I flipped to a random part of the scriptures and found myself in Mosiah 2. I read from verse 19 to the end of the chapter. And the very last thing that chapter says is, "O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." Now all I can think about is “Remember, remember, the 5th of November” and “Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember, who you are….(Father! Wait! Don’t leave me!)” 

*Ahem* Anyways. The point is, remembrance is important. We don’t read the scriptures every day just because it shows the Lord that we’re thinking of Him. We do it to also “feast upon the words of Christ”, so that when we need guidance, we can remember back on those scriptures and know “all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).

One of the most important things my dad taught me before my mission was that the knowledge we accumulate is like tools in a toolbelt. When something breaks in your house, you want sharp, unrusted tools to help you fix it. Similarly, when we are faced with a spiritual (or even temporal) crisis, we want our memories of spiritual knowledge gained from scriptures and from personal revelation to be sharp and well-used. We need to constantly be studying and pondering and praying to keep our memories fresh--to keep adding and maintaining the tools in our belts. Remember your past experiences. “If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26). Remember what it took for you to feel close to the Lord in the past, and apply those same principles to the present so you can continue to be happy in the future. And remember who you are--a child of God and an heir to His kingdom. (“Remember….who you are…”) I need to watch Lion King now.

Freewrite: Tying Knots

Yeah, no, I still don't feel like writing a long review about The Book Thief. Sorry.

And no, I'm not "tying the knot", but I did tie lots of knots today. :)

One of our blog posts at LDS Living this next week is going to be about cool tie knots. Because who doesn't love cool tie knots?? (Apparently, most men don't really care about them, actually. But lots of women sure think that men's fashion could use a little spicing up.)

We borrowed some ties from Deseret Book (because we find any excuse to promote Deseret Book merchandise), found ten interesting knots on the internet, and basically played dress-up with the guys. :)

So keep an eye out for that fun post. In the meantime, here are some sneak peeks of our tie-tying efforts.

Jannalee and PJ knotting knots. We really had a lot of fun with this. I'm not gonna lie, a lot of the knots are challenging.

Jannalee showing off the complicated knot she tied all by herself

PJ putting on the finishing touches (we learned that men are very picky about their ties)

One of the five knots we tried out.

Check out the other five (plus five others pulled from the internet) on Tuesday, May 20th, only on LDSLiving.com.

Book Review: The Book Thief

Okay, I don't have a lot of time or energy right now, but today I finished reading The Book Thief, and I just have to say this:

Read The Book Thief.

Read it.

I finished it on the bus ride home today, and only my concern for others' opinions of me prevented me from bawling like a baby.

I give this book 6 out of 5 stars.

Yes, 6.

Later I'll add an actual review, but for now that's all I'm gonna say. If you want to read something spectacular, read this book.

Characters: Julie Ann Chamberlain Springer

Since today is Mother's Day, I'm dedicating my blog post to my wonderful mother.

This is my favorite recent photo of her. Isn't she beautiful?

Let me tell you a little about my mom.

She loves horses, books, forensic/medical dramas, owls, swings, hiking, Josh Groban, Donny Osmond, ice cream sandwiches, sewing, aerobics, games of all kinds, and hanging out with her family, just to name a few.

She doesn't like spiders, snakes, rats, roller coasters, brussels sprouts, or karaoke.

She doesn't have a mean or selfish bone in her body.

She doesn't know how to say "no" when the vampi--Red Cross calls and asks her to donate blood.

Never once have I heard her say, "Nah, I don't feel like going to church today" or "I'm just gonna let the other sisters in the Relief Society worry about that. It's not my job." No. My mom has made it clear our entire lives that Jesus Christ is the center of her life, and should be the center of ours.

She loves her family. She's not one to get emotional or touchy-feely, but she's always on the lookout for little things she can do to send her love our way. Whether it's a box of chocolates sent through the mail (melted from their time in Arizona mailboxes), or a text saying, "Have a great day!", I always know that I'm on the forefront of her mind.

She's always supportive of my dad, patient with my sisters and me when we act out, and absolutely smothers her grandson with affection. 

Thanks to her, I know that I'm a daughter of God. That I don't have to be rich, famous, or popular to make a difference in the world. That happiness in life comes from loving and serving others.

So Mom, thank you for everything. I love you, and I hope I can be even half as good of a mother as you've been for me. I'm sad that we're apart today, but I'm so grateful to you for working hard to make us an eternal family, so that no matter what happens, we can be together forever.

Happy Mother's Day!

Freewrite: Tender Mercies

So for work today I wrote up an FHE lesson help about recognizing the Lord’s tender mercies. (Check it out for more awesome thoughts on that). Having, by association, preached that we should all be more aware of God’s blessings, I thought it only appropriate to share a blessing I noticed today.

Utah’s weather has been ridiculous lately. After weeks of sun, this week’s forecast was rain, rain, and more rain. This morning started cloudy but warm, and then at noon these huge black clouds rolled in and thick, heavy rain fell from the sky with a vengeance.

Claro, our lunch break perfectly coincided with the worst of the storm. My coworkers and I hadn’t packed any food because we were planning on eating out together, but we looked out our window wall at the city, and going outside didn’t seem like a very fun idea.

There are very few things I hate worse than wet shoes. I like rain just fine, but I hate wet shoes.

But my friends were better equipped than I (they wore boots, I wore sandals today. NO idea what I was thinking when I got dressed this morning), so I thought, “Fine, I won’t be a pansy. I’ll just get it over with.”

We took the elevator down to the first floor. The doors opened up and we got a good look at the street level of the city.

Water. Everywhere.

My desire to just go hungry greatly increased, but then my co-workers shared a glance and said, “Let’s go through the underground parking.”

That was music to my ears. “We can get a block away through underground parking??”

Sure enough, we could! And we did. It was quite literally a maze down there, but my co-workers knew all the ways to hop from parking lot to parking lot, and when we reemerged, we were suddenly on the opposite end of the City Creek shopping center.

My sandaled feet were perfectly dry, and it wasn’t cold down there, either.

I was SO glad for underground parking lots.

Which is unlike me, because as a general rule I much prefer rural areas to busy city centers. I’ve always found it claustrophobic and uncomfortable to be surrounded by streets, skyscrapers, and parking garages. But today I saw the benefit and blessing of underground parking lots.

Do you think God was aware of how happy it would make me to stay dry today when He put things in motion for that underground parking system to be built? Do you think He sees every little smile that even a city feature can put on one of His children’s faces?

I think He does. And I don’t think He gets much credit for all the smiles we give on any given day.

So today, even though to you it might seem ridiculous to be grateful for something so insignificant, I’m still going to show my appreciation.

And now it’s sunny and blue outside, like nothing even happened. Spring weather really is weird. But I’m sure somehow, somewhere, someone saw that rain storm today as a tender mercy.

It’s all about perspective.

Ambiance: LDS Living

How can I even begin to describe how perfect this internship is turning out to be?

I'll do my best.

It's like someone (and I think I know Who) put together everything I could ever want in a job and gift-wrapped it just for me.

You've got the great location with personal transportation...

See that reddish building? That's my building. It literally takes me two minutes to get to TRAX on time.

The amazing view...

Not the best photos, but you get the idea.

The roomy work space...

This is my half of the room, and the other side is just as roomy. We all have plenty of desk space, and the chairs are SO comfortable.

The awesome co-workers...

I'll get a group photo someday, but I snuck this one when they all gathered to look at leaves blowing around Temple Square. 

The personal computer...

And my own phone!

And the magazine with the content that I love reading AND being able to contribute to!

This is my own personal stack of issues to use as reference.

I kind of feel like a missionary again. The content of the magazine is all centered on the Church and how to better live the Gospel.  I have to look professional every day, and I have to remember to wear my "name tag".

Before I had this thing, I almost got stuck in the stairwell. It's a key card that you need to use the elevator and even get in and out of the stairwell. I don't want to ever lose it accidentally. It would be such a pain.

So about the actual job I'm doing.

Right off the bat I was given writing assignments. I was SO glad for that, because I do much better when I have a fixed idea of what exactly to write. I have two spreads of the September/October magazine that I'm in charge of, and then I have several online assignments as well. I've already finished one, and I plan to have the rest done in the next three weeks or so.

(I'll be doing web content more than print content, so you should really bookmark ldsliving.com, like the Facebook page, and subscribe to the free daily newsletter. You'll see my name occasionally if you pay attention!)

Then I have a few other leads that I'm gonna pursue on the side and write up just so my team can have extra material on hand. And because I want to show them that I'm proactive and productive and I'll go above and beyond my job description. Hopefully they'll like me enough to let me stay on even after the internship ends.

I'm just happy to be here.

As for my coworkers, so far I get along with the people just great! There's Kelsey, who's pretty much my mentor. She's the head editor (I think?), so I work closely with her (literally, we're desk neighbors), and she's the one I go to with questions or advice.

Then there's Jenny, who's assistant editor and puts together the daily newsletter and takes calls from subscribers to the magazine. She, Kelsey, and I are kind of our own team, and then there are three more  people who work with us but do marketing and such. Preston is the man in charge of that, and his intern is PJ. Then there's Jannalee, who works part-time and keeps us up-to-date on around-the-world Mormon news.

There are others on the team who are higher-ups and don't actually work in our circle of desks, so I don't know them as well. We had a meeting and they're super nice, but I mostly just work with Kelsey and Jenny.

It's really just seven or eight of us putting this whole magazine together AND running the website. It feels more like a newspaper job than the book-editing job I was aiming for, because they run a few stories every day on the website. They have stories planned six weeks in advance. It's so well organized that even though they have tons to do, nobody in the office is stressed out. We all have plenty of time to complete our assignments and plan ahead for future stories.

In short, it's perfect! The work environment is amazing, the job itself is my forte, and I want to work! The hours almost pass too quickly, and I find myself working on things even when I'm at home and off the clock.

So please pay attention to LDS Living magazine, because I hope to stay here for a long, long time.

Movie Review: Divergent

I don't like this poster. It doesn't do the movie justice, and the lighting makes no sense, unless they're surrounded by mirrors up on that ledge...

I finally did it. I went and saw Divergent. 

And I really liked it. I'd probably give it 4 stars, based on the great acting, amazing soundtrack, and wonderful directing. 

The cinematography was seriously brilliant, without seeming gratuitous. The pacing was spot on. The actors were fabulous (I had really low expectations of acting skills for this movie--I thought they'd all been chosen for being beautiful, not for their abilities. I was wrong on that count). The music almost made me cry at some parts. 

It was as good as everyone told me it would be. I didn't believe them, and I apologize. It was a great movie. It's made me extra excited for all the summer blockbusters coming up. This was a good one for me to start the movie season with.

Now, delving into the movie itself... I was more impressed with the character development than I thought I would be. I thought Four was just going to be the obligatory shirtless boy meant to draw in the girls, and I thought Tris was going to be that Hollywood mix of super sexy and super good at everything. 

So what a relief when Four had actual character depth and Tris really grew and had to make legitimately hard choices. I can see why this series is so popular. Or, the first book at least.

The only reason I give the movie 4 stars instead of 5 is that the plot was pretty predictable. One of the reasons I was reluctant to see this movie was because I thought it would have the same plot as every other YA dystopian future novel I've ever read. 

And I was right.

Yeah, the settings and characters and technologies are always very different, but the plot is always the same. The government wants control, but there's one kid who rebels against them. Hunger Games, Uglies, Divergent, Matched, The Giver, they're all the same. I really can't think of a YA dystopian future novel that doesn't have a government conspiracy involved. 

For once I'd like to read a book with a cool dystopian future that doesn't involve the government. Just a cool story in a cool setting. Can someone get on that, please?

But even though I knew what the conflict was going to be, that didn't change the fact that the conflict was intense. Kudos to the fight choreographers and the actors. It was all very realistic and gripping.

It wasn't the movie's fault that it lost half a star for lack of originality. The director did an amazing job on this film. It was engaging and beautiful. But as a story, it doesn't stand out to me as exceptional.

Sunday Soliloquy: Anna's Baptism

Yesterday I got the chance to see my young cousin Anna be baptized, along with four other children in her stake.

It was one of the sweetest gatherings of people I've ever been a part of. There were so many children there, and the whole meeting was aimed at them. It was so touching to hear the gospel explained in primary-age terms, and it was a great reminder to me of what's really important in this life.

There was so much innocence in the room, and such a sense of new beginnings and fresh starts, especially when it comes to listening to the Holy Ghost. I was reminded that I need to listen and choose the right as guided by the Spirit.

I used to think that eight years old was so young to baptize children--that they couldn't really understand what baptism meant. I don't think so anymore. I met some amazing children in Paraguay, who would follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their whole hearts, even at age eight. Even when no one in their family supported them.

And the children baptized yesterday reminded me of that principle--that even a child can understand and follow the truths taught by Jesus Christ.

The talks given were beautiful. My favorite was given by someone in the stake presidency. He talked about his family's dog--how it's always happy to see him come home, every single day. The speaker pointed out that God is the same way. He is ALWAYS happy to see us. Every step we take in His direction makes Him rejoice in us. No matter how long we've been away or how often we mess up, He loves us. Unconditionally.

The songs really got to me too. It's been a long time since I've listened to primary songs, and the words are so beautiful. I thought I'd comment on those today.

First of all, "I Am a Child of God." Hopefully you already know the words. There's a line in the second verse that says, I am a child of God, and so my needs are great / Help me to understand His words before it grows too late. 

On the one hand, I was reminded that I need to continually strive to understand God's words. But on the other hand, I was thinking about how it's NEVER "too late" to repent and draw close to God. We shouldn't delay it, of course, and we don't want to be caught in sin at Judgment Day, but for all of us there's the promise that no matter how late in the game we come to a knowledge of the gospel, we still receive the same salvation as those who DO get a knowledge of God as children. It's an inspiring and reassuring concept.

The second song we sang (that always brings tears to my eyes), was "When I Am Baptized". Or, if you're like me, you might know it as "I Like to Look for Rainbows". That's such a beautiful song, both in melody and in message.

I like to look for rainbows, wherever there is rain / and ponder on the beauty of the earth made clean again. / I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. / I want to be the best I can, and live with God again.

How wonderful that this primary song teaches children to look for God's love and gospel principles in even things as simple as rain showers. I want to strive to be more consciously aware of God in even everyday things.

Well that's all. :) It was a beautiful event. I hope I get more reminders like this in the near future of how happy we can be when we become as little children and choose the right.

Doodle in the Margins: Drawing Practice

As I mentioned before, my parents gave me a big beautiful book about President Boyd K. Packer's artwork. I read through the whole thing this week, and it was so inspiring. He started out as a doodling little kid and just kept working at it and practicing until he became a very talented 3D artist.

Well, I've got the doodling little kid backstory down, but I haven't done much in the way of diligent practice. So yesterday I decided to change that. I decided I'm not going to just settle with "I can't draw people". Instead, I'm going to practice drawing people so much that it becomes as natural to me as drawing dogs is.

Here's the result: a page of random doodles of random body parts.

Someday maybe I'll be able to put them all together and actually be able to sketch portraits! I can only hope.