3/12-3/18

Monday 3/12: Ugh the Monday after Daylight Savings is usually brutal but for some reason it was especially bad this year and I could tell everyone on campus was struggling and just dragging. Tried to sleep in but ended up making myself a little late to my American Usage class and I only missed 6 points on the first half of my test so I was super stoked. We started our next unit talking about Parallel Structure and Shifts even though we still the second half of the test on Wednesday but at least we got a little bit of a break. I went to do my reading for NT and got that done but none of the LC reading (getting behind all thanks to the stupid American Usage class). We were a little behind in NT so we had a wonderful discussion about Ephesians and all the wonderful discussions on Faith, Grace and Works and how they all work together to gain our salvation. We had a great discussion on Saving Grace versus Enabling Grace that gives us the push for us to have Faith and do all the righteous Works. I really enjoyed it. Chapter 4 all about how to get along with difficult people and there is just so much power and knowledge in the scriptures, I LOVE IT :) Then you have classic Chapter 6 with the Armor of God - following the Gospel does indeed gives us power! Then after having all that spiritual insight, I go to LC and we talk about Heideggar and how important language is to breaking down a work into more intelligible parts. How language and words make up how we think about things and how we see the world. Spent a large portion of the day writing Jared again cause again so much to tell about what I'd learned in NT, BofM (which I am really behind in but that's what the summer's for) and just making sure he knows I support him. thats pretty much the most important thing. In American Humanities, we continued talking about Emerson but moved onto The American Scholar and talking about finding a truly American way of reading and discussing books and learning to read really really well.  Self-Reliance talked about how we need to do the best we can knowing our weaknesses and foibles. Really applicable to the gospel and how important it is to not get into things that are going to overtake your spiritual strength. I got home and did my reading for my Islamic Humanities class and went to FHE (chair soccer). Good times.
Tuesday 3/13: I woke up early and worked on my Lecture Summary and Commentary but I was determined to continue my streak of going to devotional and I did. One of the 70s came and talked to us about how important it is to be constant in our faith through the times that are expected and those that are not. Very important to remember and I really appreciated going to it. After, I went to Islamic Humanities and hurried to finish my assignment, which I did. Win. We had a really cool opportunity to have a world famous Arabic music virtuoso come and demonstrate his skills to us both on the oud and the violin. He gave a lecture and it was really cool to listen to all the ways Arabic music differs from Western music and it was awesome to hear such a different style. Then Giselle and I had the opportunity to go to the temple. It was packed because the PSAT made it so tons of high school students got out early so we were there for quite some time but there is no better place to be waiting in line then the temple. I just got to read my scriptures and have that time to focus on the Lord which is always a wonderful experience. After, I went to work (got a note :)) and came home to study in earnest again for my death of an American Usage Exam.
Wednesday 3/14: I actually went to school and finished taking that exam which I felt even better about. After I finished that, I went and did my reading for NT and attempted to get through LC. New Testament was absolutely wonderful. We talked about Phillipians, Colossians and Philemon - I loved Philemon especially because of the extended allegory that comes from changing Paul to Christ, Onesimus - us and the master to our Father in Heaven. It is a really beautiful and just touched my heart. In LC, I got some of the reading done and we talked about Austin and his ideas on performative utterances and how that applies to plays. It was cool and I thought it was really interesting so I ended up writing my paper on it later. Later, I went to American Humanities and we talked about Thoreau and I think my favorite quote from him is "Beware of any enterprise that requires new clothes." Gotta stick it to the man. After, I went home and ate and then went to orchestra. Which was great because we were getting really pretty good at the songs at that time and it was really fun to hear it all coming together.
Thursday 3/15: I got up really early because I had to do my Spelunking Paper for my Islamic Humanities  class. I finished it in plenty of time for class and it was just the beginning draft so I was happy. I went to class and we had a big introduction to Islamic  Humanities, which was kinda boring to be honest cause all it was was a lecture. But hey after I went to the library and actually finished all of my reading for LC and my exercises for American Usage for the first time in forever. Then i went to work and had a dandy time. I got home and was welcomed by a wonderful letter from Jared -  lots of stuff about different things he'd found in Alma, encouragement for me, all these different things that combine to make me so happy and give me such a great learning experience. I'm so grateful to have a friend like him because he has only ever influenced me for the better.
Friday 3/16: Sleeping in seems to be my own function on any morning now. I went to class, learned about Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers. Fascinating I know. That's what you are all thinking but hey it's useful, I promise. After, I went to the library and decided I didn't want to be in the library anymore so I went and chilled with Abby and Megan. We went through the Islamic art exhibit and went to Abby's apartment and watched The Office until work. Classic. It was a nice break so I then I went to work and had a dandy time there. After, I got home and Dana and I had a pretty chill night and watched "Better Off Ted?"and fell asleep pretty early. Nice and relaxing.
Saturday 3/17 and Sunday 3/18: Saturday turned out to be really fun. I went to work in the morning and got home later and got ready to go over to Dylan's Birthday Party. It was really nice to go and socialize and have fun with Steve and Dylan and Dana; we also played an awesome game of strange drink pong. Hilarious as you can imagine. Came home and had a delicious Leprechaun trap cake and fiddled with Dana in honor of Saint Patrick's Day. So fun. Sunday was insane to begin with. Megan's plane was supposed to go out super early but all three of us slept in and we sped to the airport but she missed the flight so we had to go all the way to Salt Lake to bring her to the airport and ran through the airport and had a nightmare at the desk trying to get her off. Finally, one very helpful desk lady later, we got her off and were on the way back to Provo. Then I had to rush Abby home and then back to work and it was boring but I was just happy to be at church for the small time I could be. Such a refresher for the week. Gotta love it and then there was peace.