Cats TREMBLE before me!

Oftentimes when I start thinking about writing in this blog I start thinking about blogs in general.  Then I say, "I wonder what so-and-so is up to," or, "Boy, did what's-his-or-her-name finally get that duck problem resolved?"  Eventually I'm so tired of reading blogs and not getting anything real done I abandon my task and go eat some food.  And then my sister calls.

So, eventually, I get to this point, where I haven't written anything for weeks.

First, a quick update:

• School is going well (I just finished the "testing out" equivalent of my computer science class, so I never have to go again or take the final)
• I've had a few dates in the past couple of days that were fun, including seeing Thoroughly Modern Millie and going ice skating
• We've had a few great talks in the last couple of weeks, from Pres. Monson to Elder Holland to Merrill J. Bateman
• We have cleaning checks today, so for the rest of today the clamorous sounds of scrubbing and the low rumble of the vacuum will fill our apartment.  Unless the synthesized music of Mario Kart Wii  does, as it does right now

Other then that, I can't think of much else to say.  It's rainy and 

cold, and the snow is that muddy black color that comes after weeks without a new snowfall.  I'm still barely getting over my sickness and cough that have plagued me since before Christmas.

So now, here's the picture that sparked the title (anybody who's ever had a cat in their house, or worse, arms while cleaning will understand):

At a Break

Today is the lull before the storm.

Yesterday was a very cathartic day.  I went to Chemistry, as always (every day at 8am!), came home, and saw an email that told me I had won the Freshman Learning in the Light of Faith essay contest.  Guidelines can be found at the essay contest website.  Yes, there is a grand prize of $500.  Winning was totally unexpected!  41 essays were entered.  Here is the essay, written the day before the deadline:

Quandary

It is soot black. Rural Idaho has no streetlights; one would be hard pressed to say the two-rut weed patch meandering around the country is any sort of a road, let alone a street.  No moon shines.

If the outside is soot, inside the garage is soot burned a thousand times over, coated with pitch, ensconced in the blackness of a glistening stallion, and laying at the bottom of a five hundred foot pit.  Black as night.  Blacker than night.

Stumbling through the garage, my toe is stubbed by an unknown solid.  By feeling around with hands I can deduce the texture and shape of a wooden box.  Why is it there?  What purpose does it serve?  I can’t tell in this overwhelming darkness.  Everything seems jumbled up, patternless. 

Secular scientists the world over comfortably establish the metaphorical ground on which they stand and then reach out into the darkness carefully until touching something.  By feeling around the object they may deduce various physical properties about the object or even its identity.  However, there is no illumination.  It is meekness as a disciple-scholar that allows one to bring the lights up and see not only the box but also how it fits into the garage’s overall pattern.

First year biology, Brigham Young University.  Evolution unit.  Nobody is late for today’s class: Discussion on Science, Evolution, and Creationism.  Apparently there are not many people disinterested in this subject; most, like me, are listening intently.  As we read the BYU evolution packet I remember Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s assertion that “Restoration theology is expansive, not constraining” (Maxwell 6).  I must remember to keep an open mind about evolution and the processes whereby organisms adapt.

Scientists have documented natural selection really happening.  During a drought on Isle Daphne Major of the Galápagos, medium ground finches’ beaks increased in depth considerably, heightening their ability to survive eating harder seeds (Freeman 506-08).  Over time, this natural selection leads to evolution.  The process is occurring.  The problem I was left to grapple with is how this process fits into the larger plan presented by the Bible and Book of Mormon, which I know are true with far more certainty than evolution.  How is this reconciliation possible?

The answer is through meekness.  Both Maxwell and Cecil O. Samuelson Jr. cite meekness not as just one of many characteristics of a disciple-scholar, but as the chief characteristic of a disciple-scholar (Maxwell 12-15; Samuelson 44).  Nephi, the Book of Mormon prophet, is a quintessential example of meekness.

While journeying in the wilderness, all of Lehi’s sons lose the use of their bows.  When Lamen, Lemuel, and even the stalwart Lehi murmur, Nephi humbly makes another bow and asks his father, “Whither shall I go to obtain food?” (1 Nephi 16:23).  This meekness is one of the characteristics of Nephi that qualifies him for his glorious vision in chapter 11.  Nephi’s vision sheds light upon the mysteries of Lehi’s dream.  The big picture is shown and the individual events are explained.

At the end of the lecture the only pragmatic statement on evolution was that Adam and Eve are the primal parents of our race.  At first I wished something more tangible could be given out, but perhaps this quandary is best put to rest by the words of a wise roommate on the subject: “It’s not hard.  That’s what faith is all about.  You know the important stuff; you don’t need to know everything yet.”

Still dark.  Almost as quiet.  Unable to get anywhere without running into another quite-solid object, I call out quietly.  To my surprise, the deep baritone tone of my father’s voice rings out strong and true.  “I’ll get the light, son.”

Gradually, light fills the room from the dimmer switch.  A path materializes out of the darkness and confusion melts away.  Noticing my interest at the suddenly clear box, my father reminds me, “That’s our Christmas box I made.”  The box fits neatly into a clear grid pattern.  As I thread my way through the narrow, before-unseen path, my father puts his arm around me and together we walk inside.  I don’t yet need to see what else I could have bumped into.

Secular science explores boxes in the dark.  I would rather explore boxes in the light with the Maker close by, exploring the ones that He tells me about, listening to how the box fits into the larger pattern, and meekly trusting Him explicitly.

Works Cited

Freeman, Scott. Biological Science. 2^nd ed. New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005.

Maxwell, Neal. “The Disciple-Scholar.” Learning in the Light of Faith. Ed. Henry B. Eyring. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999. 1-18.

Samuelson, Cecil O. Jr. “The Importance of Meekness in the Disciple-Scholar.” Learning in the Light of Faith. Ed. Henry B. Eyring. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999. 35-48.

On top of that great news, I took our Chemistry test and was very pleased with my score on the multiple choice section.  What I love about Chemistry is the sense of wonder emanating from our professor.  He truly sparks that natural curiosity about the world in his students.  I was wondering the other day about the hard water deposits on our glasses after we do the dishwasher.  Having just studied about solubility and acid-base reactions I was curious as to how detergent manages to tie up ions in the water.  I learned that the harder the water, the more detergent needs to be used.  Knowing what I know now I can equate that to Ksp and the five solubility rules.  I would be interested to learn more.

After the test I played some Super Smash Bros., which I haven't done for a while.  It was quite fun.  After that I took some soup up to a girl in our ward who is sick, then went to eat dinner at the all-you-can-eat cannon center (or cancer center, as my biology professor calls it).  Stuffed, our Freshman Academy community walked to the Marriott center, where one of our roommates performed in a celebration of Christmas with folk dances around the world.  Very fun.  After that I was privileged to go to the creamery with some friends, then come back and play catch phrase.  Overall, a very, very good day.

Today there is hardly anything going on.  Tests and assignments are mostly over.  It is the slow inhalation of air before the "final" push.  Finals are the week after next and everything is wrapping up in classes.

Furhermore, I got my Elks Lodge Scholarship form turned in a couple days ago and they just notified me that the Byrd scholarship checks are on their way.  These are both beneficial to my financial situation at college and I was excited to hear about them!

Until next time,

Sean

What now?

Well, all's quite on the Western front!  Bio's relatively easy, chem's relatively hard, mission prep is relatively nice, life science seminar's relatively boring, and life's relatively great!

More later, for sure.  Just wanted everyone to know I'm still thinking about this blog!

College

Well, perhaps it's time for a review of the many intriguing, exciting, and sometimes boring events that happen at New Student Orientation (NSO).

I moved up to BYU on Wednesday, after spending the night at my uncle's house in Provo.  My family accompanied me to check in and helped me move my copious boxes up to the room.  After they left, my roommate and I were the only ones at our apartment, as our other four roommates would not completely show up until Friday the 29th, when our last roommate finally moved in.  Our roommates seem pretty cool and I hope we have a great time living under the same roof.

NSO has been fun so far.  We were put into Y groups and go everywhere as a group.  We get lots of free food and do many fun and boring activities (each activity is not fun and boring, but most activities are fun and few are boring).  We have listened to lots of information about campus, been led by a very fun and very cool Y group leader (who is also our peer mentor for Freshman Academy), eaten lots of food, and listed to lots of live entertainment.  We have seen a very humorous presentation on the Honor Code and Jericho Road came and preformed live for us.

There are lots of people here.  Lots of people.  I like the feel of the campus.  The Honor Code and the people here are very strong in the spirit and the gospel.  We begin everything with a prayer, and embrace the whole "disciple-scholar" thing.  It is very cool.

And very expensive.  I spent $540 on books.  For my first semester.  Crazy, eh?  Although today I did get my scholarship rebate direct deposit - I logged into my bank account and thought I logged into somebody else's.  The number surprised me!  I like scholarships...  Now I can pay for the new MacBook Pro I bought last week.  It has shipped but now I'm waiting for it to arrive and will be very excited when it does!

There are lots of people here who are willing to help.  We have an awesome peer mentor, an awesome RA (resident's assistant), an awesome college advisement center, and more people.

Today I watched the BYU Women's Soccer game, and tomorrow I will watch the football game.  I found myself doing something I've never done before - cheering on the Cougars.  It paid off - we won the soccer game 4 - 1.  It was a good game.  I guess that while I'm at BYU, at least, I must become a cougar fan.  Ah well - I must find the courage to plunge into the world of the blue.

Final Days

Echoing a post by Whitney, I have mixed feelings about leaving home for a year at school.  I went to my last Stake Dance tonight, and a wave of sadness swept over me as I thought about the transition from high school days to college.  At first it was a bit weird being one of the oldest there, but then I realized that these people were my friends, and I stopped caring.  It was sad to think about the fun I've had at Stake Dances, from my first one three years ago to this one today - I can't even imagine how many times I've danced to "Boot Scootin' Boogie" in the interim.  Although a lot of my friends my age weren't there, there were still a bunch.  Plus, I do have younger friends, believe it or not.
I think I'm waxing eloquent on the subject because it hit me tonight exactly what I'm doing.  Moving away from home, never seeing most of the people going to Hurricane High, not even really associating with Hurricane High anymore.  As Whitney said in her post and I learned three years ago when we moved here, your family is the one of the only things you can count on to be there for you and support you and one of the best things that one can do is to be supportive of everybody that they associate with.  I really tried to do that and I hope that I have.
I am excited for the future - I'm not saying that I'm not - but right now I am just so grateful for all of my family, the church, and my friends.  My family and the church have stuck with me my whole life.  My friends accepted me and still continue to be friends even after they get acquainted with some of my...quirks.  For that I am eternally grateful.  It has changed me for the better by example.
Moving was hard.  I had to stick close to those two pivotal anchors in my life, now joined by a third.  They say triangles are the strongest shape.  This is kind of a more personal, emotioinal post them I'm used to writing, but I will miss everybody very much (unless by some good stroke of fortune I see you again, which should happen).  I can't think of a single person I don't like right now - I love you all!  Of course, people have their own quirks, but since I have some I can understand other's.

Goodnight!

Exciting News, I suppose

Well, last night I was accepted into BYU. How fun! Well, that's all I have to say about that.

Today I mailed my Hinckley Scholarship application 11 minutes before the post office closed...it was cutting it quite close. I don't think my essays were too good, but they were rather good, I suppose.