A Slice of Zion

I know this post is like majorly late, but I just wanted to tell you guys about my Fourth of July. Why? Because it was fun. That's why. The day started with a fun shopping trip with my mom. We went searching for things for my dorm room. (Move in is in a month!) Of course, I managed to pick out the most kiddish things like a stuffed unicorn. Yes, I am 18, going to college, and I bought a stuffed unicorn. Her name is Matilda and I love her. I also got a nice throw pillow, but the unicorn is the most important thing here. Yeah, yeah, I guess technically the unicorn has no practical application. Like, at least, you can rest on a throw pillow. I think Matilda offers more of a moral support component that is essential to survival in college. That's the story I'm going with. Anyway, after a very exciting shopping trip where I laid on a mattress pad on the floor of Bed, Bath, and Beyond (my mom told me to), I went over to Man-friend's house where I can't quite remember w...

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats  is a special book. I mean, it is  an international best seller, but that's not the only reason why this book is a diamond in your library. I honestly feel in classrooms 20 or 30 years from now this book will be a topic of discussion. At least, I hope very hard that it will make it that far. This novel has two stories going on. One is of Julia Win who travels to Burma to try and find out why her father disappeared from her life. The other is the tale of Tin Win, Julia's father, told by U Ba. Julia is shocked by the things U Ba tells her: her father used to blind, he had another lover named MiMi, and much more. While on one hand I wanted to be upset with Tin Win for just up and leaving his father in New York, his life story brought me to tears. A basic overview is that when he was born, he was born on a Friday in December. To his mother, this was a bad sign. After repeated "bad luck" such as the chickens dying, his superstitious moth...

Sarah Dessen, the author of The Truth about Forever, said  “There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.”  This rings true in Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. In a simple, elegant style, Moyes somehow captures the essence of love in ink. I do not know how she does it, but she takes readers on a journey that fills your heart with love. Except this love is not what you would expect. In fact, the romance between Louisa Clark and Will Traynor for most of the book is so subtle it's hard to recognize. However, in a mere chapter, it exploded into something absolutely beautiful.  This is definitely a book I would consider reading again and again. The book evolves around Louisa Clark, a spunky 28-year-old living in a tiny English village. When she loses her job at a local café, the Job Centre does not offer her many fulfilling occupations. Jumping from factory worker to fast food, she is...

Neil Gaiman, the author of Coraline and The Graveyard Book , once said, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us dragons can be beaten." The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly is an excellent example of a fairy tale teaching us that our inner demons can be beaten. The author mixes children's stories with mature issues such as accepting the  death of a loved one and change at a young age. In this fashion, John Connolly crafts an excellent tale that is intended to be read deeper than face-value. When I first read this book, I was in a dry spell of reading. Nothing seemed worth reading as everything sounded the same. Books were predictable. However, John Connolly offers a strange new view of classic fairy tales that will pull at the heartstrings. His novel follows a young boy named David. He lost his mother at a young age and struggles to find acceptance. In the months following his mother's death, he turns to ...

As senior year is winding to a close, I have begun to reflect on the past year. Since my last post, a lot has happened that has put my faith to test. Lyndon, the person who baptised me and I was dating, broke up with me and cut me out of his life. The personal details of such will not be discussed. All I will say is I miss my best friend dearly, but I guess the Lord is putting us on separate paths for now. Who knows...maybe I'll bump into him at Walmart in like 5 years and I can be all like, "Hey, still hate me? *finger guns*" and he can be all like "Yup, go away, weirdo-meanie". All in all it will be a fantastic and so very loving reunion that it will bring even the Queen of England to tears. A  wonderful quote by D. Todd Christofferson I look a lot now is "Challenges are are at times an indicator of the Lord's trust in you." I truly believe that the Lord is helping me get through this year and the person I have to thank for knowing that is...

This past summer, I had the amazing experience to go on a 15 day tour of Europe with my parents. We planned to go to England, France, Italy, and spend a night in Dublin, Ireland on the way home. England was an absolute blast. We stayed with some family friends who were hilarious. I enjoyed the pub food and decided that London is seriously overrated. It really smells. I preferred the serene and much better smelling country side of England. I could really see myself living there in a nice cottage with my family and lots of dogs. Skipping France for now, Italy was really hot. I definitely enjoyed England and Ireland more than Italy. However, it was cool to see the country where I was born, but I didn't enjoy the heat or all the people. Also, did you guys realise how many naked men are in Italy?! (As in, statues, not humans.) It was slightly  awkward. Ireland was wonderful for the night we stayed there. We were exhausted by that point, but the hotel's beds were amazing. Best ...

  Tonight, we had the missionaries over for dinner. Like any typical visit with them, it ended with laughter and smiles. But, before, we had a wonderful, wonderful spiritual conversation.   After a delicious dinner of omelets, the sisters played for us " Only a Stonecutter ". If you haven't watched this video released by the Church, then totally do. It's so touching. Anyway, the whole video was about magnifying our callings in the church and a reminder about the things the pioneers did for us so many years ago.   The man, John Rowe Moyle, in the video was a pioneer and convert from England. He walked all the way from Boston to the Salt Lake Valley with his family. After he arrived, he was called as a stonemason for the Salt Lake Temple. For over 20 years, he dedicated his life to building the temple even though that meant walking 22 miles to Salt Lake on Mondays and 22 miles back home on Friday evenings. That left only a day for chores at his family farm.   We...