The Liebster

My sweet, tender, loving and kind wife nominated me for the Liebster award. Sooooo I am putting off my post about being married for one more day... or week.... or month. Just depending. But it's coming!! Promise!! Thanks dear, for this opportunity :)

Okay, so here are the rules...

1. Post 11 things about yourself
2. Answer the questions the nominator made for you
3. Create 11 more questions for the blog you nominate
4. Go on their page and tell them they won!
5. Oh, and no tag backsies..

So..... 11 things about myself.... Hmmmm...... In the language of my fathers, here we go!

Tasi: I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world. She spends all day going to work and school and doing homework, and then comes home and makes dinner, checks on our bills and expenditures, plans for the week, and does SO much more than I could ever list in a blog post. (That doesn't even cover all the times she sees that I'm in a bad mood, and drops whatever she's doing to help me, or spends time making a surprise for me when I get home from work.) She is SOO smart and talented and wise and funny and crazy and I love her to death. Simply put, that is the number one thing that you need to know about me - I am incredibly lucky simply because this magnificent (and gorgeous) princess chose me. She did. SHE chose ME. To me, that is one of the greatest miracles that God has ever blessed me with.

Lua: I am a student at Brigham Young University. What am I studying? I finally have that answer down - psychology and business strategy. Now.... What am I going to do with that? I don't know. That's been the focus for my future career the past two semesters - business startups, financial consultant, doctor, seminary teacher...... Sigh....... But I know I do love working with people, and analyzing finances and different strategies.... And teaching the gospel.... And neurobiology.... Sigh. Again. ;)

Tolu: I work currently at a residential treatment center for youth who struggle with drug problems and/or emotional problems. It's a good job, but pretty stressful most of the time. I work around 35 hours a week, while going to school 15 hours a week.... Which makes life pretty stressful in general. Sigh.... But I have a wonderful wife that helps me not stress out over every little thing. Hahaha.... :)

Fa: I am a very analytical person. Did you know that about me? Well, I didn't, until just recently. I've always been good at math, and my favorite heroes as a young kid were Batman and Sherlock Holmes. (And Superman, but.....that's beside the point.) But now that I've been married, my wife will say things like, "What do you want to eat for dinner?" And I'll respond with, "Well, we have corn that's going to go bad, but we also have pizza.... And we also have some chicken that I've been trying to figure out what to do with..." And then she'll hold my hand and say, "Robbie, I asked what you wanted. You don't have to analyze everything!" And she has been right. While it's good for me to use my skills of analysis for some things, to use it for something as simple as what to eat for dinner or what to do for a date can be hampering and dull. This is something else that I've been working on - how to relax and just have fun.... Surprisingly enough, if you know me ;)

Droit: I love to eat cookies. I am so CRAVING cookies right now that it's unbelievable. In fact.... Quick break, while I go make some......

Gouche: I. LOVE. THE. DOCTOR. If you don't know who I'm referring to, then either you've never read my posts and/or you don't know true culture when you see it. Magnificent. Doctor Who.

My favorite part about the show is that it is so COMPLEX. It's about character development and relationships and truth and good vs. evil and moral principles and friendship and bravery and love and loss and confronting your inner darkness and confidence and so many wonderful things. My wife and I watch it all the time and we love it to death!!

Fitu: I am a hard person to buy gifts for. I think of things I need at the time, and in rare moments where I think "Man, I sure love tools!", I forget the fact that I loved them at one point. So I usually end up with clothes and movies for gifts like Christmas. Which, I love the most, actually :) Especially snappy looking sweaters and gloves.... ;)

Valu: My left arm is two inches longer than my right. No, I'm actually dead serious. Honest!! It makes it so that I always have to get new suits tailored so I don't look like I'm a little kid wearing my dad's suit...

Nove: I love introducing my wife to new shows and having her love them. Shows like Psych and Doctor Who. She also introduces me to new shows like Once Upon a Time and Pushing Daisies, which I love now too!! She's the best :)

Zieben: I love Christmas!!!!!!! Also, on a tangential note, my favorite Christmas movie (at least, at the current time) is The Santa Clause.

Once: Hahahaha.... Once means 11 in Spanish. And Once Upon a Time is my favorite current show. (Along with Doctor Who. Just sayin'.....) AAAAHHHHHH!!!!! And I am freaking out.... Henri needs to show Regina he loves her too... Or else she'll turn all Evil Queen.... BELAPTHASDRPHGAVIEOP;P2Q3;123412342341

If you didn't know at least three of the above facts, you are no longer my friend.... Just kidding. But now you know more about me! Yay!

Now to my dear wife's questions:

1. Are you wearing deodorant right now? If so, what kind? If not, why not?

I would be very ashamed if I answered "No"..... Yes, I am! I am wearing Old Spice Swagger.

2. What is your favorite restaurant?

Awwww..... Not fair. I have favorite restaurants for specific types of food! Rita's for Dessert, Five Guys for burgers, Papa John's for pizza..... But my favorite restaurant overall? I would say...... Ummmm...... Hmmmm..... Chick-Fil-A! They have everything I want. Yeah, we'll go with that ;)

3. What is your favorite movie EVER?
Disclaimer: I will not count TRILOGIES!!! That would be unfair, plus I would count the whole trilogy as one movie, plus.... Yeah. 

First, let me give you my top 5 list.... A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander, Beauty and the Beast, Hook, and Remember the Titans.... And Inception. (My top trilogy-as-one-movie list? Bourne Trilogy, LOTR trilogy, Dark Knight Trilogy, and Toy Story Trilogy. Favorite Trilogy out of those three? Ahhh..... LOTR!!) But, my final answer is.... Master and Commander. Or Hook. Argh!

4. What was your favorite conference talk from the most recent general conference and why?

Easy! "Brethren, we have work to do" by Elder Christofferson in the Priesthood session. I loved it because Elder Christofferson is one of my favorite apostles, and it described so well the problems that men face and how they have to overcome them and how we have to man up.... OOOOOH. So good.

5. How many fingers am I holding up?

Easy again! None. Why would you hold up any fingers at any point in time during the day? Plus... I know you, wife....

6. Do you like cheese? If so, you're awesome. If not, what's wrong with you?

........ Yes?.......... Jk. I love cheese! ;)

7. What is your dream vacation? I want details.

Hahaha.... Not that I've spent a while thinking about this, but a trip to Disneyworld for about a week, then flying out to Europe for two weeks to see France, Italy, and England. Yeah..... Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The David, Nutella Gelato, Nutella Crepes, Beast's Castle, Belle's Ballroom, Harry Potter's Castle (twice), Disneyland Paris, Venice, Assisi, London, Baker Street, AAAAAHHHH!!!!

8. If you had a million dollars and someone offered you five million dollars for that one million dollars, what would the Chinese say about colored scarves in the fall while he eats his breakfast? And what was he eating?

What would he say: "生活美好." Or "Fashionable."
What he was eating: Shin Ramyun. Or, "Spicy Ramen".

9. Can you count to purple backwards? If you get this, you're awesome.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Yes, I get it :) Do you????
I can count to g!!!!!!!

10. Do you like Once Upon a Time? If so, you're awesome and...why? If you don't, we can't be friends anymore. If you've never seen it, I ask you good man or woman...WHY NOT?

Yes I do!!!!!! (See number "Once" of the previous statements) I'm awesome......

11. Do you like puppies????????????????????????????

YES I DO!!!!! I want one..... Black Labrador Retriever. His name will be Jake. He will have a friend that is a little dog.... Whose name is yet to be determined....

Finally, 11 questions for my lucky winners...

1. When was the last time you bought ice cream that wasn't in a carton? Where was it from?
2. What do you want to be most when you grow up?
3. Do you know who David Moffat is? If not, I might be about to cry....
4. Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr.? And why? (In case you don't understand from the actor's names, which is a better Sherlock? The one from the recent movies or the one from the british television show?)
5. If you had a magic time box that could take you to any point in time or space, where would you go? And why?
6. Same magic time box, different paradox - what one mistake in your life would you try to correct? Or what would you tell a past version of yourself about your shared future?
7. What scripture currently defines and/or gives meaning to your life right now? And why?
8. You could own Apple, Disney, or Wal-Mart. (But you can only own one of the three.) Which one would it be? 
9. Do you know who Shawn Spencer is? If not, I might cry harder.... If you do know who he is, name his favorite male companion and that companion's signature vehicle.
10. If you go to school, what are you currently going to school for? And why?
11. Which General Authority (though all are your favorites ;) ) generally speaks to your trials and heart the most? And why?

This award goes to my cousin Corinne, my good friend Ben, and my good friend Kirk. I hope you find this as rewarding as I did! :)

THE Woman

Captain's log 327, Date 5/6/12: I start a new job working at a treatment center for troubled kids. Hence will end all of the free time I ever have.....ever.

Haha.... maybe not all of it! But my new job, however grateful I am for the money and the opportunities it provides for me, still sucks up a lot of my time. I work typically 40-60 hours in a given week, depending on how many shifts I pick up from co-workers. The children that I work with already have their therapists to diagnose and treat and medicate them. My job is to make sure they do what their therapists say, to keep the peace and protect the kids from each other. It's a great job - but with many hours comes less time... hehe. Although I guess that was obvious... But I really am grateful. I had been looking for a job for the past year and have finally found one! Yay!!

Besides working, I have been preparing for school in the fall! I'm definitely settling on a psych major with minors in mathematics and business management....where do I go from there? There's a better question. I know you might not care, but I am deciding between law school, medical school, or management school... ambitious much? Yeah.... they all sound very prestigious and I would be lucky to get into any of them, but the point is I am still not sure which one I'm going to do!! So is that exactly an advantage? When I introduce myself to people, do I just say, "I just want to do something ambitious in life! .... That I don't know yet! .... What it is!"..... Yeesh. School. Future. Decisions. Speaking of which...

Well, in other news.... I'm engaged. :) :) :) :) :)

And yes, she's probably saying right now, "It's about time you told everyone!!!" Hahaha :) It's been about a month since we've been engaged. I know, I know what some of you are thinking... just like Aunt Voula, "We never thought this would happen! Never, NEVER thought this would happen!" Well.... it did! :)

I suppose some of you will want the story of how I met the love of my life... and persuaded her to marry me. Well, let me tell you... It wasn't easy! (She is actually much more descriptive than I am. If you would like her version, which I do much more than mine, you may read it here )

I met Meagan soon after I got home from my mission. In the ward where I attended church, my only friend happened to be my best friend from high school. He invited me to go bowling with him and a couple of friends from the ward - one of those friends being Meagan. This was the first time I met my future wife... and we probably said 3 words to each other that entire night. Why didn't I know then, right? ;) Because of our single's ward we hung out a lot over the next few months, going to Smart Cookie and Hart's and doing lots of different events together. Long story short, as we got to know each other we went through many immensely difficult trials together, from getting to know each other to dealing with personal issues and struggles to even breaking up and getting back together. But through it all, we focused on doing the right thing, regardless of what may happen in the end. As we dedicated our lives to the Savior, and sought to figure out what was in line with His will, everything naturally followed - and now we are getting married. :) :) :)

I love that woman. "THE woman", as Sherlock puts it. Being with her and learning how to love and be loved and manage schedules and personalities and priorities has all been a great learning experience for me - and as we've grown closer together, I have found myself wanting to become a better person just so that I can match her. She is brilliant at school and common wisdom that cuts through the distractions of our world today; she is hilarious, and can make me smile with just the sparkle in her eyes that lets me know I'm in for a teasing; she is kind to everyone that she meets, and has the most nurturing spirit that I do not doubt she is ready to be a mother; she is soooo selfless, and gives of her time and energy to all sorts of people that need her help; she is sooo spiritual, she puts her Father in Heaven first before all things - I know she is going to be spiritually grounded throughout her life; she is beautiful; she is amazing. She is mine. And I am hers. I love you!!!!! :) :) :) September and marriage and Disneyland cannot come fast enough..... :D

And so we go.

Berlin Foot Chase

Do you ever get the feeling sometimes that your life is a frantic rush? Like you're running around with a thousand things to do, and maybe an hour to do them? Hahaha....don't we all? I've been feeling a lot like this lately. I'm not saying I'm busier or more important than the average person in the world today, but I do admit that often I feel overwhelmed by the load of work I have to do. School is a full time job (which makes me lucky that I have a minimal part-time job, only about 5 hours per week. Although I just got another job! Woohoo! 60 hours a week.....), and then with trying to cram in my family and church responsibilities I can stress myself out a little too much. It's at times like that when I feel like I'm approaching the frantic stress level of a situation like this:

Or This:

NOTE: THIS ISN'T JUST A SHAMELESS PLUG COMPARING ME TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIE CHARACTERS, JASON BOURNE. WELL.... I MEAN.... MAYBE IT IS.

This is how I feel sometimes. No, not the coolness factor - I wish I was that cool. Though if a friend of mine gets his way this is what we'll both be doing for a career. (Working for the CIA I mean, not running away from them.) I feel like I'm constantly running around, like a chicken with my head cut off. And yet, surprisingly, I am starting to like it. I certainly like being busy much better than being bored out of my mind. But I am also getting better at planning and organizing, and being able to carry out the plans that I make. Most importantly, I am prioritizing my life and trying to do the things that are of most importance. School takes priority, work takes priority, friends and family take priority over things like entertainment, busy work, etc. But the most important priority is God.

When I am listening to Heavenly Father and waiting for His words, I feel peace. When I am striving to discern His will and gaining strength and power to do it, I am at peace. When I am studying His scriptures, listening to the words of His prophets and seeking to know more about what He would have me do, I am at peace. When I offer up my soul as a sacrifice to Him in prayer, dedicating my life to be used in His service, drawing near unto Him and His powerful throne in my thoughts while I am going about my business (and His), I am at peace. When I am partaking of the Atonement of Christ and becoming perfected in Him, I am at peace. These things take away the stress, the anxiety, and the heartache that come with the trials and tribulations of our mortal lives. I have been realizing that I have been focusing on too much too fast, and especially focusing on too much of the worldly stuff. I have been trying to do everything myself, almost like I was left on my own - like Jason Bourne. But I'm not alone. I don't have an entire group of people that want to kill me, or thwart me, or make my life stressful. I have a God who loves me and wants to help me be happy. How can you be sad then?? Well, only when I lose sight of this fact.

On another subject, there is a documentary that just breaks my heart. If you've ever been on the bad end of a junior high bullying, or seen someone go through it, or just been a member of elementary through high school, you know what this problem is. This documentary reveals just how serious it is:

This is a huge problem in our schools today. I applaud these documenters for truly revealing certain aspects about the schooling process and bringing light to this terrible matter. There is one problem - it is rated 'R' for the language that the middle-schoolers use, curse words including very serious words. Now I don't know quite how I feel about that - it is really telling how middle schools are like, but it is very harsh language for a family audience. But they are trying to change the rating and possibly remove some of the curse words. So I guess the decision is just up to you - more updates will come soon I'm sure.

Well thanks so much for lasting to the end of the post! I know it's been a long time since I've posted, and this post itself has lasted for about a month. But I hope something in here has helped you.

I love Jesus Christ. I love my Father in Heaven. I know them to be two separate Beings who yet think exactly the same, who know and want what is best for me, and want to guide me (not force me) to make right decisions. I know that if I follow their example, and listen to their counsel each day, that I will not be thrown off or stressed or freaked out. I will be at peace in the storm, like the Savior's disciples on the sea of Galilee. I will become like Them. If I do everything they ask me to do.

And so we go.

You'll Always Be My Best Friend

"Is this how time normally passes? REALLY SLOWLY??" - Doctor Who

Why does time seem to never seem to go at the same rate? Why does a week fly by like it was a television show, and yet a day drags on so long that it feels like a marathon? I've mentioned before, Sundays pass so slowly that at the end of the day I sink to my couch embattled and weary, like I just fought 15 rounds with Anderson Silva. Yet a week flies by that I can't even remember all of the assignments that I whipped out or completed. It's insane! I can't even remember specific days anymore, but at times I feel like The Doctor in this clip - time passes so slowly. And never for the things that I want - which pass as if I was traveling through time and arrived at the end of "3 hours" in a real time of about 10 minutes. Worst of all, I feel like I never have enough time to accomplish all the things that must be done. Meetings, visits, interviews, planning sessions, study sessions, time for studying and homework, time spent for work, time for church meetings, time for school, and any leftover time which needs to be divided between family, friends, and girlfriend. Oh, and fun. :P Sigh....it'd be nice to be God and have power over time, so I could do everything that I need to in an endless amount of time.

Because of that, let me give you specific things that happened even though I can't remember the days.

Blessings:

1. I was able to take a test two days later than I expected, so that I would have extra time to study.
2. I did not get sick.
3. I have great professors in all of my classes, that help me to understand the material and to integrate it into the knowledge I already have of life and how things work.
4. I was able to spend a lot of time with family. Not enough, but I was able to spend more than usual.
5. Which family, by the way, is amazing. Not only are they related to me, but they are some of my best friends. Taylor and Green Lantern have been my best friends literally since I was born. My brothers and sisters and I have gone through extremely hard things together, and we are super close. Not to mention my mother and father are equal parts hilarious and kind and forgiving and wonderful. Probably the best family on the planet. Just so you know :)
6. I serve under a wonderful Bishop, with amazing counselors and a great Relief Society. Every one of these people are kind, loving, dedicated people that want to further the work of Christ and emulate His example in their lives. I am truly blessed to work with such people.
7. I have a wonderful girlfriend. She truly cares about me, and thinks not of herself but of how she can make me happy. She is selfless, kind, and dedicated to living the gospel. I am very grateful for her. :)

Hard Things:

1. I struggled to understand concepts in my classes. Do you ever go to class and feel like you've hit a brick wall, and no matter what the teacher says to try and impart wisdom to you nothing gets through? ....Yeah, it's been one of those weeks. 
2. I am struggling with time. All of the time. Managing my time wisely, getting my homework done on time, rushing off to meetings, avoiding espn.go.com, and in general going crazy in my head. Sigh.
3. Resulting from this, controlling my natural man is a hard trial. He manifests sometimes in the form of the Facebook/Youtube monster, sometimes in an overwhelming desire for chocolate, sometimes in the desire to sleep through all my classes, etc. Fighting him gets exhausting sometimes.
4. Meetings. Aaaahhh... I love what they accomplish and I stand behind their purpose, but the amount of meetings that I both have to attend and plan for during a week is insane. It will be nice when I no longer have to run this many meetings. Hahaha...I say that, and yet I have a feeling they're not going to go away...Sigh.
5. The Lord said that He intends to test us to the boundary of our faith. Well....it's happening. I have a feeling that no matter how fully you understand the gospel and have learned to discern the voice of the Spirit, Satan increases in his ability to deceive you the more your ability to discern the Spirit increases. So I've been struggling in trying to discern which promptings are coming from where, and avoid getting attacked by him. That is also exhausting.

Successes:

1. I was able to read my scriptures every day this week. Yeah!
2. I am developing great relationships with my professors.
3. I did almost all the homework that was due this week, and am pulling A's in almost all of my classes. Woohoo!!!!! That almost should go under blessings - it's pretty much a miracle that I'm managing to survive this well. 
4. Things are going well in the ward that I attend. People are coming unto Christ, listening to each other, striving to be better, and becoming more friendly. The world is changing!
5. I am finding greater faith :)

Random Events/Notes:

1. Had man nights with The Doctor, eating beef jerky/chicken wings/oreos and watching episodes of Doctor Who, Ben 10, and Homestarrunner. Hehehe :D
2. I'm back to the cottage cheese diet. And now I go to bed exhausted every night because of the two-hour workouts my cousin puts me through. I love you Green Lantern. Not.
3. Watching sports = time with my dad = awesome.
4. Going driving = time with my mom = awesome.
5. I am not addicted to Doctor Who. Not. One. Bit. Just because you love something very, very much does not mean that you cannot give it up. Just saying'. ;)

With all of these things having progressed, I would like to share with you things that have been weighing heavily on my heart the past couple of weeks. When we are pushed "to the boundary of uncertainty, exercising faith", though those words may be inspiring and uplifting, it does not mean that it is a pleasant experience or process. It's a hard struggle, a feeling like you're getting punched in the face time after time after time with doubt and uncertainty and fear and unbelief. Not that you automatically feel those things in the presence of a trial of your faith, but that they threaten to overwhelm you and, worse, to be accepted by you. Have you ever had something in  your life that has done this to you? It could be a number of things: the death of a parent or close friend, being fired from your job at work, feeling like you're not getting any answers to your prayers or like God doesn't hear you, being overwhelmed with the demands on your life from work and family and others, not feeling accepted by other people, feeling like you don't have any friends, feeling worthless or like you just aren't a very good person at all. These things may come out of the blue, and seem very undeserved. Well, honestly, you're probably right. Often you don't deserve to have hard or terrible things come upon you. But that raises the question - do you deserve to be blessed? Do you deserve to have good things happen to you, to be made perfect? If you believe you deserve this, then often you deserve the other. Confused? Let me share a scripture with you:

"And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6)

Like I have mentioned time and time again in these, the writings of my mind, I know that the only way to get through trials is to rely on Jesus Christ. Yet the question remains, WHEN is it that He steps in and saves you? Like Moroni says, it is "after the trial of your faith". When is that, you may ask? To that question there is no easy answer. It is when your faith has been pushed to its limit, to where you are unsure of whether God will ever answer you. It is THEN that you have to place your faith in the only Perfect Being you will ever have the privilege to talk to in this world. He knows you; He knows the depth and breadth of the trials you face better than you do; He knows your limits more perfectly than you may ever know; and He knows how far you need to be pushed in order to become like Him. The Perfect Man knows all about what is necessary to become perfect. It is through these trials of faith that your character is strengthened and your true principles are made clear. He has also made it clear that He will not push us farther than we are able, and promised that He will always be by our side as we walk through these hard times. And we know that we are bound to go through hard things in this life; why not use them to draw closer to Christ? So this is the answer:

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." (3 Nephi 5:13)

Once you declare yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ, you declare that you are willing to go through all things for His name. The devil declares war upon you, and life at times seems to declare war upon you. But  God Himself declares that He is your advocate; that though enemies and storms and burdens and frustrations may break upon you, they will not break you. He will guide you and support you through all these things. If God is on my side, then it doesn't matter what else is against me. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I believe in Him. I trust Him. I love Him. And I would give my life for Him. I will declare His word and His gospel to all nations of the world "that they might have everlasting life", that they might come unto Him and be saved.

And so we go.