Sunday, November 24, 2013

Never alone

Every once in a while I like to do this thing in my scripture study.  I hear on occasion that we are in a "war" or a "battle" with Satan.  I believe that this is true.  I believe that Satan is battling every day over as many souls as he can get.  He is a miserable little puke and all he wants is to drag as many down as he can.  The saying misery loves company is never truer than with the great devil himself. 

So back to my scripture study, I like to do this thing and I call it game film on Lucifer.  Every great team that are champions study game film on their opponents.  They study their tendencies, weaknesses, and strengths in order to gain an advantage.  Once again I believe that Satan has watched eons of game film on us and there is a good chance he has watched game film on you personally.  He knows our tendencies, weaknesses, and strengths and he works to exploit them.  And as much as a little puke he is, he is good at what he does.  So it's only fair and only makes sense to study a little film on him.  Learn his tendencies, his strengths, his old fall backs, and even his weaknesses so that we can know what play he might run next. 

So I thought that I might share one little tendency that I saw on film today.  In Sunday school we were reading a few verses on Satan and we were talking about putting on the armor of God.  Those are great verses.  They are read often by Mormons and Christians, and I think Satan knows them by heart, well if he had one, but he doesn't.  So he can't know them by heart but he probably still knows them.  I think it is interesting to note that there is no mention made of back armor.  Every good soldier knows that back armor is not as important as long as someone has your back.  I think that Satan has also noticed that.  With that in mind I would like to make an observation on one of Satans plays that he tries to run all the time. Satan wants everyone to feel as if they are alone.  That no one has their back.  He wants every person that lives on the planet to feel as if no one understands them.  He wants them to feel cold, and separated.  He wants them to feel as if they are alone. 

I wanted to take a moment to blog this because it is an answer I wanted to share but I didn't.  I think it's important to note that Satan wants all of us to feel like we are the only ones trying to live the law of chastity and keep ourselves morally clean.  He wants us to feel like we are the only ones reading our scriptures at night.  Satan wants us to feel like we are the only ones trying to be a good example.  He wants us to think that we are the only ones that have rough days.  The truth is that we are never alone.  By looking around at church we can realize we are not alone.  By talking with friends we can know we are not alone.  By spending time with family we realize we are not alone.  And in the event we truly feel no one else can help us, the Savior personally knows what you are going through and how to help.  That is the power of the atonement, that no matter what spot we may hit in life we are never alone.  And in this there is really strength in numbers.  We have the best to cover our back.  

"And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his aeyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and bchariots of fire round about Elisha."
--2 Kings 6:16-18

 So here's to never being alone.  Take that Satan!


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Over or under 26?

The Utah Jazz will be ok.  The Utah Jazz always are.  It's me that i'm worried about.  Don't worry I think i'll make it too.  I mean we remember 26-56 right?  We remember Carlos Arroyo, Raul Lopez, Kris Humphries, and Gordon Giricek right?  And the thing is I like this team a ton better than I like any of those guys so that makes it better.  The point is the Jazz have been through some rough seasons, and they will go through some more rough seasons.  It's like I have been saying this past week, it's easy to love the idea of rebuilding in the off season.  But to stick to it, and carry it through that is what makes it tough.

The thing is I like this Jazz team.  I think they are good and I don't even really mind that they are 0-4.  I like the effort, and I have liked the play so far.  All this is even before Trey Burke hits the floor for his first regular season NBA appearance.  That is the biggest gaping hole that is noticable on this team.  I like the pieces we have.  I like our starting five, including Richard Jefferson.  I like Alec Burks off the bench, and I think he will continue to thrive in that role. 

As a fan I try to be just that, a FANatic.  I try not to voice what I think the team ought to do, because it's like listening to the dog bark, no one wants to hear it.  So all I will say is this, I sure hope that Trey Burke is awesome.  I don't mean that I hope he is awesome the instant he steps on the floor because I know that won't happen.  He is a 20 year old out of Michigan.  He will make mistakes, miss shots, and have turnovers.  No I don't want him to be awesome from day one.  I want him to be awesome at game 53 after he learned from earlier turnovers.  I want him to be awesome in years to come hitting 50% of his shots and assisting 8 times a game.  I want him to be the type of point guard our young guys need.  I will also say this, good NBA teams have good point guards.  There are no if's ands or buts about it.  Good teams have good point guards, or people that can play the point guard position and direct an offense, hit open guys, and hit open shots.  The Jazz lack solid point guard play through the first four games of this season and it shows.  But I think it will get better.  I think that is all I will say about that. 

So the whole point of this is just to say that we will make it through this season no matter what happens.  82 games in and 82 games out.  I'll be there, and i'll be here in April too...still wearing my Jazz shirts i'm sure.  So as always Go Jazz!


Sunday, November 3, 2013

A child of Winter



November is one of my favorite months.  Seriously it is.  First of all I love the fall in general, and the last two falls have been absolutely awesome.  A nice long few weeks to a month of 60-75 degree weather while the leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter.  It is a great time of year.  Now to November specifically I am not sure why exactly I love it so much.  I always have though.  November just always bring a smile to my face, so as I reflect on November and all of it's goodness I try to make sense of why I love it so much and here are a few things that make it good

-Football season is in full swing
-Weather getting colder
-Thanksgiving
-With Thanksgiving the beginning of "the holidays"
-Sweats
-Jazz basketball season
-World series just ended
-Snow!!
-Ski season starts
-Leaves falling off the trees

Like I said that is only a few of the things that make November truly magical.  But I still am not sure that it is those things that make me love it so much.  Maybe if all of those things did not happen I would still love the month of November as much.  I can't be quite sure to be honest.  But all of those things help to enhance November.  So happy November to all and to all a happy November. 


Sunday, October 20, 2013

Kirby Heyborne was born there

I spent my first appreciable time in the state of Wyoming this past week.  I will say this, there is a reason that the state of Wyoming's symbol is a bucking horse and rider.  Let me also say this, I absolutely loved it there.  For anyone like me, who doesn't know anything about Wyoming I thought I would put a few facts about Wyoming-

State Dinosaur: Triceratops (That is neat)
State Sport: Rodeo (also neat)
State Capitol: Cheyenne
Number of counties: 23
State income tax per individual: 0% (That is right no state income tax)
Coal Production: 395.5 million tons, the most of any state in the U.S.
Mormons: 11% of total population
National Parks: 2,  Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park
Population: 576,412  The least populous state in the Union
Lowest recorded Temperature: -66 degrees F

For Fall Break Macy and I went to Wyoming to spend some time with Family and Friends.  We were in Afton and Big Piney.  It is a short 3 hour drive from both of those towns to Salt Lake City.  It is about a 2 hour drive from Afton to Big Piney.  The Landscape is incredibly beautiful.  Well at least it was while we there.  It was also already starting to snow in both of those towns while we were there.  Wyoming is not for the faint hearted, and the people are as tough as the landscape is.  They have cold hands but some of the warmest hearts.  You just gotta love the great state of Wyoming.




Sunday, June 23, 2013

Adventures

"Adventure is out there!!"
--Ellie

Adventure is always in the making... new homes, new decorations, new places, new classes, new desires, new experiences, new foods, new drives, new hotels, new programs, new buildings, new mountains, new lakes, new bugs, new bears, and new cars.  Basically I feel I am always on one big adventure.  Luckily I get the feeling in my heart that I have known these people for more than an eternity...literally.   So it makes the adventures fun.  Welcome to the brotherhood/herd/(Most important)family Karen.  We are so happy that Alvin got such a great girl.  

Sunday, April 28, 2013

We are really livin'

If I describe what I am feeling right now, I would say peace.  I am so at peace with how my life has been, is, and will be for the upcoming year.  I am so comfortable and happy about what has been going on. 

I love the track I am on for school.  I have one more year left at my favorite University that I have attended.  I am so glad that I have been a Utah fan literally since I was born because I love that University.  I have loved my classes and my professors.  I love the campus, and I love the opprotunities that the U has given me to move forward.

I love Salt Lake City.  Of all the cities I have visited and been to there is nothing quite like Salt Lake.  Nestled in the mountains, every day from our house I can look from mountain range to mountain range.  I love the trax line, and the people I meet and talk to on trax.  I love being so close to downtown and living in the Salt Lake Temple district.  I absolutely love Salt Lake City. 


I have loved working in a lab doing science experiments, real science experiments, on a protein that is found inside every one of our bodies.  I have loved to learn more about the Golgi apparatus than I ever thought I could.  I have loved to learn about the consequences of not having these types of proteins in your body.  The diseases that incur and the problems that will arise. 

I love that I found a new job that is going to fit right in with what I hope to be doing in the next few years as a physical therapist aide.  I have loved doing exercises and working with patients who come into the clinic.  I love to learn about the human body, and the magnificent creation that it truly is. 

I love my calling in the Garden Park ward.  I love to work with the youth, and am amazed at how they show me what I should be doing every week.  I love how involved and proactive they are in the gospel.  Also I love our church building, (if you haven't seen it you need to)  Every week I walk in I think this is where I get to go to church?!

I love that my days have been filled with family and people that I love.  We have such good friends and they are such a part of us.  I love when Macy and I get to hang out with probably my favorite people in the whole world, our nieces and nephews and we got to do that a lot this weekend. 

I love to be married to Macy and I love that we have now been married over a year.  (All of the sudden when you can tell people you have been married over a year, you have more authority just because of that fact and people are less apt to bring up a newly wed joke.)  I love that we have had so many adventures this past winter and that we have so many adventures planned for this summer.  I love to have a buddy for adventures.  We share all of them and it is so fun. 

As anyone who reads this can see there is a lot of love in my heart for the blessings that I have been given so freely.  Life can be so peaceful, among so much bad.  The older I get the more I realize that happy lives come from good friends, good family, service, and good times. 

P.S.  I love the warmer weather because I am ready for some frisbee.

P.S.S.  I love Bear Lake!  79 more days.  I love the cousin Sethie has a countdown just like me!


Sunday, February 17, 2013

The world spins madly on

Today is February 17th.  This was the weather report from two days ago--

Feb 15

Fri
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
42°F High
at 12:45 pm
26° Low
at 3:05 am 
 Yesterday was just as nice as Friday.  I love the winter.  I love the snow.  I love to shovel the snow off my driveway.  I love how quiet it gets during a snow storm.  I love warming up after spending all day outside in the winter.  I love to read, and watch movies in my sweats.  I love watching people try to drive up 1300 South during a snow storm.  I love building snowmen with Macy.  I also like throwing snowballs at Mac.  I love to ski and everything that entails.  I love to do thinks like this-
Winter makes for such good days. 

My soul can feel that the winter is breaking.  The days are getting warmer, and the snow is starting to melt.  The days are getting long again.  Winter, it seems, will be leaving us again shortly.  I will miss the winter, and I look forward to it's visit again.

Luckily, summer brings some of my favorite things-

Friday, February 1, 2013

One more step

 For your viewing pleasure--

So my thought about Freedom is this--The freedoms in the world that are actually worth anything actually take a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work.  For example-

How long did a person practice piano to play Claire De Lune?  A long time. 



Monday, January 7, 2013

"Fun pictures that make me smile from the last 6 months"

 So basically I put pictures on my computer from the past 6 months or so and there were so many that made me smile I thought I should just share them.  I have never done an "as of late" post and I don't really feel like starting today, so I think this is just a "fun pictures that make me smile from the last 6 months" post. 

1)  Finishing the triathlon in Burley Idaho




2) A moose we saw on a hike













 3)  As close as we dared get to that moose














4)  That same moose before we watched him get into the water


5)  The blackout game.  Go Utes!



6)  Our camping site




7)  Proof that we were in Burley Idaho.  Man I love that place



8)  Macy hurdling a tree


9)  New Zions Bank Shades




10)  The ferris wheel at Liberty Park



11)  Macy touching a cow for the second straight year at the State Fair



12)  No we are not in Elementary school



13)  But we could have been at Kennecott Copper Mine



14)  Macy's first time skiing



15)  Tracy Aviary














16)  So glad Macy likes sports as much as I do.









Yeah those make me smile.  :)  I have such a cool wife.  We are also going to the Jazz game tonight.  Also for some reason I have had Newsies stuck in my head all day.  I can't get it out.  I am not sure why.