Tuesdays with Muerte

In 2001, I received a call from my Colorado mission president asking me to learn to speak Spanish for the duration of my  LDS  mission.  As I held the phone to my ear, my first thought was of the time I had nearly failed my Spanish 101 class. But my faith and hope were strong that morning (most likely due to the fact that I had just finished an hour of scripture study).   My mental process: My mission president receives revelation  from the Lord,  for me. And I know the Lord wouldn't ask me to do something I was incapable of accomplishing.  Therefore, I will whole-heartedly  go and do whatever is needed of me .  My fear was instantly quelled by a spiritual wave of faith and confidence that wiped away any reservations I had previously held.   I immediately accept my president's call, and I never looked back. Long story short, I quickly became fluent in Spanish and went on,  later,  to earn a bachelor's degree from BYU in Lat...

"Please notice me!" "Her eyes were beautifully gift-wrapped; long black lashes of velvet ribbon—and everytime she opened them, it felt like Christmas." —Michael Faudet Finding out someone likes you. “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you...I could walk through my garden forever.” ― Alfred Tennyson When you crush so hard, you do really dumb (but creative) things. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” ― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream I 'Like' Like you! “Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones When you've been waiting for him to make the first move. “Fortune sides with him who dares.” ― Virgil Valentine's Day after just returning ho...

General Preparation All dishes & beverages are best served in glass punch bowls or pitchers. Serving sizes: 12 Bridge Officers. Make name tags for dishes out of construction paper for those who are less familiar with interstellar cuisine. Appetizer Star Trek insignias dipped in the blood of the enemy (secret Klingon delicacy) = Cheese-covered Nachos and Salsa. ($10) Drink Romulan Ale = 7up + blue food coloring. ($4) (Alt.) Klingon Blood Wine = Cranberry-pomegranate juice + lemonade and orange frozen concentrate + sparkling lemon-lime water. (Or anything red, like Cherry Cool-aid with sugar.) ($10) Salad Moba Fruit Salad (Bajoran) = Strawberries, raspberries and julienned fresh basil. ($10) Side Neelix's 7-Galaxy Pasta (from ??) = Pasta + Tomatoes + Veggie Broth + Olive Oil + Seasoning ( recipe ). ($5) (Alt. Side) Ardanian spuds (Vegetable that grows in the clouds of Stratos) = Red garlic mashed potatoes ( recipe ). ($5)...

Bryan vs. Collegiate Innertube Waterpolo Bryan's Lessons Learned This week, I played in my first Collegiate Intramural Innertube Waterpolo game.  Before I forget my initial impressions, I will quickly jot down the five most-important lessons I learned throughout the evening (and the morning after). Innertube Waterpolo is not for the weak of abs. While I didn't move my legs the entire match, my arms were constantly aflail.  The morning after, my arms surprisingly felt fine—the pain was isolated in my abs.  Look out Pilates & Zumba! I should have entitled this post, "How I Got a 6-Pack in Less Than 1 Hour." I also assumed my jaw would be sore.  During the first half, I paddled up to defend the opposing team's most-talented attacker.  I must have been really quiet because just as our innertubes were about to collide, he swung his massive elbow around and connected with my face, knocking me, and my tube, back 10-15 feet.  Attempting to draw att...

Image source: Brent's Website This post lists all 31 LDS scripture references for the phrase, "come unto Christ" and some of its derivations.  I've bolded the phrase within each verse, and then marked the associated blessing(s) or promise(s) in red text. "Come Unto Christ" Jacob 1:7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ , and partake of the goodness of God , that they might enter into his rest , lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness. Omni 1:26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ , who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption . Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the ...

Tonight, I taught a group of BYU technologists how to use Photoshop to "touch up" images.  If I had tonight to do over again, here are five things I would have done very differently: I would have done a full run-through beforehand with real people. I would have called before arriving to confirm that someone would have been there to receive me. I would have taught my three main ideas up front, lightning fast (instead of staggering them haphazardly throughout the presentation). Photoshop is for COMBINING and ADJUSTING, not for CREATING. Use backwards design when planning out your final product. Don't be destructive. I would have dumbed it WAY down. Avoid sharing "my favorite tricks." If it's more than a three-click process, it's too much to retain. Show no more than two things per sitting. Then give them hands on practice, with coaching. I would have emailed them a list of resources and tutorials to view in preparation. Live an...

Bhutanese with English subtitles, 2013, 80 minutes, color, France/Finland,  World Documentary About the Film In 1999, King Jigme Wangchuck approved the use of television and Internet throughout the largely undeveloped nation of Bhutan, assuring the masses that rapid development was synonymous with the “gross national happiness” of his country, a term he himself coined. Director Thomas Balmès’s film  Happiness  begins at the end of this process as Laya, the  last remaining village tucked away within the Himalayan kingdom, becomes enmeshed in roads, electricity, and cable television. Through the eyes of an eight-year-old monk impatient with prayer and eager to acquire a TV set, we witness the seeds of this seismic shift sprouting during a three-day journey from the outskirts of Laya to the thriving capital of Thimphu. It is here the young boy discovers cars, toilets, colorful club lights, and countless other elements of modern life for the first time. "Bal...