Dear Family and Friends,
I hope everyone one is having a great new year. Hyla and I are back at Brigham Young University trying to move life forward.
Hyla has started her second to last semester in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation. She is working extremely hard on her classes and I think she is doing great. She is on the plant identification team and is getting ready for competition at the national range meeting in New Mexico. She is also preparing a poster presentation there this year. Outside of school, her passion for birds takes us outside regularly. It’s really nice because it keeps us sane as we stuck inside most of the time.
At church, Hyla is chorister for the Relief Society (women’s meetings). She loves it! I have noticed a renewed love for sacred music in her which has brought a sweet spirit to our home. It has been a wonderful blessing to our little family.
As for me, I graduated from my master’s program in December and I now work as a research associate under my former graduate advisor. My project is actually quite interesting. I am working on preliminary research on ways to revegetate spent oil shale piles. Why? Well, if the oil companies develop this oil shale into gas, there will be lots of this spent shale left over and we will need to make sure that it doesn’t poison the Colorado River (and the entire southwest). Revegetating spent shale is the most promising method.
At church, I am a Elder’s Quorum (men’s meeting) teacher. I only teach one Sunday a month, but it is spiritually rewarding for me. Last month the topic was on making our prayers more meaningful. It’s wonderful to be able to discuss life with our God. “Look unto Christ in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” It’s amazing to notice that if I pray in the morning and keep a prayer in my heart throughout the day, I am a kinder person. I also find that there are more opportunities to help others.
A few thoughts on the happenings in the world. I find that people are getting angry and upset over things occurring around. In fact, it appears that these happenings are having a larger impact on us (as a people) than us on it. This concerns me. I believe that we make our own destiny. If you are a happy person then you will live a happy life. If you find that you are a person that believes the world is out to “get you”, you will find that somehow the world will “get you”. I invite all of us to ask ourselves a question, “Am I happy?” (Now, be honest…) If you are, don’t stop no matter what comes your way. On the other hand, if you are not happy, then change quickly. Learn to be happy. Don’t let the world’s condition have sway in your happiness. The Lord’s direction on how to be happy: “Come unto [Christ], all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and [Christ] will give you rest” (Matt 11:28 KJV) unto your soul.
Enough of my rambling. Hyla and I pray for the well being of all of you. May peace and happiness (not pride and sadness) be part of your mortal journey, I pray in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
