"Sand, it's everywhere. Get used to it." -Genie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves

Almost every trip to the beach you go on, sand ends up everywhere! You don't want it too, but it does regardless of how hard you try(unless of course you are someone like me that doesn't go into the water because your weird or something like that.....). That's as far as this sand analogy is going. What am I trying to relate sand to? Losing. Unfortunately we can't all be Charlie Sheen, so we can't all be "winning" all the time. We lose. Losing is inevitable. There will always be somebody better(unless you actually are better than the other 14 billion people on the earth-in which case, congratulations!).
     Why am I talking about losing? Well, I've just recently started playing chess again. I started out playing a level 3 computer, and I was doing well. I beat it the majority of the time. I decided to move on to a level 4 computer. My winning percentage is 17%. I'm 3-15. This last game was the absolute worst. The queen took out more than half of my pieces before I even managed to take one of their pawns. It was absolutely pathetic. By the end of the game I had lost all of my pieces and only knocked out the queen and that pawn. It was absolutely irrevocably ridiculous! Needless to say, I was a tad bit upset with myself. As you can tell, through my posting this blog no serious damage was inflicted to anything that matters.
     This past week my ultimate frisbee team lost also. It wasn't a bad loss. It was close, but we still lost. This lost came in the second round of tournament play after I had "scouted out" the other team and determined them to not be that good(shows how much I know...).
     Some losses are harder than others, but there will almost always be losses. The best way to deal with these losses is to accept that they will happen, and then move on, improving so that next time they aren't so bad.
I apologize if I sound callous and a tad bit unfeeling. This blog is more targeted at myself than it is at others. I'm trying to share experience, when I have very little. blah blah blah rant rant rant THE END

Perseverance Through the Downs and Downs of Life

Oh boy! Could I tell you stories about this one! I'll definitely share a few because I like them.
Some times are harder than other times. Other times are harder than those some times. It seems like the grass is greener on the other side 98.36545% of the time. Despite all of this hard stuff, life is good! It gets better! It might not seem like it, but life will improve! It might not happen tomorrow; it might not happen next year. Who knows? Maybe it might not even happen for the next twenty or forty years. It still gets better! Don't give up because you didn't get your way this time or the time before.-Alright, I've dragged this on long enough! Story time! I do apologize, this will be very Sorencentric because I've got some actual personal stories to tell.
     A few weeks ago I had a friend taking a test in the Testing Center here at BYU. Friends can leave notes and treats for those taking tests near the exit because everybody goes one way. My roommate and I decided to leave a note and some KitKats because she likes KitKats. We get to the TC hoping that there are KitKats in the vending machine, and lo and behold: There weren't any! We ran over to the next building checking those vending machines with no luck. I decided to hop on my bike and ride it across campus to the 'grocery store' to get these KitKats because they were that important. As I rode back to the TC pedaling my heart out, I hit a little bump and my chain fell off! I immediately got off the bike and proceeded to run[in retrospect it probably would have been faster to put the chain back on and continue riding] the KitKats down to the Testing Center! I made it there in time. The friend got the notes and the KitKats.
Through this story I get to say I, literally, hit a bump in the rode. I didn't stop though! I didn't let it get me down! I just kept on trekking and that is the advice I give to you! Keep on trekking!     
     That wasn't may only story! I'll share just one more because this is running longer than I wanted it to. As those of you who have met me know I've got a little issue with the right side of my face. I was born with nerve damage in my face and, as a result of this, ...have the beautiful smile I have. At times it slurs my speech, and I'm probably legally blind in my right eye.
I don't know how best to relate this, mainly because it has been a 'problem' my entire life. I've lived with it forever and so I've adapted to it. It's not an issue for me except when I meet a new person, and even then it's a great way to keep a conversation going!
    I don't know if I can stress this enough. Life can be hard. It wouldn't be an adventure or a learning experience if it weren't for these hard times. We need to push through them because we can. Giving up is easy. Anybody can give up. It takes a champion to say: I'll fight to the end. Be that champion that I know you are if you are reading this.

Gratitude: Giving, Showing, and Receiving

     Thanks. Thank you. Gracias. Danke. Merci. Thanks eh(Sorry to all Canadians and Canadian lovers. I couldn't think of a better way to distinguish between American and Canadian). Domo Arigato. These are all phrases we use to express our gratitude. Words: not the only words, but very popular ones.
     Gratitude: a simple word with simple implications.
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     I thought I'd let you know that it's been a few weeks since I started writing this. Upon further review, I have decided that "gratitude" might not be such a simple word.
    Giving gratitude. This is probably the easiest and most overlooked. It's easy to say one is grateful and give a curt "thanks" when somebody does something nice. When you are saying that thanks, are you saying it because you really are grateful that somebody did something gratifying or are you just saying it out of habit? I know that 98 out of 100 times it is the first and not the second. I wish I could say that was true for me. Personally, it is probably closer to 90 out of 100. There are just some times when I'm not paying enough attention to anything and I just throw it out there. It is important to say thank you. It helps those that are serving you know that you care.
      Showing gratitude. Why did I separate this from giving gratitude? Because I feel it is a little bit different. I feel that giving gratitude is a sign of thanksgiving to the servant. Showing gratitude is reciprocating this kindness that was shown to you to others. If you felt good because somebody served you, help others feel good by serving them. Sometimes when the acts of service are larger than what seem normal we say things like "How can I ever repay you?" and stuff like that. The best way to repay them is to go and serve others and give them the good feeling of being served.
      Receiving gratitude. This is where I fall shortest. Earlier I said it is important to say thank you so that the servant knows that you care that they served you, but I am quite the opposite. I don't care too much for the recognition. If somebody does recognize your service, it is important to acknowledge their recognition with something like "you're welcome" or "my pleasure". It may seem like this could become an endless cycle, but this is where it ends. Know that you did something good for somebody and know that they are glad that you did it. Be happy and go help someone else now.

Service: A Response to "Do the Right Thing at the Right Time, Without Delay" by Jose L Alonso

Elder José L Alonso of the Seventy spoke to us about service. Elder Alonso said “In our day many people are living in the midst of sadness and great confusion … not finding answers to their questions and … unable to meet their needs.” As servants of our Savior Jesus Christ—whose example we are trying to follow—it is our responsibility to help those who are lost, troubled, or seek answers. Elder Alonso expressed that it is our duty to “do the right thing at the right time, without delay.”

We must be ready to serve when we are called to serve. Elder Alonso recounted the story of how he and his wife lost their son while shopping in Mexico. It would not have been a good idea to plan on meeting a week later to decide how they were going to look for their son. They needed to act in that moment when they lost him. We must be similarly ready to act when called upon. Opportunities to serve come in many forms.

We need to be ready to help those who have passed on without a knowledge of the gospel by learning how to index and do family history.

Priesthood holders need to be prepared to go and give a blessing when called upon to do so.

We should be ready to do a difficult task, remembering that “the Lord giveth know commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”

If you are the one in need of service, be ready to ask for help. People cannot read minds as much as they would love to be able to. Elder Alonso shared that “[e]veryone has opportunities to give service show love.” The way that we gain these opportunities is by people telling us about them. You will not be shunned because you ask for help. To reverse a very popular scripture on service: It is important to remember that by being served by others we are allowing them to serve God.

Not all service is done right away. Some does take planning. Be prepared to serve when called upon in the future to help those in need.

One important at of service is missionary work. Elder Alonso said “There are many who need to once again experience the sweet savor of happiness and joy through activity in the Church. That happiness comes from receiving the ordinances, making sacred covenants, and keeping the. The Lord needs us to help them.”

Doctrine&Covenants Section 4 tells us “see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength...if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest”

It said “the field IS white already to harvest” It didn't say the field will be ready two or three years from now; it said it is ready now. We must be prepared to thrust in our sickle and serve others by bringing them unto the truth and light of the gospel whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Elder Alonso quoted President Monson as saying “those whom we serve, who have felt through our labors the touch of the Master's hand, somehow cannot explain the change which comes into their lives. There is a desire to serve faithfully, to walk humbly, and to live more like the Savior.”

By serving others we not only bring ourselves closer to Christ, we bring those we are serving closer to Christ.

Elder Alonso spoke of how the Savior's life “was a life of service.” He said: “When we serve our neighbor, we help those who are in need. … As we emulate the Savior, we show our love to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and we become more like Them.”

Just as our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love all of us, we too must emulate this love for all. We can show this love by serving all of those around us. Elder Alonso shared with us this truth about our Savior's love, saying: “He blessed them one by one. That is the model the Savior has given us. His love is for all, but He never forgets the one.”

Never forget the one, for the one is just as important as the ninety and nine. Remember to serve as many as you can, but do not do this for the praise of those around you. Lose yourself in the service-it is a sweeter feeling than any felt through the praise of man.

Elder Alonso shared this quote from President Monson: “The Lord Expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion.”

Awesomeness, Pride, Humility, and being who we are

I'm going to open this blog with a disclaimer: Everything I say is true or what I believe to be true. I say things like they are: I am not trying to make myself out to be anything other than what I am.

     Last night I was texting a friend discussing meetings that we needed to attend. She said that she might not be able to make the meeting. I told her that I was okay with that and that I would fill her in on anything important that she misses. She responds: "Haha thanks Soren....You're awesome!" to which I give my normal response: "I'm not awesome. I'm just me." She then says "No you really are awesome Soren. I mean it"
     This is not the first time I have had this happen. I am not doing this to blow my own horn or anything: I deny (m)any claims people make about my "awesomeness"(I take in those instances where it is actually warranted).
      I know I'm not qualified to write about this due to my own skewed view of the world, but in its own way, this skewed view allows me to write this. I like to call myself  "THE average Joe". I can do a lot of stuff at a very mediocre or basic level. This is my main argument against any claims of "awesomeness". I am not extraordinary. I'm actually pretty plain old ordinary. It is for this reason that I will write about pride and humility at this time.
     Pride: a very important thing when used in moderation. It is important to be proud of the flag that (hopefully) waves over much of the land. You should have pride in your team and the people that stand with you. You should even have pride in yourself. As long as this pride stays pride, you are okay. You start to sink yourself when this pride becomes arrogance and you put yourself above others. You may be able to do math better than others or throw a ball farther, but you should not use these things as justification for not helping others or thinking less of them. If humility is "not thinking less of ones self but thinking of ones self less", pride is "lifting people up, not pushing them down".
     On the flip side of the coin there is humility. I could say that I've already said everything there is to say in the little quote above, but I won't. Just because you can't do something well doesn't mean you should give up on life. I lack any talent whatsoever. That doesn't mean I'm going to curl up in a corner and waste my life. By that same token, you need to keep your feet grounded if you are good at something. People have said "there will always be somebody better" and 99% of the time this is true. For that 1% of the time that you are "the best" use that: Teach and share that talent with others. Don't sit on a cloud and keep your talent hidden. Share it. Help lift others up.
     Pride is good. Humility is good. A combination of the two is even better. Lift up others. Lift up yourself. Raise the world to a higher level.

Be Prepared

     Growing up as a Boy Scout, I learned that scouts do four things: They live by the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, and they practice the Scout Slogan and Motto. The way we remembered the Motto when we were younger was to remember that there were two "t's" in motto, so it was two words long: Be Prepared.
     What are we supposed to "be prepared" for? Are we supposed to prepare for the test that is a few weeks down the road? Do we prepare for the situations that might befall us? Are we ready should a massive flood hit our town? If a ninja we to sneak up behind you, would you be prepared to fend it off should it make the mistake of making its presence known before completing its task? The truth is, we should try our best to prepare for anything we can. Truth be told, I wouldn't be ready for the flood or the ninja. There are several things that I am currently not prepared for that I should be. We need to prepare for the short term as well as the long term.
     To prepare for the short term, make sure you have enough clothes and food to last until you have the opportunity to get more. Keep a first aid kit with some band-aids, and whatever else you think should be in a first aid kit. It is also good to have a little bit of money stashed away somewhere should the need arise.
     After preparing for the short term, get ready for the long haul. Get yourself food storage. Make sure you have enough potable water to last you for anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to 3 months. A shovel could be a useful tool to have for those "just in case" situations. Make sure you keep supplies that will keep you warm in cold situations and cool in warm situations.
     I've talked about preparing for your non-everyday occurrences, but you need to be ready for the everyday occurrences as well. Keep up with work, whether that be school or a job. When you fall behind, you stay behind. Sure, there is a chance you can catch up, but it is much easier if you stay ahead. There are times you get sick and you don't have a chance to stay up with the times. In these times, you must be vigilant and seek to get back on the horse and be ready to do more than you were doing before for a time.
     Why be prepared? Don't take my word for it. This is a lesson history has taught us. Those who aren't prepared often fail. Even those who do prepare fail at times. Your chances of being successful and surviving in some situations increase when you are prepared. This past March I went on an outing that I like to call "Mann vs Wild". Several other youth in my stake group went out to the desert without supplies and were told to survive. If it weren't for the leaders that came with us, we likely would not have made it. We didn't know what we could and couldn't eat. We didn't know how to get water. Now we do and can be prepared should the situation arise that we are ever stuck out in the desert and need to survive.
     Sometimes unexpected situations occur that we can't plan for. In this case we must do our best to adapt to the situation. When adaptation is not possible, accept what comes in stride and live knowing you did what you could.
     God doesn't want us to fail, but He isn't going to hand us a perfect life on a silver platter. Remember that He loves you and that everything He does is meant to help you grow closer to Him. Prepare for what you can. Live with and adapt to what you can't prepare for.

Unity in Tragedy and Other Stuff

    Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that shocked the nation and the world. I remember waking up in the morning and seeing it on tv. I remember going to school and standing up on the playground. I don't remember what exactly I was thinking. I remember being afraid to fly for the longest time after that. I also remember the posters that were put in our classrooms with pictures of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon that said "9/11 We will never forget". I was to young to understand the political implications of what had happened, but I've heard people talk of how we united. How people from all walks and styles came together as Americans for the first time in a long time.
......Then the feeling was gone. Bipartisanship returned and every person's opinion and beliefs were more important than the others'. "I'm right. You're wrong." "Global warming is bad." "Global warming doesn't exist." "Bush this" "Obama that" "War" "Money" If I could sum this up in one word, it would be *division*.
     Last night we caught a glimpse of what it was like 10 years ago, to be united. People came together to mourn and honor those who died in those fateful attacks. I was reading my home town paper article on the events held in their town. It read:
"Redlanders are divided on community and political issues, and sit separated on Sunday practicing different religions. But on this Patriot Day, rival high school choirs joined voices, representatives from almost every church in town gave a single invocation, Scouts from various troops marched in step, and a band that was open to all comers inspired 3,000 people to honor the fallen as one."
I am going to change what was said slightly to expand the view:
[Americans] are divided on community and political issues, and sit separated on Sunday practicing different religions[or no religion at all]. But on this Patriot Day, rival high school choirs joined voices, representatives from almost every church in town gave a single invocation, Scouts from various troops marched in step, and a band [...] inspired [many] people to honor the fallen as one. 
     Today we might think about what happened yesterday, but by the end of the week most will no longer think about what happened. We will have fallen once again into the trap that society would have us be in: a war between two sides where nobody wins.

     Each person is entitled to believe what they will, but we must not hate others because they believe differently from us. We must embrace those that see the world in a different light and try to combine these lights. A group of people once "were of one heart and one mind, and they dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." If we can't see eye to eye, there is no hope for us to be united. Unfortunately, it seems the only time we can see eye to eye is when a tragic event reaches us all.
     I am not the oldest or most wise person in the world, but I don't have to be. Even I can see that unless we come together, we will fall apart. "All for one and one for all." Some people say things are getting better while others say they are getting worse.
     The rifts that divide us can be bridged. It will take work from every person. I'm not perfect. I don't claim to be, but somebody needs to speak or nothing can happen. Disagree with me if you want, but unity is the best option.
Love others. Share a kind word or a smile. Life life the best way you can.

In Response to: "A Child of God" by Henry B Eyring

In 1997, Eyring addressed the students of Brigham Young University. He spoke about what it meant to be a "great learner". Eyring listed five qualities that make one a great learner. These qualities do not only make one a better learner, but they also help make one a better person. As children of God, we work to improve ourselves so that we might become closer to Him. One of the best ways to do this is to help others.

Eyring taught that great learners see that everyone they meet can teach them something new. It is when you are proud and refuse to learn from others because you are 'better than them' that you learn the least. Every person is a child of God. Each has a divine heritage and a unique character. Everybody has something that they can teach you. This may not be a direct lesson where they give you facts. It may be through your serving them that you come to a greater knowledge of a truth. By helping others, you give them a chance to grow and learn. When you help others, you are also opening up yourself to a learning opportunity.
We do not learn when we sit idly on the sidelines of life dawdling our time away. We must go out and take action. Help others. Learn. Teach. Grow.