What should I do with this blog?

A quick update on my life: new semester has started at PSU and I'm taking 20 credits so I'm quite busy. Trying to focus on getting really good and efficient at translating since that's a potential career that I'm considering. I'm also dating Allison Shamrell, who I completely adore, and it's wonderful.

So, this blog rarely crosses my mind, but perhaps I could put it to use for something. I think most people who want to see what I'm up to will just look at my Facebook, so if a blog is to be useful to me it needs to do something that Facebook doesn't. While I do occasionally post gospel-related things on Facebook, I do so with the thought in mind that it needs to be geared towards a general audience. So maybe I'll make this my gospel study blog.

I haven't missed a day of reading the Book of Mormon for many months, but there's a big difference between reading a quick chapter and taking time to ponder, look things up, ask questions, search for answers to those questions, study topics, read or write lessons, read or write talks, memorize, read other standard works, etc. So this year I committed to study for 30 minutes each day. So far I have not missed a day, though 2 of the days have been a little short. Another goal for this year is to each day take enough time to pray til the point where I feel that God hears me and that I have been able to express what I'm really feeling and discuss it with Him.

So for today, I read Mormon 8 and 9 ( and pondered the question "How can I develop the strength to make the difficult but right choice in those moments when I want so much to choose the other option?"

As I tried to come up with an example in the scriptures of someone in this situation, D&C 19:18-19 came to mind: "...and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." So, this is not only an example but the most intense example of making a really tough decision. So I think this will help me in those moments to just remember that Christ did make the right choice - and He'll help me to do the same. Also He got strength by doing things for the Father's will. That is pretty much the definition of humility - placing God's will over our own. That's sort of hard for me to remember and apply practically, but it's definitely something to work towards and I think generalizing it to making the right choice to either make somebody's life better or to just become the person that whoever I end up marrying deserves is a little easier to apply and remember in daily situations.