Creating

If you have time I really recommend reading Moses 2. Some insights I have made are:

1. The moon was created on the 4th "day". Scientists hypothesize that the moon was formed when a large mass about the size of Mars impacted with the earth. Meaning...the earth existed before the moon started orbiting. Science and Religion fit the same model... :)

2. Moses 2: 20-21 "And I, God, said: Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life...And I, God, created great whales." Some key things are WATERS. ABUNDANTLY. MOVING CREATURE. LIFE. in simple terms life started in the waters....this agrees with science. I think there is something important in these verses. There is some important creature that started life on earth and it was not a whale...whales came later. This is important because I think it represents size. small creatures could have formed first. I think it also shows evolution. Some creature formed in the water...but then the whale also formed there. Which Science agrees with.

Heavenly Father is brilliant. He is the greatest scientist to exist. The book of Moses may not supply the most vivid description of Earth's creation, but that's why Heavenly Father also tells us to study the earth. We are meant to discover more to the creations tale then what is supplied in Moses. Religion and science are amazing. I love studying geology and I love studying the scriptures.

I Believe in a Thing Called...

I Believe in a Thing Called...

 Today, I want to talk about standing up for what you believe. 

I have sat back and watched friends post about fracking for months now, and I think it's great that they believe in something. So I just wanted to talk about how they can really support what they believe in. How anyone can fight for their cause, regardless of what it is. I'm only using fracking as an example, because it has been splattered allover facebook and I have done research regarding fracking for about a year. 

1. KNOW THE PROS AND CONS. You will never be able to have an intelligent conversation about your cause unless you know both sides. You will find that there is always gray area (something I learned from my sister recently). Seeing things as black and white is great...until you refuse to listen to the white side, because you only believe in the black. This causes contention, and absolutely no one benefits from contention.

Below is a very simple (I broke down the science... a lot) Pros and Cons Chart that I put together for fracking:
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Pros of Fracking	Cons of Fracking (general)
Creates induced fractures (basically decreasing time of naturally occurring geologic cycle)	Use chemicals to sweep natural gas and petroleum
We can drive our cars and heat our homes	Chemicals may contaminate ground water
The chances of being able to run the world or nation solely on alternative energy forms is very slim	Bad chemicals: Pb, Ur, HCl, Rh, Hg
In most cases, the groundwater is not contaminated	Increasing global warming
Research is looking for ways to sequester the bad chemicals or not use bad chemicals as a sweeping agent	We should spend money on alternative energy instead of focusing on a declining resource

 And one of the big things regarding gray areas: natural gas, petroleum, solar, and hydrogen power are all renewable energy sources. The geologic cycle just takes longer and people are decreasing the chances for renewable petroleum sources (for example, dredging the sand on our beaches).

2. LISTEN. This goes along with number one, but you can't just shut someone out of your life for believing in something else. You're going to find that you will stand alone in the world, and being alone is no fun. If you listen to people, then they will be more willing to listen to you. And what's even cooler...Both people will probably learn something and become stronger in their cause.

3. DON'T GET DEFENSIVE. Most of these relate to each other, but when you get defensive of your cause, contention arises. And let's be honest, you come across as sounding stupid. Don't get offended by someone (even if they are being defensive). Be the strong one. Be the kind one. This is how hearts are changed. You may never see eye to eye, but I can almost guarantee that the person who got defensive will reflect back on their day trying to imagine of ways to make their case stronger. And the conclusion they will come to, is to refrain from being so defensive that the conversation was stunted.

4. DO WHAT YOU BELIEVE OR APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE. I think it's great that people take a stand and go to protests. Many of our rights as citizens wouldn't exist if we didn't take a stand. A few examples, would women be voting if we didn't protest and truly believe in it? Would a vegetarian be a vegetarian if they ate meat? Same with a vegans...if they ate animal bi-products, what would that say about their cause? What about using reusable shopping bags, so that we don't waste plastic?

If you choose a cause, the best way to support is to refrain from using its products or to use products that show your support. This is probably what has annoyed me the most about fracking. If you really hate it, then stop using its products. Stop heating your home with natural gas. Stop using gas powered vehicles. Stop eating at restaurants that use natural gas heating. Yeah, yeah...easier said than done right? Well, I feel like you're being a hypocrite by showing up to these protests saying "NO FRACKING!" and then getting into your car to drive home. If it's that horrible that you voice your opinion regarding it, why do you still use its products? Almost all of the things we do relate to fracking or drilling in some way. If there is no way for you to stop using it, then can you at least be thankful for what you have so far?

Maybe this will create some gray area and decrease contention. You could start your conversations with "I know that we don't have the means right now, and I'm thankful I can do these things,  but someday I hope we can stop using these mechanisms because..." Contention gone. Conversation started. Hearts opened.

In conclusion, I hope that this means something to you, and that we can all take a breather and not step blindly into something we know very little about. I have seen so much contention over these issues. I just wanted to get the issue off my chest and hopefully clear my mind for a better environment to talk about people's beliefs. I do not mean any offense by this, and I hope that I have not caused any, because I really do love when people stand up for what they believe. I just am more likely to believe them when they treat their cause with respect.


P.S. My opinion of fracking: I think it is wonderful and we can get more petroleum and natural gas than we have before (especially using horizontal fracking). However, there are chances of groundwater contamination, which is very serious. But I don't think that is a problem with fracking. I think it is a problem with the company. I think it would be great to create protection laws on how the company approaches fracking as opposed to getting rid of it all together. Groundwater contamination is easily avoidable and there is research being done right now on how to sequester CO2  (a common sweeping agent) so that it does not impact the environment and "increase" global warming. However, from a scientific perspective, I recommend that people learn about Milankovitch cycles. And I won't go into any more detail, because I could talk for hours on this topic.

Reflections

It's still hard to imagine someone as active and involved as Mike to be gone. And I believe that he isn't. While he physically cannot be with us anymore, our memories with him and his positive attitude and especially his smile will remain with us forever.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that there is more than our earthly life. I believe in a spirit world (heaven), where we can go to learn and be with our families forever. This belief gives me hope and a testimony that my loved ones are cared for.

Mike or Kriesel, as I think most people called him, was so full of laughter. He was always happy and positive. And like I mentioned above, his smile was one of the most spectacular things anyone could behold. I loved being able to do shows with him, take classes with him, and more importantly hang out with him and play frisbee.

When I left for college, I would always check on my friends status updates and pictures. Kriesel has been a favorite to keep up on. He is an amazing family member, I loved seeing how wonderful and happy he was with his family. I loved seeing the pictures from his obstacle courses, and I really want to do one because of him. I also love that he continued learning. He went above and beyond average. Not just in education, but in relationships. He truly cared about people.

Reflecting on this tragedy, I have realized that I need to make more of an effort to keep in touch with the people I care about. I need to take opportunities to capture those moments. I only have two pictures with Mike, out of the hundreds of memories and moments I spent with him. I know that someday he will be reunited with his family. I know that he is in a wonderful place learning and being filled with love. I know that he has been embraced and held by angels. Our time on the earth may seem so long, but in a flash we will be reunited with our lost loved ones and it will be comforting. The beautiful day will come, but for the time being, life is short and we have to enjoy every second. I look up to Mike as someone who truly enjoyed his life. He left with no regrets. He is an example to me. Instead of lingering on his absence I will use his life as my inspiration. I will be more positive and enjoy every moment given to me. I will work hard and make my goals and dreams come true. I will remain close to my family and friends and will cherish the moments I have with them.

Mike was and is an amazing friend and person. I know that he is in the most wonderful place surrounded by angels. 

p.s. We totally dominated those Foosball games. I think it was 7-1. :)

Please feel free to post any memories you have of Mike. It would be great to have them recorded so that we can look back on them and laugh. 

You Can't Buy Time. But Can You Make It?

 TIME!

How much have you thought about time? Lately I've had time on my mind...a lot. It seems that I never have enough time to accomplish all of my tasks or to just breath. What would happen if time just didn't exist? As a Mormon, I know that Heavenly Father's time is way different than my perception of time, but what exactly does that mean?  I don't have proof, but here are some evidences of what time in heaven seems like to me.

1. Firstly, there is the simple idea that time will not exist because there is no end. without an end, can there really be a measurement? I don't think so. I will discuss this further in point three.

2. From a scientific perspective, when objects travel near or at the speed of light time dilates. There's some stuff regarding reference point thrown in there, but couldn't there exist a point at which time slows so much, that it doesn't seem to exist? For instance the theory that the universe is expanding at high speeds, possibly near the speed of light, which could cause time to dilate. To me the idea that Heaven's and earth's time are different fits so succinctly into this scientific reasoning. Heaven could possibly be on earth (or I believe it will be once the second coming happens), it's just in a different "realm" right now, which sounds iffy to non-religious people, but I know Heaven exists! Heaven offers a different reference frame, possibly expanding at higher speeds than us physically on the earth. Thus, giving a different time frame. If Heaven is in a faster reference frame time will dilate and will be evidenced once the earth is restored during the second coming and Heaven is on earth. Why? Because heaven was expanding at a speed closer to the speed of light, and when brought into the earth's reference frame it's time will have dilated compared to that of the earth, possibly so much that time does not exist.

3. No end = no time. I was pondering about the length of my marriage and how excited I am to be married for 1 1/2 years! In my mind I said " 1 1/2 years out of eternity!" which was directly translated to "1 1/2 years out of infinity!". My math friends will laugh at that statement, which I will discuss why in a little bit. But first I should mention something.To me, I believe infinity and eternity are interchangeable. Both are endless, and allow you to do many cool tricks. The eternities give us amazing opportunities, and so does infinity, but it's often difficult to use it, just like obtaining eternal life can seem like a hard process, but really the way is easy (how to get it is easy, but our human errors make it seem hard). To show why no end= no time I offer up some postulates (that I don't know how to prove, but will maybe learn next semester).
  
First, let me list some variables t=time, c=constant (time in years) and ∞=infinity (infinite time)

In calculus we know that ∞/c=∞ and what applies to the point I am trying to make, c/∞=0

Ah, you see where I am going! If I say I have been married for 1.5 years out of infinity, that is like saying my time ratio or t = 1.5/ ∞, which we just learned above to mean 0. t = 0. Meaning even though I may measure my time on earth, in heaven, an infinite realm (endless realm), the time that I will be married for will equal zero, it will not exist, but at the same time will be endless! That's an idea to chew on!

In short, I just wanted to talk about how amazing science and religion are. I feel sorry for anyone who believes science and religion do not relate. You simply cannot have one without the other. My faith and love for my Heavenly Father has grown exponentially through my studies in science. And my understandings of science have increased because of my faith in a Heavenly father and the infinite (endless!, t=0) atonement of his son Jesus Christ. 


p.s. As a side note, I have a really cool idea regarding science and religion about the expansion of the universe (different than time), which maybe I'll talk about later. I wrote a paper on it, but I want to get it published possibly, so I'm going to wait to make that idea public. 

That's it! I'm joining the Circus.

Someday...I wish. haha

So this one time I went to visit my sister in Seattle and she took me to a flying trapeze class. Seriously the most exciting and fun and exhausting 2 hrs of my life. I thought I would be super nervous to fly through the air, but once I jumped of the bar all my nerves went away. It was so much fun! I learned how to hook my legs on the bar and hang upside down and then do a back flip. I also got caught by our super ripped teacher.

 I wish I had money and lived in Seattle so I could pick up this hobby. YOU HAVE TO DO IT, if given the opportunity. Or just make the opportunity available to you. It's such a good work out. Not to mention fun and makes you feel accomplished.  It's 5 days later and my abs are still a little sore. But let me tell you. My abs and arms hurt the worst I have ever hurt for the first 3 days after. I could barely move!

Here's the link to me doing the trick. The reason I didn't put my hands down the first time was because I thought the lady calling said to wait... I was totally about to let go. Whatevs. She obviously said hands down.
http://youtu.be/p-qWkiDr2Z0

This day and the rest of the days made the trip to Seattle AMAZING. My sister taught me about portion control and fed me yummy healthy foods, and Landon was super adorable and funny. Fiona was Fiona. It was such a great week and I wish it could have lasted longer. I am exhausted, but I just love being with my family. I really like the Seattle area, although I think I would much rather live in the suburbs. I love my Sister. And I am so thankful that she let me come out to visit her. It was a great visit. I would write more, but I forgot my camera, so I don't have cool pictures to show you and I don't want to bore you with more words.

p.s. Mount Rainier is such a beautiful stratovolcano! It was so clear when I flew in and I looked up from my book and saw this huge volcano out my window! I was awestruck. I would love to go back to study the subduction zone volcanoes. It was cool to see the big chain of volcanoes and to see the glacial buzz-saw evidence all around it. In normal people terms...Seattle has a BEAUTIFUL landscape.

p.s.s I am so excited to take beginning gymnastics in the Fall. yeah...I got in. The trapeze class just got me super pumped. I want to see what else my body can do!

Becoming a body builder

Gotcha!

so....I'm not actually becoming a body builder (surprise, surprise). But, my body is getting so strong. When I went to see the doctor regarding my knee, he told me that I could take steroids for a week or do physical therapy. I have no desire to use steroids, and Seth wants to become a physical therapist, so guess which route I chose!
I was so nervous going into it, but I am so glad I made the choice. The first day was terrible. I could barely lift a 2 1/2 pound weight tied around my ankle. Just so you know...that would be like tying a can of soup to your ankle and doing palates leg lifts. Yeah...I was super weak. Then I rode a bicycle and did some squats. My legs were tingling so much and I was purely exhausted. My knee was a fragile little baby. And then my therapist gave me electric shock therapy. It is the oddest feeling ever. I left that day feeling so weak and extremely exhausted. But I was so proud of myself. I couldn't believe how much my body needed this. I have been diligent throughout the entire week doing my exercises and slowly I have been able to do more and more reps.

Today, I was able to lift the 5 pound weight! Almost with ease, but by the end of my reps I was in pain. And then I rode the bicycle with major ease. My squats were a little more difficult. But that's because my quads are still pretty weak and my right quad is strained. He even added on these knee bends. Basically I stand on phone books with one leg and bend down until my toe touches the ground. It hurt. But a good hurt. And then I had to use my feet to pull myself across the floor on a stool. I don't know the name of the muscles it worked. But I AM FEELING IT. I feel so good! It is AMAZING the progress my body has made in a week. I love feeling good and healthy. And I love that my body is healing on its own.


By the way. I mean no offense to actual body builders...it's just a look that definitely does not work for myself.

Smart blonde...dumb blonde.

I may get good grades, but sometimes I still follow the color of my hair. A little too well.

We went to a family reunion and the family rented out this pool place that had a lazy river, water slides, a wading pool and then a normal swimming pool. It was a super fun night and a great escape from the heat. One of the babies had an "accident" (#2) in the wading pool, so while they sanitized the pool we went to swim in the big, normal pool.

I was so excited to jump back into the water, and saw Seth and Erin go in flawlessly. I decided to pencil jump into the pool...without realizing it was the shallow end. My feet slammed into the pool bottom and the wind got knocked out of me hard core. I inched my way to the pool edge and held on until the breath came back into me. I could not stop laughing when I finally started to breathe again. How did I not realize the pool was 4ft deep in that one spot?

 I thought I had survived with no injuries, sadly a few days later (a week and a half ago) my right knee started aching and stinging whenever I lifted and walked up stairs. And then 4 days ago my knee became swollen. So I went to the doctor on Friday, got some x-rays, had my legs moved around in weird ways and realized that there really is something wrong with my knee. My left knee cap is all loose-y goose-y and moves around, but my right knee cap is really tight and won't move.

It hasn't been officially "diagnosed", I have another apt. on Thursday, but I'm taking anti-inflammatory pills (which haven't started working yet). The doctor I saw said it was most likely a cartilage tear, a.k.a. meniscus tear, but I'll find out for sure on Thursday. I'm really hoping that these pills work so I don't have to get a cortisone shot. I hate shots!

Overall though, it could be worse. I hit the ground super hard. I'm just glad nothing else got damaged and I'm so thankful that for once, I didn't point my toes! That would have been nasty. Just another day of me being Kari...having my occasional blonde moments.  I'm one awesome lady! haha! And don't worry too much about me, I can still walk without my knee hurting, I just can't do crazy stuff (yeah I know...that's hard for me).