Why am I passionate about Interfaith Dialogue?

[A question from a dear friend of mine precipitated this message that I thought I'd share with all y'all]

I am passionate about interfaith dialogue because it's challenging; it really makes me examine what I believe. When I'm done with a dialogue, I don't just finish and stop thinking about it, instead, I go home and ponder it. I search the scriptures. I talk to my roommates and friends from the LDS and other faiths. I think and think and think on it; it consumes my mind until I feel like I have found the truth and come to a correct conclusion. and each time that I participate in a dialogue, I come out with such a solid testimony of the LDS faith. What I have learned and know from the LDS theology is so peaceful and beautiful and comforting and sensible; I always come back to it. I hope you understand this and don't think that I'm trying to be preachy, but it's one reason I love it.

The ultimate reason I love to participate in these dialogues, however, is because I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. He commanded us to love our neighbors. not just the neighbors that are LDS or Evangelical or Christian or Muslim or Jewish. all of them. Jesus gave His love to me, and the best way that I can give it back to him is by loving others. My heart is full of love for each of the people I interact with at each dialogue, and this gives me such a spiritual high. It's like an amazing cycle; Jesus loves me and gives me the strength and ability to love others, and as I do this I feel more of Jesus' love. What an awesome thing! I love each person for what they believe; I learn so much from students of other faiths about how to love Jesus more and how to give my life to Him. My vision and idea of Jesus has grown so much as I've participated in these dialogues. He teaches me so much through these experiences and I can't help to go back again and again for more.

She said she needed a break...

It's been a while since I've posted, and a lot's been happening. Here are the highlights:

1. I've started working in a lab again. Pros: I get to be on my feet and do something active. Cons: I get to be on my feet. Pro/Con hybrids: my hands smell like latex and the lab smells like growing bacteria. Pros because I miss working in this type of lab, cons because who likes to smell like bacteria, honestly.
2. I went on a road trip to Phoenix with Elise. Pros: I got to see my cute little cousin Hailey. I got a cool ASU t-shirt. I got to hang out with Elise. Cons: It was really hot. We had to worry about having a place to sleep. We were in the car for a long time. Pro/Con hybrid 1: We found somewhere for Elise to live. Pro because Elise needs somewhere to live; con because it means that Elise is actually, in fact, moving to Arizona. Pro/Con hybrid 2: We ate TONS of junk food in the car. Pro because junk food tastes good; con because when all you eat is junk food you feel really gross.
   
3. I finished Leviticus!!! Pro: that means that I'm done with three books of Moses. Con: that means that Numbers is next...
4. We've started watching weekly Bollywood films at our apartment. Pros: Bollywood films are awesome. There are musical numbers at least every thirty minutes. It gives me an excuse to invite boys that I like over to my house. Cons: There are at least four musical numbers per Bollywood film, which puts running time to over two hours each. Sometimes boys don't come when they're invited.
5. Jeff made it to Italy. Pros: He gets to meet people and start the work; he's not in the MTC anymore. Cons: My little brother is in Italy. I won't get to talk to him until Christmas.
6. Interfaith Dinner/Dialogue. It's tonight, at Steve Pierson's church in American Fork. I'm really excited for this, as I love Pastor Steve and the mission of interfaith dialogue.
   
7. Pretty much, I'm just extremely blessed!
   

I'll be running into you later.

Happy July! I'm happy that the summer is here; the Fourth of July seems to make it truly and officially summertime!

I'm bored silly at my job. We are doing some cool stuff, but I get really tired of sitting at my computer, listening to Pandora until I finally feel like I can leave.

I'm starting a new book by Bob Millet called A Different Jesus?. I'm excited to do some more recreational reading. I finished Mansfield Park just the other day, and now I'm on to my interfaith list, supplied primarily by Brother Millet.

I'm loving the random things I get to do during the summer, including having Debbie over for dinner while Vance is in Teach For America training. I'll miss her when they move to Denver in a couple of weeks. This is the other hard part of summer--having to lose friends when they move away at the end of the summer. I also love watching movies. For example, Elise and I just borrowed Tarzan from some way cool girls in my ward. Now we're watching Tarzan; something that I'd rarely have time for in the school year. Too bad we only have two plugs and therefore must choose: air conditioner or movie. Thus, movies are only allowed at nighttime because it's so bloomin' hot.