Fort Worth Festival of Lights

 

Granbury ISD Homecoming

 

Cheer Chaser

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Law School Life

 

Law School Life

January 2021: I have a dream! by Hunter Schenewark

Too much has happened, and too much is staying in the sealed portion of my plates for now, making a full update impossible, soooo here are some pictures and captions:

I started the year off with covid. Thankfully, my symptoms weren't bad at all. I had a minor sore throat for two days and felt fatigued. And my nose burned in the most unnatural way. That word, unnatural, is the best way to explain this whole illness. (While I never had any respiratory issues, it has been unsettling trying to run since then, and struggling to get air. I haven't made it past 1 mile yet...) And those two days were wonderful, as I had the cutest nurse caring for me. She kept me well fed, attended to any request, and was so sympathetic.

(Personally, the worst part of covid was being in quarantine for days upon days, unable to go out anywhere. My first week of school I attended to via zoom and that was terrible. Plus, when I returned, I was relegated to sitting in the back of every classroom as the front seats were all taken.)

Finally out of quarantine, this is me with my partner Dallin Checketts. We teamed up for an advocacy competition for first-year law students. We had high hopes, and were disappointed to not bring home first place. We did learn lots, and I had a blast preparing and being in front of a "judge." Porter was one of our witnesses for the trial, and he stole the show, doing a remarkably fantastic job, and portraying an old Texas rancher astoundingly well.

Friday January 22nd: Dinner party with some law school friends. We had baked and breaded haddock that was mouthwatering. Maybe the best fish I've ever had.

Dinner was at 5, but the fun went past 11. I had never spent time with any of them outside of school, and it was incredible to see all of their talents. They played piano and sang for hours. Here, Sarah and Maren are doing a Les Mis duet with Cris at the piano. The three of them did an impromptu improvised show after dinner. They made up the words and music on the spot, and honestly, I think it could have been on Broadway. I was crying it was so amazing.

The inside of a birthday card for someone special. Delivered with giant, gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Friday January 29th: Game night with lots of food. Turnout was good, and we played games and talked until 1 a.m., when I politely thanked the last few remaining for the fun times, and remarked it was my bed time. Really fun night, and one that reminded me of what I term, "the miracle of Provo." Some of the people who showed up, I had never met before, and it is always inspiring to meet so many truly good people. I love that about living here. I meet people everyday who are service-oriented, and enjoy good, clean fun, and sincerely want to see others succeed. It's a remarkable place.

Other highlights from the month that was:

MLK Day: This is two celebrations in one. Kevin and Trevor introduced me to MLK day, "Most Loved Kid Day," in which parents call their favorite child. I left my phone on all day, but heard no ringing....maybe next year 

And for the actual MLK Day, Andrew, a friend at school shared how his wife and him go to Chick-fil-a every year as Martin Luther King was from Atlanta, and so is Chick-Fil-A. I immediately thought that was a fun tradition I could get behind, and so made this year one, ordering a couple sandwiches and sharing with Jules.

The Netflix show, "The Queen's Gambit" has brought chess more mainstream, and I've had more friends picking it up. The 19th, John Carlson was in town visiting and we had spaghetti and played a few games, and then I played with Lawson and Bryce at their house. Don't worry, I'm staying undefeated.

I had a wonderful conversation with Pres. Young.

Reigen, Kobe, Dillon, Aaron, Ethan and Porter came over for a chicken and gravy dinner. Everyone's chicken was done, except for Reigen's. For some reason, his was dripping blood. When I noticed that, I freaked out and told him to stop eating it, but he insisted on continuing. It was a tense night, as we waited to see how he'd fare, but his statement that he had a very strong stomach and had eaten plenty worse before was apparently true, as he had nary a problem.

In quarantine, I stayed grilled to the news as the Capitol was overrun. It felt like a true shift in the psyche of the nation.

I watched the inauguration of Pres. Biden.

I was called to serve as a Sunday School Teacher. Which is like a dream come true, and the Bishop loved how happy I was to accept.

My new deadlift record is 345.

Eating at Waffle Love, I had my first savory waffle, a delicious concoction of chicken sandwiched between two Belgians.

And getting kolaches was fun!

Mickala and Kyle came over for dinner. They are so much fun to be with. We had fajitas and next thing I know, I'm saying goodnight and buying flowers to gift.

I have had some especially memorable conversations with Mimi this month. I've shed lots of tears with her, and shared even more laughter. I am so blessed to have her as my grandmother. I love listening to her stories and bathing in her wisdom. The Bach's too, have lent a listening ear and helped and comforted me as I've struggled with much this year. I'm so, so grateful they are part of my life.

Genealogy - I went online and clipped obituaries from dearly beloved departed friends. Doing so, I learned lots of new things, like one former Sunday School teacher was a mother of the year in West Virginia, and hosted a locally broadcast cooking tv show. I appreciated remembering them, learning about more of their lives, but also wished I had a chance to talk to them again.

10 days after leaving quarantine, and nearly 3 weeks since any symptoms, I suddenly lost my sense of smell. I could still taste some things, especially fatty foods. However, I discovered my smell was gone as I severely burned my food while cooking. I never set timers and am so used to going by smell to know when something is done cooking. Thankfully one of my roommates was home, as I turned the stove on, went to my room, and didn't have a second thought until that roommate left his room due to the smoke that was starting to fill the house. I didn't smell a thing. Despite trying to be careful, for the week that my smell was gone, I burned a few additional dishes (not nearly as bad though).

Ingrid was born!!!!! January 17th, 2021. A day to remember.

I love this invitation and promise from Pres. Russell M. Nelson:

"Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. … I promise you that when you begin to catch even a glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for Him, your life will never be the same!”

Law School Life

 

14-20: walk with me, I think we’ll find a way by Hunter Schenewark

Yikes! I'm falling way behind. This will be a quick recap:

Monday December 14th,  I felt completely free - done with school, and now left with an unexpected week in Utah instead of Massachusetts, with absolutely no plans. Julie didn't have work, so we did a double date in the afternoon, being joined by her sister Rachel and my friend Kobe. We used little teacup candles and made mini-smores, out of cereal, mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips. I was skeptical, but it ended up being lots of fun, and really tasty too. Much better than normal smores in my opinion. Plus, the weather was quite frightful, or at least freezing, so being inside was nice.

Not my hand, for the record.

 Wednesday was book club - for the last meeting of the year, we finished De Animus. Afraid I still didn't quite understand most of this book.

Friday we had another double date. This one was with Rachel again and Alex. Alex is Reigen and Kobe's roommate who I met hot tubbing a few times, and then ran into him unexpectedly at the plasma donation center. It was a little strange being with him in a normal environment given our previous interactions. Curiously, in his words, since he's only seen me lying on a gurney, or immersed in a hot tub, I was much taller than he expected. Wasn't my favorite date all-in-all. We made gingerbread houses, then went caroling and delivered them. An impromptu snowball fight also broke out.

Saturday, I went up to the Capitol in SLC to help Carson with some film projects. When he was done, he snapped a couple pics for me.

The Capitol is only 10 minutes away from the Keller's house, so I headed over there to meet up with Jules. We had planned to go to the Cheesecake Factory. They don't take reservations in advance, and we knew it would be busy but holy moly, that place is doing good business. We got there at 5, put our names down for the list, and then wandered City Creek Mall for 2 hours. The hostess hinted it would be a 2-2.5 hour wait, so we snacked on some chick-fil-a first to tide us over. We returned to some benches outside the restaurant and waited for another hour before we went inside. Despite such a long wait, it was worth it. The food was amazing! I'm glad we could go, and Jules was nice enough to pay for everything. It was late, but before leaving to head back to Provo, I went back to Julie's neighborhood for a little. It was a really fun date night! Wandering around the mall was a blast, and after dinner we also had time to converse over some deep topics I'd been wanting to talk about and bond more.

The Mall's giant Christmas Tree

Temple Square was closed due to the construction happening, but some lights were still up, including these by the Conference Center.

I found out this week that my old boss, Ben S., quit from ListReports. That was unexpected news. He's still the best boss I've ever had, and I am so thankful for the time I had to learn from him. A few weeks ago, I went to lunch with Vinny and Tanner, two old co-workers. We met up in Lehi at Vinny's favorite place to eat, Jersey Mike's.

 With Ben's exit, it feels like the end of an era at the company. Reportedly, he left because he was tired of feeling like he didn't have much of a voice or say in the company's decisions, with the CEO deciding everything his way. I'm sure most of the Utah sales team will start to drift away. Ben was the glue that held it all together. However, I think that the Board of Directors realizes that the Utah employees will leave without Ben, which makes me think that they are ready to close the door on what has been a less-successful experiment than expected here in Utah.

I love this scripture in Hebrews 12:2 --

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I know that Christ suffered for all of our sins. He endured unbelievable pain and agony for each and every one of us. But, it was because of the eternal joy that would be possible that he endured. Similarly, I know that if we keep in mind the eternal joy that is possible, we will have greater fortitude to endure and make it through hard times.

Local Hero Jack Wilson

Dear Pastors and Ministers:

The speaker at this month’s Conservative Club meeting is Mr. Jack Wilson. In case you don’t know him, he is the gentlemen from Granbury who was involved in the recent shooting incident at the Church of Christ in White Settlement. Among other things, he will be speaking on the subject of security at churches.

You are welcome to attend along with security people and others in your organization who are interested. If you are not a member of the Conservatives, don’t worry about bringing a covered dish.

Blessings,

Hood County Conservatives


WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas (AP) — Alarms went off in Jack Wilson’s head the moment a man wearing a fake beard, a wig, a hat and a long coat walked into a Texas church for Sunday services.

By the time the man approached a communion server and pulled out a shotgun, Wilson and another security volunteer were already reaching for their own guns.

The attacker shot the other volunteer, Richard White, and then the server, Anton “Tony” Wallace, sending congregants scrambling for cover. The gunman was heading toward the front of the sanctuary as Wilson searched for a clear line of fire.

“I didn’t have a clear window,” he said, referring to church members who “were jumping, going chaotic.” Wilson, a 71-year-old firearms instructor who has also been a reserve sheriff’s deputy, said: “They were standing up. I had to wait about half a second, or a second, to get my shot. I fired one round. The subject went down.”

Wilson’s single shot quickly ended the attack that killed Wallace, 64, and White, 67, at the West Freeway Church of Christ in the Fort Worth-area town of White Settlement. He said the entire confrontation was over in no more than six seconds. More than 240 congregants were in the church at the time.

“The only clear shot I had was his head because I still had people in the pews that were not all the way down as low as they could. That was my one shot,” Wilson said Monday from his home in nearby Granbury.

As Wilson approached the fallen attacker, he noticed five or six other members of the volunteer security team he had trained with their guns drawn. Wilson said they had their eyes on the man since he arrived. During the service, White and Wilson had stationed themselves at the back of the church, watching him.

The Texas Department of Public Safety on Monday identified the attacker as Keith Thomas Kinnunen, 43. His motive is under investigation.

Speaking outside the church Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said authorities “can’t prevent mental illness from occurring, and we can’t prevent every crazy person from pulling a gun. But we can be prepared like this church was.”

Britt Farmer, senior minister of the church, said Sunday, “We lost two great men today, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Wilson described the attacker’s gun as a short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun with a pistol grip. Shotguns with barrels less than 18 inches long are restricted under federal law and can be legally owned in Texas only if they are registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

After the shooting, Texas officials hailed the state’s gun laws, including a measure enacted this year that affirmed the right of licensed handgun holders to carry a weapon in places of worship, unless the facility bans them.

That law was passed in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history, which was also at a church. In the 2017 massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, a man who opened fire on a Sunday morning congregation killed more than two dozen people. He later killed himself.

President Donald Trump also tweeted his appreciation for state’s gun legislation Monday night, saying, “Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry arms!”

Isabel Arreola told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that she sat near the gunman in White Settlement and that she had never seen him before. She said he was wearing what appeared to be a disguise and made her uncomfortable.

“I was so surprised because I did not know that so many in the church were armed,” she said.

Sunday’s shooting was the second attack on a religious gathering in the U.S. in less than 24 hours. On Saturday night, a man stabbed five people as they celebrated Hanukkah in an Orthodox Jewish community north of New York City.

Wallace’s daughter, Tiffany Wallace, told Dallas TV station KXAS that her father was a deacon at the church.

“I ran toward my dad, and the last thing I remember is him asking for oxygen. And I was just holding him, telling him I loved him and that he was going to make it,” Wallace said.

“You just wonder why? How can someone so evil, the devil, step into the church and do this,” she said.

White’s daughter-in-law, Misty York White, called him a hero on Facebook: “You stood up against evil and sacrificed your life. Many lives were saved because of your actions. You have always been a hero to us but the whole world is seeing you as a hero now. We love you, we miss you, we are heartbroken.”

Matthew DeSarno, the agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas office, said the assailant was “relatively transient” but had roots in the area.

Paxton said Monday that the shooter appeared to be “more of a loner.” “I don’t think he had a lot of connections to very many people,” he said.

Investigators searched Kinnunen’s home in nearby River Oaks, a small city where police said his department’s only contact with the gunman was a couple of traffic citations. But Kinnunen appeared to have more serious brushes in other jurisdictions. He was arrested in 2009 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Fort Worth and in 2013 for theft, according to Tarrant County court records.

He was arrested in 2016 in New Jersey after police found him with 12-gauge shotgun and rounds wrapped in plastic in the area of an oil refinery, according to the Herald News Tribune in East Brunswick. It was not immediately clear how those charges were resolved.

Kinnunen’s extensive criminal record also included assault charges in Oklahoma and Arizona.

Kinnunen's ex-wife described her husband as a “violent, paranoid person with a long line of assault and batteries with and without firearms. He is a religious fanatic, says he’s battling a demon.”

Church officials held a closed meeting and prayer vigil just for church members Monday evening. Farmer told the crowd that he had encountered Kinnunen in the past.

“I had seen him. I had visited with him. I had given him food,” Farmer said.

White Settlement’s website says it was named by local Native Americans in the 1800s for white families then settling in the area. City leaders who worried that the name detracted from the city’s image proposed renaming it in 2005, but voters overwhelmingly rejected the idea.

Wilson said the church started the security team about 18 months ago after moving to a new building and becoming concerned about crime in the area. Wilson has been a firearms instructor since 1995, spent six years in the Army National Guard and was a Hood County reserve deputy. He said some of the security team members he trained were at first afraid to touch a gun.

“I don’t feel like I killed a human, I killed an evil,” Wilson said. “That’s how I’m coping with the situation.”
___

Associated Press writers Paul J. Weber in Austin, Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Jill Bleed in Little Rock, Arkansas, and news researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

The Words of the Working Man

Ich bin ein Schenewark: Dec. 9-15 by Hunter Schenewark

I'm committed to going to Germany this summer. My itinerary is slowly shaping up. My language skills are progressing. The plans are coming together. Initially, the idea was to be more of a tourist. Now, I am set on doing family history. I will travel to the hometown of the Gerken's, the Hesse's. And, I hope beyond hope, to find where the Schenewark's come from. Exciting update: I believe my father will come along!

Finals have descended upon BYU and the student populace is preparing to leave for break. Which meant this past week was mostly quiet on the social front. I read and read. Attended the last week of institute, went to book club, and worked out.

The cinnamon roll factory was firing on all cylinders this weekend.

Deseret Industries saw me coming from a mile away. What a book!

My propensity for wearing my bathrobe to evening events is spreading. Here I am with my friend Maddie H. Sunday night at ward prayer.

Dinner on Sunday was with Tanmarie. We ate good food and I relished my time with them and on their magic carpet. When I'm over there, inevitably, I wind up on their magic carpet rug. Nora was a lot of fun and kept coming back for more tickles. I think Cooper is still the favorite uncle though.

This week I've been researching and writing on economic inequality. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, and I think there always will be. Impeachment might be shelved, trade deals could be made, sweeping policies enacted, yet uncertainty will always be part of life. I am not even sure where the Schenewark line comes from. Nevertheless, if there is one thing I do know, it is that we are all children of our Heavenly Father. I love Psalms 82:6, "Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." And we truly are. I know that a firm testimony of this truth will help us navigate the challenges of life, and add more truth to that foundational precept.

The Working Man's World

Modicum of Consistency: Dec. 2nd-8th by Hunter Schenewark This Christmas Devotional was quite memorable. After church finished, there were a couple setting aparts that I helped with, and then I rushed to pick up Porter, Emily Whitcomb, Cooper and his date Sarah, to head to Uncle Ben's and Aunt Joy's. The extended family was gathered there to celebrate Kayla and Ryan's wedding, and we were blessed to have Mimi and Grampy visiting. Unfortunately, we were there from only 3-4, then I had to run back to Provo with Porter. He met some friends and headed up with them to SLC, and I picked up my date Megan, and a couple other friends. Then the real fun and logistical challenges started. We went and picked up Andrea. Then headed north 20 miles and picked up Nicole. One more mile up the interstate, and after a few false turns, we were going to turn into a Maverick gas station to pick up Tanner L. We realized at the last second we were in the wrong lane, but as no one was around, I quickly moved left into the turning lane. This left me sticking out into the intersection, so I backed up a bit. We waited for our green turn signal there, and waited, and waited until I figured I needed to back up more to hit the sensor for the light to change. There was apparently no one else around, and I didn't see anyone behind me, so I hit the gas, going in reverse...and slammed into the car that was in fact behind me. The sickening crunch we heard is a sound I'll never forget. My heart sank and it was a truly horrible feeling for so many reasons. I figured we would both be turning into the gas station, but the guy behind got out, and seemed to want to talk then. So I got out, and then I saw my van start rolling away. I hadn't put the car into park!! The other person definitely must have been thinking, "who is this crazy guy?" My friends inside were yelling for me to get back, and I quickly jumped back in, and put it into park, before telling the guy we'd meet at the gas station. There, we looked over the damage, which involved nothing, not even a noticeable scratch on the van's backside, but some minor cosmetic damage on the other person's car. He spoke only spanish, and we were able to communicate ok, but he didn't want my info, said everything was ok, and seemed ready to leave again. I felt really bad and offered him a $50 amazon gift card I had in my wallet, but he didn't want anything, and we parted ways. Everything, especially the van rolling away seemed to happen in slow motion and now, very thankful nothing extreme resulted, can only look back and chuckle at the spectacle that must have been. I tend to do (or say) something stupid every week on average. This was so bad, I sure hope it covers me for two! That whole ordeal set us back further, and we made it to the conference center, late but safe, arriving inside at 6:10. We arrived too late to go to our seats front and center, but at least we made it inside and could enjoy the devotional. After, we walked around looking at nativity sets from around the world, and appreciating the amazing lights. Mimi's sweater vest, going strong since 2012, kept me warm in the cold weather. And we made it back to Provo without incident, thankfully. Our group shared many sighs of relief, and lots of laughs, thoroughly enjoying the evening. Oh what a night! Saturday was the funeral for my friend's dad. He had been suffering from cancer and after being in remission for a time, went quickly downhill starting in August. He died Thanksgiving night. The Shumway family all spoke and they showed amazing resilience and faith. Repeatedly, they have lifted up those who have tried to help them, and have been a true example to me. After eating lunch, I went with Porter to the Provo Temple. It was great to spend that time with him. Other highlights of the week included going to book club on Wednesday where we started discussing Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. Friday I made dinner for three and gave two blessings for some ward pals stressed out by big tests coming up. One was taking the LSAT, and I felt his pain, while another was doing her first finals in law school and I didn't want to know what I have to look forward to! Elder Rasband in October's General Conference questioned, "What are the dangers if we cheat a little, slip a little, or do not quite follow through with our commitments?" I know that the stakes are eternally high. There awaits everlasting glory, more wonderful than I think any of us can currently comprehend, if we will follow through on our commitments and obey the commandments. So, here's the thing, double check your mirrors while driving, but triple check the thoughts you think and the words you say, and especially remember always the covenants and promises you have made, and not only will your actions be good, you will make it through the greatest road trip we'll ever take, the journey of mortality, and will be able to in a coming day, "approach God's throne of grace with confidence," (Hebrews 4:16).

The Working Man's Words

Truly Scrumptious: Nov. 25th-Dec 1st by Hunter Schenewark

Monday was the LSAT. Short story: I left the test disappointed knowing that I hadn't done as well as I wanted. Not terrible, but probably not good enough. I won't know my official score for another week or two. The drive home was miserable, taking two hours to return from SLC where I took it due to a snowstorm that backed traffic up. Furthermore, the test was taken on a tablet and there were some technical issues that delayed the start of the exam by an hour, which for various reasons really messed with me. So there I was in a kind of sour mood, (and hungry to boot) when I arrived home and received a text from a friend who had signed up to take it at BYU. Turns out they had their own problems, and there was not enough tablets to take the test. So a significant number, including my friend, were turned away. Yes, they'll get their money back, but are not in good shape otherwise. First, I took the day off of work to do this, and I'm sure some of them did as well. Second, some schools, like BYU, have scholarship deadlines and they won't meet some of them now. After hearing his tale, I felt extremely grateful that I did have to drive up to the University of Utah. Perspective matters. I committed to trying harder to look for the good in every situation BEFORE I hear from the outside things that will influence my view. Furthermore, while I was Gratitude should be first. Conclusion: I am glad to have taken the test, this week has been much more relaxing having done it, but I decided that the upside significantly outweighs another $200 test fee, and will be signing up to take the next one in January.

Tuesday was work as normal, and then it felt like the holidays started. Porter brought me some books I had asked to be checked out, and I stayed up until almost 1 am reading. Because instead of having to drive to work, they told us (in part due to inclement weather) to stay at home, skype into a meeting from 10-3 and have lunch delivered to you, so you don't miss anything in the meeting. It was different, and so, so nice. I slept in, ate a nice breakfast, skyped into the meeting and had a burger and fries from 5 Guy's delivered. And then when the meeting ended at 3, I finally got out of my pajamas. Couldn't do it everyday, but the change was nice!

Thursday morning (after another wonderful late night of reading) I went out and bought food for Thanksgiving. The one variable I hadn't foreseen was that all the turkeys are sold FROZEN! I simply never thought about it. So, at 9 am instead of getting ready to cook it, I was scrambling trying to defrost the bird quickly. Everything else went well. We had:

-my famous (ok, its not famous at all, but need to hype it up a little, because it is good) stuffing. I do this in my crockpot, and it is delicious, and easy.

-green bean casserole, -cranberry sauce, -mashed potatoes, -gravy, -rolls, 

-Pies: chocolate cream, apple, pumpkin, cheesecake.

Supper was scheduled for 2, and we started eating then, and then 16 pound bird was finally ready for us at 3:20.

A couple people didn't end up making it, so it was Nicklas and William from the ward, and Porter, Cooper, and myself.

We ate, and ate. Watched a movie. Read George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation. Played Settler's of Cataan. Life is good 

Before Porter led me on some black friday shopping adventures, I went to Emily K.'s house and she taught me how to make authentic potstickers. It was a fun time, and I'll put the new knowledge to good use. Now to black Friday. Shopping is something I dislike. Very much. Unless it's groceries or books, it's kind of overwhelming. I NEED to have all the information available before I buy anything. All I needed to get was a black suit, but that involved (after weeks of online research) traipsing through the crowded mall (after driving up in another blizzard) and I still left Porter and his friend Parker after 4 hours without having bought anything. We had a really good time though, and it was quite amusing to see those two loving every minute and trying on so many outfits. Porter is my fashion supervisor, as I have no idea what I'm doing, and has helped immeasurably in that regard. Now, I'm only 10 years behind what the cool people wear. After returning home, re-energizing with some more thanksgiving leftovers, I made one final stop, and mission accomplished. I now have a black suit. Not only has it been something I've wanted in an effort to follow the brethren, but it'll be put to good use at Moriah's wedding at the end of December.

After that ordeal, I helped clean the temple from 10 pm to midnight. We were at the City Center Temple, and I was asked to clean the visitor center rotunda. Every body else was actually inside the temple, and my location was not what I would have chosen, but it was AMAZING. If you've never been inside, this is what the rotunda looks like:

When I've been before, it's always been very crowded. As I cleaned inside, it felt like the Savior truly was there. I had the opportunity, completely unbothered by time, in silence, and without any people nearby, to contemplate my relationship with my Savior.

Today, we combined with the 105th and 265th wards, as many people are still out of town. For dinner, we had rolls and turkey soup and it was great to have Cooper, Porter, Michael, Abbey, and Emily over. The night was quite enjoyable.

I asked out Lydia again, and she gently demurred, rejecting my invitation. This coming Sunday is the Christmas Devotional in Salt Lake, and in my opinion, the MOST MAGICAL EVENT EVER. So, I'll definitely be working towards finding someone for that.

Two thoughts from this week:

First, Jacob 5 has traditionally been my least anticipated chapter in the Book of Mormon. It's long, and I don't usually get much out of reading it, due in part to my hurry to finish that chapter off quickly. This week, while reading it, I realized that there is a much more personal application to the master and his vineyard parable. In my life, I am the master. And the chapter outlays perfectly how to handle situations in my life where I need to either cut out or graft in friends, habits, or personal characteristics to make the vineyard productive and be prepared for the Second Coming.

Today also started the Light The World campaign,

https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world,

with a different act of service emphasized daily leading up to Christmas. I have a strong testimony of service. As I've read before, service exalts all, as it humbles the giver and ennobles the receiver. Service helps sanctify us, and as we are sanctified, I testify that "the Lord will do wonders among [us]." (Joshua 3:5). I encourage you to participate in this month of service, and promise that you will draw closer to our Savior and feel of his immense love as you do do.

The Working Man's Words

November 18-24: Oh say can you see by Hunter Schenewark This is it. The day to take the LSAT has arrived. Tomorrow at 12:30 pm, I'll start the 4 hour exam, which will largely determine WHERE I spend the next three years, and HOW I spend the next three years (fingers crossed for some scholarship money). I have to confess that my heart is already beating quicker, and my mind is racing. Yet, how many times have you seen an LSAT score on a tombstone? It simply doesn't define anything truly important. So while I hope to do my best, and score well, I know that all will turn out well regardless. How often do we stress over completely unnecessary things?  This was a key takeaway in the middle of this week for me. On Sunday, I volunteered to bake a ham for the friendsgiving happening on Wednesday. Monday, I was given 3, when I had anticipated one. The worry of if all three would fit into the oven, if I would have to leave work early to get them started, etc. was on my mind. Tuesday night, mentally re-arranging my schedule already, I pulled a ham out of the fridge to check the cooking instructions. I turned it around twice not seeing any instructions for anything but the glaze. Right before I googled it, I saw the label, pre-cooked. Of course. How in the world had I forgotten!?! This week, in elders quorum we went over the conference talk, Deceive me not  by Elder Stevenson. In it, he talks about recognizing truth and how important it is to not be deceived by the messages that Satan presents. I'm amazed at how influential some of the world's teaching can be, after you hear it again and again, and are preached these false doctrines from every tv channel, news website, and popular song. The key takeaway for me from Elder Stevenson's talk was that we are looking beyond the mark, and will stumble if we do not put God first in our lives. As has been said, if you have not chosen to place the Kingdom of God first, it will not matter what you have chosen instead. LSAT, school, work, golf, money - I know that none of these can be put first. And if God is first, then all else will work out okay. Even more glorious than I can imagine. Wednesday was the Friendsgiving. We had a great turnout, about 100 people, and plenty of good food. We met in a nearby chapel, and I ended up playing basketball both before and after. When I got home, I watched most of the democratic debate. Thursday was the last day of my lsat class, and I left that (early) to go to institute. It was the right call, and I loved the lesson we had on D+C 29. It's taught by an older couple, the Lambert's who shared some of their life experience, and helped the scriptures come to life. Friday I went on a double date. Eliza and I met Dillon and his date to go to the Bell Concert  at the Tabernacle on Temple Square. Traffic was bad both ways, but we were able to still get seats showing up 20 minutes late. And the entire date lasted almost 5 hours, which is too long in my opinion, especially without any kind of nourishment, but Eliza was a good sport, and helped make the whole night very enjoyable. She also curiously wanted to talk about politics a lot, which isn't something I have done on a first date in my memory (we were of one mind concerning immigration, but differed radically in nearly everything else). She's studying neuroscience and economics at BYU and returned from her mission in the Philippines in March.  I had a friend, Glenn, invite me to the Utah Symphony with some of his friends Saturday night. Then, at around 4, Glenn bailed but said the ticket was mine still, and I could bring someone for his. There wasn't much time to prepare, so I asked Nicklas, my danish friend, if he wanted to go, and he jumped at the idea. We left at 6, and met the other people in Glenn's group at Abranavel Hall in Salt Lake City. The repertoire included Mozart's 20th Piano Concerto, which was a dream. I had never heard it before, and loved it. It also included Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, which I've listened to online before, and disliked it even more in person. I'm glad to have had the experience, and very appreciative of Anastasia who shared the tickets. She is from Ukraine, and honestly I was surprised how many people at the symphony were speaking Russian. I had no idea there were so many people sharing that heritage in Utah. I was impressed with how crisp and clean the music sounded even compared to the BYU orchestra, which I thought was fantastic. The venue was also 10/10.  I've been impressed with Porter's barber skills and Saturday he gave me a great haircut at his apartment.  After church, we all met at Tanner's house to celebrate Nora's and Joanna's birthdays. I can't believe Nora is two! She didn't quite understand the concept of her birthday, but dived right into her cake! It was a lot of fun, and as Cooper was giving the prayer at his ward prayer we exited at 6:50, right as everyone was about to play a riotous group game, I was not eager to join. In my mind, the timing was exquisite.

The Working Man's Word

Oct. 14-20: Flapjacks by Hunter Schenewark

I started the week off right by playing "ultimate cabbage," Monday for FHE. This is a game like ultimate frisbee, except it's played with a cabbage. This is thrown around and the game continues until all the leaves fall off of it. Quite fun! (not as fun, picking up all the discarded leaves from the field after we were done.)

At work, in an effort to promote collaboration and unity, the company pays for you to go to lunch with a co-worker, and this can be done on their dime once a week. Generally, I'm 100% content with bringing in my lunch (and spending time reading on the balcony.) It's geared more towards the California office anyway as they occupy various buildings and have about 65 employees. In Utah, totaling 14 employees, we all know each other pretty well, especially since I was one of the first. This Wednesday though, we decided to go out and eat. Of course, everyone wanted to pile in the minivan, so we did and headed off to Chipotle. It was a fun change of pace. I crack up, seeing how much everyone loves to 1. ride in a minivan 2. learn that I drive a minivan.

This picture below is of Robert and Hailey. They were sealed for time and all eternity on Friday. I went to their reception that night in American Fork. They have both been good friends and set great examples. Robert will start his PhD at Princeton next year, and I hope to join him on the East Coast before he finishes.

Sunday, around 11 am, I received a message from Pres. Young asking if I could make it to his house at 4 pm and assist him in giving a blessing. I remember well a story that Pres. Packer tells of a man who received a call from President Harold B. Lee asking if he could meet him in Salt Lake City the next day. Of course, the man discovered that his business would be taking him to Salt Lake the next day, though many miles away. The rest of the story is well worth reading, but needless to say there is a principle there, and I was honestly more than happy to make the trip up, postponing our family dinner until 6.

I met a woman there, who I'll refer to as SKM, who had served as stake relief society president while Pres. Young was stake president. We had an enjoyable time conversing for about an hour, and then I anointed and Pres. Young sealed the blessing. I'll simply say here that it was a blessing unlike any I've ever participated in. Truly special and SKM's example was inspiring, and the magnitude of her faith apparent.

The main reason that Pres. Young had asked me to assist was to meet her, as she had been a judge in Utah, having been appointed in her early 30's, and later taught at BYU Law School.  We were able to set up a time this coming week to have lunch together, providing me an opportunity to ask questions about law school.

The Youngs have been great to me. After SKM left, we talked for another half an hour and I left feeling uplifted and with some food for later to boot.

These good old goobers were waiting for me when I returned. Dinner was fantastic, the chili turning out great. We played a rousing game of Settlers of Cataan, and Porter "Sheep Baron" Schenewark pulled out the win in the end.

There is a saying I quite like, "No matter how thin the pancake is, there is still two sides." or something like that. And it's true. The reason this has been on my mind, is because of the blessing with Pres. Young.

Regardless, and applying the principle in a different way, it is important to be patient and listen to what others have to say. The other comes in Let us be kind, extend the benefit of the doubt, let us not seek simply for justice but be willing to extend the hand of mercy to those around us.

The Working Man's Words

September 23-29: Song Sung Blue by Hunter Schenewark

Neil Diamond is one of the best!

The c-suite executives came out to Utah from Orange County this week. We recently expanded our office, and I moved into the new space. The plan is to continue growing, and the execs wanted to look at places around the valley where they could grow the company. My hunch is that they'll move to Provo (which would be quite interesting) but our lease goes until June, so no changes will be happening anytime soon. The plan for a team activity had been to go axe-throwing and have dinner, but incredibly, all the axe places were booked on Wednesday already, so I suggested TopGolf.

In case the picture isn't clear enough, (don't worry, the window isn't actually that dirty) this is me looking out my bedroom at roughly 150 people dancing in my backyard. Friday, I returned home at 9:00, and was surprised to find this scene. One of Spencer's friends needed a place last minute to hold this party, and Spencer volunteered our backyard. It was funny because for the majority of the time, Tyler, Spencer, and I were all gone. And when we were back home, not one of us went outside. Just happened to happen at our place I guess. And it was over by 10:30, allowing for a nice night's sleep.

When I said I returned home Friday at 9, I returned home from my date with Caroline. The much anticipated date. We went to the soap factory, which she was really excited for. This time, the form I chose for my soap had a baby grand piano as the motif, and Caroline went with a seashell. Alas, while everything went well, nothing went great, and we just didn't click. I was still interested, and wanted to go out again, but was thinking she wasn't that interested. I put it off for a few days, but hating any degree of uncertainty, on Tuesday (Oct. 1st) I asked her out again. Per my hunch, she said she wasn't interested.

This is me, on Saturday, surprised by a flock of seagulls in Provo. I was sad things hadn't gone as good as I hoped the day before, and after going to the gym, I decided to go golfing. It never fails to make the sun shine brighter. I enjoyed pondering for two hours, outside, alone with nature, and 14 clubs.

Everything had gone south that day. I didn't do well on the practice LSAT, proctored at BYU that morning, and then ran straight to our EQ activity. Which also didn't go well, with way less people attending than we had expected. I asked Jacob W. for a blessing, and he came over at night. I am so thankful for friends who care and always help. It was the longest blessing I can remember receiving, about 10 minutes. The power of the priesthood is real, and I felt rejuvenated immediately. The next day, Sunday, was wonderful. W The best way to get out of a funk is through service. There was a stake meeting from 7-8:30 am, and then I met with the Ward Council from 8:30-10 as we discussed callings and ministering assignments in the ward. Church is from 12:15-2:15, and right after that, Dillon and I set apart 5 people who had been called. That was a tender experience, and something I'm still getting used to. The fam, Tanmarie, Nora, Porter and Cooper, came over for dinner, and we had biscuits and gravy. Ironically, I almost never use/drink milk, but the last few times I've had Tanner over, I've inadvertently made meals using lots of dairy, forgetting that he can't really eat it. Oops.

I witness that God lives, and He speaks through his servants. He has in the past, and he does so today. A few experiences to illustrate that. First, the aforementioned blessing I received from Jacob. The Spirit was so strong and bore witness to me of the truthfulness of his words. Second, I've brought all (or nearly so) my belongings from my parents house to Utah. Included in that haul, are my scrapbooks. Over the years, I've looked at them a lot - excepting the book documenting the first year of my life. That time as a baby has never interested me much, in part I think because I have no memory of it. Recently, I looked through it, and came across the blessing I received from when I was a baby. Obviously, I have absolutely no memory of that, and didn't even know the words had been recorded. It was quite sweet to be able to read that, and hear the words, for the first time in 24 years. In that time, much of the blessing has come to pass. It fortified my testimony that God speaks through his servants. I am thankful for a father who does his best to live worthily to be able to have the Spirit with him, and is ready to bless those around him. Third, the Bishop presented a plan for the ward, and the Spirit testified to me, that it is the will of the Lord for this ward.

God lives, he loves us. He has blessed us with leaders who speak his will, and work to carry it out. We have a prophet today, President Russell M. Nelson. As we follow his counsel, we will not be led astray, but will come closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ.