Ragnar Relay

It's the peak of the afternoon sun, 90+ degrees, in beautiful-hilly Maryland, and it's my turn. Troy is coming in strong and he hands off the team wrist band. I steadily gallop away on a nice downhill slope, feeling great! Then, the 1,000 foot climb in under three miles faces me. After barely making it up alive, my team cheers me on. I never felt so much like Jason Bourne before in my life.

At about 2 a.m. it's my turn again. This time, the sun is gone. There is even a little breeze. The coolness invigorates me. We are now in farming country of lower Maryland. The moon is so bright you could get a moon burn. Endless wheat fields and slumbering livestock are exposed in the white glow. It's so peaceful. I am so distracted from all of it that the reality of running in the middle of the night does not sink in.

About twelve hours later, it's my last leg! I'm tired but excited! I start running through a familiar park in Kensington, Maryland. Melting and pretty tired, I turn a bend to see the LDS D.C. Temple and wow!

What a special experience for me. I can't describe it very well except that it touched me. I really feel it was a tender mercy that I got the one stretch of the 200 mile relay race to see the Temple. Wow! It was just one of those special times. I had been to this temple a few times before but it was just really awesome and it motivated me so much. Here is a picture I took on my leg:

So, I'll cut to the chase and let everyone know about what I am talking about. Some new friends over here invited me on this relay race (called the Ragnar Relay) from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C. It's about 200 miles and there are 12 runners per team. Your team runs non-stop starting Friday morning and finishes during the afternoon or evening on Saturday. Each runner gets three legs of 3-11 miles each. So everyone runs a total of about 17 miles. It's a hairy beast and I wasn't really prepared for it but the blessings of youth were on my side :) It was an incredible experience. I think a smaller version would be so much fun to do as a family. It's quite the bonding experience to say the least.

We rented these giant vans and the girls wrote all over them. It's a costume event so teams wore things like tutus, kilts, wings, etc. People there went all out. We were villains and superheros and had on gaudy patches with our respective villain/hero. Who was I, you ask? They gave me Captain America!

Like most, I've always loved the outdoors, seeing new places (especially beautiful places), and trying to be active so this was such a great experience for me. Besides the smelly vans, lack of sleep, and insects, it was amazing! To give you a little taste of how beautiful it was, look at this picture I took on one of my legs:

To top it off, we ended the race right on the National Harbor. I took this just before our anchor runner came in. It was a beautiful evening:

Jamestown

I drove on a beautiful pebble-paved road that softly slices through the relentless foliage of Virginia. The sun burst through the leaves as it glided slowly toward the west horizon. Any sunlight remaining illuminated the smooth meadows, exposing the families of deer as they ate the grass. Geese flew in formation while gliding reverently across the James River. This is where it all began for our country (well, Roanoke was actually before but those settlers all vanished so we don't know the full story of that venture). Wow!

Though it was conceived for the sole purpose of profit, and although it failed once, and although its redeeming venture involved the source of the first lung cancer in America, this place represents the fibers of ingenuity and adventure deeply woven in our nation.

I went back with some friends and we sailed a ship (well, kind of), visited a fabulous museum full of interactive exhibits of 17th-century Britain, the Powhatan people, Christopher Newport (the main Captain on the voyage to Jamestown), the voyage of Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery, the Virginia Company Charter, and of course John Rolfe, John Smith, and Pocahontas. It was so much fun!

Next, we went into the three ship replicas. One of the most interesting things I learned here was that the ship wheel wasn't even conceived until around 1700. So all those big ships were steered by a long beam that was attached to the shaft for the rudder. I never knew.

They had several cannons on these ships. I learned that they didn't just use the conventional cannon ball, but they used ammo with a chain connecting two pieces and even ones with wooden cases full of shrapnel. Paul and I couldn't subdue our inner little-boy so we played around with these big guns:

Man, they really had small men back then :)

We also used oyster shells to help carve a canoe like the Powhatan people did. Here's the finished product:

The Lincoln Memorial

As my eyes glided up his statue, I felt a piercing sense of respect and honor for this simple politician from Illinois.

I turned to my left and let the simple eloquence of the Gettysburg Address brush me. To the right was inscribed Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. This speech was humbly offered on March 4, 1865, as the Union's victory was virtually certain. The words are beautiful, full of hope and forgiveness. But the raw material of the speech is nothing but smoke alone. It is the context of this invocation that merits its notability.

Lincoln, having been stripped of any signs of health or youth, having severally maiming his marriage, and having watched the bloodiest war of U.S. history unfold before him against his deepest pleas, had every earthly right as President to wave the swift and heavy arm of justice upon the South. He never wanted a war. He never even wanted to force the emancipation of slavery. But in a solemn effort to save the God-given union, he fought. He fought not for his own freedom but for the freedom and union of others. Stop and think about that. He was heavily pressured by Radical Republicans, peers, to bring punitive action to the South. Yet, we see His speech. His speech, in which he rhetorically knelt down and humbly forgave the South, welcomes back all to the United States of America. Think of that! What a man. What a leader. What a man of God. Quiet mercy in the cacophony of justice.

After this stunning act of love--just five weeks later--this special man was shot in the skull in cold blood resulting in a long, agonizing death.

Here is a man who strove for unity in a divided country. Here is a man who honored the rule of law and who defended the Constitution even when it meant honoring his vehement enemy of slavery. Here is a life bathed in sacrifice for his country, for others, for everything but himself.

I couldn't help but cry as a flood of gratitude for this man washed over me, chocking me with emotion. This monument will always be a special place for me.

I Love History

So I consider myself the luckiest man alive. I'm going back Back East for school. I lived all around New England for two years as a missionary, seeing more of that area of our beautiful nation than anyone could hope for. But now I have 9 more months on this side of the country, but in Williamsburg, VA.

After taking my challenging AP U.S. History class with Mrs. Dowler in high school I developed a veracious appetite for our country's history. Teaching hundreds of students about our American Heritage during my undergraduate experience at BYU made me appropriately sold to the prospect of attending the College of William & Mary for graduate school.

For the next several months, I'm going to document my adventures on this blog. My goal is to tempt anyone who reads this to come out and touch the wealth of history here that is yours and that is mine.

His Last Week

I do not attempt to understand the complexities and entirety of the great ordeal the Savior Jesus Christ underwent during the sunset of his life. But, after studying the Savior's last week for some time now, and because I have the blessing of visiting Jerusalem in a month, I decided to share what I know to be true.

As prophesied by Isaiah and Zechariah (Isaiah 62:11; Zech. 9:9) the Savior road into Jerusalem for the last time on Sunday (Matthew 21:1-11). He also walked to the outskirts of the Holy City and wept over it (Luke 19:41-44).

The next day, Monday, the Savior cursed the leaved yet barren fig tree--a very powerful metaphor. After this object lesson, the Lord cleared the temple for the second and last time, only escalating the Jewish leadership's vehement distaste for the Savior. (Matt 21)

Tuesday, the Lord predicted the destruction of the temple and taught several parables concerning questions on authority. Also during this day, Judas arranged the betrayal of the Lord for 30 pieces of silver. Some say this would be worth roughly $4,000 today.

On the Thursday of the week, the Lord took his disciples into an upper room. There, Jesus washed the feet of the Twelve (John 13: 3-10) pronouncing them clean. He also had kept the Passover meal as it was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. Following, He instituted the sacrament (Matt. 26:1), and gave a discourse on the Comforter (John 16:7-16)

Then to the Garden of Gethsemane He went where the agony to balance every emotional, mental, physical pressure, pain, fear, or discomfort of each soul that ever has, or will live would be solemnly laid upon the Savior (Luke 22:42-46). This condition caused "the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore and to suffer both body and spirit." (D&C 19:18)

Upon the completion of this portion of the Atonement, having suffered all of it alone while his dearest apostles failed to comfort him because they fell asleep, a set of guards came for him. This action, spurred by one of his very apostles, marked the beginning of the end.

The Lord was brought before Annas who then sent him to Caiaphas, Annas' son in law (John 18:13, 24). By the time he was transferred to Pilate, Peter, the one who held the priesthood keys of the kingdom, as prophesied, denied his discipleship and association with the Savior thrice (John 18:25-26, Matthew 26:69-74). Jesus Christ had now been up the entire night. As Pilate found no fault with the Savior He was sent to Herod. After receiving no answers to his questions, Herod sent the Savior back to his late fancied associate Pilate (Luke 23:4-12).

After offering the release of a prisoner, as customary during the Passover season, Barabbas (ironically meaning "son of the father") an imprisoned murderer, was freed. The Jewish crowd pressured Pilate into crucifying the already flogged, beaten, spat-upon and mocked Lord with diabolical chants: "and they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified" (Luke 23:23).

So to Calvary or Golgotha (both meaning "skull") he went, the very last walk he would make in his mortal state. Too fatigued from the sheer weight of everything, he couldn't carry the cross himself. So "they compel[led] one Simon a Cyrenan, who passed by, coming out the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross" ( Mark 15:21)

For three hours (from about 9:00 a.m. to noon) he hung there in agony. People offered him wine mingled with myrrh to ease the pain, but he declined (Mark 15:23). Then for three more hours (noon to 3:00 p.m.) he hang in the darkness (Mark 15:33). Then at the ninth hour, or 3:00 p.m., He underwent the same cataclysmic, soul-wrenching experience of being alone, without support of His Father. As if all this weren't enough, the guards gave him vinegar to spite his piercing thirst.

As a sermon appropriately delivered from his elevated placement, He uttered His last words of, "It is finished" (John 19:30).

I have a knowledge of these events and am so grateful for the life, example, and Atonement of the Lord. My hope is that we may always remember these things and live accordingly.

Life Is Short

"Dan, uhh...this is Dad," my dad began his phone message as he usually did. But this time, his voice sounded a little more sober than usual. He continued, "John and Mike rolled the truck on their way back to Utah. They are OK but I thought you should know." Immediately I called my little brother, hoping the second part of my father's message was, indeed, true.

He was OK. I then left the party I was at and headed down to Cedar City to pick up him and Mike. After three hours of anticipation on the road, I pulled up to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican food hut where my shaken-up brother and his friend were found.

I gave John a huge hug, then he looked down at himself and said, "Man, I ruined my jacket." That is so John. He then told me what had happened:

"We were driving 80 mph on a clear road and then came up to an overpass. Apparently, the top of the overpass was full of black ice. We slid to the right and hit the right barrier and flipped. Then we slid upside down for about 300 feet. After we stopped, I turned to Mike while hanging upside down and made sure he was OK. Mike then saw two white lights coming towards us. He closed his eyes and the oncoming car hit us. After we stopped moving I dropped out of my seat and kicked my door open. Miraculously, we made it out alive."

I could have lost my brother two days ago. So often we see through the lens of denial: "That never happens to me." Well, it almost did to me. I think we can cherish our loved ones more than we do. You never know when those we love are gone.

Edwin Mccain

So Edwin Mccain is one of my favorite artists out there. I think he has genuine lyrics and a classy, refreshing style. He's well known for his timeless "I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask For More". But my favorite song is not found anywhere in the MP3 world. I've tried to download "Shooting Stars" to no avail. Even Amazon and iTunes has failed me. But there is a great website called BeeMP3.com that enables you to at least listen to it. So to all my faithful followers (basically just Kyrsten), enjoy this audio feast:

	Edwin McCain - Shooting Stars .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine