Finals wouldn't be so bad, if I had nothing going on

So it begins...

Since law school on its own is not stressful enough it was decided a long time ago, probably around the dawn of time, that law school finals should be comprehensive, long, and entirely overly-complicated. Tomorrow marks the first exam of the spring semester finals and with that the long dangerous journey through finals weeks begins. It will ultimately cultivate in the completion of the first year of a three year voyage. We have Torts II tomorrow at 2pm, Civil Procedure II on Friday at 9am, Criminal Law on next Tuesday at 9am, and finally Constitutional Law on next Friday, the 14th, at 9am. Wish me luck as I will need a bit of it and a prayer or two wouldn't be turned down either.

Most likely my next post will be from the comfort of home in Stansbury Park, Utah. It seems quite a bit strange to consider that fact especially because of the attendant circumstances that surrounds it. My brother, Chris, and I had a great conversation about such yesterday actually. I'm really glad our relationship has grown and become much stronger since he returned home from his mission back in 2007 as compared to our relationship before his mission. Don't get me wrong, we enjoined a good relationship before his mission, but I think the two years separated from each other made me realize, at least, how important that relationship was. Since then we've had the opportunity to do countless activities together and to encourage each other to greater and better things, and occasionally to talk each other into things we shouldn't do. On of my favorite experiences with Chris involves when we were both working together at Discover Financial Services. I had started working there in early July and by late July, or so, Chris decided to come work there as well. Because our work schedules were congruent, we would drive in and out together and hang out. We had a lot of very good conversations and I remember one night, I was playing his Nintendo DS while he drove. He got caught up watching me play so much so that we missed the exit for Stansbury Park and had to drive and additional 45 mins that night. We had a good time. It should be a lot of fun spending some time with him before I ship out in June.

If you had asked me where I was going to be and what I was going to be doing last year about this time, I'm sure the answer would have been different. Saying this though, I would not trade away those experiences as I feel they have been both necessary and implicit in my development as a human being over the last year. Sure, things could have worked out differently and probably a bit easier had certain things come to pass but things happen for a reason.

At least I like to believe they do. As official church doctrine, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not believe in predestination. Predestination meaning that, in crude terms, there exist some giant master plan of the university and we all act as pawns with no-free will to carry out that plan. We believe that we do have free will, but I believe that our decision are influenced and certain events occur for ours and others benefit. Although I've always believed this, I was impressed by this on Sunday when a friend of mine, of whom I am quite fond, bore their testimony. As I have thought about it over on Sunday and a bit today, I know events happen for a reason. I know my parents and I were supposed to walk into the Institute to find the Stake President, Bishop, and Institute Director all available at the same time. I know I was supposed to be in that Sunday School class on my first Sunday in Norman. I also know I was supposed to be at the University Ward on November 1st. I just hope that I have been or will be used as a tool for good and will be able to be the influence someone else needs at that critical time. I guess ultimately we never truly know whom we influence and as such we should always be prepared to do so.

Meanwhile, last weekend, Saturday to be exact, was the closing social for the University of Oklahoma Institute. I met up with Lena and we headed over and had a pretty good time hanging out with everyone else. All year the University of Oklahoma Japanese's Drummers have been practicing at the institute and so we were fortunate enough to enjoy listening to them preform which was pretty cool. We also got a lot football throwing in which was fun and once again demonstrated that Lena has a better arm then I. After the social, we went and got ice-cream at Maggie Moo's which is an ice-cream place much like cold-stones. After that a few games of Settlers of Catan were in order before going our separate ways.

With Temple Prep wrapping up yesterday, it dawned on me how quickly everything has come to fruition. On Thursday the parents will be flying into town, Friday Natalie and Jacob will both be graduating from OSU, and Saturday I'll be attending the Oklahoma City Temple to receive my endowments. Only 1 week later I'll be driving home to Utah. Luckily, for me, I've felt so little stress about the going ons in my life that I know I'm making the right decisions. I just hope certain things work out in my favor.

With that I should head to bed so I can get up bright and early and get ready for the first test tomorrow. Good luck to all you 1Ls!

One Love