Blogs, Mormons, and 24

I just spent about half an hour writing a blog, but I read over it and I really didn't like it, so I erased it and I'm starting over. I don't really have anything funny or inspirational to say, but I wanna write a blog dang it! I just spent the last hour reading obscure blogs of people I don't know that well. I've gotta say I'm a little torn as to how I feel about those blogs. On the one hand they're being honest and open and really letting you see into their heart and mind. On the other hand, are you sure you want anyone just reading such personal things about your life? Those are things I didn't need to know and don't feel like I have the right to know! I don't know. I guess the blog world is a place that some people can really just release a lot of tension, so their deepest feelings come out. I don't have the courage to put that stuff in writing. Or maybe it's that I don't think you all need to know that stuff. Hmm, again I'm torn between the two.

I do, however, dislike it when every comment, post, text, or status is something extremely negative. I hate my life! How could you do this to me? Why are people like this? My friends suck! Poor me. Whine whine. Ok, sometimes crap happens. And, rarely, you sometimes don't even deserve it! But do you have to dwell on every bump and bruise and broadcast it to the whole wide world? At least put a comedic spin on your situation or take some accountability or explain how you're gonna fix it. Anything besides the old, "My life sucks so feel sorry for me" routine. In a nutshell I'm just saying be positive once in awhile. It makes people smile.

Ok, I'd say it's time for an update in Jacob's life, but there's nothing too exciting. I mean, you already know how I'm doing if you know me at all and if you don't know me then you probably don't really care what's going on in my life, so either way I don't need to write anything and this is a huge run-on sentence. I guess there could be a stalker out there just dying for the next driblet about my life they can suck up and devour, but that's highly unlikely. If you are a stalker feel free to email me and I'll tell you all about how I'm getting a hole in my right sock.

I recently got an email from a young woman I knew in Barbacena. She informed me that she had left the church. I served as a Mormon missionary in Brazil for two years. The church was my life and she was a good, faithful member who just wanted to do what's right, so I was devastated when I heard she had stopped attending. I asked her about it and she told me a few things. One, some gangster type people got baptized in the branch there and were using the church as a headquarters for trafficking drugs. The Branch President himself was excommunicated for trafficking drugs with the tithing money. Two, a coup had taken place where members were trying to oust the new Branch President. Somehow they must have missed the memo that you don't get paid for serving in the church and you actually are supposed to serve the people you work with. There were factions vying for positions. Three, this drove the gospel right out of the church. There was no love and harmony. Just pride and resentment. So my dear friend pulled away. Was she wrong to do it? I can't even say. I told her the gospel is perfect. It's true and it'll lead us back to God. But how could I tell her to go back to church when things are like that. It was no longer The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't know. Hopefully she'll be alright.

Oh hey, Season 7 of 24 started up. I recommend watching it. Sure, Season 6 was kind of a disappointment. And yeah, it's hard to believe how every single government agency has a highly placed traitor. And it's amazing how people always manage to knock the gun out of the other person's hand so they can have a fistfight. But you know, Jack Bauer is the coolest man alive and I've seen all six seasons and I'm gonna watch this one too! I don't watch much tv. I'm still planning on one day watching that Lost show people are all obsessed with. But I watch 24.

K, this blog had everything you could ask for. I talked about other blogs. I talked about Mormons. And I talked about 24. What more could anyone want?