ACCORDING TO ZAC

I told you all once about how I went to Kentucky . I told you about how my entire life was changed because of those two years that I dedicated to serving others. I can't believe that it has been (almost) 9 months since I returned home from that remarkable adventure. Life has presented me with challenges, but lots and lots of blessings, too. Not a day goes by that I don't think about my friends in Kentucky or something that I experienced there, but today the reality of that time of my life being over was so potent. Today I decided to clean out my closet. I removed tons of white shirts from hangers -- shirts that I wore everyday for two years as I represented Jesus Christ as a missionary. I cried thinking about how I will never have the chance to live that again, and what an intense, life altering time that was for me. My heart was full of thanks for the special blessings God saw fit to grant me -- the blessing of sending me to Kentucky, where he knew I needed those people as m...

A long time ago I wrote a post about the way my life had changed in a short period of time. I talked about how six months previously I had faced a trial that scared me a lot, but that I conquered it. I mentioned how before that trial I faced something else a few months previously and managed to take care of it and learn a lot in the process. It was cool to chart my growth. Well, dear blogging world, I took a two year hiatus. I missed blogging and writing a lot. Seriously, writing is just good for the soul, even if no one reads what you put down on paper. So, here I am, ready for a little recap of life and what I've learned. Unfortunately, there just isn't time (and I don't have the energy) to tell you about all of my adventures in the last two years. I would, however, like to tell you a little about what I've learned. I hope you enjoy it: On September 7, 2011, I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT. It was a weird day to say the very, very least....

I cry when I least expect it. I was coming to the end of Mockingjay , a hopeless, gory and depressing book. It offers no sense of realism in any way shape or form. Katniss spent the whole book in a stupor, actively trying not to cope with everything going on in her life. After months of denial and struggle, she comes to and decides to pick herself up and get on with life -- it's really the only viable option for anyone, anywhere. And that's where it started: She began writing down the details of the people she loved dearly but had tragically lost in the war against the oppressive government: the details of a person's laugh, the color of her friend's eye, or the kindness of someone she had grown up with. All of a sudden she was human again, and it struck a chord. I'm a detail-oriented person when it comes to personal interactions and relationships. As Katniss brought these details forward to prevent them from ever being forgotten, I thought about how much I do...

There isn't much time left before I report to the MTC. Less than two weeks, actually... Panicking, for sure. But so exciting too! Anyway, just like I used to do with homework, I'm blogging now to avoid writing my farewell talk I'm giving in church this weekend. My bishop asked me to talk about the restoration of the church. Not necessarily about the who, what, when, where, and why, but the blessings that it brings me in my life on more than just a fact-based level. It's really made me think about how fortunate I am to have the LDS church, to have been raised in it, and to have had the confirmation that it is true. I do really like having that knowledge, however, that makes writing this talk a little bit tricky, just because I'm not really positive where to take it. I'll get it figured out, I guess. Just for the sake of recapping my life in the last few weeks, here's a quick list of what I've been up to: we went to Seattle, I've been working a lot...

That Facebook keeps showing me what I posted last year and the year before that is both funny and a little creepy. I'm not sure I want them digging through my past, even though I consciously used their website to share it with the world. But I digress. Apparently at this time last year I was bitter and resented UA. Two years ago I was trying to do some good in the world. I'm not sure where I am today. Mostly sleepy, I guess, with a good helping of happiness.

I got a new camera (see it here ). I had been thinking about getting one for a few days. I'm going to Seattle this week, and then Kentucky for a few years, so why not? Plus, cameras are so inexpensive (comparatively) these days, it just seemed like it was worth it. So far, it has been.

It always amazes me to see the way the church enhances who you are without taking away the essence of your personality. Great spiritual realizations magnify your strengths and talents without forcing you into a certain mold that was predetermined. I think that's one of the things I love the most about the gospel, and spending time with family and friends in the temple really brought that into clearer focus. The person that I am is not dictated by the church. However, the knowledge I have of God's plan for us here is what brings definition to everything I do. I am who I am, and that's what makes me special, but the church is what makes it all worth it. The choices I make, the relationships I create, and the direction that I point my life in are all done because I have the fullness of the gospel, and that knowledge makes me happy, and all of it worth doing. Yesterday I went through the temple. It was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to going back to learn mor...