Guess who gets to speak today @ Church!

Let me give you a hint... It's the one who actually posts to the Blog.

Still don't know... Oh, fine. It's ME!!!

Who's Me? Well, let's just say I am the Head of the Household.

NO! NOT MISTY!!! Sheesh.... It's Phil. :)

Here's my talk. I feel pretty proud of it if I do say so myself!

(Begin Talk)

Brothers and Sisters, You are going to die.

Sorry, there's no sugarcoating it, and there’s no way around it. Those wheels were put into motion millennia before you and I got here. Each day you live, You are one more day closer to it.

I’ve known many people who have passed beyond the veil, my grandparents on both sides, Misty’s grandparents on her Father’s side, and her grandfather on her Mother’s side.

Each of these events was one of mourning, of remembrance, for we missed them all dearly. But for us of the Christian faith, we know it is not the end. For long ago, one person did the impossible. One person did that which only a God could do, for a surety, He surely was.

After treading the winepress alone, suffering torment beyond that which a mortal man could bear, except it were unto death, and finishing His work which His Father asked of Him, Jesus Christ passed from this world, just like you and I inevitably will succumb to the imperfections of our mortal tabernacle.

Where death brought captivity and damnation, for we truly were stopped in our progression, Christ visited those that as it states in D&C 138:14-19, 23-24.

Inexplicably Christ used his divine nature and power to join both spirit and body to a perfect state. First to his own body, and then to those who would be the first of the many that would be part of the first resurrection.

At this wonderful time Spring Morning, ( Can someone please tell the weather?) we commemorate the final step in our Savior and Redeemer’s Atonement. With the resurrection His work finally was Finished, and his gospel continued to be preached on both sides of the veil and he continued to minister to those worthy to see his glorified body face to face.

It has been said that Easter has stood against the world’s efforts to secularize it. With all of the Easter Bunnies, Colored Eggs, and plastic grass, and marshmallow goodness contained in those sugar laden Peeps, That across the world, people still recognize the true meaning of Easter more than other holidays like Christmas.

I am grateful for that. I’m grateful that the pinnacle of the Atonement has continued to touch the hearts and spirits of the children of men to perpetuate this commemoration of the empty tomb.

As my son woke up this morning, Easter basket in hand, picking up eggs that were laid before him down our hall to his pile of goodies, I reflected upon the journey that Mary Magdalene made that First Easter morning. As she arose before morning, and went unto the splechure, she saw that the stone had been taken away. As she went back to get Peter, then they entered into that sacred place and angelic ministers announced to them “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.”

As my son carefully and methodically opened each plastic egg, and said “Oooh! What’s in here? Oh! Egg jelly beans! I LIKE those!” I reflected upon the emptying of the tomb of Joseph of Aramethia. As we think about our upcoming or reflect upon our already completed Easter Egg Hunts, let us think about the hunt for the Savior. Both on that First Easter Morning, as well as in our individual lives.

As we think about the Easter eggs, let us think about their representation for new life and rebirth.

As we think about, (and possibly participate in) Easter Egg Rolls, let us reflect upon the rolling away of the tomb.

As we think about our new Easter clothing, let us think about the incorruption that we will put on after we forsake our corruptible mortal bodies.

As we think about our chocolate bunny ears dipped in wonderful peanut butter, let us think about that wonderful concoction of peanut butter and chocolate. : )

A thought occurred to me this morning. The stone didn’t need to be rolled away from the tomb. The resurrection surely could have taken place with the stone in place. The Lord that has power of life and death, surely could not be contained by a stone across a doorway.

Then why was it rolled away? It was rolled away for us.

It was rolled away so we could have record of Mary and others proclaiming their witness that he surely had risen. It was rolled away so our faith could be strengthened that our God is a God of truth.

'Twas the Night Before Easter!
by Peggie C. Bohanon
(Web address: peggiesplace.com/easter.htm)

Slight Modifications by Phillip Burnett

'Twas the night before Easter on Internet Lane;
From New York, to Russia, spring Holidaze reigned!
Computers were linking from Disney to space;
And folks were resolving the Easter Egg case!

The kids were entranced by a techno-theme,
While visions of dinos appeared on the screen!
And Mom dyed the eggs, while I searched the Net,
For flowers to send her--or in trouble I'd get!!

When swiftly, my Mac began such a clatter,
The mouse shrieked, "Explorer", what is the matter?!"
Away to my window, I jumped with great speed;
A break for sore eyes, I surely did need!

I saw flowers of spring beginning to bloom,
I welcomed the view from my office room!
When what to my wondering eyes, did I see,
But a Stranger stooped low, on bended knee.

With a quick glance I knew 'twas a back-flash of time,
I envisioned the form of my Savior Divine.
More rapid than eagles, my memory raced,
To another time and a-nother place.

Where Christ, Lord of all, called each one by name--
"Follow Me," was His Word, and they willingly came.
They watched Him perform His deeds of love;
They knew His power had come from above.

Yet we witnessed his suffering and he eventually died;
In the dark of a tomb, our Savior did lie.
But then in another flash of great power,
I saw Him arise--death conquered that hour!

He was robed all in white, with a radiant glow;
He stood in great splendor, this Savior I know.
His eyes with loving compassion shown,
I knew in that moment I need ne'er be alone.

His hands were outstretched as this One bid me come;
The work of redemption forever done.
I stood there in silence, in humble awe,
As the Reason of Easter I now clearly saw.

Then quickly as the scenes, had first appeared,
They faded--I felt not one moment of fear.
I bowed low in worship; earth's sight was now dim;
I had seen Easter's morning; I had been there with Him.

As I saw Him, with faith's eyes, lifted above,
The night before Easter was filled with pure love.
And I heard him exclaim as He ‘rose out of sight,
"A Blessed Easter to all! I have conquered your night!"

Brothers and Sisters, You are going to live. Sorry, there's no sugarcoating it, and there’s no way around it.Those wheels were put into motion millennia before you and I got here. Each day you live, You are one more day closer to it.

(End Talk)

Carson's Animal Names

Carson has the best names for his stuffed animals. He named them all himself!

"Ruff" - Little brown pound puppy

"Ruffy" - A big puppy that I got for Valentine's day (last year) that he's confiscated.

"Creek" - A little frog that he's had since he was a baby.

"Bumpy" - A little musical giraffe that he's also had since he was a baby.

"Sumby" - Little plastic toy elephant

"Dor-A-thy" - (A as in Cat). A dinosaur he got from the D.I. that he is convinced is a dragon.

"Curious George" - A stuffed monkey that he got for Valentine's day this year.

Then when he was at a duck pond, he named one of the little ducks "Chicklee."

I think if we ever have a pet, he is going to get to name it. He's done great so far!

(Yes, Phil was the one who wrote this. You're welcome. ; ) )

Best one liner's from Scout Camp

HOLY COW!! It's a Blog Post!

So, this past week, I had the chance to go to Scout Camp with the Young Men in our ward. Here are my favorite one-liners I heard while I was up there.

Taylor (13 year old Deacon) while holding a tortilla left over from our taco dinner, and walking around rummaging through the kitchen stuff, said...

"Do we have any cinnamon?!"

Yes, Taylor, we do have some... right next to the Grey Poupon, and Avian.

Overheard at a flag ceremony from a neighboring scout troop...

"It looks like a rash to me!"

And the best quote I heard? Came from Josh, (13 year old Deacon) when he had gotten his changed into his swimsuit, and was getting on his bike to ride to his merit badge classes, one of which being Rowing, (hence the swimsuit), we said, "Don't die Josh." He promptly responded...

"Brother Burnett, if I die, you can have my wife."

HOLY COW! Talk about generous! I was at a loss for words. Never have I been offered another person's future spouse. : )

CRAFT FAIR

Hey friends and family! I just wanted to invite you all to the craft fair we are throwing in Provo, on April 17. It is going to be a wonderful event full of amazing handmade items. Eighteen women have been putting in countless hours to share their talents. We have a really wide variety of items to be sold. Some of them are aprons, hair accessories, full coverage bibs, baby blankets, princess dress-ups, decorated flip flops, vinyl lettering wall decor, homemade suckers, jewelery, and baby dresses. We also have a couple of women selling in-home sales items like Miche Bags, Scentsy and Usborne Books. Come and find some wonderful ideas for Mother's Day, baby showers and bridal showers!

The fair will be from 1:00-6:00 at the Provo City Library. The address is 550 North University Avenue room number 201.

The only way this craft fair will be successful is if people hear about it. I would really appreciate as much publicity as possible. Blogs are a great way to get the word out. Mentioning it on your blog reposting this post on as many blogs as possible would be a great help. Thanks!

It's done, but has just begun...

For those of you who care, here's an update on all the craziness that has been going on.

I have been trying to balance school, work, church callings, family time, recreation, and every other imaginable ball in the amazing juggling act that I have been performing quite well for the past two semesters at BYU and while we are down here in Provo.

An interesting thing happened this past week, (Has it been a week yet? It's all a blur to me still.)

I had a meeting with a gentleman who was planning on splitting an office space with me, and we were talking about our backgrounds and what we were doing down here in Provo. He has been going to UVU in their Digital Media department for the past couple semesters, and was ranting and raving about it to me that day over lunch.

I told him that I loved my Sound Recording Technology Program that was at BYU, but there was only one problem with it. It was inside the School of Music. So therefore, all people in the degree were required to take all the theory, sight-singing, dictation, private lessons, practice their fannies off and sell their souls to the School of Music to just be in the program.

He proceeded to tell me that UVU had a degree in Digital Media, which had an Emphasis in Audio Production. He began to rave about the professors in the program and told me that I should talk to the advisor, and look into transferring. I wasn't sure about that, but decided it was worth looking into.

I told Misty about it, and she thought that it would be very nice if I could get my degree without all the (what we viewed) as unnecessary classes that wouldn't be applicable to the career that I was interested in. I also agreed, but we still didn't take any action.

After a stressful Monday (15th of March), of going to school, stressing out over work, and skipping out on private lessons to be able to spend the necessary time at get my work done up in Ogden, I got home VERY late and still having homework to do, and Misty asked (almost the way you would ask someone in passing,) "When is the last day to withdraw from classes at BYU?" I responded "I am pretty sure that it's tomorrow."

My cogs started turning. I thought about the weight that would lifted off of my shoulders and the free-time that I would be able to have to spend with my family. I woke up early on Tuesday morning, and looked up UVU's program. I concluded that UVU had a bit broader base in their Audio Production Emphasis than BYU had, without all the stress of the School of Music.

I also looked at the classes that I would be missing out on at BYU. I made an interesting discovery. There were 7 classes that were specific to the Sound Recording Technology Degree inside of the School of Music, and I had already taken 4 of them. I could take 2 of the others, without having be a Music Major! I really would only miss out on one class.

I went to UVU that morning, and met with the transfer department about GE's and classes that would transfer over, and ones that wouldn't. I found out that my Associates Degree from WSU would knock out all of my required GE classes, (Which they wouldn't at BYU) and of course UVU doesn't have any religion classes that are required to be taken on campus. (Did I mention that I am GRADUATING from INSTITUTE with 30 HOURS?! Yeah, I NEED a required class from BYU for a religion class.)

They said a number of my classes that I took for Sound Recording could also transfer over as well, but I would need to talk to the Digital Media department to get those over. Not a Problem. I can stand spending a few more hours in the studio. : )

Well, I made the leap, and I began dropping all my classes at BYU, except for my Sound Recording Classes. Goodbye: English, Sight Singing, Dictation, Theory, Private Lessons, and Symphonic Band. Hello Time!! : )

So now, I have 3 classes at BYU. Studio Recording II, Studio Design, and Principals of Audio II.

Those are the only classes I really wanted to take anyways!! All the other ones were for the degree, only because they were required by the School of Music.

I put in my application to UVU, already got accepted, and have been able to spend more time catching up at work, and focusing more on fulfilling my church callings. It's been great.

I don't know what the schedule or time committment will be at UVU, or if I will get scholarships or what, but I am excited to be able to have a great broad base of education, and be able to take those final two classes at BYU.

That's the latest from me!

-Phil

Money - Phil's Personal Essay Assignment

“Money, it’s a gas. Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.” – Pink Floyd

My life has been filled with education and experiences that have consistently put me in positions to learn about money. I don’t think that it’s because I sought them out, but rather that they were put there by fate. I don’t necessarily think I have had more opportunities to learn about money than the next person, but I have been able to develop a firm grasp on where the “rubber meets the road,” or perhaps more appropriately stated “where the money meets the wallet.”

The first time I heard the phrase “Do something that you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life,” it was spoken by my father when I went to him for advice while searching for a desired path in school. I pondered on this thought quite extensively, for my father didn’t love what he did. He had been working for the same company for the past twenty-five years, and didn’t enjoy it. He did it because that’s what he knew how to do, and it brought money home to his wife and five kids.

My father in law wasn’t much different. He placed a high value on having degrees, and received his masters degree while he was in his late forties and urged me to do the same, so I could, “Get a good job.” I guess he thought that a “good job” was one where you were paid a little bit above average, and again, not something that you loved to do. He had been working on the military base near his home town for the past twenty-some-odd years now, and didn’t enjoy his work either.

I’m different. I don’t know whether I am different by nature, or by choice. One thing I refuse to do is to spend the next twenty years in a profession that I may know, but don’t love. If you aren’t doing what you love to do, then why are you doing it? Providing for your family I believe is a responsibility first and foremost as a husband and father, but wouldn’t your children have a better life and role-model if they could look up to someone who was truly living their dreams?

I have spent the past several years earning income and working towards living my dream. Not just to put food on the table, which gratefully I have been able to do, but to also develop myself as a man whom my children and wife could look up to and say “I’m proud of Phillip because he is actually doing it.” I want to show my children that they can live their dreams.

For the past several years, I have been employed in multiple professions dealing with finance. I have had months where I have made over ten thousand dollars, and other months where I have made nothing. I know that no job, especially right now, is a stable job, unless you are earning income for your employer, whether that employer is yourself, or someone else.

Through these employers I have been taught about goals, dreams, work ethic, and what it takes to make it. Surprisingly enough, I knew the answer all along, WORK. Those who do the jobs that no one else is willing to do, will get paid more than those who aren’t willing to do them. Multiple people out there know how to make money, and will help you do it as well, but only if you are willing to do what is asked of you. I have come to realize this truth. Applying it, well, that’s another lesson I am slowly improving on. Some months I do what is required, what others won’t, and I get rewarded accordingly. Other times I feel entitled that what I am doing is enough, an more often than not, those are the months that I don’t earn anything.

Over many years now, I have focused my vision on that which I believe can offer my family an income which will put food on the table, but also in a field that I have grown to love so that, according to the quote by my father, I won’t have to work a day in my life. That field is sound. It has become a passion of mine, and I will not rest until I have made that field my own. Whether I accomplish that in the next few years through the help of professors and colleagues, or the next few decades of tireless effort pushed forward by nothing but me and my determination, my sights are set, and nothing can break my gaze.

Not My Finest Mommy Moment

It all started yesterday at nap time. Carson absolutely refused to go down for a nap. He cried for 2 hours straight. Phil and I finally gave in an let him get out of bed and succumbed to the certainty of a day full many many break downs. We ended up putting him down to bed about 40 minutes early. Phil had to register for school this morning at 12:00 so I stayed up with him. We finally fell into bed at 12:30. This morning Carson woke up at 6:00. Yeah, that means I only got 5 1/2 hours of sleep. Not nearly enough for me. I'm not a nice person or a good mommy when I am tired. Carson has been needing a lot of attention this last week. If he doesn't get the attention he thinks he needs, he does something naughty to get it. Needless to say, I was very ready for him to go down for his nap today so I could get a much needed break, and maybe even catch a few winks myself. I put him down at his normal time. He went right to sleep and I was so happy. I got a few things done then was about to lay down and he started crying. I left him in his bed and he cried for 1/2 hour. I went and got him out of his bed and he continued to cry for the next 1 1/2 hours. I definitely shed a few tears of my own during that 1 1/2 hours. Now to the not so great mommy moment. I gave him some Benedryl, put him in his bed and shut the door. He is still crying so I don't know that it was even worth it.