Sunday, November 8, 2009

Dreams

Devan's take:

A while ago Emily and I wrote some financial goals we had. We wrote down some ambitious goals. I want Emily to be at home and pursue our dreams. At the time I did not know how we would do it. I am working for a great company but want so much more. I want to be able to build schools in Africa and help children without fathers to live their dreams. Children in Africa are walking miles to get an education. I did not want to hear that it was not possible so I decided to change who I was. I needed to retrain my brain and surround myself with people that want that also. Over the past few months a lot of great things have come about. Found free podcasts and internet classes that I could learn how to develop web business. Had some great ideas and shared them with a couple key people. My business partner came into my life years ago while we were rooomates. He is a successful real estate investor and we have so much fun. We spent 3 hours together the other night and got so excited about the future that we are going to launch this dream. It was amazing we had so much fun and ideas. I just realized these are the best days of our life. The adventure in life is so amazing.

Emily's Take:

It seems like we are always talking about living our dreams and setting goals. Well... that's because... that's what we do! Why not share with everyone the reason for our happiness? OK, our goals and dreams aren't the entire reason for our joy. Devan and I feel that our goals and dreams are centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Without Him, nothing is possible. With Him, all things are possible.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Life Vision

Devan's take:

Over the past few years I have been reading a lot of books and gaining a lot of information about reaching goals, starting a business, and achieving greatness. Here are some of the best nuggets of information I found.

Achieving Goals
-Create a Vision Board

-write down goals

-Follow GOYA (get off your A**)
-Meditate

-have someone hold you accountable

a. for weight loss I have 5 people that I am accountable to.

Plan and map out the future you want

Ask God

Listen: Listen to the answers on how to accomplish it


"We only have a certian ammount of years to get what we want, so we need laser focus" -John Assaraf


Emily's Take:

I love goal-setting with Devan. We talk about our plans for the future - children, housing, hobbies, etc. I really want to stay at home and be a mother. Devan really wants to be successful in work, to the point of being able to take time off work to attend things like school recitals. It is really fun to figure out paths to take in order to accomplish these long-term goals. We also have short-term goals, like going to Hawaii before our first child is born, going to the Philippines for the Cebu temple dedication in 2010, and continuing to grow our net worth.

I firmly believe if we hold to the gospel truths that Heavenly Father has supplied us with, we can acheive things much greater than if we did it all on our own. The key to success, in my opinion, is making the gospel the center of life. Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail. He has given us truths that we can implement into our lives for our joy and happiness. Sometimes it's not entirely clear why we go through challenges, but in hindsight, we can generally see how we have grown through those seemingly insurmountable odds. I thank Heavenly Father for the opportunities He has presented to us, His literal children. He is my God and the Light of the world. He is the Light of our world, mine and Devan's. Through the Spirit we learn more than we could any other way. This is how goal-setting has been so fruitful for us - the blessings have been made manifest through the Holy Spirit and through the way we live our lives.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Not Room Enough to Receive It

Devan's Take:

Over the past few days I have been thinking about how blessed we are. Emily was given a tuition scholarship to sing with the Salt Lake Community College. This is an excellent choir and it is a great blessing for her to be back to college. On Saturday they found out they are going to tour Bejiing China next fall. It is a trip of a lifetime because they get to sing in the best concert halls and typically to packed houses. It is still a long way away but it is awesome she may be given that chance. My job recently gave me a free weekend trip to Zermatt resort in Midway Utah and an Ipod touch. I was thinking these blessing are amazing, the Lord is pouring out so many awesome things for us. I am reminded of the scripture in Malachi 3:10

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Now just because someone does not have all the material possesions it does not mean the Lord is not blessing us. He gives us the sun, rain, family, kids, life, atonement, friends, spirit, wisdom, faith, and many more things too numerous to count. It is a great blessing.

Emily's Take:

I agree with everything Devan said. I'm giving you readers a break from my typical novel-esque rhetoric. :)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pick Joy!!!

Devan's take:

Over the past little bit we have learned about the law of attraction in achieving our dreams. We learned 3 simple principles that have enabled us to live our dreams. We have created great friendships, feel close to our family, and feel close to God.

1) Plan: Outline what you want in life.
2) Ask: Ask God for what you want in life
3) Thank: Be grateful


Emily's take:

I grew up in a household that believed men were all bad, money was short and always difficult to retain, and life in general was a struggle to keep up with the changing times. I am so grateful to have shed that stigma!

Honestly, what we believe (for the most part) becomes our reality. For example, "men were all bad" was a reality in my growing up years. Every man my mother dated after her second divorce turned out to love the kids but not her, or loved her but not the kids - or, in the case with one guy, was already married and managed to keep it hidden from her for months.

I am not blaming my mother for the bad behavior of the men she dated. What I am saying is that, based on her belief that all men were generally bad, she chose those men that fit the description she was most comfortable with - she'd only known "bad" men, so those were the ones she "understood"!

I was a very angry teenager. I felt like an outcast from my peers, and because we were poor, I had hand-me-down clothes from my older sister, and we shopped regularly at Deseret Industries for "new" clothing and shoes. I became very resentful toward my mother for the circumstances. She worked and had a decent paying job, even with four children to raise on her own, but the vast majority of her money went to her mother to help her financially. I remember waiting for the mail to come and hoping a child support check was there so we could go grocery shopping. I would yell at my mom and say hurtful things to my siblings – I wasn’t emotionally mature enough to communicate why I was so angry.

I finally became tired of being miserable, so I started watching people who seemed happy all the time. I watched one person in particular, a beautiful and popular student body officer named Kelly. She was such a nice person; it seemed like she didn't care whether her friends had ratty clothes - she was friendly to EVERYONE! I decided I wanted to be like her. I wanted to love people as they were, without stipulations based on appearance.I began to "fake it 'til I made it". Ironically, that is one of my mother's favorite sayings.

Anyway, I started to realize as I pretended to be happy, that I actually FELT happier! My friends started telling me that they wished they could be as optimistic and kind as I was. At first it felt like a lie, but it did become my reality.

The change I made as a teenager was a turning point in my belief system. I noticed that my mother was not truly happy. I decided to analyze what was different from her beliefs and what I WANTED to believe.

She believed men were inherently bad and would inevitably hurt or destroy a relationship. I decided to believe that men were NOT inherently bad and mean and out to hurt every relationship.

She believes (still) that money is difficult to acquire. I choose to believe that there is more than enough money for my family to keep us comfortable for the rest of our lives.

She believes (still) that life is a set of constant trials and difficulties. I choose to believe that life is full of joy and happiness and trials are meant for my progression - a challenge rather than a difficulty.

I believe this is one of the ways Heavenly Father teaches us to become happy - fake it 'til we make it. Sometimes circumstances can bring us down, but as long as our foundations of truth are based in righteousness, we will be able to acheive what we need - whether it is joy, prosperity, etc. We truly can acheive our dreams. Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail and toil in the workforce our entire lives. He wants us to LIVE!

And I find, as I implement these beliefs into my life, that I am a happier and more prosperous person because of them.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Motab

Emily's Take:

I submitted my first ever audition CD to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Wow, it's a very arduous audition process. The instructions are very specific: State your name and address, indicate the portion of the audition you're about to do from the list of necessary items provided for a complete audition CD (ie., Event A, Number 1), sing whatever they tell you to for that portion... Get a bishop's recommendation indicating you are temple worthy and why they feel you would be an asset to the MoTab... Fill out the application form with required "calling" information, both current and prior callings - and spousal and family information. Then you ship it all in. If they like your audition CD enough, they invite you to take a written test, which you must score 80% or above to continue. Then if you score well enough, they invite you for an in-person audition, where you will: sing a hymn of your choice, sight read a difficult piece of music, and sing whatever else the conductors want you to sing in order to establish your tonal quality, musicality, pitch accuracy, and singing part (Soprano I, Soprano II, Alto I, Alto II, etc.). If they like you well enough, they invite you to join the Temple Square Chorale and attend the Choral School on Temple Square for 6-8 (?) weeks. After successfully completing the school, you are invited to join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

WHEW!!!

So I've just completed the first part. It is a HUGE time commitment, but I've already participated in the Utah Symphony Chorus and am a member of the Millenium Chorus and Chamber Singers with Lex de Azevedo. So I hope that was enough of a primer for my audition for the MoTab.

I hope I make it.


Devan's take:

I hope she makes it because she is an awesome singer. What a sacred and special calling it is.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Living the Better Life

Emily's Take:

Devan and I have been making some rather dramatic changes in our lives; at least, it felt dramatic at first. We used to eat out every single day - I know, I know... not wise. But we did it because we felt there was no reason NOT to. Then after losing my job, we had to sit back and assess the direction our lives were headed. We realized that fast food every day was not good for our pocketbook, much less our waistlines (yikes!). We pack our lunches nearly every day now and rarely eat out. Even though I have taken a nearly $8,000.00 per year pay cut, we do not feel the pressure in our bank account. What a huge blessing!

We have also decided to make healthy living a priority in our lives. I used to go jogging regularly - before I got married. Once the deed was done, well.... there didn't seem to be a reason to go jogging anymore! Ha ha, just kidding Devan. I remember feeling so great when I'd exercise, and I missed that feeling. Plus, with the fast food, my hips DON'T lie. Another Epiphany, this one requiring much less of a kick in the pants (such as losing my job to figure out we need to be frugal), was all we needed to get our rears in gear, so to speak. We are blessed to live close to a Legacy Parkway trail head, so I take my bicycle and ride for an hour or so a few times each week. Devan uses that time to go to the gym we pay exorbitant HOA fees for which to have access. OK, they're not the WORST fees, but seriously, this isn't California, people!!!

Finally, we both have callings in our newly formed ward. I am the second counselor in the Young Women's presidency, and Devan is an Elders Quorum teacher. Incredibly, with these time-consuming callings, we feel we have the energy and stamina to keep going with our lifestyle goals, and we were able to clean our house up and down this weekend! I truly believe Heavenly Father has a way of slowing down time to help us with our righteous desires and goals.


Devan's take:

Meditation works, visualization works, praying, pondering and setting goals work. I was listening to a church program this week and they said that this scripture is stated over 100 times. Ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be open to you. If it was stated over 100 times it appears the Lord was trying to teach us something.

I listened to the book, "Having it all" over 3 times this month. It talks about meditating and having what you want in life. I realize that God does not want us to be miserable. How come some people can get their dreams while others sit at home wondering why life is so nasty? What does God want for us? I believe he wants is to create lasting relationships, friendships, fun, humour, joy, laughter, and peace to name a few. Do we have tough times, we sure do. Most Psychologists believe 85% of people grew up in dysfunctional families. What does that mean? It means everyone has had it rough sometimes, but it also means life is not so bad, because most have experiences what we have had or even worse. We can create the life we choose. We can imagine greatness and achieve what we desire. I feel a lot of joy as I share this message with others. IT IS TIME WE ALL LIT A FIRE WITHIN US!!!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Judge not..

Devan's Take:

Over the past little while we have been getting asked when were are having kids? While that question is not bad per say sometimes I wonder if people are quick to judge. Do people think we are selfish because we do not have kids? I kind of get that vibe from some people in my family because we have a dog and don't have children. While I don't think I should discuss in great detail the medical options we are pursuing, or the prayers we are offered for the chance to be parents. We realize some people will judge us anyway. I realize God knows our hearts and will give us bless us with the chance when he is ready. I know that Emily and I can stand before him and say that we have tried our best so far and we are not selfish in this matter.

Emily's Take:

I love children! My nephews are the highlight of any family get-together. I love watching Devan with them, too. He will make a great father. Someday.
So OK... we've had issues getting pregnant. People ask how long we've been married, then when we answer, the next question that inevitably follows is, "Oh, so do you have any kids yet?" The answer, of course, is no. Then we get one of two common responses: There's the "Oh............. (awkward silence).........." or "You guys are so smart to wait!"

I don't know which one I prefer less.

See, we WANT children, just can't HAVE children for whatever reason. It has become less and less heartbreaking as the months (OK, years) have worn on and we keep getting asked the same questions and keep giving the same answers. It's not that we necessarily mind people asking; they're curious and want to know us better. I believe that no one means any harm by asking a seemingly harmless question. It's really the reaction - after learning we've been married for *GASP!* nearly five years and we are childless - that gets under my skin. This may be one of the flaws of "church society". I don't blame the LDS church. I believe strongly in families and procreation and all that jazz. The doctrine of the church is absolutely true and will not change. What I don't believe in is people sort of "guilting" someone into believing they must be doing something wrong if they don't start families right away or within a certain preconceived (no pun intended) time period (again, no pun intended... Oooh, that may have been too much).

So we wait. And pray. And cry once every few months... well, that's more just me. Devan is a wonderful man, and if we cannot have children the old-fashioned way, we'll figure something else out eventually. Until then, I am very happily married and having a great time dating my sweetheart.