GRAND PARENTS TO BE

Yes it is true!  Victor and I are expecting our first grandchildren.  Yes, I said "Grand Children".

Devlyn and Dru, who have been married 5 years this coming March are expecting their first child.  She has decided that she doesn't want to know what she is having.  However, the moms are very interested and we have asked that she have the doctor write the gender down on a piece of paper so that she can hand it to us.  We would like to plan for this new little arrival.  Devlyn is about 7 weeks along now.

After Devlyn announced her current condition, we had yet another child who wanted to "come out".

Victor and I always knew that Devlyn would not bring us grandchildren first.  We have often discussed the personalities and dispositions of our children and had predicted that our son, Vincent, would be the first to continue the Gonzales line. 

Vincent didn't actually say anything.  His beautiful girl friend came to me; totally terrified; and shared with me that she is a little over 3 months along.  I expressed my support and excitement for her and also shared with her that this was not the way we expected to have our family grow.  I let her know that we love her and Vincent no matter what and that we are happy to be Grandparents. 

It is amazing to me that we are going to be grand parents before our youngest has grown to majority.  Victor and I are barely in our 40's.  We are going to be very young grand parents and possibly very young great grand parents... :)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

I can hardly believe that it was 14 years ago that Victor and I were married.  I sometimes look at him and I wonder:  "What was I thinking?"  Other times I look at him and I can't help but stare at him and I feel so happy that I made that choice to marry him.  I sometimes feel like a school girl with a crush. 

The past 14 years haven't been a bed of roses.  However, I know that everything that we experience together (the good and the bad) makes our marriage that much stronger.  We are still learning.  We still have a lot of growing up to do. 

We made the commitment to live this life together.  We renewed that commitment again when we were sealed in the St. George Temple.  That commitment is for eternity.

I have allso reflected on how symbolic our wedding month is.  January is the first month of the year.  A time for renewal and new beginnings.  Each year I reflect on where I have been, what I learned, what I survived and I anticipate what the new year will bring.  I also think about those things that I can improve upon.  Can I be a little more understanding; patient; compassionate; giving and kind?  What can I do each day to show Victor how much I love him and appreciate him.  Are there little things that I can change and improve upon? 

I know that one of our goals is to do more things together.  Like take a class together; play games together; go places together; work together; serve together; etc.  I have hope that we will be together for a long time on this earth so that we can become better together.

SOMETIMES WIKIPEDIA IS WRONG

Just wanted to put it out there that WFG is not a multi level marketing company.

Wikipedia is not always correct and they get their information from sources that are not credible.  Professors at school have even told me that we can't trust the information found on Wikipedia.  We can't use Wikipedia has a source document...

Some of the founders of this company are members of the church and I had an opportunity to meet them this weekend.  They are strong faithful members of the church.  In fact one of the founders is leaving to serve a mission with his wife, who I also met.  Our local leadership also includes strong faithful members of the church.  We are working with good people.

If you want to know more about what I am doing, I would take a look at Aegon's website.  Aegon bought WFG and we now work very closely with our sister companies Transamerica and Prudential.  We also work very closely with Debt America.

Victor and I can not do any business unless we have our Life Insurance Licenses and in order for us to do any financial planning we have to have our series 6 and 60...

This is a legitimate business and it is not what Wikipedia says it is.  This is a company that is helping families get out of debt; save money and build security for families so that they can retire and care for their families.  We do not charge sevice fees to help families.  We do not get paid for recruiting or having people under us.  We get paid by the companies that we work with.

We are excited about this opportunity and we know that we are doing is right and good.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

Victor and I have spent three days in Palm Springs at a Wealth Bowl Convention for WFG.  We have had a wonderful time and have heard many great speakers!

Don't be afraid to dream the big dream and do something about to get there has been the message.

What is your Dream?  I'll tell you mine.

I want to be able to serve a mission with my husband.  I want to be able to send my children to college.  I want to be able to leave a legacy for my family.  I want to be able to provide for my family and my friends.  I want to be able to do these things without worrying about where the money is going to come from.

I have been trained and have the tools now to make my dreams come true.  Victor and I are going to make those dreams come true together.

What is Your Dream?  What have you done to make sure your dreams come true?

SUFISM: WAY OF THE HEART

I love to read and I have a vast collection of books.  Not as many as mom and dad.  I have so many that I have them stashed in various spaces throughout the house.  Sometime I forget what I have and I have to dust and clean to rediscover what books and interests I have had in the past.

Yesterday we put all the Christmas decorations away and I decided to do a little dusting and discovered a book that I found fascinating many years ago.  I picked it up and began reading.  I thought that it was interesting that on my own journey to understand myself better and to grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that this journey is not new and individuals since the beginning of time have been on similar journeys.  My blog:  Tender Mercies, has been focused on the various natures of the heart.  The first section of the book I picked up yesterday is called "Way of the Heart".

In case your are wondering; I have always been fascinated with Eastern Culture; religions; beliefs and practices.  The Eastern Nations are very old and their various religious sects have been around for centuries.  There is eternal truth taught within the walls of their temples.  I have a respect for these ancient cultures and I have a respect for their beliefs.

Sufism, Tao and Zen are some of the Eastern practices filled with ancient wisdom.  Sufis speak to us from the heart, Tao preaches a practical wisdom based on the laws of nature, and Zen points to the immediacy of the present moment.  I want to share with you some of what is written in this section of the book:

"Sufism is known to many as the way of the heart, the path of the beloved.  It is an inner wisdom that speaks in the language of love, and is a way of looking more deeply into ourselves through the eyes of God.

"God, say Sufis, was hidden treasure who wanted to be known, and so gave birth to the whole creation in order to be seen.  It is God within ourselves that longs to meet the world, and only we ouselves who stand in the way.

"Longing to be permanently held in the embrace of the Beloved (God), Sufis prepare by renouncing outer wealth, believing that the real treasure lies within.  The word "Sufi" literally means "wearing wool" and refers to the simple clothes worn by early ascetics.  In Islam, Sufis are those who follow the path of tasawwuf.  Tasawwuf means "abandoning the world" and the people who follow the path of tasawwuf are mystics who live in the world but are not blinded by the world.  They are on a journey to find God.

"The journey that is undertaken by Sufis is undertaken by all those who seek to know themselves.  It is a journey of self-discovery and it is universally understood that the goal of this journey cannot be reached through the intellect.  A direct, or mystical, experience is needed.

"The Greek root of the word mystical -- myein -- means "to close the eyes."  This hints to the truth that is known to mystics everywhere that to experience God, or Truth, or any real aspect of ourselves, we must close our eyes and look within.

"Looking within, Sufis search for God.  Living in the marketplace of the world, they become so impassioned with their love that the world ceases to be a distraction and they see His reflection everywhere.  They so abandon themsleves to the love of God that they become His very eyes and ears.  Through their complete surrender, Sufis become the very heartbeat of the Beloved."

I remember being taught in seminary to be in the world and not of the world.  I remember being taught to seek the Lord and to learn of him.  I remember that our goal is to become like Christ that we may see his image in our countenance.  There are accounts in the New Testament of Christ asking others to forsake their current life; wealth; lifestyle, etc. to follow Him.  We have been reminded that He is the way, the truth and the life.  Can we abandon the ways of the world to seek after him?  This is one of the great questions that has been asked for centuries.