Learning How to Carry On...

 Hello readers

Tonight is a Sunday night.  Something that I often like to do to close out my weekend and get ready for Monday is to play through some hymns.  I find that I usually need the recharge of my batteries that this provides.  Tonight was no exception.  As I played through the music of "Carry On", my mind wandered to my Grandpa Rose, who passed away almost two years ago come October.  One of my favorite things about him was that he liked to listen to me play the piano.  Tonight as I played, I felt his presence.  I also felt some of my other ancestors, almost as if they were gathered around me at the piano as I played.  After I had stopped and basked in that sweet feeling of my Grandpa's love, I started to think about the words of the hymn.  

Later, I looked up the words to the second verse in particular:

"We'll build on the rock they planted; a palace to the King.

Into its shining corridors, our songs of praise we'll bring.

For the heritage they left us, not of gold or worldly wealth,

But a blessing everlasting, of joy, and love, and health. 

And we hear the desert singing 'Carry on, carry on, carry on!'

Hills and vales and mountains ringing. 'Carry on, carry on, carry on!'

Holding aloft our colors, we march in the glorious dawn.

O youth of the noble birthright, carry on, carry on, carry on!

So here are my few thoughts on this text.  We are in a difficult time right now.  Lots of uncertainties and lots of uneasiness.  However, those that came before us lived through difficulties too.  Certainly some that must have cause immense pain and sadness beyond what we can comprehend.  Tonight I felt some of those voices that came before me, cheering me on, telling me "You can do this!"  "Hold up your colors and be who you are!"  "Be a light to others!"  "Look to the dawn of a better day!"  

This week, I will continue to try and count my blessings of joy and love and health.  I hope that we all can be a little more patient and kind to one another.  In times like these, we need to carry on.  More to come...

Thoughts in the Time of Rona

 Dear readers,

Since my last entry in January, which was optimistic and carefree, we are now in the midst of a world-wide pandemic that has changed all of our lives.  For my entry today I wanted to reflect on a quote from one of my favorite movies The Sound of Music:  "When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window."

Since Coronavirus has taken the world over and health and safety protocols restrict anything and everything we do in some way, I have lost the following:

- the ability to teach voice lessons in person

- being able to sing each week with my brothers and sisters in the Tabernacle Choir

- a lot of my drive to practice my singing and keyboard skills

- for a little while, even my sense of knowing who I am and what I am working for (without live music performance in my life, this got lost)

- my confidence in knowing that I know how to teach secondary level vocal music

Now you may be thinking, wow is he going crazy?  Has he lost the will to keep on going?  Will he be able to sustain this way of life we are all now subjected to?  Not to worry, I am not out of the woods yet, but I have been able to learn a few things along the way while it seemed like our whole lives were being changed permanently.  My sweet mother has always encouraged me to count my blessings, especially when you feel you are at your darkest moments.  So now I will attempt to list the things that I have gained from the experience of dealing with Coronavirus life:

- the ability and time to slow down, be still, and know that He is God

- the opportunity to develop some new talents and interests, primarily in visual arts

- the luxury of enjoying a beautiful comfortable home of my own that I can live in

- silence and solitude in abundance (two luxuries I prize highly in my busy life)

- new knowledge about and opportunity to ponder on simple gospel truths contained in the Book of Mormon

- the simple joy of being able to go ride a few good rollercoasters whenever I wanted (less possible now that school is starting yet again, but still not out of reach)

- the challenge of developing new facets and methods to my teaching toolbox, and sharpening my skills I worked so hard and paid so much to acquire

- more time to go share snuggles with my two beautiful nieces

- more time to nurture and cultivate my relationships with my family (I once received a fortune cookie that said "Your family is one of nature's masterpieces.", and I definitely agree)

- finally, much more opportunity to take hard looks in the mirror and make changes as I need to in order to become my best self for myself and also any potential partners in the future

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I possess about life and why we are here.  Businesses may shut down, laws may change, disease may run rampant, but love never ends.  Stay strong my friends.  We can get through this.  More to come...

Holding Up the Mirror

Hello readers (I used to call you constant 7 years ago when I last wrote in this blog, but obviously you are no longer that since you have had no opportunity to read).

Here we are, 7 years since my last entry on this blog.  LOTS has changed.  For those that are curious, here are some of the highlights about me (sort of a reintroduction to Max, if you will):

1.  I hold three degrees now, a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Vocal Performance and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance.

2.  I am now 36 years old, which still doesn't seem to match how young and inexperienced I usually feel.

3.  I am still single and still looking for my someone, but I have learned how to find joy in my many friendships and in my family relationships.

4.  Speaking of which, I now am uncle to two beautiful little nieces and they are the greatest joys in my life thus far.

5.  I am now a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, which is another of my great joys.

6.  I have a good job teaching at DaVinci Academy in Ogden, Utah, which is nice because I am actually getting the opportunity to build my own program and use the skills I paid so much money to acquire.

7.  I am now able to utter the phrase "I don't know" with much more confidence, which is a gift I didn't truly understand before.

8.  I am starting to learn how to take things a little bit at a time.  Starting with this, writing in my blog again on a regular basis.


So there you are.  I am also starting to chronicle my journey on the road to feeling better in my own body.  This blog is a way to also do that.  To kick that off, I went to the gym and worked on using body weight exercises to work on my form for weight lifting.  I enjoyed it very much and I am using the mentality of making my fitness into a quest/game/challenge for myself and not limiting myself to one type of activity.  I enjoy a variety of activities, and I am just trying to do at least something each day.  Consistency is always a challenge for me, and something I intend to work on this year.

Anyway, here's to new beginnings!  I'm coming for you, 2020!!!