The Proposal: Making Sara and Kevin Official

Monday, June 24th was a night over two years in the making. To be honest, I think both Sara and I would have preferred this day to have happened a long time ago...but a mission in Utah prevented that from happening.

The buildup started during the middle of the previous week. After much discussion, we just decided to go ring shopping. I've learned that Sara is someone who prefers action/touch to discussion/theory. So we went shopping. Our second stop was Kay's. In the midst of trying on all of the rings, one just stood out. I should have known in that moment that we didn't need to shop anymore, but I wanted to be thorough. We continued ring shopping for two more days and finally made the BIG purchase. ("Big" may have different meanings to the men and women reading this)

You may be wondering why we went together to ring shop. After all, that takes a lot of the surprise out of the big question, right? Well, Sara is a wise girl. She knows my fashion sense is not a strength of mine. She might call it a weakness. Because of that I think she wasn't about to let me make such a big decision on my own. I'm grateful for her wisdom because I wouldn't have had the slightest clue what to look for!

Then came the big night. I doubt there was any surprise, but that didn't stop my game plan. Our first "real" date was to a small mid-scale restaurant in Vienna, VA called Maple Ave. We happened to return there for a reservation at the exact same table from two-plus years ago. Not only was it sentimental for Sara but I must say the food is just wonderful. I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a good, unique meal.

Then came part two. We got in the car and drove downtown to the tidal basin and monuments. Last time we made this drive it was our second date. All was the same except I was driving this time. Sara knew what I was doing. When we got there we made the same walk that we did before, only this time minus cherry blossoms. We walked through the FDR memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. As we looped the tidal basin we took a seat near where we sat two years earlier. It was there that I told Sara I wanted to tell her how she had won my heart. Even though I was leaving on a mission I wanted to make sure she knew where I stood. I didn't plan on her waiting for me...in fact, I told her not to! (That shows how well she listens to me) Nevertheless, that was the spot.

After our reunion at the tidal basin was over, we looked for a bench to sit on. It was on that bench that Sara first told me we would try this thing out. Unfortunately, I made a wrong turn and the bench I was looking for was a half mile farther than I thought. Whoops! Luckily, Sara was so excited that she didn't seem to mind the mishap. After we found our seat, we chatted for a bit, waited for a private moment, and asked the question. "Will you marry me?" I don't think there was much in question...but I still had to ask. She said yes!

Now...to plan a wedding and a life.

Paula Deen: Is the standard too high?

There have been many noteworthy news stories over the past few days. One that doesn't sit well with me is the Paula Deen racism "controversy". Before I delve any further, let me put one thing out there. To use racial slurs is not acceptable by anyone under any circumstances. Nothing I will say changes that socially accepted truth.

What doesn't sit well is the idea that any person in the public light must walk in near perfection or else they will be cast aside like a cheap goldfish. Yes, it is inexcusable for Paula Deen, or anyone, to say the things that she said. But, if we're going to be honest, I believe almost all of us have said crude, vulgar, or inappropriate things at one time in their life. Many of the comments referenced are from many years before her television career. If all of us were judged on the misguided comments of our younger days then I don't think we'd have any public officials or well-respected celebrities.

There are many good things about our 24/7 new cycle that we have today. Information is easier to access than ever before. But we must be careful not to blow mistakes out of proportion. I'm no Paula Deen "lover", but she seems to know what she's talking about when it comes to food. Why, then, can we not accept her fault (or mistake) and allow her to share her expertise with the world? If we're not careful, we'll be out of experts before long.

Elevate Your Thoughts; Elevate Your Life

As I've reacclimated with life as a "normal" individual (that may be a stretch for most of us) I have realized one important lesson. The things that we put into our minds is critical. You might think I'm about to discuss the declining morality around us but I won't do that. Rather, it's important to keep ourselves focused on who we are, what we want to achieve, and who's been able to go there before us.

One of my personal goals is to find some way to improve life for those around me. A way I track that goal is to see if I can start my own business. Why? Well, a truly successful business person is somebody who improves the lives of others when you get down to basics. However, there are many subtle forces that keep me (or you) from achieving that goal or similar goals.

For one, much of the world around us encourages us to "go with the flow". We shouldn't leave the crowd, after all, because the crowd is a very safe place. Any attempt to break out of the typical mold is met with resistance and criticism. On top of that, new ideas are typically met with doubt until they've reached a certain critical mass of success. I remember a time when I told myself, "Kevin, you can't possibly get an iPod. Why would you want all of your songs on your computer? CD's are much more safe and reasonable." Now, I don't even have digital copies of my songs because I get all my music from cloud-based Spotify. The norm is to be critical of change.

This is why I believe it's necessary to put good information into your mind and soul. I'm not talking about statistics or techniques. I'm talking about a positive way of thinking. Enter Entrepreneur on Fire. This half-hour daily podcast interviews successful entrepreneurs. They rarely get into the technical aspects of the business but instead spend time discussing what obstacles were overcome to reach success. That kind of information is what fuels hope, optimism, and creativity. Without a mindset founded on those three things, flashes of brilliance will never come. So while I know everybody's dream is not to build a business, I believe everybody needs positive inputs that will elevate their thinking to what is possible rather than what is "normal".

Preparing For A Wedding

This week should be a fun week as we're preparing for a wedding for a couple we're meeting with. This will only be the second wedding on my mission I will get to participate in. Love is in the air!

 

This past week was very uneventful. My companion, Elder Hansen, had the flu. As a result, we spent three full days sitting in our apartment. As much as I love the scriptures, they can get a little stale after two hours plus per day. It was nice to get outside and move around.

 

This week we also have a mission conference with an Apostle likely coming to speak to us. That will be a special experience that we look forward to.

 

Elder Bolling

The Final Countdown

Last week I began my final full transfer. I am staying in the same area to finish training Elder Hansen, who is a new missionary. After this six week period I will have three weeks left to finish my mission with a mid-transfer departure.

The weather is the strangest thing that's been going on. Utah has the tendency of not being sure if it is spring of not. In fact, today, it's snowing, while it was 70 last week.

We continue to try and keep the momentum going in our area. It would be nice to end my mission with success in bringing people into or back to the church. We are currently working with 5 individuals who are working to be baptized in the upcoming month. On top of that, we are meeting with some individuals who are returning to church for the first time.

Life is a little different in just one stake. For most of my mission I have covered two stakes or YSA stakes. Having one stake does make the work move a little bit more slowly...but the plus side of that is that we have the opportunity to develop some closer relationships than we otherwise could do. However you look at it, I prefer one stake to two.

Elder Bolling

Taking The Reins

This week was my new missionary's third week. He's pretty capable so I decided to throw him to the wolves by letting him "lead" in planning. I even left him in the area "alone" on an exchange for a day. It was nice to see that he did pretty well! Training after having been a missionary for 21 months is a more relaxing experience -- because I'm more willing to let him lead because while I still have room to improve, I've seen that I know how to do it already...and don't mind letting him try.

 

We will have a special baptism this Saturday. The lady we've been meeting with has such a strong and special spirit and is full of questions. It's refreshing for a person like me to have someone who enjoys asking so many questions...since I do the same! However, as she's been reading the Book of Mormon and attending church she has found the answers she is looking for and seems excited and ready to take the next step.

 

We are also starting to keep very busy in our new area. For example, tonight my companion and I will be "split" from 6-9pm because we have too many appointments and cannot make them all. That's a good problem to have!

 

Elder Bolling

The Old Becomes New

At the beginning of my mission, I started in Draper in some of the most affluent stakes in our mission. Now, as my mission begins to come to a close, I am returning to a similar environment. For this transfer I will be training Elder Hansen, a new missionary, in the South Mountain stake. The most exciting part of that is that I am serving in the same stake where a former missionary who taught me lives. In fact, his family is helping us fellowship and teach someone in the stake! What a small world!

 

Now, we have to talk about where we live. I'm learning about "finer living". We have our own separate guest house which is nice enough in its own right. In addition, our landlord has offered home-service dry cleaning once a week, stocking of our apartment with food, and the service of weekly cleaning. I always knew people lived like that...I just haven't experienced it myself. When Jesus talked about receiving "mansions on high" for faithful following of his commandments, I didn't know this was what he meant!

 

It is also a nice relief to be back in a family stake. I love all of the young single adults, however, there's something refreshing about the dynamics of a family ward. There are always lots of crazy kids running around and things are a lot more lively. On top of that, we have the opportunity to teach families instead of just individuals.

 

Elder Bolling