Listening to Elder Holland’s Mormon
Message about things getting better reminded me of the circumstances of my life
since my marriage. I married my wife on August 23, 1997. We lived in Florida
making slightly better than minimum wage, at no less than four jobs, for five
years. I attempted to go to school at the local community college. I was in my
first semester back since my pre-mission semester when I found out that my wife
was pregnant and had our first daughter. I started a computer company which
shortly failed for lack of payment by my customers. After this latest thwart,
we moved to Utah to downsize our lives and work without overtime or travel (as
I always seemed to have to travel or work overtime). I would attend at SLCC,
finally. When I got out there I learned that their residency requirements
changed and I had to wait. I had two jobs and another daughter in 2003. Eventually,
I started a mortgage company which did very well, until 2006.
We then moved
back to Florida where I started a job as a traveling IT Engineer. It involved
an immense amount of travel. I forsook attempts at an education but prayed for
the opportunity if the Lord would have me do so. We had our first son. I took
on extra travel for the hours. We had another son. I was now locked in knowing
my window of opportunity for an official education had closed. Two years ago, I
heard about Pathway. I completed the program and enrolled at BYU-Idaho. I am
now in my second semester and I’m going to complete a Bachelor’s Degree. We
have lived in eight homes in 19 years of marriage, two of them we owned. I’ve
had many jobs, been unemployed four times, and suffered lots of sleepless
nights.
I am now
starting my third business, working more than full time,
travelling, and attending school at night, online, from Idaho. I couldn’t be
happier. I’ve learned that the struggle is the point. It would be boring to
always be arriving. I learn the most when I struggle and overcome. If you quit,
you’ll miss that. Long live the struggle.
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