I have some really cool things I want to share with you! I have just completed a new pop/dance project with my co-writer, Jeannine Lasky. This has been in the works for about two years…during which time I had a baby…went a little crazy…survived three car accidents (all my fault)…and just a ton of other stuff you would never want to know about. So, it did take some time…but I am happy with the turnout. Check this project out at www.mystakedance.com and listen to some of the tracks. They will be available for download very soon on my site...and some other “sites”…so I’ll keep you posted. Also, due to increasing demand, I have made the song Something Wonderful available to purchase as a single. This song was recorded nearly 5 years ago by Tanya Barkdull and it was one of my first songs to stay on a national top ten music chart for over a year….and being at #1 for two consecutive months. Go to www.somethingwonderfulforhaiti.com to hear this song and see my “donation” to Haiti. My husband and I put this together after watching the Hope for Haiti telethon: We would have given a million dollars if we had it, but after seeing a statement from the LDS church---referenced on the site—we realized that our prayers and intentions can go a long way also. So...enjoy that. Assuming you’ve survived January (which is the worst month in the Universe for me)….here are some lessons I’ve learned (and am still learning)…that might help make 2010 a fabulous year :) ! Thanks for reading

1. Don’t judge others…run your own race, live your life, clean up your own families…that alone takes a lifetime…who has time to focus on the life and decisions of others? If anything...pray for someone…next time you are tempted to gossip or make a judgment.
2. Life isn’t always pretty….who cares!? Be honest about who you are and where you need help and assistance. I recently spent two days in my TV room…let my kids do whatever...didn’t clean...and guess what? My kids actually liked me! I don’t recommend this forever...but let go every once in a while…just because you can :) .
3. Reject toxic thoughts and speak healing and faith into your life and the lives of your family members. If you are called to address darkness in your life or from your past…do it and know that God’s hand will lead you to whatever mode of healing will be the best for you and your family. Do not hold onto destructive secrets and do not encourage secret keeping. You can handle ANYTHING with God’s help!
4. Love more! One of my favorite quotes is from Dieter F. Uchtdorf…”If we truly learn to love our Heavenly Father and fellow man with all our hearts, soul and mind...all else will fall into place."

So…good luck and check back often! I will be posting articles and music through-out the year!

Rachelle

Oh my gosh…it’s good to be back to my blog.  So much has been going on the past couple months…but it`s all good.   Recently, I have had the opportunity to speak with a friend about some of the things she is experiencing in her marriage.  She has little kids and a husband who is caught in the chains of addiction.  It is devastating.  It is a reminder of my own deliverance from a very similar situation with my husband and my children.  Because of the Atonement, I have forgotten so much of the trauma that I lived with on a daily basis.  I remember a friend of mine trying to encourage me some years back.  She  said, “you know, worse things could happen….for example, there could be a death in your family or something of that nature”.  I didn’t know better at the time, but addiction is a death.  The soul of your loved one is altered or completely replaced by something else.    And if that isn’t bad enough, the shame and secrecy surrounding the situation is crippling.  If someone has cancer or an obvious physical ailment, we can all witness the problem and even pray for that individual in private and in public settings.  This does not seem to be the case with addiction.  There is this…”don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone” attitude by well meaning people.  There is a scripture in Moroni  6:5 that seems to set a course for dealing with these issues:  “And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls”.   They did speak.   They didn’t hide in shame.  They “spoke” of the welfare of their souls meaning they acknowledged their own condition and most likely fasted and prayed for each other.  I believe that the plague in the last days that will cover the earth is addiction of all kinds.  It causes a slumber to come upon those afflicted…and their souls are led carefully away.  It alters their minds and spirits and without intervention…they are gone.   Without exposure…addiction grows.   Addiction is a web of lies….re-wiring your brain and all of its neuro-pathways….so that it does not recognize truth anymore.  In fact, you begin to see truth and anyone speaking truth as the enemy.  If you know anyone this holiday season that is touched from any direction by addiction..pray for them and their families.  I promise you they desperately need it.

A very wise therapist once asked me, “can you handle the disconnect?”….or in other words..can you handle the stillness?  My specific situation at the time was such that my little family seemed to be dissolving right in front of my eyes.  Instead of standing by and letting that happen, I was aggressively controlling the situation.  I was determined to force everyone to do what they needed to do…..so that I would not have to be in pain.  I had a brilliant plan to take my two little girls and move away to California (because Cali makes everything betterJ)…get a job as a social worker…and start a new life.  Really, I wanted to run away from my problems because I did not think I could handle the pain…and because the solution was just taking soo long.  It was around that time that I found the scripture in 2 Chronicles 20:17….”Ye shall not need to fight in the battle; set yourselves, stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you.”  This was important for me on three levels:  1…I wasn’t use to NOT fighting in the battle.  2..I am easily bored and distracted….so I tend to create drama…so I can then resolve it myself..and  3..I didn’t trust God to do what I wanted him to do.  So this scripture really called me out into very new territory.  It taught me to “set myself”…understand what I can and cannot do..and have peace with that.  It also taught me that God has the ultimate plan for me…and his plan always results in peace and happiness.  He can see how all the pieces fit together for everyone…not just me.  And finally, it taught me to get out of the driver’s seat…so I can be the passenger who gets to look around and “see” the salvation of the Lord all around me.  It’s hard to believe…but when you get out of the way…miracles will occur.  My family is proof of this because we are intact….even after every fiery dart was thrown in our direction.  Yes, it took some time…but this is because the Lord’s plan is so very thorough and all things must be done in order.  That way, there are no leaks or holes in what may otherwise appear to be a sturdy boat.  Here is the song “Stay”, sung by Jen Handy…and as always, thanks for reading!

Rachelle

Some years ago, when I was in the throes of what I call spiritual warfare, I started a journal of scriptures.  Basically, I would read a passage in the Bible or in the Book of Mormon, write the scripture out in my journal, and then record my own thoughts about what I was reading.  At the time, I was a young mother raising two little girls and my marriage was in serious trouble.  There was a sense of darkness and evil that pervaded my home.  One day, I came across a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants….section 93.  The scripture states simply, “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.”  It also goes on to state, “The glory of god is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth.”  And finally, “Light and truth forsake that evil one.” Up until this point in time, I had been living in a lot of denial about what was going on in my life and in my marriage.  I was believing a lot of lies..ones I told myself and lies I was told.  This scripture actually gave me the courage to stop “playing dumb”.  Because, if I’m being honest, I really believed that by staying silent and not “asking too many questions”, I was being a good wife and mother.  I felt that it was more my duty to not rock the boat, so to speak.  But as I read this series of scriptures, it became very obvious that my way of thinking was not Godly.  In fact, the longer I stayed in denial, the darker my home seemed to become…and heavy too.  It’s ironic that truth and light are spoken in direct relation to each other.  Knowing the truth of any situation is so freeing….and light.  As I began to speak the truth and ask the right questions….I gained more knowledge and it increased my spiritual capacity.  I slowly began to see my life as it really was and then act according to that knowledge.  In fact, one of the reasons it is so easy to stay in denial is that it is comfortable…..and there is no responsibility to make changes.  I really get why so many of us decide to just NOT SEE it.  But that burden will get heavier..if not sooner, then later.  Soo…maybe in addition to all the stuff we take and do to remedy our lives and even our physical health…it wouldn’t hurt to try some “truth” along with our prescription medications next time.  You might be really surprised at how good you feel:)))

much love,

Rachelle

 The other day I quite literally emptied (ate) a large box of Crunch Berries…by myself…oh and it only took about 20 minutes…also, it made me very happy.   Hmmm..it got me thinking…WHY??   So..I was raised on wheat everything.  There was no sugar in my house.  I had brown bread and homemade fruit leather in my lunch box at school when everyone else had twinkies.  My family's chocolate chip cookies were made out of carob chips and honey.  And the only cold cereal my mom would buy seemed to be Shredded Wheat or Wheaties.   When I was 10 or 11, I got my first bike.....which translated into freedom for me.   I think that is where my need for sugar probably started.  I would scrounge for pennies in the couch (or on my dad’s dresser) and my sister Rebecca and I would ride up to the Kwik Way (kind of like a 7-11).  We would buy CANDY…..and it was heavenly.   Just the anticipation of having all that candy in my pocket got me through many summers.  So here I am a grown woman…and the lure of sugar still gets me.  It actually makes me happy to go through the drive thru and get my diet cola fix….I still get that hit.  And I am learning that I am really not that different from many others out there who battle addiction.  If you were to say to me….you can never, ever have sugar again…….I would not be okay with that.   Maybe I should be harder on myself and commit to giving up sugar…but right now I’m okay with just the awareness that I need to make some adjustments and look a little deeper.  I know being “sugar happy” isn’t the real deal…I know that because I understand the joy of being connected to God.  But sometimes, I just forget….and I replace it with something else…..like so many others.

I’m going to be posting some cool “archived” music of mine in the next couple weeks.  I had some very dear friends help me with one song in particular….and it has a great story!  So stay tuned!

Much love,

Rachelle