mormonism 101

i’m loving this post:    FAQs on Mormonism

religion is a touchy topic – i get that. everyone has their own beliefs and opinions. it gets very personal.

i am a mormon because i CHOOSE to be. i believe and know it with my whole heart to be true. it shapes every aspect of how i choose to live my life. it is what brings me hope and happiness.

what i don’t like, is how so many people are too quick to criticize and act like they know more about my religion than i do. we live in a world of social networking and the world-wide-web has endless information on it. unfortunately, this means that there is A LOT of BOGUS information out there. i can’t even begin to tell you the crazy things i’ve had people tell me that they’ve heard, read, or that their preacher even said about “the mormons”.

so, if you want to know the truth….about anything. you go to the source.

for you curious folks out there – here i am sharing very common FAQs about us “Mormons” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) – check out the link above. check out mormon.org.

no, we are not brainwashed. no, we are not a cult. no, we are not an “all-white” religion. and no, we do not worship Joseph Smith.

yes, we are Christians. yes, we have high standards. yes, we believe in family.

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-101#C3

love, whit

it’s never too late to be brand new

i took these from…probably one of my most favorite church talks ever…”The Best Is Yet To Be” by elder jeffrey r. holland. i re-read it this weekend. always motivating.

love, whit

what matters most

what DOES matter most, you know? i was thinking about that…and came up with these three things:

1. love. HOW we love.

2. sacrifice. what we GIVE for others. (time, talents, efforts, self) {which is a direct reflection of #1}

3. who we become as a result of #1 and #2

so, people. people matter. how you treat them, matters. what you say, matters. what you do – or don’t do, matters. and the doing (or not doing) for others is how we work on ourselves. i believe this to be true.

a little ironic how one of the best ways to improve the self – is to forget it. or rather, give it.

  i have a lot of work to do.

love, whit

NEW YEARS – a time to look to the future, not the past

i LOVEloveLOVE this video!
happy new year to all!

love, whit

my weekend burst of goodness

we all have those moments in our lives where we feel lonely. lost. hopeless. sad. at least i’d like to think i’m not the only one. this year i had a good number of months feeling that way. they were miserable. almost unbearable. and i would pray every day for something. anything. a change. mainly in my outlook on my life. to feel truly happy with myself.

this weekend it hit me. i was driving home after dinner and a movie with a friend, and i saw the moon. it was HUGE! i mean, larger than normal and just a sliver short of being full. it shone so bright and close to the horizon, i could hardly take my eyes off of it. then i noticed the stars…very shiny and bright too. the skies were completely clear.

…it was a strange moment. i felt the need to turn off the radio and enjoy the rest of the drive home in peace with this magnificent moon right in front of me. a wave of gratitude overcame me as i suddenly, in this obscure moment, became aware that my prayers had been answered.

there hasn’t been one THING or EVENT that magically made things better for me. and i even often wondered how long i would have to wait for things to start to look up. but this moment made me realize how blessed i’ve been. it made me recognize the little things that have been happening the last couple of months. and that my Heavenly Father was indeed answering my prayers in His way and His timing.

“by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6 – one of my FAVORITE chapters in the Book of Mormon)

…little things can build to make GREAT and marvelous things happen…like an uphill climb. but at the same time i’ve learned that if those little things are negative or not the best, they can also build until you find yourself in a great hole…at the bottom of the downhill climb. either way, the little things always matter.

you know, i became even more aware that God is aware of ME. and that he answers prayers. and that i don’t feel how i used to anymore. i’m excited about life! but it required work and change on my part.

some people are embarrassed or ashamed to get all “churchy” around others. it’s not exactly dubbed the “cool thing” to do. but you know what, i don’t care because THIS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE! and something like that is worth sticking by and not being ashamed of. it’s also worth sharing.

1 – i am grateful for inspired church leaders. lately they have been more than a blessing to me individually.

2 – if i’m not reading in the scriptures everyday and applying them to MYSELF – guaranteed i will not be who or where i want to be in my life. along with the Bible, i know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. no doubt in my mind about it. the peace says it all.

3 – i have re-learned that when i make time for God, He makes things work out for me. Even if it is just giving me more faith, patience, or understanding in my trials.

4 – people who uplift you, are honest with you, and care about you are worth keeping around. including those that may say something you don’t WANT to hear and it upsets you…because deep down you know you need to hear it.

5 – keeping good relationships with family is important. most often parents DO know what they’re talking about. listen.

6 – you gotta give a little to get a little

7 – i love teaching my sunbeams at church (3-4 yr olds) – at first i wasn’t too crazy about it. their attention span is next to nothing! but i’m very attached to them now. i LOVE them and they teach me so much every week. little children are so pure.

8 – i really don’t know what this list is. i’m just putting down my thoughts as they come…

9 – i DO deserve much more than i often thought

10 – sometimes i’ll pray for something – but i push it or become so persistent that i convince myself it’s what God wants for me. i learn the hard way that it’s not. i’m learning patience and to accept the Lord’s timeline for ME. don’t push things. we’re all different. comparison is the devil’s trick.

11 - MY FLIGHT TO ITALY IS PURCHASED!!!!!!!!!!! now i need to finalize my trip itinerary. i’m. so. stoked!

12 – i’m getting very anxious for my trip to Utah the first week of November – there are so many people i’m overdue in seeing. and so many big hugs i can’t wait to give.

13 – i took my 62 year old mother to Zumba with me this weekend. it was entertaining! ….she loved it.

no more numbers for now…

love, whit

talk about fabulous!

feeling good is beautiful!

i like seeing things that make me feel good. i like people that make me feel good. i like words that make me feel good. i like doing things that make me feel good!

well, who wouldn’t, right? DUH.

1 – i am grateful for the “little voice” inside my head. those thoughts and gut feelings. impressions. acting on them is generally wise. us LDS folk call that “following the spirit”. and i’m glad i did before it was too late. you know, sometimes we think we know best. we act selfishly. but people matter. even the people we don’t like or avoid. and often we are the answer to someone else’s prayer – if we choose to follow that spirit within us. i will never regret the sacrifice it takes to help someone in need.

2 – it’s FRiDAY! and we’re grilling steak burgers and weenies for lunch at work!

3- it’s General Conference weekend! i pray that i never take such things for granted. and you know, i’m expecting some much needed words. they’ll be there, too. i asked for them.

4 – i have too many photos that need posting! i love that. adventures, beauty, babies – all piling up and coming soon. i need to get on that, especially because i know next weekend’s event is only going to fill up my memory card yet again!

5 – really, OCTOBER!? that month smells so fresh.

6 – hearing from past close friends is happiness! even though time has passed, you realize how much you shared and know about that person… so that their company or conversation now, even after months or years, just feels like “home”.

7 – Jack Kerouac just makes you want to APPRECIATE people and places for what they are. to NOTICE. and DO things with your life!

this flavor cannot be described as merely “good”. nuh-no! it’s so much more than that…

and i thought i’d throw in a cheesy shot with a big grin…for feelin’ good’s sake…

love, whit

The Beatles were right…

i have come to the conclusion that The Beatles were right – love is all you need – or, all you need is love!

yes, the world has so much to offer, but #1- are things of this world REALLY that important because #2 – there’s something far greater than this world. and i do believe that love will get us the second and make the first more worthwhile.

everybody, whether they like to admit it or not, lives to love and be loved. we could even say that we live because we are loved…

i mean, look at where it all started. love first came from our Father in heaven who created us – and put us here in this life to learn something. that thing is love.

like everything else in life, love is a choice. and i…choose love.

why? it makes everything better!

love understands imperfection. love will make me kind, even if a person is entirely rude to me.

love will make me patient and caring. love will teach me to sacrifice and to give. love will make my life no longer be about me.

love is the over-powering SUPERNOVA of all emotions. it really is! where there’s love, there’s also hope. love overrides bitterness and anger. love brings peace and joy. love has perspective and can see beyond the surface – beyond that superficial and trivial stuff.

i don’t know who said, but i read it somewhere and really like it, “too often we waste time looking for a perfect lover instead of creating a perfect love.” – SO true.

but apart from that MUSHY-GUSHY love stuff is the other love that makes every day great.

like a love to LEARN and CRAVE NEW THINGS – to set goals and go for them. to make the most of situations and time. right now, i couldn’t be MORE ecstatic about planning my Europe trip. to travel. to experience. to enjoy the life i have.

i choose love because it lets me appreciate. appreciate little things – everyday mundane things. places. people. friendships.

i LOVE friendships. the conversations. the company. the goodness in them. just this weekend i was talking to a friend about how, for a long time there, i hadn’t felt like myself…he mentioned that for a while i used to argue with him a lot about petty things. i felt horrible and apologized, yet he giggled and said, “it’s ok whitney, i’m in it for the long haul.”

i feel really blessed to have a handful of people like that in my life. people who accept me even when i’m crazy or at my crappiest. and i want to be a person that can love people even when they treat me crappy, too. we all have our down moments. regardless, you know what they say, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” so i refuse to play that game. make the world a better place, yah know?

i guess what i’m trying to say is – that’s the attitude of love. throwing out the bad and embracing the good.

and then, even the little things. i mean, the really little things that i love give life an extra bit of joy.

like, for instance, these shoes…and those tights! they make me so happy, in a way that only some may comprehend

or the love of creating. that gratification of making something useful or pretty. or maybe just to let out a little inner satisfaction. …

ie: i’m going to have to do this in the upcoming month – LOVE it! …

or you know the goodness you feel when you eat something you absolutely LOVE? haha…i feel that. asian lettuce wraps, among other things, do that to me…

i also love browsing through book stores, painting my nails, and growing a garden. and photography. i LOVE photography. so why not go back to school and get a degree in it? well, i’m going to. can’t wait!

find what you love – and do it.

maybe i am just a cheesy/crazy “peace, love, & flowers” kind of girl … but, i truly believe that love – in ALL of it’s finest forms – is all you need. so go get some!

[ i did not mention it entirely, but looking at that first and great commandment to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength" and then to "love thy neighbor as thyself" would, in a nutshell - if done correctly, encompass everything and accomplish all of what i've been saying...but...instead of raving about that and how it works for who knows how long, i'll just throw it in here at the end ]

love, whit

the art of books

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as for me, i am currently C.S. Lewis obsessed.

that inspired man inspires me.

and in his own words:

“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” -c.s. lewis

kind of going on with thoughts from yesterday, today i read:

“But progress means getting nearer to the place that you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.” – C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” – C.S. Lewis

and, so lovely…

“You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” – C.S. Lewis

george bernard shaw said that “without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” and, i believe, that books are indeed works of art. keeping that in mind…”nature and books belong to the eyes that see them” (ralph waldo emerson, another genius mind)

now it would only be appropriate to quote Holden Caulfield, the greatest character in one of my all-time favorite books, “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.” (The Catcher In The Rye)

…though i’d have to add that after finishing a good book, my heart aches and i mope around feeling like i lost a loved one. so i guess they are bitter-sweet, good books.

love, whit

the weekend

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my weekend had me thinking about a few things.

1. in the words of justin bieber, “never say never”  (great documentary, bee-tee-dub) – life has curve balls. plans can change. time will make things happen that you might have never anticipated…i mean, five years ago had i been asked that infamous question, “where do you see yourself in five years?” – this is not entirely what i would have pictured…

…so,

2. prepare. to take on whatever. go forward with faith. no, maybe you don’t have all the answers, and things are unsure – but go forward anyway.

3. TiME. time does so much to a person. a relationship. a block of cheese. it takes times for something to be ripe enough for the picking, but with time, the same thing can also go rotten. i may be only 24 – but sometimes i feel like i’m ALREADY 24. time is slipping away. things need to happen! i feel behind. stuck. as though i’m on pause but the world around me and the clock keep ticking. i get anxious and frustrated. then i have CARPE DIEM moments of caring less about any time-table other than fitting in as much as i can and enjoying life while i am still young and single and life is full of options and opportunities. i guess regardless… time: don’t waste it.

ps – i’m SO ready for full-time school again in january.

again, go forward.

i guess my #3 really goes with #1…and #2. whatevs.

4. thanks to a great lesson in sunday school – the Lord’s wisdom and the world’s wisdom are not the same. a reminder of the constant need to re-evaluate priorities, what’s most important, and my motives.

5. maybe North Point is a good idea. (Paige, if you read this, let’s not jump the gun though)

6. i’m glad i called elissa

7. two words – apple festival

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caramel apple cheesecake bars

um, YES!

love, whit

share a little love today

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sometimes i just feel terribly selfish.

i’m not a bad person. but sometimes i get to thinking about life. this life’s purpose. MY life. and how i’m living it. and then i start to feel like a bad person.

i’m a strong believer that this life is meant to be lived for others and that is when we discover ourselves and find true joy. it’s about love. the kind of love that makes you look at a stranger and see them for who they really are – someone just like you – a child of God – and love them because of it. the kind of love that doesn’t judge or hate. but forgives and extends compassion. the kind of love that genuinely puts other’s happiness before your own.

i KNOW that when we do something for someone else or focus on helping other people with their problems, we forget our own. we become happy. i’ve experienced it in my own life.

i enjoy “giving”, i do. it brings those warm fuzzies that can be contagious. but to GIVE – it’s not necessarily just the giving, but the WAY or attitude in which it’s done. selfless motives. and often the most important giving aren’t of the material things, but of the self. giving of your time, talents, efforts for a greater good. and doing it because you actually CARE – there’s heart and soul in it. then it becomes beneficial to both the receiver and giver.

so yeah, sometimes i feel terribly selfish. thinking i spend too much of my life dwelling on myself. like a useless pity-party. or wrapped up in strictly selfish gain. never noticing what or who is around me because i’m too caught up in ME. that’s the recipe for crappy days and bad moods.

i get to thinking how much time and money and effort i waste in things that really don’t have value. or lasting value. if we had an earthquake here…or economic crisis…and lost our home, job, and belongings – what would we have to show for our lives? did we build meaningful relationships with others? did we really make a difference? or just squander away our days with selfishness and things that only bring temporary happiness?

you know, it’s already september. time flies. it turns into years. it turns into our life. so much can be accomplished – or so much can be wasted.

in the end, what matters most, you know?

love, whit