Category Archives: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (mormons)

MAY THiRTEENTH – so much significance

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today is a BiG day!

and i’ll give you THREE REASONS why:

1. i have the greatest mother in the world. er, universe. er, just don’t try to compete – ok?!

this is her. yvonne. reading her scrips waiting for one of our many trains in italy.

…ok, i have much better pictures, yes. but i thought this one had a nice “vibe” to it. ha!

so why don’t we go back a bit?? my parents on their wedding day!… classic…

four kids later along came her favorite (moi!)…yes, i’m like a little elf…

.

you can always find my mom in the yard with her flowers and plants. i often shadowed her…

(pic with the first bloomed tigerlily!!! a native to the northern mexican mountain where my mom grew up):

always supportive…so happy on my temple endowment day back in 2008!…

mom wrote me a handwritten letter every week, without fail, the whole 18 months i was gone on my mission. that mail was the best.

mom and her parents (grandma! – another amazing woman to be mentioned on this day!)…

random. dressed up as cinderelly….super cute, i know…

mom and i tend to go out to eat….and eat a lot when we do…

…which is why we were in heaven when we went to Italy together in january…

(all sorts of flattering pictures, i know!)

enough with photos… my mom is incredible. as i get older, i have the opposite of worry when i see more of her in me. she’s been an example my whole life of hard work, sacrifice, faith, service, and integrity…also distilling in me a love for the arts, music, gardening, cooking, cleaning, and giving. she’s demonstrated to me that the gospel is a way of life and that we should live putting others first.

i can’t even begin really to know what to say when it comes to my mom…

so let’s settle with, Happy Mother’s Day! – te amo un montonsote!

REASON #2 for May 13th

2. i returned home from my mission TWO YEARS AGO today!

holy moly!

yes, that dates me…

though my 18 months spent in the service of the Lord are ones i will never take back and will remember forever. puerto rico and barbados…always in my heart.

i miss them…

…two years ago on Mother’s Day this happened. the best last Sunday any missionary could ask for.

ohmygoodness i’m getting emotional thinking about these people…i must call them…

moving on…

REASON #3 for May 13th…

3.

i’m not one to keep track of dates…but this time i will make note that the 13th marks “one month” of being “officially together”

cheesey?? …you’re just jealous.

a little crazy that after only 6 1/2 weeks of dating, i’m incredibly head-over-heels for this face…

WOAH there, huge zoomed in shot of a face!!!

bahahahahaha

only appropriate though. super cute, right?!

oh…that’s james, btw. get used to hearing about him.

and we’re a pretty big deal.

the talk of the town one might say…

yes…we cook together too.

the only problem…

i have to wait FOUR  M O R E   W  E   E   K   S   until i see him again. siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh…

more on this later.

love, whit

mormonism 101

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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

what matters most

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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

my weekend burst of goodness

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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!

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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

everything happens for a reason

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I believe that, you know, that “everything happens for a reason.” I know the outlook is to tell yourself, “this is SUPPOSED to happen to me. this is the plan. i was meant to go through this.” –  but that’s not always true. I don’t think EVERYTHING is SUPPOSED to happen. I mean, good things can’t happen all the time, I know. Religion has taught me we cannot know joy without knowing misery (Adam and Eve). Opposites are necessary. There has to be bad to have good – dark for light – you get the point. Bad things will happen at some point. It’s inevitable. However, I don’t believe that everything happens because it’s your fate.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Agency. It’s not always because it was supposed to happen that way. We all have our agency, and how we choose to use it – our decisions – create our own circumstances and often affect those of others too (overlooking natural disasters and events of that nature, of course – those aren’t our decisions). Knowing the nature of humans though, often bad decisions are made and they can affect many people. The same way that changing one’s attitude, perception, or reaction to something can change things completely too from good to bad or vice versa.

As a Christian, I know God has a plan for each and every one of us. I also know that plan is not a set trajectory we are forced to follow. There is one He would like us to follow, but it depends on our decisions. God’s not going to force us to do anything because he loves us and wants us to learn and grow on our own – even if that does include heartache.

I believe that due to our choices and the choices of others, things happen that weren’t part of what God would have liked us to go through. I’m not saying we cannot take our life experiences and use them to learn and grow from – we definitely should. I just believe we don’t ALWAYS find ourselves in situations that were “pre-destined” to be ours. Some people, however, and some life events I do think are “pre-destined” to happen – but not all of it. I feel God is always there, leading us through life, and when we make a wrong turn, He will help us learn from it and rearrange the path ahead of us according to our choices and ever-changing needs. I believe He will always look for ways to bless us and help us regardless of our decisions – we just still may be too blind to see it or may choose to always go the other way. So yeah, sometimes we unnecessarily suffer from choices. That’s to say that not everything is needed and supposed to happen – it’s all about decisions. I really don’t believe that the alcoholic who makes it through rehab and then later returns to his vice and finishes out his life alone and unhappy was SUPPOSED to go through that his whole life. No one is supposed to be miserable, it’s a choice we make. With our agency we can change things at any moment.

 So I guess “everything happens for a reason” shouldn’t be looked at as settling for circumstances as your fate — But think “what is the reason that caused this to happen?”  Yes, some situations could have been avoided had we or someone else chosen differently. Things COULD have played out differently. That’s not to say we should live in regret – just resolve to learn from it and go on. Make the future better not bitter. It can make you or break you. It’s part of the experience. Not everything needs to happen how it does, but God will find a way to fit pieces back together for our greater good – as long as we try to do the same. Learn and grow.

love, whit