the greatest storyline

You know that feeling you get as you close an amazing book for the last time after reading the words "the end", or the way you feel as the credits roll on your favorite TV show's last season finally? That way it seems like in the end everything is over and finished and you will never be able to live in that story again. To me this feels as if something inside of me has died. Like I've just lost all of my friends and they can only come back through reliving the stories you've already been through.

I know this sounds way dramatic for a book or pictures on a screen but I ask anybody who lived through the Harry Potter era that has read all 3407 pages and watched all 17 and a half hours of footage that can honestly say they didn't cry when the watched this...

Crying yet? You should be.

Now, while stories and books always come to an end, our lives don't. Just like Daniel Radclif says about the Harry Potter phenomenon that "the end of the story [doesn't] end tonight." it is the same in our lives.

Our lives extend much further than than a few pages and a few hours on a screen. Our lives extend into eternity. And they do that because we have the greatest writer and director anybody has ever known.

Our writer is our God, and our director is our Savior, Jesus Christ. God wrote our lives in a way that they would extend forever, and because of our Savior and his Atonement, our lives are possible.

Now, just like in any story worth reading or watching, there is conflict. If there wasn't it would be a boring story.

There would be no story with out Voldemort, no excitement with out the White Witch, and no anticipation without factions. There would be no enthusiasm without the switch, no empowerment with out the shark, and no story without cloning. There would be no exhilaration without the Capital, no interest without the maze, and no anticipation without crime.

There would be no life without trial.

The good part is that in our movie, our writer and director have their hands on our lives. They will make sure that everything turns out. Granted, things don't always turn out as we imagined them to, and they don't always turn out how we wanted them to, but they will always turn out how the writer wrote if we listen to the director.

In our lives we are to become great. God has written us into beautiful characters who have lessons to learn and trials to overcome, and amazing people to become, and he has given us a director to show us how to do it. He has given us the greatest gift to become the greatest us. He has given His Son.

We must listen to the director.

And the best part of life is it doesn't end when our figurative "credits" roll. They don't end because our lives extend beyond the grave. This is only the audition. The time when we are tested to see what kind of characters we will play.

Life is less about how much money you have and weather or not you own the iPod 3,000 or the newest athlete endorsed shoes and more about who you are and who you are becoming.

Who you are and who you are becoming is the greatest storyline that will ever exist.

Live it right.




feel my sunlight



p.s. My photography blog is no longer called WhitneySue Photography and is now called keep life bright photography and graphic design. We'll see if this stays.

Hope in hard. Hope in Him.

It's been two weeks since I last posted.

Two weeks since I totaled my car.

I have learned so much in the last two weeks and and can honestly say I am better for it.

Now, while I can't say it's all been good the last few weeks, I can say that it has all been worth it. I have had my fair share of fights with my pal Satan that I am not proud of, but on the other hand I have also had some incredible bonding moments with my Brother Jesus, The man I call my Savior.

Now, this blog is a sunny place. So here is some good that happened the last two weeks.

My tumbling team hosted the largest tumbling competition in Utah history last weekend. (A contributing factor to me not blogging.) I had not trained all week due to the car accident and on Friday I decided I was competing. Friday night was a long night of setting up equipment and I competed Saturday morning. After I competed I worked all day helping run the meet. I finished the competition presently surprised with a bronze medal. It was an overall good meet.

In the last two weeks I've also..

-cleaned my room (this is a weird and beautiful thing people.)
-filmed a movie in sign language.
-worn capris. (It was 50 degrees and sunny yesterday...we had a short taunting hale storm earlier today...and back to blue skies now!)
-taught Sunday school. all. by. myself.
aaaand...
-paid a big fat ticket of $120. There goes all the money I made for the tumbling competition.

So, live has been hard, but things are turning around for the better.

When you are pushed up between a rock and a hard place the best place to go is up. I've been trying to look up the last few days and let me tell you, it has made all the difference.

I'm not one that particularly likes hanging out under the clouds. (I mean, my blog is called feel my sunlight.) And with the sunshine peeking through the clouds the last few days It has proved as a reminder that attitude is all my choice. Sure, circumstances may sway my choice for a minute, but in reality, the choice is still mine. My choice is hope.

Hope in my Savior.
Hope that he will lift me.
Hope that he will get me out.
Hope that I will be okay.
Hope that everything else will be too.
Hope that I will be enough.
Hope that I will not fail.
Hope that I will not fear.
Hope that I will be better.
Hope that he will help.
Hope in sunlight.

Now, I'd like to shift the topic from me, to my friends who are having a hard time. Life isn't easy. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Life brings dark clouds. Life brings multiple feet of snow, Life brings harsh winds. Life brings gloomy rain. Life brings hale storms that will beat you down until you don't think you can get up again, but I promise you, YOU CAN GET UP AGAIN. no matter your circumstances. 

I don't know your circumstances and I have no right to say I do, however, I do know someone who does. I know someone who knows exactly what you have been through and who knows exactly how to get you to the other side. Although you may feel like you are alone in your suffering, our Savior, YOUR savior, is there for you. I know this because he was there for me. He sees your potential and he sees what you are capable of. He sees greatness in you. He wants to pull you up and help you out. His arms are ever outreached towards you. All you have to do is grasp his hand and hold on tight.

This is a talk that got me through one of my lowest moments last week. It now rests in the archives of "strength for difficult times." I promise it is worth 16 minutes and 3 seconds.

"Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions." 

The Savior gives hope. Have hope in Him.

feel my sunlight

p.s. funny quote of the week: "teacher, I want my eyelids to look like your eyelids." 

for lack of a better title: I crashed my car

Today I am writing just to be thankful to write.

There are days were things like the color of your shoes, or how many boys talk to you, or the amount of time you spent doing on your hair matters. And then there are days where only the fact that you are still here matters.

Today is Tuesday. Temple Tuesday.

Temple Tuesday is the day were I wake up early (like EARLY) and go do baptisms at the temple. I often bring along a friend or two and we have a grand old time while the rest of you lay fast asleep in your warm beds. (And by "grand old time" I mean Mormon grand old time. It's the best kind.)

So today was Temple Tuesday.

I woke up at 4:20 am. By 4:35 am I was picking up one of my best friends named Lauren. By 4:45 am my car looked like this...




Right now it is 7:42 p.m. I am sitting at my computer with my only marks of the crash on the surface of my skin and Lauren is at her house with only sore muscles and a scraped knee.

While this isn't one of those stories where everyone walks away with out a scratch, it is one of those stories where everyone walks away.

Me, being the less than average height person that I am, took an airbag to the face where it should hit the chest, and now look like I got in a fight with a ninja and lost.

But I'm alive.

I'm alive.

I know there was divine help this morning on the icy freeway. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that there was nobody at all around us in any surrounding lanes of traffic when we spun out of control and hit the median.  As we were spinning and crashing there was this odd sense of awareness that I felt. I panicked, but for some reason Lauren didn't. For some reason she talked to me through the whole crash giving me play by play on what I should do. It was as if I had my tumbling coach on the side of the mat yelling things like "point your toes" "stretch" "faster" as I tumble down the mat to hit a perfect pass. I don't doubt that there was some divine power helping her do that.I know it wasn't a coincidence that when our car finally came to a stop it did so on the side of the road out of the line of traffic. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that the three men with construction vests in the truck were there as soon as our car came to a stop. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that we both walked away.

Now, for me it's easy to see the hand of the Lord in situations like this, but it is sometimes harder to see his hand in our everyday lives.

We live in a day where Satan does his very best to confuse people. We live in a day were confusion and chaos is a day to day thing. He wants us in distress. He wants us to fear. He wants us to forget our faith.

 In these tumultuous times many don't know where to go for peace. Its as if peace is hidden, when really, it is right in front of them. We live in a world where big calamities are seen as trials, but we often forget that there are more destructive. Jeffery R. Holland speaks of a type of destruction that is more destructive than tornadoes, earth quakes, and might I say, car crashes. This destruction is spiritual destruction.

I add my testimony to Elder Hollands that weather I am to die today or I am to die in a far future I want to be able to stand before God and say that I believe the Book of Mormon to be true. I believe in Christ. I believe in the words of Christ. I believe in his church. I believe that He will provide and I will treasure up his word.

AND NOW PICTURES FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT!

Lauren and I with my car on the tow truck. My face was swollen so this was the best smile I could manage.

tow truck at 5am!

Car crash face!

Me right after the crash

My at 7:00 pm

Me at 7:00 pm again

me attempting to smile. #fatface

feel my sunlight

p.s. Quote of the day: 

"my biggest regret is that we didn't take a selfie."

"WE ALMOST DIED"

"we need to sort out our priorities"

p.s.s. My second biggest regret is that I left my deodorant in the van. Have no fear! I got some more.

love life my friends.

life is beautiful

Life is beautiful and people are wonderful.

I know It might not always seem true, but it is.

The way the light kisses the wood floor, the way the baby waves at you from under the table, the kind words spoken by people you look up to, the way the sun peaks over the mountain early in the morning, The encouraging words from a teacher, the people that take time to talk to you, the sweet spirit shared in sacrament meeting, the affects of the atonement felt, The way your headphones send music of Christ to your eardrums. The long meetings made fun. The way people testify of truth, the smiles shared, the laughs that become contagious, The excited texts your get from friends, the way the baby falls asleep in your arms, the joy shared thought the room.

And this was only what happened today.

Now add that to yesterday and tomorrow, and life is a beautiful thing.

I'd be ungrateful if I didn't write this post to thank God for all he has done for me. Don't get me wrong, life is hard and trials are ever present, but with the Lord even trials can become beautiful.

{Random insert: Need some AWESOME music? Click right HERE and check the box "Strength of Youth Media" I promise you will not be able to listen to it without smiling. BONUS! It's 100% clean!}

An awesome lady spoke in my ward today I loved when she said

  "isn't life a great adventure? 

It has it's ups and downs,             

      we never know what is 

around the corner,         

  but still, it is 

worth living." 

I've spent some time recently with some people who have less than good things to say about life. To these people I say keep going, focus on God, and let him show you who you are to him. Because,

"most of the confusion in our lives come from not knowing who we are"

                                   -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

You my friend, are a beloved son or daughter of God. He loves you and he wants nothing for greatness for you. Sometimes greatness comes through broken roads. If your in the middle of a hard time, maybe your just a currant bush.

If your stuck in a rut the best thing to do is to

"forget yourself and go to work"

          -Bryant S. Hinkley

because "those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
                                                                  -J.M. Barrie

    

I hope you know that you are GLORIOUS and ETERNAL, that 

"Your future is as Bright as your faith" -president Monson,

 and that you can change the world.

You are incredible.

People are wonderful.

 Life is beautiful.

Look up.

feel my sunlight

p.s. ASL is an awesome language. It's also an awesome class that everybody should take. Just sayin. 

    

New York and a sweet reunion

Todays post has three pieces and they all happen to relate to the State of New York. How that happened, I don't know, but I think it's kinda fun.

NY #1
Remember when I said I had a big decision to make regarding this summer? (aka the P.S.S. of THiS POST.) Well, I made a decision, and I made it official. I am officially registered to attend EFY in Palmyra New York this summer!!! I am SO excited about this and it feels so right. This does; however, mean I probably won't be able to compete at the US Power Tumbling National Championships this year in Louisville, KY due to the fact that bank accounts aren't bottomless. I am super bummed about this, but I have prayed about this and NY is where the Lord wants me to be. I can't wait for this adventure!

NY #2
The second piece of this blog post is simply a link to something awesome. I don't know about you but I get sick of listening to stuff that is on the radio at times and I just need something else to fill the sound waves in the air around me. CLICK HERE to listen to some awesome recorded blog posts by the incredible Al Caraway {aka Al Fox}! I have been listening to them today and they are probably my favorite thing. How is this related to New York you ask? Al lived in New York before she moved to Utah. It's a big part of her awesome story. Go check it out!

NY #3
Number 3 is the main bulk of what I wanted this post to be about and it is related to New York due to the fact that my current scripture/seminary journal looks like this...

This thought originated from my seminary teacher but I thought it was so powerful that it needed to be shared.

This comes from Alma 17

This is the part in the book of Mormon where Alma is reunited with the sons of Mosiah.

It had been 14 years since he had last seen these friends (Alma 17:4). And these sons of Mosiah had not only been his friends, but they had shared a conversion story. They were there when Alma was first visited by an angel.

Now, Alma hadn't seen them for 14 years. And not had he not seen them, he hadn't heard any word from them. After 14 years of no word it could have easily been thought that they had perished in the land and that they would never return. Imagine how sweet this reunion would have been.

Alma 17:2 says "Therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still is brethren in the Lord."

Think of the longest time you have been away from someone you love. How sweet was the moment when you were finally reunited?

Now, imagine what the reunion will the reunion be like when we go back to our heavenly home? What will it be like to go to heaven and see those you haven't seen in years, to see those who you thought wouldn't make it.

How will it be to see your Heavenly Father again?

I ask you, is this not motivation to live your life in such a way that this sweet reunion will be made possible in your life?

Have hope in this reunion.

Feel my sunlight

p.s. Seminary is a very good thing. Go to seminary.

p.s.s. Here is an awesome Mormon Message about being Strengthened in the Lord. Can you guess were the youth are from in this video? That's right! New York!!!

perfected.

Life is a beautiful thing.

Sorry I've been away for the last 9 days. End of semester struggles. Ya feel me?

So I must first say thank you to my incredible coaches and team mates who have propelled me over the last little bit. And thank you Sandy for spending so much time with out team this week! You rock!

Yesterday marked the start of competition season for the year. Whooo!

For those of you who don't know, I am a competitive power tumbler. A power what? Power tumbling. It's a great thing. Watch this video. (I'm nowhere near that good, but you get the idea.)

Like I said, yesterday was the start of competition season and I finished out my first meet in third place with a score of 53.7. I'm pretty happy with it and am so thankful for my coaches and team mates who propelled me to where I am right now. I love you guys!

Even more, I am thankful that I even had the chance to compete.

Two days ago I was riding home from school in my friends little car when we collided with a school bus.

Nobody walked a way with even a scratch on their body.

This proved as a great awakening for me. Here we are, in a little tiny car, crashing into a moving bus. We shouldn't be this okay.

It shook me awake and made me realize that

we never know when we will be called home.

Nobody knows when the time will come for them to meet their maker. We need to be forever prepared for this experience because that moment can come in the blink of an eye when you least expect it.

For me I was fortunate enough to be given more time, but with that comes responsibility to be better.

I hope you take that responsibility too. 

I love this quote from the teachings of Lorenzo Snow that says:

"Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. The temptations that perhaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far tomorrow. Thus continue to be a little better day by day; and do not let your life wear away without accomplishing good to others as well as to ourselves."

“Come unto Christ, 

and be perfected 

in him, and

 deny yourselves 

of all ungodliness”

-Moroni 10:32

Let's become perfect.

On a slightly unrelated note, if you happen to have 59 minutes and 55 seconds of free time over the next few days I encourage you to watch this awesome video about Thomas S. Monson. It's great.

    

feel my sunlight


p.s. My soul smiles because the sun is shining. It's a good day. 
p.s.s. Thank you thank you thank you to my AP English teacher for being merciful.

Intro to my beliefs: The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints

Dear friends of blog land,
I apologize for my temporary unintentional hiatus I've taken from this lovely blog land. I have been enveloped in tumbling, school, work, and whatnot that this cute corner of the internet has been set on the back burner. (not literally... don't set computers on fire people.)

So, I have had some things running through my head recently and I have two topics that I would hope you would take the time to read about. Not because I want recognition for myself, but because I want you to know and understand what I believe, and I want you to have this great joy I feel in your life.

This first topic is dedicated to my countless friends that don't share the same faith as I do. This is for those of you who don't understand the time I turned you down when you offered to buy me coffee, or why in the world I choose by my own free will to wake up at 5 am on Tuesday morning late start days to attend the temple. I know it seems odd from the outside looking in on my life, but I just hope that this post will make me and my faith a little clearer to you.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints (LDS church), popularly known as "the Mormons".

The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints is Christ's church on the earth today. This short video accurately describes how the LDS church came to be.

*****intro to Mormons video*****

The Bible is widely known to much of the world, however, during this same time period Christ had another land of followers. These followers lived in the Americas and they are the ancestors of the American Indians. After Christ's death and resurrection he visited these people. The record of his ministry to the people in the Americans is called the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is not meant to replace the Bible, but rather to serve as another testament of Jesus Christ.

To me it only makes sense that if God had prophets on the earth in the times of the Bible, He would have prophets on the earth today. Joseph Smith was the first prophet of these modern days. He did not create the church, but rather, he reestablished it for these later days. {To learn more about Joseph Smith's story and to watch one of my FAVORITE movies CLICK HERE.} The prophet on the earth today is President Thomas S. Monson.

I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints is the true church and it has been reestablished by the hand of God onto the earth by his prophet Joseph Smith. I believe Joseph Smith was a true prophet and I also believe that Thomas S. Monson is the true prophet today. And lastly, I have a strong believe that the Book of Mormon is true.

Now, I want to shift gears a little. You may be wondering "how does any of this apply to me?"

We live in a world of trial and turmoil. We live in a time of much confusion as to what is right, what we should do, and what we should believe. I want you to watch this short video and we will talk after.




I feel like the world often feels like the frantic, tragic, scary world depicted in this video. We live in a world where the family is attacked, and morals questioned, where crime is high, and charity low, where talk of religion is not allowed to be spoken of at work or in schools. I feel like there is no question as to why the world would be confused when in this scary state of chaos, But in this state of chaos I have found a source of peace.

This source of peace is with my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and with his church restored to the earth for these later days.

This is why I wake up at 5am on Tuesday mornings to go to the temple, this is why I spend my Sundays at church meetings, this is why I spend an entire weekend listening to 10 hours of the prophet speak twice a year. This is why I dress modestly. This is why I don't drink coffee, this is why I have clean language, this is why I study out of an ancient book, this is why I write this blog.

Peace.

My testimony of the gospel has given me so much peace in my life. I have had hard things happen to me, but every day is made brighter through Christ who is the light of the world. I have a testimony of this Gospel and I know the church is true and I invite you to come unto him, for he is calling to you saying "abide with me".





feel my sunlight



p.s. To learn more about my religion click HERE, or email me at feelmysunlight@yahoo.com. To request a FREE Book of Mormon click HERE!


p.s.s. I'm in the midst of making a relatively big decision that has to do with this summer. I am 99% decided on what I am going to do. I'll give you a hint... It has somewhat to do with this blog post and EFY, yet will require me to give something up this summer that look forward to every year involving tumbling. More on that later.