Those moments

I really love photography. Its one of my greatest passions. I get to share my perception, perspective, thoughts, ideas, points of view and insights with the world through an image. An image that helps portray emotion, character and motivation.
I love captivating lifes small moments, the things you admire as it passes quickly by but by the time you wake up the next morning its far from your memory. Sometimes those things even make you stop and reevaluate your life, yet you still move forward, often forgetting. But its especially those moments that make you stop, close your eyes, take a deep breath and just marvel in the beauty, comfort and extraordinary gift of the world and are, in that moment, so incredibly grateful. The moments that make you slow down and either clear your mind and relish the moment of peace, or a moment that helps in altering a life changing descision. Its those moments that I love to capture.

I would love to share some of those moments

Me time

Today I was at the gym going hard, music going in my ears and oddly enough, I found myself feeling quite peaceful. Not at all what I expected. As of late I have been feeling more stressed than anything, something that we can all understand and relate to. I am grouped together with the college crowd. Finals are upon us, due dates are closing in. I have no money, my shelves seem more barren than usual. I am fighting sleep deprivation, irritation with school work, frustration with the social and romantic scene and of course, my own personal battles that are never ending.
Whether your a mother with a newborn baby, a highschooler whose parents are ruining your life or a grandparent worried about your family, stress is a common feeling in our day and age. 
We have all encountered the black hole that is stress. We all have our own ways of coping and surviving.
Some of us resort to comfort items such as ice cream, blankets and disney movies. Others pump iron at the gym or relieve tension in free expression of art or theatrics. This is what we like to call now days, "me time". Time you have set aside dedicated for yourself. Time that is all yours, to do whatever it is you please for however long you want. No matter what others might think, the calories you may gain or schoolwork that goes unattended.
What I realized as I was at the gym is that, while "me time" is great, it doesn't seem to do the trick. Last weekend I stayed in bed all of Saturday and Sunday. I literally only got up for my basic necessities. The only outcome of this was I was entirely to cranky on Monday, my homework had not been done and I decided, in the end, I had wasted a perfectly good weekend. 

So why was I feeling so peaceful at the gym? I'm not exactly an iron pumper, so I don't think that was the case. What I realized is that this week I have done a much better job at leading a more balanced life. While I still don't get as much sleep as I feel I need, I must be getting enough. I set aside time this week to actually do something relaxing- I sat by a window and read a book. One of those long lost treasures that seems to have been lost in today's YOLO mindset. I tried extra hard to make it to the gym as well as eat much healthier. I spent adequate time on homework, took several walks, talked to some friends I hadn't in a while and, ironically enough, watched less television. I remembered to read my scriptures, say my prayers, shoot a smile to someone who seemed to be having it rough and even had enough time to watch cat videos on youtube.

Don't get me wrong, I love "me time" as much as the next person, but I think today we overcompensate our busy and stressful lives with an over abundance of "me time" when what we really need is a little bit of discipline and a more balanced life. I still have time to watch Friends season 1-10 over and over, however now it will be stretched out over a period of several months instead of a week or two. Leading a balanced life has left my mind clearer, has left me in a much better mood and I'm finding that while yes, the stress is still there to a degree, I'm handling it much better and my smile is back more often.

So take the time to take a walk. I promise its worth it! Maybe you'll even find something worth instagraming. Call grandma and listen to a good story, even if you have heard it before. Try cooking something new. Break out your favorite book and read it for the 50th time, or maybe branch out and read a new one under a tree. The point is, get your head out of where the sun never shines and bask in the radiant rays of happiness life has to offer outside of social media and netflix.

Lessons learned at traffic lights

The last couple months have been rough. Money is tight, school work is piling high and general life stress takes its toll. I was stopped at a stoplight downtown. I was headed home, I was tired and I had a long drive ahead of me. I had no money for lunch and I was in a grumpy mood. I happened to take a glance to the far right corner, where a young man, about 17 was standing holding a sign. Typically I don't even read the sign, I just pretend not to notice. Whether its because I'm embarrassed of myself for feeling a step above them, or because I'm simply uncomfortable in those situations, I couldn't tell you, probably a combination of both. However  fact that he was so young caught my eye and I read the few words scribbled upon this pathetic piece of cardboard. It read "just had a baby girl, parents kicked me out, need money for diapers and formula." Immediately I felt for this kid, that lump welled up in my throat and I felt the pity. The pity I try so hard to keep out of my mind and heart. If I acted on my pity for everyone I saw on a street corner, I would be there myself in a matter of days or weeks. However I knew this was different, the expression on the kids face was daunting and his body language radiated humility. You could honestly tell this kid was having a rough go of it and needed a loving brother of sister, a fellow son daughter of God, to be His hands and give this kid a boost.
I had already been sitting at this light for a while, so I rather frantically started to search my pockets and car compartments for any cash or change I might have. I mean Ive gotta have $5 right? nothing, notta. A few quarters were all I found. I had about made up my mind even the quarters would be better than anything and the light turned green. I was first in line and I just went. As I got farther and farther away the worse and worse I felt.

This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to me. Months earlier I had been walking around downtown and I had seen another young man, roughly the same age, standing outside a heavily trafficked area with a sign asking for money. As mentioned, I kept my head down and pushed forward, refusing to make eye contact because that is what I had been taught to do. As I rounded the corner to escape this awful uncomfortable situation I felt the feeling I needed to go back. At that time I actually did have money, I had something I could have shared with him. Of course you reason to yourself that they will "just use it for drugs or booze." That's how we make ourselves feel better. I ignored the feeling and kept going. But it came again, this time a little stronger. Again I ignored it. The thought finally crossed my mind to simply offer to take this kid to lunch and to, more importantly, talk to him.

I didn't do that either.

But after I got home that night this experience started to weigh heavily upon my mind and heart. When I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints I had promised to take Christ's name upon me. By doing so I promised that I would try my best to look after and care for my fellow brothers and sisters no matter who they be. And I also promised that I would be willing to be the hands that Heavenly Father needed me to be.
As I sat and pondered this, I realized that maybe what was important wasn't that I gave this kid money, but rather that I took the time to talk to him. That I took the time to show him that I cared. I think that is what was really important. And as I realized that, I began to feel more emotional than I could have anticipated, overwhelmed by my selfish and self centered actions. I always proclaim I'm a loving and caring person. I pride myself, unrighteous I might add, that I am a good listener and care about what the other has to say. Heavenly Father gave me those traits not so that I could be an ear for friends to whine and murmer to, but so that I may share this oversized heart that has brought me so much pain over the years with complete strangers and hopefully help them feel the love of God.

As I realized this I immediately prayed and promised my Heavenly Father I wouldn't ever let another opportunity pass me by, I apologized for not realizing this sooner and told him I would love an opportunity to bless the life of another. I made a vow to myself and to my God that I would try harder to pay more attention to those around me and use this gift I have been given so that I could make someone else smile.


So, as I drove away and remembered all of this and remembered that I had, once again, failed myself, my God and my fellow brother, immense sorrow and pain filled my heart. Why? How? How could I be so selfish to have let yet another opportunity pass me by. I realized that even though I had absolutely no money to offer this kid, I could have parked my car, walked over, and talked to him. I could have offered a hug, something he probably needed dearly at that time. I could have offered him friendship- yet another thing that would probably have been of benefit. And most importantly I know that if I would have followed through with the prompting of the Spirit of the Lord in that moment, the Spirit would have directed me to say things to this particular son of God that would have helped him in his desperate and saddening position. I could have offered him my testimony of Christ and Heavenly Father to lean on, giving him a rope to hold onto while he was stuck in this hole of confusion, fear and pain.


I'm sure I will screw up again. I am positive I will, at some point in my life, let other promptings go unattended and opportunities to go unchased. But I know that is where the power of the Atonement comes in, and because Christ suffered for all of our mistakes and really bad last second decisions we are given new opportunities. I pray that next time Heavenly Father presents me with the opportunity to be His hand in the blessing of another life, ill have the strength to follow through with the prompting and watch as a miracle unfolds.

Houston... who he is

My name is Houston and I am a 22 year old student at Brigham Young University-Idaho. I am a Visual Media Communications major with emphasis in advertising and public relations.
I'M A MORMON! and proud of it. I want to share my testimony with the world.

Who I am? I am a photographer, a movie lover, a country music listener and a book reader. I am a traveler and a lover. I am shy and I am crazy. I love the outdoors. I love the insides. I love both trees and hiking as well as staying in bed all day watching whatever is on TV, usually to lazy to change the channel. I love to sing at the top of my lungs to everything. The Frozen soundtrack, Rascal Flatts and even Kelly Clarkson. I know I am not a good singer, but most days I dont really care.Who I am is a regular person. I struggle with my self image, I fight for what I believe in. I often care to much about what others think and I hold myself back because im afraid of embarrassing myself. I believe in God and Jesus Christ, I have a personal relationship with them both. I am a christian. I am no better than anyone else. I make mistakes often, I screw up and make choices that make my guardian angels smack their foreheads. I forget to read my scriptures and some nights I decide im to tired to pray. However I do have a genuine love for people and I want to strive to make each day better for at least one person. I dont always succeed but I want to try. I am loyal and caring. I try to hard and care to much, but I believe if I dont im not truly living.

I love what I believe and I have found truth, comfort, happiness and every other emotion that drives one to make life changing decisions and choices in the gospel. The spirit of God thrives within me and I want everyone to feel that burning love.

I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Northern California. No I diddnt go to africa and teach the poor children or convert the buddhist of China. I walked the streets of a state known to most and introduced my beliefs and poured out my heart in testimony of what I believe to complete strangers. Strangers like you and me. Strangers who have family problems, mortgages to pay and hopes and dreams never achieved. Strangers who are all swimming their way through life trying to find what makes them happiest, comfortable or what simply keeps them going day to day. Having this opportunity changed the way I think and believe. It changed who I am.

Now I am at college. Struggling to figure out life, who I am and who I want to become. Struggling to find love and to fit in. Trying to figure out how to balance homework, personal life, classes, work and all those things.
 Im just like everyone else.
...But im not.
I am Houston.