Whitney Searle

I honestly had never really listened to podcasts before until the past month or so but I have fallen HARD for them. We live in Eagle Mountain and I work in Lehi but I have class 4 days a week in Provo so I spend a lot of time in my car. I didn't realize how much time I spent listening to music before until I started listening to podcasts that are actually teaching me something. I feel like I'm spending my time so much better as I listen to them. My husband and I love listening to Dave Ramsey and it inspires us to keep living on a budget and to keep saving for a house so I love hearing his podcasts where people call in and have paid off their houses and they are like 30 years old. Sorry, rant over haha. But Dave Ramsey podcasts are great! Share any podcast recommendations you have below!! :)

I'm not a big TV junkie but a friend at work told me I HAD to watch a series called "Atypical" on Netflix. My husband and I "binge-watched" the first two seasons this past week. HOLY COW. It's a great show. Some parts are hard to watch but it's SO REAL. It's about a teenage boy with autism and how his family deals with life with him. They are all going through hard things too and the parents' relationship is crumbling, but it's showing what it's like to live with someone with Autism and what life is like from their point of view. I 10/10 recommend it. I love TV shows that show real life things. If you are looking for an awesome show, Atypical is for you!

I served my mission in the Rome Italy Mission and one of the coolest things about being home is being able to listen to Italian music and understand it. I loved Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban's Italian songs before my mission but knowing what it's saying is awesome. There's a new song I've been listening to recently that I love! It's called "Poesia senza veli" by Ultimo. It's a cute song that's really catchy. I've noticed that the more Italian music I listen to, the easier it gets to understand. I learn new words and ways to phrase things besides just "missionary lingo".

I've been doing my "social media fast" this week as President Nelson invited us all to do. I can honestly say I was a little disappointed when he asked us to do it, but it has been the best thing!! I have had a ton on my plate this week and I didn't realize how much time I was spending on social media prior to this challenge. I've somehow had time to get everything done and I've been doing pretty well on all my midterms and assignments. It's been amazing to see how in tune our leaders are with the Spirit. I know social media isn't always a bad thing, but it is when we let it distract us from the most important things.

I've been reflecting a lot this week about how music impacts me. I remember on my mission having hard days and coming home at night and listening to songs like "Homeward Bound" and "Savior Redeemer of my Soul" and just feeling so at peace although things were hard. My husband and I are serving as primary teachers and we've been practicing with our class for the primary program these past few months. My favorite song is "My Heavenly Father Loves Me". The Spirit just floods into my heart hearing them sing about God's creations for us and how He created this beautiful world because He loves us! I love the wonderful Spirit that music brings and the testimony that it builds.