A Thought on Dreams...

My thoughts are the entertainer.

My dreams the audience.

My soul the director.

My dreams have heavily weighing on my mind constantly.  I think that God puts them there to dance a around in my mind and leave me thinking "how will any of them ever take place" as I feel very limited currently.  But the beautiful thing is that since the Lord puts passion in our hearts for a reason, He finds a way to open the doors where our dreams and talents can be put to good use.  This week I keep playing the Sara Groves lyric over in my head that says "He has withheld no good thing."  When has He not provided everything I need?  Even in trials, I have been given mercy, grace, patience, and the peace of the Holy Spirit.  I'm offering up some questions to the Lord.  Questions of where (locationally) He wants me and what (job) He can use me in.  As of now I have no idea, but I know if I ask, He will find a way to use the gifts He has given.

Hosting a Q&A

I wanted to take a chance to give back a little and host a Q&A on the blog.  When I first started out, (and shoot, even now) I always had questions and sought advice from experienced photographs who had figured it out through trial and error.  After all, that's what I have found to be essential to the learning curve of photography - being able to have the guts to explore how things work.  Even if that means that your pictures that you take of your neighbor's daughter's best friend's cousin turn out blurry and blown-out (we've all been there).  We all start somewhere and it helps out a great deal to receive a little bit of direction and advice along the way.

I thought I'd host a blog where you can ask questions and I will do my very best to answer.  They can be about my personal journey or the technical side of photography although that part makes my palms sweat profusely.  I love the art of photography and want others to be able to enjoy it to their fullest as well.  

I'll be responding right here in the comments section of the blog.

Fire away!

(but do not dream of asking me how i get my subjects to do this.  it is a secret i shall never reveal.)

Raise Your Heart, Not Your Fists.

It's so easy to ask why.  It's a knee-jerk reaction to try to find the meaning behind why God chooses to reveal Himself the way He does.  And the reasons why He allows what He does.  It's so easy to raise your fists.

What would happen if we replaced our why's with how's?  How can I be used?  How can my attitude be transformed?  It changes the question from one of rebuttal, to one of surrender.  One filled to the brim with a willingness to embrace each situation no matter how dirty it may look from the outside.  God gives us each the strength to smudge off the windows and dig deep to see the beauty of what's inside all the mess.

God is stirring in me a desire for true transparency...with it comes a willingness to be humbled and challenged from the inside out.  And the genuine truth I lay before you is that I tend to be a fist-raiser.  I'm working on being tender in my nature and learning to view my struggles that God gives me as a loving form of refinement.  After all, would you rather have a wedding ring with a rough, dull, and jagged diamond on it or a crystal-clear, radiant, and polished diamond?  In the same way, people are more beautiful when they are refined by their Designer.

 

Completely New.

Last week I got to witness a lifechanging event:  I was asked to be in the delivery room with my sister-in-law as she delivered their first baby.  I was thrilled initially, but I admit that as the d-day snuck up, I began to become a bit anxious.  It was an excited nervous, but nervous nonetheless.  I began to doubt myself, mainly just fearing I would be overwhelmed and while she is lying there pushing out a baby, I'd feel my legs start to get shaky and pass out right then and there.  It's the whole pressure of having to photograph this one special moment that'll never happen again.  (Same reason I can't do weddings!)  All my fears were put to rest the second everyone huddled around her and began cheering her on.  Here we were, gathered in this one room, ready to meet a little angel during her first few moments here on earth.  Once she arrived, the whole world felt different.  The connection between a mother and her child in the first few moments is unlike anything I've ever witnessed.  The love for the child is woven in the mother's heart for 9 solid months.  When they finally arrive, it is the birth of not only a new soul, but a new promise.  A way for God to show us that He creates things in His own galaxy-sized hands, placing the pieces together just the way He thinks is fitting.  And when the moment is right He stretches out His gentle hands and let's us see His masterpiece.

Thank you, Lord, for sharing your beautiful artwork with us. 

I present you my new niece, Mary Payton...

 

New Mexico

Last week we took a family vacation to Angelfire, New Mexico.  We got to rent out this cabin that stood right across from where Lonesome Dove was filmed.  It was by far the most quiet place I've ever been.  You could hear the rustling of the leaves and I could see 5x the amount of stars I knew existed. It was a magical little place.  At first, I felt a little stir crazy in the simplicity... but then it became something I truly appreciated, even craved.  I'm hoping to carry this less is more attitude home with me and start applying it to my life.

Marlie enjoyed the piece and quiet.  And was quite the snow dog (which was so funny to watch!)

I was able to snag my brother & his girlfriend to get some cute snowy shots.  I mean, I live in Texas, got to take advantage of the winter look while I can.

This shot made me laugh so hard- it is the reaction of sheer panic as everyone in my family yelled "CAR!"

This is my mom... pretty, pretty lady.