Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 03:44PM I am so excited about the newest product I am offering that I decided to host a special featuring them as one of the items included in it. They are custom-made frames and just to-die-for! They have that perfect rustic, chic, and boutique-style look that I adore.
To join in on this special offer, send all inquiries to rachelbrooke@gmail.com to book your session!
Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 07:21PM TRY: to send more prayers of thanks up to the One who gives me people/circustances to be thankful for.
SEE: myself holding a 85mm 1.2 (hint hint)
TASTE: a mushroom. I hate them. I fear their rubbery texture.
LISTEN: to my heart a little more, my head a little less.
VISIT: Iceland!
START: writing the book that i keep "brainstorming" on.
STOP: biting and picking at my nails. it's an unattractive nervous habit.
ORGANIZE: I can't think of one thing I DONT need to organize.
READ: The Human Voice by Anne Karpf.
PLAY: chase with my husband.
LEARN: how to whistle.
**This is the beautiful and sweet-hearted Chandra Peele! To check out her books you can go click HERE.
**Also, this post was inspired & borrowed from the lovely Kelli Jane.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 02:22PM I will admit that I was a sheltered kid growing up. I was never allowed to watch the Simpsons, had a curfew, and spent most of my daylight hours exploring the outdoors. There was a sense of security in being sheltered. That little umbrella was put over me by my teachers at school and my parents was completely done out of love, but once I left that small bubble and went to a large public college I felt every sprinkle of rain. It was a mild form of culture shock at first. After about 4 years of what I thought was the "real world" I felt like I could manage it.
Then I was thrown into the REAL real world. The world of marriage, jobs, and bills. In my mind the lack of shelter felt like lack of control. I cannot tell you how many times in the past 2 years I have said "When this happens or when I get this thing, then things will be more in control..." The irony in my thinking is that there is never a moment where things are comfortable in our grasps. Rather, as Corrie Ten Boom says, the tighter we try to grip them, the more it hurts when they are pried from our fingers. If I have learned anything, it is that I can always count on the consistency of life being inconsistent. It isn't something to be feared, but rather embraced. The uncertainty leaves us dependent. It leaves our hearts asking and seeking answers. It encourages us to reside under the protection of an all-knowing God. He holds our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows in the very palm of His hand.
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 02:32PM This Sunday I'm musing over the thought that who we are is everchanging. What a gift to be able to reinvent ourselves. Just as animals shed their skin, we shed pieces of ourselves and build back even stronger.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 11:37AM I read something a few days ago that plucked a string in my heart. It was just a simple question, but after reading it I felt heavy. It was a question that was required to be answered to enter the Amy Wenzel Contest: "What do you do that inspires others?" The reason this question felt heavy as an anvil is twofold: Amy Wenzel's workshop has been on my "dream list" since the day she started hosting them & secondly because it's a question that puts my influence to the test. In this life, I often get distracted along the way, but in the depths of my being I only want to live a life that causes others to see God's face. And if they don't don't believe in a God, then I at least want to show them His qualities. Let me be grace-filled. Let me be kind, patient and TRUE.
If I had to claim a strength - I would claim honesty. This last year has been challenging for us. On top of being newlyweds, I have moved 4x due to both the economy and my husband's search for a job. He was in & out of jobs for a year & I was going through a battle all my own... I started to (what I felt like was out of nowhere) suffer from depression and anxiety. Really more anxiety. I wake up feeling nervous, overwhelmed with a feeling that my future isn't going to align with my plans. God holds my hand and whispers "I've got this one, Rach." Time & time He has proven Himself faithful. I have been wanting to share my struggle on the blog for months now, but have been praying for the right time. It honestly wasn't until a few months ago that I stopped blaming myself and realized that God wasn't punishing me with feelings of hopelessness, rather He was letting me know that it is an okay thing to need Him. He isn't allowing my anxiety to happen because He is cruel, He allows it because He is caring. And God knows that without affliction, character would remain stagnant.
On this blog, I have tried to be honest no matter what the measure. I have received e-mails before with people saying that something that God has put on my heart was meant for them to read, and they thanked me for sharing it. When readers ask me about my marriage or status of my business I simply reply with the truth, no matter how raw. Circumstances don't always unfold as we wish. I have to daily trust that in the midst of what looks like a big blur to me, God sees it with great clarity.
This contest has encouraged me to claim my strengths and not be afraid to go for something I feel would be a huge blessing. I not only admire Amy's style, but her heart. Workshops are one pretty penny, but I think that from going to this one it would produce great rewards. I feel that it would promote confidence in me, help me further my processing/brand/shooting, further my love and understanding of photography, and allow me to meet other people who share this same love. And if I win, I might cry. Or pass out. Or turn into Tarzan- find a limb, swing from it, & beat my chest. It could get crazy, folks.
(Click on above link to see details!)
