Wonderful World of Photography!

So a few months ago my BFF and I decided to start a photography business. We did a wedding for a friend and it turned out so well that we decided to run with the crazy idea. Well starting a business takes a lot of work and a lot of time. Between the insanity of our regular jobs, families, church activities and social networking we managed to somehow put the pieces in place. Slow start but believing that God will bless the work.

So yesterday we had our first job involving children. Let me just say I have a new level of respect for children's church workers, day care employees, kindergarten teachers and parents of more than one child everywhere. Lol! I will tell you this, between the moving of furniture, entertaining children, posing children, setting up equipment, dragging children, forcing children to smile, getting the lighting just right, chasing children, making children stop crying, getting 2 cameras ready for action, feeding children, making children laugh, hauling in props, holding children still, making children look in certain directions, laying on the ground to get great angles, fixing children's clothes, threatening children, standing on exercise equipment for a different perspective, fixing children's clothes, bribing children, moving the party outside, bringing out toys to distract children, preventing children from trampling tiny rat dog, tearing everything down, calming children down, loving children and packing up...we were exhausted!!!! :)

Not kidding when I say it was an eye opening experience. We agreed that weddings are a lot less challenging. But since we now have 3 more photo shoots scheduled with families and lots and lots of children (and no weddings) I think God must be trying to teach us something. Haha!

What fascinated me were the different personalities that these kids had, even though they were from the same family line, each one was unique.

The oldest boy was very obedient, he did whatever we asked him to, no attitude, he was adorable. You could tell that he'd been down this road before and knew how to handle it. The other kids were younger.

The next one in line was a little energy ball. He no sooner hit the ground than he was off running. Finding a monster truck he was focused on playing, but then he saw a ball and he was off again. Posing him for pics was challenging because we literally had a 2 second window that he would sit still for and then he was gone.

The third down the line was almost a little over 1 and he had trouble focusing on us. We needed all sorts of things to grab his attention. We held up a mirror so he could see his reflection, we broke out Elmo and even had grandma doing her thing to keep him interested. But soon enough he would get hungry and need his bottle because the other things just didn't seem to satisfy him like his real food.

Our final little one was a mere 3 month all bundle of chubby cheeks and wide eyes. He didn't protest much (quite frankly he pretty much just laid there the whole time) but he just seemed to soak up everything that was going on around him. The cameras, the flashes, the lights, the people he just was trying to take it all in at once. His eyes and little hands just kept moving. Like I said, so fascinating!

The dad was awesome to watch as well. He had such patience, one of the kids would race off and he would go and get them and bring them back to the place where they needed to be. It seemed like they would just keep doing that but their father always went after them and would tell them again what they needed to do.

I love how God will show us things when our hearts are ready and willing to listen. I realized that these kids all represented phases of the Christian walk.

The oldest was like a more seasoned Christian. One who understands that obedience leads to blessing, one who has been through a lot and so knows about God's faithfulness and that this is another step in the journey.

The second child reminds me of the Christian who gets so excited about things and get really involved and pour themselves in it but then something else comes along that appears more exciting and so they are ready to jump into that. They are so busy going from one thing to the next that they barely sit still long enough to experience all that God may have for them.

The third child reminds of the Christian who can get caught up in the 'show'. That person loves the hype, they follow the conferences, get excited with the music and dance, they go from event to event looking for the next high but in the end the only thing that could truly satisfy them is time spent in the Word. Something that is sustaining and rich.

The last one is like the brand new Christian, starting out they are fun to watch as they discover the world around them, getting to know the different promises of God and seeing Him at work. It is almost overwhelming in a good way. They don't know where to look because they are surrounded by a new life.

But probably the most awesome part of the afternoon (besides it being over and me being able to find food and take a nap :) was watching dad. He made me think of our Abba Father whose mercies are new every day. Over and over again we may make poor decisions, we walk away from God, we choose our ways instead of His, we get involved in things we shouldn't and over and over God comes after us, bringing us back to the place where we were, giving us chance after chance to accept His grace and walk in His ways because He knows what's best for us and He has a plan. Wow! Kinda gives fresh revelation to His compassions never failing doesn't it? I am so grateful because I have been that kid running off more times than I can count, 'but for the grace of God...'

Hey friends, do me a favor and share something neat that God has shown you. I would love to hear. Till next time :)

Not Always Easy

It's funny how we can make plans and dream dreams and in a split second life can change. I've been noticing it more and more recently as even the things that I have been hoping for and praying for seem to crumble around me without ever coming to life. I think these ideas are from God and then they don't go the way I thought they would, I find myself questioning whether I had heard from God to begin with. I've come to realize that things happen and we don't always understand why but these times become defining moments in our lives as to how we move forward.

I have a friend who is like a dad to me who was one of the most vibrant people I ever met. He loved God and taught me about living - real living - not canned Christianity but really living out loud. Unfortunately a stroke 2 years ago and bad medical decisions completely changed his life and his family's. Before he had his stroke he was telling me about dreams that he had been dreaming and praying about and things that he felt God was calling him to do. He was so excited at the time but barely a week later his life was turned upside down leaving behind loved ones with a lot of questions and desperately clinging to the goodness and omnipotence of a God who knows the end from the beginning. Not what was expected at all. So were those dreams and visions he had from God? Is God going to miraculously fulfill them in his life? Do we listen to the report of doctors and nurses who say that his loved ones should just let him go or do we believe the report of the God that heals?

This young man that I met a year ago was a great guy, says he knew the Lord but was not really walking with Him at the time. But there was amazing potential there. During the last year I didn't have much contact with him but recently ran into him again and was surprised to find that he was not the same person I had known a year ago. The potential that had been there now seemed to be lost, buried behind a wall of lies and deception. I had made a commitment to pray for this guy when I could see the potential for God to do great things in him. Now that the view is not so clear, do I still pray for him? Do I still pray for his return to the Lord when I don't even care to see him again? Do I still cry out for something that seems impossible' to the God of the impossible?

What about the fact that I had big dreams of doing something great, of changing my situation and circumstances. Dreams that I felt for sure God had planted in my heart and I was growing more excited about by the minute. Then one day factors changed and all of a sudden the change that I was longing for suddenly became invisible amidst a cloud of doubt and a broken heart. What happens when I can't see the 'vision' anymore? Were those ideas and thoughts from God? If they were why are they now changing? Do I resign myself to 'perish'? or do I trust that God already knew this change was going to take place and He still has a plan for my life that will give me a future and a hope when all I see is a dead end?

As much as I hate it, life on this fallen planet is not always easy. Decisions and choices that we face every day are hard. Trusting God with it sometimes, at least for myself, comes in as the runner up because my human nature thinks if I can control the situation I can correctly predict my destiny. Here's the problem with that though -

(1) God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts higher than ours.
(2) He is the God who calls things that are not as though they were.
(3) He says He will never leave us or forsake us.
(4) He is the One who gave up His only Son for me to have eternal life. He knows sacrifice and pain.

Makes me stop and repent for ever doubting Him. Yet He knows that I do and I will and He still loves me and continues to draw me to Him. Things don't always turn out the way we expect it but we have the choice to trust God or ourselves. I don't know about you, but my track record hasn't been too great so I'm going to go with God no matter what because in this life, I will need as much help as I could get.

Change

I remember when I bought my first car and it cost me a grand total of $16.00 to top off my tank. Today the number 16 only refers to the number of gallons it can hold because in dollars and cents that would barely get me to Wal-mart! Of course let's face it, gas isn't the only thing that costs more- from gum to cars, you name it, the numbers keep escalating.

When prices go up we notice because it touches us personally, you know, our wallets! It causes us to change how we handle our finances, do our budget, balance our spending, pay our bills etc. Change never comes easily but I have found as I get ol...umm...more mature, change is inevitable. What do I mean? Well let's see besides the cost of living, here are a few other areas that I have found myself having to make adjustments:

The 30 Hill! When I was in my twenties I thought 'this is the life.' I could eat anything I want and not gain an ounce, I always was full of energy, I was okay with waiting because I was young, I could still become anything I wanted, I could go wherever I wanted...the world was at my fingertips and there was no hurry or worry. Then I turned 30 and it all changed. Suddenly my body began to betray me, I started developing this soft inner tube like thing around my stomach area-what is that? And why won't it go away? If this had made an appearance 5 years ago I could probably go for a bike ride and it would go away, now, it clings on for dear life, my goal now is to eliminate it...slowly.

I remember the days that I could wake up and spring out of bed and if I dropped something I would bend down and pick it up and be on my way...I miss those days (insert tear here). The good news is that I have discovered muscles that I never knew I had, the bad news is that I know they are there now because they hurt. The first day I bent down to pick up something and let out a grunt...well...sad. Oh days of rebound, how I long for you.

Not only is my body changing (not all for the bad, but definitely not all for the good either)), but my health is as well. What are all these aches that have mysteriously set up camp? I never had much health issues but now I've been struggling with one for a couple years and the most frustrating part is the lack of diagnosis. It's like we must doctor ourselves these days. I see so many of my friends and family also experiencing changes in their health for no apparent reasons and I long for the free from pain days. Don't get me wrong, I have many good days but I am certainly reminded often that it is not what it used to be.

Then there are the relationship changes. Friends that come in for seasons and then go and then friends that come and will be there for life and you can't imagine what life was like before and don't want to think of life without. Family relationships change, suddenly those close to you are growing up and getting lives of their own, dating, working, traveling...changing the very dynamics of how you interact and preparing for the next stage. Changing schools, churches or jobs presents a continuous flow of new people whose lives you will touch and some of whom will touch yours and change it.

Not to mention how your perspectives change, your likes and dislikes (I mean I love golf and four wheeling, go figure!)

Change is sometimes hard, sometimes easy, sometimes not the best, sometimes really good, but always, always inevitable. So I have found that I really have only one choice when it comes to change and that is my attitude. I can fight it, or embrace it. As a Christian I have to trust what God says, "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future," and "The steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord." Right? He already knows all the changes I will encounter on this journey. For you too. So do I trust Him? Do I pray that He gives me wisdom be a good steward of my finances? Do I trust that if I eat right and exercise my body will be healthier? Do I know that He is the God that heals and the God that leads? Do I believe?

Change is going to come and when it's all said and done I would rather stick with the One who already knows the end from the beginning than try to figure it all out. I'm tired just thinking about it. (I think that is another sign of getting ol...umm more mature) :)