“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”
~Harvey MacKay
So I came across this video from another photographers blog the other day and thought wow…this is something! You should make each day count, because you just never know when your last day is here. I mean really… I have been thinking a lot about that lately because of the church that I have been attending. And our new series called NO LIMITS. Well this video for sure depicts someone who has NO LIMITS! Life is truly too short to not MAKE IT COUNT!
Don’t sit around wasting your days doing nothing. Get out there and do something. And once you start thinking that your life isn’t that same old boring life, you will begin to see new enjoyment and excitement begin to happen!
And as it says in the bible:
“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away [life is short].” – James 4:14 NKJV
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity [make it count], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV
So now what? Go out there and make today count! Go do something! Something that gives you happiness, fulfillment, be a WINNER. And remember that each priceless day is given from GOD! And when that day is gone…it is gone for GOOD!
Where will you be in 30 days? Will you be living a NO LIMIT life? Or will you just be 30 days older? And when you start living your NO LIMIT life you will never have to worry about counting your days:)
“Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends.”
What gifts will be included in your wedding day. Some gifts will be placed in the hotel rooms to greet your friends and family. This may be a fragrant candle, candy, water, snacks, directions to the ceremony/reception, etc. Most of the gifts that you give to the bridal party are given at the rehearsal dinner. Such gifts may include that perfect necklace you want your Bridesmaids to wear. For the Groomsmen, it may be a cuff link, money clip, a good cigar. Whatever the gifts may be make sure that they are personalized to your wedding day. And make sure you check out Pintrest for lots of examples. Here are just a few that I found while browsing.
What was the best you have ever gotten as a Bridesmaid or Groomsmen?
“Well, if you don’t have time to do it right, what makes you think you’ll have time to do it over?“~Purple Cow
I decided to do this blog about some of the books and dvd’s that I have read and viewed over the past few years that have been beneficial to my business. I am sorry for the craziness of the video with my daughter and the background noise from my boys, but they are off on Spring Break. Make sure you watch it to the end though because my daughter is so funny! I want to give props to Dane Sanders, Me Ra Koh, Seth Goodin, Zach & Jody Gray, Jay Levinson, Millie Holloman, Lauren Clark, Justin & Mary Marantz, Luke & Cat Neumayr, and PhotoVision.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”~Ephesians 3:20 NIV
Well here is another blog post about my church experience this past weekend. I have to share this experience with you all because it is an excellent series that was just started…NO LIMITS! The pastor talked a lot about our limits and what is limiting us, but really we need to accept 100% of responsibility for our lives regardless of what has happened in the past or is happening right now. How true is that? Geez… that just totally hit home, because I haven’t truly been living a NO LIMIT life. I mean yes things are great on the home-front for the most part. Well maybe my kids could be nicer to each other and not fight so much. If anyone knows my kids…it gets quit physical and I have to pull them off of each other and scream and yell at them. Something that I am not happy or proud about doing at all. And all I can think about is WHY GOD? WHY ARE YOU TESTING ME THIS WAY? WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? I am not exactly sure why, but ever since we have attended church a little over a month ago, guess what? My kids are not fighting as much….I know it is a work in progress, but hey some miracle is happening through his words! I LOVE that MAN!
So now I must say: I am responsible somehow for this craziness in my life and I am trying so hard to be a much better mother to them. Because like pastor said we are 100% responsible for our paths we chose to take. I want them to grow up being better. Isn’t that what all parents want in the long run? For our children to become better than we have become? I know that my mom is so proud of me and my sisters. She had me when she was 17, just a baby. And we are doing well in our lives. I know that a lot of teens have babies. Believe me….I see it first hand in my nursing job in Labor & Delivery, but just know that if you are a teen….YOU can still have a NO LIMIT life and become more than you even imagine is possible. Because with him all things are possible.
You can either be the VICTIM or the VICTOR! I say BE THE VICTOR!
You must go above and beyond. You must expect to become BETTER, before you can become MORE.
CHOOSE to make your NO LIMIT life begin today! And if you are in the Toledo, Ohio area…I challenge you to come to THE CHURCH! You so won’t be disappointed.
During church service on Saturday night….the pastor read an excerpt from a previous blog post that I had written. Oh my goodness… I had no idea that was going to happen. I was in total shock. I mean I was delighted because why else would I write this blog, but to share my experiences, and my photography with you all? I knew that they were going to use the slideshow from the Easter Egg Drop that I took and made, but use my blog post? How did I deserve to be noticed? Not me? It made me think last night wow, maybe this ordinary girl is turning into something EXTRAORDINARY by using my blog to influence others. Twice last week I was told by two different people that my name came up in the church. Now this girl who has only attended this church for a little over a month is making an impact, and it feels GREAT!
And with that my NO LIMIT life begins.
I also encourage you to attend one of the Church’s classes that they offer. There is a new series called LIFE TALK. There are many classes from marriage, addictions, to new believers. Check out the website to find out what class is good for you. They start on Wednesday April 18th at 7pm and last 7 weeks. Brint and I will be attending the marriage class. Not that our marriage is bad, but who’s marriage couldn’t use a bit of help to make it better? So like I said…I encourage you to attend one of these or even the wonderful program that I blogged about called RELENTLESS. It is also on Wednesdays at 7pm. I look forward to seeing you at THE CHURCH!
“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” ~Voltaire
I got this recipe back in February 2011 and just made it yesterday. I can’t believe I waited so long to make this because they taste just like PF Chang’s lettuce wraps on their menu. Thanks Jenn for the recipe. I will be making these for sure more often:)
1 head of Boston, Baby, or Bibb lettuce. We also used iceberg and it ws more crunchy.
1 lb. ground chicken
1 lg. onion, diced
2 T garlic, diced
1 T soy sauce
2 t fresh grated ginger (or 1 t dry, ground ginger)
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1 T red wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar
2 t Asian chili sauce (this is HOT and you may want a little less)
1 can water chesnuts, diced
1 bunch of green onions, thinly sliced
2 t Asian sesame oil
Wash and dry whole lettuce leaves to use as lettuce cups.
In a large skillet, cook chicken and break up into pieces.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, vinegar, and Asian chili sauce.
Cook until chicken browns and ingredients are well combined.
Add water chesnuts, and green onion. Cook until green onion wilts, about 2 minutes.
Stir in sesame oil.
Spoon into lettuce cups and serve with rice. Enjoy!
“And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.”~Colossians 3:2 (AMP)
I know that I have been posting a lot about my life here, but in doing so I am hoping to challenge you to do some of the new things that I have done in my life. The new things in my life are making a difference and I want them to make a difference in YOUR life too.
I went to church last night to a group that they have every Wednesday night at 7pm. It is called Relentless! I was beyond amazed. The speaker Jamal was outstanding. I loved his analogies and his humor in guiding us to get a reality check on life! If you have never been to one of these groups…I strongly encourage you to go! I was scared, nervous, and had awful anxiety about attending church again and to go to classes?….come on! But something in my heart told me to suck it up and just go! And look where I am today! I absolutely LOVE The Church on Strayer and I have only been attending for a month! I challenge you to attend a church if you have been lost or broken. I know in my heart that it WILL help you.
So we broke into small groups and had a discussion…. this was a bit intimidating to me at first, but I did open up and answer the questions. The girls in the group were so amazing, supportive, and knowledgeable about GOD and his word. I have some studying to do:)
So here are the questions from last night and something for you to think about and answer for yourself. They are very thought provoking.
1. What has your full attention right now?
2. Have you ever got yourself into something you couldn’t get yourself out of because you lost focus?
3. Jesus is asking for your full ATTENTION. What makes you lose focus on God? And Why?
4. Losing focus on God can be deadly. What will you do different knowing this?
5. Are you SINKING?
I know all this talk about God and Jesus may make some of you run away from my blog…and I am ok with that. And some will stay because they are craving more! I am here for you if you need someone to chat with and remember that GOD is always there for YOU!
Then after our small group discussion, we had a little socializing. It was great to meet so many people that are so accepting to GOD and to newcomers. Two of the girls also asked if they could pray over me for my family. And who wouldn’t say YES to that? I so need as many prayers as I can get. And I know that GOD is answering my prayers about my family and children.
So what is your mission today? Get out there and Read your BIBLE and get closer to GOD. You won’t be disappointed.
The day, the dress The bride, the groom The joy, the tears Will all come soon Professing true love To my husband-to-be With all my family & friends All watching me. I hope the sun will Be shining down Keep your fingers crossed I’ll fit in my gown. But there’s just one more thing That needs to be…. And that’s to have you Standing there with me! So on my wedding day, I will need you more than ever, Please say you’ll be my Bridesmaid… And my friend forever!
As I sat at McDonald’s last night watching my kids run off some energy in their playland…I overheard this group of mother’s talking about the hideous bridesmaids dresses that they have worn in the past. It was quite comical. But today the Bridesmaid’s dress isn’t so scary. Designers have made the dress with fabulous options and with the possiblity of wanting to wear it again.
So now what? Is your wedding formal, casual, or a beach wedding? If you are having a formal wedding the wedding dress should be full lenth, and if it is casual or a beach wedding tea length is more appropriate.
What color should you choose? Well the dresses of course you want to coordinate your color scheme. One suggestion is to make sure that the dresses are all cut from the same dye lot. And if your bridesmaid lives out of town, send them a sample swatch to make certain the dresses match. Or you could do the newest trend and have all your bridesmaids were either different styles of the same color dress or each bridesmaid wears a different color dress but all matching in style.
Now to the shoes…. you can either have the shoes all matching or the newest trend is to let your bridesmaids pick their own shoe style.
Some questions to ask:
What are the cancellation policies?
What is the alteration fee, if any?
What alterations will the dress need? What is the best fitting time schedule that would be appropriate for the wedding date?
What happens if the dress comes in the wrong size or color? Or better yet….what if it doesn’t arrive in time? Does the store have a contingency in place for this mishap?
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” ~ 1 Peter 1:3
On Saturday I had the opportunity to volunteer at our new church for the kids Egg Drop! It was such an amazing experience. If you have never done this I recommend you taking your kids to this egg hunt! There were eggs everywhere! I would recommend those that are coming for the egg drop to attend church service too. I was a bit disappointed because I felt like man there are a ton of people here and…you should just attend the service and you would be hooked with this church for good! Everyone though has there own agenda, but really if you haven’t been to church in awhile I would suggest you attending this one! I have only been going there for a month, but it has been the most incredible month of my life by far! And my kids LOVE it there!
Our next series at the church is No Limits! I am super excited for this series! I want to live a NO LIMIT LIFE! Don’t you?
How high do you want to climb? How far do you want to go? How much do you want to achieve? What are your limits? Make sure you join us on our journey towards a “NO LIMIT” Life! By changing the way you think, you change your results and your life! Starts April 14-15 at TheChurch!
You can also get a free download of theChurch Band’s new single, “Your Love” here.
You can watch my video here to see what you missed and I hope that you come out next year to the Egg drop and the Easter service!
“I have to remind myself sometimes that I did not sign up to be a supermodel, nor did I sign up to eat like one…I signed up to be a singer.”~Jennifer Nettles
Tonight I get the opportunity to see the music group SUGARLAND in concert at the Hunington Center! I get to see them perform with my good friends Mandy, Velma, & Stacy! I can’t wait! Here is a little preview that I will be gearing up for all day long! You know I will be listening to SUGARLAND on the radio, ipod, & ipad all day long. Are you going to the concert tonight? If so….try to find me! I would LOVE to give ya a hug.
P.S. Anyone else adore Jennifer Nettles as much as I do?
“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”~John Jakes
Here are a few pictures of something that I do not want to forget in my life. I am sure some of you feel the same way about your kids. Those special things or moments that are important. I am here to photograph those memories for you. That is what my job is all about and I love capturing those special moments. My daughter loves to do whatever I do and I have began journaling. Yes…in all sorts of lovely notebooks. I make lists, write to GOD, write about life, and organize my thoughts about my business in all of these lovely journals. Kasey decided while I was journaling in my journal one sunny afternoon that she was going to take it from me and write herself. I just LOVE that girl. She makes my heart smile. So I had to run inside and get out my camera and photograph this special moment in my life. My favorite one is the one of her eyelashes and of her sweet little hands holding the pen. Do you have anything that your kids may do that you want to remember for years to come? What are those things? Tell me about your kiddos. I would LOVE to hear about them and photograph them. I am here for YOU! I want YOU to have photographs to hold on to those special memories for your legacy to treasure for years to come!
I also just want to let you know that your life will brighten up when you start putting your thoughts on paper. I am serious… I was a bit skeptical, but I started doing this and life has been amazing. So go out and get yourself a lovely journal and start writing today! It will make a difference in your life, I PROMISE. And I want to hear about it. So make sure you leave me love by commenting on this blog telling me how this has worked in your life?
Have a great Monday everyone and here is to making memories and to journaling!
Here you will find my most recent and favorite photos from my current shoots. I will also update ya with some personal stuff too! Keep coming back to view my work and my personal life. GOD BLESS and ENJOY!
