Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”~Deuteronomy 31:6
I purchased an e-book called The Prosper from Scarlett Lillian Knuth yesterday. My blog from yesterday gives all the details, so read it for more information.
I read the first day last night and today I am to write a blog about your heart for the LORD, or what the LORD means to you. Now this is super scary, because it is putting my feelings out there in the public. But that is the point. I want YOU to like me for who and what I stand for. Some of you may know that I am a Christian because I talk about a group that I belong to called Pursuit 31 and that I am attending their conference in October, but this is different. This book is making me think and be accountable for loving and trusting the LORD with my business.
So what does the LORD mean to me? WOW! HE means the world to me. HE is my savior. HE awakens me! The only one that I can count on in my life, well whom I can discuss my fears, thoughts, and dreams without being discouraged. I mean I have Brint to count on, trust me…he is wonderful, but only the LORD knows all, just sayin’! I have always believed in the LORD, rarely went to church growing up. My family last attended church when I was pregnant with my son Zack who is now 6. Yup, I went to church by myself with Kyle (4) and Blake (2) and they were being typical 4 and 2 year olds. That day they wouldn’t go to church daycare. They came to church with me, we sat in the last row. They were distracting, but not being on their best behavior and a lady sitting in front of us kept staring and giving me dirty looks. So we left before the service was over and never went back. I was so embarrassed and humiliated. How could me wanting to teach my kids about the LORD be taken away from me? I am sure there is a reason, but it isn’t clear just yet. My kids are now 11,9,6, & 3. I have been wanting to go back to church because I feel that my kids need to know the LORD and what HE is all about. I am just nervous and scared that maybe the same thing might happen again. I have been watching church online because I feel safe. Well it is TIME to trust in the LORD and know that his timing is NOW!
He has chosen my path. He has plans for me. I give him all of my heart. So today I am asking the LORD to help me with all things great in my life. My family…my business…my health…my EVERYTHING! I am LORD expecting all great things from you over the next 40 days. I know that you will help me prosper in all areas in my life. I am putting you first in my business.
So tell me what does the LORD mean to you? Share your stories! I want to be beside you on your journey of life!
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”~ Jeremiah 29:11
Today, I got this email from the lovely Scarlett Lillian Knuth that was amazing. Let me tell you. She is a Dreamer. Lover. Photographer. Blogger. And a Believer. You see Scarlett has done something revolutionary in the photography world. She has created a community for Christian Photography Worshipers to come together and be united with the power of the Almighty God. You can view her new site here (www.choosecommitprosper.com) . I downloaded her new book and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me over the next 40 days. It kind of reminds me of the LOVE DARE book. So anyways, I will be on this journey for the next 40-50 days and I pray that you will be willing to join me in my new adventure called PROSPER! I will be on this prayer journey to seek God’s will for my photography business all THANKS to the lovely Scarlett.
If the money we donate helps one child or can ease the pain of one parent, those funds are well spent.~Carl Karcher
So yesterday I decided that because today is FREE pancake day at IHOP that I would get my kids up early and take them to breakfast before school. So that is what we did today! You know that today is FREE pancake day at IHOP and it is all to benefit THE CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK. We ate some pancakes and gave a donation. You see it is teaching my kids about charity and giving to those in need. I am hoping that it made an impact on them today! Too bad their dad couldn’t join us today due to the busy tax season! He was at work while we were enjoying our pancakes. It is all day long until 10pm, so if you feel like eating some pancakes and you are in the giving mode….then I would suggest going to IHOP. Their goal is $2.7 million today! So go and HELP them out! It is for a great cause. Did you know that you can also donate your Delta Sky Miles too? Enjoy some pictures from our breakfast this morning!
“What the enemy meant for EVIL, God meant for Good.”
Today started out with my alarm clock going off at 5:20am and of course I hit snooze until 5:44am and then hop in the shower and get ready for work. Well as I was gathering up my things to leave for the day of work….I get a text! A text from my friend Velma that says, I just called work and they said you are working today, what? really? I never got a phone call to tell me that I was called off for the day. Hmm….
He has plans for me today
So I called and yup, they made a mistake and was to call me off. So up the stairs I go and tell my husband that now he can get up and go to work early. He doesn’t have to worry about the kids today unless I get called into work. Which this time of year, he is praying that I don’t So anyways, here is hoping that my day goes a bit better. But hey…I did get some things accomplished around the house so far…. the dishes, laundry, breakfast, picked up, now to dust, windex, vacuum, clean bathrooms, sweep the kitchen floor as well as mop it! Just a few things on my to do list today! And if I don’t get it all done….I will enlist my little army to help out when they get home from school haha….
I just wanted to say that today I am stirring it up! I am stirring up the gifts that God has given me! So I want you to look at what God has placed in your hands today. What door of opportunity is there before you? Take a leap of faith and stir it up!
“There is great confidence in knowing that God will take the very things that you are going through and turn them around for your good and for His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
“Kiss your life. Accept it, just as it is. Today. Now. So that those moments of happiness you’re waiting for don’t pass you by.”
I thought that I would share with you all my trip to Vegas this past summer. I thought that it might be appropriate since this week is WPPI in Vegas and a lot of my photographer friends are there soaking up lost of knowledge and cultivating their friendships. YES… I am jealous! And remember when I said that I was going to share with you all the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY! Well it is definitely fitting in this post and I will explain the details…
So we arrived to Vegas with my in-laws, and with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and it was great, except our room wasn’t ready! No big deal, just gamble some more, right? The second day is where it gets CRAZY! You see…we eat breakfast and then go out to the pool and hang out. I did get a frozen margarita, but then all of a sudden….I wasn’t feeling the greatest! I kept saying that my stomach hurt! I walked to the bathroom, peed, washed my hands….splashed lots of water on myself and then walked back to where our seats were, but my crew had gotten up and were ready to go back to our rooms. I was seeing spots/white haze. I told my husband that I wasn’t feeling well and that I felt like I was going to pass out as I leaned up against a pillar. And YUP you guessed it! I passed out….I mean I was out cold! Luckily my husband caught me and put me to the ground. The medics came. My brother-in-law says my husband was scared to death! When I came alert again, all I could say was that I kept hearing someone calling my name! My husband evidently was smacking my face and calling my name. Then I drank some water! Got to love that. So the medics thought that I was dehydrated from the desert sun/heat! AND to TOP it all off…MY HUSBAND says, we laugh at people that do this on the show Party at the Hard Rock! Thanks a lot right? So I went back to the hotel and took a bit of a nap! That day I will never forget, CRAZINESS!
The next day I got to meet a lovely photographer Memoree Barrett. She was there from Texas with her husband. So we met up for lunch. It was great to finally meet in person. Got to love that face to face connection!
So that is my Vegas trip in a nutshell and NO we did not come home with BIG winnings, just a great memorable story:)
“It is better to have less of what doesn’t matter and more of what does.”
So this past Sunday…
I got the chance to sit and watch some recorded sermons from The Church of the Highlands. And let me tell you…the two that I watched were phenomenal!
So today’s lesson this Valentine’s Day is that LESS can actually be more. You see…. YES in the beginning of my LOVE AFFAIR with Brint, he would shower me with lots of gifts and flowers, but today…not so much. He knows that less is more to me. I would rather spend the money on something else that matters…our home, children, cars, pool, vacations, etc. You get my point, right? We don’t buy each other gifts for holidays, because we would rather spend time together and that is what matters most!
“It is better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” Eclesiastes 4:6 This quote from the Bible hit home to me on Sunday! Why do we live in a world that NEEDS more? And does MORE really matter in the end? Our time making our relationships on Earth here is what really matters the most. And spending that time with our family and friends is what really counts!!!
Ask yourself WHAT REALLY MATTERS MOST TO YOU?
You must LET GO of what really doesn’t matter. And FIGHT for what does matter!
You see I want to be that one handful person. So today I vow to change. I will cut back, turn off, and throw away the things that don’t really matter!
“Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children.” ~Rosaleen Dickson“
Today my daughter was sitting on my lap and wanted to see some pictures from our family vacation to Myrtle Beach this past summer. And it dawned on me that I have never blogged about our wonderful family trip. It was our first family trip that we drove anywhere. That in itself was an experience, but the kids enjoyed it and overall they were really good.
I remember being a child and driving to Georgia, Florida, and to Niles, Ohio many times. It is just something that as a child we all need to experience.
As we were driving though, my husband and I said….boy what did we used to do back in the day where there were only maps and no GPS to get us from point A to B? We are definitely spoiled. We did go to Myrtle Beach one way and home another, but hey we managed and got home safe and sound.
On our trip the kids liked the beach but LOVED the lazy river pool at the Anderson Ocean Club and Spa. I guess they didn’t like the feel of the sand??? Really! The boys went shark tooth hunting and found lots thanks to the Children’s Activity Guys.
We didn’t really explore much of Myrtle Beach….just enjoyed the sun, and family time mostly at the resort. Which to me and my husband meant the world. I know that the kids will definitely remember this for a lifetime and I am truly THANKFUL for the time together!
As I sit here poundering what I should write about…my dog is sleeping on the floor next to me, my kids should be sleeping but instead are talking….and my husband is out playing poker. Well, that is my night in a nutshell. I am tired and ready for bed, but my mind won’t stop thinking….
Thinking of all the cool photography ideas that I have in my head…. props, workshops, friends, blogs, websites, mentors, mentees, pursuit 31, and the list goes on!
and then…
I decide to take a look around me…who would have thought that I would be here! Be where I want to be. Everything is falling into place. Weddings, bookings, my family, and spirtually! I am still working on some friendship issues. (It is difficult with work, kids, husband, and life)!
You know that the music can take you wherever and anywhere you want to go!
“I can’t wait to see the new doors you’ll open, the new friends I’ll make, the new opportunities I will have.”
I have been reading a lot lately and this quote above stuck out to me. I have been praying to GOD a lot lately too and he has been so good to me. He has opened up new doors for me, given me some new friends and I know that there are opportunities out there for me.
If you stay within your faith you will see GOD blossom your life in ways you may have never imagined. This is happening to me as I type. Life, Photography, Nursing, Love, Family, Finances and Friends have all been blossomed because of my faith for God. I know that it is all because of him that things are happening for the better.
I have dreams…. BIG DREAMS.
Dreams to become a better photographer, to be able to just work full-time doing something that I am passionate about and have been for many many years! I have dreams to go around the country. Take my family on a vacation, to visit Hawaii with my husband, to one day be debt free(almost there)! I dream of teaching my children to love GOD more and to take them on a mission trip one day. I have dreams to make lots of new friends. I have a dream to one day educate others about photography. I dream of growing old with my husband, sitting on a porch swing…his hand in mine. My dreams are endless, they go on and on and on…..
Don’t let anyone talk you out of your dreams. Because if you dream it, you can achieve it.
If I wait with confidence, I know that my harvest is on its way. It may be today, tomorrow, a month from now, next year, or 20 years from now, but I know that it is coming. And when it comes it is going to be bigger and better than before!
I know that no-one can keep me from my destiny. So I must continue doing the things that I love and keep on praying.
The difficulties will give me new growth, new potential, new talent, new friendships, new opportunities, and a new vision…..God’s blessings will then be in bloom!
“All good music resembles something. Good music stirs by its mysterious resemblance to the objects and feelings which motivated it.“~Jean Cocteau
I was once challenged to listen to nothing but Christian music a few years ago and it has changed my life for the better. So I am challenging you to listen to KLOVE (96.9 in Toledo, OH) for 30 days straight. You truly will see a difference in your life. Sure I still listen today to other music, my kids listen to all the new hip music, but when it is me time….I am listening to KLOVE. It is my inspirational dose of GOD that I need and crave. I am going to put you all up for another challenge….When you hear “Hold Me” by Jamie Grace on the radio, text me Hold Me at 419.345.1082 and you could win a FREE $10 itunes card. Here is a quick video from Jamie Grace and one about the 30 day challenge. I hope that you will take this amazing challenge and see your life be changed. AND for all that don’t know me….my all time favorite singer is still TAYLOR SWIFT!
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!
So anyways, here is hoping that my day goes a bit better. But hey…I did get some things accomplished around the house so far…. the dishes, laundry, breakfast, picked up, now to dust, windex, vacuum, clean bathrooms, sweep the kitchen floor as well as mop it! Just a few things on my to do list today! And if I don’t get it all done….I will enlist my little army to help out when they get home from school 
