Moving Day

Nothing to write here as we are moving in today. I'll be back next week!

Monday Minute

Still on the road. Enjoy this video. My mom posted it on Facebook. Wow, that's something I didn't ever think I'd hear myself say.

Friday Foto Tip

As you read this, I am on the way to TX!!!

So, just a quick tip for you this week.

Try a different viewpoint.

At my daughter's birthday party, all the girls were signing a ceiling tile that would be put up in the store after the party. Here's the typical shot.



And here's what I got from a different viewpoint.




I simply held the camera up over my head and took a couple shots until I could see mostly everyone's face. To me, this image is a bit unexpected and therefore a lot more fun.

Have a great weekend everyone!

God is our Master Planner ... and why I affectionately call myself a crazy Christian girl

Jeremiah 29:11
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.

Many Christians are familiar with this verse. And it’s a good one to mediate on when life gets a little bumpy. When life gets a little messy. When life just doesn’t seem fair.

These were the words Jeremiah sent to the Israelites that were in exile. The Israelites that were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. These were words from God to encourage his people. But I was never aware of what came just before this verse. If we look back and read Jeremiah 29:10, we learn a little bit more.

10 This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.

What is key here is to remember that God had plans for his people that would be carried out in his time. I like the way these verses are worded in The Message. (The Message is a modern day translation of the Bible. It doesn’t pretend to be the inspired words of God but it does intend to make Scripture easier to read. I like to keep it on hand as I read through the Bible and you can always look it up on Biblegateway.com.)

Jeremiah 29:10-11 (The Message)
10-11This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

… and not a day before.

God does have a plan for us. We just can’t always see the big picture the way God does and can’t always understand the timing. As some of you know, I am in the midst of moving for the second time in two years. Trust me, this was not my plan. My plan was to stay in our home in Michigan until the kids graduated from college then my husband and I would buy a nice, little condo in a cute downtown area. But two years ago, God moved our family away from our cozy life in Michigan surrounded by friends and family and great home church to Binghamton, NY where we didn’t know a soul. And now two years later God is moving our family to Roanoke, TX. Roanoke is just north of the Dallas/Fort worth area. It’s a long back story but let me just share this with you today.

I was struggling, I mean, really struggling with moving from NY to TX. I had gotten very comfortable here in NY, made a lot of great friends, had a beautiful home, and was involved in many different volunteer opportunities. I had even started substitute teaching and earning a few bucks. I was content to stay. When my husband told me it was likely we would be moving to Dallas, I just felt like it wasn’t a move we were supposed to make. I prayed over it constantly and asked God to give me peace about the move. Just days after getting the official word that we were indeed moving we visited family in Michigan. After spending a few days at my in-laws, I woke up and prayed to God that he would show me why I was struggling with this move. What came to mind was pride. In NY, I was a big fish in a little pond. When we moved to TX, I’d be a little fish in a big pond. I wasn’t sure how I would make my way or where I would fit in. And here’s where it gets even better. I went to, um, use the facilities. And I happened to notice that the manufacturer of the toilet bowl was Mansfield. Ladies, as it happens, Mansfield was one of the two cities we were looking at for a home in TX. That blew me away. Then I went to jog on the treadmill and noticed a ladder leaning against the wall. The manufacturer of the ladder was Keller. Remember I said we were looking at homes in two cities. Want to guess what that other city was? You got it. Keller. Oh, and I won't even mention that the manufacturer of the toilet seat was Church. Oh, wait, I just did.

And here’s when I started calling myself a crazy Christian girl. I decided right then and there that the God of the Universe, the Master Planner, was speaking to me through a toilet bowl and a ladder. Years ago when my in-laws purchased these items he already knew our family would be moving to TX. And he knew I would need a little confirmation that it was the right move. And here's a little proof so that you you know I didn't just make this up in my head. I'm not really crazy. I'm just passionate about Jesus. But I know to a lot of people that can look a little crazy.







I know that God has a plan for me. And that plan right now is TX. So, tomorrow morning my family of four will load ourselves into our car and begin our four day road trip to Roanoke. And I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us once we get there!

Isaiah 25:1
LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.

Isaiah 46:10-11
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do.

I'm doing it ...

I've had this idea percolating around in my head for the past year or so to do something different with this blog. You can see my original post here. Wow, time really flies. But now is the time to put some legs to this dream. To put my neck out there. To be stretched by God. For now, I am only going to commit to two posts a week. One will be taking a look at my walk with Jesus. The other will be some kind of photography related post. Yeah, nothing like drawing two completely different audiences. I'm sure this is a really bad idea. But, it's my idea. And I'm running with it.

So, to that end, I am applying for a scholarship to She Speaks, a conference to grow and stretch women who feel called to share Jesus. Here's what I wrote for the scholarship, so might as well share it with all (I think at least one person still reads this blog) of you.

Oh, and I can not post with out a photo so here's one for you.



I am officially a crazy, Christian girl sold out completely to Jesus Christ.

~ Your speaking dream–when it began; where it is now.

Wow. Nothing like starting off with a prompt that will make me bare my soul. Just the idea of having a dream is scary. The idea of actually going after that dream can paralyze me. But, in the last few years I have felt a prompting from God to reach out to other women with God’s truth. I went from being a participator to leading, leaning on God throughout the process. It seems as though through every day life happenings, I see Jesus in them. I am becoming a crazy, Christian girl and couldn’t be happier. I want to share that with other. I want Christian women to see Jesus in their every day lives. To experience Jesus daily. To get a little crazy in the eyes of the world. There is nothing better than having a close, intimate relationship with God.

~ Where is my dream right now?

Well, this post is the first step at making this dream a reality. I had a blog for years with my photography business and now I’m feeling led to use that space on the web for God’s business. I keep coming up with reasons not to pursue my dream. Who will read my blog? What will I say? I’m no Bible expert. Blah. Blah. Blah. I’m going to start pursuing my dream, or is it a calling, today. To take a line from Facing The Giants – my job is to do my best and leave the results up to God. I won’t fear of failure. My dream is to blog with purpose. I’ll leave the results up to God.

~What it is you feel God calling you to speak on:

I definitely feel led to speak to women. Not so much on any one topic, but just living a daily walk with Jesus. On seeing Jesus in the every day. I struggled for so many years about worrying whether my actions were lining up with God’s will or not. I’ve realized that my focus was off. My focus needs to be on knowing God better and as a result, my actions will line up with his will. I want my blog to be an encouragement to women in their every day lives. As a Christian wife and mother, there are so many ways to be discouraged. I want to be a voice of encouragement. A voice of friendship. A been there-done that-or in the midst of it right now. I want women to know they are not alone in this walk with Jesus. The other piece of the puzzle is how to incorporate my photography into my blog. My photography is such an extension of who I am that I know it will need to be a part of my blog for my blog to feel real. See, I just gave myself another excuse for not pursuing my dream! Well, I am going to get over myself and try a few things and see what happens.

~Finally—and now this will be a stretch for some of you—why should I choose you to win this scholarship?

Honestly. I need someone to push my out of my comfort zone. I need someone to make me put some legs to my dream. I need someone to start me through this process. You should choose me because I would have never chosen myself to be used by God, to blog about being a crazy, Christian girl, to encourage women in their spiritual lives. Yet, that’s exactly what I feel God is whispering into my heart. So, with a trembling heart I pray – choose me.