Learning again!

I downloaded a 30 day free trial of the program "Lightroom". 
I feel like I am finally working past the frustration zone and heading into creative zone! 
Hmmmm, I sure hope I don't fall in love with it too strongly! 

Ohhh I do like some of the cool features I can tell you that! 

This is a before and after I used to grind my teeth through, learning the program!
Ughhhhh I hate new things!

Before...

 

After....

  

Romans 12

 

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil ; cling to what is good. 
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love ; give preference to one another in honor ;  
11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord ;  
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. 
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  
16 Be of the same mind toward one another ; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.  
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.  
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK ; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."
 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

 Words to live by. 
Words that will make you and I different from the masses.
Words that work through the power of Christ!!

Sewing Bee

I want to super quickly tell you about that piece of fabric there???

 It used to hang in my daughters room.  It was the curtains that came with my new house and we of course, took them down immediately, seeing as how they didn't suit our more girlie pinkish taste!

It was scooped up quickly by a sweet lady from church who knew she could do "something, sometime" with it.
Well, now is the time.
A few folks from our church are making their way to Hannah's Hope Children's Home in Cambodia.

One of the sisters here decided it would be awesome to take a homemade blanket to every child in the home, so began this old curtains journey toward greatness!!

It was cut and paired with a coordinating deliciously soft piece of orange light weight fleece, then folded and set aside to await sewing.
A little group of us got together one day last week to stitch shirts, pants, and blankets for the upcoming trip.  I chose to do simple sided blankets, as my sewing skills are rusty at best!!
I unknowingly picked up this very fabric and it's partner piece and began my job of surging the sides together.

 It was then that my sweet lady friend reminded me where the fabric had come from. 
How wonderful that it could go through my hands again before being put to use for something special.

Here is me working.  I thought it only fair to put my picture up and not torture the other ladies present who had no desire to be in my camera sights!!!

 It shouldn't surprise you that I got distracted while surging and went too far, so my buddy here had to rip out those seams so the blanket could be turned right side out.  Aahhhh ahahaha!!! 

The next stop for this blanket is to yet another sister from the church who will put the name Daniel on it. 
I wonder what color thread she will use, and what Daniel's expression will be when he realizes that it is all his to keep for as long as he wants it.
I hope to be able to someday show you the final steps of the journey of this humble piece of fabric!












And that is my quick story for today!!  I hope it all made sense, cause I sure don't have time to edit it!!! 

later,
Me

growing

Still alive!

I have been soooooooo busy friends.  I have taken pictures everyday, but making time to get here and post them to keep you caught up is some trick!! 
Here is a recap though! 
I have continued to work on my infant shoot, editing the images for the final product.

I had the lovely pleasure of capturing an entire 4 year old Princess Birthday party, and my usual Saturday soccer game.

 

And now I must be off again for more things that have to be accomplished! 

I totally recognize the sleep deprived  but undeniably too deliriously happy to care look about this new daddy.

Big sigh!
Those days are long gone for us here but oh, how I do remember the amazing quality of that love when it first hit me 14 years ago. 
It is maybe as close to perfection as this world gets. 
Though I don't have grandchildren yet...I hear that is when you really learn about perfected love! 

every rose has a thorn

Yes.

Yes I am hard on myself.  Are my expectations to high?  Yeah, maybe so.
And yes my post yesterday probably seemed like I was over the top discontent.  However...
It is one thing to be hard on yourself and whine about it, but another completely to not like where you are and decide to push through and grow.
That was me yesterday. 




















That is me in so many aspects of my life right now, and I bet yours too....I just happen to talk about mine here for whoever happens to read it.
I don't want to settle for good enough!
Discontent either leads to mediocrity and acceptance or it propels you on to excellence through action.

I want to be action girl.






















We are studying Philippians on Sunday mornings and I have been thinking a lot about this section of
chapter 2:
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves ; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.

I feel the same way about my photography right now as I do about how I truly live out that passage.
Sure it is very different but also the very same in theory. 
I don't want to let up being hard on myself about acting more like Christ.  I don't ever want to feel like "Hey I have got this down!!". 
I want to always be discontent in that and be propelled to action because of it. 

I am going to push through and grow and struggle along the way....and in the meantime I will probably talk about that here.
It only means I am human, and I know you are too.
Let's encourage each other on to good works...and good work!! 

We are working for the master anyway, so it may as well be the best we can give!  Col. 3:23