Christmas Joy | 2015

This year has been one of intense joy and beauty, and I am thankful for every. single. day.

On the business side of things, my clients have overwhelmed me with their kindness and continued support, my client list continues to grow, and I added the amazing Shanna Mckune as an assistant (how did I ever function without her?!).  In fact, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t blogged in a ridiculously long time – what a blessing!!!  This has filled me with great contentment and I’m continually working to fine-tune my business model and learn what it means to be an artist in this field and create work that feeds my soul as well as blesses my clients.  I’m always humbled when I’m invited to enter into others’ worlds and capture their memories.  I cherish this.

On the personal side of things, my family continues to be the source of unending happiness.  I’ve made a commitment to focus more on them this past year (which partly explains my lack of blogging – some things just aren’t as important as others).  I’m a homeschool mom, and we have been growing and learning and exploring and discovering and developing and practicing and stretching in so many ways in our little home classroom and through our homeschool community.  I will never take for granted the fact that I get to be home with these precious boys and watch their eyes light up as they learn something new or see the wheels turning behind their sweet faces as they figure out how the pieces of this world fit together under God’s hand.  One of the things I love most is that in homeschool, absolutely everything becomes a teaching and learning moment.  I joke that when the boys go with me to photo shoots, I consider it Art/P.E.  Ha!  But in truth, it’s a learning moment.  Meeting strangers and showing kindness.  Helping Mommy carry things.  Looking for good light and appreciating it.  Practicing patience when Mommy takes a long time.  Using your imagination and creativity in the likeness of our Creator.  Making new friends.  Thinking of others first.  Work ethic.  Playing and being silly.  Financial responsibility.  All these things are wrapped up in our time together on those shoots.  Every moment is a gift.

One thing we are committed to is learning Scripture together because that’s where we see Jesus best.  We just memorized the first 16 verses of the Sermon on the Mount together (Matthew 5:1-16).  When we memorize, it’s very important to me that they understand the meaning behind what they’re learning in Scripture.  I had been listening to a sermon series on The Beatitudes (by John McArthur) and was so moved by it that I wanted to hide this passage in my heart.  And so… the boys were a natural extension of this.  So we discuss what it means…  “What does it mean to be poor in spirit?”  “We are [spiritual] beggars.  We bring nothing to God and He gives us the very Kingdom.”  What does it mean to mourn?  Are we just sad people?”  “No, ma’am.  We are so sad over our sin.  But God comforts us because He made a way to forgive us.”  “What does it mean….?”  And so on…  These are our conversations throughout the day.  Oh, how I cherish these moments!!!  I particularly love “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  That is my verse for Noah.  I can’t help read that and think of him.  There is no artifice in him.  None.  What a precious gift.  And “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”  My Silas… he is so willing to show mercy.  I’m continually convicted by this in him.  Oh, that I will show mercy in the same way!  Homeschool, and home-life…  what an unending joy it is to be a Mother.

David’s life has taken another drastic change this year, but one we have prayed for and longed for and long-expected in God’s timing.  Who knew when we got married that he would own a medical compressed gas business?  Only God.  Who knew that he would become a cop and then a Detective?  Seriously, ONLY God.  Who knew he would be helping manage a dental practice?  LOL For real, only God.  Who knew that he would be on staff full-time at our church (Pray’s Mill Baptist Church) as a Pastor of Missions and Discipleship?  Everyone who ever knew him.  This is our newest turn in life and we are so, SO very thankful.  When I told my brother about it, his response was, “Well, we always knew this is what he was supposed to be doing.  Few people get to do exactly what they want to do.  I’m really happy for him.”  This blessing isn’t lost on us.  So many years praying to be free to serve… thank you, Lord, for your kindness in this.  I’m so happy to get to walk this path with him!  I feel privileged that he talks with me about all that he’s studying – I get to hear all the back-story, all the details that get culled out of the final teaching time, all that truth.  I get to see the man who doesn’t sleep so that he can labor and teach well.  I get to see his faithfulness and it undergirds everything he says from Scripture.  This is a treasure.

And this is pretty much a snapshot of our year.  We’re plugging along.  We’re embracing life and the adventures the Lord brings our way.  We’re meeting people and loving people.  We cry.  We laugh.  We grow.  I’m increasingly realizing that I’m an adult and having to do adult-things.  I think often of my mother and how I’m at the age she was during this memory or that one.  When did that happen?  🙂  I’m less broken about losing her than I was last year.  Just as sad, but less broken.  That is a victory.  My boys are growing up, which is beautiful and difficult and exciting and wonderful.  We are so enriched by the people that help build into these precious boys’ lives with us.  And David and I are walking through the days together, and as he is my other-self, there’s no other way I’d rather it be.

So, Merry Christmas to all of you.  This day is one of my favorites in all the year.  It’s the day that we celebrate, in a special way, that we have true hope and joy because of Jesus.  We remember that God chose to put on flesh to walk among us, live a life of beauty and purity  and compassionate love in a dark place, die in our place to pay a debt that is overwhelming and beyond our ability, and rise again in victory to secure our hope and eternal salvation when we hope in Him.  That’s a big mouth-full in that sentence.  And it’s the hope of the whole world.  What a day this is!  Take time to remember this as you celebrate this day with your family.

And lastly, here are some photos that show my sweet family and my heart for them.  I hope you enjoy.