"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
 - Psalm 23

Much like the grandiose oaks in these images, growth takes time, growth takes waiting for the fruit to come, and the reward comes to those who wait, persevering until the end. There was a beautiful 300 year old oak in my back yard growing up. I love playing in it's shade and climbing the low-hanging branches. It was for me a kind of stability. I knew it wasn't going anywhere. I could depend on it's strength. Our seaside city was prone to hurricanes, but no matter the force of the winds, it remained firm. It had weathered many a storm. It's roots were deep in the earth and so it stayed firm, never budging or showing any signs of damage. That kind of endurance, waiting out the storms of life, digging my roots deep, is what I hoped to express through these images. This editorial reminds my heart of deeper truths - to find the beauty that lies in the waiting and the joy that can be found for the patient heart. Storms may come, but my soul's roots are digging deep in faith in One who can stand the test of time. 

This time of year brings both anticipation and dread for me, knowing that I will be forcing myself to review the year and evaluate all aspects of my life. It is necessary for anyone who wants to live with any kind of purpose in life, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The past two days of thought have been humbling, yet refreshing and encouraging. 2015 was a good year, but also a very challenging year. It is so easy to get weighed down with each days ins and outs and I often feel the weight of wearing so many different hats all at once. It's so important for me to step back and refocus on the big picture, critique myself and move forward into the new year. In order to live live with my utmost it is vital to celebrate the victories, find what can work better and dream even bigger for the coming year.

Two years and six days ago I did something big and scary: God told me I needed to quit my job, so I did. I had no idea what He had planned. I had no clue what I was going to do. I knew my Master was telling me, “take this step of faith and I will open the door.” So I took it. After 2 months of waiting He make the way clear. I had no idea that He was giving me work that would fulfill the many years of passion wanting to burst within my veins. I couldn't comprehend how He was going to weave photography into bringing glory to His name. Once He finally opened the door, I was puzzled. "God is this really what you have for me? Wouldn't a life on a mission field be better?"

Last week was so beautiful. We were on vacation in the Smokies for a few days with Jonathan's family. There is nothing more peaceful than being overshadowed by grandiose mountain peaks or hearing the load song of a mountain river. It provided a wonderful time for me to think a little and for the Lord to search my heart. One morning I was listening to Rend Collective (they are a great worship band, by the way) and this line pierced my heart - "I do not need safety as much as I need You." I feel safe staying where I am, but following Christ is not like stagnant pond. It's more like a rushing river, ever changing and always flowing towards the Sea. I've been far too content to be like that little pond. I realized that I need Jesus more than the comfort of staying where I am. Someone once said, "You cannot stay where you are and go with God." Following Jesus costs everything. Still the price is gladly paid, knowing that all that I am and all that I have equates to nothing. He has everything, He is everything, and He is all that I desire. He has to be first or I will not have the power of Christ flowing like that beautiful river.

I want to live with purpose and passion…every single day. I want a life that counts. Most of us probably do. This isn't a new desire. I've always wanted to live with purpose. I just didn't know what it takes to do it. Maybe I thought purpose and passion would happen upon me one day. I guess I hoped it would come like a letter and say "This is your purpose in life, and this is how you accomplish it." If only, right? I'm not sure why I thought it was going to be so, well, BIG! And hard too. I've realized that it's not big or hard at all. In actuality, it's small and easy.

You cannot sustain a God-given passion or fulfill a God-given dream apart from the One who gave it. He must be the motivation and the orchestrater. I have seen this in my life time and time again. Psalm 52:9 seems to be a reoccurring theme in my heart these days. Today I cannot help but say again, "I will thank You forever, because You have done it." Him - not me, not my plans or schemes. The things He has put in our hearts have come to pass.

The best investment you can make with your life is in people. Jesus spent the majority of this earthly ministry walking around with 12 guys, teaching them along the way. What am I doing? Who am I investing in? These are questions I have found myself asking as of late. At the end of my life it won't be the success of my business that gets up and says something. It probably won't be people who liked my facebook page or follow me on twitter. It will be those I spent my life with, the ones I poured myself into. Relationships matter, so I need to live like it. Lately I've been so convicted about this area. I want to give everything I've got to my relationship with Christ, with my husband, with my family and with others.

This past Wednesday I attended Making Brands Happen Webinar with Lara from Southern Weddings and Emily from Emily Ley Paper. They are both such amazing examples of women who have thriving businesses and still have their priorities straight. I truly can't say enough good things about them! (I mean seriously, have you read Southern Weddings?) I took away so many great things from our time together, but one thing stood out to me more than the rest - the importance of convictions. I'm going to make some changes in my life and business in 2013. I want to stay true to what I believe in and own it. I am building my life and my business on these values.

Hey guys! I'm not going to lie, I was super excited when some of you guys asked about branding in the Q&A. Probably, because I really enjoyed the "branding" process and still do. I know trying to brand your business can seem overwhelming, but I promise it's worth all the effort. I don't by any means consider myself an expert in this area, but I do feel like I've gotten off to a pretty good start. Here's a few things I've learned on my branding journey. I hope they are helpful to you!

Go back with me to 6th grade. I know, most of you probably don't want to. It was awkward enough to live through middle school once, right? However, we're going back to my embarrassing years not yours, so no worries. I went to a big church growing up. And by big, I mean mega. Our youth group was enormous. It had your basic school dynamics, and for this little homeschooler it enveloped most of my social life. (I'm not sure my 2 weekly co-op meetings and art classes count!) Anyway, I had the same desire as any other middle school kid - to be cool. Let's just say I wasn't in the "cool" crowd...or even close to it. I struggled. I remember one Sunday morning struggle in particular...

I'm so excited to announce that I have a little article in the Autumn issue Artful Blogging. The editor contacted me this past winter about being a part of it. My sweet and talented friend Arielle was also featured in their past Spring issue. I'll give you a prize if you can tell me which photos are mine on the cover. hehe. (The prize may or may not be a virtual hug.) Anyway, it's not really that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but I'm totally thrilled. You can pick up a copy to read at Barnes & Noble! Eeek!

My Granddaddy served in the US Army after graduating from high school. It was one of those hot summer days at their camp where all you could do was hope the watermelon truck would come by. Suddenly he heard a voice as clear as day saying, "When are you going to mean business for Me?"

"I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious. To stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coat-tails and the heavens hailing your heart - to gaze and glory and to give oneself again to God, what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth. I care not if I ever raise my voice again for Him, in only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in percy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead through the vast star fields, to explore His delicacies, whose finger-ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into my Lover's eyes - ah, then, not stars, nor children shall matter - only Himself." - Jim Elliot