Hello Again | A New Season

This past Monday the world marked the advent of the Autumn season. It’s always been a favorite of mine, partially because my birthday is in October, but regardless there is just something refreshing about the crisp Autumn days after the heat of Summer. I grew up in Florida, so in other words, we don’t have much of an Autumn. I love it nonetheless. Even now living in South Alabama, we put out our pumpkins and wear our sweaters even though it is still in the 90s through most of October. We’re also in a new season for our family, in many more ways than one. We’re settling back into our home after the hurricane damage, and expecting our third baby (A BOY!) just before the Winter Equinox. It’s season full of change like the leaves.

As you might have notice from my posts lately, I’m also returning to my work! After over two years of less and stepping away from most of my business, I am so excited to do more of what I love. I wouldn’t trade these years of less for anything. God taught me so much and I learned to see everything with different eyes. Small, quiet seasons of less will do that oftentimes; it may be the only time we learn the lessons we need for future seasons. Just like the seasons of the year, God had in mind seasons for me and my work. This past Spring, I came to realized my business was only ever supposed to be a tool for me to use for God’s kingdom. It doesn’t need to last forever, or even be run like a normal business to be a tool. I’m forever grateful God allowed me hone such a wonderful, useful tool! It was freeing to realize the gift or use for the tool didn’t diminish just because I wasn’t using it like I had before. As I learned deeply during my time away, a monetary amount does not set the true value of something. I found my tool was shaper and more ready than ever.

It wasn’t too long after this epiphany that God gave me a new vision for my work. What if used my work for missions? I have always felt a pull from God to spend my life on a mission field, in the ministry and working for God’s kingdom…whatever that means. This has taken shape in different ways throughout my seasons of life, but this underlying passion has always remained the same. So, what if God only ever meant for my art and my work to become a tool for Him to use? What if it always tied into missions? What if I could leverage this tool I’ve been given to support missions monetarily? What if I gave all I could away?

I had just been praying that God might show me a way I could use my tool better, instead of feeling like it was just collecting dust. I knew this vision was from God. I also knew I could not have come to this place if I had not gone through years of His pruning, and letting go of what it was. For that season it was a blessing to help provide for our family. Then He called me to give it up, and we adjusted. Now He was giving me a chance to enter into something that requires greater faith, and honestly a greater test of making sure my heart stays in the right place.

I don’t know exactly how it will look, or what exactly I will do. I think that is part of the wonderful journey! I will find out as God leads! I can see endless ways of what He could do, and the joy I will have of being a part of His work - by using my work! For now, I see with grateful eyes how God has used these simple years with my two precious girls to retrain my eyes and my focus. I see things, even in my work differently. I let go of any prestige I had, and there is no “ideal client” or business model. Just prayer. Just His leading. I’m willing to try anything and go anywhere. That is not to say I don’t have ideas or direction, because I have that in abundance! But I’m taking it all one step at a time, as He gives me freedom. And He has! Everything has started up again, honestly apart from my trying. I’m still not doing weddings, but God keeps bringing me work, and I love every single person I’m able to photograph. Instead of taking away from our family, it has only added to our joy.

So to end all this, I wanted to share that until I enter maternity leave and we welcome our son, all the proceeds from my sessions from now until December will go to support Crisis Aid International. I’d love you to be a part of helping me support such a noble work! What’s amazing is that I’ve actually been to Ethiopia and seen all that they are doing. I walked the streets of the red light district, and visited the homes of the girls in sex trafficking. I saw the starving mothers and babies. I held hands with the sweet orphans who had been rescued from neglect, and are now loved. If you’re interested in their work, you can find it here - www.crisisaid.org.

Thank you for being along with me on this beautiful journey. I’m grateful for each one of you who has been a part over the years. I look to the future with even greater hope and anticipation.