To see the full list of questions, head here.
6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.)
I would say that I am naturally good at the beginnings of aesthetics, photography, listening, concern for others, decorating home, and music. Let me stress the words “the beginnings of” because I believe that I was born with an innate ability to do those things, but that didn’t mean that I WAS good at them without putting in the effort. I believe in working on things.
This morning we didn’t go to Church. In fact, we haven’t been to church in over 2 years… and it’s probably a lot closer to 3 years if I’m being honest. The funny thing is, in a non-prideful way, I feel closer to God this morning than I have in a long time. We have never ceased in loving him or striving to follow him, we simply have not found a home in a church. It’s honestly that simple.
It’s almost noon. I woke up at 7:00 am made Dan cinnamon rolls, set the table with a tiny easter basket, ruby tulips, a card, and fresh coffee. I went back in the bedroom and woke him up with Keith Green’s Easter Song and a waterfall of kisses. We enjoyed a sweet breakfast full of sugar, read the Easter story, told stories of Easter’s in our childhood, and called our families. Dan left for work and I read a little bit, did my hair and makeup (which I never do but want to start) and listened to a little Charles Trenet as I cleaned the house. The house is not spotless. Im not finished with hardly anything I have started today so far. But I’m smiling. My heart almost burst when I looked down the hallway and saw Hattie standing up and peering out the front door with her tail wagging.
I believe that God wants us to enjoy our lives, as broken, humble, and unfinished as they are. He is close to me today and I am smiling and thankful for his creativity, that fills my day with his beauty.
My hope for you today is that you will be filled with a little happy today too….
To see the full list of questions, head here.
5. Who inspires you most? Which qualities inspire you, in each person?
It’s funny to think about. Off the top of my head, in am inspired typically by a type of person, and not one person in particular. If I had to put names on them, they would be people like Peter Jenkins, Corrie Ten Boom, Katie Davis, Elizabeth Gilbert, Tim Ferriss, Jen Hatmaker, Rose in Titanic and while we are at it let’s add Jack too, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Anne Shirley (aka Anne of Green Gables), Laura Ingles Wilder, Esther, Julie Andrews, Walt Disney, Sue Bryce and Justine Curvengen to name a very small few.
Google them if they are unfamiliar to you.
Some are artists. Some are leaders. Some are adventurers. Some are writers. Some are servants. Some are female characters in Novels! To say they are alike is a stretch in the highest sense. That being said, they are all unique, brave, fringe dwellers in the highest sense of the compliment, and strong even though they have faced really large challenges. I see them as over-comers, and people in touch with their romantic dreamer selves. This is always inspiring to me and more than anything, I want to be one who possesses these traits.
To see the full list of questions, head here.
4. What makes you feel great about yourself?
I feel great about myself when I think about two things: My relationship with my husband and my accomplishments that seem impossible. I feel amazing when I think about what I have done.
I have a lot of self-hate and self-deprecation going on in my head and my heart and its not right and it’s no ones fault but my own. Sometimes I let that steal my happiness away even when there are things that I should be proud of. I let that steal my happiness when I have a life that I wanted. I let that steal my happiness even when I somehow have a husband who does nothing but support and love me like a rock. I let that steal my happiness when I can look back to some of my deepest days of self-hate and I see that I was beautiful then… and I refused to see it. I let that steal my happiness and therefore I let that rule my life.
I was NOT created to hate myself. I was not created to be boastful. I was created for a reason and I am loved. I should feel GREAT about that!
So… I feel great about myself when I think about the value I have placed on my relationship with my husband and the fact that I know without a shadow of a doubt that we are meant to be, and we are taking care of that love feverishly, recklessly, selfishly, and single-mindedly. Our together-ness is the birthplace of all of our dreams. Without him, and without me, and without the love we were given through God, none of these dreams would even be thought of. A better life? A small business that is anything but small to us? Kayaking the east coast? Moving where we want to be? It is because of love that we have done any of these things and why we dream still.
I feel great about myself when I think about the fact that I decided to pursue a life different than the easy path, and I see that I am walking that harder and more rewarding path.
I feel great about myself when I look in the mirror and see less of what I decide to hate, and more of what I love.
I feel great about myself when I remember that this body, that I simply refuse to love, kayaked from Lubec Maine to Key West Florida. When I remember that this body that I hate, hiked, climbed, and canoed for 21 days in college, in spite of the tears and self-doubt. I feel great about myself when I stand in Tadasana, sure of the legs and back and shoulders that are strong and keeping me up.
I feel great about myself when I realize that in less than 3 years, I really AM a wedding photographer, and it is not only my job, but my career, and I CHOSE it. It didn’t ”just work out.” I made it work. I haven’t given up. I won’t give up. Who knows if this is what I will do forever, but I promise you that if it ends, it will not be born of giving up.
I feel great about myself when I see those traumas in my life and I can step back even a small amount and see that with God, I have come out stronger. I am no longer a victim of those events, but a carrier of the story that I can tell, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is. I am proof.
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
― Leonardo da Vinci
(Thank you Sue Bryce for being open and heartfelt… you are a part of my story now.)
To see the full list of questions, head here.
3. What activities make you lose track of time?
This is a fun one! I love track of time when I am organizing, designing websites in Showit, reading, talking with Dan about the future, and cuddling. For sure. I get really really focused when I know that the task is accomplishable. For example, yesterday I knew I wanted to let our couples know about our Albums, and a few new changes that we were offering, like sizes and prices… etc etc. The problem was that we had no sleek way of showing them to them. I built an entire new website just for showing them off. It took me probably 5 hours of intense design and when I came up for air, I had a new website, 20 emails sent (all individually written for each couple and their specific wedding) and an unbelievable sense of accomplishment. Am I a nerd? A week or so ago, I spent every day for 3-4 days going through paperwork and sorting and filing it. I woke up in the morning…. excited. THAT is how nerdy I am.
To see the full list of questions, head here.
#2. What are your favorite things to do in the past? What about now?
Yesterday this question was daunting to me. The reason for that is the fact that throughout the last year, I have been struggling about what it is that I actually enjoy other than working. I know that sounds horrible, but I have lost myself among all the work and tasks and to-do lists and forgotten what life is really all about. I forgot what I was working for. I forgot that all this work was ultimately for the purpose of having more time to spend living life. The cold hard truth was that when I carved more time out for myself, I filled it with busy work and not with things that I enjoy. That…. obviously…. is a problem. I am in the process of changing it.
To answer the first part of the question, in the past my favorite things to do were playing music in an ensemble, camping and being outdoors, kayaking, hiking, singing worship in church, going on adventures of all kinds, road trips, live music, wine on the beach at night, missionary work (which has been a rarity but fun when I did it), and hanging out with my friends.
To answer the second part of the question… I would most likely say the same things! The really sad thing is that I rarely do any of the above. This will change.
