Mission Breakfast: Accomplished!

I'm on Skype with my Beloved while I try to write this. It might take me a million years, because he is so very distracting...it's not like he's doing anything, he's just there...and that's what's distracting...I can see his face, and I have to concentrate on what I'm doing or I'll be all over the place...and...what was I saying?

Oh. Hello. :)

It's been a busy weekend. Much has happened. The main thing was that my Beloved and I, we might have made the best pizza in the entire world. We made the dough ourselves, we cooked it in our little house, and we ate that sucker. Best. Pizza. Ever. And then, we utilized our wood shove, and that was amazing too!

We're too poor (by the standards of this world) to out to eat all that often (not that that influences us as much as it should) so we're learning to cook at home. To make our food. I don't know why we haven't done this before, because it has brought us so much closer together.

Today we invited friends over for pizza after church to enjoy some homemade goodness with us. They came up to our house in the middle of no where and we made our pizza for them. There was laughter and warmth and the small thrill you get when you have people at your house that you know you love.

Later, my Beloved and I made breakfast. I don't live with him you see, because, well, we aren't married yet. To live with him, would be sin. I would just rather not sin. Let's be honest, it doesn't do much for your walk with Christ...in fact, it takes you farther from Him. This makes it hard for me, however, because this is the man that I am going to marry, and I want to take care of him. I want to cook and clean and do laundry and put away the cereal (because he forgets so often) and I want to make him breakfast. He needs someone to make him breakfast. So, I did what any normal woman would do. I made something quick, easy, and delicious and put it in the fridge for him.

I made breakfast muffins, a huge deal in my house. My mom only makes these for when we go on long trips and we have to be in the car for a couple hours. Blair loves them, as he should, so I decided that I would make him some. We bought some groceries and got to cooking! We worked side by side in the kitchen, me making some food for him to take to work, him doing dishes (he loves me, you can tell) and you know?

 

It was wonderful. I never grow tired of being in his presence, I never get weary of hearing his voice, and I always want to feel his arm brush mine while I'm cooking in our kitchen. Breathing the same air as him is enough for me.

I saw a friend this weekend, and she said "I'm glad that he lets you out the house sometimes" what I don't think people understand, is that I don't want to be out of the house! I want to be with him all the time! And one day, when we have a pack of wild children's, I'm sure that might change, but for now, I soak up these times I get to spend with my Beloved.

(I also bought him some juice...that I proceeded to drink for most of the night!)

Write It On The Walls

As I settle down for the night, I'd like to stop and share just a few thoughts. Oddly enough, I don't have much to say about photography, though I do have pictures for you (because well, I always have pictures for you!). 

If there is one thing that I want for my house (and my Beloved wants also) it would be that our walls, our home would be covered in scriptures. All over. Every wall, every room, everywhere you look, we want you to know who we are, and what we stand for. There for, we have this before you even get in our door:

I love that verse, and what it means for the house I will be part of. I've been thinking more about what scriptures I want around my house, and where I want them. Obviously, I've thought about what I would put in my room, where my Beloved and I will be *ahem* sleeping (we're gonna be newly weds, I mean...c'mon!). So obviously, I've turned to none other than, Song of Solomon!

Now, this has always been a weird book of the bible for me. I've always read it, but could never truly understand it. Now that I have my own Beloved it kinda all makes more sense. For example, this verse, 

I've never felt like the drop dead gorgeous type. I've never seen myself as desirable or lovely or something that someone would love and covet and long for. (Believe me, this led me into a world of trouble!) But now when I read this verse, I think, "This is how he sees me." My Beloved sees only me, and no other woman. In fact, that's what's written there in orange "This is how Blair makes me feel, like I'm the only woman in the world." See, I know you think that your husband, or future husband, loves you a whole bunch, but I'll be honest, no man loves a woman as much as my Beloved loves me. And think, that this is the way it should be.

I want to write and paint these verses on the walls of our bedroom. I want our room to be set apart from all the other rooms in the house (and when we have kids, I know this might get thrown out the window, but for now, I like having my ideals). I like that our walls will be filled with verses that talk of love, and of belonging to one another. 

I find it interesting that when the woman is addressing her Beloved, she calls him her friend, and when he addresses her, he calls her his sister. It struck that even though, in marriage, we are lovers, we are also, still, brothers and sisters in Christ. It's amazing to me, these things I am learning about marriage. 

My Beloved and I have been doing our pre-marital counseling, and we talked about sex this last session. I've been ruminating on what it means to be intimate in a marital way. How much...more it is. I've also found this fun blog that talks more on physical intimacy as a married couple, and I have to tell you, it's been enlightening and I enjoyed reading it. (Go take a look readers...all...three of you who read...)

Just know that when I invite you to my house, there will be scripture on my walls. And know that in the room I will be sharing with my Beloved, there will be Song of Solomon verses, and if it makes you blush, just don't come in our room. :)

Some Family Time

I know I know, I already wrote once this week. But who's to say there's a limit to how much I can or cannot write? I like to write, therefore you, get blog post number TWO. Holy Molie!

I don't have to much to day however, I just wanted to share some more pictures that I got to take this weekend. I had the fortunate experience of meeting some new people, neighbors up the road from my future mother-in-law (who might just get her own blog post soon...as in tomorrow...mainly because she's really challenged me on my Faith in something!). They are wacky people up there in that little yellow house. It is full of kids and people and live and laughter and occasionally a screaming child, but hey, we all have things right?

She is the mother of six kids, with number seven growing and getting ready to cause a scene. They are Christians in every sense of the word, learning and teaching and constantly pushing themselves, and their children's to love the Lord. And I have the good opportunity to be part of their world right now. And you know what? I'll take it.

I want to be a mom. I'm looking forward to it in fact, and there is a very real possibility that I might be pregnant by this time next year (Lord Willing!). My future husband and I are do not believe that any child that God would grant my womb (yes, womb) would be anything BUT a blessing from Him. So when I see other couples who live that way, it makes my heart glad. Really what it is is that I know I am not the only one! Other people DO live this way! Their house is crazy but in reality, who cares? Their kids are well behaved and adorable and it's exciting. And I love it.

The mother of this family asked me to come take a few pictures of her kids, it's getting to be Christmas time you know, so on Saturday after the other photo shoot that I got to do, I headed over to THIS house to see some kids, and snap some photos. :)

And these are some of my favorites.

 

Well, It's A Start

I'm starting to realize that this little blog of mine is becoming a photography blog. Hmmm, I'm ok with this! As I start to trust God, and allow him to open more doors for me, I'm starting to realize, as time consuming as this is, that I really do love to take pictures for people!

So, are you ready for a story?

Saturday I had the privilege of taking pictures for the youth pastor of my church. He asked, I said sure, and boy did we have an adventure! They have a little boy, who is absolutely adorable, but who is very much a little boy! Trying to get that little boy to smile, was hard work! But so much fun!

                                             

We are very blessed to live near Skyline Drive with mountains and parks and some of the most beautiful things that God could create for us. We headed up there in their fancy van, and started to take a few pictures.

This family was so much fun to work with! Little guys are hard sometimes, but it was so worth it to get pictures like these!

I'm finding out that as much as I don't like to edit my pictures, sometimes, it's ok to. In most of these I boosted the color a little bit, and for December, I think that's acceptable. We could all use a little color boost now and again. 

And why don't you like to edit your pictures Maddie?

I'm so glad you asked! -start rant here-

I think that if you are going to cal yourself a photographer, if you are going  to go into business and do this as a job, then your pictures should be good. I'm not saying that you can't crop a picture every now and again, that you can't boost the color when you need to, I'm just saying that you have to have the basics down. Know what your white balance is, know what the F stop and aperture are, and how to use them. Know the basic rules of composition, and know how to move and keep up with your clients. Take good photos. I think that if you do that you rely less on the "fixings" that can be done in photo shop and things like that. 

I'm starting to learn that there is a lot of competition out there in the photography world. If you want to be the best at what you do, then learn how to be the best at what you do. Don't mess around. Learn, and continue to learn. As I start this journey, I'm finding out there is much that I didn't know. But, I'm learning, and taking on new challenges, and that's good. 

I am so thankful for people who give me the chance to learn (i.e. Lee and Jen!) and practice my so called skills. 

I took more pictures this same day, and once I get those edited (and make sure it's ok to use them) maybe I'll write about that experience!

And wish me luck! I'm off to take even MORE pictures tonight! 

Until next time friends, have a blessed day! 

Black and White

I am so sleepy this afternoon! I refuse, however, to take a nap until I have made this new blog post. :)

Let's start with this,

This was given to me a dear friend this summer at camp, and says, "When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes, when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls." (-Ted Grant) While I love my color photos there is something to be said about the stark black and white of photos without color. You remove any potential for distraction, and you you have emotion, you have composition, you have grace. 

I challenged myself the other day to take only black and white photographs, and what happened was a lot of fun. I captured kids at work, did a small self portrait of myself embellishing the frame that I put that quote it, and got a very cute picture of a five year old. You know, it's fun sometimes, to not worry so much about the color, and just snap a picture. These are prints and observations that can be used and seen for the rest of our lives. The evidence that we leave for our children, their children, and their children's children!

Think about it. The last time you saw a photograph of your grandmother, or grandfather, or even your parents. You look at that photo and think to yourself, "That was a whole different world" even if was only twenty years ago! Shoot, I see pictures of myself as a baby, and think "Was I really that little once!?" 

Photographs are just pictorial evidence that what happened, happened. And black and white can be some of the most daunting and amazing of them all. In fact, just today I was looking at another photography blog, and used that very word, daunting! (Check her out, Tianna is amazing, and I can get one more person to support her, by golly, I'd do it!) These pictures of simple white and black give us an opportunity to create images that we may never get to see so simply, ever again. 

And you know, I enjoy that. :)

Self Portrait

Service Means to Serve

I had the wonderful chance to help out a Small Group that is in my Church tonight.

Our church has been implementing and pushing for small groups for some time. To have groups of people that met outside the Church at their homes, with one another, forming relationships and helping one another is no little thing. It's everything. In Acts, we learn that the disciples and followers of Jesus met daily, and broke bread together. In modern words, it means they got together and ate. Food. Good food. Which is what I got to be a part of tonight.

      

See, there was a challenge issued to the small groups of our church, to see how they could serve the community and the world around us. A challenge of service. This particular group hosted a very well thought out and VERY delicious dinner to support Samaritans Purse, an organization that gets livestock to families in countries that need them. Goats, and chickens and such, among many other things. All of those things that you and I take for granted, are things that people in other countries are hoping and praying for. I think it fitting that this challenge was issued around Christmas time, when so many of us focus on ourselves and what we want, instead of those around us and in the world that have so little...

The wonderful people who made it all possible. 

The dinner was hosted a beautiful house, there was soup, and appetizers (with BACON!), a delicious soup, salad, steak, and cheesecake that every person should indulge in. The guests were people from our Church body, who were there to fellowship with one another, to go out on dates with their spouses (I adore that I go to a church where woman are treasured, wined and dined, and taken care of like the real ladies that they are!), and eat some pretty spectacular food. They were served, in this gorgeous home, filled with light and laughter, they were served. Taken care of.

I imagine that the Lord smiled on this group of people, running around the kitchen, putting food onto plates, filling cups with wine and water. I imagine that He would have enjoyed seeing a group of people who got it. Who saw that in serving others, working to put a smile on others faces, we see Jesus' character.

And what was my role in all this? Well, you might have gotten this by now, but I was the photographer of course! I captured people working, and the couple going on their 24th wedding anniversary  The mothers and fathers there who left the kids at home and spent time with one another. I took photos of food being put on platters, laughter and smile, a woman playing live music for their guests to enjoy. In this service to others, I realized that I have done the Lord a disservice. I used to think, How can I be involved in anything, I have nothing to offer...but this is a lie, and I see that now. Because what do I love to do? Be behind the camera, take pictures of others, for them. This is my service to others. Because service means that you are serving someone other than yourself. And what better way for me to do this than to capture the moments that I see around me?

I am finding out that the more you serve someone else, the more you make out the Character of God.

And really, who can argue with that? :)

The place setting at the tables. 

The yummy salad prepared. 

The best part, DESSERT!

No Fear In Love

It's a late night. The clock is ticking away the hours of my life, but I'm still not sleeping well, so I might as well write when I can't sleep, correct? :)

I don't mind to much. I thought today, I would share my growing up thoughts with you. Because, as much as I wish I could be Peter Pan (like my best friend Rebecca G is going to do) and never have to grow up, we all know the reality hits us with a two by four and no, we cannot stay young children forever.

I feel that in the past few months I have been thrown into Adulthood. More like I'm a squirrel and I got hit by a semi-truck. I bought a car, have paid rent twice, had to fix the car, had to get a new phone, had to take care of many monetary things. Though I know that my God has told me that worrying can't add one day to my life, I still seem to find time to do. I wonder what would happen if every time I started to worry about something, I prayed about it instead (hmmm, I sense an experiment coming up!). I bet things would change. I think things already have changed. Slowly, but surely, I am becoming a Woman, and not just a young Woman any more, but like, a real life one! Who knew!?

This weeks biggest issue was the phone. My Daddy (and yes, he is my Daddy) had to activate the new phones that he got for my mother, himself, and little brother. My old number when to the little brother. I was without a phone for what...a day? The same day that he did this, I bought a cell phone. Well, a cell phone plan, the phone was free. I got all bent out of shape for the ONE day. Which was stupid.

This leads me to the next thing that I would like to share. Every morning my Beloved texts me "Good Morning" add in there some I Love You's, Beautiful's, and My Love's. I think the reason I got so bent up about not having a phone, was because then I wouldn't get that text. Selfish, yes, true, yes.

Do you want to know what my Beloved did for me?

He woke up early, and before work, he stopped at my house, came into my room, gave me a kiss, and in person said, "I love you." Such a simple thing, but you know, out of all the things that I'm thankful for in this ending November month, it would be a man who loves me enough to get up early for me. See, I don't get up early for many people, so when people do that for me, when HE does that for me, I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes my heart.

He truly loves me.

Oh wait, it gets better. I had work off today, and tomorrow. Tomorrow my mother and I  (that blessed Woman) are going to see to some wedding detail things. Which I'm super excited about (I do like spending time with her). I decided that today would be a good time to do some things at our house, finish up some painting, maybe finishing priming the back room. Well, I get a call from my Beloved telling me he has to go to Urgent Care because his back is spasming and hurts so bad he can't lift things (super not good for someone who works in a warehouse). The doctors gave him some muscle relaxers and pain killers (the real good kind) and sent him home to me. I got to play Nurse Maddie. After a nap, some good drugs, a eating pad, and food, he started to feel slightly better.

Do you want to know what my Beloved did for me?

Even though his back was still hurting him, he helped me hang a few things up that I've been wanting to put up for weeks. He took time to ask me where I wanted things, what I wanted up, how I wanted it hung. I love hanging and putting things on the walls, but actually doing it is hard for me. He knows that. He knows I would need his help. He helped me.

I have the honor and privilege of helping and serving and ministering to this man for the rest of my life. When I think of all the ways I've had to grow up these past few months, I realize that I am not scared of it at all. Not one bit, because so long as my Beloved is there, so long as he tells me good morning, so long as he challenges me in my faith, I am not scared.

Makes me think of 1 John 4:18

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 

So I am not Peter Pan, nor do I want to be him, because if I were, I would never have the honor to be marrying this wonderful amazing man of God. 

And that is what I wanted to share. :)

Laying on the floor, playing
with MY new phone. :) 

Hanging things up for me even
when he hurts. :)

The tree we stole from my parents to
make the house more festive!