numbering our days

So, I stopped working last November (and I say that loosely 🙂  Since then, there’s been a lot going on around our house.  It seems like we’re in a kind of season where every day brings something new or challenging or amazing or difficult or surprising (and yes, I know that’s a crazy mix.  That seriously where we are right now!)

Anyways, I say that because in the last five months I’ve been both discouraged and excited about photography.  Discouraged because I’m realizing that over the years of doing sessions, though it’s been an amazing blessing in so many ways, somewhere along the way, I had stopped shooting for myself.  Don’t get me wrong, for the most part I really loved meeting people and capturing their families.  But there was the other part of it too, the business side (which I was never great at) and shooting with a client’s list in mind – gotta get a picture of all the kids together, individuals of each kiddo, at least a few family shots, one of just mom and dad, one with the dog, one without the dog – you know, THE LIST!  Can I just say, that shooting with that list in mind made me really efficient, but totally sapped my creativity.  Sure, I would still think about lighting and expressions and I tried new things once in a while, but I was trying to run a business.  And bottom line, I was shooting for someone else.

So where does that leave me?  Well, it’s been almost half a year (does anyone else feel like that has to be impossible?!)  Well, it has.  An amazing, busy, challenging, crazy, encouraging five months!  I’m learning that life is lived one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time, and that our days are precious gifts from a good and faithful God.  And in all things, photography included, I want to learn to live with this verse in mind:

“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  – Psalm 90:12

So, today I’ve decided to start something new.  I want to capture real life, our life, our story, one day at a time.  I want to be more dedicated about documenting it – what the Lord is doing, teaching us, the hard stuff, the happy stuff, day by day.

And I want to shoot for myself again – to grow and learn and try new things.  I’m excited (and a little nervous I might not stick with it :/  But mostly, I’m ready, to slow down and number our days.  I’ll try to post pictures here, but also on facebook.  You can find me here and here, for all you facebookers 🙂

I took this picture of Silas yesterday.  I think it’s a good way to start this new project.  It was Resurrection Day!  I’m humbled every day to know that God Himself is in love with me!  And that He did what it took, dying on the cross and coming back to life, to make a way for me to be with Him – AMAZING!

So, here I am!  Day 1 – done!  I’m excited to see where this journey takes us!