Choose your Focus

At our last Friday Night Kids Club in Charlottesville, I taught a lesson on Focus, but without a doubt it’s not just for kids.  We know the story of Jesus walking on the water; how the already exhausted and frightened disciples in their boat became even more terrified when they thought they were seeing a ghost.  Then Peter, after hearing the voice of the “ghost”, concluded that it must be Jesus and called out, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you.”  Wow!  What a crazy thing to say.  It seems a little rash to me.  But he had faith.  He believed in his Lord.  He got out of the boat and WALKED ON WATER!!!  In the middle of a terrible storm no less!  But it didn’t last long.  His FOCUS went from Jesus to the storm and waves around him.  And as his focus on the Lord waned, so did his faith.

For “my girls” in this class it’s always a good idea to have a tangible object lesson.  In fact, it would be nice to have the whole lesson be tangible if that were possible – their attention span lasts about as long as Peter’s did in that storm. J  I took some short straws to class and told them to hold the straw about ten inches in front of their face.  Now focus on the straw.  Can you see it clearly?  Can you see the person sitting across from you clearly at the same time?  Now shift your focus to that person and keep the straw there.  Can you still see the straw?  It gets fuzzy and is still there, but you can kind of “see through it”. (You can do this with your finger and the computer screen if you would like a tangible object lesson too! J)

We CHOOSE what we focus on.  I’ll say it again.  What we focus on is OUR CHOICE.  We don’t get to decide if we’re going to be in the middle of a storm, we don’t get to decide whether our life is easy or hard.  But we get to decide what we will focus on.  And as soon as Jesus begins to get out of focus and fuzzy, the storm gets a little clearer.  Faith grows a little weaker and fear gets a little stronger.  Focus on the Giver of Life and the Calmer of Storms and faith grows stronger because you are seeing Truth.  He is good!  CHOOSE to believe that.

For it is by faith that we walk and not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7.

Walter and Bethany

Last Saturday Bethany and Walter got married.  And they asked me to photograph their day.  I didn’t know either of them well, but they were so comfortable to be around that now I feel like a friend!  I told them in the morning that God’s wedding gift to them was the beautifully overcast April sky instead of the rain we’d had or the harsh sunlight.  It made my job go so smoothly and we were blessed with an amazing place to take photos.  Really it was a wonderful day!  Thank you to my sister-in-law, Bethany (yes, there were some confusing moments since she shared the bride’s name!), for being an awesome assistant and making things go easily.  And thank you to Walter and Bethany for choosing me to be your photographer!

 Details of the back
 of the bride's dress. 
She made these
beautiful roses herself!

Bethany's two little brothers are just adorable (don't tell them I said that!).  And I kept my promise not to post any "kissing the bride" pictures even though I really wanted to!

The reception was held in a barn near the end of a long dirt road through the woods.  This cute sign directed the guests at a fork in the road. 

Blue hydrangeas made a beautiful theme.

 Delectible desserts covered two tables where guests could help themselves.

Loveliness

April’s been a busy month for me and I’ve skipped two weeks posting here.  I’ve enjoyed time with family (I truly do love reunions), time spent scrapbooking memories of my Grandfather, and the beauty all around me outside.  This is the time of the year that I know with certainty that I don't appreciate this place where we live to the fullest. Really!  In the springtime living on this farm is like living in a park with all the beauty growing and blooming here.  I remind myself that I’ve done nothing to deserve to live here where my husband works, and I don’t want to take this blessing for granted! 

Earlier when my girls and I went for a walk, one of the magnolia trees was in full bloom with white petals completely covering the ground under it.  My photography loving heart longed for a bride to stand in their loveliness!  And now the deutzia is blooming in the hedge around our front yard - massive spheres made with white blossoms so small, but so many.

All this white beauty brings thoughts of weddings. I think there is nothing much lovelier and more beautiful than a bride. Brides and weddings are one of my favorite things to photograph. This weekend I get to photograph a wedding, the first one for this year and it produces an abundance of feelings: Excitement, Nervousness, Responsibility, and lots of Anticipation!

I was looking through some of the weddings from the past and decided to share my top ten twelve favorites. :)  

Love this sweet girl!

What fun to wake up to SNOW in Deleware!!!  Beautiful!

Lovely couple in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania.

A windy day of april rainshowers. Love doesn't mind rain.

Daddy's girl.

Such a fun country wedding in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Right out of a storybook!

FOREVER I love you.

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair;
Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil.

 Song of Solomon 4:1 ASV