Distracted

Running on empty...?

Too busy...?

Sounds all to familiar. 

Why do we feel that we must jam-pack our lives? 

If we have an open spot on the calendar it must be filled. 

I took a moment to reflect on what "busy" is going to my life and this is what I found...

1} I'm out of shape and not finding time to exercise, eat right and take care of myself.

2} Out of sorts emotionally. I can go from extremely happy to crying is .05 seconds.

3} I fell out of touch with those who are closest to me. Both friends and family.

4} My spiritually looses its priority.

Lately I've been a bit overwhelmed and this verse always contorts me:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon your and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

It was time to prioritize. Actually take Sunday as a day of rest. Yes I said it, rest.

I had to find balance. The differences between what I want and what I need.

Lastly, I need to remember to dream. I have dreams and its never to late to make them a reality.
To reach them, I have to set goals. Some short term, some long, but at least I have this
list to reflect on what I've accomplished and how far I've gone.

We don't always like to think that our days are numbered.
Our kids are growing in a blink of an eye. The time to live your dreams is now.

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise." Ephesians 5:15

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." Psalm 62:1

Making alone time with God has moved to the top of my priority list. Asking what God wants from me.

Things in our life has changed and God has opened this new avenue for my photography
business to expand by leaps and bounds. Just in case you have wondered where I've been
or what I've been doing, I wanted to share with you a few images for my last portrait session. 

You can view the entire photo session here.

I want to close with this...

If Satin can't make us bad, he can make us busy.

Think about it and prioritize what's important in your life.

Love is a Verb

What is a verb? 

A verb is an ACTION word.

LOVE is a verb.

Some think of it as a feeling or emotion, but love is actually something you do. It's a choice.

My husband and I have been married almost 11 years and we still get asked if we're newlyweds. It feels like it was only yesterday. When he walks into the room, my stomach still gets tingly. I feel that spark when he touches my hand. When people find out that we also work together, {in the exact same room}, spend nearly every second together of every day, they wonder how we do it. We wonder how someone couldn't. Why are we so different than the "norm"? 

God is the center of our marriage. We live by 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

"⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails..." 

Source

Think of it this way....

Be patient. It's not easy with the world moving at light-speed, but don't rush life. 

Enjoy it. Especially all the little things that you miss when you're rushing though it.

Be kind. Not just some of the time, all the time. Live by the Golden Rule,

"treat others the way you want to be treated."

Don't be envious. Seriously. Change your outlook on life. 

Replace the "I wish I had..." to "I'm thankful for...".

Don't be boastful. Being proud and full of yourself is not attractive. 

Instead be modest, humble, and unassuming.

Records of wrongs. Life is not a game, so don't keep score. Be forgiving. 

Letting evil in, will destroy your relationship. Even a smigin. It can be an addition, dishonesty, or betrayal. Then celebrate and cheer about your dedication an loyalty.

Changing these things in your relationship, you'll have the marriage of your dreams!    

It worked for us. 

One other tidbit of advice, join a couples bible study.

Pray together.

What comes out during a couples prayer time, will change your life.

We're not just saying this, we're living it.

  

Is a Blog Name Really Important?

Is a blog name really "that" important? 

Should you completely stress yourself out over it? 

I guess I answered yes to both these questions because that's what I did. For weeks. Seriously. If I was going to jump into the world of blogging, I wanted our name to reflect who we really were. I came up with a list of at least a dozen possibilities but they had already been taken. I was literary beating myself up with why couldn't I come up with a simple blog name. Then it hit me. "I" can't do anything on my own. I needed to take the advise I'm constantly giving to others, step back and pray about it. And that's exactly what I did. 

God knew my thoughts. I didn't need to do a hour long prayer with "thees" and "thous" for God to understand what I was trying to say. I simply asked God to use me as a dispel for His will. To be someone who would help spread His word though my blog. Not being someone throwing a bible at you, but by leading by example.

My husband and I are in a couple bibles study and one night when he was speaking about how husbands should treat their wives, he turned at looked directly into my eyes and said, "When I look at my wife, I see Jesus face transparent before hers. There is nothing I wouldn't say or do to her, that I wouldn't say directly to Him." 

I was breathless. So beautifully said, I was bit in aw. My husband is an amazing, admirable man. I rehearsed in my mind, over and over those words he spoke to me that night. My husband is the reflection of a mighty and faithful servant. That was it! That's how I wanted our family to be known, as faithful servants. And to be this, we needed to live in His reflection. 

That's how our little blog came to life. I made my news years goal and on January 1, 2012, Our Reflection came to life. I have my weekly link up parties but I'm now focusing more on posting what's in my heart. What we can do to make a difference in the lives of others. What we can do to live in His reflection.

I hope you found this encouraging. I would love to hear your stories of how God's working in your life. Happy June!

 Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Photography