Surrendering

As I sit here typing at 4:22 am on a Sunday morning, compelled to get out of bed and put my thoughts on paper or in this case  screen, I am filled with grace and gratitude. What a month it has been! In this time, I have worked my hardest to prepare 27 kids for the SBAC and State Science tests. I have parented my own two children, taking them to gymnastics and baseball practices and games. I have shot and almost completed 60 baseball/softball teams, along with various other  shoots mixed in. My goal this year was to slow down, but then things happen. Leagues, and shoots get rained out and rescheduled, people get sick, and what was a nicely spaced out month becomes jumbled together with me trying to put it together the best way  I know how. But I have finally learned something. Life is not anything if we can’t learn from it. My weight has slowly crept back up from returning to pre-pregnancy weight after having 2 babies in 14 months. I have been fighting it, but no matter how hard I would try, I would do well on eating right and exercising, but after a week I would go back to quick meals, and putting working out on the back burner. I would chalk it up to no willpower and beat myself up over it. But I came across this amazing book that has put it all into perspective for me. I feel like people look at me and think, “She must just sit in front of the TV, watch soaps, and eat Bon Bon’s all day. Quite the contrary. Most days I am working from 4 am to almost 8 pm. I walk as much as possible when I can. But what I have discovered, is that those times I lose sight of my goals, make bad food choices, or don’t exercise, are the times I grow away from God. I get so overwhelmed with what I have to do, or finish, or create, that I forget he is in charge and he placed all this on my plate because he knew I could handle it. But in those times, I lose sight of him. Knowing this has helped me to remember to breathe. That I don’t need to do it all myself, to know that I can look for him, that he has got my back. This month has been a surrendering. A surrendering to him of my life, of letting go, of just letting it happen. Especially the weight thing. “Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10: 31. I share this with you, because I am so blessed to have the clients I do, and I feel that this is my ministry. I didn’t plan this photography thing. It was gently placed in my lap and bloomed bigger than I could have ever imagined. Because of this, I know it has been God's  plan. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. Here are a few  images that I have been blessed with taken this crazy, busy month.