Shadow's Shape and Shadows Shape

Seeing shadows and darkness as part of a bigger picture, a bigger story can be surprising.

Happy and Sad Hold Hands

A couple of years back, I was struck by sorrow and celebrations's presence in the same time space, same breath even. How grieving and happiness could co-exist was baffling to me. I resisted it, felt that experiencing one in the other's presence was somehow disrespectful and took something away from the other. Yet, time and time again, it was so. They shared space.

As I began to accept that this was indeed how things went and how things could go, I saw it more and more. I also saw how the cohabitation of differing emotions and what seemed to be extreme experiences was actually a kindness, a necessary kindness, maybe more obviously in the face of sorrow, but even so, a kindness. One helps the other not to get stuck, to keep moving forward, moving through, and the other helps keep the right pace, not too rushed, enough of a slowing to enable presence and alignment of priorities.

I dubbed this co-existence with a phrase that has stayed with me, "happy and sad hold hands." These words gently remind me that it is okay for both to be together, not just side by side, but intrinsically and intentionally linked to help me through life's journey.

Journeying Mercies

Life's journey can be hard.

It can drive us to our knees.

Journeying mercies.

Community

Though at times they are thought of as flying rodents, I maintain that these geese are beautiful in appearance and community. I love how they gather each autumn to journey together.

Sometimes we cannot get the crop of the photo we want in camera. There is no shame in going in with the scissors in processing! Both of these images were much better presented once their ratio was changed. Knowing this is available to me, I shoot with the crop in mind and finish the composition on my computer.

Both images were shot at the same settings. I used f/5.6 with a shutter speed of 1/200. ISO? You guessed it...100.

The Great Adventure

Words Without Pictures

At the end of the day, God remains good, no matter what the day holds. At the beginning, in the middle and at the end of each day, each minute, each second, He is good.

Sometimes I let my worries get in front of this truth. I let them become bigger than what they should be. I invite them into places they do not belong and allow them to dictate my actions...and usually my actions that come from this place are not good, nor are they healthy. They tend to be a grasping and clutching, a controlling kind of mess. Pretty ugly, actually.

It can feel unstoppable, the worry rushing in. But it is not unstoppable. There is a calm to be had. There is a better perspective. There is peace.

You see, almost a couple of years back now, I was given a verse. During an intense and challenging time, I prayed for a verse to rest my faith on. It came. It came with a double rainbow, in fact. It was really very cool but better than the cool factor was the way I could actually rest my faith on this verse. The verse was and is, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This is found in Romans 8:28. All things. Not some things. Not these things but not those things. All things. All.

Claiming that verse, I was given peace. There was Someone bigger than all of the chaos that surrounded me. This Someone was and is working all things together for my good. Somehow, some way. Things were not out of control. They were out of my control but not His...and given the possibility of me reverting to that grasping, clutching and controlling mess, it is a good thing they were out of my control!

When I remember that verse, and really it should not be so easy to forget, given the double rainbow and all, my focus shifts back to where it should be. Calm returns. Even in the chaos.

Thankful.

The Road, it Winds

The road, it winds; it is not straight. The road to recovery, to knowledge, to healing, to becoming old and wise is rarely without bends and curves. I wonder if the additional miles we trod and the more we experience along the way, I wonder if these make us stronger. If it were so easy, so direct, would the end result be the same?

The Road

There is a bunch to learn along this artsy road. I can get quite overwhelmed at times and feel like it is just all too much and want to step back or even step out (of the world of art, I mean) but I don't think my heart can really do that, step out.

I believe I was created by God with a creative bent. The creative touch was not by chance but rather an intentional gifting. The purpose of this gift is to touch the world around me in many ways I likely won't even be aware of and to point back to my Creator, not to keep it to myself, buried and useless.

As I've chosen to become vulnerable in putting my work, myself, out there, I have learned a great deal about photography of course, but also about so much more. I have learned about the business end and logistics of the art world. I have learned about relating to people and engaging with them in some really quite remarkable ways that speak into my life. I have discovered ways to move through work that seems beyond my ability to do, step by step, until I get to the end of whatever it is that is put before me. I have learned that there is much to learn and the fear of being exposed as unlearned is a pretty bad reason not to learn and proceed and reach for more. I have learned that self-doubt and negative self-talk often come after an exciting opportunity is presented to me...and I accept it. I am learning how to recognize that and work through that, and not allow it to influence my decisions.

I have also learned more about who God is in this process. It amazes me how He reaches into my spirit and my circumstances to reveal Himself to me on this journey. This is a rich road of learning and one I am so thankful to be on.

Each of us is on a road of learning. What the roads look like will vary greatly from person to person, but some of these things that I am learning, you too are learning in ways that are specific to who you are.

So on we go, sometimes overwhelmed but hopefully with a continued zeal for learning more as we journey on.