May your weekend be filled with love and play, sweet as a peony and comforting as a baseball game. May you celebrate motherhood with joy and thankfulness, and may your soul find life-giving rest in the midst of the whole beautiful, messy thing. And may you relish the pages of this weekend’s Royal Wedding People magazine. If you’re into that sort of thing.
for your weekend
May 7, 2011
june afternoons
April 27, 2011
Beth is making art. And she is inviting you to take part. Three years ago, she lost her twin boys when she was only 19 weeks pregnant. Now, she raises money for the March of Dimes to honor them. She writes about life and love and American Idol at I Should Be Folding Laundry (beautiful blog, photography, soul, mama, the works).
A few weeks ago, Beth emailed me to ask if I wanted to be a part of an art project called June Afternoons. It is an Etsy shop in memory of her twin sons, James and Jake. She wrote the most beautiful post last week on being their mother that I have perhaps ever read.
June Afternoons is a shop filled with photos donated by bloggers and photographers. Basically, if you buy a print, a gallery wrap, or a book from the shop, Beth will have them professionally printed and sent out to you, with much love and gratitude.
“Every penny from the sale of these prints—from now until May 31—will go to the March of Dimes in honor of James and Jake Fletcher. Since 2008 Team James and Jake has raised more than $23,000 to help moms and babies receive needed care, counseling, and research that saves and sustains lives. This year, these gifted and inspired photographers from the blogging community are joining Team James and Jake by donating some of their favorite images.”
from the June Afternoons Etsy shop
So basically, just think of it as donating a bit of money to the cause, and she will send you a free print as a thank you. If you would like to browse the photos in June Afternoons, visit the shop by clicking here. And thank you to Beth for allowing me to play the tiniest part in this beautiful and redeeming cause.
the future that never comes
April 8, 2011
He didn’t want to be in the wedding at first, though nobody could figure out why. When it finally came out that he just didn’t want to wear a bear suit, we very quickly assured him that he was not expected to be a bear, just a bear-er. He predicted the future based on something that wasn’t even true. And then he made his decision based on an invisible future that would never happen. I get it. I do it all the time. Anxiety is powerful. But so is truth. And this time, truth won out.
how to have your picture taken
November 4, 2010
A few weeks ago, Kelly Langner Sauer came through town with her family. She is warm, delightful, and so easy to be with. She is an artist with a big heart and a beautiful vision. While here, she generously snapped as many shots as she could of The Man and I, standing in our front yard before he had to go to work.
And in seeing them, I realize how critical I am of me. I’m not so comfortable in front of the camera. I would much rather move around behind it. If these were of you, I would think they were lovely. What is wrong with these eyes of mine?
And so last night, this very man reminded me that these things we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands are temporal, transient, wasting away. But the unseen and hiding things of this inner life are being renewed day by day by day. And I considered how there is nothing else that does that, nothing else that becomes newer the older it gets.
So what is the way to have your picture taken? Allow the silly to come out even though you know how dorky you look when the silly is captured still. Let some of the life that’s inside spill over into the seen and temporal, so that those things that can’t be touched can at least be proven there. And finally, lift your eyes up with me and remember that it is not about you and your hair parted on the wrong side. Hallelujah.
in the yard
September 16, 2010
The leaves haven’t changed yet around here. But soon.
The kids’ feet are still running bare, but not for long.
And the dog? He’s still a dog. The end.
great blogs :: photography
July 16, 2010
Remember how I always say that I find my favorite blogs through Tuesdays Unwrapped? Well, I really mean it. Today, I’m proving it. I’m almost pretty for sure that I found all four of these great girls (who are great with their cameras) through Tuesdays. And since I am too lazy to continue to add great blogs to my featured page, I thought I’d highlight them here instead.
(I couldn’t find an appropriate photo to go with this post, so I stalked my friend Alisa’s flickr and found this one she took of me during a bridal shoot we did together. Now that is appropriate.)
The Storehouse – When I found Emma, I immediately liked her style. Her square photos and short, simple, heart-true words kept me coming back. And she’s in Australia so, you know, that’s cool. She also has a legit photography website here.
the habit of being – First, I totally love the name of her site. And when you go there, it’s like the screen says ‘shhhhhhh….’ She writes a mix of family and perspective and lists. She makes lots of lists on her blog and I really dig lists.
Lola B’s – Her header alone makes me want to stay awhile. Just love the feel of this place. She has recipes and photography and France. That’s right, she is writing all about her trip to France, complete with photos, lovely and light.
soul aperture – Simple, clean, beautiful photography and words to match. How have I missed this girl!?
I hope you find someone you haven’t met before as well as a bit of inspiration.
my vacation sky
July 10, 2010
After so many years of spending time on Hilton Head Island for our vacation, you might think I would tire of taking photos of the same things. But every year, I see things a little differently through that lens of mine. That’s the beauty of rest and creation. When you mix the two together, your eyes see better.
I had some time to stop and chat at the sky while on vacation. As much as I love our hometown with all the green and leafy trees, sometimes I miss not being able to get a good look look at the wide open sky.
There is something about being able to take in the whole thing at once that leads to a deeper understanding of who God is and the wonder of my small place in his big story.
Sometimes the view from the ground is more interesting if, instead of looking straight ahead, you simply look up.
And even though we gathered to watch the man show with all its pop and bang and razzle dazzle…
…the God show was much more impressive.
