What I'm asking God for in 2017

I love new beginnings!  It's almost a new year, and you know what that means...a new planner! Have I mentioned I'm getting a new planner? And a new journal too...both filled with crisp, bright white blank pages just waiting for ideas and plans and goals and prayers to make their way from my mind and heart onto paper. I love writing, I love everything about it. I don't mind typing out my thoughts like I do on this blog, but there is something about holding paper in my hands, turning actual pages, and writing out my life and thoughts in my own handwriting on sheets of real paper spread out before me. I find it refreshing and inspiring.  I may have mentioned that my 2017 planner is on it's way (I ended up ordering a different one than the one I had last year and wrote about here).  I'm just a wee bit excited about it.

It's New Year's Eve and as I am sitting on the couch reclining next to my husband, half paying attention to the black & white movie he's watching, I am contemplating the new year.  I'm wondering what 2017 has in store for us and praying that it is mostly good things.  I know that if God allows trials into my life, that He will have a purpose in it, and I pray that I remember that when they come.  Even so, I am asking God to bless this year. For myself, my husband, and our kids.  Here is what I'm asking Him for, for all of us...

Deeper Faith

Unconditional Trust

Complete Surrender.

A new year means a chance to start over.  

Refocus. 

Prioritize.  

And for me, this new year means resurrecting old passions that have gone stale, like writing, playing piano, photography, women's ministry, time with friends, believing for good things.  It is surprising to me that I have let these passions fall by the wayside, but what's even more surprising is that I haven't really even missed them.  But there is an emptiness that remains in their absence that is becoming obvious to me now and I'm beginning to long for them again. Especially the believing for good things.  I've gone kind of numb to that. Not cynical exactly, I just haven't been expecting good things to happen and I don't like that feeling.  That's not who I want to be, and it's certainly not who God wants me to be.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

So, it's a great time for a new year to happen!  My hope is renewed and I just know that 2017 is going to be a great year because God is good,  my husband started blogging again, and my new planner will be here in a couple weeks! Cha!

Today

I'm going to resist the urge to try and summarize all the happenings in our lives since the last time I blogged.  It's hard for me, to resist such a tempting temptation, but I quite often  have trouble summarizing things and tend to ramble on and on, so it's probably best if I just talk about today.

Today was....

See, I'm doing it already.  I have typed and backspaced about 14 sentences and just can't decide how to describe my day.  What is my problem?  There may be a name for this, I'm not sure, but whatever it is I need to just press on and keep typing until something resembling a coherent thought finds it's way out. 

Church was amazing today!  It usually is, but it was especially amazing today.  Besides great worship and a great message, there were tables set up in front of the sanctuary where people could come up together or individually to take communion.  I love that.  We went up as a family (I temporarily left my post at the piano to join my clan) and it was very special...to hold hands with my husband and children, remember the sacrifice that bought our freedom and salvation, and pray together with these wonderful people that I am blessed to share my life with...well it doesn't get any better than that at church. 

I also had the opportunity to talk with three parents who are grieving the losses of their children this week.  I am quite sure that they ministered to me more than I did to them.  The strength and peace that emminated from them at the most painful time in their lives is truly nothing short of a miracle.

This afternoon I had the opportunity to partake in my favorite Sunday afternoon pleasure....a nap!  Then it was on to Kyle's baseball banquet at the city park.  Fun!  I love baseball season, and also love when it comes to an end and our lives can resemble something a little more close to normal.  And there is alot less sand in our couches.

Tonight I had a photo shoot, and learned some very valuable lessons in my photography quest:

1.  Make sure to allow plenty of time for the shoot so you are not playing beat the clock with the sun. 
2.  Don't be afraid to reschedule, it's better than trying to rush and getting frustrated when there just isn't enough light left in the day, and you have to reschedule anyway.  Hmmph.
3.  It is SO WONDERFUL to have understanding and gracious friends who not only understand the need to reschedule, but totally don't act inconvenienced at all, and are even grateful for the "dress rehearsal" and the time we got to spend together!
4.  It's also wonderful to have very generous friends who are awesome at gardening and bring you fresh vegies from their garden....yum!
5.  And last but not least, always be sure to scope out a location ahead of time to avoid wasting precious daylight by trying to find the just right spots and realizing that the waterfall you were told about wasn't all it was cracked up to be. 

And now, it's time to retire for the evening...I did it!  I summarized today without rambling on and on (at least not too much.  I think.)  I surprise myself sometimes. 

A pretty good start

Yep...it's strep.  I had a throat culture this morning - which is all kinds of fun if you happen to enjoy having someone gag you with not one but two really long q-tips.  And it's an extra fun and pleasant experience when the nurse asks you if you have ever had this done before, and upon telling her "yes but it's been a long time", she decides to put you at ease by reminding you "yea, it's not pleasant."  Thanks for that.

So I've been home all day.  Just me and the dogs.  And my Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Tea.  I love it, even the smell makes me happy.  Add a big squeeze of honey and it's a little bit o' heaven on a massively sore and scratchy throat.  It's my new best friend...but not the new best friend that I was referring to in yesterday's post.  That would be Jasmine Star. 

She is an amazing wedding photographer from Orange County California.  Amazing as in Ah-May-Zing, and I've been obsessed with dilegently studying her blog for the past several days now.  Her photography is incredible, but what is even more incredible is her story.  She had no formal training in photography whatsoever...just a camera from her husband that she fell in love with, and a dream that she followed.  She not only posts very specific information about photography that I am completely soaking up, but she shares her fears and her failures and her insecurities.  She still has them, even as she charges (rumer has it) close to $30k to shoot a wedding.  She is a Christian, married to her highschool sweetheart, and very encouraging and inspiring to an aspiring photographer like myself.  And I am learning a TON...about lighting and settings, and making your clients feel comfortable, about making them laugh and relax in order to get those candid shots that tell their story, and perhaps most importantly I'm learning that I really can do this!  Even if I don't have the nicest camera, the most expensive lenses, a business background, or a lack of fear. 

What I do have is this...a husband who supports me and believes in me, and a God who can make things happen if I put Him first.  And a dream.  I'd say that's a pretty good start!

A Saturday and a dream

It's quarter after midnight on Saturday night and Mr. W and I are sitting on the couch eating carrots and cheese and watching Hoarders.  It's not as pathetic as it sounds, really.  Ok, maybe it is, but we DID watch a movie and share a glass of wine earlier in the evening, so there is hope for us, right?! 

The day started out the way many of our Saturdays do...at least the ones where we don't have to set our alarm and get up and hurry off somewhere.  We slept in 'til 9:30 (yes!) and soon after we were up and on our way to the fruit market.  We love going there on Saturday mornings, sometimes combining it with a stop at Starbucks, however not today.  Today we decided to grab lunch at one of our favorite lunchy spots...Blooming Grounds Coffee House.  We talked about our day and how much we loved our turkey cheddar paninis and homemade potato soup.  Our laughter echoed off the mossy green and brick- painted walls, as I read to him from the front page and talked about how awesome the ambience is in here and how I can make my newest dream come true.

A photographer?  Really?  Can I really do this?  How do people pursue their dreams, and transform them into reality?  There are as many answers to that question as there are stars in the sky, and believe me when I say I have thought of them all...including the ones that don't have happy endings.  But one thing I do know for sure.  God has a purpose for my life.  And if it includes pursuing this photography thing, then He will make a way.  I just need to have an open heart and ears that hear His voice.  Some wisdom would be good too.

I asked Vince if he thought that God values photography, and without hesitation he said "absolutely"!  Then he went on about how it appreciates the beauty of His creation, and how God is creative and artistic and aren't we made in His image?

I love that man.  He just gave me permission to be excited about this.

So now what?  I've been overwhelmed the past couple of months...surfing the web for information about cameras & lenses, apertures and white balance and lighting and iso's,  In my quest to take things to the next level I have found many sites of photographers far more talented than I, and have had to fight off the temptation to be discouraged and wonder if this is just ridiculous.  I know in my heart that it is not...that there is a passion there that I think I can do something with.  That God can do something with, that will not only bless me but our whole family too, not to mention those who may find themselves on the other side of my lens.

Now...it's 2am.  I could still babble on and on, but for now my bed is calling and tomorrow I will blog more about my thoughts, oh and my new best friend!

I'm in love! I'm in love! And I don't care who knows it!

I'm playing with my new toy...my new baby...otherwise known as my new lens :)  Check this out.  The following pictures were all taken of the same (very awesome) basket with berries that currently sits on our kitchen table (along with alot of other stuff that was pushed out of the way to create the illusion that our home is always neat and tidy).  But just ignore all that and look at this. 

Ok, the first picture was taken with the first digital camera that I've ever owned - a Canon PowerShot.  It's pretty awesome for a point and shoot (I think) and takes great snap shots.  I took this on Manual setting, shutter speed 1/30, iso 200, and f2.8 (the lowest it will go).

Are you impressed with my "camera speak"?  Yea, I thought so.  Tehe :)  Anyway, the next picture was taken with my Canon Rebel - my first DSLR (which is fancy terms for a camera that you switch lenses on).  The lens I used was a 50mm 1.8 II, which up until today was my favorite lens.  It made me fall in love with my camera and with the art of photography, and it's taken some pretty sweet pictures for me, I must say.  This was taken with the same iso and shutter speed, but at f1.8.

Not bad, not bad.  Pretty big improvement I'd say.  But now, drum roll please....here is the same shot, taken with my Rebel and my *new* lens, a 50mm 1.4, again with the same shutter speed and iso. 

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO!  I am in love!    I have wanted this lens for months, but I made a promise to myself (and to my husband too) that I would only upgrade my equipment with money that I earn from my photography.  So here it is, the first harvest of my new passion.  I can't WAIT to start taking portraits with this...and thankfully I won't have to wait long because I have 4 family sessions and a maternity session coming up soon - yay!  And if you come over to my house (or pretty much anywhere near me anytime soon) I WILL be putting a camera in your face, so consider yourself warned and please try not to blink!

Yoda talk and bobble head syndrome. Oh dear.

Here I am, sitting at home and my world is spinning.....literally.  I have vertigo, which is all kinds of fun if you enjoy living on a tilt-a-whirl, which I happen to not.  It makes it quite difficult to walk straight and function...which is difficult for me anyway, so yea.  Not so much fun am I having.  And talking like Yoda again as well, I am.

So, now that I'm not able to go to work today, or do laundry or dishes or anything else productive that requires me to move my head, what a wonderful opportunity for me to catch up on my blog, which has been severely neglected of late because of my new photography adventure.  (And, you know, working full time and living life with a husband and 5 kids at home takes up a wee bit of my time as well).   I'm surprised I can be on the computer at all with this "bobble head syndrome" going on.  But as long as I am sitting upright, and my head is facing directly forward, I'm relatively ok...any change in position left or right, or up or down, and I am sent spinning and falling in the alternate, wacky universe inside my head.  Soooo much fun.  Do you realize how often you have to move your head?  You move your head ALOT when brushing your teeth.  And incidently, you need to look down to spit out the toothpaste, and if you don't you end up drooling it down your chin, which I  may or may not know from first hand experience.

So I'm sitting straight up on the couch with my laptop on my lap, the phone by my side, and the tv firmly planted on HGTV, so I'm all set.  As I mentioned, I've been pretty busy with my new photography adventure...and I couldn't be more excited about it!!  Well, actually I could...as I dream of cameras and lenses I'd love to have, I'm reminding myself to be grateful and appreciative of what I DO have and not to covet.  Ooooh, that's a hard one, especially as I see other people's blogs and pictures much more amazing than mine.  That's ok, my day will come, God willing.  In the mean time, I will thank Him for bringing photography into my life and all that He has blessed me with already.  It is truly a gift - one that I intend to continue to use to bless others. 

I have a passion for helping those that God brings into my life, and using the talents that He gives me to invest in the lives of others.  I've been praying alot about this lately, not only myself but with our children.  How can God use us?  What can He move through our lives into the lives of others?  Is it money?  Cooking a meal?  Visiting a lonely friend?  Giving someone a ride?  As I have prayed about this, I have seen God bring more and more opportunities for me to live this out - or maybe the opportunities have always been there, He just opened my eyes to them when I asked Him too?  I'm thinking the latter is true.  Either way, I am thankful.  I am learning how to reach out more, how to live beyond myself, and so are our children.   I believe that God has brought photography into my life, not only for me to enjoy (which I DO!) and to create memories of our family, but to bless others and help them create lasting memories for their families as well.  My perspective on the world around me has changed too.  I see beauty in nature, in our children, and even in a candle on a table with the light streaming down...where I may not have seen it before in quite the same way. 

Oh, dang it.

Now all this talk has me wanting to go take some photos...but alas I can't with the bobble head thing going on.  Oh well.

Why I've been MIA for so long

I have been busy....vewy vewy busy.  Doing this thing called "Lisa Howard Photography".

Maybe this is why the daycare thing didn't work out???  Hmmm...God is just so good at giving us what we need, and TRULY want, in spite of our kicking and screaming sometimes.

Messing around with my new best friend

I have been getting more and more involved, intrigued, passionate, and potentially obsessed with photography lately.  Vince got me my lovely Canon about a year ago, and initially I was scared of it.  You may remember that I left it in it's bag for about two weeks before I started using it.  I was just overwhelmed at the thought of having a camera that was so complicated (and more expensive than I ever thought I'd own.)  But I have overcome my fear and intimidation and have grown to love it!  Bit by bit I am learning how to use it, what the settings can do, and what kind of lighting lends itself to a good photograph (or not).  I know I have a very far way to go and tons more to learn, but I'm getting there. Baby steps. 

Most recently I have started to get to know my new best friend...Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.  In a word...IT'S THE BOMB!  Ok that was three words, but it deserves it.  Here's what I have been able to do with it recently...

This is a picture of Trevor and his girlfriend Whitney on prom night.  This is how it looked straight out of the camera.

  
Love that picture!  And this is what I was able to do while playing around in Lightroom...

Isn't that fun!?

Here is a picture that I took of Vince and his dad a couple weeks ago when we met them for dinner at Pannekouken.  I have no idea why it looks so yellow (or how to spell Pannekouken), but it probably has everything to do with the lighting in the restaurant (and maybe some photographer error, who knows).  But anyway, here is the picture right out of the camera...

And this is how I was able to make it look after messing around with it in Lightroom tonight while listening to Patty Griffin...

I'm not sure what Patty had to do with it, but I'm so happy I could just spend hours and hours and days and weeks doing nothing but sitting here at my computer going through all my thousands of photographs on my computer and editing them in all kinds of fun ways.  But I won't, because I have a husband and children.  And a house and a job.  And I may need to go to the bathroom now and again.

I'm getting better...

at this...

photography thing...

of course...

having the cutest kids ever...

...helps alot!

Flowers and photography...short 'n sweet

Here are the pictures that I promised to post a couple weeks ago, remember when our pots were running over?!

I am beginning to learn how to use my new camera and I'm loving it!!

Here are some pics of our back deck...

And our front deck...

And our cute little herb garden! Thyme, rosemary, chives, sage, oregano...

...and basil.

It smells sooooooo yummy !

That is all.