Today I have been editing.editing.and.editing while attempting to tackle the mountainous piles which have accumulated over the last month while hoping to check at least three things off the to-do-list before errands and bible study tonight.... Yeah, its Monday. Its been productive, but also random. So much can happen in twelve hours. When it gets like this, I miss the beach. I want to feel the sand and listen to the water. There is something so delightfully restful about the sound of water. mhmmm. Jesus is teaching me so much... there just are not enough words or not the right ones to express it. Maybe some day, it shall be a blog post. I am learning to trust and delight in His love and to persevere in faith against all odds. "Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame..." - Romans 10:11

Speaking of random...
‎[Laugh of the day]: Upon walking in the school room, Littlest brother attempted to teach me an Algebra problem... my response? Protesting and a blank stare. 

Me: "Buddy, I promptly blocked all Algebra from my mind the moment I graduated. This is like me walking in a dark forrest with no light... nothing is coming." 
Littlest Brother: [after giving me the answer] "See, right there."
Me: "How did you get that?"
Littlest Brother: "Oh, the L is squared."
Me: "Its a LETTER... not a number. They don't go together!"
Littlest Brother: [shakes head] "Its no wonder you hate Algebra. Who is going to teach your kids math someday!?!"
Me: "I shall marry a math guy and they will do math with Daddy when he comes home from work."
Littlest Brother: "Nope, cause then they will be cranky. So instead, Uncle Jeremiah shall teach them!!!"

Just everyday life at home. *grin*

In the midst of editing and getting ready to blog and post an album for Nick and Emily, I came upon this shot and my heart did a happy dance on the spot!! Gahhh! I had totally forgotten I had even taken this picture... a perfect surprise. hehe. The real post for Emily and Nick may come later tonight... of not, tomorrow.

‎"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. Faith is permitting ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see." -Martin Luther 

Happy Reformation Day! 
-KM

Its Sunday! Happy Sunday, everyone!
I love Sundays... like love.love.love. them so much.
I love the fact that Jesus created a day of rest for us... mhmm. 
I love the quietness of being home on Sunday afternoons [most.of.the.time].
I love delighting in worshipping at the piano in the evenings.  

Today, church was wonderful... incredible worship and life-interupting-truth. So.very.good.  
However, also today... I am behind on homework. So I am working on re-touching and correcting six old images for class tomorrow morning. Yes, we need to work on getting more on top in the home work agenda area. Now that life is starting to slow down [heh.cough. that basically means there are currently no photography jobs lined up at the moment for the next however.many.months. but still plenty of things to catch up on... like editing for an example.] I am greatly anticipating embracing steady routine, consistency and more of a flow from week to week when it comes to things like editing, working out, home work, etc. We shall see. Mostly, I am anticipating having extra time to work on projects, catch up on journaling, spending quality time with dear ones, working on my identity statement, etc. Mhmmm.

So here is a little bit of happy randomness for your Sunday evening, friends. 

May your heart know and believe that Jesus is good. 
May your heart choose to trust Him... always. 

‎"The gospel rightly understood will always result in a greater dependency on God and a greater embracing of humility." - Pastor Mark Vroegop

-KM 

PS - Here is one of the "old" [twenty-something-years-old. hehe] image I have corrected. What a cutie, huh? hehehehe. 

This year has been extremely stretching and growing as a photographer. 

How incredibly thankful and in awe am I to Jesus for all He has taught me, the opportunites given, people met, moments captured forever, relationships made, equipment bought... yes, indeed. If someone would have told me this time last year within the next year I would have photographed: eight weddings [four being out of state]. four portrait sessions.two engagement sessions. eight senior sessions and five plus family/events I would.have.laughed.and.shaken.myhead.in.disbelief. Now that may not seem like a lot to some of you, but going from last year, in which I shot one wedding and a handful of portraits... it was quite a leap. 

I am glad Jesus doesn't tell me His plans and instead asks me to simply trust and obey. 
What an adventurous, exciting and stretching year it has been! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat... oh, the joy of walking with Jesus, leaning on Him and resting in all He has in store. 

As I have continued to grow and develop my skill, style and supplies with photography, I have noticed that I sometimes forget to capture things personally. Whether that is family things or just every day life. I see pictures everywhere all the time, but I don't often take the time to capture and create the image, download and edit and then share it. Fall, the most delightful time of year, has come so fast and regrettably, I haven't been able to capture its incredible breathtaking beauty... until yesterday, when I decided a poetic walk was in order. Mhmmm! Aperture is delightful... so is creamy, warm fall light! 

Life is my Canvas. 
Fall... my color palette.

"Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns." - George Eliot

-KM

...blurry.

"Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for- because unless we stand for something we shall fall for anything.”
- Dr. Peter Marshall

Yes, I have been epically failing in the blogging realm of life these days. There have been too many other things happening of late that have needed attention and of course the two things that always go on the back burner? Blogging and Editing. Probably because they are always two things that always need to be done. 

You know how sometimes you come up with an idea and suggest it to someone and you both agree it would be a great thing... but it doesn't actually end up happening till months later? Well, that is how it was with Piper's photoshoot. Originally, I had asked Piper if he would be willing to model for me so I could get some practice and portfolio work... well, spring and summer came and went and fall is just about on its way out... 

It was way last minute, but Jesus provided the perfect day. So Piper, Kendyl and I spend an entire evening riding around Sahm golf course, soaking in the gorgeous sunshine, beautiful fall breeze and delightful brilliant colors around us. It was great. Everything from epic shots to hiding behind trees for cover from flying golf balls... mhm! Don't you just wish you had been there? 

Piper played basketball on the high school team while my younger brother's were on Junior High and Junior Varsity. Piper is an athlete, friend, son, salesman and an all around cool guy. Even driving around the course, it was fun to watch him interact with the guys out playing and see his respect towards them.  

So that was Tuesday... along with a long Dr. appointment [more on that later perhaps], blood tests which left my arm numb and lifeless for the next day [not.a.nice.experience.let.me.tell.you] and now rather bruised and sore still. Add in a bunch of other circumstances and situations and yeah... just take my word that its been a long week. Jesus has been teaching me so much. It has been a full out battling kind of week. One of those where you don't feel like you have much more to give... but Jesus keeps giving grace for the next moment and the next moment and the next moment... 

It never ceases to amaze me, how much I need the Gospel.
It never ceases to amaze me, how much I need constant Truth.
It never ceases to amaze me, how much I need Jesus. Just Jesus.

‎"The amount of time we spend with Jesus - meditating on His Word and His majesty, seeking His face - establishes our fruitfulness in the kingdom." -Charles Stanley

Hungering for righteousness,
KM 

A year ago... I was baptized. 
A year ago today... I re-dedicated my life to Jesus!
A year ago today... I gave all to Him, dreams, desires, everything!
A year ago today... I began to fight lies and reckon Truth to the deepest part of my heart. 

And it has been the best adventure ever since! 

“Remain in Me; and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me, you can do nothing.

- John 15: 4-5 

...like being led. 

"And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness into light before them and make uneven places into a plain. These things I have determined to do [for them]; and I will not leave them forsaken. And the Lord shall guide you continually, Kristi, and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not."

- Isaiah 48:16, 58:11

Its been one of those weeks where I have to continually keep my gaze upwards on my Jesus otherwise I am likely to become instantly overwhelmed or start stressing. hehe. [Yeah, lots going on. Sometimes I think my life could be a book.] Neither are recommended for good health or joy! Oh, to keep my heart focused on Eternity and for a heart filled with grace from Jesus. Life is so much more freeing when living with Him and through His strength!

Also, an attitude of gratitude does wonders, really. Truly. 
So in the midst of a hundred details and life situations...

I am thankful for...