We must hear this all the time, but maybe because we're photographers and %70 of our Facebook friends are photographers, but seriously, we live a pretty blessed life. I mean seriously!! I get to document the most important day in someone's life. I don't take that for granted or approach it as another buck to be made. I didn't become a photographer because I saw money in it, I did it because life is fragile and beautiful and pictures are priceless. I couldn't image doing anything else than what I wake up and do everyday. Every couple who comes into my life, changes my life. I'm always incredibly humbled when they choose me out of the thousand other photographers they could pick from. It's my dream come true, and I have no one but God to thank for it. For giving me the dream in the first place, to have the faith the pursue it, and the endurance to keep pushing forward. Having lost a life long friend this past week to cancer, I'm once more reminded of why I do what I do. I dug through old drawers and scoured scrapbooks looking for pictures of Samantha. Every picture I have of her is irreplaceable and I'll always cherish them. They carry the memories of her. Her beautiful blue eyes, her perfect smile, shiny hair that grew faster than any one else's I knew! Nothing comes close than her actually still being with us than those pictures. Ones of us laying on the living room floor on my 9th birthday, oh the memories!! Orange peel smiles in the hallways in high school. Getting ready for Prom in Carrie's bedroom. Even now I can almost hear her laugh and her sassy opinions that made me love her more. We spent so much time in the library together, just the two of us, alone with books, helping each other with homework, discussing Disney movies, dreaming of the future.
Life is beautiful. Every story is different and needs to be told. We take for granted the power of a photograph. It's so accessible nowadays, but we almost forget why we love pictures so much until we can't remember details anymore. Memories come flooding back to us and we feel something again. So this is my promise: I promise to never take for granted the talent God has given me to capture life the way I see it. To never approach my career as the thing that makes me money, but as an act of worship to Him. To document a wedding in the best way I know how, to never settle for anything, to keep learning and growing in Him. I can't even put into words what I feel right now. Sorry for the journal like post, but it's been bottling up inside of me for so long now, and I've been bawling my eyes the last couple of days. Perfect time for a personal post, haha! I'm reminded of how much I need God. He's my peace and comfort and HOPE through hard times. My God is for me, I'm safe with Him, and I can do all things through Him.
"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)"
"But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand." (Isaiah 64:8)
"in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39)
This is Sammy at her graduation from BYU-I. A year after graduation they found a brain tumor and her life was flipped. Through surgery and rehabilitation, she recovered and still graduated college like the Smarty Pants she was. This last November a brain tumor came back, this time taking her life. She held on to her faith till the last moment, having her Bible read to her when she could no longer read. I know she's in the arm's of Jesus now and that brings me so much hope. Her twin sister Becky was her best friend and I'm excited for the day we can all be together again in Heaven :)
