Cody and Rosie

Yesterday, I had another great opportunity to take some pictures. My dad's friend owns these dogs, and they are so well trained! Rosie (yellow lab) is a deer tracker, and Cody(black lab) fetches dove, quail ect. It is amazing the things they can do! They are so obedient to their master, and always look to please. They are just about the sweetest, most loving dogs ever!

Sweet Music in My Ears!

One day I came home to find my sister and her boyfriend, David, sitting on my front porch. David is an awesome guitar player and he has an amazing voice! My first thought when I saw them was to grab my camera and take a few pictures. That is almost always my first thought for anything! I enjoyed trying different angles of a guitar :)

Winter leaf

I love these pictures even though the leaf is dead... I was outside taking pictures when I spotted this little leaf standing straight up in the middle of my yard. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. :) I love it when that happens :)

A Birds Eye View...Literally!

The world is filled with so many amazing things waiting to be discovered. I love to use the zoom on my camera and get really close to birds without them seeing me. These little birds are so delicate, graceful, and care free. I love to think about all the time God took to make these little creatures. Then I get reminded of how much time God took making me. He planned me so carefully and He is so proud of the things I do. If He took the time to care and love for things as small as a bird, then he loves me that much more. Who knew such a small, unaware animal could teach you something. I am so excited to go discover more things from behind the lens of a camera :)

Spread Your wings

Just go for it! I often find myself choosing not to do things because I don't think I can, I don't think I will be good at it, or I am afraid I will end up flat on my face in a big pile of falure. In reality I just need to spread my wings and fly. I have no idea what I am capable of until I try it. I need to stop being afraid of messing up, or not doing everything perfect the first time I try something. In fact there have been times where I didn't want to do something, and I end up being pretty good at it, and loving it. Through spreading my wings and flying for the first time I have found some things that I am really go at. Most of all, I have found something I love. Now daily, I continually practice, and get better, and better every day. I can already see my improvement. Next time I don't want to do something because I am afraid of the outcome, I will remind myself that with God I can do all things, and there is no reason for me to ever be afraid! :)

Rest

We waste a bunch of our time and energy worrying and stressing about peole liking us. We walk around frantikly trying to impress everyone that walks by us. We want people to think we are funny, cute, and____ (fill in the blank). We stress over what we say, how we look and what people will think of us. This whole time the Lord is saying to us "Come to me. Come to me and rest." He wants us to forget all of our worries that aren't important and rest. If we go to Him we no longer will have to stress about what others think, because it won't matter. I am trying to let go of my worries, and go to the Lord for rest. I don't want to have to be distraught with the burdens of how to impress others, or how to get the most attention from the girl that everybody loves so much. I just want to forget it all and go rest with the Lord. He will take away my worries and change the stress to peace.

Peace of Mind and Heart

It gives me a peace of mind and heart to know that the Lord is looking down on me and smiling because I am doing what he created me to do. He made me by hand all the while planning who I would be, what I would do, and what I would love. It thrills Him to see me doing the things I love, and the things he planned for me to do. He is so proud of all the great things that I do. It brings Him great joy to see me succeed. He is in awe that His artwork is everything He meant for it to be. Even though I let Him down sometimes, it is great to know that He loves me, and he becomes overfilled with excitement when He sees me do the things I love.

Surprise Snow!

Snow in Georgia! I never would have believed it! While i enjoyed this surprise I decided to take some pictures of my beautiful, snow-covered yard!

Me in the yard when the snow just started to stick :)

I had a great time playing in the snow with my family and neighbors! I was sad when I woke up in the morning and found almost no snow left :(. Even though it didn't last long, I still enjoyed this gift from God on a school-free, winter day.

What's imporant

OK so I'm not the most popular girl, maybe I don't dress the best, I don't have a boyfriend, I'm not the cutest girl in school that all the guys fall in love with immediately... so What's wrong with that? Is there anything wrong with not being the best, cutest or most popular? To be honest I don't mind too much about being any of those things. I could probably list about 10 things off the top of my head that are more important to me that all of those temporary things. I'm just glad that I don't have to worry about getting the approval of God, because he already loves me, just the way I am. In His eyes I am the prettiest, and the most popular. To Him I am even more than that, and that is enough to make me happy! :)

Home

Sometimes, when I was little I would buy a box of celeal just for the prize inside. I'd get all excited and reach my hand in the box to grad this ever so amazing prize only to find a plastic figure with no eyes... dissapointing right? I know what you are thinking, I should have known. Companies always lie to sell their product. Yes, I know that, but at the moment when I was in Wal-mart all I was thinking about was the cool new toy that I would get to play with when I got home. Not only was the toy not what I would have expected at all, but the cereal would taste like the plastic wrapper that my toy was wrapped up in to keep it from getting all sticky.
There are so many disappointing things in life... friends will let you down, your family will let you down, something won't go the way you planned it out in your mind. One thing I know for sure that will not dissapoint me is my real home... heaven. I say my real home because where I am now, Earth is only temorary. I will have way better things in heaven waiting for me. I don't know exactly what it will be like, but I DO know that when I get home and reach my hand in the box it will be even better than I ever imagined!

Myself

In middle school it is so hard to get by with just being yourself. People have this stereotype made up in their head that says you have to look, act and dress a certain way in order to be "cool" or accepted, but what if someone doesn't want to be just like everyone else? What if they aren't the same as the others? I feel like being an individual today is looked down upon. You have to be accepted into a clique or have a best friend to be accepted. Some people will do anything to become accepted. Often I find myself doing or saying things that the real me wouldn't say of do, or I find myself trying to look for the approval of others because I am not satisfied, or I am too preoccupied to notice the handful of people right in front of me that already accept me for me. I need to try and become content, and not focus on trying to be someone I'm not just so one person will like me, but actually it isn't the real me. Does that make any scene? I need to work on just being who God created me to be regardless of what anyone else thinks, because I was created, planned and chosen by the King of Kings to be His child forever.

Strength of the Lord

I just want to do everything I can to let everybody know that I care. I want them to know that I am here for them no mater what they are going through. I want God's love you pour out of my actions. I will try my hardest to let my light shine for Him, and not be afraid of what I believe in. I fail daily, but I want to have the courage to get back up and try again and again no matter who rejects me, because I know that the strength of the Lord is within me. With Him all things are possible, and with Him I can withstand all things.