A Heart Stuck in the Snow

I'm really liking this warmer weather... wearing Chacos, short sleeves, and Caprices is nice... but I'll admit: I'm already missing the cold. I know, I know. Crazy, right??
But I just can't help but love wearing sweatshirts, hats, gloves, sweaters, scarves, boots and all that fun stuff! I especially love the feeling after you come in from being outside for a while. Your nose and cheeks are winded and chilly, but they start to tingle as they warm back up. I love the hope for snow that the cold weather brings... and the satisfaction of drinking a cup of tea.
Even though my heart is stuck in the snow, I still enjoy the warmth. It's relaxing to sit out on the porch in a rocking chair and listen to my cat purr, begging for an ear scratch.
So, I'll enjoy this season and all the different opportunities it brings just as I enjoy the others!

Sarasota, FL

We went out for a nice dinner on Wednesday, the night of my Grammy's birthday. It was a special treat :)

We surprised Grammy by taking her on a 'Just Ducky' boat tour in. Since I was the only teenager on the boat I got to drive part of the time... it was much easier than driving a car.

It was a great, beautiful trip, and I'm so glad we got to celebrate with family on such a special occasion!

:(

I'm having some issues with my computer which makes it extremely difficult and frustrating to upload and edit pictures... hopefully they will be up soon! I am dying to post them, it has been a while!

It's Just Great

My mom and I drove down to Sarasota on Friday to join my aunts and Grandma to celebrate my Grammy's 81st birthday...

Going to the beach in February adds a whole different aspect to Florida. It's different, but in a lot of ways the same. You wake up to find the waves continually rolling in like they always have, the sun welcoming the day, the wind making the trees dance... it's all the same. The only difference is waking up and not knowing if you will wear a bathing suit or a sweatshirt down to the beach.
Now, this Georgia girl that has been stuck under a heap of clouds the past few weeks has been desperate for a peek at the sun. I lay there, basking in the sun, smothered in sunscreen, dreaming the day away, and enjoyed every second of the quiet. It's just great.

*pictures to come :)

The Glorious Joy of Being a Photographer.

Personally, I love rain. It makes me want to cuddle up and read a good book or watch a great movie. But After a few days of merciless rain I, like everyone else get a little anxious for another peek at the sun.

So instead of being stuck inside waiting for the sky to clear, I decided to get out in the gloom with my camera and see what I could find.

It's so neat to me the way things look when they are dripping wet.

To me, looking at a picture with rain drops leaves me anxious with wonder. I feel like I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the drip to fall, but it doesn't.

So this is a picture I took, freezing time and capturing the detail of a moment. A moment the can never be recreated.

That is one thing I love about photography...
As a photographer, you get the glorious joy of capturing a single moment in time, and making it last.

He Works in Mighty Ways.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." -Matt. 6:34 (message)

Wow, God tells us not to worry. He will take care of it. He tells us not to even waste your time and energy worrying about what will happen tomorrow, because when the time comes He will give us the strength we need to overcome any obstacle. This gives me such peace, knowing that He has everything taken care of. Every detail of my life planned out, and He will use anything and everything in my life for my good.- to mold me into who He wants me to be.

He wants me to slow down and stop worrying, so I can watch what happens when His hand works in my life. And He works in mighty ways...

Your will be done...

"our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done..."
"Thy will be done."... that has a whole new meaning to me now with the season of life that I am in. I am beginning to learn that "God's will" isn't just waiting on His timing. His will isn't just staying where I am and waiting before He tells me to go on with what I had planned. His will isn't just His timing... it's HIS WILL.
I didn't really get this until recently. I had my mind set that right now I am just waiting to get the ok from God to go on with what I had planned for my future. No, that's not it.
saying "Your will be done," means saying: "disregard everything that I want, Father. I yield to you all my desires. I lay down all the plans at your feet. Not my will, but Yours."
This is so hard to do. There are so many things that I dream to have, do and become one day. To give that up, I will be heartbroken.
And I would be heart broken, if I didn't have His promises to lean on. He tells me that if I give him control, if I let him hold the map, and the steering-wheel, and if I let go, I will be amazed. He has a plan for my life that is far beyond anything I could dream or imagine. He only wants best for me.
So, with His help I will learn to let go, and I will learn to trust that what He is doing is all part of a beautiful master piece.

"Delight yourself in me, and I will give you the desires of you heart." -Psalm 37:4

AWAKE '11

I

This is a picture of me and the rest of my cabin from a church youth retreat I went on last weekend. We went to the mountains in Tennessee... can I just say. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!
It was so fun :) We had the beast cabin! The speaker and music directors were awesome,
and the Lord spoke, AWAKEning our souls. He is continually teaching me to trust him and his plans/direction for my life. It was a great weekend!

:)

This is a picture of me yesterday, putting my Eeyore hat to good use out in the 'snow'. I was right, it didn't last long, because now... I'm watching my winter wonderland melt away before my very eyes. Well, It was fun while it lasted!

This is the South.

Yes, there was a 'snow-storm', which was really more of an 'ice-storm'. Yes, public and private schools were canceled, and yes. This is the south.
I expected to wake up and see my backyard painted white, but I was still in denial that it would actually happen. But, I was still very glad to see a thin layer of ice covering my entire neighborhood, and ice cycles hanging from just about everything:)
So, what did I do? I grabbed my camera and put on a layer of clothing that I expected to keep me warm for the few minutes it took me to snap some pics.
I love looking out my window. It is gorgeous. Sadly, I know by tomorrow that it will be melted, and my taste of the North will be gone. After all, this is the south... and the temperature here has a hard time at making up it's mind.

Brother :)

Something very exciting this happened this weekended! I got to see my brother:) He was in Birmingham for a friend's wedding, so we drove to see him! It was great, it had been a while since I'd seen him last... too long. I miss being able to see him all the time. He is such a good big brother!!

I'm sorry I have been so slack in the picture posting department. I will try to get some film pictures up soon. Right now, I don't have a good excuse for not posting any except that I just haven't gotten around to it...
But, have no fear. Soon, there will be some:)
I just need to find a store that carries a rechargeable camera battery that I need.

Until then, Maddy

The Secret of Being Content

"Be happy for each day. Do the things this year that you can do, and when next year comes, enjoy new opportunities. But don't be so impatient that one day you will regret you didn't take time to enjoy each step. Remember: 'There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven' (Ecclesiastes 3:1)"

The Lord gave me this quote/ verse as conformation to be satisfied where I am in life right now. Instead of dreaming of what life will be like once I get to a certain age, I need to enjoy this step in life. And be content right where I am. I need to trust God's timing is best and that He will one day answer all my questions. But for now I just need to wait, practice patience, learn to trust Him... and see how I grow. He is using the stage of life I am in now to prepare me for what is down the road. I need to trust what He is doing in my life, because only He can see what is coming next, and He only wants what is best for me... I need to trust, and wait. patiently.

"Times of waiting take us to deeper levels of trust, strengthen our faith, remind us to abide in Christ, and teach us to delight in the Lord... This season of life provides us the ideal opportunity to learn the secret of being content in any situation." -Sarah Mally