Just Breathe

If you know me at all then you know how easily I get stressed out.  Almost all of my close friends could give you their personal story about having to try to comfort me and make me snap out of my distressed trance..

Last weekend I went on a retreat with the other confermandi (I just love saying that word) from my church and, like every other retreat I’ve ever gone on with those amazing people, it reminded me of some pretty important things.

1.)  

Nothing is so horrible that it can’t be forgiven.  Now, please keep in mind that this is not me saying that you can go on a killing spree and get off easy, because that is most definitely NOT what I’m saying.  I’m just saying that you can still start over.  It’s never too late.

2.)

 Sometimes, the most simple things in life are the best.  The first night of retreat I looked up to see my friend reading her bible in the dark with her tiger flashlight.  It is the most amazing flashlight I’ve ever seen.  It roars.  Anyways, she may have given me a strange look when she heard my shutter go off in the silent room, but it was worth it because of her response to the picture after she saw it.

 

3.)

 It may seem cheesy, but journals work.  I was pretty reluctant when the team handed it to me because of the stack of journals in the corner of my closet that I tried to keep when I was younger, but now I love it.  I have one from last summer, and when I went back and read it last weekend it reminded me of how my life has changed since then.  Plus, they’re a great way to vent because they can’t judge.  If you believe that your journal judges you, you may want to seek some professional help (;

 

4.)

Remember what is really important and let go of what isn’t.  One of my friend’s advice to me was “Think to the future. Where will you be in a few years? When you’re applying for colleges, will your one not so great English class or this one year when you stressed a lot about English class really matter? Not even a little.”  So while your problem may not be your high school English class, I think that what she said pretty much applies to any situation.  If you’re wondering what this photo has to do with anything, my answer is simple.  You have to focus on the most important things, shine your light on them, and let your worries go to the darkness.  (No offense, Joseph)

5.)

Have FUN. That same genius friend also said “Turn on some music and remember that it really will all be okay.  You may have a couple more sleepless nights in your future and a couple more days where all this hard work still doesn’t seem to be paying off, but then you have break. To relax. And live. And forget school. And breathe. And remember why you LOVE to live.”  She’s pretty amazing, and she’s also very right.  I had more fun on retreat than I’ve had in a long time because I was able to shut everything else out and just enjoy the moment, and I can honestly say that it really helped my relationships with my friends grow as well as letting me make new friends.

 

6.)

Friends are the best.  Some come into your life for a short time and some are here to stay, but no matter how long you know them, they change your life in some significant (or not so significant) way.

For example, “A” and I have been best friends since kindergarten, and we’re obviously going to be the old ladies causing a ruckus in the nursing home.

7.) 

I think this one speaks for itself.

STOP.  Think about what has you worried.

BREATHE.  Focus on what you can learn from your situation.

PRAY.  If you still don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, pray about it.

Sometimes the solution is more simple than it seems.

Have a wonderful week.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Say Hello to My Little Friends

I’ve always wanted to say that, and now I have a legit reason.  Happy Cassie.   Today we went to the lake where my brothers fished while I harassed some bugs (:

I don’t even know what this is, but I’m almost positive that it has four eyes.  It kept crawling towards me, and right as I was getting ready to hop up so it wouldn’t crawl on me it made a nose dive into an ant pile…  I still can’t decide whether it was a suicide mission or if he was the predator..

I got a total of one picture of an ant because they move so fast.  By the time I could get the camera to focus and click the shutter button they were gone.  A great source of frustration, they are.

There were sea shells everywhere, so I decided to pick on something that couldn’t move or bite me.

This lady bug is probably sitting at the lake planning its revenge.  I felt so bad for it.  Like the ants, it moved fast and wouldn’t stay in one place, but unlike the ants I could pick it up since it wouldn’t bite me, meaning that I wouldn’t let it leave the table for about twenty minutes. But hey, it all worked out! (:

 

Have a good week, everyone, and don’t forget to enjoy the little things in life!(:

“In the dew of little things the heart finds that it is morning and is refreshed.”

 –Unknown

Something Old

So I was planning on doing something witty about old things, but it turns out that doing a google search for “something old” will only get you five billion pages talking about “Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”  Since this week isn’t about a wedding (that’s in April!) that saying doesn’t really apply, so I actually have to try being creative.

For my photography class at school we have to put together a portfolio, one of the categories being extraordinary architecture.  Architecture is something I’ve never really explored, and it’s actually pretty frustrating for me..  I don’t know why, seeing as it seems like I should just be able to take a picture of a building and call it a day, but (unfortunately) photography doesn’t seem to work that way, neither does my mind, for that matter.

So I figured that maybe old buildings would make it a little easier since more contrast with them can be more captivating.  I think they’re pretty decent for my first try : P  But of course this isn’t the end of my architecture adventures.

The first place we went was the old county courthouse:

 

I love the color of that door.. Just saying.

  

Then we drove by this field, which is also old in a way, seeing as a lot of my childhood memories involve the boots on their fence.

Then I found this little shed 😀

Then we went to pick up my little brother from the family welding shop.

My grandfather was a blacksmith back in the day.  He died a long time before I was born, so I never really got to see this place put to use, but it sure made for a fun scene when my brothers and I played cowboy games : )

 

And the last place we went (well, the first really- I just don’t feel like moving all of these photos up to the top of the post, lol)  was the church.  Cemeteries speak of “old” on so many levels, so I thought it might turn out cool.

And that is all of my Saturday afternoon adventure, but trust me- there will be many more to come : )

Have a great week!

A Foggy Day

–THE FOG–

The fog is an illusion—
A master of disguise,
Which hides the tangible
Before our very eyes.

But when the fog has lifted
Everything’s still there,
And the tangible
Only seemed to’ve disappeared.

In the early morning
Or late at night,
The fog descends
Upon various sites.

It gives an air of mystery
That has long prevailed.
Dangerously intriguing
Is the fog’s foggy veil.

–Walterrean Salley© W.S.2009

Foggy days are eerie in their own magical way.  Today I woke up, looked out my window, and started dancing around my room because I was so excited about the new view outside.  I grabbed my camera and walked out into an ordinary world that had been transformed into a wonderland.  For me, fog is just as exciting as the golden hour in the sense that it makes you see everything differently.  The golden hour brings forth a new light, illuminating subjects in ways that are impossible to conjure in your mind without actually seeing it, and the fog creates a sense of mystery as it hides parts of scenes that we become accustomed to seeing

I know what lies around the corner in this photo, just like I know every detail of the land that the fog is hiding.  How could I not?  I’ve walked this path so many times that I know it like the back of  my hand.  But it is so much more fun to imagine something new: to create another world inside of my own.

So, here’s a little challenge for you.  Enjoy life.  Use your imagination.  Value the mystery around you.

Have a good week 🙂

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”
– Neil Armstrong