I Have Found my Strength in You

How amazing it is that God knows us so well; He knows exactly what and who we need at exactly the right time. I’ve been recently amazed by some of the people that I’ve been fortunate enough to have encounters with. They make me realize the beauty of PEOPLE and the power of human contact.

With my 'day job', I don’t have much of that. I miss that interaction with people, real people. It’s nice to actually have actual encounters with people and to learn more about their lives. Learn more about what makes them WHO they are. I think that's what I love about meeting new people - whether it's through my photography or just through general, day-to-day meanderings, I've been so fortunate to meet some amazing people.

It really astounds me how strong people really are. To go through their struggles, hardships, pain … and in light of them, they find hope and comfort in knowing that it all happens for a reason. I’m thankful for their strength and perseverance - because it's beautiful.

I read this quote the other day: "When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful." ~Barbara Bloom

How AMAZING and how TRUE is that? The cracks make us more beautiful. More refined. Perhaps even braver and stronger than we ever thought we could be.

To the women that I have been privileged to share in this LIFE with, thank you for giving me a little part of yourself … and showing me what it truly means to be courageous. You INSPIRE me. I am forever grateful and can only hope to be as strong some day. ♥

Brittany & Mason {Photos for Soldiers}

Brittany is the wife of a soldier. Her husband is in the Army and is currently deployed in Kuwait. It's been almost 6 months since she's seen him last. Their son Mason is nearly 7 months and only met his daddy when he entered the world. Brittany wanted to do something special for him for Father's Day and well, that's where I came in. I am a member of a group of photographers called Photos for Soldiers {https://www.facebook.com/Photosforsoldiers}. They pair up deployed soldiers and their families with photographers in their areas to capture special moments. It was an absolute honor to capture Brittany and Mason - not to mention her sweet mom, little brother and cutie pie doggie, Grr.

If you're a soldier looking to capture some moments of you and your family or if you're a family of a deployed soldier, please check out this program. There are volunteer photographers all over the U.S.A. and this program can connect you with one of them! :) So thankful as a photographer, that we can give back to these men and women, who fight so hard to protect our daily freedoms - and to their families, who wait patiently and without complaint for their solders to return home. ♥