Monday, December 17, 2012

My Exciting Announcement!

In my last post, I said that I would be sharing an exciting announcement with you in my next post. Well, here we are, and I must say that as I write this, I can’t help but smile!

Without further ado, I would like to announce…

My brother, Tyler, is engaged!

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Yes, I know… Surprise, right?!

Tyler and his beautiful bride-to-be, Mary Beth, have known each other for over three years now. They share so many similarities, and most importantly, they both love the Lord with all their hearts.

A few weeks after the proposal, I went outside with Tyler and Mary Beth for a spur-of-the-moment photo shoot. I will leave you with some of my favorite shots of the day!

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Congratulations, Tyler and Mary Beth! I wish you both great blessings from the Lord, and a marriage full of happiness, joy, and love!

Monday, December 3, 2012

I’m Back!!

Well, it’s official… I am the worst blogger ever! It’s been over 5 months since I last posted, and I would like to take a moment to apologize for my sudden disappearance. I don’t like using the excuse that I’ve been busy, but it’s true! School has been keeping me quite occupied (but very happy!), and when I am finished with my studies, I am either working at our family business or taking some time to relax with my family. I hope you will forgive me for my long absence!

The one thing this long period of time away from my blog has given me is inspiration. I have some ideas for posts in the near future, and definitely a very exciting announcement in my next post!

Before I get too giddy about my next post, I would like to share with you a paper I recently wrote for school. I pray that the words will encourage and bless you, and maybe even inspire you to do something great for God!

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and all was going well for her. She was a bright woman, but took for granted all the things she had been given in life. Her job took priority over everything else. The phone began to ring. She didn’t recognize the number, but answered anyway just to be sure it wasn’t someone calling from work. Unbeknownst to her, she was about to receive the shock of her life. It was her doctor, who had just seen her the day before for a normal, yearly appointment. His voice displayed more apprehension than usual, but she didn’t pay attention to that. Suddenly, her facial expression turned blank and cold. Her eyes swelled up, and she stood in complete bewilderment. The words continued to spiral in her head, over and over. “Your test results came back. I’m sorry... You’ve been diagnosed with a rare case of cancer, and only have 6 months to live.“ How was she supposed to except what he had just told her? She was used to making all the decisions in life, but this decision was not up to her... She had cancer, whether she liked it or not.

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were diagnosed with a terminal disease? Your life would most likely change in a monumental way. Your mindset would change. Maybe you would start speaking sweeter words, appreciating everything you’ve been given, and completing countless acts of kindness. I know I would. Life would drastically change. I find it quite interesting that sometimes it takes this big of a wake-up call to realize our lives need to undergo an extensive transformation. Why should it take that long for us to be grateful for even the tiny blessings in life? Why should it take that long for us to forgive and move on from the past? Why should it take that long for us to do something amazing for others and God? We should have a heart full of gratefulness, compassion, love, forgiveness, and willingness to serve. It’s almost as if we don’t understand the value of life. We’re given only one chance to live here on earth, so why not make it an incredible one.

God has blessed you with a gift in some shape or form... Use it to further His Kingdom. Use it to guide others toward the same incredible life that you are living. Maybe your gift is in the home, teaching your family the importance of living a life for God. Maybe your gift is on the mission field in a foreign country, helping lost souls reach the love of Christ. Maybe your gift has not yet found you, and if this is the case, search for it, because it should be treasured. Whatever your gift may be, it certainly has a purpose.

Unlike the woman above, who has very limited time, you have the rest of your life. You still have time to transform and create a new you. You still have to time to change your ways, live a different life, and show God that, “Yes, I do understand the value of this life that you’ve blessed me with!“

So, I leave you with this final question.... What will you do with your life? Will you wait for your doctor to call and tell you that you have a mere 6 months to live? Or will you change now, and live a life for God that you will never regret?