Summer has begun!

Never in my life can I remember liking summer so much.

Normally summer is my least favorite season. I dread the long days, weather so hot I sweat even walking out the door, and cars with no air conditioning.
This year though, I've never loved the thought of summer more.
It's probably, mostly because I'm older now and can appreciate it in a different way.

Like the fact that I can take my favorite baby boy swimming.

photo credit goes to my sister Leah.
Then am I Strong (Leah's blog)

Or trips to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis with friends.

The fact that I got a new Fisheye lens. (Yay!!!)
10mm f/2.8

Maybe it was the excitement of starting Weight Watchers & a new exercise routine this month. (Walked 2.5 miles today and felt GREAT afterwards!)

healthy eating....mini bagel, fruit smoothie and coffee

Maybe it's because my cousin is getting married next summer and she asked me to take her wedding photos.
Oh, and her engagement photos which I took last Saturday!
(shhhh....no one is supposed to see this yet!)

I'm sure it's all of those things and so much more. The older I get, the more I appreciate and understand the things God has given me or placed in my life.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
James 4:14

Dear Sawyer

"Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved."

-Winnie the Pooh

I love you.

<3

Jor-Jor

That Day

When sadness comes to tear
Me all apart
Torrents of ran begin to wear
Down my heavy heart

I know that I am safe and sound
But my heart is in a greater trouble
Sadness, greif, & hurt all around
Threaten to break down and turn my heart to rubble.

I know that someday it will all be okay
But now, the future is uncertain
The things they will say
Will become to my heart a curtain

When I look back on this
Years and years away
I know that I will not miss
The greif and sadness of that day.

-Jordan Eaks
5/5/2012
12:17 pm

and then i loved them

I looked him in the eye demanding a straight up answer.

"Well," I finally said, "Did you?"

He gulped and looked away avoiding my eyes. This wasn't right. I shouldn't even have to ask him this. My heart felt like it was going to explode and I knew I couldn't take it much longer if he didn't answer.

"You are a coward." I whispered as tears began sliding down my cheeks. 

I kept watching him, hoping that he would answer. Praying that he would. 

His silence was all I needed to know that it was true.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9

*and then i loved them is a series of stories written and published on the blog thetreessinghispraises.blogspot.com by Jordan Eaks Copyright 2012*

on a normal day

If you want to be who you are, then stop trying to be like everyone else. If you say you aren't a follower, then stop following. If you want to be unique, stop being other people's normal.

What's normal supposed to be anyway??

This is normal me. 

I'm wearing one of my favorite shirts that I wear a lot. My hair was probably only brushed once that day and I'm not wearing any make-up. I took this photo of myself outside in my backyard on my porch. I probably didn't feel well, hence half of a smile. I might have spent the morning catching up on my favorite TV show or editing photos from my most recent session. I probably didn't eat breakfast, but didn't forget to drink coffee in my favorite Psych quote mug. 

I most likely stayed up late the night before. The last thing I thought of before falling asleep was how much I loved my cozy bed and air-conditioned room. I never wake up at the same time every day but never after ten unless it's a weekend. 

I converted this to black and white because believe it or not I love that conversion over color. 

This might be the normal me or normal for me but I know it's not the normal for you.

So, let me ask.

What's the normal you?

:)

<3 Jo

Asleep in the Light

  Marc Martel sings a beautiful cover of Keith Green's Asleep in the Light.

Please listen! :)

Through the Tunnel

It was as if I was looking through a tunnel and all the things that didn't matter were outside of that tunnel; the things that did matter were at the end of the tunnel. I could only see one thing. The prize at the end of the tunnel. Eternal life. I kept running toward the exit until I was at the end of the tunnel. Suddenly, I could see so clearly. All the things I thought mattered, all the things that had been swirling around in my head didn't matter anymore. 
There was only one thing that mattered.
That was Jesus Christ.
Keeping my eyes on him, I could see clearly my goal. When I looked outside the tunnel I couldn't see the end.

Hebrews 12:2
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As a beautiful old hymn so perfectly says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His Glory and Grace.