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reasons to smile.

i am in Winchester for the day, and i thought i would make my weekly visit to Panera.

a guy that looked exactly like Jamie from To Write Love On Her Arms ( www.twloha.com ) just walked in to pick up a smoothie - i literally sat here staring with my mouth wide open. haha. that was crazy..

there is a man to my left with a broken left arm. someone asked if he was "the photographer", but he said no -  he was "the conductor" :). he explained to the table that his left arm is his conducting arm and that the orchestra has just recently finished a show. i'm still not quite sure how it got broken. a man from across the room came to introduce himself and prayed for a moment with the conductor. that made me smile - i felt like i was at home for a minute.

the conductor's wife looks terribly familiar, but i have no idea how i would know her..

there is also a lady with a hat on to cover her head with no hair. the hat is pink, as is most of her outfit. she makes me smile, too.

there are times that i wish i were home so badly. i do not feel alone here, but i feel that there are a lot of opportunities i am missing out on at home. not that God hasn't thrown about a million opportunities to me while i'm here.. i realize that you can't depend too much on people here, but you CAN try to make a difference.

i feel like i have a lot on my plate right now. i have an entire wedding to edit, work 5 days a week, an album that is long overdue, and a possibly broken air conditioner :(

i think it will waste my time to dwell on the bad stuff, so i will just have to work (and pray) really hard to get these thing done/fixed.

before i forget, i take a back road all the way to Winchester, which is conveniently named Back Creek Road. there is a monastery on the road, and i often see monks when i'm driving. they wear large orange robes and some have walking sticks. if i didn't know where they were coming from, i'm sure i would have freaked the first time i saw them. it's not quite what i would have pictured to find in the mountains and hidden roads of West Virginia. they always smile and wave. i saw a lady and a little bit farther down the road i saw a very dark tan man. i cannot place where exactly (in the world) he is from, but i am dying for a picture of him. he walks with a huge stick and places his arm out when i pass as a wave. i wonder if that is weird to ask for a picture..? hmm, we'll see.

in recent new:

- the Kenners are coming to Capon on Sunday!! finally - familiar faces. and it means that my family will be here the week after the Kenner family gets here. oh happy day. i will have a couple days off to chill with the family and spend time with friends again. i'm excited :)

- also, The Dark Knight was one of the best movies i have seen in about 5 years. good lighting, good actors, good EVERYTHING. i think Batman might be my new favorite superhero..

well, i think i will head to Petsmart at some point today. last time i was in there, a lot of people brought in their German Shepherds for some little class or meeting. i love seeing the little dog stuff. i am hopefully getting a Westie when i head back to Savannah. a Siberian Husky is my dream, but i can't imagine inflicting southern heat on that poor snow dog.

trips.

i got a navigation system today :)

gosh, i know that makes me incredibly nerdy...but have you ever ridden with me? yikes.

Luke let me borrow his for one day and i was sold..

it felt good to be back in Georgia for a couple days and sit down for a good sermon at my brother's church. my favorite part was their worship...i haven't had that in a month or so (unless you count me singing Shane & Shane very loud on my weekly trips to Winchester).

i have also missed family hugs, so i was very anxious to receive them!

Liz and Andrew's wedding was gorgeous. everyone seemed very laid back and so happy to be there. i was very thankful to have been asked to shoot the wedding, and even more happy that my brother and sis-in-law were helping, too! my lovely friend, Erin, helped me shoot the wedding and it was wonderful to have her.

tiffany & co

with this ring..

they couldn't see each other before the cermony

Mr. and Mrs. Poth :)

i had the opportunity to visit my grandmother (and her new husband) on the way back up from GA. it was so good to see her...i missed her southern drawl and the way she lights up at simple things. she's pretty wonderful.

my family will be here 3 weeks from today! my other family will get here a little earlier, and i can't wait for familiar faces...the entire week of August 3-9 will probably be my best out of the summer.

i am still feeling a little awkward here at times. God has helped me figure out a lot of things about myself and i am feeling a lot more confident. confident about the future, and just with who i am. i have a lot of growing to do, but i have noticed that stepping out of your comfort zone will do that to you..

hmmmf.

living here is a little disheartening.
i guess that would be the right word...
i feel as if the people here do not realize that there is more to live for than today.
gossip, sex, and cursing seem to have taken over completely and it makes me so sad.
people younger than myself are throwing away their lives for things that are here one minute and gone the next.
it's as if people are viewed as disposable.
i want to make a big sign that says "God is real, people - there is more to this life!"
i don't know - it just makes me very sad.
i have had so much time to reflect and think about things.

i think people need to start smiling.
smiles make my day and i'm sure it would make someone else's.

i drove to a local carnival tonight...
i would think it to be impossible to live here and not believe in God.
this land is beautiful...only someone awesome could create this.

i suppose my prayer would be that i am used through God in some small way here.
i feel like He has put a project right in front of me, but i am sure that i will get more from it than i put in.
maybe He is reiterating how thankful i should be for my circumstances and blessings that seem to overflow..?

"Our world is desperately in need of imagination, for we have spent so much creativity devising ways of destroying our enemies that some folks don't even think it's possible (much less practical) to love them."

-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

my new home

i finally have a minute to update!

i have been waking up at 6:00 the past 3 mornings and working 10 hours each day.

yikes.

i am so happy to be here, though!

my apartment has the distinct "Capon" smell :)

it's the kind of place where you leave your windows open at night and (in my case) listen to the frogs, crickets, or the rain. (it rains a lot here)

i have about 4 deer that i see every morning in the woods across from my apartment, and i was informed that i might see a bear. so basically...i look both ways before i leave my doorway.

my apartment is an old house that used to be owned by a lady that worked here a long time ago. the downstairs used to be storage for meat, so there are bars on the windows down there. i live upstairs, and my neighbor is the son of the man who hired me :)

my favorite thing is my bathroom window - it is very deep set and opens from the side, and it makes me so happy!

an older waitress that is one of my kitchen supervisors is the same lady that waited on my family when i was young :) i was so excited when i realized she was still here.

i have only had to wait on 1 table this week and my boss tells me i've had compliments and said she thinks i've gotten more confident in the past 48 hours :) i happen to be serving one of the only 2 tables where people my age are present. it's a little intimidating, i suppose.

tomorrow i am looking forward to getting into the pool here - it is fresh spring water and is usually around 65 degrees, and will take your breath away.

my next day off is on Saturday, so i will try to make a little video of the Capon Springs grounds. it's like a different world up here..

when i got past North Carolina, there were nothing but mountains to see - it's crazy. it was kind of like God was saying "in case you were wondering if I'm amazing - it's true..." :)

i'll have more pictures to talk about on Saturday..

this is the Main House, the building that i work in

the water fountains that make me smile.

clotheslines for pool towels at the Main House

it's almost time!

i leave in 9 days!

i'm so excited - mainly because i am headed to the chillest place in the world! i've decided that i will do a little video when i get there so everyone can see how pretty it is :)

i found out yesterday that i am for sure doing a wedding in July! it is my one chance to come back to Georgia - but not Savannah :( i'm so excited, though! i will be photographing Liz and Andrew's wedding in north GA. they are very good friends of my brother and sis-in-law, and they all went to college together. i'm stoked. i just love the documentary feel that comes along with weddings - it's my favorite.

i am packing in a lot of Savannah people time for the next few days. i'll be going on a picnic in Forsyth tomorrow with my 2 wonderful friends, and will hopefully have a lot of picture opportunities throughout this week.

i am very excited about some photo projects that i will be trying to work on for a group in my brother's church called Proskuneo. they are GREAT. i'm just thankful that i have an opportunity to try to help out. check them out: www.proskuneo.info 

the gospel is boring?

"God forgive us for all those we have lost because we make the gospel boring. I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it's because we don't dare them, not because we don't entertain them. It's because we make the gospel too easy, not because we make it too difficult. Kids want to do something heroic with their lives, which is why they play video games and join the army. But what are they to do with a church that teaches them to tiptoe through life so they can arrive safely at death?"
-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

oh snap.

so i started back on reading Shane's book last night.

that man is crazy.

crazy amazing.

there will be new bridal pictures up in June! :)

i took bridal and engagement photos for my friend from high school, Lauren, and she is just the loveliest person! she and Nick will be getting married in June.

by the way, how weird is it to have friends from high school getting married?? :)

this is the lovely couple:

i am leaving for West Virginia in 24 days!

i'm so excited :)