Tag Archives: relationships
365 Project Day 361: Love in Bloom
Posted on 30. Dec, 2011 by maryanne.
Happy
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L 2.8 aperture, 1/320 shutter 100 ISO
It was such a joy spending the afternoon with these two lovebirds, Anna and Adam. I have known Anna since she was three. Chris and I were in her parents’ small group when Katie was born. We have kept in touch with her family over time and she has commented often on my 365 project this year, although she is living in Louisiana. She contacted me last month and informed me that she and Adam would be moving to Korea after Christmas and asked if I would be willing to photograph them before they left. She wanted to be photographed in her wedding dress since she will not be taking it with her. She said she didn’t mind getting it dirty and mentioned horses, and that was all I needed to know. I knew we would have some fun. They have been married two years, but they still act like they just got married yesterday. They were so sweet together.
My girls both assisted me on this shoot and it was fun for all of us. We even got out the the rain-maker in 50 degree weather! They were brave souls. We had horses, old books, beautiful sun flare, feathers flying in the air, and rain falling from a tree. Oh, and an amazingly sweet couple. Sounds like perfection to me.
Blessings, Adam and Anna. We wish you well on your new adventure together. May the Lord bless you keep you. Thanks for spending the day with us and helping me log another day onto my 365 project with your sweetness.
Numbers 6:24-26 ~” The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Sharing Interests
All Day with You
Focused on Her
Embrace
Perfect
No Place to Go
Surprises on both Sides
Horsey Hug
Pure
Horse Girl
Beauty
Carefree
Spontaneous
Dance
Fire and Ice
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365 Project Day 354: Are You Pursuing What You Already Have?
Posted on 22. Dec, 2011 by maryanne.
In Pursuit
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 1.4 aperture, 1/30 shutter, 400 ISO
“I was flipping through old photographs
Dusting off dead dreams. Funny how it seems
I’m always wanting more.
Wouldn’t it be crazy or would it just be sad,
If everything I’m wanting I already have?”
~Sherri Youngward, Back to the Beginning
These lyrics from Sherri Youngward’s song Back to the Beginning came to mind today as I ventured into the world of shopping for Christmas. As my heart drifted into the sleep of “getting more” I longed for a way to get back to what I know to be true. I will not find what I am seeking in another gift or thing.
Only God can fill me, and gratitude helps to repair the holes in my soul that ache in the pursuit of more. So as the tide of the season tugs at your legs and feet this week, I pray you can find your footing, your peace, in gratitude. I encourage you (and myself) to thank the Giver of all good gifts for the treasures that are right under your nose. He is good and He is God.
He is with us.
Here a few photos I found on my Instagram that I took this week with my phone. They are imperfect and grainy, but sure reminders of how very rich I am.
So rich.
Isaiah 55:2 ~”Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”
James 1:17 ~”Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
A Favorite Face
A Boy in Worship
Puppy at my Feet
Beacon of Safety
Fire and a Star
A Cheerful Reminder
A Light that Shines
Christmas Coffee
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365 Project Day 352: When the Days are Not Merry or Bright
Posted on 21. Dec, 2011 by maryanne.
Finding Christmas
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/50 shutter speed, 500 ISO
We are having a happy Christmas in our home this year, but I am also keenly aware that this season can enhance the grief that so many are experiencing. I have had some difficult seasons of my own. One that I only faintly remember, it was so painful. The one year that Christmas came at the most inopportune time. It was the year of the dark shadow. Grieving the loss of a baby, I was absent from my family and my own ability to stay present. I could not function as a mom, a wife, a friend or a follower of Christ. Looking back now I know in the deepest places that God was holding me, all the pieces of me, in soft, strong hands. I was held, covered and safe in the darkness, until the light dawned again.
It did dawn.
If you are going through a time of grief, or if this season somehow deepens your past pain, I pray that you would know how loved you are. Extravagantly, lavishly loved by your creator God. He gave up everything to fight for you. You may know this with your mind, but just not be able to feel it. I pray you can, that you will.
Know this. You are not alone. All you have to do is breathe out His name and He is there, holding you, invisibly but surely. Jesus. Emmanuel, God is with us. He has promised He will never leave us.
If you are having a good season, I encourage you to be aware of those around you who may not be. A note, a phone call, an encouraging word, and best of all prayers help to make someone feel less alone. No one likes to feel alone.
Ephesians 3:18,19 ~”And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Psalm 91:15 ~”He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”
Left Outside
Waiting
A Son is Given
Redemption
Hope
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365 Project Day 267: Out on the Town
Posted on 25. Sep, 2011 by maryanne.
Two for the Show
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2 L, 2.2 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 100 ISO
I have two tickets to a show, let’s me and you go.
I will put on that dress you bought for me. You know the one? You surprised me with it last year. The soft purple one you caught me looking at in the catalogue? I was so surprised. It made me blush to think you thought so much about me, that you remembered the one I liked. I feel that feeling all over again every time I slip it on. Did you know you could make my heart flutter like that?
Driving into the Sun
Let’s go into the city together, you and I, as the sun shimmers on metal and pavement, reflecting in mirrors and your eyes. I am taking it in, as the cars rush past and I hold your hand. We listen to old songs and sing and laugh. I made us late again, and you try not to care. I love you for that. You want to be there when the curtain goes up. I want to be with you.
City Drive
The sun warms the buildings into embers against bluish skies. I don’t want to be anywhere but here, with you. I caress your cheek as you drive, and you smile. Thank you for giving me your Saturday night.
City Show
We park and practically sprint to get there on time, and we do. We find our seats and I snuggle into the crook of your arm. The lights dim as the cast enters the stage. The music swells, and I feel myself inhaling with anticipation. The show has begun.
Another special night with you. Another memory to hold. Thank you, my love.
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365 Project Day 256: Time with You
Posted on 14. Sep, 2011 by maryanne.
Tell Me Again
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 1.6 aperture, 1/80 shutter, 500 ISO
There is no other place I would rather be than with you. You are home to my soul.
Tell me again about the vision you have, the things you know and want to know about God. I love your passion and conviction. It makes me feel safe knowing I am second to Him in your heart. Do you know I want to be like you, that I admire you deeply? Do you know how proud I am to be your wife?
Love Your Laughter
How I love our nights that we set apart to be together! I know that when I am with you, I can be myself, and that I am loved. I can hardly wait to share stories of my day with you, and hear about yours. We laugh and find perspective. We walk, always touching. How I love your hands. My husband’s hands. Artist’s hands. Both strong and tender, like the hands of a shepherd.
Husband Hands
I am so glad I pledged to give you my heart so many years ago. I think you have most of it now. I didn’t know it would be a journey, giving you all the pieces, the broken and the beautiful shards that make up all that is me, but you have willingly walked it. Now, it seems there is little left for me to hide from you. I no longer feel afraid. You know me, and I am so grateful.
Sharing
Come Sit with Me
Date Night Sunset
Same time next week? I am so looking forward to it, my time with you.
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
~ EE Cummings
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365 Project Day 255: The Friendships of Women
Posted on 13. Sep, 2011 by maryanne.
Heart Exchange
Canon 5D Mark ll, 50 1.2L, 3.2 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 100 ISO
Complex, fragile, comforting, enduring, frightening, vulnerable. All of these can describe the friendships of women. Women are relational creatures by nature. God made us that way. We are always seeking, creating, nurturing, and when things go badly, sometimes fearing relationships.
But, oh how we need one another! I am always amazed how refreshed and open I feel after chatting and laughing the afternoon away with other women. We just understand each other. Laughter and heart exchanges with other women help to cleanse our palette and right-size our perspective. That is what sells romantic comedies so well. It isn’t always the romantic relationship that makes us swoon. We adore the friendship of the leading lady and her best friend. We cheer when the best friend sizes up difficult situations and puts everything in perspective with a quipping reply or encouraging word. We sigh when they share secrets or tears. We love friendships, especially the authentic and enduring kind.
Cups Empty and Hearts Fill
So why are they often difficult to cultivate? Are we too busy with our own lives that we don’t take time to invest in them? Or are we just afraid that we will not be accepted or loved? It starts in the early years, as we move from jumping rope and singing songs to eyeing one another from separate circles. We wonder if we fit in. Maybe our shoes aren’t in style, or our bodies are not shaped right. We forget about giving our hearts to others and start to protect them instead. We inadvertently trap ourselves in by building walls that are meant to keep others out.
All we need is a friend.
Someone to look us in the eyes when we speak. Someone who unflinchingly smiles as we share our deepest secrets, and madly applauds when we finally shine. Someone who believes in us, and loves us enough to tell us the truth, even when it hurts. A friend will tell you when you have spinach in your teeth, or when you leave the house with your shirt on backwards. She will also defend you to others and pray for you when your heart shatters.
Listening
Whatever the reasons are that keep us apart, I believe with all my heart that friendship is worth fighting for. It is an intentional act to be a friend and also to allow someone to be yours. It takes a willingness to open our hearts, to allow someone in. It takes our time. Time when we could otherwise be “getting things done.” It means writing notes, having coffee, chatting on the phone, going to the movies or the mountains, slowly trusting and sharing secrets, and forgiving when we are hurt. We must be wiling to say, “hey, I am hurting” and also ” please forgive me,” as we allow our feelings and hearts to be revealed. These are the gleaming strands of friendship. Yes, it often feels scary to be so vulnerable and open. But if you will continue in these things, in time you will weave something rare and lovely, and you will have found a friend.
Shining Through
Lovely
Proverbs 17:17 ~ “A friend loves at all times…”
Proverbs 27:9 ~ “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
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365 Project Day 224: Doors
Posted on 13. Aug, 2011 by maryanne.
Opening
Canon 5D Mark ll 24-70 2.8L, 24 mm focal length, 3.5 aperture, 1/1000 shutter, 100 ISO
I am so grateful for the title “photographer”, not because it gives me any kind of special status, but because of the many doors it has enabled me to walk through. With my trusty Canon around my neck, I am able to walk into places that I would not otherwise be allowed or welcome. I have met amazing people, and been invited into their most intimate settings, just because I am a photographer. I do not take these invitations lightly. I am so deeply honored as I get a front row seat to their joy, and sometimes, their pain. With my gear, I have been invited into a hushed room, where a bride wiped tears from her freshly powdered cheek, as she prepared to take her vows. I have photographed people in their deepest moments of worship, as musicians played softly on stages large and small. I have waited with mothers and fathers as they anticipated their baby’s first cries.
I have met great leaders and hard-working restaurant owners. I have photographed five generations of beautiful women, and a family as they prayed over their baby born 12 weeks early. And more. So many more wonderful people. Honestly, I cannot count the doors that photography and God together have taken me through. He put this gift, this love in me, and I am the rich one now. All the doors, they are really hearts that open to me, and I am changed every time I walk through them.
People wait behind these doors, and the truth is, getting to know and love people is the best part of life. My camera helps me to do that, and for that I am deeply grateful.
Intimidating Doors
Broken
Screened
Welcoming
Rich in Color
Out of Reach
Locked Out
Just Open It
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365 Project Day 214: Planted in Moonlight
Posted on 03. Aug, 2011 by maryanne.
- Pining in Sunlight
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 2.8 macro, 2.8 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 250 ISO
The moon was so bright I could see my shadow. I followed his soft steps into the garden by the side of the house, he with the hand tiller, me with a pocket full of seeds and a flashlight. It was still early summer, the earth not yet feeling the hallowed dryness of the long hot days. It was just he and I, in the still of the night, sowing something beautiful. I felt almost giddy. It was a tradition now, although this was only our second year planting Zinnia seeds by moonlight. It was a simple thing, really. Simple, but special. He was showing me he cared what I cared about. It was an intentional act of love.
He had saved a row in the vegetable garden just for me. For my Zinnias. I would see their cheerful faces by the end of summer. They would mark the passing of a season, bringing color around the edges of the garden, and my soul. They would arrive just as the rest of the plants were succumbing to summer’s exacting heat. As the tomato plants begin to bow their heads, the Zinnias will be spreading their petals to the sky. “Be of good cheer”, they declare. “There is hope and beauty yet to be found.”
Holding the hand of my husband, my toes in the earth, my heart was full with expectation. When we sow together, we reap together. Seeds sown by moonlight bear brilliance in the light of day.
Zinnias!
Hosea 10:12 ~ “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.”
Crown of Color
Hope Springs Up
Summer Cheer
Gracing the Table
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365 Project Day 93: Faithfulness
Posted on 04. Apr, 2011 by maryanne.
Patient Industry
Canon 5D Mark ll, 24-70 2.8L, 3.2 aperture, 1/500 shutter, 100 ISO
As we walk down our drive he collects rocks, the larger ones in particular. I ask him what they are for. He points to the spot in the distance on our long driveway. He needn’t say anything. I know now. He is pointing to one of the many persistent pot holes on our little road. He is filling it, one rock at a time. I smile at him, because this is who he is. A one-rock-at-time kind of person. It is one of the things I love about him most. He is steadfast and patient. I ask to photograph the rocks in his hand. I am taking a photo of my husband’s character.
Making Progress
Cowboy sits by him as he works. Another faithful one. It is a quality to be treasured.
Standing True
I lift my eyes and see the large oak tree silhouetted against the setting sun. Again I see a theme. God has placed images of His faithfulness, His steadfast nature and love, all around me.
Staying on the Path
A little further down the road, a shadow of two who have become one. Commitment to stay, to love. “Look, it’s us”, I say as I press the shutter.
Purple Suspended
And then there are the flowers, who return every Spring to sing glory. They look like purple confetti suspended over the earth. Their song never changes.
Worshiping Husband
And perhaps my favorite of all, a husband who freely and consistently worships the Faithful One Himself. How could I not love him?
Psalm 145:13 ~ “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.”
Proverbs 3:3 ~’Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
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Project 365 Day 19: Everyday Habits
Posted on 19. Jan, 2011 by maryanne.
Making the Bed
Canon 5D Mark ll, 24-70 L, 2.8 aperture, 1/80 shutter, 640 ISO
There are so many ways to say “I love you”. Most of them don’t involve words. Last year, without a word, Chris and I began the daily habit of making the bed, no matter what. We never talked about it. We just did it. If I got distracted and busy, he would do it, and if he had to go in early, I would. It is a small, mundane task that says, “Our space matters. You matter. I am committed to you today.” Yes, it says all of that.
It happened after we repainted and redecorated our room. First, I ordered canvases of us and put them on the walls. From there I selected colors that were in the canvases and purchased linens and comforters to compliment them. Our crowning achievement was changing the drab off-white walls to a rich, spicy orange. I felt like my soul took a deep breath of color and life every time I walked in the room. He felt the same. The canvases of us and our kids were the focal point of the room. We were home. Making the bed everyday just seemed natural after that. I try to always thank him when I walk in the room and the bed is made. And not just made. Made like I would have done it, with all the pillows in the right places and the blanket at the end.
It seems like a small detail, to find him and thank him for something he did when I wasn’t around, but it isn’t. It is another brick in our path together. It is in these small things that our lives are forever cemented together. We are valuing each other in the everyday.
