Why and How the Dream began

It all began with a Fuji FinePix and a love for capturing my family and friends
Then God took my hand...our story continues

The past few weeks have taken me back to remembering and gratitude.

I've been looking at pictures from a few years back. My how things and people change in just a few short years. How my health has improved even though the condition is permanent. The sweetness I have and continue to discover through illness. God is more than faithful.

Why it all began...
God took my hand and said to be on the watch for His joys and wonders in my everyday. He refocused me on His love and grace. He grew my heart and soul to fill it with gratitude. He helped me learn to breathe deeply.

I learned to pause with Him in my everyday.

How it all began...
Before I knew I was sick, I bought a Fuji Finepix. My first digital camera. A simple point and shoot. But, the spark was lit. God would connect me with amazing people to teach me, encourage me, and motivate me on the journey of capturing memories from my heart.

I learned to see and unwrap His gifts in my everyday.

It is a wonderful adventure of Him teaching and my opening His gifts to learn. May we all find the joys and wonders He has specially wrapped for each one of us.

How and Why did all begin for you? Your dream? Remember...

Hugs from Hawaii,
Jeri


p.s. You can see the everyday joys and wonders I capture on Instagram and Flickr.


Ezekiel 36:26 ~ I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. 
I’ll remove the stone heart from your body 
and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. (NIV)

22-24  Lamentations 3:22-24 God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). (MSG)

Come and join me with Jen over at I Believe in Love once a month my wonderful friend Jenn from StudioJRU comes over too

{Linger} ~ When Everything's In Slow Motion

With You in Mind:


You can't even count the many times...


You found yourself on your knees barely even able to whisper a prayer. Somehow you breathed out the words for help. As you lingered there, did you find your shoulders relaxed as the weight of it all, of them all lightened little by little? 


Maybe you found yourself face down on your bed or the floor. There is where you breathed out your whispered prayers. There is where you found some comfort. Did you find your furrowed brows softened as you trusted Him with it all, with them all? 


The more often you linger with God in the hard and painful, you will become more aware of the little things like that at first. Your shoulders, your brows, even your breath more even, deep, slowed. Your trust for Him to care for you will grow and deepen.


When you linger there, right where you are in all honestly of how hard it is, you will find you're not as hard on yourself. You'll begin to see where you're pressing too hard and where better to put your energies. 


It's what you do next that matters:

What next? What now? ~ Your heart wants all the answers fast. 

He has you slowed for now. Linger here. He has much love to pour into you while you rest, linger, and nourish in His word. The answers will come soon.

Don't give up. Keep lingering with Him. Even if you can't breathe a whisper, He knows your heart. He hears every word you can't seem to say out loud. 

How do you find joys and wonders in your everyday when you're so exhausted from the challenges and chaos? 

It all starts there in the lingering. And the first wonder you find is the gift of rest as you worry less. The first little joy you'll unwrap is you. That you are already enough - no need to perform or try hard. 


You'll completely freak out, just as I did when I looked in the mirror after the many times of lingering, a little soft smile appeared. 


It'll come. Just keep lingering in all honesty of who you are and where you are. He already knows. He waits with tenderness and strong, loving arms for you to let Him take you through it.


I'll linger there with you. I'm praying and cheering you on. 

Spirit-Soul Refreshment:

Habakkuk 2:3 ~ It aches for coming -- it can hardly wait! 

                                  And it doesn't lie. 
                                  It seems slow in coming, wait. 
                                  It's on its way. It will come right on time.


Psalm 46:1 ~ God is a safe place to hide;
                           ready to help when we need him
                           

Moving into New and Finding Who I Am Created to Be

Galations 6:4-5 - 

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. 

Don't be impressed with yourself. 

Don't compare yourself with others. 

Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”

My Spirit: Deeper into my relationship with Him in enjoying His presence and feasting on His life words as I grow in forgiveness, grace, and mercy toward others who have hurt me. 

I find freedom in refreshing others by letting go and moving forward into all the adventure God has planned for me. Nothing can separate me from Him loving me.

My time with Him is vital to my every breath and moment to moment living. I could not survive one day without Jesus love and guidance.

My soul and mind: I’m finding healing in my hobbies and realizing they soothe my soul. I experience something new all the time and am filled by the wonder of His gifts in and to me. Photography, music, writing, and reading are changing and expanding lately. So exciting!

My time in these fill me to overflow in becoming a healthy and joyful woman, wife, mother, friend, and mentor.

My body: If nothing else, experiencing illness years ago has taken me on a journey of discovery of what’s best for me. Nutrition, exercise, stress-less, and slow flow. Sharing  all my discoveries is the best part.

Just when I think I’ve got it down, I learn there’s even more ways and areas of stressing less. I find creative ways to slow flow even for just a minute! The more I live it, the more I grow. 

My time invested in caring for God’s gift of my temple is a privilege and an honor.

My support: I’m choosing only fulfilling relationships, contacts, and connections to keep me socially healthy as well. A huge challenge with priceless rewards. I know it’s good to need others in a healthy way. I’m all the better for it because of them.

Our marriage has just taken a new turn in the depth of our commitment and love as it we grow deeper in Christ, prayer more often together, and find ways to enjoy life with each other. 

Our adult children are wanting to spend time with us now and we’re learning we need to set that time aside. It’s a new season in our relationship with them. 

People who pray with and for us. People who cheer us on. People who don’t let us feel sorry for ourselves, but empathize with us. Amazing! People who know truly know us and accept us as we are. What a relief to just be. 

The new is exciting, beautiful and overwhelming all at the same time. I catch myself, give gratitude to God for the big and small, breathe deeply in and out, and calmly smile...

I am who I am right now

I am where I am at right now

I am continually becoming

I am a transformed woman embracing my transforming God (Jeremiah 31:22)

I’m so excited for all God has for you in your life and I invite you to share about it anytime. What’s new with you? :D