Motivation for Monday: Thursday

I came across this wise quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson and I just had to share it. Every single day we live and breathe is a gift. Enjoy it! 
Love the ones God has given you. 
Yesterday is done.
Forget about regret. 
Forgive grievances. 
Live today.
Love with your whole heart.

Psalm 118:24 ~ This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Motivation for Monday

Merry day after Christmas and Happy Monday!


Oh, time! Why do you fly so steady and fast? This is the last Monday of 2011. I wanted to share one of my favorite pictures from a session I shot in Plymouth. The image above is of a brother and sister. The sweetness in the picture reminds me so much of my siblings. I miss them so much, especially this time of year. I have so many wonderful memories of Christmases from our childhood. Now that I am a mommy and have 2 sons of my own, I am excited to practice and teach my boys the traditions that are most important to me and my husband. Time certainly flies so quickly. I am thankful to be reminded constantly to stop and take in a precious moment with my family. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with those you hold dear. 


I have not been able to faithfully journal every single Monday. I promise to do my best to journal and post each Monday in 2012. I enjoy reflecting on the truth God is faithful to show me. I love to share the love of Jesus and the encouragement that He gives me each moment of the day. New Year's Resolutions are not really my thing because I almost always break them. So, as we say "farewell" to 2011, I hope you will stick around for the 2012 installation of Karrie Drake Photography and the continuation of Motivation for Monday. Thank you for caring enough to stop by and read. I love to hear from you, so please don't be shy. Leave a comment. Since Monday's post is not complete without a verse, here is one of my favorites:


Zephaniah 3:17 ~ The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Flowers

Today is my Grandma's birthday. She is so very special to me. Grandma  used to own a flower shop. When mom would pick me and my sister up from school we would go visit her at her flower shop. My sister and I would doodle on the note pads, wonder to the back where all the arrangements were carefully crafted, try to arrange our own from the scraps on the counter. How I loved the fragrant smell of the flowers. I would smell each flower and tried intently to remember the names of them all.
Happy Birthday Grandma. I love you!

Motivation for Monday: Life & Death

Ecclesiastes 3:11~ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. {emphasis mine}


Here we are at the beginning of the week of Christmas. For me, Christmas brings so many fond memories, joyful memories. Memories of childhood plays and musical concerts. {Side note: I used to play the flute.} Memories of singing Silent Night by candle light with my family during Christmas Eve service. Memories of going to grandma & papa's for dinner and listening to the story of Christ's birth. Now that I have my own family I've been thinking about what memories my sons will have of their past Christmases. I have been focused on being intentional this Christmas. I have been sharing the Christmas story with Julian and John. I want my boys to know that they are blessed, that they are loved. I want my boys to know why we celebrate Christmas, that its not about receiving toys, baking cookies, and feasting. Although those are some of the blessings and traditions we take part in, the real reason is to celebrate Jesus coming to earth. Our Savior is Christ the Lord. 


I have also been thinking about those who don't look forward to Christmas, those who don't feel the joy that movies and commercials portray on television. Decorations and Christmas carols make them sad or maybe they even make them angry. They are those who have lost someone they love. They are those who weren't expecting to spend Christmas alone this year. They are those who need...need love, need reassurance, need an answer to their question. Why?

This past week I finished a Bible Study on Revelation. I have learned so much during this study. I love in depth Bible Study. Questions get answered. Did you know that Christ's ultimate enemy is NOT Satan. His ultimate enemy is Death. Yeah, its true my friend. Jesus hates death! Don't you wonder why we just never get over it? We know its a certain thing about life. If you live and breathe now, you will die one day. It is a fact. We all know it. It doesn't matter if death comes by tragedy, by illness, by expected circumstances...its sting is always the same. God set eternity in our hearts when He created us. We have souls that will live forever. We say that death is natural, but its not. Death sucks.

John 10:10 ~ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. {God intends life for us}


Revelation 20:14 ~ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. {"Death will stand before the righteous Judge as if an animated persona and receive its eternal sentence with the final blow of God's gavel." ~Beth Moore Here and Now, There and Then.}

If you have ever lost someone you love, know that Christ hates death too. He mourns with you. Let that sink in. He bore every sin on the cross of Calvary so that He could share eternity with you. Smile friend, Jesus loves you! 

Bokeh!

Merry Christmas week! Happy 4th Advent Sunday :)

I have been poking around pinterest and have seen so many pictures and tutorials on Bokeh. Okay, so what is Bokeh?

What: Bokeh is an aesthetic achieved in photography otherwise known as "the blur". It is most often displayed
          using lights, but can also be seen as any out of focus area in a photograph.

Settings: I used my 50mm, 1/25 sec, f 1.8, ISO 1600 {I turned my auto focus to manual and played around
             with the different focus points.

Where & Other Stuff: I turned out all other lights in the house but the Christmas Tree. I played around with
                                  my ISO to get the brightness just how I wanted it.

Try it out. Its fun to learn new stuff and share with others. You never know what you might stumble upon just playing around with the manual settings while getting to know your camera. You may find that an image you capture strikes you to order an enlargement to display in your own home. Have fun!

If you like new ideas for home, garden, potty training, inspiration for the day, books, gifts, recipes, the list goes on forever, check out pinterest. If you're already on, follow me!

Two Families!

I had the privilege to photograph two beautiful families on Sunday afternoon. The hostess had decorated her backyard to the hilt. It was a winter wonderland, complete with a kiddie house and a tree house. I loved it! They were so welcoming and made me feel right at home. We captured some sweet moments and some funny ones too. Here is a little sneak peek.
I am so thankful that God keeps opening the door for me and my family to meet new people and to reunite with old friends. My heart is full.