Shot at Planter's Palette, Winfield, IL.

A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. ~ Albert Schweitzer

Today's Joy: Taking a Time-Out From Scheduling.

Felt a little rumpled and unsettled all day, Reader. Even with adequate planning, rushing to and fro to meet my Monday obligations from 7am to 9:30pm leaves me twitchy (in a most unattractive way). A 30-minute lunch break becomes stuffed with errands and an hour+ commute in rush hour traffic can hardly be considered down time.

Don't get me wrong, I love the challenge my job presents each day and I really enjoy the fellowship of my women's church community group. Both of these valuable endeavors mean that I have to be "on" all day. So, when I finally get home at 10 pm, my brain becomes mush. I feed the cat and then slump in a chair and stare aimlessly for a few minutes. All I want is stagger into my jammies and curl up in bed with a magazine or watch Joyce Meyer until I fall asleep.

The older I get and the more responsibilities I accept, or rather, the more value I place on the things I choose to take on, the more I see how easy it is to become exhausted and allow yourself to be swallowed whole by your schedule. The precious moments I steal for myself--just to sit and do nothing or to tend my plants or read a magazine become even more important. I find myself getting up earlier in the mornings too, so I have a little time to start my day doing the small things that feed my spirit. It's nice to know that despite whatever boneheaded craziness I encounter during business hours, that I started out my day enjoying life and will finish it the same way.

Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quotes courtesy of wisdomquotes.com.

Runner Ducklings

Today's Joy: New Life & Renewal.

These adorable Runner ducklings were born Friday, Reader! I got out to see them today and scooped them up for this fun shot in a flower pot. Soooo cute ! They were quacking the whole time.

After an amazing church service this morning (more on this tomorrow), I decided to spend my first day off in two weeks doing something fun. I grabbed my camera and went out to our family farm to shoot the ducklings and anything else that caught my eye. It turned into a sort of farm retrospective. Will have more of those shots for you in the next few days. I love it when creativity expands the way we see the world around us. Was fascinated to view the farm, where I spent my later childhood years riding horses, through the lens of my camera--and through the lens of an adult perspective. Those places and things we hold dear acquire new, subtle layers of meaning on top of our youthful perceptions. Our notions of home become so much richer.

Those 10 acres mean even more now as I appreciate all the time and effort invested there. The farm is a living, growing testament to the life my family has cultivated here. God has been so generous to us. Even in times of tragedy and sorrow, the familiar rhythm of life here has formed the backdrop of how we live. It is simultaneously a comforting reminder of family traditions and an evolving vehicle through which we move forward. How blessed are those who have such a place to turn to, watching life renew itself each season.

Where in your life do you find renewal, Reader? What keeps you mindful of what's important while you are out meeting new challenges?

Today's Joy: Faith, Demonstrated.
It's been a hard day, Reader. I took my photo wares to my third show this year, very optimistic that this was it! I'd been praying and hoping the bad shows were behind me. I was finally going to recoup some of the cash that's been sunk into this venture! After all, I'm very proud of my work and the products I sell. They're thoughtfully-made from the best quality materials I could find. I'm proud to put my name on them.

However, once again, the show turnout was almost non-existent and for the second show in a row, I sold nothing. Yep, not a notecard. Not a bookmark. Zip! A few lovely people did stop by and offer encouraging feedback. There were also a few that monopolized 20 minutes or more of my time and man-handled several items before mumbling they were broke or unemployed and walking away. I tried not to notice when they bought ugly multi-colored roses made from wood chips at the booth next door.

I really tried to keep my positive attitude, but after six tedious hours of selling nothing, my positivity was utterly deflated. So, Mom took me out for a late lunch and we talked about what was successful (not much), what wasn't (a whole lot) and how to improve. Talking helped, but I was still in a funk.

After we parted ways, I realized there was still time to make the evening service at a local church God's been prompting me to visit. So I took my heavy heart over there and walked into a baptismal service.

Reader, there are few things more moving, more uplifting or more personal than watching someone who really believes in Jesus & God's love dedicate his or her life to God and re-affirm their faith. I watched a young widow renew her faith as she deals with grief and trying to move on. There was also an angry young man, now at peace with his demons. Most powerful though, was a couple being baptised. The husband led his wife, who has stage 4 breast cancer, into the pool and they went together. They were all so happy when they came out. It was really, REALLY wonderful and moved me to tears.

It also made me feel very silly for spending so much energy brooding over my problems. As a photographer, I spend a lot of time peering through a lens to capture little, infinitesimal moments of beauty. I forget sometimes that God uses me as a lens in the same way and I have to be just as mindful of those images. Good thing He loves me, 'cause I am SO not perfect! Is there anything He's put on your heart to see or do, Reader? If you're putting it off, what's stopping you?

Photo: Forsythia, 2008.