Every year at the end of October we have our Harvest dinner at church. We have yummy food, great fellowship, and entertainment.

*A* was Bob Bark the Truth for a play the little kids put on.

Then he acted out a song with the cute little preface of “I like this song because God never lets us go.”

*C* and *J* put on a mime in the footsteps of their mom *B*.

PM with some of the RAY members.

I have said before that I don’t like Halloween – but I LOVE carving pumpkins. This year I decided to make it more of a harvest pumpkin. A patient at the clinic gave me this pumpkin – it doesn’t even look real.

They were the biggest pumpkin seeds I have ever seen.

“While You Were Sleeping”

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

– Casting Crowns

Friday night we went out to dinner with PM and the in-laws at Pizza Hut/Wing Street. We ate and then sat and chatted for about 20 minutes to a half an hour – the waiters had come and asked if they could clear the plates and cups a few times – but we didn’t think they need our table since the place was getting empty. The last time the waiter came up and asked if we needed anything else – we said no – why – do you need this table? He said – well we don’t but the people sitting behind you might. What he should have said to us was this – YES – you need to get up because the people cramming 6 people into a booth right behind your heads might like this table since they have been waiting since you ordered your food for this table. WE FELT LIKE SUCH JERKS. They didn’t seem too upset – but goodness – we felt so bad. Then PM came over to play Rock Band and wait with us for our friends Melissa and Tyler to get here. They had gone to see SAW Friday night and were coming down to our house for the weekend after the movie.

We hung out once they got here and then got up in the morning and just lounged around – so nice to do on Saturday mornings sometimes. We wanted to get some pictures for their Christmas cards this year – but the weather was NOT cooperating. The rain rain rain came down down down. We went to lunch and then came back home and ended up wathching an episode of Redneck Wedding on CMT – such amusement. I noticed the sun peeking out at about 5 so we quickly drove to the boat launch and bike trail and caught some just as the sun was setting – I will post those soon. PM came over – with a new guitar for Rock Band – and we jammed out.

This morning we all went to church and then Melissa and Tyler left for home – Melissa and Tyler got married early in August – they are the sunflowers and cornfield couple. I had a senior and family shoot combo at 1 at the *N* property – my trusty backdrop. *A* is a senior at Mansfield High who was awesome to shoot. She is gorgeous and so photogenic. She has a sweet son – *C* – who she wanted some pictures with – along with her sister. At 3 I had a photo session with the *D* family – and then the Harvest Dinner at church. It was a relaxing weekend to begin with and ended up quite busy.

I am always open to take as many photo shoots to get me started as I can – right now I have 8 weddings booked for next summer and 2 for next month. I have quite a few inquiries out there in regard to next year that I hope will pan out. This is the first time that I am announcing my long term plans in print for you all to see. I hope to be done at the clinic by March – I was hoping the first of the year – but I don’t have any bookings until May of ’09. I am praying that the Bridal Expo will really be a success. Thanks for ALL of you that support me in all the ways that you do.

I don’t like Halloween – I don’t know that I have ever really LIKED it. When I was a kid I had to take all my candy and give it to Samm and Derek since I am allergic to chocolate. When I was in 3rd grade we watched the Headless Horseman story – it scared me so much.

There is ONE good reason for Halloween –

Make that TWO good reasons. The FRANKENBERRY and BOOBERRY are indeed WONDERFUL reasons for Halloween.

Halloween cartoons are another good reason – Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin – Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Pumpkin Who Couldn’t Smile – Garfield Halloween.

I should have stocked up on the cereal.

Sat 18th – 11 AM -ENGAGEMENT

Sat 18th – 145 PM – GC for 1st BIRTHDAY

Sat 18th – 4 PM – SENIOR SESSION

Sun 19th – 1 PM – TOT SESSION

Sun 19th – 4 PM – SENIOR SESSION

Tues 21st – 530 PM – FAMILY SESSION

Sat Nov 8th – WEDDING

Fri Sat Sun Jan 9 10 11 – WEDDING EXPO AT THE ARNOT MALL

Thank You Jesus for all the business – keep it coming !!

Wed 8th – NCA SENIOR CLASS

Fri 10th – FAMILY SESSION

Sat 11th – ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Sat 11th – FAMILY SESSION

Sun 12th – FAMILY SESSION

Mon 13th – SENIOR SESSION

Sat 18th – 1 YEAR SESSION

Thank God for photography work!

There is a song that I have quoted before –

Fall on me …

Ever so gently …

God – I ask You to fall on me – again and again.

As most of you know – Jared and I work with the PowerKidz on Wednesday nights at church. PM works with the youth group, RAY. Last night her message was on mentors. I heard a few of the kids coming up to compliment her after the message and when we grabbed ice cream at McD’s I asked her about it. She said that she told the kids about the importance of mentors and had expressed her gratitude to her mentors, past and present. I didn’t even hear the message and I’ve been thinking about it.

I have a mentor. I’ll bet you can guess who she is. My dear Aunt L. My mom always used to joke that I must have been Aunt Lori’s kid and not hers. I credit a lot of my self confidence to Aunt L. I was a goofy kid – looks – personality – you name it – I was goofy. Aunt L always helped me to be proud of who I was. One of the most important things I remember her telling me was – Danielle – you can have a boyfriend any day of the week – all you have to do is lower your standards. I used to get bummed out about all my friends dating these cute guys that I wanted to date. L would always tell me that little snippet. She helped me have the self-confidence that is very rare at that age.

L used to be our youth group leader at church – when I was in 8th grade we signed True Love Waits cards. I remember that moment like it was yesterday – L talked about what signing those cards really mean – about the promise you are making to yourself, your future spouse, and to God. I wish I still had that card – but I had that reminder written on my heart. L took time to talk about the tough stuff with us – the things that might make you uncomfortable to talk about.

L is one of the biggest supporters of me and my journey to being a photographer. She has a God given gift with words. She wrote all the blurbs on my webpage – she even “helped” me write my editor-in-chief spot when I was in high school – and by “helped” I mean wrote. She researches for me – encourages me – pushes me – promotes me – supports me.

She started the TMJ Relief Fund – she sent out prayers and prayers for me. She wrote me encouraging notes – she believed with me that God would heal me.

She is a strong woman of God and a woman I can turn to when times are tough. She prays. She is outspoken. She is bold. She is a mother. A new grandmother. A wife. A daughter. A sister. An aunt. A friend. A teacher. She asks for help. She cries out to God.

She is one of the reasons that I am who I am today.

I encourage you to take a minute to think about your mentor – thank them – and remember that your mentor is preparing you for that day when someone turns to you and looks for advice – encouragement – love.

Thank you Aunt L.

HEALING: When my jaw used to hurt, I’d sit at my desk all day and say – God if You heal me – I will shout it from the rooftops and tell everyone I know about Your love and healing mercies. Now, my jaw is healed – call it a dentist with a test product if you want – I call it divine intervention!

Yet – here I sit – still telling God that my attitude will change when …

when He gives me that full time photography job I want.

Have you ever noticed how we give God those “if/then” statements, telling Him that – IF – He changes something – THEN – we will do this or that – then, we will give Him glory and honor? I can’t very well stand from the rooftop of my house telling everyone how God healed me – or can I – but I can tell you about it here.

God has healed me!

And while I may still have twinges of pain occasionally, and some days are better than others – those lows I used to experience are less and less frequent. Thank You God! I remember saying to Jared that I would tell all my friends about how Jesus healed me and how they need Him in their lives. I haven’t. I’m trying.

LIFE WITH JESUS: I cannot imagine living life without Christ directing me. There have been a few times where I thought – how can I do this – how can I wake up tomorrow and still be in this pain and not know what the next day will bring? Thanks to my relationship with Christ – I was able to turn to Him and let Him hold me and calm me.

ON BEING BLESSED: I have been blessed with a husband who has encouraged me to grow in Christ every minute of every day. I have a family that covers me with prayer. I have a God who loves me more than I will ever know. I want you all to know that God used Dr. Robinson as a part of the plan to heal me. (God is still healing me and I have to understand that He has a plan that is much more perfect than any i might devise). How I came to know Dr. Robinson is a God story in itself.

MY GOD STORY: My jaw pain started in March of 2006 – from what I think was stress at work. By May of 2006 – that particular stress left – and with the change in staff, we had to have a coverage person come in. This coverage guy, Chris, has a wife who had TMJ problems years ago with successful surgery. This past June – two years and a few months since the initial problems started – Chris told me that he really thought I needed to call the guy that worked on his wife. I called him and was told that he no longer did TMJ work, but that Dr. Robinson in Lewisburg was rumored to have a new procedure that worked wonders. Jared pointed out to me the other night that if it hadn’t been for Chris coming to work with our staffing change – I still might be struggling with constant pain. I know that God had a specific time frame and plan worked out with my healing. I didn’t like His timing – but we rarely do.

MY CHRISTIAN WALK: I also wanted to share with you a little bit about being a Christian. I think it’s a word that is thrown around a lot and not taken as seriously as it needs to be. I am a Christian. I am a God-fearing woman. I make mistakes. I mess up. I make wrong decisions. I say things that I shouldn’t. I talk about people. I sometimes think that my choices are the right ones for everyone. I am stubborn. I get upset with my husband over petty things. I have a tendency to nag. Sometimes I think – you’re 27 – act like it. I am trying. I am learning. I am discovering and asking for forgiveness when I mess up.

I think so many people say – why would I want to look into that Christian stuff – they are all hypocrites. We aren’t hypocrites – at least not all of us – we are a people blessed with grace and forgiveness. We try to follow Christ and His teachings – we mess up time and time again … and again … and again …

With all my faults – my childish actions at times – my stubborn mind – my big mouth – God still loves me. God still wants to have me with Him for eternity. God still forgives me. Christ can give you freedom like none other.

I leave you today with the knowledge that Christ is only a prayer away. He healed me. I have waited two years to tell you all about the healing power of Christ and the love of God, and perhaps most important of all – the truth that He has a plan for you!