Through the Lens of Worship - Week 2

If you've read my blog for any length of time, or if you know me personally, you know about the struggle my husband and I have been through while trying to grow our family. You may have prayed for me or with me. You may have cried with me. Or, you may be here for the first time and have no idea what we went through for two years. That's really not the point of this post.

The point is that the place I'm in now is a wonderful place to be. It's absolutely incredible when I think back to how things were this time last year. I have grown tremendously. My marriage has grown. My faith has grown. I'm learning to trust God's timing. I'm in a great place.

I'm now to the place where I am thankful that Kyle and I are childless. I don't see that as a bad thing any more. I love that our family is just me and my husband. I love that I am able to invest more in him, in my family, in my friends, and in my work than I would be able to if someone called me mommy. I especially love, love, love that I am able to be so present in the lives of my beautiful nieces (here's where the pictures start to come!). These two baby girls are so precious to me. They teach me things all the time. Their childlike innocence inspires me. Their behavioral issues cause me to think of the ways I continually disobey God. Their stubborn attempts to get their way with their parents remind me of how I react to my Heavenly Father.

Plus, they are just so darn adorable! These were taken on Monday when the whole Reynolds clan went up to the snow for a day of fun.

By the way, it's the little one's second birthday today! Happy Birthday, Ayla!

Go to throughthelensofworship.com to read the other posts!

Beauty in the busy-ness

I've felt rushed lately. I've been overwhelmed. Not stressed, just busy. There is always something else to do. Laundry. Dishes. Grading. Cooking. TV shows that need watching. (Okay, I'll admit that one is a want). In the midst of the craziness of life, God sometimes shows you something that takes your breath away. I had one of those moments while driving home the other day.

The sun was just going down below the clouds - not a complete sunset, but one of those times where the edges of the clouds are trimmed in a beautiful gold. As soon as I got home I grabbed the ladder, and with my camera in tow I climbed on my roof. As it always happens (Murphy's law, I suppose), it turns out my roof is not at the ideal angle for taking sunset pictures, but I still managed to snap a few that start, just a bit, to capture what I actually saw. Just know that my (slowly developing [no pun intended]) photography skills are nothing compared to what God does on the canvas of the sky.

This is an entry for Through the Lens of Worship. To see other photographer's posts, go to http://www.throughthelensofworship.com/