the biggest blessing...

Good Afternoon friends,

I am glad some sun came out today! It is still chilly, but I will take what I can get! :) There is something about a Wednesday-- its like everyone has hope for finishing out the week! I can understand that, after working as an office secretary in the summers for 6 years, and now sitting in a cubical for this summer. It gives me hope for the weekend coming soon! :) I hope that today finds you joyful and ready for the next two days of work, and then hopefully a fun filled weekend. If not, I hope it starts to look up, and that you look for the positive! :)

I have really realized the negativity that can surround us when we are going through hard times, or when something doesn't go the way we thought it was going to. I feel that I have been blessed with the ability to look at a situation positively, but I am surely not perfect and have felt myself looking at situations with worst outcome in mind lately. But, I was recently blessed with the opportunity to see a mom, dad, and daughter interact. The father brought the daughter to work to visit her mom. She had been asking to go in all day and so he brought her. The mom had so much work to do, and could have easily given into her work and visited with the family for only a couple minutes. But, she took a break, and spent time with her family. When they left, she looked so refreshed and happy. She mentioned that she had a lot to do, but if she put her mind to it, she would meet her deadlines. What a good attitude. Why are we always in a rush, not wanting to give our time away? It was so beautiful to see them interact and just visit with each other. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me of a few different things. 1. to be thankful for the relationships in my life and the people who love me and appreciate me 2. to be aware of my time and how I use it to love the people around me 3. work will always be there to greet you and take away some of your time, but family and friends may not... we must cherish them!

In saying that, it is hard to be away from my family right now. I miss them so much. It is my first full summer away from them and I know it is going to be different. It kinda feels like I have moved out for good (even though I have more than half of my stuff still at our house). But, as I have gone through school, I have come to realize how crucial it is to have family. They are the strongest support you will have here on earth. In saying that, family is not always those you are born into, it can be the ones you choose to be in your life. The people who will never leave you are your family. I am so incredibly thankful for that. I feel like family sees deeper. They know you very well. They do not look at you the same way the rest of the world looks at you. They know your heart (not all of it, of course, only God knows it all.. :)); but they truly do look at you differently. I have seen this in my "family" which consists of my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brother, etc... and my friends. This reminds of scripture.

"The LORD does not loot at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Our families are not perfect, but I realized that God did bless us with people in our lives who show His love everyday by looking at us differently than the typical person. They look at us in a small fraction of the way God does. He doesn't look at us from the outside (although he made us perfect in that image as well) but from the inside; the heart. He looks at our intentions, our true meaning in what we do. Isn't that the way our family looks at us (most of the time)? I think it is, whether we realize it or not. Our families are a beautiful gift that we need to cherish. Those relationships are not like any other we have on earth. Whether your family is blood, or those you have chosen to be in your life, they will be there. And, they will love you for who you are, and what is deep inside you.

I have been seriously blessed with a strong, loving, beautiful, and God filled family. A family that God reveals himself through everyday. A family that is drawing closer to God everyday. I appreciate my family so much and I know I do not deserve them, but I am grateful for the blessing of having them. I feel challenged to let my family know that they are cherished and loved as well. I hope you will join me in showing/ telling your family how much you love and appreciate them?

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week friends!
I appreciate YOU in my life!

In His Love,
Maddy

Summaaa Time!

Its SUMMER TIME!!!
I am working for the President's Leadership Academy this summer and I am so super excited about it. I am the summer intern and I am just doing miscellanious tasks.
I get to meet the new cohort and build relationships with them. I am excited for this leadership role!
:)

Here are some recent pictures to share.
I have not been doing a lot of professional shooting, just some random fun stuff lately.





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:) Hope you are well friends!

Much love,
Maddy