I thought about this blog this morning for no particular reason. But thinking about it gave me a desire to write something. I don't have a lot of followers, but that's ok. I guess I don't do a lot to "get" followers.
So what should I write that could make it worth the time that you, my humble, few "followers", are spending reading this!
I recently have undergone a pretty intense change in my life. I've been VERY slow to acknowledge it because I have been viewing it as a negative change. But today. . .just this very morning. . .I was enlightened. Maybe because I've been reading my scriptures more. Maybe because I've been praying more. Maybe because God just decided it was time to give me freedom from my own wrong-thinking. I don't know why, but I am coming to be able to accept these changes.
So what the "intense change" that I'm referring to? Well, you may already know (you just didn't know how hard it has been for me to accept). Last summer, I stopped doing my own photography business full-time and went to work for The Picture People. The Picture People is a portrait studio found in malls across the United States. I worked for them several years ago before I worked for Mikel-Gamber, Karen Rubin and myself. Last Spring/Summer, my phone stopped ringing for sessions and I got scared. I got hired back on with The Picture People as a Sr. Assistant Manager and just last month was promoted to be the Studio Manager. With that promotion came a raise. It is a good thing.
I know there are some in my circle of friends who would criticize me "as a photographer" for working for a chain company. Some would say that I've stooped to a new low. I want to say that they are wrong. It is different, yes, than what I did on my own, but I am still developing myself and I am still involved with something that I am very passionate about. This morning as I thought about it, I thought of something that I know about myself. And that is that I have been blessed with many talents. As I thought of that, I realized that it is important to utilize and develop those many talents. As a manager, I now have the opportunity to develop my talent of working with and developing others. To help them grow and be better. Yes, I have stepped away from the photography piece. Just like years ago, I stepped away from the violin piece. While I still play the violin, I don't teach. I will always be a violinist. But not on the same level that I once was. I will always be a photographer. But not on the same level that I once was. This is a good change and one that I am happy about. I truly feel that Heavenly Father has led me here and is so very kind to allow me the opportunity to develop yet another talent that He has given me.
Working for myself, I spent every waking minute building my business and managing my business. I didn't learn to balance my time very well. Perhaps I didn't stick with it long enough to get to where I could have a better balance. I am grateful for the time that I did have. I learned so much and had so much fun. Now, however, I can spend more time being a Mom, and friend, a wife, and so many other things that I also want to do. I have started to make more crafts that I've been wanting to do. I have started to write a book that I've wanted to write for years. I am able to sit and watch a television program with my husband and children and just relax.
Change is always bitter-sweet. This has been no different. But change in our life is inevitable. The sooner we accept it, the easier we make it on ourselves!
Neal A. Maxwell once said something about having faith in God means that we also have faith in His timing.
I believe that when we live our lives in such a fashion as to be able to receive His divine guidance then we can have faith and assurance that He is going to help us have experiences that will strengthen us, develop us and prepare us to return to Him.
I am so grateful for the changes that have occurred in my life. I am so grateful that He has helped me to understand and accept these changes.
Here's a few pictures I took this morning (just to prove to myself that I still take pictures)!
