If my brain is organized..the rest will follow

This past weekend was a busy weekend for me. My friend Cherilyn (also a contributor on this blog) let me help her with a wedding she was photographing this weekend. Being a new photographer I was excited for the exposure plus the challenge. I have photographed a wedding before but it was my daughters wedding and Cherilyn helped me with that too but it doesn't count.

We spent two days taking pictures. I tried to delete the ones I didn't like as I was taking them or when I had time but when I got home I soon found out I didn't do so well in that area. I tend to over shoot a pose or take several shots of the same thing to make sure I get the shot I am intending to get. I guess mostly because I don't have enough confidence to make sure I get it the first time. Mostly nerves. When I get home and put the SD card in my computer I find that I have taken over 700 pictures. I am overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Cherilyn must have sensed my anxiety from afar, because she sent me an email explaining how she organizes photos she needs to edit.

I am very thankful for this, but I also believe it will help anyone that needs to organize photos they need to edit, or post, or have printed. I have found that it works for all sorts of photos and have implemented them in all pictures I need to do stuff with. I realize it's basic and most people already may do this, but just in case, here it goes.

I make folders on my desktop and label them. For instance in the wedding category, there are before, posed, during, rehearsal, after. For my sister, I just label it with her name. For senior pictures, I also label by name. For pictures I take, I usually just put them under a folder with my name, but if there are several different categories, then it could be like Easter, Christmas, Birthday, etc. you get the idea. Then I move the photos to their respective folders. This way, I don't have to be looking at all of them and think OH MY! Then I choose the pictures I want to start with first. Since I tend to overshoot most of the time, I look at each one either by thumbnail or individually and start deleting the ones I don't like, or ones where their eyes may be closed or someone isn't looking. After that is done, then I edit, or for those that don't do editing, upload to Facebook to a specific album or upload to the website I use to print.

I hope this helps you all when you feel overwhelmed with pictures. If you are like me, sometimes you wait until your camera or SD card is full before you decide to upload. Good Luck in all of your photo ventures.

Encouraging

My blog for today is about encouraging. Just last week, I didn't know how I was going to blog about being encouraging when I was the one needing it so badly. I had mentioned it to a couple of other women who blog here and I know they were praying and also told me if I didn't feel like it, I could blog about something else. Up until yesterday at church, I wasn't sure I was going to blog but I got this magazine that they give out weekly called Pentecostal Evangel: Finding Strength in Scripture. On page 20, they ask people what favorite passage of Scripture they would suggest as comfort to someone in need. I knew instantly that this is what I was supposed to blog about.

Isaiah 41:10- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand.

1 Peter 5:7- Casting all your care upon Him, for he cares for you.
We don't have to hold back anything from the Lord. No matter how insignificant the need may seem or how insurmountable it may appear, He care and wants to be our answer.

Matthew 11:28- Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

We pray for immediate results. They don't always come. Difficult family matters, financial challenges, and disturbing health issues can linger. While praying and anticipating answers, we need to rest in Jesus.

Psalm 62:1- My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.

1 Corinthians 13:12- Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Our thoughts shape our feelings and actions. Sometimes when we're distressed, we want to know why things are happening to us. A better question is when. At the present time, we don't and can't know everything. But someday, when all is revealed, we'll see that what's really important is that God has known all along.

Scripture has really helped me, and I hope it helps you. Nothing is too big for God, and I have much faith and am counting on God to fix and heal things in my life. I hope you seek God's face and rely on him for all your problems no matter how big or small.

Review of Two Sides of Wilde.

Two Sides of Wilde by Cherilyn G. Fienen...

This book is so brilliantly written that it kept my attention through the entire story and I had a hard time putting it down. Amelia Hiller is the mother of twin boys named Ryan and Henry. She is unmarried and lives with her father who is a widower and has done nothing but help her raise these two boys. Both boys have different personalities, but are both very sweet. When Ryan's behavior unexpectedly changes, Amelia worries if it's just him changing or if there is something else drastically wrong. She just knew this wasn't the same sweet little boy she has been raising. In the midst of this, she starts "dating" but not dating this man who seems to really care about her and these boys. She doesn't start out really wanting a relationship, she is happy with their current situation and has been burned once before and has no desire to be burned again.
As time goes on, she realizes she has some hard decisions to make especially when it comes to Ryan. It's a life or death situation and although it's hard, she swallows her pride and does what she said she would never do. She goes to find the dad of the two boys. When he doesn't come through, she has to realize that there may be nothing that will save her little boy. Or is there?


This book has a great surprise ending that I didn't see coming. It's a fast read and an enjoyable one. Hope you all take the time to read it. You will be glad that you did. Enjoy.

Home Is Where The Heart Is ~by Desirea Packard~

In honor of Mother's Day!

 I am a step parent to two children. One is 20 and will be getting married in July, and one is 18 and will be graduating from high school in a few weeks. I met these two children when they were 8 and 10. Being a stay at home mom to my child plus these two before I had my own has been rewarding. Being a step parent can be hard especially when there are other personalities involved. I always hoped that I was doing right by them and setting standards for them that I would expect from my own children, but you just never know.

Saturday  my oldest daughter Michelle graduated from college and in the midst of all of that she still remembered that Sunday was Mother's Day. I didn't expect her to do anything, after all I am just her step mom. The card she gave me really hit home to how much of an influence I really have had in her life.

It says You're someone who knows that "family" is the people you love in your life. You're someone whose "motherly ways" have meant the world to me.

After I stopped crying I realized that I have done a good job. You do the best to teach your children the right ways and hope that they take the right path and that they learn from their mistakes. You fight your own battles and learn from your own mistakes, so that when they grow up into adults they don't have to fight the same ones. Family has always been very important in my own up bringing and I always tried to set the example for my children so that they would know, no matter what, your family is always there for you. I know that she understands that. I know that she considers me as much a mom as she does her own mom.

So as parents, step parents or whatever you are to small children who will grow up and be young adults and leave to start their own lives, just remember, that just because you might think you are not setting an example or impacting their lives, you are. There are many things to teach your children, but knowing that I have taught her that family is important and relationships that you build are important lets me know that home is where her heart is and hopefully when she has her own children she will pass along the things that are important in her life to her children.

Loving your children is easy (sometimes). Teaching them to take the right path isn't always. You do the best you can do and pray for them and hope that they will be the adults you have always hoped. But knowing that you accomplished to teach them even a few things to take along with them is rewarding.

So love your children, hug your children, kiss them. Before long (for some of us) they will be gone and grown up. Teach them what is important to you. Pray for them, and leave the rest in God's hands.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms. Being a mom is the most challenging and rewarding job there is. Embrace it.

~ So Much 'To Do' Lists... by Desirea Packard ~

I was not always an organizational person by nature. In fact, if you asked my twin, who I shared a room with until we went to college, she would totally agree. I became more organized after I got married and had children. I guess because it wasn't just about me anymore, there were other people who depended on me. Now that I am a more organized person, I make lists. I have several lists, some are covering my desk, some I have lost and then I have to make another list and try to remember what was on the one I lost. Not always the best way to go about it. But it is what it is.

I make a list of things that I would like to accomplish by the end of the week. If I make it for one day, I find myself getting bogged down on what I didn't get finished, so I plan for a week. Of course with that being said, I always find myself adding to it daily. For example, one of the lists I make is not really a list, but a meal plan. Once a month, I sit down and make a list of what's for dinner. This is time consuming, but also very helpful because this way, half of my grocery list is made for the week because I all ready have a list of meals planned. Plus this way, I am not playing the "what's for dinner?" game. I am not perfect at this, it's something that I work hard at because it's much easier. I make a list for things pertaining to my photography work, like editing photos or following up with a client, or ordering prints. I make a list for household things that need to be done like cleaning the bathroom (because I HATE doing it) or dusting. Even though these are things I should do without a list, it's hard for me to do them because cleaning house is not my favorite thing to do. If I am lucky enough, I can call my mom and she does it for me. Lame I know, but a true story. The point is, lists can be very helpful in your everyday life, whether it's for work, your children, your family or your meals, they are a resource in helping you accomplish your goals for the day, week or even months. But remember don't get aggravated with the things you don't get done, just keep working and check off the things that you have done. It's quite rewarding that way especially if you are not having that great of a day as you would like, seeing the things you did accomplish marked off always makes me feel better. I could never manage working at home and keeping the home separate without them!

Review of Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Desirea Packard

Between a Rock and a Hard Place...

I am going to be honest. I have never written a book review before so bear with me.

I am sure we all have felt like we have been stuck between a rock and a hard place, but Aron Ralston actually was. This is a true story about the journey of his life through rock climbing and the hardships he endured doing something he loved.

This book was hard for me to read, but I'm glad I finished it. Through out the book, the author tells what he remembers while being stuck under a boulder that fell on his arm while rock climbing. He video tapes as he goes days and days being stuck. The realization is sinking in that he may not make it out alive, but he for some reason doesn't give up. He isn't married and has no kids, just a mom, dad, and sister whom he loves. He tries to get comfortable and ration his food and drink, but he eventually runs out and is forced to drink his own urine, which for me would be impossible even for survival I think. But his future desires of a wife and children keep him going. He knows that God has bigger plan for him and he doesn't give up.

In the end he cuts off his own arm, which again would probably be impossible for me to do. But he wanted to live. The pictures in the book are actual photos that he took while being trapped. Some are graphic, but they really portray what he went through. In a situation like this, you discover what is really important to you and probably even find some peace on where you are heading.

In the end the author gets all those things. He is married and has a little boy. He doesn't give up on rock climbing. He is just more careful. They also made a movie about it called 127 hours. I felt the book was much better.

If you want this kind of read, its a quiet time, cup of coffee, sitting alone, enjoyable read. The book makes you rethink some of the things that may need to change in your own life. Sometimes God does things like that for us. He sticks us between a rock and a hard place to help us and mold us into the people He wants us to be. For Aron God did this literally.

Hope you enjoy the book.

Meet Contributor Desirea Packard

This should be fun, I am not very good at talking about myself. But here goes nothing. I hope you enjoy getting to know me better.

I am happily married to the man of my dreams. I have a special needs child who is the light of my world. I stay at home so that I can be here whenever he needs me, but while I am home I work on blogging, writing, and photography. I am not sure which one of these is my true passion. Probably all three. I am an identical twin. We are mirror images and she has been my best friend the longest. No matter what happens, we are always there for each other. I hope you will find this to be very enjoyable because I am who I am...

HOW WOULD PEOPLE DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

I would say, loud. I tend to be at a 12 when I need to be at a 2. Most people think that I am fun to be around, that I am kind and always trying to find how to help someone in need. Sometimes I can be not very nice, and then people would tell you a different story. If you have seen this side of me, then you have done something to deserve it, but this only usually happens in situations pertaining to my son. I think that I am beautiful inside and out and it was a long time before I came to that conclusion on both. I find if I am truly happy with myself then it's easier to be happy with other things.

WHAT IS YOUR COMFORT FOOD/DRINK?

This is easy for me. Coffee and Chocolate. I always want coffee and I can never have enough chocolate.

MOVIES-ACTION,DRAMA, ETC.

I will watch just about anything. Or at least try. I prefer the more drama, comedy, romantic comedy type movies. But if I stay awake long enough to watch the whole thing then I'm off to a good start. I am so exhausted at the end of the day if I sit down to watch a movie I usually fall fast asleep. I do not prefer horror movies, I will watch them but it's seldom. I think this world is scary enough without adding to the possibilities by watching something scary. I am a crier, so if the movie can make you cry, chances are I am sobbing.

BOOK-FICTION, NONFICTION, ETC.

They always say don't judge a book by its cover, but shamefully I do. If the cover doesn't catch my attention, chances are I won't even pick it up unless it's been recommended. I do love to read, this is my true passion. I don't have very much time to do it, but I try to at least an hour a day. I will read just about anything. I have no preference. I love reading.

WHATS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?

My greatest accomplishment is being a mom, and not just any mom, I am lucky. God gave me this precious little boy who just happens to have disabilities. It has been a long road and will always be but I wouldn't change it for a million bazillion dollars. He is and will always be my greatest accomplishment. I love him so much sometimes I can't breathe and would never be able to imagine my life without him.

WHAT IS ON OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO CATCH A WHIFF OF?

I know this will sound funny to most of you, but I love the smell of a new shoe. I don't have any idea why that is, but I do. This past week we got Malachi's new shoes and I couldn't wait to get them out of the box and smell them. But the more normal whiffs I love are coffee, babies when they are clean, spring flowers, and clothes hung out on the clothes line.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this and don't think that I am now crazy. I hope you keep coming back and checking out our blog. Thanks for reading...

The Act of Encouraging

by Desirea Packard

Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.

—Isaiah 35:3

Encouragement is often a hard thing for some. Here are a few things that I do sometimes that are fast and easy and simple when you need to send encouragements.

Once a week send a letter, an email or even a text letting the person know how much they mean to you. Whether it be a spouse, or a best friend a sibling or even a parent. I often send little texts to my husband to let him know how much I appreciate his hard work and that he provides for us daily so that I can stay home and do what I love to do, which is be a mom. Now I am not saying that I don’t contribute, because I do. But he does work hard long hours away from his family every day. I appreciate that. There are some spouses that are away for weeks at a time. My husband often tells me he appreciates these texts especially when he has had a rough day. It’s encouraging. I try and never miss a chance to let someone I know how much I appreciate them. Plus, it’s also a pay it forward kind of thing. Because of this, I have seen him do the same for me or to other people he cares about.

Anticipate someone’s need. I have always believed if you ask someone how you can help, it doesn’t usually mean you really want to help you are just being polite. (I realize this isn’t always the case.) For example, this past week I was sitting in the ER after I had been up all night with a crying sick baby. When I realized he wasn’t getting better, we went to the hospital. I texted my best friend and told her I am heading there, for no reason other than she’s my best friend. Half way through the visit a nurse comes into the room with two hot cups of good coffee (not hospital coffee.) She said these were delivered for you. I knew immediately who the culprit was, and I appreciated it. This was exactly what I needed after being up all night. She knew that I probably didn’t have coffee made at home and I needed a coffee fix. This is what I mean when you try to anticipate someone’s needs. This was exactly what I needed and I was very thankful for the encouragement.

There are also the obvious forms of encouragement that can be done. Sending a card, or flowers, etc. There is nothing wrong with these traditional ways and I still use them from time to time depending on the person and the reason. Sometimes when I can’t think of something to say or do, going this route is the best option because cards have a good way of saying exactly what I want to say when I don’t know how to word it. These are a great idea.

Friends are a great source to tell you what you want to hear or need to hear rather you want to hear it or not. When I am having a bad day being a mom, stepmom, or a wife, etc. My friends are the ones I usually turn to. They usually know exactly what I need.

Pray- This may not be for everyone, but God is the giver of all things so if you are finding you need encouragement, or are struggling with something or just need a boost in your step to help you make it through wherever you’re going, pray. It’s as simple as that. I pray without ceasing. I pray for my spouse, my children, my friends, my finances. (Everything.) I am asking God to send them what they need when I don’t know what they need and I can’t help.

This is just a few things that I do or have done to help those that need encouragement when it comes to great things and the not so great things. I hope that this helps.