thankful thursday 05

I am thankful for....

1. The pouring rain.  In this weather, images run through my mind.  The people ducking under cover to escape the rain.  The girl with long, drenched hair I could photograph.  The many people fighting the wind with their umbrellas.  The couple sitting inside the coffee shop, warm, snuggling and enjoying a hot chocolate together.  The puddles. Oh the puddles.

2. Being short.  I have more of my body covered by the umbrella, plus I have less surface area to get wet.

3. Lacking proper rain shoes.  I can look cute with my waterproof ballet flats and cuffed jeans.

4. A turn in my path of life.  Regaining more free time I find new ways to spend time with friends and rediscover my love for reading.

5.  Difficulty in finding white chocolate.  When I do find some I get giddy and savor every bite (much like one of those kids in the Willy Wonka movie).

6.  For being far apart from some of my dearest friends.  I have a reason to send care packages and write letters.  And they give me a reason to travel <3.

7. The inconvenience of not driving.  I love to sit and watch people; riding BART and walking gives me that gift.  With driving, I feel it's rare that one can truly enjoy the journey towards reaching a destination

8. Lacking beautiful camera equipment.  Without the help of awesome equipment, I depend more on my eye and the development of my vision.  The photography industry is so competitive.  Not only are there tons of creative geniuses, but they also have f1.2 lenses, strobes, pocketwizards....etc.  Sometimes I get down that I don't have those fancy equipments.  I know I can't compete in that realm, but over time I've learned that I'm selling myself, not my camera.  So ultimately, a client will book me based on my vision; so I constantly remind myself of that and try to challenge myself in that respect.

9. Having a hard time explaining myself.  When I talk to people, I find it difficult to find words to describe how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking.  That's when a handy analogy  comes in handy.  My analogies don't always make sense (so people still don't understand me), but truthfully, they make my heart smile.  Most of the time I'm laughing on the inside.

10. Sometimes feeling lost.  When you're lost, what do you naturally do?  I go search.  I don't know what I'm looking for, but I search.  I pray more.  I read more.  I talk to friends more.  And in searching for something, I discover that I no long feel lost (even though I actually still am).  I think that's the beauty of trusting God and enjoying life.  When do we ever really know where we are in life?  Never.  It's all a matter of mindset and the actual search... and remembering that although we walk through life with an endpoint in mind, God already knows that end and is working backwards to get us to that perfect place.

Sometimes you need to feel lost to find your way back to God.