For Certain

Meet Megan.

She is a girl who knows who she is, what she likes, and what's most important to her.

Family, friends, faith.

We went to Megan's happy place with her friend Stacy, and her postcard collection.
Those postcards brought back the memories!

Like the time when they were little and Stacy sent her a postcard from New York
telling Megan how much she would like it there.
And then Megan went there with marching band years later
to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

There is nothing quite like a lifelong friend!

Megan loves her friends, but she is not too cool to be seen with her mom.
In fact, she loves hanging out with her family.  It's just not that simple to get all six of them together.

After the tea shop, we headed to the park where Megan's family
has attended many a community celebration and parade.
In fact, she marched in the parade there just a few days later
while the rest of the family cheered her on.

We stopped for a few minutes to let Stacy tell a funny story.

And to document the importance of pillow pets.
Especially Perry the Platypus.

And to take note of the necklace that constantly serves
as a tangible reminder that God is an ever-present companion and help.

Megan is in color guard.  I'll show you her beautiful flag in a minute,
but it's her rifle that she really loves.
She spent a minute amazing me with her twirls and tosses.

We took time to smell the flowers.

To recall Megan's dancing days.
And to hear her mom tell about the way that Megan amazes her
by her leadership and her love for God.

And finally the football players cleared out so Megan could take the field for a few minutes
and do her thing.

Megan, I've known you your whole life, and loved you since before you were born.
I've watched you be an amazing big sister, and share your love for kids with my kids,
with all the church kids, and also in your work.
I can't tell you how grateful I am for the role model and servant that you are.

One thing is for certain:
If you keep loving God and serving people the way you always have,
you are going to leave many, many lives the richer for having known you.

"Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ
and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."
2 Corinthians 2:14

Hard At Work

It's Labor Day.

A day I've always associated with back to school, and because I live in Minnesota, the State Fair.

A day I personally associate with becoming a mom for the first time 

during Labor Day weekend sixteen years ago.

For the first time since then, I am celebrating Labor Day 

as a woman who is paid for her job.

I'm celebrating by editing photos.  Ahem.  

It's a break from the photos that I've taken for others, 

and taking the time for photos I took for sheer joy.

Honestly?  It's kind of hard to distinguish the two, because my work is a true blessing.

I am so grateful for the privilege of sharing stories of life through photography.

I thought it was fitting to post this photo of a young woman 

hard at work making crepes at the state fair.

It conveys the story of the hubbub of humanity all around her in the reflection.

It lacks only a French flag in addition to the others on her cap.

I'm thanking God today for all of the people who do all kinds of creative, productive work

to make our world safe, orderly, beautiful, clean, fascinating, nourished, healthy and accessible.

To name a few.

I'm praying for people who need jobs to help them earn a living, 

and those are searching for ways to find meaning through work (paid or not)

that allows them to reflect in tangible and fulfilling ways who God created them to be.

Happy for the prompt from I Heart Faces to post a picture of someone "Hard At Work".
Click the link to be inspired to take some of your own!