Atlanta!! :)

I just got to Atlanta today and am sooo excited to be here! I have never been here and after being here only a couple hours already totally love it!! My amazing friend Liana invited me to come and hang out for a little bit and to also go to her Business Boot Camp which starts on Wednesday! I'm so sooo excited about it and even though it's going to be working alot of numbers it is exactly what I have needed for my business because I have just been making it up as I go along...which is not the same way the government goes about things..haha!

I barely made it on my flight this morning and have never cut things this close but left my house about an hour before my flight left...then got to the airport with stopped traffic...then a mile long line for the security! It was crazy and I got on the plane 3 minutes before takeoff!! ahh!! I need to plan a little bit better I guess...even though I did wake up at 4:30am! lol!
Liana and my other friend Sara Harper picked me up at the airport, then this afternoon we headed out for a photoshoot that Liana had...but we were desperately trying to find a place to eat but all we could find after everything was a Waffle House which I had never had so we went in for a bite! It was pretty good and I got my taste of some southern cooking:)
Above is Sara and I in front of the famed Waffle House! haha! Yum yum!

Emmy & Alan

Ahh..I thought I was doing amazing at blogging and had posted everyday for like 6 straight days...then go on the other side of the spectrum not posting at all! oops!
I guess life can catch up sometimes! :)
Yesterday, my sister Natalie and I headed downtown for Emmy and Alan's engagement shoot! I wasn't quite sure about how the weather would turn out...but it ended up being a beautiful overcast, but always fun to shoot in, day!
Emmy and Alan are such sweet people! Yesterday was my first time meeting them and there is just such an easygoing and calm about them that you would never know that their wedding is coming up soon! I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with them and TOTALLY can't wait for their wedding and the reception which is going to be in Emmy's parents orchard! How fun is that?? They rented a tandem bike for the shoot because that is what they did on the day he proposed!! How cute is that! Here is their slideshow!!

What's your end result?

My friend's and I were talking about making money today and it really got me thinking...
What is our end result/goal/focus in our job's and careers? Is it to make more money?

I was looking at my finances last night and started to think...I want to make more money...what can I do to do that? Start up new businesses, do a workshop? But I had to stop. My goal was JUST to make more money which is most certainly not my end goal!
I HEARTILY believe in using your money wisely and making it grow...but when that is my only focus and the reason why I live...is to do that..I'm missing it completely!

When I was little I wanted to be a lawyer, graphic designer, and finally an architect solely because they made alot of money! Finally when I found one of my callings, photography, all the doors started opening up and I was doing it NOT because of the money but because I loved it and because I loved creating beautiful work and seeing people enjoy it!

This generation is SOOOO focused on making more money that we are NOT fulfilling our actual callings! I was driving down the street the other day and saw a lady sitting in her car all raggedy and looking like she hadn't slept in days and realized that she probably is not in her calling and then looked around some more and realized that probably 75% of the people I was driving past were not even in THEIR callings either! Whether they were driving a nice car or not!
They could be driving the nicest car, living in a mansion..yet still not fulfilling what they are called to because just making money is the focus!

If all we focus on is making more money we will literally NEVER be fulfilled! That's why so many people are lacking fulfillment and it's a total rat race because they think that having more things and money will bring that..yet it is never satisfying!

Think about prostitution, on second thought don't..yet they are selling their precious lives away for a couple dollars! That is what we are all trained to do. We litterly sell our lives away for 40 years to make some money so we can retire and die. What kind of life is that? Are we truly wanting to prostitute our lives just for money?

I really feel like if we find out and pursue what we are called to the doors will open for us and the money will follow! That the end result is NOT adding another dollar to the bank account but making a difference and impact in this world! That's why were here anyways right??

What is your end result in your job? If it's making money...you should PROBABLY be rethinking your life...and career! We're not just here to survive....or even to survive well...we're here to fulfill our callings and destinies, and through that we really will change the world!:)

I tried...

...I truly tried. And I STILL don't like coffee! I have never liked it and despite multiple times to try and convert...even ordering and drinking a whole cup tonight of the so-called amazing Pumpkin Spice Latte....I have failed at my attempts and will still remain a non-coffee drinker. I will have to settle for walking through the coffee aisle and sniffing until my mouth waters or making a pot of coffee in the morning JUST for the smell! Such a sad lonely life without it..!
Well to look on the bright side...at least I'll live longer, have more money, stay skinnier without it!;)
LOL!
PS..I don't think I'm affected AT ALL from caffeine this late at night either;)

Check!!

I'm addicted. I must confess...to a very strong addiction.
I'm am addicted to to do lists! lol! On my Outlook program there is a whole to do section and every little thing I possibly have to do throughout the day, week, month, year, life. I write it down there, with due dates and everything. The very best part is un-checking the red flag and seeing it disappear! It's up there with probably with the accomplishment of running a marathon...or something like that;)
Well...I've been pretty proud of myself lately in that I'm completely finishing my to do lists for the day!
Not leaving anything to be done for the day so I can actually really relax without anything on my plate! It's AMAZING! I think making a to do list and FINISHING it is one of the most important things...probably next to Godliness!..replacing the cleanliness part of course! ha! jk... But it is really so important seeing where you want to go in this life and map it out then break it down...again as I've always said..into baby steps. I have all my baby steps on this to do list and they are literally getting done because I keep it before me ALL the time! Plus they have due dates on them...so that makes things fun!
Because I got all my stuff done today I'm literally almost totally caught up business wise and next week really only have fun things planned and friends to meet with! How perfect is that! Today was amazing too with very little work...sleep in, work out for 2 hours, and SHOP! Who could beat that?? haha! The top is a picture from our fun shopping trip with some friends:)
I love you all!!

Toby Mac.

I have watched Toby Mac since he was in DC Talk and since I was 2! I remember always asking my dad to bring the DC Talk music video home from church and knew most of the words! Who ever heard of children's music?? I went straight the the rock, rap, and pop! lol!
The last night of the tour I realized I hadn't watched his full show yet or gotten many pics! After my cousins show we would just head back to the bus and watch movies or bake....and let my ears rest from being right in front of screamingly loud sub woofers and speakers! lol! But the last night I had to watch the show and let me tell you!! WOW. Yep just wow! lol! Toby's show is one of the most spectacular shows I've seen! There are things going on everywhere and it's kind of like being in Time's Square! So much to watch plus incredible music! Who could beat that!
Plus at the end they all sang the ever so popular and vintage, Jesus Freak, and my cousin Becca got to play along with them which is surreal to her since she listened to that back in high school and DC Talk was the first concert she went to! How crazy is that??
Check out the slideshow!!! :)

BG tour recap!

Well touring life is AMAZING!!! I've gone on the road before with my cousins but never on an actual tour which is crazy! I'm definitely already going through tour withdrawals and seriously didn't want to stop traveling! You get on this fast paced routine and it's exhilarating!! I met so many wonderful and genuine people that I was sad to part! Thankfully I'm pushing for Nashville so I can be around more of this! I just love it so much! My cousin's band, Barlowgirl, is on tour with Toby Mac and Thousand Foot Krutch and I think it was a 30 or 40 city tour...not really sure but it adds up quick! We went to 4 states in 4 days! Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota. The venues were packed and close to selling out! One place even had to get a bigger arena because they sold out months ago! Crazy! I shot a couple thousand pics but narrowed it down just a little for a fun slideshow;) Check it out here! I'll post Toby's slideshow tomorrow!

The first night after the concert I walked outside to one of the most gorgeous night skys I've seen! There was literally a rainbow around the moon!! God. Never ceases to amaze me!! Ha!