I meant to have this for you bright and early as a fresh message to kick off the week properly. However, in this insanely busy season of my life, I have to give myself a little grace when things don’t go perfect according to the plan. Or when I get a little stuck in the desert. Literally.
On Saturday morning, what felt like my first non-rushed day in a long time, I sat down to journal. It had been a really long time since I’d done that. I wanted to write out how grateful I was for all the encouragement I had been getting in this new season. So many kind words, and so much interest for our new business. Greece filled up in just two days, so we opened up one more spot! And people are already booking shoots for our soft launch, one gal even flying in for it!
After I wrote a bit I opened up on of my favorite daily reads by Iyanla Vanzant. It was particularly meaningful to me because it seems to go hand-in-hand with what I had just written my journal, and how I was feeling. Like I had struggled and finally pulled myself up to the helm of the ship, and now all I had to do was follow the sky to stay on course. I had had a really intense game plan, and yes it’s been so much work to execute it, but I still feel like some small miracles have happened since the launch. And I believe God really met me halfway with this whole thing. I’m simply feeling very grateful and while I still know that the calendar is jam packed and need to work hard and stay focused. I don’t feel overwhelmed.
I had my season of craziness to get to this point, this point where now I just stay on track, let go and let God do the rest. This whole experience has been an incredible reminder that I just need to trust.
Yesterday one of my bests, Tenley, and I headed out to the desert to get some images. It wasn’t meant to be a 16 hour day but it became one, and we loved it. We chased the sunshine around the canyon floor, got my 4 Runner legit stuck in the sand, dug a little, and hung out in the moonlight to get the shot that’s at the top of the blog and here at the bottom.
The night was so beautiful, warm winds, howling coyotes, and the feeling that something big was stirring. It’s simply one of the best feelings ever.
Thanks again for stopping by.
-Marissa
I loved reading that page – so true! Beautiful shots! I just told a friend today I would like to take a model to the dessert flowers. You’re always one step ahead of the rest, Riss! One for your many strengths.
You know, for me, 2016 ended on a really positive note and I’ve had a feeling that 2017 is going to be a great year. It has already been pretty amazing and there are still so many great things on my calendar to come. And who knows what of the things I don’t know about yet. So cheers to improving ourselves, talents, and the world around us!
Absolutely beautiful. The quietness of the desert has been one of the places where I’ve heard God and felt Him the most.