my girl and me.

taking better photos.

It's important to both DK and myself that we continually seek new ways to take better photos and grow in our photographic knowledge and wisdom.

Yesterday we sat and discussed the importance and the value in appearing "candid" when posing for a very "posed" photo and how to execute such a mastered shot.

My idea was this: let's say you're with a group of 4 or so people, standing arm in arm, facing the camera smiling. Instead of looking directly at the camera like everyone else, slightly adjust your focus and attention above the lens of the camera. You will find the resulting photograph to appear extremely fun, zany and of course, candid. Everyone will wish they'd been there, experiencing the same fun moment captured on camera!

DK and I tested this theory yesterday and here are our results. Pretty amazing, ya?
And check out this one too!

Now go out there and be inspired to take better photos too! Ya!

rest.

This has been the craziest, most non-stop week of my year. It started Monday with Sharathon prep and then of course Wednesday with Sharathon 2008 in full swing till Friday.

It's the most adrenaline-filled time fo the year at KSBJ because of the excitement and chaos of everything going on around you and that alone will exhaust a poor little d.j., not to mention running around telephone central, comprehending the amount of money being raised and gasping for breath out of disbelief that God is moving in such huge ways. He is so faithful. We reached our goals late Friday night and sang "To God Be The Glory" at the top of our lungs, giving all glory and credit to Him.

Saturday was busy as well with the Share-a-Song concert at Greenspoint Mall - Kent and I were emceeing the entire event and we had a blast. Needless to say, I came home (after the greatest performance by Sanctus Real!!) and crashed. Sunday morning I woke up and drove to Texas City to share my testimony with Bay Harbour UMC... what great people they are. I found myself wondering (and doubting) "Why on earth would anyone want to sit and listen to my story?" but every single person who talked to me after each service floored me with their encouragement and greetings. Needless to say, I have a newfound appreciation for pastors in their stamina to give 3 sermons every Sunday. Hehe...
After hanging with the Carelock family, I drove home home home. I was ELATED, almost choked up crying... partly from complete exhaustion and also because I'd made it through the busiest craziest non-stop week of my year.
Now I could look forward to collapsing into DK's arms, hugging my sweet Kenai, and falling deep asleep. And booooooooooy, did I!

no words.

I thought for sure once I had Amy Grant on my show that I'd reached the apex of my radio career. That I could even die happy, knowing I'd accomplished IT. Yet now that it's happened I'm floored at how God, through her, has moved me above and beyond this place, my perspective has been adjusted and I realize... God has even great things left to do in my career.

Initially Amy was supposed to arrive to surprise volunteers during the 4 p.m. hour of Sharathon but due to weather chaos here in Houston, the plane wasn't able to land. Back and forth on the phone with Bryan Ward from EMI, I began to realize as time ticked on there was a possibility she wasn't gonna make it. Part of me was devastated... yet part of me again understood that because I'd given this whole event over to God, it was in His hands and He'd take care of the details.

Around 8:30p.m. Amy and Bryan walked through the doors of KSBJ. As Amy entered telephone central , anxious volunteers roared with applause and appreciation and I can't tell you enough how gracious she was to talk to, take photos with and greet each person in the room. She spoke about the importance of supporting KSBJ and Christian radio... and then sang live on-air. She launched into the guitar intro but had to stop to turn her phone off as Vince was calling to make sure she made it to Houston ok.

It was a simple song, one she's never recorded and we all sang along with her... Amy Grant
"Be still..." It was incredible.

After more photos and hugs in telephone central, we headed to the studio for the interview I've been preparing for since childhood. I asked her what on earth she would say if given the chance to talk herself 20 years younger, we talked about her early memories of Michael W. Smith and Rich Mullins, and also about life and love with Vince Gill...

I just about lost it as she sang live one of my favorite songs of all time... sitting just 2 ft. away from me. Be listening next week and I'll play it just for you.

As we closed out I had a few things to share with her... Though I hadn't really planned on it, I told her how once I'd learned she was officially coming I began to ask myself why it was that SHE, HER LIFE, for so many years resonated with my heart and with my soul. Was I just starstruck, did I just love her music? But I realized how no matter what age I was, where I was in my life, how I felt, how I looked, etc. that she was truly part of it with me in spirit. As she remained a woman of God on stage, as a mother, as a wife, going through amazing times and experiencing very tough junk in life, I saw in her a very real woman and example of someone and something I too could grow to be more like.

It was a lifelong dream come true... But thanks to Amy, I feel refreshed in my understanding of "dreams come true." That it's not an end point, job done. This instead was an experience I feel brought further confidence that God has even more great things in store. And I'm so ready :)

dreams really do come true.

I can't give away the full news just yet, but I'm sitting at my desk at work here... It's quiet... the calm before the Sharathon 2008 storm... and I have some time to actually think and pray quietly about the next few days and what they represent.

Getting ready for Sharathon is a pretty emotional time for us all at KSBJ, listeners, family members and volunteers included. For us, it's a time of reflection over the life-changing, awesome things God has done in the past through a radio station. We all desire nothing more than to further His kingdom through the message of Hope and Eternal Life... and because we've all in some way been affected by the ministry and especially the music throughout the years, it makes it extremely personal.

On Thursday, my very personal dream will come true. A very specific dream I've had since I was a little girl, a dream created because of the influence of KSBJ music on my life at a very early age. Growing up, my house was filled with the music and positive message of KSBJ... the songs I lip synched in front of the mirror to, the songs we sang in the van on the way to the grocery store and the last sounds I heard as I fell asleep each night. 89.3 KSBJ. It's totally personal.

Be listening to Sharathon around 4 pm for the most historical and exciting event of my career.

my weekend plans.

ohhh boy! this is gonna be a good one!

1. Movie/Burger/Flickr night with DK. (these are a few of our FAVORITE things.)
2. 6 a.m. marathon training run with InFlight Running!
3. Load up Katie (my brother's golden retriever) and Kenai and head to dad's for the day. First things first, breakfast tacos!
4. Work on welding my desk, visit junk stores in Conroe for finishing pieces.
5. Softball game, Team KSBJ!
6. Read my new book.
7. Dinner at The Grove with Domenica and Kristen.
8. Nursery duty at church with DK.
9. Prep/Pray/Rest for Sharathon 2008.
10. Bike ride with DK and dogs...

severe lifestorm warning.

I sat at my desk prepping for my show this afternoon, and watched out my big screen window as this dark storm blew in out of nowhere. Never even saw it coming! It was sunny outside and before I knew it, the fluffy white clouds and bright blue sky gave way to the luminous overpowering thunderstorm, complete with lightning. Yeoww!

So I check the forecast online and see that Anthony Yanez had informed us long ago that yes, this storm was coming - my bad. As I walked into the studio, the EAS (Emergency Alert System) was spewing out weather alerts continually, warning us of the hail, heavy rains, strong winds, and recommending we take cover and stay indoors. I check the email and there too I find more warnings, alerts and recommendations for how to be safe and weather the storm. It's on the TV, internet, even listeners calling and reporting from different locations affected by the storms. We are SO informed!

But how great would it be to have warnings like this springing up left and right for the storms we face in our lives? The kind of storms that surprise us, attack us, bring us down, discourage and haunt us? Would we be more prepared and ready to face them if we saw them coming in the forecast and were warned ahead of time?

Thing is, I'm not so sure we would. Unless, of course we were grounded in truth and in the Word. The Word is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path... In the Word are the tools we need to seek Truth, to live Christ-like, to learn forgiveness, to rejoice with others, to mourn with those suffering loss, to hope for greater things yet to come... and especially how to praise Him and to see Him amidst the storms that life brings us daily, big and small. Hail and wind.

learning from project 365.

Though I've learned a lot of new things since DK and I launched our Project 365, many things I knew already have been seriously reinforced.

The idea is to take one photo of yourself for 365 days, an entire year. I knew right off the bat if I did this alone, I'd start with great gusto and intention, but would slack here and there and show signs of my consistent inconsistency.

So DK and I started together... and it's hilarious how vibrantly our individualism and character has shown it's colors through and through!

And not just in the photos, but in the process of taking them too!

It'll be 11 p.m. on a particular night, I'll be tired, lazy and not creative but then DK will spring up with some brilliant idea, setting up tripod, lights, the works... and from him, I'll roll with some needed creative aspect of the photo... then we post. Other days, the idea will strike me in a meeting or on my way to work and I'll text him saying "How about if we call the circus and ask for a couple lions..." and we go from there. For us, being new in our relationship, it's been the most fun project to do together, learning from and about each other with every new photo. We've also made some great friends through Flickr 365 Blogrolls!

It's the most interesting thing, only 52 days in at this point, to look back and remember how I was feeling each day, what I was wearing that day, to what level I admired DK and his capabilities, and so much more. Think of it as a photographic journal...

Click here to learn more about how to launch your own!

And click here to see ours!

they grow up so fast...

My youngest brother Andrew just graduated from UT (with honors!) and the rest of our family has been waiting with baited breathe to see what on earth he's going to do next. He's always full of surprises and we know that whatever he does, it'll be adventure-filled and action-packed. I promise to keep you posted :)

So last night on his way back through Houston, he stopped by KSBJ studios with his friend Ellie to record a couple songs for fun. I was totally tired from a long day at work, needed to get home to Kenai, and starving. Realizing how I wasn't sure when I'd get time with him like this again caused all those other things to subside completely.

I can't even begin to tell you how talented he is... they sang an incredible tune, harmonizing, Andrew on guitar... and I sat back soaking it up, taking mental photographs continually. Now he's off for Coast Guard training in Alabama... and when he returns, who knows how much more he will have grown and changed!

They grow up so fast, don't they?