This is life.

(I'm dedicated to my art. Or something like that. Don't judge.)

As odd as it sounds, I haven't had much time to think lately. For the past couple weeks (or longer? I can't remember -- the days are all blending together), I have been up way too early and to bed way too late. The hours between sleeping, I spend in a flurry of work, to-do lists, dishes, laundry, phone calls, emails, meetings.

My evenings are filled with shoots, client meetings, and photo processing. My mornings are focused on maintaining sanity in my home (I don't cope well when Hurricane Jenni has attacked and not cleaned up after herself) and sanity in my mind (the all-important gym date and the subsequent endorphin high). My weekends are more shoots. Somewhere in there I hang out at church, play with 2 year olds in the nursery, occasionally see my family, try to keep up with my friends, read books, try new recipes (when I have enough time to actually cook), go grocery shopping.

"What happened to my life?!?!" I wailed a couple days ago, momentarily turning into the whining seven year old I had supposedly matured beyond.

Then.

It hit me.

This is my life.

No, no. Read it again.

This. is. my. life.

And - get this - I'm loving it!

All too often, I find myself waiting for the next big thing, putting my life on hold until happen. I forget Jim Elliot's motto: "Wherever you are, be all there. Life to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." Instead, I echo "Tony" from West Side Story.

Could it be? Yes, it could.
Something's coming, something good,
If I can wait!
Something's coming,
I don't know what it is,
But it is Gonna be great!

But to what avail? If I live in the future, its never going to happen. If I live in the past, I'm never going to go anywhere new. I'd much rather shoot at the stars and land on the moon; none of this lackadaisical existence for me. Its like my Mom always reminded me: "Aim at nothing and you'll hit it every time."

So here's to living in the moment, dreaming big dreams, and loving the life God has given.