49 Wednesdays

A Woman with Purpose - On Purpose

Someone once told me that I was a great example of a Titus 2 woman. I remember thinking that I was a fraud. How could someone see that in me when I couldn't see it in myself? I always read Titus 2 and saw how far away I was from being that woman. I was just accidentally falling into some of those characteristics and people saw that. Then panic and doubt set in. Was I playing a part that people were buying? 

One of the most important lessons I learned as a photographer was perspective. I realized I was viewing myself from a place of fear. Others were seeing parts of me that I wasn't looking at because I was so focused on where I was failing. I began to read Titus 2 from a new perspective. There were both strengths and weaknesses. 

I have purpose and I need to be purposeful about it. So, my challenge today is to work on one of my weaknesses from Titus 2. Keeping the home is a huge weakness for me. It is something that I just didn't do because I was bad at it. The reality is I was bad at it because I didn't do it. Something to do with that whole practice makes perfect lesson that I hated hearing about as a young lass. I was just hiding behind excuses to avoid it. This is my year of no excuses though - so I have to confront that weakness head on. This is something I am going to overcome. Keeping the home is going to go on my strengths list. I have purposed in my heart to do it. Why? Because it is all part of me fulfilling my purpose. 

I can finally see myself as a Titus 2 woman. Not because I have perfected it, but because I am in the journey of it. I am growing in it. I see where I am excelling at it and not just where I fall short. 

My challenge to you today is to look at yourself from another perspective. You might be surprised at who you find.

Love and Blessings!

Bri

48 Tuesdays

Confessions of a Bad Mom...

Sometimes I forget to check school folders. Dinner isn't always on time. I don't have a craft hour with my children. Here is my confession.....I. am. a. bad. mom.

Whew. I said it. It's out there. I used to beat myself over the head (figuratively) with guilt over not being the perfect mother. The social standard of motherhood that I did not meet. The looks from others when it became clear that my children were not the center of my world. (insert Gasp here - I know you want to)

There are days that my daughter goes to school with her hair in a messy bun because I couldn't find the brush and we need to hide the evidence. I've forgotten to send the promised cupcakes to school. Not every television show my kids watch is educational. I don't always tuck them in and read a story at night. Sometimes, I let them eat dessert first. I don't lie to my kids...ever....not even about Santa Claus. My kids know that they can ask me anything and I will answer them honestly. My kids are allowed to drink soda whenever they want (99% of the time they still choose water). My kids watch my husband and I disagree and make-up. My kids know about sex and that their parents have lots of it. 

Is their childhood perfect? No. Do my kids know they are loved? Yes. Do my kids get to see me as more than just a "mom"? Yes. I am an example of a woman to them. Not just a mom. Have I seen good fruit from the way I parent? Absolutely. I am quite proud of my children. Now, I don't pretend or believe that they are perfect. And having a son in the midst of puberty is enough to make me want to pull my hair out some days. My kids are, however, themselves. And growing into themselves. And they are good kids. I hear about it from people all the time (usually with a look of shock that they can't believe it because of their upbringing). 

We pray together, every morning before we leave the house. I pray over my children throughout the day and they know that. I tell them how and why they are special every day. I apologize to them when I am wrong and they do the same. I don't just tell them what is important, I show them. We have dance-offs and sing-offs in the kitchen. 

I'm a bad mom. I don't bake cookies. I'm not June Cleaver. I don't want to spend every waking moment with my children. I'm a bad mom. And that's okay. Because my children think I'm pretty great. And they are turning out pretty great. So, maybe I'm not a bad mom after all. For my kids, I'm the right mom.  

My challenge for you today is to look at whatever you beat yourself up about, and turn it around. Really look at what you're doing (without distorted lenses). Ask yourself a few questions - Is what you are doing harmful? If yes, then stop it. Is what you are doing encouraging and uplifting? If yes, keep going girl, you're doing great! Don't be run by opinions of others. Always be guided by truth and love.

Love and Blessings!

Bri

48 Mondays

Re-Evaluate...

There are 48 Mondays left in 2014. The month of January is almost gone. My challenge today is to re-evaluate. Check and see where I am at. Am I moving forward in all areas? Am I progressing or regressing?

I realize that I am not moving quickly enough in certain areas. There are still some weaknesses that I need to address. So, I am adjusting my action steps to continue to move forward. It is so important to not only see the vision, the big picture, the goal, but also the steps along the way.

I've also been able to see how far I have come in just a few weeks. That is important as well. It helps propel me forward when I find myself holding back a little.

Take today and look at your year so far. Your life. Are you where you thought you would be? Are you headed toward where you want to be? Are you moving forward or standing still? Are you going in the right direction? What is the big picture? Define it. What are the action steps you are taking to get there? What have you accomplished so far this month?

Keep moving forward!

Love and Blessings!!
Bri

49 Fridays

Keep the Faith

I am writing Friday's blog post on a Saturday. Friday was my son's birthday and he was home all day. He is growing up so much and, I admit, I have been a bit teary eyed this week.


Thursday, we were dealt quite a blow to our family. The blow is always fast, but what lingers is the fallout after. The fallout can be distracting. The fallout can cause focus to shift. The fallout can induce panic. The fallout can change relationships. My son always talks about how faith is like a rope. The fallout can cause you to drop the rope.

When something happens, I go through, what I call, my cycle of emotions. I pull the "I'm a woman" card. I run through this cycle of emotions so that I can set my feelings aside and look at the situation. This is how I am not swayed by feelings when dealing with something or making a decision. So, Thursday night, I went through my cycle of emotions. Then we went to bed.

Friday morning, I saw that my husband was struggling with the fallout. I knew that I had to grip the rope a little tighter for awhile. It is one of the amazing and wonderful aspects of our marriage I am most thankful for. There are times when he needs to hold it tighter for me. In different times and situations, one of us is stronger than the other, so the other can regroup. What is so great is that we can sense which one of us that needs to be. During my cycle of emotions, my husband is the strong one. Even though we are both dealing with the same situation, he rises to it and holds it together. Then there are times when I see that I have to rise up for him. It would be so easy to just rely on my husband all of the time. Let him carry it all. Let him pull on the rope alone. But even Moses needed help to hold his arms up.

So, my challenge to myself yesterday was to keep the faith. I needed to hold the rope tighter. One of the things I did was contact three dear friends who are faith warriors. We needed their prayers and encouragement. So blessed to have them in our lives.

My challenge to you is to find those people who help hold you up when your arms are weary from carrying your load and burdens. Keep the faith.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

49 Thursdays

No more excuses...

I used to be thin. Then I became fat.  Now, I am getting healthy.  There were endless excuses for my weight gain. I developed a heart problem while pregnant with my youngest daughter. I was depressed. I liked food. I couldn't help it. I tried to justify it away instead of dealing with the problem.

The problem was that I was fat and I had made myself that way. Not just fat, but unhealthy. I was destroying my body. Gluttony was my sin of choice. Why?

I was thin when I met my husband and had been for years. So, what happened? A couple of months before we were married, some relatives (who were not keen on the marriage) told me that I would be just like my mother and cheat on my husband. They planted fear inside of me. And I fed it. I changed the way I dressed and acted. And the added weight was like a barrier between me and other men. Did I have any reason to believe I would cheat? No. Was I afraid that I would? Yes. And the only reason was because I believed what someone else said about me. So I just kept adding to the weight that I viewed as my shield.

When I got sick, I realized what I was doing to my body and that I had to change it. Even more importantly, I realized I had the power to change it. I was faced with a choice. I could choose my family, my life and happiness or I could choose this sin that was killing me.

As I began losing the weight, I remember a moment of panic where I asked myself, "What if I cheat?". My husband thought the idea was absurd. He knew I would never cheat. And I knew I would never cheat. All of that over someone else's words. People who never really knew me at all. And I spiraled into years of sin and self harm because of it. Underneath all of those excuses, the truth was that I was punishing myself. Punishing myself for not being the idea of perfection.

My challenge to you today is to make that choice. What is that sin that you excuse and justify? What is it that you use to be numb, to avoid, to seemingly protect, to hide, to punish yourself? I pray that you choose life. I pray that you choose to stop punishing yourself. No more excuses. Excuses run out.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

50 Wednesdays

Be Fearless....

Someone stopped me the other day and told me that I was fearless. Truthfully, I was surprised by that. I don't consider myself to be fearless. Maybe that is because it is so easy for me to acknowledge my fears. Being fearless is something that I always aspire to be. So, hearing that someone thought that I was fearless...well, it prompted me to reexamine how I see myself.

Compared to my former self, yeah, I am pretty fearless. Before, I never would have even entertained the idea of speaking in front of large groups of people. And now, here I am, speaking in front of women. Traveling was also something that I tried to avoid. That too has changed.

I have realized that being fearless isn't a goal to be achieved. A crowning moment of glory. A level to be reached. Being fearless is a journey. One that moves forward. Step by step. Fearing less and less. When you fear less, you live more. You reach higher. You attain greater. You love richer. You feel deeper. You experience more than you could imagine before. All because you let go of a little bit of fear and stepped out. Just like letting go of the edge of the pool, little by little, until you are swimming in the deep end. Remember that feeling? The feeling that anything is possible? You can't see the possibilities while holding on to the edge of the pool. It is in the deep end that you can see the infinite possibilities. It is in the deep end that you aren't blinded by fear.

My challenge today is to step out and do something I have been afraid to do. That is my challenge to you. Ride that roller coaster. Audition for that play. Talk to that person. Apply for that dream job. Follow your dream. Go back to school. Jump into the deep end and be fearless!

Love and Blessings!
Bri

49 Tuesdays

Stop trying to squeeze into the mold.....

Last year, I was a bit out of sorts. I was feeling lost and without direction. Trying to find my way. I found myself without an identity. I had just come out of a situation where I had spent years trying to fit into a mold. A mold of  "excellence". A mold of set expectations. A mold that I did not fit in. A mold that I wasn't made to fit in.

Years of not asking questions because to ask questions would show that there was something wrong with me. Defective. Broken. Worthless. So I squeezed. And I squeezed. And I was miserable. Hurting. Hiding. Hiding me. After all, there was clearly something wrong with me because I didn't fit that mold. I couldn't meet that standard of excellence that I was told to reach. Each time I tried, and failed, I fell deeper and deeper into a pit of self-hate and despair. What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I good enough?

And then....I was released from the mold. Catapulted out. I was sent flying through the air without a net. Not knowing where I would land. I landed hard. Frightened and unsure of who I was and who I was created to be. I was suddenly thrust in a world without molds. Required to find my own way. So I hid. I hid within myself. A bubble seemed to burst inside of me. Ideas, dreams, desires, hopes, values...just came flowing out of me. It was a whirlwind. Chaos. I had to sort through them all. What was good? What to keep? What to purge out? What were truly my likes and dislikes? I didn't even know.

Overwhelmed by it all, I did the only thing I could.....I looked up and surrendered it all over to God. I needed His help. I asked Him the questions because I knew He had the right answers. He is molding me with His hands now. I don't have to try and fit into a manufactured mold that is man made. There is a quote that stood out to me: "Do not make excellence an idol, and be not idle waiting for perfection". That really struck my heart. While trying to fit in that mold, I was caught in limbo. Unable to move. Unable to be effective.

And now? Now, I am free. I am going forward. I have confidence in who I am because I get to be who I am in Him. Now, I am effective for the kingdom. No more molds that I don't fit. The Sculptor who created me molds me and makes me after His will. I am changing, growing, taking shape.

I want to be clear, I am not talking about essentials. The commonality of Christianity. Jesus Christ is the only source of salvation. I am unwavering in this. What I have been sharing about involves the things we have liberty in. Christians are the body of Christ. We all have a different purpose. I couldn't try and fit into the mold of the hand when I am part of the foot. It makes the body walk funny. Then the body isn't effective. I want to be effective.

So, my challenge to you is to break out of that mold you are trying to fit in. No matter what it is. There are different types of molds. I've broken them all. Is it some expected idea of motherhood and the "type" of mother you should be? You were created to be you. Not someone else. And you can only be the best you when you stop trying to be someone else and find out who you were created to be. And the only way to do that is to ask the Creator.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

49 Mondays

Full Disclosure...

This is Marriage Monday. My husband and I hear, quite often, that we have the perfect marriage. I'm going to be honest - we do. It isn't rainbows and unicorns perfect. It is real life perfect. We don't worry about jealousy, deceit, secrets, betrayal...... those things have no place in our marriage. They have no place in any marriage. We don't always agree, but we always get along. We are one. There is full disclosure in our marriage - even when it is uncomfortable.

Marriage is living and breathing. There must be a continual flow in order for it to survive and thrive. So, we don't allow things to block that flow. We are continuously clearing out the channels of our marriage.

This is a challenge my husband and I take on daily. And I challenge you - ask yourself if there are any blockages in your marriage. Make sure there are no secrets. Have full disclosure with your spouse. Let life flow through your marriage. Watch it thrive and grow and be more than you ever imagined.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

50 Fridays

...Running Late....

I know, I know - this is late. My son was home sick from school on Friday and it threw off my day. Which got me thinking about time and running late. And I remembered the following quote:

                    "Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance." - Dr. Mark Barclay

It is a great quote. It is also something that I fail miserably at. I am, by nature, a go with the flow kind of girl. However, I want to be a perfect planner, a super organized woman. When I try to be that perfection of time management, something usually happens that I didn't plan on. And it throws everything out of balance for me. So, I usually throw my hands up in the air and go back to my "take the day as it comes" attitude.

My goal has been to find the balance between the two. How's that going for me? Well, it is still a work in progress. I am learning to be less rigid when planning and also a little less go with the flow. Baby steps seems to be the key. Not staying in my pajamas until noon was a great step. If I can start the day off right, I tend to get more done. And I'm learning how much time it actually takes to do things. That was a problem. I couldn't very well allow one hour to complete a task that actually takes two.

So, my challenge on Friday was to improve my planning and increase my performance. For those of you who have this down, you have my admiration and respect. I applaud you. Seriously. For those of you who are like me and wonder at night what happened to your day when comparing your "to-do" list with your "did" list - challenge yourself. Find your balance. Plan while allowing for life to happen.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

50 Thursdays

Dream Big....

I am a list maker. Seriously, I have hundreds of notebooks that I have filled. To-do lists, grocery lists, house cleaning lists, story lists, wish lists, bucket lists.....I could go on and on. One day, I noticed something about my bucket list. It was different than the one in my head. I can daydream with the best. Impossible dreams. Those dreams never made it on my lists though. I would make the items on my list more tangible. Reachable. My vision for myself was limited. Those dreams that were inside of me were there for a reason. They were put there. The only one holding me back from reaching for them......was me. My own worst enemy. I set limits on myself of what I was capable of.

I threw out the bucket list. Instead, I created a vision list. I wrote down exactly what I saw. The things that I never wrote down on paper or said aloud. Then, I made my 2014 list. It was the scariest list I have ever made. To make this list a reality, I was going to have to really step out in faith and out of my comfort zone. I was going to have to expect more out of myself than ever before. I was going to have to believe in myself. Believe I was capable. Believe in my purpose. Be a woman with purpose - on purpose.

It is scary, standing out here - out of my comfort zone. There is no going back for me though. I hid behind the life that I had led so far. There is no more hiding for me anymore. I will strive and reach for the goal set before me. I will immerse myself in the journey along the way. I will live my life with purpose - the purpose I was created for. And I will continue to dream big.

I challenge you to dream big. Dream bigger than you have ever let yourself dream before. Find your purpose.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

51 Wednesdays

A tree for all seasons....

One of the things I have challenged myself for in 2014 is to say "YES" more. My youngest daughter has asked for the last few years if we could leave the Christmas tree up all year long. I've always said no. It just wasn't done. Like all children, my daughter loves to ask the question, "why?". I realized that I didn't have an easy answer to that. So, a few weeks ago, while looking at the tree, I asked myself, "why not?".  I anxiously awaited the moment when she would ask if we could keep the tree up this year. That moment never came. She didn't ask this time. That made me sad. My youngest daughter is so full of imagination and life and whimsy. When she didn't ask about the tree, I felt as if I had killed a part of her by saying no so often. I wasn't nurturing her zest for living, instead, I was slowly suffocating it from her.

That tree haunted me. It was still up. I couldn't take it down. The tree usually comes down the day after Christmas. Not this time. It felt as if I would be harming my daughter in some way if I took it down.

The next day, I told her we would be keeping the tree up. I needed her help in making valentine decorations for the tree. Oh, the years I missed out on the smile that she gave me when I said that. Light and life and dreams and possibility shone through her eyes. That tree is now a symbol of the celebration of living for me. It's our celebration tree. I wish I had said yes sooner, but the important thing is I am saying yes now.

I challenge you to say yes to something you haven't before. Say yes!

Love and Blessings!
Bri

50 Tuesdays

Say YES to health!

I lost 86 pounds in 2013. The questions I get asked are - how did you do it? what is your secret? what did you take?
I am met with a lot of disbelief when I explain that there was no secret and that I didn't take anything.
There is no miracle pill.

How did I do it? Honestly, it is a complicated and lengthy answer. The easy answer to give is "diet and exercise". It was more than that though. And the food and exercise program that I put together is very specific.

My goal was never weight loss. Weight loss has been a side benefit. Weight loss is going to happen on my program. My goal was health. I became very ill in 2013. I was having problems with my kidneys, colon, gallbladder, heart and ovaries. Many doctors, medicines and tests later, I was facing surgeries. One of the things they wanted to take out was my gallbladder. They wanted to take it right away. Surgery was scheduled. I did not have peace about it. So, I spent the three days before my surgery doing research.

I went in to see my doctor the day before my surgery with a game plan. My doctor and I went over my research and he agreed to what I was proposing. I knew that I could reverse the damage to my body. My body could be well again.

I committed myself to the program I created. In 30 days, my gallbladder was healed. My health improved rapidly. And, yes, I lost a significant amount of weight. Most importantly, though, I wasn't in pain.

Why did I need to create a program different from the ones already out there? Because they don't work for health. They can help with weight loss, but they don't help you to be healthy. I have tried most if not all at some point. The shakes, the supplements, the pills, the low-fat plans.........they didn't help me build my health. Some of the thinnest people I know are also the unhealthiest.

My challenge to you is to take control of your health. Do one thing today to take care of your body.

I am working on a Healthy Body Bootcamp. It where I can give you the information I have and share with you the program that changed my life. If you are interested, contact me via email - info@brigardner.com
The first bootcamp is going to be a smaller group.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

50 Mondays

...In the silence....

There are so many sounds that surround me. Voices, television, music, machines, wind, that annoying beeping sound that my smoke alarm keeps making. So much for my mind to sort through.

Silence is missing so often in my life. Why is that? Is it because, in the silence, I have to face my fears? Is it because, in the silence, I am without distraction and forced to face myself? Be alone with myself? With my thoughts? My hopes? My dreams? My failures? My memories? My questions? My answers?

Yes, to all of those. Yet, when I stand in the silence long enough........ Past the hurts, the fears, the questions..... Past the noise still going on in my head and my heart.....my spirit rises to the front. In the silence, once everything else has gone away, I can hear the whisper of God calling to me. And I cry out, "here I am". In the silence, I can hear Him clearly. I can be in the warm embrace of His Presence. The storm and chaos and noise of life can rage around me, but I don't hear it. It has all been silenced around me. Because I sought Him. I sought His presence. So I can be renewed and strengthened. I lay everything I have been carrying at the cross and I run to Him.

I am reminded of Elijah in 1 Kings 19. He went to the mount of Lord to seek His presence and to hear from Him. There was a strong wind that tore into the mountain, an earthquake and a fire. But God wasn't in those things. Elijah heard the still small voice of God after all of that - in the silence. What I love about all of that is God was always there. Elijah had to seek Him. Elijah waited for the silence. He didn't give up during the earthquake because he couldn't hear God. Elijah stood in the silence. Past the noise, past the wind, the earthquake, the fire.

So, my challenge is to stand in the silence more. To stand through the strong wind of my fears, the earthquake of my hurts and self-doubt, the fire of my burdens. To reach the calming silence where I can hear the whisper of God. Where I cry out, "here I am". And He answers, "Here, I've always been".

Love and Blessings!
Bri

51 Fridays

Week in Review

This has been an eye opening week for me. I am implementing changes, charting growth and just being present. One of my realizations in 2013 was that I was not always present. I missed moments and opportunities. I let relationships lapse. So intent on getting to "that place" where I could enjoy those relationships and moments, I missed out on so much.

I realized last year that I had become an observer in every possible way. No longer a part of anything. I stayed on the outside - always. Self-imposed isolation. I became resolute in changing that this year. Already, I am seeing the fruit of that.

One of the purposed actions I have taken is to say yes to my children as much as possible. I'm not talking about giving them whatever they want. I am talking about making sure my children know how important they are and that they supercede all other relationships (aside from my relationship with God and my husband). What I am talking about is no longer being too busy for them. No longer putting them off while I finish something "more important". Does that mean that I have played a dozen games of Uno while making dinner? Yes. Does that mean I have ended a phone call to look at a picture my daughter drew? Absolutely. Told extra stories at bedtime? Rubbed their backs until they fell asleep? Yes and yes! They get my full attention now instead of just a part. I focus on them. That wasn't always the case.

What fruit has come from this? Well, I am much more patient with my children. That is because I am no longer in a hurry for them to finish so I can move on to my insane multi-tasking juggling act. I stopped juggling. I am more patient in general. And my son and daughter aren't as "needy" as they used to be. There are much fewer - "Mom. Mom. Mom. mom mom mom mom mom mom..." 's.  I am also learning so much more about them. Learning from them. There are more teachable moments. There is no yelling. There is purpose in my parenting now. I know longer feel like I am grasping it by a thin thread and hoping to get ahead of it someday. They are happier now. I am happier. We are a happier family. Someday has become today. And this is just the beginning of the year. The changes already have been nothing short of amazing. Now, my oldest daughter is now an adult and no longer lives at home. So, we are working on the new dynamic of our relationship. It is much different when you are the parent of an adult. So different and new, but I am loving where our relationship is going now. 

Well, this was supposed to be more of a Week in Review post. Going over this last week, day by day. All of this is what came out though. I am writing another note today. I'm also going to dance. Yesterday, I danced to the Frozen Soundtrack (I'm soooo cool!).

Dance today. Dance with your children. Tell someone that you love them. Write a letter. And laugh!

Love and Blessings!
Bri  

51 Thursdays

Just Dance

After the Polar Vortex brought to us by Disney's Frozen (excellent marketing tactic guys), the kids are finally back in school!
In celebration of that - I am going to dance today!!

I'm grabbing my hairbrush, cranking up the music and putting on a show worthy of Beyonce.

This is a day to dance.



52 Wednesdays

Handwritten notes

There are 52 Wednesdays left in 2014 (including today). How am I making them count? Some of the questions I ask myself daily are: What is my purpose today? Have I been fruitful today? Have I been loving? Have I enriched someone's life in some way? Have I reached out? Have I told someone, "I love you"?

I want to be a Woman with Purpose - On Purpose. So, one of the things that I have done is set up daily "challenges" for myself. It is how I stay on my path.

Today's challenge is writing and mailing handwritten notes. Who doesn't love receiving one? It is so important to make and keep connections with others. And handwritten notes are so much more intimate than text and email. A handwritten note says, "I took the time to sit down and put thought and care into my relationship with you, without hurry or obligation, simply because you are important to me".

Today, I begin my 2014 handwritten note challenge. To write and mail out one handwritten note daily.

If you would like to join the challenge - please do!! And let me know. I want to hear about it.

Love and Blessings!
Bri

Old Loves and New Directions

2013 was a difficult year.  At one point, I dubbed it the "worst year of my life". There were many changes for me - personally, physically and professionally. I took off the entire month of December in order to reevaluate. I needed to reevaluate my life and my business.

In my old blog, I spoke of some of my struggles over this past year. The prayers and sweet messages of love and encouragement were greatly appreciated. Thank you.

December consisted of a lot of prayer and soul searching. There were a series of questions that I had to ask myself. Over and over again. Until I was honest. Really honest with myself. I figured out what I didn't want. What I was doing that I hated. The parts of my life that were hindering me, making me unhappy. At the end, I was left with the question - Now what?

Now what - indeed. Near the end of December, I received the offer of a lifetime. I mean, I would be crazy to turn it down. Yet I was terrified. Terrified of ....stepping out - in faith, out of my comfort zone, into the unknown, out of expectations set by others. What if i fail? What if I'm wrong? What if....what if.....what if....?................What if....it makes me happier than I have ever been?

There was my aha moment! I didn't believe that I deserved it. I was afraid to reach for it. What would happen to my relationships if I went for it? If I didn't stay in the box that they expected me to be in? The box that I had put myself in - not them. Some wanted me in that box, but I made the choice to get in. So, would I be brave enough to climb out?

I truly felt myself standing before two roads. And I decided to take the one less traveled.

What does all that mean? Well, I closed down the Photography business. I am still doing photography as art, commercially, and for pleasure. I love photography, so I could never quit that. And I still have shoots lined up for this year that I am honoring. I will also be having an Exhibition of my Fine Art this year and holding model calls from time to time.

This is my year of Jubilee! This is the year my ministry truly begins. I will be traveling - a lot. I have three books coming out this year. This is the year that I really step into who I am created to be.

This blog is my connection to all of you. The business facebook is shutting down and my old website is gone. I will be sharing on here so much. I have about 515,000 minutes left of 2014. 51 more Wednesdays. I hope you will all come along on this journey with me.

Love and Blessings!
Bri