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Happy “Hope” Day!

Easter 2016

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Sometimes I feel like I’ve said the same thing for so long that it won’t make an impact. However, I know that that’s just a lie I’m believing. And the more I think about it, the more I feel convicted that there are just some things that can NEVER be shared too much! I’ve shared time and time again that my business is not my own. I don’t mean that someone else owns my company…. but kind-of. The thing is, I share a lot about my faith but I hope it never comes across and gimmicky or self-serving because here’s the truth: Without knowing what I LIVE for, my LIFE won’t make sense to you.

Let me re-phrase. If you want to understand why I have freedom in my business and freedom from the pressures of the industry and freedom from the world’s standards of success, you have to know more about me than just that I’m a wedding photographer. You need to know that my business is not my own. I honestly believe that my ability to take beautiful images and my ability to relate to people and run a profitable business was given to me for a purpose that is much greater than just paying my bills. I believe I’m a wedding photographer because that is how God decided that He can best use me! And you know why this is so important TODAY…..because of YESTERDAY!!

Yesterday we celebrated Easter. We sang at church… we wore cute outfits…. we waited in long lines for lunch with the fam… and sometimes in the chaos of “Easter”, we forget about how much it transforms our life on a day to day basis…..

God is perfect in every way. He is GOOD, RIGHTEOUS and He is MIGHTY. I’m not good. I’m naturally selfish and unkind. I mess up every day in some way, shape or form. Because God is SO good, we couldn’t have a connection to him. He literally couldn’t be connected to sin…. until Jesus. Jesus took on all of our sin, all of our crap, all of our selfish ways… all of the BAD parts of us and he died in order to pay for the sin of the world so that we could have a relationship with God. This sets me FREE. Why? Because I have given my life to Jesus. I don’t think we were put on this earth just to make money, get married, have babies, get old and die. I think we have a much GREATER purpose for our lives. I exist on this earth to share the joy that comes from knowing Jesus… from being forgiven… from not living for myself. I have a purpose that is so much bigger than taking pictures… I’m supposed to LOVE people. And I’m not supposed to LOVE PEOPLE because it makes me feel awesome about myself (think about it… that’s just a manipulated version of selfishness and it backfires when people don’t meet your expectations). I love because JESUS loved…. and He loved unselfishly. Living for yourself is overrated…. you’ll NEVER be happy… even during success. You’ll never feel like the void in your life is filled and you could spend your whole life trying to fill it!!

This is why EASTER MATTERS. Easter is the reminder and the celebration of the fact that Jesus died for us and yet he wasn’t defeated. He didn’t die and that was it…. He died and he rose again. He wasn’t taken over by death and the sins of the world… how sad would that be? Instead, He took on the pain and the mockery and the persecution and rose on the third day to show that in the end, God wins. Good wins. Eternal purpose WINS. I don’t know where you are but I hope that this post serves as a reminder that there is HOPE. There is a bigger picture to your life and I hope you fight to see it. Because of Easter… we have HOPE. Because of Easter, I could completely crash my business into the ground but my purpose remains the same. I could still point people to Jesus without a camera in my hand!!!

If your life is the furthest thing from hopeful… don’t give up… and more importantly… don’t SETTLE. Living without HOPE and PURPOSE is miserable and I don’t wish that on anyone. You can have HOPE!!! It’s waiting for you! If you’re a believer, live your life this week with the daily reminder that you’re forgiven, you’re loved and you have a divine calling on your life. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, it’s ok. There is so much waiting for you, friends. The fact that you read through this entire blog post of my ramblings means that God is drawing you in. Don’t ignore it. Lean into it and then watch out… because a life full of HOPE is a life transformed and it’s powerful!!

So Happy Easter….. or should I say…

“Happy Hope Day”!!

To view other personal posts click here! 

Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

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