Things we love about | Photography

I suppose this is technically things I love about photography (I, being Jess). But I'm sure Rene would agree, so we'll pretend it's things we love. I could list a lot of clichés about capturing moments and love and sweet things like that. But I won't. Not to say that I don't mean them, I do. But you've probably heard them before so I'll save the fancy spiel for my website. 

The thing I love most about photography is not the fact that you can capture a moment, but that you can create one. 

Photographs have a dream-like quality to me. They always have. The light play. The short depth of field. The grain of film. The blur of a long open shutter... We can't see those things with our own eyes. They don't exist in our world at all until they're brought into existence through a lens. And with a camera, we can create and control them. We can imagine and commemorate a dream world all our own. 

So with those thoughts, here's another one for Laura's weekly photo challenge...

I'm curious... whether you consider yourself a photographer or not, what are the things you love about it?

Things we love about | Being Married

We've been together about four years now (married for one), and while we're quite happy together, we're no experts on being married either. It's just that if we've learned anything, it's that seeing the glass half full makes all the difference. This isn't a lesson or even advice. It's simply a way for us to remind ourselves what we love about being together.

And perhaps inspire you to remind yourself of something positive you need to remember too. 

So here it goes...

1) Never having to say goodbye. It's like a hang out time with your best friend that never officially ends. 

2) The laughs. When you're with your best friend that much, you accumulate the longest list of inside jokes imaginable. You're also sure to have someone who will lovingly laugh at with you when you inevitably do something stupid.  

3) We're always at home. (figuratively, not literally). We can be on one side of the country or another or in an airplane right in the middle and it doesn't matter. If we're together, we automatically feel more at home. 

4) It's really, really difficult. I know you're thinking "wait, isn't this supposed to be things you love?" yes. It is. And this is one of them. Marriage takes a lot of hard work and sometimes we get frustrated, exasperated, angry, drive each other crazy... you get the idea. But through all of that, we're learning to be patient and love selflessly. The difficulties are countless opportunities to respond in a Christ-like way. We often fail. But God still grows us through them. So we've learned to love that our relationship, just like anything worthwhile, takes work. 

We could go on, but we'll spare you the really mushy stuff. You're welcome. 

Now, what are some things you love? It could be about anything. What are the good things you need to remind yourself of when things are a little difficult? 

Make a list and remember them. I promise it'll make you see things differently.