Recovering lost ground, Settling In, and Camping…McClain Style

The last two months have been a whirlwind, if that’s even a bold enough word to describe all that’s been going on around here lately. When we moved back to Indy at the beginning of August, we were a little in over our heads, or at least that’s how I felt. We were sure God was calling us back to Indy, but sometimes in the midst of all the moving and unpacking and photographing and editing and attempting to pass the insurance exam…still haven’t passed by the way……I was just a little unsure. I was unsure about what God had for me back here, unsure of what I should be doing career wise, unsure about a whole load of things to be quite honest. But. The beautiful and glorious thing about our Lord and Savior is that He never fails to comfort us, lead us, or bring us peace and understanding. So. Though it’s taken a little longer than what was comfortable for me, this morning I feel completely at peace with being back in this place.

We recently went to Atlanta to a WPPI conference (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) where we sat through hours and hours of incredibly motivating and informative speakers. And as I sat there, listening and dreaming of my future as a photographer, I realized it was time to make the jump. To put everything else aside, to maybe be incredibly poor for awhile, but to put everything I’ve got into making my passion for photography become my full-time career. Add that on top of all the uncertainties I was already battling in my mind, and whoopy doo can you say overwhelmed?!

So…

I’m still unsure of many things, but last night at our home fellowship, Joy (mama-in-law) reminded us of a time just one short year ago, when Jordan and I were even more unsure of things. We were set to move to Kentucky in just a few weeks time, and had no place to live, no jobs, no idea. And Jordan sent out an email to our home church – not asking for money or for pity – but asking for our brothers and sisters in Christ to worship with us. To worship in advance, knowing that God has a plan, that He will provide and protect, and that He won’t let us slip through the cracks. And what a joyful thing it is that we can have confidence in that.

I’ve been reading through a simple yet powerful daily devotional called “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young. My dear friend Haley from Kentucky recommended it to me, and it is incredible how powerful each day’s message is! October 3rd’s message lines up quite perfectly with everything I’ve been feeling – and I’m sure I’m not the only person out there feeling overwhelmed, so let this be an encouragement to you:

“When many things seem to be going wrong, trust Me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank Me. These are supernatural responses, and they can lift you above your circumstances. If you do what comes naturally in the face of difficulties, you may fall prey to negativism. Even a few complaints can set you on a path that is a downward spiral, by darkening your perspective and mindset. With this attitude controlling you, complaints flow more and more readily from your mouth. Each one moves you steadily down the slippery spiral. The lower you go, the faster you slide; but it is still possible to apply brakes. Cry out to Me in My Name! Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. Thank Me for everything, though this seems unnatural – even irrational. Gradually you will begin to ascend, recovering your lost ground. When you are back on ground level, you can face your circumstances from a humble perspective. If you choose supernatural responses this time – trusting me and thanking Me – you will experience my unfathomable Peace.” (From Psalm 13:5 & Ephesians 5:20)

This morning’s peace comes from my Father, and I’m thankful for that. I hope that in whatever circumstance you face, you too will be able to thank Him and experience His unfathomable peace.

In the meantime….

We finally got most of our house unpacked and it’s now feeling like a cozy Jordan and Micala home. And in the midst of my last 5 weddings of the summer all being packed into the last few weeks, I’ve needed a little creative outlet time. Thanks to pinterest, I now have a list of DIY projects to last me a lifetime. So that explains the wreath I made with the help of Felicia Pettigrew’s fabric flower tutorial 🙂 And lastly- my dear sweet Jordan surprise planned a camping trip for us this week, but with both of our busy schedules, it had been forever since we’d both had the day off together. So, although we love camping, I really just wanted to stay home, get our last few boxes unpacked, and just chill out. To compromise, we camped in the backyard. 😉 There’s nothing better, really.

Our “library.” The blue walls will be gone soon, thank goodness!

What awesome piece of art should I put right in the middle? Ideas now being accepted, leave a comment! 🙂

Out the back kitchen window – I love the view!

McClain Campgrounds. It inevitably started pouring last night and we woke up to wet sleeping bags. Still totally worth it though.

Happy cozy, rainy, fall day. Be blessed and encouraged today and know you’re loved by the King.

-MM-