The Plans He Has For Me

It's a strange feeling to describe, when God speaks to you, isn't it? It's like a thought, or an idea, something brilliant, that cuts through all the confusion and anxiety and stress of a single moment and hits you right in the heart, but you just absolutely, unequivocally know that it didn't come from you. That's what happened to me on Jan. 6.

These last few months have been a crazy blur for Danielle and I. I lost my full-time graphic design job back in the fall, and picked up work with my uncle's construction business and as a seasonal driver for UPS.

Meanwhile, the wife and I are trying to sell our house in Bethlehem, NH, but, as anyone who has ever had anything to do with the real estate business can tell you, things are moving veeeeeeery sloooooowly. In the meantime we've moved in with my Grandma.

Oh, and Danielle quit her job. She worked a high-burnout shift at a high-burnout job in the field of adult mental health, so it was no surprise that she got burned out. Furthermore, since the move to Grandma's her job had become a 50 minute commute. Danielle practically begged me to let her quit. She's got a part-time baby-sitting gig now, but it's just as uncertain as my work future.

Uncertainty. That seems to be the word dominating our lives at the moment. Our jobs are uncertain. The sale of our house is uncertain. Our future is uncertain. It's kinda nerve-wracking.

Last week while I was driving a route during my seasonal UPS job on a very cold, blustery, slippery winter road I felt a panic rising in my chest as I was thinking about all the uncertainty in our lives. I started getting depressed, even angry. I mean, there wasn't even the slightest indication of what I should do next—where I should look for a job, how to get our house sold, whether we should do this or that. There was nothing on the horizon of our future except stress and uncertainty.

I started praying, and I asked God for a glimpse of His plan, some hope, something to keep me going, something to give me some idea of what we should go next. His answer cut through my brain in a voice that wasn't my own: "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and future." (Jeremiah 29:11) I was actually startled by this because I knew this answer had come from somewhere beyond myself. The voice in my head wasn't mine. It was a reminder that God has nothing but my best interests at heart. Wherever I'm headed, whatever happens next, it's coming from Him and it will be good.

But God wasn't done speaking to me.

That night when I finished my route, my boss pulled me into his office to go over my performance. He said the company wanted me to come back this summer to cover routes while other drivers were on vacation. It would be a full time position lasting June-through-September. There would be a month off and then the holiday driving job would start again in November. It's not a guarantee, but it would keep me within the company and possibly lead to more steady employment down the road.

It wasn't much, but it was hope.

It was an answer to a very simple, desperate prayer.

What about you? Can you recall a time when God's voice cut through the noise and pierced you with Truth?

Keep pinchin' :-)

A Whirlwind Of Weddings - Photos, Photos, Photos!

It was one of the first weddings that I ever photographed. This man came up to me at the reception, somewhat drunk, and asked me why I was a wedding photographer. His attitude reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld in the episode "The Big Salad" when he found out that the girl he was dating had previously dated Newman, his slimy archenemy.

Jerry confronted the woman and said in shocked disgust, "You went out ... with Newman?"

She answered, "Just a few times."

Then Jerry, with an unadulterated look of revolution on his face, asked, "Why?!"

"Why?!"

But back to the drunk guy.

He had once been a wedding photographer and absolutely hated it, he told me, which explained why he was so stunned that anyone could actually enjoy it. Honestly, at the time, I wasn't sure if I enjoyed wedding photography or not. It was still a new venture for me, and, plus, it made me extra money, so, why not?

Today I would have to say my attitude toward wedding photography has only grown increasingly enthusiastic. I love it! And I had the privilege this past August to shoot a wide variety of weddings that, as always, offered a plethora of people, places, and photographs. From honky tonk crowds to Hampton Beach to classy clients from New York. It's been a whirlwind of weddings!

This blog post is a celebration of all the happy couples I was able to get to know, and a glimpse of the many, many wonderful photographs I had the opportunity to shoot!

Click any of the photos to enlarge.

Rhiannon and Anthony

I loved the honky-tonk vibe at this wedding, the wild times at the reception, and the juxtaposition of beautiful girls and beautiful dresses against 4X4 trucks at the county fair grounds. Did I mention the bride did her first ever keg stand? This was a crowd that wasn't afraid to have fun, which is the sort of crowd that keeps me on my toes.

Cady and Garrett

This was a very traditional wedding with some of the most friendly people I've ever worked with. Since the bride and groom had never kissed, their family and friends did everything they could to make sure the young couple did plenty of smooching at the reception for everyone else's amusement. The result? Hours of hilarity!

Rebecca and Jason

I don't think I've ever been surrounded by so many classy-looking people who weren't afraid to act really silly. This was a very upscale wedding at The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, NH, but the groom had a terrific sense of humor which unleashed a whole load of goofiness in many of the guests. And did I mention the most heart-meltingly adorable flower girl EVER?!

Abigail and Chad

There are two types of brides—those who give me little direction and just want me to snap pictures at will, and those who come prepared with long lists of very specific photographs for me to capture. Abigail is the latter, a bride with very specific tastes! She knew exactly what she wanted and came prepared with props, photographic examples, and a large time slot for post-ceremony photos, which made my job a breeze!

Beth and Peter

I've done several weddings for middle-aged couples and they're always unique. Such couples approach the whole wedding from a very different point of view than the younger ones. Young couples tend to focus more on details and aesthetics while making sure they have a perfect wedding day. More mature people usually focus on family, friends, and comfort in a more relaxed atmosphere. It's always a nice change of pace.

Olivia and Chad

I won't lie, this one was my favorite! But, I'm biased, because the groom was my cousin. Still, it takes the cake because I've always wanted to do a beach wedding, and, fortunately for everyone involved, we had beautiful weather for it! Chad and Olivia had also never kissed, and so the anticipation leading up to the big moment was evident on both of their faces. They were a very affectionate couple with obvious passion and love, which makes for nothing but amazing photographs!


Know anybody who is getting married? I work all throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Message me, or visit my website, www.isleofturmak.com.

Dog Days Of Working... I Mean Summer!

We have a busy month upon us here at the Grant household. Jake has five weddings to photograph in the next four weeks, which means that in between each wedding he will have lots of photos to develop. I have my first Fitness Challenge Group to manage, plus learning the ins and outs of my new business venture, and preparing for next month's Challenge Group. On top of that we have several family functions to attend, a half marathon to train for, and our regular jobs.

Whew! Just writing all that makes me want to take a nap!

But when life gets busy I just have to stop and remember what my goals are, and remind myself that it is just for a season.

We desire to live debt free, and if that means taking on extra work to get there than we are willing to do it.

We desire for me to be a stay-at-home mom—once we are blessed with kiddos, that is—and if that means trying to start up a new business than we are willing to do it!

We desire to bless others financially, whether giving through our local church or supporting a missionary, and if that means taking on extra work than we are willing to do it!

You get the idea.

We have prayed and sought after what God wants for us at this point in our lives, and we have come to a place where we are willing to accept whatever He sends our way. So while this month may be super busy for us, we are thankful for His abundant blessings. Plus, I'm planning a fun date night for this Friday because we are in need of some "couple time."

What are you willing to do to be out of debt? Cut the cable? Take on part-time work? Stop eating out? Commit today to doing something about your finances, and let us know what it is in the comments below!

Keep pinchin' ;-)

To Everything There Is Season

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted.
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2

This verse came to mind today as I was thinking about how I'm tiring of this whole Penny Pinching life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing in the towel yet, but there are days when the end seems oh so far away, and I just want to go to Six Flags.... Have you seen the new ride at Six Flags Great Adventure? If not you have to check it out!

Today was one of those days. It's amazing how far we have come since we began this journey about 18 months ago, as we have paid off about $25,000. However, to completely pay off our home we have a long way to go, not to mention that when we get some sort of health care that will cut into the amount we send to the mortgage company. Thankfully I've recently been asked on several occasions to babysit, which definitely helps, but that can get tiring, too, as I already work 40 hours a week and I work weird hours which throws my body off.

As I was thinking about how I'm going to keep on doing this the verse above came to mind. To everything there is a season. Right now we are in the planting season, so that hopefully one day we can reap what we have worked so hard to sow. It's kind of like my garden last year, I worked really hard to prepare the ground, plant the seeds, weed and water and then finally I was able to reap the harvest and enjoy all the fresh veggies.

So, I will keep pressing on and make the most of this time in my life, knowing that one day I will get to pluck that which I have planted.

Keep pinchin' :-)

Is It A Lack Of Faith or A Lack of Prayer? ... A Followup

On Friday, I wrote about how our finances ebb and flow in Is It A Lack of Faith or A Lack of Prayer? I had noticed that Jake and I had kind of grown lazy in asking the Lord to provide extra work and extra money for us. Whether our tight finances this month are a consequence of that or not, who can say?—but a really funny thing happened.

In my mind, I took this before the Lord. I knew Jake and I hadn't been praying very consistently for God's provision, but then within 24 hours of writing that post I received two babysitting job offers through a website where I advertise my service. I have only ever gotten one job offer from there in the past. When I told the hubs about this, he told me that he had been contacted about two photography jobs, a book illustrating job, and a graphic design job—not to mention the very generous and unexpected Christmas bonus he received from his employers.

At that time Jake had yet to read the blog post. So he read it. Then he told me to stop praying because too much extra work was coming in. :-)

How awesome is our God?! I could have whined and complained about the lack of extra income. I could have doubted that God is for us in our debt-slaying adventure, but instead I tried my best to have faith and hold on to things I know to be truth, and He completely exceeded what I would have asked for.

I don't know if this is always how God chooses to work for us, but I will choose to continue to trust in Him, no matter what happens. I will choose to have faith that He has good plans for me. I will choose to believe the truth that He is for us and not against us! Once again it's all about choices!

Keep pinchin' :-)