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Thursday, August 25, 2011

"Picture Night"

Every year at the beach we have "picture night".
The night we actually put on make up and fix our hair.
This usually takes place towards the end of the week..usually on Thursday night.
We wait long enough to have gotten a tan with still a couple of days left...just in case.
We've been going for 11 years now and we've done every color combo imaginable...
Khaki and black..khaki and white..blue jeans and white..tourquois and khaki..you get the idea.

This year we went "vintage".
We were all so excited about picture night this year.
Too excited.

My husband likes to share a verse of scripture often in our home that has a principle that resonates with truth...   
 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick".  Proverbs 13:12
Yep. 


Well.. I've had these pictures edited for some time but just haven't had the heart to share them.
You see, this year was a disaster. A failure on epic proportions. 
No, no one had a bad hair day or ripped their shirt or spilled something on it.
And it didn't rain.
In fact, everyone looked beautiful and the clothes were perfect and the sky was clear.
No..this year's "Picture Night" failure had nothing to do with an imperfect outfit or bad weather.
It had EVERYTHING to do with imperfect people and bad attitudes.

I'm not even sure how it started or what even happened,
But before we knew it, tears were flowing and words were flying.
And all this was from us "big girls"...not the littles.
This may shock those of y'all that know us... (lol)
But we are real.  We are flawed. We make mistakes.

Just this week I received a phone call out of the blue from a very good friend of mine with whom I kinda lost contact with.
Our families used to do so much together and our friendship was a blessing.
Time passed, miscommunication grew, bitterness festered and our friendship slowly became a memory. We talked about many things during this phone call and God in His graciousness restored our relationship. 

But she said something that has stuck with me...
She said she would look at all our pictures and think how great things were for us and how PERFECT our life looked.

Wow. That kinda took me back for a minute.  You see, I too have done that. I have looked at families and their pictures and thought how great their life is... It's so easy to think their life seems "perfect". 

Now, I recognize the Lord's blessings in my life...and there are many.  And I am thankful.
But our life is far from perfect.
We have dealt with many disappointments and trials and pain over the years.
I just don't post pictures of those times.
I think this is one of the reasons the Lord has led me to blog... 
I'm able to tell "the rest of the story"...
Our family and life has always been available to the people the Lord sends our way but I've also never been one to share "my business".  It's kinda a way to protect myself and my family. 
So, armed with discernment, the Lord is pushing me out of my comfort zone...
Having me share my struggles so that I can perhaps help someone who is struggling too.

Per-fect (adj., n. pur-fikt; v.per-fekt)
: entirely without any flaw, defects, or shortcomings

I pray no one ever looks at my pictures and thinks my life is perfect.  
I am so flawed and my thinking is often defected and my goodness...do I have me some shortcomings.

But I do serve a perfect God.  He has changed me and given me everything I need to overcome and persevere.   He has given me joy so that even in the midst of the pain, I can trust Him and have hope.
I  pray that you do see HIM in my life....it really is because of His grace that I am what I am and you see what you see.  
Those aren't just words. 
That is real.  

Which leads us back to our "Picture Night".
In spite of the meltdown and the tears that followed, we did manage to get a few good ones.
I pray you see a family in love with each other and in love with Jesus because we are.
I doubt anyone on the beach that night would have thought that though...
And for that I am ashamed but I'm also forgiven.
And thankful for a perfect God who loves me and my crazy family even on nights like
"Picture Night".....







Nick and all his girls.







































































































































































































































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19 comments:

  1. i've said it once and i'll say it again ... what a gorgeous family you have ... you're truly blessed! and that pic of your hubby and granddaughter is prieless!

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  2. Love those pictures, you have a beautiful family :)

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  3. Great pictures! Y'all look great..and perfect! Ha! :)

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  4. These pictures are just gorgeous! Truly amazing. Love your post about how we are not perfect but you are right-- we serve a perfect God.

    New follower please stop on by:
    http://penelopeblue.blogspot.com/

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  5. What a beautiful family that shines for God!!!

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  6. Love the pictures, and LOOOOVE the bows on the babies. :0) I never looked at your posts and felt like your family was perfect. From the first time I read your blog, I knew you were an honest woman with a heart to serve her family and most of all, a heart to serve the Lord.

    Thanks for your honesty!

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  7. Oh such a beautiful heart you have. I've never felt like you put the vibe out that your family was perfect, only that your are blessed..and you are. <3

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  8. Your pictures are truly beautiful. I appreciate your realness. I've learned over the years that no person and no family is perfect despite what we may think. Every family has difficulties and trials. What we see is often just a facade. If we still think they are perfect, then we just don't know them well enough. :)

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  9. Wow!! Such BEAUTIFUL pictures. You have an adorable family. Blessing to you all.

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  10. I love the photos. I love the honesty. But mostly, I love the way your love for God provides the ability to love your family so much.

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  11. I do see a family in love with Jesus. I do see a family doing their best by each other and living each day in line with their faith. All the way from the other side of the world, I see and feel that you work hard to serve your God and each other, and know that you are guided and protected by all you believe in. We are all flawed and we are all imperfect, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we are true to ourselves and we try hard and we resolve every day to wake up and do better than we did yesterday. You're an inspiration <3

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  12. The pictures turned out awesome...even though:) Thankful for HIS mercy and grace that are new to us everyday. Love you.

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  13. What a beautifully honest post! Despite all of the tears and drama, the pictures turned out FABULOUSLY!

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  14. I love your honesty! We do serve a perfect God who shows us the truth when we need it! These pictures turned out beautiful despite anything that happened during the shoot! You have a beautiful family :)

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  15. okay i am DYING over those little dresses!!!!!! love your blog!

    xoxo
    Jenna Duty

    www.thedutyfamily.blogspot.com

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  16. Hi there!

    Stopping by from The Wiegands and oh my goodness, this post is full of such beautiful words, confessions, and so much reality. Thank you SO much for sharing. It can be so difficult in the blog world to know what is really going on with people and so easy to thinking everyone else has a "perfect" life. But I think true happiness has to exist in looking beyond the imperfections.

    Happy Monday to you!
    xo
    Tahnie

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  17. Beautiful photos and knowing the story behind them makes it even more precious! Yay for normal families... and yay for a God who loves us despite our flaws!!!

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  18. So I just stumbled across your blog and somehow ended up on this post... I do believe that God sent me here. Last fall we had family photos taken with my husband's extended family. I made the arrangements, interviewed the photographers (they had to be able to take a group shot with 20 people in it), picked the photos, etc.... it happened that the day the photos were taken the mood was not the best, several of my sister in laws made some not nice comments to me, and my aunt (on my side of the family) was in a hospital several states away dying. I have never ordered one of these photos. They are not on display in my home. I have never shared them with folks.

    This is a good reminder that that photo, despite the memories that are associated with it, still captures a moment in time... one that shouldn't be lost. I think I might order a photo or two today...
    C

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  19. I have been thinking so much on this idea lately, that people might look at our family pictures and think everything is perfect. And I feel so *imperfect*, but like you, I don't share that stuff on my blog... it just seems too personal, ya know? I've been thinking how we women tend to compare ourselves to each other and judge each other all based on how things appear. It's really sad.

    Thanks for being open and sharing. And you're not the only family who has had those kinds of picture days...

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