My Desire to Fight

This week was interesting.

It was the kind of week where I found myself trying to fight my own battles.

I know it's a bad habit I have.

I have this desire to fight. 

To win. 

To not wait long enough to see what God is going to do. 

To try and just do everything by myself. 

This verse totally hit me and reminded me of where I needed to be.

Still.

I needed to be still.

So hard for me to do, but so important.

I needed to be reminded that God can do things way better than I can, so I might as well just stop fighting.

I hope you have a great weekend and remember to just be still and let God fight for you.

xoxo

Rachelle Chase Family Photographer ~ Wagon Hill Farm Durham, NH

Melissa was the friend I called at 5:00 in the morning the day I went into labor with my Ry.
I'm pretty sure she held Riley more than I did the first several months of his life!
She was at my house a lot, helping me to survive those months with 2 little boys under the age of 2!

She is now a mommy to sweet little Olivia and expecting baby girl number 2 next month!
She is an awesome mother, and you can tell that her and her husband are totally in love with their daughter!

We went to Wagon Hill Farm in Durham, which I had never been to before.
The sun was setting, and it was a beautiful location to shoot.
This "mini-session" turned into a little bit more of a full fledged session because it was all just too perfect.

Here are a few of my favorites from the night!

Miley Cyrus and my commanding officer

Anyone google Miley Cyrus lately?
How about Molly? twerk?

Anyone?
Actually I don't think you have to google it. You kind of find all the gory details without even trying.

My plan for the night is not to discuss it.
It is not to discuss my view, my thoughts, my deep intellectual thoughts and words of wisdom on what I think of her, what I think of her parents, what I think this world is coming to...no.

It's just that I have found myself being a little distracted because of a couple things I am seeing...

1.Christians bashing Miley.
2. Christians bashing Christians for bashing Miley.

Either way, it's just plain distracting.
Distracting me from what I need to focus on.

I read 2 Timothy 2:4 today and it literally stopped my in my tracks.

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

Here's what I get.

I have a job. 

My job is to please my commanding officer.

My commanding officer is God.

My instructions are pretty clear for where I personally am in my life right now.

I need to be so focused on my orders and way less focused on what other people are or are not doing the way that I think is right. 

And for the record? If we as Christians are publicly putting down other Christians for their putting down other Christians (or non-Christians) 

HOW is that helping anything?

Let's keep our eyes focused on our orders...

On pleasing our commanding officer.

Let's allow other people to be responsible for their own orders.

Let's not get "tied up in the affairs of civilian life." (NLT)

Get your orders and get moving. 

Don't be distracted by anything or anyone else. 

The leftover bacon.

Wait, what?
Leftover bacon?
There is never any leftover bacon...obv.
You cook it.

and then you eat it.
And that is the end of the story.

That was our vacation. Remember how much we were enjoying the sweets and the bacon?
Believe you me. Never a crumb of leftover bacon.
Well, now I have to start enjoying the ice water and plain salad.
Ya.

Anyways, I kind of hate even blogging this.
Because it means that my summer vacation at the place I adore is over.
And today I was served a big huge giant helping of reality.
It wasn't nearly as fun as the relaxing days on the beach..that's for sure!

But the beginning of fall is hard for me to not look forward to!
I.Love.Fall.

I love football, I love pumpkins, I love boots, I love apple crisp, I love cool evenings and the leaves falling.
I love everything about it.

So I am incredibly thankful for the amazing week of weather we had - 80's or 90's and sunny every single day. And I am so thankful for the family times, the times alone with God, the dreaming, planning, praying, relaxing, and just enjoying some peace.

Honestly, I was really not in the mood to take a lot of pictures.
I wanted to just enjoy my family and relax.
But I did manage to grab my camera every now and then!

We had the beach almost entirely to ourselves every morning!

 cousin lovin, and slushy time!

There was plenty of loving on sweet little Maelyn every day!

 My hubby still has got it goin onnnnn :)

 Get out of the city right now with the ridiculously adorable bathing suit!!

These pictures could never sum up the awesomeness of how I feel when I am here.
I know, awesomeness...great word choice.
Whatever.
I feel like pure awesomeness when I am at Alton Bay.

James and Miranda ~ New Hampshire Wedding

Young love...
I have always had a good impression of it.
Of all the marriages I have ever seen, I would have to say the most godly example of what marriage should look like would be my parents.
They were both 18 when they got married.

Miranda was just 18 years old...fresh outta high school...ready to marry the man of her dreams.

To some people? They scoff and mock. Saying under their breath that it will never last.
What they do not take into consideration is the God-factor.
Marriage is hard work, not doubt about that.
But when you choose to love the way God loves, He holds things together in a way that no amount of counseling, therapy, or medication can!
This is not only what James and Miranda vowed to do, but they also come from a generation of parents who have chosen to do the same.

And then it was time for the daddy to see his little girl...

All her little details were adorable...right down to the little tree stump with their initials carved in it!

 Sweetest daddy-daughter dance...they danced to When We're Together.

It is incredibly encouraging to be able to take part in a wedding that is so Christ-centered.
Miranda's family has been close friends with Adam's family for years, so it was even a little more special to be a part of this day.

Congratulations James and Miranda...I pray that God blesses you in amazing ways as you start your life together!