It's a whole new deal, yo.

I stood there in Rome, Georgia thinking to myself...what am I doing here?
Why did I leave Adam and the boys?
Was that really a good decision?
But it was too late to turn back now, and I knew that it would be fine once I got all settled in.

I wanted to make changes.
Changes in my business, changes in my life, changes in my friendships, changes in my walk with God...
and I knew that if I was away from my own LIFE and everything in it, I would be able to focus.
I would be able to hear from God and I would be able to make the changes I wanted to make.

Don't misunderstand me.
It's not at all like I thought my life was horrible, and my business was bad and my friendships stunk.
But I just always want to be moving forward.

Always moving forward.

See...ruts are no good.
I've been in them.
They are painfully easy to fall into, much more painfully hard to get out of.
Because falling into them is like a natural progression down.
And we all know that falling down is easier than getting up.
Putting weight on is easier than taking it off.
Making wrong choices is easier than making right ones...and on and on it goes.

I honestly thought that I would be making choices that focused on my business.
This was, after all, a business conference.
A conference that allowed me to be able to sit under the advice of creative business owners who have for all intensive purposes "arrived".
I really didn't think that my blogging would have a part in my moving forward.
But I was wrong.

I met this chic Hannah at the airport.
I only knew who she was because of the fact that she was my friend Tiffany's friend.
I knew she was a blogger, and I love people who love people.
And love she does.

So we talked a little bit on the way to the conference.
We talked a little bit at a table for lunch.
And it's funny because the more I was talking, the more I realized what I loved doing, and what I loved talking about!

I love photography.
I truly do.
But what has been confusing a little bit lately was the fact that I don't ever feel like photography is my life.
I don't ever feel like it is my passion.
Like it has my heart.
Some people's stories start out with...I remember getting my first camera at the age of 4...and the rest is history.

And I'm all like, ya. I got a camera offa craigslist yo.
I had these wicked adorable little boys with big blue eyes, and I just had to take cute pics.
Ha! Not very pretty words to put on a professional website. I know.
But I felt like when people would ask what I did, being a photographer was like the 10th thing I talked about!
I talked about my husband, my kids, my ministry, my family, my writing, the fact that I love to speak, and oh ya..I take pretty pictures too!

And. Then she asked me this question.
What would you want to do if you could do anything?

The funny thing was, I knew what the answer was.
But I had never actually said it out loud.
To anyone.
The reason was because I felt like it sounded prideful.
I still do, which is why I am still typing and not writing what the answer was.

I would be a writer and a speaker.

What? What does that even mean?
It sounded funny.
It looks funny writing it.
But it's true.
I didn't want it to come across like I think I am so special and have so much to talk about.
Because I don't.
But when I write? It makes me feel fulfilled.
When I have the chance to speak? I live for it.

So I decided.
I will push my writing and speaking more.
I will push my photography business less.

And then I came home to an inbox filled with photography inquiries. Ha!
Which is GREAT! And I am grateful...and I truly do love photography, and I love how God blesses me.

But I changed everything about my blog to a whole new look.
I changed my blog name to rachellechaseblog.com
I changed my colors.
I changed my style.
I changed everything.

It's a whole new deal, yo.

So here is my new blog.
It is still the same old me.
It is still the same old style.
I will still post crazy stories about my son's hamster, taco.
I will still post my favorite photography sessions.
And I will still try to video blog.
And of course I will still write about intentional parenting, being in ministry and everything else I talk about.

But...I want to push what I love doing.
I want to always be moving forward.
No ruts for this girl!

Now I know that I was supposed to go to Georgia.
I know that for many reasons...one of which was to be able to stop my busy life long enough to realize what I really feel like God wants me to focus on.

Thank you Hannah for being a fellow people lover, and a lover of words.
And thank you to all of YOU, my readers, who comment, email, text and just fill my little love tank all the up to the brim.

I know what I want to be doing with my life, so what do you want to be doing with your life?
I am more than happy to give you a hand and help you climb up out of that rut!!
Dude...It's getting cold out, you don't wanna be down there.

Always moving forward.

*Check out my speaking link at the top of the page :)