Senior Model Program

Rachelle Chase Photography is looking for high school juniors to be my 2014 senior models!
If you are interested in representing rcp this coming year, please keep reading!

What is a senior model?
A senior model is someone who will represent rachelle chase photography.
Your job will be to spread the word about rcp and encourage your friends to book their senior session with me!

What does a senior model receive?
* A FREE glamour mini session.
* The chance to participate in rcp exclusive shoots throughout the year.
* One facebook profile photo. (more are earned as you get your friends to like my facebook page)
* 30 digital model rep cards featuring YOU to text, instagram, email and tweet to your friends.
* A $20.00 gift card to FOREVER21 for every referral that books with me!

What am I looking for?
* Outgoing personalities
* Students who participates in school and/or community events
* Students who are active with social media

In order to be a model for rcp, you must:
* Represent rcp exclusively
* Promote rcp on your facebook wall
* Refer your friends and pass out your rep cards

Sound fun and interesting?
I am currently accepting 2 models per high school.

oh...and by the way?
Get ready to do a lot of this...

I love to have fun, and I will be laughing.
a lot. and loudly.

Don't miss this opportunity!
Sign up here!

what's it all about?

i have been thinking about this for quite a while now.

what is church all about.
i mean, really. what is the purpose of it all?

i have had some teens look at me like i have three heads when i say how much i love going to church! but i seriously do!

a few reasons i love church:

i love being with other people who are living to please God
i love singing, and i love singing with other people!
i love praying with people
and i love hearing a message from God's Word that challenges and convicts me to be better.

obviously, growing up in a pastor's family (you can read my thoughts on that here.) i have had the opportunity to see a lot of people come into the church...and i have had the opportunity to see a lot of people leave the church.

sometimes it kills me when i hear people complaining about "the church" and the people that are a part of it. because...well. um. you are the church!
the way that the people are acting, is actually the way you and i are acting.

i am not going to take the time to share my views on why people leave the church, i just want to challenge your thinking (since i love to do that so much! ha!) on why people go to church in the first place!

do you go to church:
so you can feel good?
so you can have all your needs met?
so you can leave feeling all warm and fuzzy inside?
so you can justify your lifestyle the rest of the week?
so you can be entertained?

and if you answered yes to any of those questions, can i ask you to maybe rethink your motives?
we watched this little video in sunday school this week, and i just loved it so much that i wanted to share it here with you.

what i love about the video is that it describes what i think my life...our lives should be.

i think it should look like this:

someone sees my life and thinks...wow. she doesn't bash her husband. 
hmm. her kids are obedient and respectful. 
weird. she likes to serve other people...i wonder what that is all about.
and then they decide to get together with me and hear me say that it's not me at all...it's my God. and it's the loving God that wants to do the same thing with her that He's done with me!

see how it looks different now?

it's not bringing someone to a service.
a show.
a production.
a place that they might feel uncomfortable.
and then hoping that they understand it and get it.


it looks like me. bringing my life and the way i live it...straight to them.
at starbucks. or at the basketball game. or at the park.
and showing them the love of Jesus from the perspective of a real. live. person.

that, my friend, is the church.
it is people like you. who are living the life for real. and sharing it with everyone you know.
and it is something we can replicate.
i can not reproduce the emotionalism, the excitement, the lights, the drama of a service.
i can reproduce a sweet amazing experience in the presence of no one else but God.
in my own home every day of the week!
that is something i want everyone to know that they can have!

so my hope is not that in reading my blog you decide maybe i should go to church...necessarily.
my hope is that you would start to think of the church a little bit differently.

if you are one of the ones who search from church to church to find out what is best for you, without thinking about what God might want you to do for them?
stop and think about it. make sure your motives are right. maybe he wants you right where you are, and maybe instead of complaining about things, he wants you to be the one who changes things!

and if you are one of the ones who has never stepped foot in a church? maybe you can start to study out for  yourself what all the fuss is about?

what is this church thing all about anyways?

and if you are one of the ones who is going to church for the sheer love of God and His people?
you go girl! (or guy- ha!)
i am so blessed by the relationships God has brought into my life because of church! people who are real. and are in it for HIM. not for the show, and not for selfish reasons.

so what is this church thing about for me?
it's just one day of the week that i get to show my love for God...that i am already trying to live out every single day of my life.
it's a chance i get to serve people. to sing. to worship. to pray. to grow.

what is this church thing about for you?

The Lynch Family {Epping, NH Family Photography} Rachelle Chase Photography

i have known kevin...well. i guess ever since he was born.
i grew up with his family and he will always be like a little brother to me.
he and his gorgeous wife deb have 3 adorable little boys.
kevin is going to be deployed to afghanistan for 9 months, and they asked if i would take some family pictures before he left.

kevin...thank you for serving our country.
and deb...i have no idea how you do it! i am praying for strength and wisdom as you train these little boys of yours.
thank you both for letting me be a part of your visit to nh!

dealing with your kids stages and phases without losing your mind

don't talk to me about stages.
(i hate excuses)
don't mention the word phase when you are complaining about your child's behavior.
(i hate cop-outs.)
don't roll your eyes when you see them disobey or talk back or talk sarcastically.

deal with what's in front of you right now.
look at where you are.
deal with the root issue...a little bit at a time.
one step at a time.
one day at a time.
don't let yourself get overwhelmed.

here's a little something that might help you out!

ok. think for a minute about your child and what it is that you have the hardest time with. 

it will be different for each mom, and it will even be different for each child, even in the same family! 

now, stop yourself if you are getting overwhelmed! 

we are trying to think of just ONE thing right now…not every little annoyance. 

start out with any outright disobedience. this will be the easiest to begin with. 

maybe it’s rolling her eyes, maybe it’s hitting his brother. maybe it's talking back.

now, understand something. Satan absolutely, positively does NOT, under any circumstances want you to have control of your children! 

he wants to have control over you and them! 

do not think that the very first day you try to make a plan, you are going to see a 100% change in your child. 

HOWEVER…you have to believe God’s promise in John 15:7 that “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” 

what does abide mean? according to the dictionary by Farlex it means:

1. To remain in a place.

                  2. To continue to be sure or firm; endure”

that does not mean that you try it one time and if it doesn’t work, you’re moving on to the next, newest ideas!! 

it means to REMAIN!!! 

you need to find these verses on disciplining your children, write them down, cling to them, and allow them to “remain in a place”…that place being YOU! 

don’t give up and don’t quit! i would recommend that you take on this project with a close friend. decide together to start raising your children the way that God wants you to! 

you will be able to encourage each other when things get tough!

here is a chart i designed that can help you. print it out. put it in a notebook. and use it this week!

DATE	Offense	What I did	What I should have done	Results
3/1	Said no when I told him to set the table	Gave him another chance, then disciplined w/ Bible	He apologized and set the table.	The table is set, and I am less stressed!
3/2

then. at the end of the night. forget about everything for a minute...
and hold their hand.
for as long as you can.
hug them tight.
for as long as you can.
snuggle with them. laugh with them. enjoy this day with them.

who knows how many more days we are going to have.
might as well make this one a good one.

bowling, day in boston, and an overload of pictures.

we love getting together with adam's brother and his family from new york.

we always have an awesome time together and end up wishing that we could all live closer to each other!!

they came to visit for a few days this week. we can't get enough of them.

we always go bowling when we visit.

not exactly sure how it all started, but it just always has to happen. 

here we are in 2010. here we are in 2011  and in 2011 again, and here we are in 2012

here we are now! in 2013!

we LOVE the pizza that the exeter bowling lanes makes! so delish!

the game was down to the wire, and uncle jimmy just barely beat riley!

then today we decided to enjoy the sunny weather and go to boston.

(as you know, i always look for an excuse to go!)

we plan everything around eating, of course!

we start with going to the td garden

and then quincy market to fisherman's net...our favorite clam chowda place!

and then we went to mike's pastry. duh. ok. 3000 calories later...

we went to the north end park and let the kids run around.

loved it

 such a fun time!

then we came home and made the kids pose in the same pose we made them pose in last year.

don't feel bad for them...they live with photographers, it's all they know. ha!

here they are last year...

and here they are this year!

and here are my 2 babies who look like grown men. oh jeez. how is this happening?!?

and there is the longest post involving only 2 days that there ever was.

we love you ny chase's!

trying to make a difference...one teen at a time.

most of you know that adam and i started a not-for-profit organization a few years ago.

we decided that this town we live in, that was crawling with teens, needed a place for kids to hang out.  

a place that was safe.

a place that showed no favoritism.

and a place that showed the love of God.

we saw a building available for rent in the middle of town, and decided to take a step of faith and start renting it out! we searched craigslist and yard sales for couches, tables, games and anything we could think of that would be good for a youth center!

we started slow. 

that first summer, not many kids came in. like, maybe a few each day.

but slowly, we started building relationships.

we started getting to really know the kids and their families. 

and people starting hearing about who we were, what we were doing and starting supporting us!

it has been unbelievable to see the way God has worked. 

sometimes, i forget all the amazing things that have happened, and i really don't ever want to!

everything we do at The Porch is free.

every monday wednesday and friday we open the door at 2:30, and let the kids come in and grab snacks and drinks. 

then they can get on laptops, play pool, ping pong or fooseball. or they can watch espn, play board games or just sit on the couch and talk. 

adam and i are there every day along with a girl from our church, ruthie.

some days we have peter, sarah, and other volunteers who come and interact with the teens.

the first monday of each month we offer a free, full dinner. we have had up to 24 kids stay for dinner. we have people from our church and community cook delicious food for them!

we have a different speaker come each month and share a little bit about their life and how God has made a difference!

we also have different people from our church who pray for the kids. we will give them the first names of some of the kids who come in so they can pray for them specifically.

i can't tell you how much we love this ministry. 

we believe so strongly that obedience to God makes you a stronger person, and we love sharing it.

just today, i had the chance to talk to one boy about the importance of practicing self-control.

i talked to someone else about how God promises to bless you if you honor your parents.

we are just trying to love on these kids and show them that we care while showing them the importance of taking responsibility for their actions!

i would love if you would take the time to go to our website  and consider how you could help us!

we are currently only 60% financially supported. 

we would be honored if you would consider monthly support of this ministry! 

even a one time gift would be a huge blessing.

we are always looking for volunteers! if you are a college student looking for a fun way to spend your time, why not consider volunteering! you can apply here.

we are also always in need of snacks and drinks. 

maybe you're part of a small group that is looking for a way to give back.

maybe your family wants to bake cookies to swing by. 

(or bring a coffee to the workers. wink. wink.)

we would love to have you a part of our team!

if you could take a few minutes to check us out  i would love it.

i know that God has big plans for each and every teenager that walks through our doors.

it honestly blows me away sometimes when i hear the way these kids talk, the attention they are obviously seeking, and some of the things they are going through.

they need love.

that's it. they need someone to care about them. to pay attention to them. and to give advice on how to handle life.

i truly feel honored to be a part of their lives even if it is in a very small way.

i care so much about these kids, and i look forward to seeing them every day! 

we are a really small town. in the middle of a very small state. 

but these kids matter! they matter to us. and they matter to God.

and even though our little organization is little. the God we serve? he is huge.

we have big dreams. we want a bigger building...that we own.

we want to offer more. we want to give scholarships. we want a gym. we want to open a pregnancy center. we want to offer classes and workshops...all for free. 

we believe everyone deserves the same love and attention. no matter how much money they have, what they look like, or how smart they are.

we want to make a difference. 

one teen at a time.

anyone want to join us in sharing God's love?

the bunny, the bunny, oh i love the bunny

ok. i don't really like the bunny, the bunny. but i do like that song from the veggie tales movie, and i hope that you are now humming it in your head.
we were never really super big on easter baskets and all the rest.
but i am super big on chocolate. so i appreciate the fact that our church had an easter egg hunt this year that my kids participated in!

i love the fact that my boys dressed up with TIES this year. they are so cute i can hardly even handle it.

here are a few shots of my sweet little boys and my nephew and nieces. (missing the other 7!! we were so sad that they were not able to come at the last minute because of sickness!)

the post in which i get very real

alright.
i said i was going to get real and just be a little more transparent.
ready. set. go.

if i was going to summarize what the topic of this is, it would be very difficult.
it is personally about me.
but it flows down into my relationship with God.
my marriage.
my children.
my friendships.

it all started many years ago when i was in college. i received an email from someone i considered a very close friend. it was basically tearing me apart.
my character, my motives, my life.
it devastated me. truly. i remember printing it out so i could re-read it, and i actually carried it with me for a pretty long time. it was about 3 years after i got married that i found it again and thought...why in the world am i keeping this?? i do not need to go through this again. so i threw it out. and i'm glad i did.
a few years after that, something similar happened with a different person.
this time with a phone call.
a couple years after that, it happened again. with an email.
see. when i meet people. i kind of like...fall for them right away. i don't know if that makes sense. but it is not uncommon for me to just have to get together with someone. i literally have hit up starbucks with probably 25 different people. kind of random people, if you think about it.
just because i like to get to know people.
i love people!
i like to show people that i care about them.
i like for people to feel important. because i believe that they are.

along with doing that, i open myself up. i mean...i don't really open up? but i open myself up.
i open myself up to hurt, to potential judged motives, and to accusations.

just recently, i have had a similar situation happen again.
because it is so recent. so raw, and so in-my-face, i am not going to go into details, but i am going to say that this time it involved 7 different people.

i promise you that i am not asking for your sympathy. i am not asking for you to say - oh wow. poor rachelle. she does not deserve this!
at all.
i am not trying to whine or to cry. i simply want to be an encouragement to someone who has or is going through something similar. see...i am hoping so badly that something good will come out of all of this!

that was the background.
this is the current, real life application.

there is a verse in corinthians where paul writes "i will gladly spend myself and all i have for you, even though it seems that the more i love you, the less i am loved."

i have read this verse many times and thought...yes! that's it!! it sometimes seems like the people that i have put the most time and effort into, are the ones who turn around and hurt me the most!
but yet paul persevered.

here's how this trickles down into every single aspect of my life if i let it.
myself:  God has forgiven me of my sins, i can forgive any other person. i also can not allow myself to turn my hurt into pride. my goal should never be to remind myself of how i would never do that to them! how could they ever do that to me? this quote has helped me so much..forgiveness doesn't make them right, it makes me free! i have a choice with how i handle any kind of circumstance that comes my way.

my relationship with God: i can not. NOT. allow people and their actions to affect how i feel about God and how i trust my Father. God knows what i can handle, and does not ever give me more than i can take. not ever. if i let myself take the hurt and frustration, and turn it into anger, resentment, bitterness...i am the one who suffers. and my relationship with God suffers as well. the Bible is very very clear that if i regard sin in my heart, He doesn't even hear me! i can not even think about what my life would be like if i did not have a close, personal relationship with Jesus! matthew talks about how God does not even want you to bring him a sacrifice until you have made things right with your brother/sister! i have to have that relationship with God strong. it's what gives me my very life.

my marriage: if i am so caught up in the details of other relationships, it really puts a strain on my marriage. when i start realizing that all we are talking about is these issues it prevents us from talking about bettering our marriage, raising our kids to be godly, where we are in our ministry and in our lives. i do not want that.

my children: not gonna lie. this one is a little scary. see...with my actions, i am determining how my children see relationships and just friendship in general. when i make a comment about the person who has hurt me in front of them, i am showing them that it is ok to talk bad about others. i have to really watch myself on this one, especially because i am with my boys so much during the day. i have to to guard my stinking rotten mouth. i can not let my pain excuse my sin. i don't let them do it, i can not let myself do it either.

my friendships: and here is the last one. after the first 2 times of going through this, i remember thinking - i can never trust another person again! but then i did trust that third person. and it happened again. and on and on it went.
in one way, i don't know why i keep doing it, but i just feel like i can't let myself not trust someone just because another person hurt me! i mean, it's really not fair, right? but it is a challenge. each time i start to get close to another person i can't help but think - is he or she the next one?
and just recently, i have started to feel like i can't trust one.single.person. i find myself reading into everything, and starting to assume that people are just all talking about me behind my back.
i know that it is not right. but since i said i am getting very real here, i am just laying it out there.
i know that i have to take my thoughts captive. i have to tell those stupid thoughts to obey Christ. and i trust Him to give me the wisdom and discretion i need on how far to open up to each new person that comes into my life.

so here i am. trying to keep it real.
i am trying to paint this picture for you from the position of just a regular plain old person.
i know that to some degree, parts of my story come from the fact that i am in the ministry. a lot is expected of me, and that's ok. i know that this is the role i have right now.
i have to smile and look nice and together each sunday... every day, really. as i see people for our small group, for youth group, for the porch, and at the grocery store! and i have to look like my kids never misbehave and i never get irritated with adam.
i'm here to say that while i do try to look nice on sundays, there are days when i stay in my yoga pants all day, my kids argue, and i get irritated with adam. (only when he deserves it!  haha...JUST JOKING!!)
i am a sinner. who needs God's grace every single second of every single day.

i am also here to say that God gives grace and peace to me, and reminds me that
i am complete in him.
i do not mean this to sound crass, but i don't need any other person besides Jesus!!
that's the bottom line.
i have to continue to love people. to serve people. to give myself to people.
and maybe they will hurt me. but then again, maybe they won't!
and if it happens again, i have to have my foundation so solidly built on my relationship with God that it doesn't break me. because i'm just not going to let it. i can't let it.

even as i type this, i have this sick feeling like...why? why do people hurt other people? i just don't get it, and i certainly don't get it when it's other christian people!! the Bible says that we are known by our love for each other! our love, people! 1 corinthians 13 lays down the stinking law when it comes to love. it holds no record of wrong. it does not envy. it always protects. it does not dishonor others. and yet here we are doing exactly the opposite. i can look at these words and think - that person did not protect me! they did dishonor me! they held a record of wrong!
but i need to read this passage for me. myself. rachelle.
the one who needs to be showing this kind of love to everyone. everyone.
see - i am preaching to myself. i need to look at myself and make sure that i am humble. that i am not treating others in a way that i would not want to be treated. that i won't become critical and cynical. and each day i am learning new truths. new things that are helping me to grow to be more like Him. the one who created me for HIS glory.
and that is what i will continue to work at with His strength.

so that is my story.
my story of being hurt by people over and over.
but a story of how God gives me strength to keep on loving.
because He is love. and He lives in me.
so what is your story? and how are you choosing to live your life?
♥

a pretty sweet little girl in my pretty sweet new little house

my niece turned one. where does the time go?
we decided to do her one year session/cake smash in the new house!
perfect.
she was an absolute little doll and so much fun to shoot!

here are a few of my favorites from the day

 we had to get one with big sissy!

I am about to keep it totally real, dudes.

ok.
i have had this post in my  head for quite a while.
there has been a lot going on in my life, and while most of it is incredibly amazing...
there are some things that have been just plain painful.

i never want my blog to just be a nice, feel good kind of place for you, my readers, to go and say...oh that's nice.
i want it to be real.
to be raw.
to be the kind of thing that you say - no way! she feels like that too? i thought it was just me!

with that being said.
my parents taught me an important rule many years ago.
never have a serious conversation after 10:00 at night.
emotions tend to kick in and you may end up saying something you regret.

so. for tonight.
i just wanted to warn you.
i am about to break open some major real-ness all up on this blog.
but it's not going to be tonight, because. well, ya know. it's after 10 and all. (refer to paragraph 3)

but...since i did peak your interest with my title, i will keep it a little real and tell you that my boys are still up. my living room is a disaster area. and i have had 4 cookies, a plate of nachos and am about to go and eat something else.
that's how i roll. and when i say roll, i mean i am literally going to start rolling with all this food i am eating. ha!

good night, dudes!