when you take a step of faith...

i have never considered myself a risk taker. i fear the unknown. i am paralyzed by the 'what ifs.' but somewhere along the road in my life i stumbled across a little bit of courage that has allowed me to face fear and to move forward toward good things despite the affects of the 'what ifs.'

if you've been following my blog at all you know i moved across the country to attend university when the rest of my friends were already settled into careers, married, making babies and buying houses. and you know that i graduated last year with the intention of applying for law school. and you know that i realized last summer after a lot of reflection and thinking ahead to how i wish my life to be that i was unsure a lawyer's life could make me happy [and law school is just way to expensive to go through only to find out it's not for me]! and no law school means no plan!

so there i stood at a crossroads. one road leading me back to bc where i would likely get a job in insurance and end up with a life similar to one before university. and the other road leading me towards something to be discovered. both choices gripped me with fear [for the unknown and for the familiar]. standing at spot really forces a person to evaluate when she wants for life, job, home, community. it also forces one to look up and ask God what he wants for your life.

i won't go into the nitty gritty details, mostly because i would be repeating myself and you will tire. but, i chose the road unknown. from the very first step i knew i had made the right decision [even though i did look back a few times and wondered...]

i chose the road that allowed me to follow my first creative love and have spent the last year [for real, it's been a year a this month since i took my first set of pictures and posted my first blog] working towards establishing a wedding and portrait photography business that would employ me full time. i cannot tell you how much work this has been, and continues to be. the range of emotions i have dealt with has been exhausting. a lot [a lot] of sacrifices have been made. and i have so much to learn. but i wouldn't want to be doing anything else. and the support and encouragement i have had from my family and friends, and the business community in charlotte county has been overwhelming, giving me the grace i need to continue moving forward in to the venture.

a couple of weeks ago i posted on my facebook page that i had received some pretty awesome news. i can share this with you now. i spent the better part of three months researching and writing a business plan in order to apply for a program through the business development corporation that would provide me the means to officially start my business and to work on it full time! i found out on june 30th that my proposal was accepted. this past friday i signed the contract and as of yesterday i am officially running my own business and working it full time!!

i am becoming less and less surprised when i realize that some of the best experiences of my life have occurred because i chose the unknown in spite of fear. this seems to be the case when i take a step of faith... especially since my courage is the knowledge that God is walking with me.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." - psalm 34:4