Think on These Things by Jodene Shaw

[Joan's taking some time-off and has asked her photographer friend Jodene Shaw to share an excerpt from her blog about gratitude.  Check out more of Jodi's photographs on her website.]

"Gratitude.  Thankfulness.  Seeing the goodness.  Finding the beauty in everyday life. 

It makes a difference.
It is to enter a sacred place.  
A holy, priceless state of being.  
Psalm 100:4 says to enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise.  
To have thanksgiving and praise takes us into the very presence of God.

This morning I walked for over an hour with my camera falling in absolute decadent love with purple coneflowers, dew drops, the sound of my feet on wet gravel after a rain, fence lines, birds singing, my daughter riding her bike through a rain puddle, and my beagle soaked in grass dew.  My heart swelled with gratitude, with thankfulness for this very place in which I live.  I wondered if the first ten years of my marriage and living on the prairie, if all of it was there then.  Did the coneflowers bloom every summer?  Were the dewdrops scattered like tiny diamonds in the morning sunlight?  Did the birds sing so sweetly?  Because I don't remember any of that from 1996 - 2006.  It does not stand out in my mind.  But certainly they were there.  But my eyes were not open...

I noticed, as I walked, as I photographed, how fulfilled I felt.  
How satisfied.  
Really?  I could be so happy with such a simple thing?  
Yes.  I could.  
It felt sacred, 
holy.  
It felt . . . with God.  
And also giddy, delighted, indulgent."
(Excerpt adapted from Jodi's online Prairie Song summer class from summer 2012)

Over a year later, walking in the cool of the day with my camera helps me live Philippians 4:8 in the fall.

Think on these things.

That is what focus and seeking light and beauty helps me to do.
This is what photography is to me.
No matter the season.

Finally, brothers and sisters,

whatever is true,

whatever is noble,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

 whatever is lovely,

whatever is admirable

--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--

think about such things.
Philippians 4:8

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise . . .  Psalm 100:4

Opening the door to sharing who I am as a wife & mom, writer, photographer & artist. 4 short statements describe my story to tell: Believe Truth. Be Who You Are. Be Real. Embrace Your Place. I am a believer in and teacher of the beautiful difference made by Jesus Christ. Wife of a handsome, good-hearted man who is a hard working cattle rancher. Mom of 10 yr old son, and 2 daughters (8 and 3). One of my "life verses" is John 4:42, "They said to the woman, 'Now we no longer believe, just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." 

*** All photos and writing contained in this blog are the copyright property of Jodene (Jodi) Shaw. No permission is granted to copy or reproduce them in any form without written consent of the creator. This includes copying them in any form for any digital use or use on the internet.

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[A NOTE FROM JOAN'S ASSISTANT] Allow me a moment to brag about Jodi. Not only is she a talented writer but she is also an artist. Her photography is great and she composes fantastic pieces of art using mixed mediums to create unique treasures like the one pictured here. Click here and enjoy spending a moment browsing her other creations at her ETSY shop.

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