Its been a while since I have blogged anything. Actually, its been a while since I have done much of anything besides feel sick and tired. I am now 17 weeks pregnant with baby #2 and feeling oh so much better! Thank you, Lord!
Just to give a little update...I have been working on some new photography stuff...like a fan page on Facebook,a website which is no where near completion, some new gear and some more experience! Finally! So, soon I will be posting more photos from different sessions. I'm working on a price list for prints and session fees and all that other fun stuff that goes a long with getting serious about something like this! It's a giant leap of faith for me and I am trusting on God to bless this if he chooses to do so! In all things I will honor him for whatever success I accomplish.
In the meantime, if you have a photo need please feel free to e-mail me or call me! jamieperillo2003@!yahoo.com or 423-715-5555. Check out my fan page on Facebook "Jamie P Photography" or my temporary website http://JamieP.zenfolio.com
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Bottom Line
Ever stop and wonder why so many people struggle with depression and sadness...even suicide during the holidays? I can't imagine how this must grieve God to know that what is and should always be such a wonderful and truly liberating day that brought a lost a dying world hope has become so commercialized that it brings people to such hopelessness.
I have to admit that I am one of those people who struggle with depression and anxiety this time of year. I have Jesus therefore I do have hope and help and grace for my ailment. But what about those strangers we run into everyday that have lost a child, or lost it all in a bankruptcy or just don’t feel like they have anything to live for? I hate to even admit this but I actually snapped back a very ugly comment to a lady in Walmart because she smarted off to me over some grapes! I confess that I did not show the love of Christ to her at all. I reacted out of pure selfish frustration due to my circumstances.
I started to think about that after I got home and cooled off. Although what she said and did to me was uncalled for and downright ugly, what if she was one of those hopeless people struggling with thoughts of ending her life? What if that was my one shot at changing someone’s life for the better I actually asked God for that morning and I blew it? Could I have exuded the Jesus she desperately needed to meet and allowed God to use me to change her life forever and I selfishly choose to defend myself instead? I don't want to miss that kind of an opportunity ever again, but reality and honesty bring me to admit I probably will. If we are all honest most of us would have to admit that we think more about ourselves and our situations than anything or anyone else and will miss opportunities to show love all the time because we are all selfish people. We say "if only my situation was different I could be different"....what ever happen to tapping into the faith we already have ans trusting it will be different.....no more excuses!
Isn't the whole reason for this Christmas holiday love? It all started because of God's amazing and immeasurable perfect love for us. I am not foolish enough to think that any of us can actually love another human being with that kind of "perfect love" but are we not supposed to at least try? What would happen if we found some other way to show others we love them without using our credit cards or spending money we don’t have? Better yet, what would happen if we simply took every opportunity to give in other ways? Give up the closest parking space at the mall just to bless someone else. Or how about allowing the person behind you in line at the grocery store or department store to go first just because, or pay for the coffee order at Starbucks for the car behind you in the drive through.......I'm not talking about big huge things here. I can't tell you how much it means to me when someone lets me go first at the grocery store because I have a baby in the cart who really wants to go home!
The bottom line is.... you never know truly what someone else is going through or how great or horribly lonely their life is. Your smile or your "flying the bird" could make or break someone at any given moment. It sounds like a cliche and maybe it is, but someone else does actually have it worse than you!
I challenge anyone who is reading this......if anyone even cares what I have to say to try and bless not just one person each day but every person. Imagine that Jesus is sitting right next to you and act that way because he is. When you start to think about your situation remember someone else has just lost a son at way too early of an age and is having to try and celebrate their first Christmas without him. Someone has lost a job, lost a baby, almost lost a marriage, and is loosing their home to bankruptcy all in the last 6 months. A mother somewhere is hiding from her children the bruises and scars of abuse from a spouse because she thinks she has no other option. Someone who is god and honest and loves God right now is fighting cancer with everything in them and will not win the battle. Someone is alone on their couch feeling hopeless and lost and wondering if the world will miss them tomorrow when they are gone......... Instead of asking God to fix your problem and make things easier for you ask him to help that other person instead...even if you don't know who they are.
The bottom lines is you could be the one who God chooses to use to change some one's life. Are you willing to accept the challenge?
I have to admit that I am one of those people who struggle with depression and anxiety this time of year. I have Jesus therefore I do have hope and help and grace for my ailment. But what about those strangers we run into everyday that have lost a child, or lost it all in a bankruptcy or just don’t feel like they have anything to live for? I hate to even admit this but I actually snapped back a very ugly comment to a lady in Walmart because she smarted off to me over some grapes! I confess that I did not show the love of Christ to her at all. I reacted out of pure selfish frustration due to my circumstances.
I started to think about that after I got home and cooled off. Although what she said and did to me was uncalled for and downright ugly, what if she was one of those hopeless people struggling with thoughts of ending her life? What if that was my one shot at changing someone’s life for the better I actually asked God for that morning and I blew it? Could I have exuded the Jesus she desperately needed to meet and allowed God to use me to change her life forever and I selfishly choose to defend myself instead? I don't want to miss that kind of an opportunity ever again, but reality and honesty bring me to admit I probably will. If we are all honest most of us would have to admit that we think more about ourselves and our situations than anything or anyone else and will miss opportunities to show love all the time because we are all selfish people. We say "if only my situation was different I could be different"....what ever happen to tapping into the faith we already have ans trusting it will be different.....no more excuses!
Isn't the whole reason for this Christmas holiday love? It all started because of God's amazing and immeasurable perfect love for us. I am not foolish enough to think that any of us can actually love another human being with that kind of "perfect love" but are we not supposed to at least try? What would happen if we found some other way to show others we love them without using our credit cards or spending money we don’t have? Better yet, what would happen if we simply took every opportunity to give in other ways? Give up the closest parking space at the mall just to bless someone else. Or how about allowing the person behind you in line at the grocery store or department store to go first just because, or pay for the coffee order at Starbucks for the car behind you in the drive through.......I'm not talking about big huge things here. I can't tell you how much it means to me when someone lets me go first at the grocery store because I have a baby in the cart who really wants to go home!
The bottom line is.... you never know truly what someone else is going through or how great or horribly lonely their life is. Your smile or your "flying the bird" could make or break someone at any given moment. It sounds like a cliche and maybe it is, but someone else does actually have it worse than you!
I challenge anyone who is reading this......if anyone even cares what I have to say to try and bless not just one person each day but every person. Imagine that Jesus is sitting right next to you and act that way because he is. When you start to think about your situation remember someone else has just lost a son at way too early of an age and is having to try and celebrate their first Christmas without him. Someone has lost a job, lost a baby, almost lost a marriage, and is loosing their home to bankruptcy all in the last 6 months. A mother somewhere is hiding from her children the bruises and scars of abuse from a spouse because she thinks she has no other option. Someone who is god and honest and loves God right now is fighting cancer with everything in them and will not win the battle. Someone is alone on their couch feeling hopeless and lost and wondering if the world will miss them tomorrow when they are gone......... Instead of asking God to fix your problem and make things easier for you ask him to help that other person instead...even if you don't know who they are.
The bottom lines is you could be the one who God chooses to use to change some one's life. Are you willing to accept the challenge?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A Baby's Hug
I am not certain who is the author of this story but it has touched me so deeply I felt the need to share it.
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed
everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He
pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and hi s
mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with
a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair
was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose
was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on
loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was
creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from
across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running
through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute
comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and
told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord,
just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I
turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik
leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could
stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik
in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.
The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime,
pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever
loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set
squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my
baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband
was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my
God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin,
who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a
Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to
share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God, we must
become as little children.'
Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember
who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes
on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is
how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
“THE LAW OF LOVE CAN BEST BE UNDERSTOOD AND LEARNED THROUGH LITTLE
CHILDREN.” (MAHATMA GANDHI)
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed
everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He
pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and hi s
mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with
a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair
was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose
was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on
loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was
creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from
across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running
through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute
comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and
told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord,
just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I
turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik
leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could
stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik
in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.
The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime,
pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever
loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set
squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my
baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband
was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my
God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin,
who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a
Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to
share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God, we must
become as little children.'
Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember
who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes
on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is
how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
“THE LAW OF LOVE CAN BEST BE UNDERSTOOD AND LEARNED THROUGH LITTLE
CHILDREN.” (MAHATMA GANDHI)
Quotes...
Just a few favorite quotes to share with you today....
"For I know the plans I have for you saith the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."-Jeremiah 29:11
"There is a garden in every childhood, and enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air is softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again"~ Elizabeth Lawrence
"When you are dealing with a child keep all your wits about you, and sit on the floor"~ Austin O'Malley
"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isnt music"~ William Stafford
" To take photographs is to hold one's breath when all faculties converge in the face of fleeing reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a physical and intelectual joy"~Henri Cartier-Bresson
"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies"~ Sir James M. Barrie, in Peter Pan
And one that has always stuck with me....."When you wish upon a star, it wont get you very far. Because stars you know can't grant wishes...so you better get a job"-Mom, Lyn Perillo
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sipping Iced Tea While Decorating the Christmas Tree.....
Well folks, this was supposed to be a picture of my little bean sprout in his Christmas sweater for a card that would be sent out this season....it looks like he is wearing a sweater in the middle of summer! Many of you know I am staying in Augusta, Ga....should have been named Hotgusta! It was almost 80 degrees today! So much for sipping hot chocolate while decorating the tree with the sounds of a crackling fire in the background. Guess it will have to be guzzling iced tea while decorating the tree this year! Ah well, so in life we do not always end up exactly where we think we want to be. It is still my favorite time of year so I suppose I will start brewing some tea!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thanks!
I love the fall. I love Thanksgiving, it is my favorite holiday! Not just because I can eat like a 116lb pig but because it is a time of fellowship, friends and family. And lets not forget Starbucks offering thier Pumkin Spice Latte and Peppermint Mocha!!....So I thought I would share in something I am thankful for today. If you dont feel too guilty about paying five bucks for a coffee, go treat yourself to one today and think of something you are thankful for! Happy Saturday friend!.....By the way, I am thankful for you too! May God Bless you today!
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