Updated: Jul 8, 2020
We recently shot a wedding at L'Auberge here in Sedona. The couple was stunning, but the bouquet really gave the shots that "Wow" look. The images below prove the right bouquet can really bring your special day to life. Amy Mills of Bliss Extraordinary Floral designs the best in my opinion. Here are some photos I took of one of Amy's gorgeous creations.
You can visit her site at www.BlissFloral.com or follow her at @blissfloralsedona
My Dad once went to a doctor, and when the doctor walked into his room, he noticed how overweight and unhealthy the man was. So my Dad walked out. He said he just couldn't trust a doctor to advise him about his health when the man couldn't even take care of his own. The Bible teaches us to love our neighbor as our self. Well, it was obvious to my Dad the doctor didn't love his self very much... and furthermore didn't respect the body Gad gave him. Think about it... the man chose a profession about health, but he didn't walk the walk. My Dad said it just felt like the doctor was there for the money and that he needed to first learn how to take care of his own health before he started trying to advise others.
It's the same way with believing in yourself. When you believe in yourself, there must be proof of it. Meaning, you don't sit around feeling sorry or blaming others for your mistakes or problems. You take full responsibility. You're no longer held back by fear or afraid of getting a few cuts and bruises in order to step out of your bubble. When you believe in yourself, money is not your motivator. Passion is your motivator, because you love what you're doing and feeling. Believing in yourself is respecting yourself and what God has given you, then taking action. It means becoming strong both mentally and physically... because the two go hand in hand. So back to the doctor, the proof is in the pudding and the doctor did not inspire or move my Dad to make him believe he knew what he was doing. So he couldn't trust him. If you want people to believe in you... then first believe in yourself. Live what you preach, don't just talk the talk. You got to walk the walk. It will be crystal clear to others when you do. They will respect you and there won't be any question about it!
One time while in the bathroom, I saw a cute little bug trying to crawl out. The sink was too steep for him and he just kept falling back down... so I just turned the sink on and washed him down the drain.
Well, a week went by and I noticed the little bug back in the sink trying to get out again. I was in a hurry to get back to work, so I just washed him down the drain for the second time.
A few days went by and I noticed the bug back in the sink trying desperately to get out. This time I reached in to try to pick him up, but my fingers were too big. So I put my finger next to him hoping he could crawl up on it. He tried, but ended up falling back down into the drain hole when he lost traction. So, I went ahead and turned the water on and washed him down a third time.
About an hour later, he was back in the sink again! I thought, this bug has purpose and a passion. He's a survivor and he deserves to live. So, I grabbed a spoon to put under him, and as he was trying to climb out, he fell back down. But this time... I caught him with the spoon and took him outside to his freedom.
What this little bug did has inspired me to this day. His fiery passion got him noticed because he never gave up no matter what! This has been the story of my life. You see, back in my twenties... I was pursuing my dream of being a Country Music Singer in Nashville, TN. I had at least 5 Major Record Labels wanting to sign me. All I had to do was make a choice which one to go with. My dream was about to come true, but a tragic thing brought it all to a halt. My mother came down with terminal cancer.
I put everything on hold in Nashville and went back to the farm in Texas to be with my family. Watching cancer take my mother effected me in a way that was unimaginable. She was the reason I had even got to where I was at with my dream. She hauled my but all over the country supporting my singing growing up as a kid. Every weekend, we would be at another Country Opry Show. My Mom was my inspiration and I suddenly lost her.
After her death, I felt totally lost. It took me a decade to wake up, come back to my senses and realize I had given up everything my Mom and I worked for. The regret I felt was overwhelming.
So, I went back to Nashville only to find that all the Record Labels were in financial trouble due to the internet coming to existence and allowing people to download and play music for free. No more selling CD's. The music industry was turned upside down and no one knew what to do at the time.
So now, instead of being backed by a Major Record Label... I do all my music myself. It's been really hard because making music and videos can be extremely costly.
You might be asking what does this have to do with the little bug? Well, for a while, I was kicking myself for not signing with one of those Major Record Labels when I had the chance. This was back in the time they were signing artists like Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney. But instead of giving up... I've been persistently climbing out of the hole I keep falling in. And every time I climb out... I have even more passion than I had before.
This passion has kept building through the years as I've been constantly challenged to compete with the big artists. Keep in mind, the competition in Nashville was fierce and expectations high. This forced me to become very creative and have to learn new things to compete and become better. One of the things I learned was Photography. At the time, I was paying $3,000 for portrait sessions with Professional Photographers. These photographers were the best... the ones artists like Keith Urban, Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood trust. Well, I started learning from these seasoned pros and fell in love with photography. I learned things at a level very few photographers ever get to experience. It's the creative challenge I fell in love with because I discovered it was a lot like creating music.
So this might be the reason my photography looks a little different than most other photographers. I am persistent and won't settle for anything less than the best. I carry years of passion and creativity on a level of competitiveness fueled by my fiery passion. A passion my loving mother instilled in me years ago. A passion God reminds me of even through the simple things... like a sunset burning colors across the sky making the mountains glow behind me. Or a little bug that had a purpose, and wouldn't quit.
Never give up. Never surrender. It's the passion in you that moves the world and changes lives.
