Me Ra,

I’m so glad to learn about your Confidence Photography workshop in Orange County, and especially the opportunity to nominate a Mom and budding photographer for a scholarship to attend. You asked two “easy to answer” questions: Do I know a mom who needs a fun weekend getaway? and Do I know a mom ‘Running on Empty?’ Tempted as I am to say, “Yes, ME!” The first Mom that comes to my mind is actually my Sister. Thank you for the opportunity to tell you about her.

My sister may not realize this, but she is an inspiration to me. She is a wife, mother-of-two, blogger, web designer, and sister extraordinaire! She is, of course, a full-time wife and mom but in her “free” time she maintains her day job outside the house and her four web-based businesses from home. Even so, she is always ready with a smile and a listening ear and she is never so busy that her kids don’t take center stage. Because she has discovered the joys of photography, I am able to keep up-to-date with the antics of my niece and nephew through the photos that she shares. Since I live on the East Coast and they on the West, the photo updates are truly appreciated. My Sister, Stephanie, has taught me the meaning of “multi-tasking”!

But, some days, I wish the distance between us was as easy to traverse as walking next door. Some days, her tank is ‘empty’ yet the youngest’s asthma has flared; she spent another long evening at urgent care, the elder is ready for another story, and both parents are exhausted! If I could just show up with a warm dinner, a stack of stories, and a spare cuddling lap to help!

Not so long ago, my Sister discovered the joys of photography, and WOW! In reality, this shouldn’t suprise me because we both grew up next to our father’s tripod or in front of his camera lens. Seeing how therapautic photography is for my Sister, I now understand why our Dad enjoys it so much.

If pursuing photography helps rejuvinate my sister, then I definitely want to support her in that pursuit. Since she lives within driving distance of your Orange County Confidence Photography workshop AND lately she has been ‘running on empty’ juggling work/traffic/colds AND she would benefit from a weekend learning photography techniques, please consider my Sister Stephanie for this contest.

Thank you!
–
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Felicia James
http://www.notestomysister.com

I missed the deadline by ONE DAY AND two hours!! LOL! I’m SO running on empty that I missed my email about this blog post until Saturday, tried to post a comment when my computer froze up and closed the window, and forgot about it once Sunday dawned. I’ve been running ever since.

But God does have the bigger picture; and as much as I REALLY wanted to join this workshop for it’s very topic, for the closeness in proximity, for the intimacy of the experience; as much as I wanted to make payments when it was announced a couple months ago – it just wasn’t meant to be. At least (once again) this time around. Our lives have been turned upside down and my health became a yo-yo since the first of the year. It shook my confidence and I even set down my camera for weeks and let my insecurity rob me of a couple photography jobs. (although I ended up being pretty sick and would have had to cancel – again God knows the bigger plan and works all things to his good.)

We are in a new apartment, my husband had some work opportunities come up and at 1:30 am I returned to my computer (forgetting about this possibility) and booked a flight to Vegas for this coming weekend. A friend has a pass for me at WPPI and a room to stay in for four nights. All I have to do is get there and pay for food. No, it’s not the Confidence Workshop (which I still want to attend some day, here on the SoCal West Coast) but God knows the bigger picture.

Then on Sunday, I took maternity pictures for a friend of a friend who told me she wanted me take her maternity pictures when she gets pregnant – One. Year. Ago. We had a great session by the beach. I swallowed my insecurities-of-late and just had fun. As we were leaving and chatting more, she revealed she comes from a family of photographers. (lump in throat) But you see, I decided to not let that shake me, I prayed before hand. She CHOOSE ME to take her pictures based on my unique style. Why should I be insecure. When I return from WPPI, I’ll be taking her newborn pictures.

Thank you for all you do to bless women and help build confidence in our gifts and passion. So although I won’t have a chance to jump into the Orange Co workshop in April, maybe I will be lucky enough to meet you and Brian in Vegas if you go…and even have coffee!

Warmly,
Rose
[roseytsp@yahoo.com]

I’m taking a leap. I’m going to go ahead and nominate myself for the Running on Empty contest. I’m a perfectly ordinary Mom. I work full time, I tend to my daughter and husband, my life feels full in every way, shape and form. I, like so many other women could use a large dose of confidence. My camera is my refuge. I currently shoot for only friends and family, and part of me wants to spread my wings and fly, but the other part is just scared to take the leap. What if? What if I can’t fly and I just fall? How do I face my husband or my daughter?

A weekend away to learn more about me, about my camera, about my spirit sounds like a dream come true. To dedicate some time to ME, not work, not home, not dishes or laundry, or the mess my toddler made. To be able to recognize the beauty in the other women, and to see that same beauty within myself would be absolutely refreshing, inspiring, encouraging.

I know there are so many women deserving of this. So many women that could benefit from this. I learned quickly from the soarity scholarship that you can’t win if you don’t try. I was too fearful to apply there. I won’t make that mistake again. Please consider me. Thank you for your time and the opportunity.

Warmest Regards,
Janessa
janessaoATgmail dot com

I wasn’t planning on nominating myself… but my husband has been so busy that he didn’t have time to do this for me. We have both been running so hard these last two years as he has been in school and I have been working to support us. The reason I am nominating myself is that confidence is probably THE deal breaker for me… its what makes me hold back… its what makes me sometimes want to say ‘nevermind, who am I kidding??’ when it comes to my pursuit of photography.

Although I am not currently a mom, I hope to be one very soon… (maybe BY the workshop??) in the meantime, I am a ‘mom’ to the kids in our community by having them over to make cookies, playing legos with them, teaching them how to improve in their music, and just loving on these precious children who are in a foreign culture. Also, I work at a nonprofit that supports women who become new moms… sometimes in crisis situations. I don’t have any idea how these two things combined compare to being a mother… but I do know that I am daily listening to women’s heartache and pain and trying to help them find healing in our God. These young women impact me greatly as I invest in each and every one of them and pour myself out…and am so heartbroken for them when they are in such painful situations… relationship abuse, family rejection (for pregnancy) grieving over miscarriages and abortions, and getting fired from their jobs for unjust reasons. Between my role both in my apartment community and in this particular ministry, I often feel both FULL and EMPTY at the same time… does that make sense?
Two weeks ago, I was verbally abused by someone who I am in contact with quite a bit. I felt like something was ‘stolen’ from me… and part of that was the area of confidence. I have never felt so broken and weak before.. and powerless to change this person’s attack and perception of me. Through the prayers of friends, support of my husband, and ultimately, God, I have been able to persevere under this trial… but its been at a cost. I feel fragile right now and a little wobbly emotionally – and would so welcome a weekend retreat from the daily ministry demands on me and bearing the burden of providing for my husband’s schooling and our living needs. If we were in a different place in life, I would just invest the money to go to this workshop because I know it is worth far more than any price tag you could put on it… but I know that I need to get him through a few more months of school so he can begin practicing as a marriage and family therapist. It has been a hard two years away from family and friends… and to be honest, i would just love to experience the community that comes around sharing passion with one another, being vulnerable, and challenging each other to grow both personally and with photography. Because I am living in LA, this would be the perfect workshop (location wise) to attend.
Again, although I have a heart that yearns to be a mother and care for others as their mother…. I know it still doesn’t come close to being the kind of ministry that ‘real’ mothers have… but I told myself I would at least go for this… and see what happens. Regardless, I am so incredibly blessed… but you asked if there was anyone running on “E”… and I can definitely say that I am in the ‘putt-putt, putt-putt, putt-putt’ of the gas tank. Thanks for being so committed to helping others find their confidence. We are always in the battle between believing lies or believing the truth.

I would like to nominate myself for the Orange County Confidence Workshop. Originally, when I read this post, I thought about all the reasons and circumstances that I could tell you both to hopefully sway you to choose me for this workshop. Then I read the entries so far, and I realized that there is nothing that I can say, that will make me more deserving than any of the other amazing women who work so hard everyday trying to juggle the many hats that most of us wear and trying to stay afloat while doing it. My daily struggles, trials and obstacles are just as great to me as every other womans’ is to them. So I am not going to rehash all of my reasons here to elicit sympathy to my plight. Why then am I even nominating myself, one might ask. The reason is simple…I too, am struggling with issues of confidence. I have been for 30 ++ years. I will be having a birthday in 2 weeks and would love this to be “the” year. The year that I get to check confidence issues off my list. However, the bible says in Luke 11:9 “Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find, Knock and the door shall be opened for you.”

I have asked and been seeking. I believe this is an opportunity for me to Knock, so that is what I am doing. I realize that of all the women to choose from, for these precious opportunities, the only one who will show me to you is my Father in Heaven. If it is his will, for me to recieve this assistance from you all to help me begin in rebuilding my confidence which was shaken so long ago, I trust HE will show me to you. Since I don’t know which door HE will open, I am just knocking on them all. Although I believe that this workshop will definitely benefit me…because I see so much love, light, and confidence radiating from you MeRa…ultimately the only reason you will choose me is because you were led to and not by my story. Win or win…God Bless You Both for continuing to give so much of yourselves!

I would like to enthusiastically and most EMPHATICALLY nominate Lynda Kennedy of Vacaville, Ca for your Running on Empty spot in the Orange County workshop. Lynda is mother to 3 amazingly strong and talented boys. She is passionate about her art via photography, and experiences joy and reward as others are blessed by the images she captures for them. The last 2 years have been all about facing her fears and not backing down from her dreams in the face of repeated heartbreak and disappointment. The economy was all a bunch of talk until she started to face the harsh financial reality related to her husband’s repeated job loss. He is a builder and craftsman, work that has seen terrible shortages and instability in the California economy. She faces her fears of building her photography business, she faces her fears of returning to work, she faces her fears of making a way for her boys and their needs, dreams and education, she faces her fears of losing her house. She has consistently done this in front of a group of girls that she pours into, mothers of young children, whom she mentors. While her dreams have been challenged, she has consistently put herself out there in front of us…inspiring us and challenging us to face our fears, refine our hopes, and plan for our dreams to come into reality. It is one thing to be Running On Empty, it is a whole other dimension to keep on giving to others in the midst of your own difficult circumstances. This has been Lynda’s history…her character. You could not give this gift to a more beautiful heart. I pray for her to be lavished upon in the same extravagant measure that she has consistently given to so many around her. This is what Lynda told me about her desire to attend your workshop, “I have decided to face my lack of confidence and really push at learning where I have been weak. I know this workshop is going to take me to the next level.” Thank you and Bless you all for your creative ways of inspiring and giving to others!

Sincerely, Jamie Hundley
jamiehundley777@yahoo.com