My Home Church

My husband and I took a trip to my home in Indiana this past weekend, and it was so nice to be back! A very important part of every trip home is church on Sunday morning. My home church watched me grow up. My mom helped organize VBS and a number of musicals for the kids to perform. My dad led the youth group and still manages the sound board. Everyone at Bethel has a role. The building is quaint but the congregation fills the sanctuary. Everyone knows everyone, and pitch-ins are still very much a thing (pitch-in = pot-luck for all of you Pennsylvanians). Every person plays a role in the congregation, and the church really needs every one of those people. It’s not a church where you can blend in, unnoticed, on a Sunday morning. Some people love that, and some people hate it - to each their own! All I can say is that I’m thankful for that little church, hidden amidst cornfields come July. That church feels like family.

I’d like to introduce you to the pastor of Bethel, Kristine Marshall. Kristine is a beautiful human. She’s one of those people who has this incredible ability to make you feel known and loved almost immediately. Her messages feel very personal, and although I don’t live in town, I love hearing all of the updates my parents give me about things she’s doing in the church or ways she’s spoken into the lives of my parents.

In addition to being a kind soul and gifted speaker, Kristine is also a talented artist. During lent, she decorated 40 beautiful butterflies that adorned the church’s exterior. After an unfortunate storm, many of the butterflies were broken. Kristine spoke about the beauty in our brokenness that week at church. Kristine now decorates butterflies to be given to those who need lifted up. It’s a beautiful ministry - quite literally! What an awesome way to share the love of God.

A Family Hike in the Woods {Pittsburgh Family Photography}

I love going for hikes. I love fresh air and nature, and I really really love an excuse to leave my phone at home for some quality time with my husband. Before I met my husband though, I would go on hikes by myself. The extrovert in me feels almost embarrassed and strange to tell you that I enjoyed those lonesome walks! The truth is, it gave me time to pray and to think and to dream in a season when I wasn’t setting aside enough time for those things. I remember rather vividly a particular afternoon when I realized that I was so alone in the woods that I had the freedom to sing aloud while walking. It felt almost therapeutic! 

When Marie reached out to me to schedule a hiking photo shoot for her family, I was ecstatic. You mean I get to hike along with you and just capture moments? YES PLEASE! Oh friends, this family is a group of wonderful explorers! The boys don’t all love photos, but they DO love hiking. They showed me their favorite spots, caught more than 1 frog, and competed in a little brotherly competition of toss-the-biggest-stone-into-the-creek. If you haven’t played, you probably should. Without further ado, some of my favorite shots from our time together…

When Mom Wants Family Pictures...

A little over 2 years ago, my mom asked for 1 thing for her birthday – family photos. This was not received with excitement, as my brother, my brother-in-law, and my nephew absolutely hate having their picture taken. But we did it. We found a local photographer while we were on vacation together, and we took some family photos that turned out pretty well! About a month later, my brother passed away very unexpectedly. Today marks 2 years from that day.

I say all this to point out, that more than we’d care to admit, our mothers are right. When they say that we need to take family photos -- that we’ll look back on those photos with fond memories -- our moms are right. And I don’t say this as a mom! I say this as a child. I think every one of us has told my mom THANK YOU for insisting on family photos during that last vacation we had with my brother. And this year, when my mom asked for a family photo, we all put on a nice outfit and smiled for the camera without a fight. There was a distinct difference in our attitudes, because now we are so grateful for these pictures and for these memories.

So in honor of my brother, here are those family photos we took just a couple years ago! They warm my heart to see. I’d like to give credit to Justin Derato for taking these beautiful photos! What a gift they have been to my family.

And now some photos our friend, Megan Wathen, took this summer! Please note the addition of my husband, Jonathan and niece, Veronica!