Stacy Anderson Photography

Many have heard about the shooting and fire at one of our churches here in Michigan. This is probably the fastest way to let you know that our family is safe. This is about 90 minutes from our home. Our hearts are broken and very tender as we reach out to our friends in Grand Blanc - wondering what we can do, how to help while praying for miracles.

We were in our own stake conference where the focus of our meeting and the focus of the previous months have been to Love Your Neighbor. Just imagine if we all did that...things like this wouldn’t be in the news.

The words of our sweet prophet, Pres. Nelson, (who passed just yesterday), rings loudly in my heart today:
“Brothers and sisters, we can literally change the world—one person and one interaction at a time. How? By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue.

If you are serious about helping to gather Israel and about building relationships that will last throughout the eternities, now is the time to lay aside bitterness. Now is the time to cease insisting that it is your way or no way. Now is the time to stop doing things that make others walk on eggshells for fear of upsetting you. Now is the time to bury your weapons of war. If your verbal arsenal is filled with insults and accusations, now is the time to put them away. You will arise as a spiritually strong man or woman of Christ.”

Praying for our friends, neighbors, and family in Grand Blanc and across the world - as we are all family. We pray for miracles, peace, and love for our neighbors. Do something nice for someone else today! Love one another. Then keep loving more and never stop. Run to Jesus Christ because he is the source of true joy.

A little vulnerable post here. I don’t like being vulnerable, but I think it makes us all just a little more real. Right?

I broke down in ugly sobs to my mom on Monday on how maybe I should say goodbye to my business. Not because I don’t love it because I absolutely do. But- I will say that having your feet in two or more camps can feel like a constant state of failure in all of them.

I want to be an excellent mother, but my mind is always on how to make my business succeed. I want to level up, push my limits, do the hard things that provide a better experience and service. Those things come with sacrifice, difficult sacrifice, because you don’t know how you’ll end up on the other side. So many hats to juggle.

I want to be an incredible photographer and be super business savvy, but I feel the constant pull of my family. Make better meals- get those kids healthier. Play board games with one, painting nails with another, learning how to read with more, catching up with spelling for another, and giving endless hugs for the last one. Navigate changing bodies and friendships. Help them form their mind about the world. Find joy in living a Christ centered life and guide them through the challenges they’ll face. Parenting has a lot of hats.

Add church callings, friendships, exercise, cooking, piles of laundry, personal study, and sleeping- it’s a wonder how we all accomplish so much!

So it came down to crying about it, giving myself a second to breathe, (a pity party really), a couple of pep talks, and getting up to a new day.

Just so happened that yesterday was a last minute call to take photographs for a sobbing mom who lost her pre-term baby and how she just wanted professional photos of her beautiful little boy. I’m so grateful I could go. On a day where I felt this weight of “do professional photos even matter to anyone anymore?” I felt a very real sense of- sometimes this is all people have of people they love.

It brought me back to the deep realization of why I do what I do. It’s all about love and all about people.

I just have to remember we do all of this one day, one step at a time.