Excitement hung heavy in the cool morning air as I prepare to take the photos.  The occasion that brought me to this lush corner of paradise was the celebration of two young hearts announcing their engagement.  It is always exhilarating to witness such a special time in the lives of two people who are so obviously in love.  Consideration, mutual respect, affection and openness were all demonstrated for me in every gesture I observed on this happy morning.

        I felt like I had stepped into a holy place as I was allowed to walk among the intimate places of their lives.  Through the lens of my camera I watched as they held each other and smiled a smile that said more than just, Cheese.  I could tell by the way they looked into each others eyes and grinned that they were accustomed to smiling in this most loving way.  Quickly we dance through this beautiful backyard garden taking photo after photo and with each press of my shutter I knew I was part of something extraordinarily rare and beautiful. 

        Two attractive people taking each others hand and beginning a new life together.  But the strange thing about this morning of photography is I know I am not capturing their best side.  Because I know that their best side is the one no camera can see; the hidden person of the heart.  They were truly beautiful people; as genuine and good natured as they were easy on the eyes.  The trait that I observed this morning that moved me the most is the way they sought for opportunities to please each other.  It did my heart good to spend time in their presence because afterwards I wanted to be a better person. 

        As we were finishing the photography I took this photo of a concrete child on his knees searching for something.  Let us today be like this child and search for good things.  Look for opportunities to help and cheer; search for occasions to encourage, reach out to and lift up those who have fallen.  Let us look into the eyes of the ones we love and be thankful for their contribution.  Let’s tell them how much we love them and more importantly, show them with kindness, appreciation and acceptance that we value them as gifts from heaven.  Happiness is a choice; today let us choose to love those our Father has put into our lives.

Something to think about:

• It’s just as easy to look for the good things in life as the bad.

• Some people look for faults as if there was some kind of reward for each fault they found.

• Those who look for opportunities to hate miss many opportunities to love.

• It is best to look for the good in others because that’s the best way to find the good in yourself.

• There is something new and wonderful every day if you look for it.

• Do not think of your faults; still less of others’ faults; in every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong: honor that; rejoice in it; and, as you can, try to imitate it; and your faults will drop off, like dead leaves, when their time comes.

• Look for strength in people, not weakness; for good, not evil. Most of us find what we search for.

• Unless we find beauty and happiness in our backyard, we will never find them in the mountains.

• The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.

Thankful for the beauty I have found
Rickey Moore