Reflecting

I know that I have written posts about this before, but I cannot help constantly feeling thankful for the things in my life, including the ways that God has blessed Stan and I in this business.

I am not sure how many of you know the history of Stacy Cross Photography, so I thought I'd give you a quick summary so that you know what a miracle it is that we are where we are today. :)

When I was in high school (Episcopal High in Houston - class of 2000), I took a photography class at the prompting of my best friend, Ashley Anderson. Ashley and I were like two peas in a pod and, coincidentally, we also looked like sisters. :) Anyway, Ashley was very good at convincing me to do things I didn't want to do like playing soccer for the first time in my life my senior year, and taking a photography class because she wanted me to keep her company. :) I had no idea at the time that taking that class would have such a huge impact on my future endeavors, but that was when I fell in love with photography.

When I went off to college (UT - class of 2004), I had a couple of friends ask me to shoot their weddings because they knew of my interest in photography. I thought it would be fun, so I did it. :) Once I had shot 3 weddings, my dad told me that the government was going to come after me if I didn't officially declare my business, so I went ahead and did that. :) Through this whole process, I still had NO idea where this was going and I certainly did not expect for it to turn in to my actual job.

From about 2000 until 2006 I shot an average of about 5-6 weddings a year as well as several events and portrait sessions and every bit of business that came my way was word-of-mouth or through the many ads I placed on Craig's List. :) I embraced the fact that I was not a serious photographer and that this business was something fun to do on the side to earn a bit of extra money.

In December of 2006, I was feeling a bit of burn out at my old day job. I had recently become more interested in learning more about wedding photography and had been teaching myself a ton of things through my internet explorations. This eventually caused me to feel like it could be possible for me to make this my full-time job. I had also started Nursing school that August and with my part-time day job, school demands, and a part-time photography business, I was beginning to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I realized that photography was my true passion and that I wanted to take the risk to pursue it further, even if it did not guarantee me a steady paycheck. Stan and I thought and prayed about this and we decided that, if the road was cleared for me to pursue photography further, that I would go ahead and quit my day job.

I remember sitting on my couch the day after Christmas and just saying a simple, no-frills prayer to God. I basically told him that if I booked 12 weddings for 2007, I would feel secure that it was the right thing to do to leave my day job. Well, miraculously, I booked 12 weddings THAT WEEK. It was amazing and a huge answer to prayer! I immediately put my 2 weeks in and, though it was hard to leave my good friends there, I walked away from that job and ventured down the road to where I am today.

I have been nothing short of amazed EVERY single day since then. Every need I've had has been met, every fear and insecurity has been answered with love and encouragement. This has proven to be one of the best decisions Stan and I have made and I honestly owe every bit of it to the Lord. He has been so faithful to me in this and every endeavor of my life. I only hope that I can use this opporunity to bless and encourage others.

I know I have only scratched the surface of learning about photography and developing myself as a photographer, but I am so amazed by how far I've come in such a short time. I have so much more to learn, but I am so thankful for where I am. It's really a miracle to me. :)

So, if you've taken the time to read all of this, thank you. Thank you all for loving and embracing me. Thank you for trusting me to take your picture and to spend some of your most special moments in life with you. Thank you for helping me learn and grow through my successes and my mistakes. And thank you for believing in me.

Much love,
Stacy