Happy 2021, my friend!!!

WOW. It is still kind of crazy to me that 2021 is here. Am I the only one that feels like 2020 definitely happened but like… kind of didn’t? I am almost positive I’m not alone. It feels like we’ve been in a dream since March of 2020 and we’ve just been floating ever since.

Well, despite the craziness of 2020, we made it to 2021. WOOOP! But can I be honest with you? 2020 was truly one of the best years I have ever had. You might be thinking, “UMMM WHAT? There’s no way!” But truthfully, 2020 was a momentous year. It was a year of uncomfortableness that led to immeasurable growth. The Lord so clearly showed himself to me more times than I can count last year. The amount of growth as a person, photographer, wife, and friend was incredible. That’s why, to me, 2020 was an incredible year. So, I want to share my heart with you about what the Lord truly taught me in 2020, and how that has led me to where I am today in 2021.

See that girl right there? That is the Kaitlin that I never thought I would be. This time last year, I was an upbeat, excited all the time, enneagram 2 leaning full-force into my wing three. I was ready to take on the world with my goals and dreams. I had a dream of who I wanted to be, a 5-year plan, a step by step business plan, and I was determined to run as fast as I could to make those dreams happen.

This year, I am Kaitlin – the chill, laid-back, no goals in mind photographer who understands that being right where I am at is a blessing. I am a lot less focused on my dreams and more focused on who the Lord wants me to be. I am fully walking in his will instead of running into a future where all my dreams come true.

So, what happened?

HA. 2020 happened. Covid-19 happened. I am truly going to try to make this story as short as possible, or you will be reading all day. Last March, we obviously know that things changed a lot. My weddings came to a screeching halt, I stopped getting inquiries for sessions because people no longer had jobs or extra money for photos, and I was stuck at home. This led to a season of loneliness that I had never experienced before. Without being long-winded, let’s just say that after a few weeks of feeling really lonely, I decided to get off my butt and start praying over who I was, my purpose in Jesus, my business – literally everything in my world.

Fast Forward to September, and I was suddenly a new person. Over the course of about 6 months, the Lord had opened my eyes to my true purpose in him, what really mattered in life, the fact that I was going to be a mom, a humbling business opportunity where encouraging other people was my priority, and he changed my overall personality throughout each of those realizations. I don’t even know another way to explain it than God. He changed me. And because I was paying attention, I noticed Him more last year than EVER before.

What the Lord Taught Me in 2020:

01. Purposely following the Lord’s will for your life will show you how present, faithful, and loving He truly is.

02. Neglecting the Word and your overall spiritual health will negatively affect your physical, mental, and emotional health. Your health in all areas relies on a healthy relationship with the Lord.

03. Prayer is EVERYTHING. When you are praying fervently over something, the Lord will be faithful. It might take time. But He will show up and do far greater than you could imagine.

04. Surrounding yourself with a few people who truly care about you, love you, and encourage you in faith + love is more important than having a lot of “okay” friends. (This is something I always stand by but it was made even clearer in 2020).

05. Being mindful of how much you’re on social media and how much you watch the news is really important. The less, the better.

06. We don’t have to live in fear no matter how much the world wants us to. God is bigger.

07. We are all human and we all make mistakes. Showing grace instead of reacting in anger when someone disagrees with you is vital.

Reflecting on What the Lord did in 2020:

01. He truly changed who I am from the inside out in the best way possible.

02. He answered prayers. He showed up. I can specifically tell you what prayers and when if you are interested.

03. I got to serve 30+ brides and love on more clients than I could ask for.

04. I watched the Lord restore relationships and remove people when it was time.

05. Revealed to me that I was going to be a mom in July 2020 and honored that in November 2020.

06. Gave me the ability to go completely full-time with no other part-time job.

07. Traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate 1 year of marriage with my Husband.

08. Brought Maddie and I together to start The Refined Creative – a community for creative entrepreneurs.

09. So. Much. More.

Words For 2021:

Last year was a year of refining who I am as a person, business owner, wife, friend, and all the other roles I play. So, these are the words I will most be reflecting on and praying over in the year of 2021:

Refine: I want to allow the Lord to continue to Refine who I am in Him and what purpose I serve. I want him to continually refine me as a person, my business, and my relationships.

Serenity: I want to allow the Lord to keep my soul at peace, calm in the midst of chaos, and to be a breath of fresh air. I want His peace to echo through me in my personal life and business, and to feel fully serene, no matter the environment around me.

Present: I want to the present in my every day life. I don’t want to wish this life away. I want to be fully present so that I can see the goodness that God has placed around me. It’s the little things that I feel I will appreciate most.

My heart.

As you can see, 2020 molded me. The Lord refined me into a person that I wouldn’t have recognized in January of last year. However, I couldn’t be more grateful for the way He has changed me from the inside out. I feel more in tune with the Lord’s purpose for me in life than I ever have before. All of the words I mentioned above have a sort of theme in common. This is the year I am fully surrendering my life as a whole to the Lord. I don’t want control of any of it. In a way, I think of it like – I want to be in the back seat of a boat, soaking in every moment of every day as the Lord drives me through the sea of life. I want to take it all in and truly allow him to sanctify me. I want to be calm, free, and light and truly just a vessel that the Lord can use in whatever way He wants.

So, that is where my heart is. God is SO good and I seriously believe that if I am intentional this year about relinquishing control and allowing him to guide me, He will use me in ways I never thought possible. With all that being said, the new Kait is heading into 2021 with zero goals and zero plans. Isn’t it funny how we can change from one year to the next?

There is one thing I want to ask you! Whether you are in a place of hustle like I was last year, or a place of rest like I am this year, where is your heart? That’s the most important thing. If you heart is in the right place and you are living your purpose in this life, I am proud of you. You are going to do big things and I believe that if you surrender it all the Him, He will honor your dreams, desires, and goals.

Cheers to 2021!