Hey there how ya doing? Things are crazy at the moment all over the world. Many of us are stuck at home, pulled out of our normal routines. Some of us are still going to work, and possibly putting ourselves and families at risk to help keep things going during this crazy time. – If that’s you Thank you!!

Our new normal

I’ll be honest things haven’t changed too much here on the farm aside from Skyler being home from school. We are starting remote learning on Thursday next week, so until then, we are still in limbo with no real routine. The Weisz Country Greenhouse – in our back yard is still chugging along planting plants like normal as we anticipate the opening day to stay on schedule for May 1st. Kids and I have been heading down there each day to get out of the house to help out grandma and enjoy the warmth of the greenhouse. – and maybe avoid doing some laundry!

helping my local community

This past week has actually been a little busy for me. I called up the pastor at our church on Tuesday last week and offered to help get our sermons online since our church decided to not meet in person. So on Thursday, we pre-recorded the sermon. I am so thankful to be able to use my skills as a photographer to help my local community stay connected in the wake of COVID-19. We also got the church set up with an email provider in order to make sure everyone on our list was getting the emails. If your interested in checking out our service you can watch the premiere here on YouTube on Sunday, March 22, at 10:30 am. We were blessed to be able to pull in a few members of our choir to help sing some hymns too!

How do I want to show up?

Today as the gravity of the situation has really been weighing on my mind and my heart, I have been asking myself how I want to show up in the world right now and how I want to lead my online community. I know so many people are feeling isolated, and alone, and letting the fear consume. I want to share the thing that really helped me not only survive Justin’s surgeries, but actually grow and thrive as a wife, mother, and person.

You get to choose how you view what happening. You can choose to look at the bad, but you also always have the choice to focus on the good too.

-Chelsy Weisz

You see I realized that each day I could let the fear of not knowing if I would lose my husband take over, or I could focus on what went good that day. I’m not perfect, I let the fear take over. I stood in the ICU with tears streaming down my face watching the snowfall silently and life carry on around me as my life seemed to come to a crashing halt. But when I went across the street to my hotel room and wrote out the update for Facebook each night I made myself look for the good things that happened that day. A good test result, a smile on someone’s face in the waiting room, good takeout food. I had to look for the good. Sometimes I felt like there was nothing good to share that day, but there was always something.

Being a photographer, I started looking for photos I could take each day for those updates. We spent so much time inside the hospital I had to get creative on taking photos at new angles, and watching as the light changed throughout the day. It was a nice little escape from the intensity of our situation.

I think that’s why I got so many messages telling me how strong I was. It wasn’t my strength that got us through, it was God, faith, gratitude, and my little daily escape in looking for a photo to take.

So many people are bored and isolated, and you can only clean out a closet so many times! Today in the shower I got the idea of a photo challenge. It isn’t anything too revolutionary but it is something I could start to help bring some light into this dark time. So this is my formal invitation to you to join the Wise Photographer Photo Challenge 2020.

Wise Photographer Photo Challenge 2020- #wpphotochallenge2020

So far this will be a 39-day photo challenge. Which will take us up to the end of April! This photo challenge is open to anyone and everyone! Take photos on your camera, your phone whatever! The idea is to get creative, maybe learn how to use your camera a bit more. We will be holding this photo challenge on Instagram. But we will also have a Facebook group for anyone wanting some tips on how to use their camera better!

Each week on Wednesdays I’ll be going live inside the Facebook group teaching tips on how to use your camera. Even if you are a professional photographer, or know how to use your camera well already, I invite you to join the group. Don’t be afraid to jump in and answer any questions that you know the answer to! Whether you just want to push yourself creatively, learn more about photography, or just want to join an online community you are officially invited to join in the fun!

How the photo challenge works

Sign up below to receive an email every morning from March 22, 2020 – April 30, 2020, with a prompt for the day. Then post your photo on Instagram and inside the Facebook Group. Be sure to check out how everyone else is using the prompt and join in on the community! Feel free to use any camera or a camera phone! If you are a wiz in photoshop or lightroom have at it, edit away!

Join anytime during the challenge!

I hope you will join me for the photo challenge! See you inside the Facebook group!