Inthemoment

Hello Sonrise Families, 

 For those who do not know me, I am Ms. Val. The face behind the camera and the pictures on our social media accounts. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to capture the moments that made me feel something. Whether it was scrapbooking or having a pile of Polaroids kept away in my Lisa Frank pencil box, capturing and preserving memories was and still is something special to me.

Now, as a mommy to two beautiful boys, my desire to create and capture moments has become part of my daily life. With just one click, I can capture their first day of school, baseball games, park days, and them being two rambunctious boys wrestling in the living room. One day, my two boys were doing their usual amateur wrestling matches in the living room, and there I was with my phone recording and laughing with them. My oldest then asked me, "Did you see how quick I was momma?" I explained to him that I did; I even had it on camera. He then tells me, "No momma, the phone saw it; YOU didn't." At this moment, he had me speechless because he was right. I chose to pass this moment just to view it later from a screen instead of showing them how awesome their momma can be with her 1990s wrestling moves.

 I think about my relationship with Christ. With Him being my Father and the memories He is creating with me. He isn't behind a lens and viewing my life from a screen. He is here with me. He is present; he is living in the moment with me and alongside me. His love resonates through the laughter of my boys, through the calmness during rough times, and through the hope of faith-driven friendships. He demonstrates and sets the standard of being in the moment as I should be doing with my two boys. 

 Now, don't get me wrong. My camera still has thousands of pictures of my little monsters and the life we are creating together, but I have also learned to put my phone away and be in the moment with them. Our eternal life is not here on earth but in Heaven. I am learning to embrace the now and enjoy these beautiful moments our Father has graced us with. As you go on with your weekend, I pray that you take the time to be in the moment with your families and Christ as well.

 With much love,

 Valerie Perez 

Marketing Coordinator