Chasing After Dear – a journal devoted to the Smith Family’s happenings, design projects, reformed theology, and a sprinkle of ol’ fashioned frivolity. What’s that all about?” Well first, it’s “D-E-A-R,” as in “beloved” or “precious,” not “D-E-E-R,” the adorable / defenseless mammal who was famously martyred in Bambi. This phrase comes from the Midlake song “Chasing After Deer” (yes, the Bambi va
riety). When I first met my husband in the early Spring of 2007, we listened to Midlake all the time together. “Chasing after Deer” was one of my favorites and it very quickly became our song. When we were planning our wedding in 2008, I purchased the URL chasingafterdear.com for our wedding website, an intentional play on words referring to my dear, Justin R. Soon, this name became part of everything that I did as a freelancer. Even my short-lived design agency used a derivative of this phrase–Oh Dear! I think “Chasing After Dear” fits my life impeccably for three very crucial reasons:
Item the first: As a wife, my heart, mindset, and daily goal should be pursuit of my dears–God, Justin, and my sweet boys. This relentless tenacity, never tiring, never ceasing, always striving, upholds the entire structure of a gospel-centered life. Item The Second: The word chasing implies pursuit but not necessarily attainment. That’s important for me as a believer who often stumblers to grasp. My worth comes from Christ and Christ alone. I will never reach perfection this side of heaven, but rather will always be chasing him, getting back up when I fall and starting again. Item the Third: In chasing, you leave all other distractions behind. This is really important for me, since I’m so easily side-tracked. on my monitor at work I even have a sticky note that reads “No Rabbits!” (a pathetic nod to my horrible tendency to go off on “rabbit trails”). Chasing means dedication, speed, and full attention. You can’t pursue someone if you’re strolling, eating, talking on the phone, or updating facebook. Pursuit = single-mindedness and the humility to believe that the prize is worth both the exhaustion and the missed opportunities abandoned on the sidelines. The Chaser
I guess this is where I kind of introduce myself (a little late, I know). Smith, Wife, Mother, Web / App / Video / Graphic Designer, and follower of Christ. I’m 27 and live in steaming-hot Carrollton, Tx with my handsome, mountain-main husband Justin and our two weasle-boys, Jude and Noah. My passion is sharing the things I love: Christ, photography, inspiring visual design, and the day to day happenings of our very full lives. In the Office: my desire is to share Christ and spread His love through serving others and through diligent, high-quality work. We believe that all content on the web should be freely accessible, easy to use, and beautifully designed.
