Longing To Be A Raye - The Name

Charlie's Bunion, Great Smoky Mountains Natl Park. On our honeymoon, April 2023. 

 

Why Longing To Be A Raye? 

When I think of light and rays of light I think of whimsical beams, sunshine pouring in, glares, prismatic moments, etc. But in reality, light is a fierce force. Something that awakens. Whether that's awakening new dreams, life, freedom, or truth. My heart is that this venture will help bring freedom and truth into the lives of the people I encounter. 

Part of the name for Longing To Be A Raye stems from this idea. The idea of fierce light. The longing to be a light and stay within the light. 

But like everything in life, there has to be a balance. With that is simple light, elegant light, and subtle light. Light is light no matter the situation. I have felt a sense of responsibility that whatever situation I come into, whatever moment I capture on film, and whatever relationship I am in, I get to bring the light. 

As a believer of Jesus Christ, being called to be a light in this world is a challenge He has given us. We are called to shine a light; fierce, elegant, subtle, and strong.

So that is a bit of the heart behind the concept of being a ray. 

Now why the different spelling? Raye is actually my middle name! My grandfather's middle name was Ray, so when my parents named me, my mother added an "e" at the end of it to add that feminine touch. I've always loved my middle name and have always wanted to use it in whatever dream I built. When I was a kid that was a dance company. I'm pretty sure after I saw the movie Spy Kids I had dreams of starting my own secret agency, and incorporating the name Raye somewhere in there as well. (Although in hindsight, incorporating my personal name in a secret agency name just would not make any sense....it's a good thing I didn't go that route!).

Putting a stamp of "You" on your brand is just so genuine and something I am a firm believer in. When deciding to move forward with building Longing To Be A Raye I spent a long time thinking about names. 

Eventually, I made my way back to the original dream of using the name my parents gave me and implementing the calling I feel has been laid on my life. 

To be a light in this world. 

So my quest for you dear friend, is to journey with me as we dive more into what "being a light" looks like? How can you bring light into your relationships? How can you shine in your workspace? How can shining a light help your health? 

For each person it is different and by no means are we the same in how our light shines (Thank God for that!) 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments about that concept. My heart is to share and build this community of light rays. To hear from each of you on how what being a Light is? 

I'm very excited about this journey as it's something that has been burning in me for a long time. 

Follow along on social media to stay even more informed and in touch! 

Go shine!