Through the Lens of Worship: He is the Rock

From Drop Box

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Through the Lens of Worship: When the Questions Go Unanswered

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Happy Birthday Momma!

"My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck."  Proverbs 1:8-9

Today is my Momma's 60th Birthday! My original plans for this day were grandiose and quite awesome. It brought tears to my eyes thinking of the joy it would bring my mom if I had been able to accomplish it all. I had 2 years from when I first thought of it. In the end, it appeared that it would be too difficult at this time.  I am disappointed, but I may pursue that vision on a smaller scale soon.

Onto Plan B:  I want to tell you a bit about my mother, Linda. Linda is Spanish for pretty, by the way, and she is. I do not plan to be very organized as I tell you about her, I will be sharing as it comes to my mind and heart. She is a strong woman, and I don't mean in the human strength sort of way, but in the kind that matters:  love, faithfulness, kindness, generosity, hope, gentleness, integrity and so much more. She loves God and it shows in her speech and actions. She did her absolute best in raising my brother and I and we are so blessed to have her. Growing up was not ideal, but she showed strength, pressed on and took care of us. I know it must have been difficult so often, yet she did not give up. I look up to her in so many ways and know she is a phone call away when I need comfort. That is one thing I felt I received in healthy doses as a youngster, her nurturing comfort.

She wanted to be a stay-at-home mom while we were being raised, but circumstances did not allow that for long.  On and off she had to take on jobs and toward the end of my teen years she was working full-time and getting home long after school got out.  That did not stop her from making dinner, eating together at the table and regardless of where we were in our relationships with God, we prayed before dinner, holding hands, every time. That memory is one that speaks of the value of family, and to my mom, our family was very valuable and she invested all she had.

Momma I love you and honor you today... thank you for all that you taught us, sacrificed for us and for choosing to love and trust God in your trials, and to point us to Him in ours. You are an amazing woman and I am beyond blessed to be your daughter. I pray this year is incredible-- filled with continued growth and love and joy and blessings. You are an inspiration and a wonderful friend. I pray God continues to bless you and your legacy as you enrich the lives of your husband, children, grandchildren, extended family and friends.

Happy Birthday Momma! (and many moooooooore!!!!!)

Through the Lens of Worship: Relative

This is a photo of my best friend and our Washington friends walking down the pier at Bellingham Bay on the 4th of July.  Hop on over to http://www.throughthelensofworship.com/ on Wednesday to find out what this is all about!

Through the Lens of Worship: Pretty Shiny Stuff

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

From Drop Box

In these verses Jesus is telling us to keep a heavenly perspective of sorts.  A perspective of the sort that does not hoard earthly possessions.  If we are to hoard anything, I suppose, it would be souls.  But not of ourselves, of course, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is a reminder that the things of this world will pass away, but the things of God are eternal.  The apostle John puts it this way:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17

I like stuff... pretty shiny stuff... you may like a different kind of stuff, but truth be told, we all like stuff.  I don't hoard material possessions to brag about what I have.  In fact, I am just sentimental and many things in my home have a special meaning or a special person or story behind them.  Here is the twist, would I be upset if something happened to one of my pretties?  The answer is that you better believe it and not be around when it happens.

From Drop Box

Jesus and the apostle John's words remind me that the true value in this brief life we've all been given is not what I want or how much stuff I have or even who gave me the stuff or whether I bought it, not at all.  The true value is in God's will.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies.  Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."  1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

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New Name. New Website.

My husband and I have launched a new website featuring the new name of our wedding and fine art photography business...

Adam + Sarah Photography

A little history:

Adam started our portrait photography business under Adam Allen Photography.  He began with an amazing first engagement shoot and continued by adding high school seniors, families and weddings.  I have been along for the ride and have shot every wedding with him.  We had packages that did not include me shooting, but we both knew I would shoot anyway. 

Now what?

So Adam + Sarah Photography is born so that every couple the hired us would have two photographers to capture that special day.  We also decided to add the fine art aspect to the website to allow me opportunities to showcase and sell my photos.  Adam will keep Adam Allen Photography for high school seniors and other work not wedding-related along with his blog As I Am Learning.  I will continue to use my photo blog to celebrate God's glory in our creativity as well as through the worship group Through the Lens of Worship.  I will also be featuring aspects of our photography business and experiences with our clients as this business would not exist if it weren't for God and His amazing work in our lives.

Thank you!

Thank you to those who have supported, influenced and hired us and to God for how He works all things together for good for those who love Him!

Through the Lens of Worship - A Lamp to My Feet

From In Sarah's Shoes

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Through the Lens of Worship - Natural Inspiration

 This post is in response to Isaiah 40 posted this week on Through the Lens of Worship.  Click the button above to view the Blog Post.

From Drop Box

Recently I began the process of making my yard a lovely sanctuary. I have really grown to love flowers and greenery and had some ideas for a lovely little garden space. Now, you must know, I do not have a green thumb. I am great at killing lovely plants and growing really huge weeds. In our new place, I'm trying really hard to be a good little gardener. My plants were looking terrible until my friend came over and diagnosed them for me. It turned out that some were being drowned and some were too dry. So hopeful as I was, before I even attempted at changing my watering habits, one of my dahlia plants that had NEVER bloomed since being planted busted out with flowers! I was super excited!

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

In response to Rhonda's post about whether I've been inspired by God's creation, I would like to take a moment and draw some parallels. In the same way that I put forth time and love and effort into caring for the needs of my newly planted garden, God puts all that and MORE into us...whether we believe in Him or not. Also, just as my poor dahlias were looking dead and bearing no blooms, in my patience and continued faithfulness to make sure they had what they needed, and then bloomed practically before my eyes... in this same way, God is faithful to give us what we need in the understanding that even though there is no "life", we can at any moment, while there is still breath in us, come to know Jesus as our Saviour and find a new life that we did not have before.

Simple but sweet. Thank you Lord for not giving up on us.

"But even though we were dead in our sins God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love He had for us, gave us life together with Christ--it is, remember, by grace that you are saved--and has lifted us to take our place with Him in Christ Jesus in the Heavens."  Ephesians 2:4-5

From Drop Box

Design: Chrystle & Don's Save the Date

I know I don't do this much, actually I don't think I've ever "talked business" on this blog. Well things are about to change! Adam and I are working on a super cool, top secret website that should be up soon. We changing the way we do weddings! I am thrilled about the change and will post the link as soon as it's ready.

Today however, I want to share a Save the Date design that Adam and I made for a very lovely couple.  This isn't the final edition as a couple of the photos were changed. Adam had picked the photos and started laying

them out, but as far as the background and lettering, he handed it off to me to finish.

Without further ado...Here it is:

The back is basically the same except Adam replaced the 4 photos with 1 photo.  This is one of my favorite things to do with the exception of taking photos. I was not able to go to this engagement shoot, but they all had a blast and we're excited to do their wedding in September.

Check back soon as I plan to continue putting up sneak peeks and some of my favorite images from

our shoots! 

Through the Lens of Worship - Remembrance

Rhonda's post on Through the Lens of Worship this week ends with a question:

"What image do you have that serves as a reminder of God's touch in your life?"

The following image is from a Through the Lens of Worship outting when we went to Wonder Valley. We had to stop to capture the beauty of the biggest lupine bushes/plants (does lupine grow in bush form???) I have ever seen.

Lupine will always remind me of Yosemite. My father was a photographer and after his death, my mom, brother, aunt, uncle and I scattered his ashes near Bridal Veil Falls. About 7 years later,my husband, a friend and I went to Yosemite. For me it was the first time since we'd been there for my dad. I decided to write my dad a letter and while we were in Yosemite, I would find the secret place where his ashes lie and leave him this letter.I wrote a long letter and told him everything that I never got to say as we were not close when he passed. I was hurt and needed to forgive, but he wasn't here to forgive.  I spent some time with the Lord in that secret place in Yosemite, my husband and friend stayed back as I wanted to be alone. I said some things that I'd hoped the Lord would pass onto my dad. I then proceeded to rip up the letter and to toss it out

over the place chosen for his memorial. It was a hugely healing moment. I still struggle with the wounds and unforgiveness... it's a lifelong process. But when I see lupine, my spirit sighs and feels at peace. It was a great time of bonding with my dear friend and husband and I am so grateful they were with me that day. My brother has not been back to Yosemite in over 10 years and we may have a chance this year. 

God is a God of second, third, fourth chances and beyond! He reminds me that in the end, what matters is that we love Him and seek Him with all of our hearts and to do the best we can and He is faithful to complete what He started in us. 

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in your will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" Philippians 1:6

My father struggled with being faithful to God, but in the end, he made the choice to follow after Him. If we are honest, we can all admit that there are times when it is very hard to do the things that we ought to, just as Paul talks about.

In conclusion, I am reminded that even...

"If we are faithless,

He remains faithful;

He cannot deny Himself."

2 Timothy 2:13

Merciful

From Drop Box

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Through the Lens of Worship

Through the Lens of Worship - Momentary

Through the Lens of Worship - Momentary

 

From Drop Box

 

If you have read my past entries, you would know that this hasn’t been the easiest year. I know I have been vague, and I have done so to protect myself and others from comparing trials.  Yes, this year hasn't been easy, but it is a year full of promise. 

 

In my last entry I shared again the verse that is my promise for this year. I needed to remember it that day. And divinely, this entry is basically the sequel, and we all love sequels right?? So, I needed to be reminded of the promise that new things are coming and the old has passed away. This year new things have come, mostly in the form of trials, it seems. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit inspired James to write that we should count them all joy. OUCH! But WHY?! That’s the last thing I want to do, I want them to GO AWAY! But I also realize that I am not of this world and there are difficulties in this life for those who choose to follow after Jesus our Lord and Savior. I made that decision and the principalities of darkness and the ruler of this world are not thrilled.

 

Over and over this last weekend God reminded me of His Everlasting Faithfulness to me and all mankind. I need to know this personally. I find that I get sad or angry and generally feel pretty bad about some of the trials I am in-- very far from counting them as joyous occasions. But I know that the God, that counts me worthy of the gift that is eternal life through the sacrifice of His perfect Son and the freedom to walk in victory, is a loving and tender Father. He does not enjoy seeing me struggle and least of all in that which I cannot control. I know that He desires my very best as promised in Jeremiah 29:11.

 

One of my most beloved scriptures has become 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. As I was putting the verses on the photo above, I read verse 16, and it was exactly what I need. And so it goes:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4: 16

Then Paul goes on in chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians to talk about the assurance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior. Without that resurrection, what would be the point of this life??? Second Corinthians 5 says this:

“For we know that if your earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven… For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.”

This life hurts, disappoints, leaves one wanting, abandons, and seems plain empty and void of any purpose without Jesus. The intent of God when creating man was to have fellowship with Him. That relationship was severed when Adam and Eve committed the first act of disobedience to God. God was not content to leave it that way. His answer is in Jesus. Jesus binds us to God. We have access to the Father, through Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. It is a painful but beautiful reminder that God extended Himself and gave of Himself to be in relationship with us. I am not hated, beaten or being tormented for my beliefs. I have it really easy here in Small Town, U.S.A. in the grand scheme of things. I should count it joy when I get to share in Christ’s sufferings because I will probably never really have an inkling of what He went through as long as I live.

God is faithful. When we seek Him with our whole heart, He is found by us. He does not want to be unknown and just out there being God. He desires to have a relationship and to comfort and strengthen and show Himself as the Almighty. I take heart knowing that these pains and trials are momentary.

Through the Lens of Worship - Week 6

The last couple of weeks have certainly been something.  I really have just needed to be reminded of the Word God so gently placed on my heart on New Year's Day.  This year it seems is the year of plenty... not in the great way people usually mean when they say that.  For me it has been the year of plenty of trials, of pain, of sickness, of recovery.  None of those things in and of themselves are enjoyable.  But our great Father in Heaven is making me into something amazing.  Something new.  With that I leave you with my image for this week. 

From Drop Box

The scripture is Isaiah 43:18-19

"FORGET THE FORMER THINGS; DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST.  SEE I AM DOING A NEW THING!  NOW IT SPRINGS UP, DO YOU NOT PERCEIVE IT? I AM MAKING A WAY IN THE DESERT AND STREAMS IN THE WASTELAND."

Its Almost Good Friday...

On a blessed yet anguish filled Friday...

The strongest Man I know gave Himself over to His own people to be crucified on the cross, a wretched death, so that the sins of the world could be atoned for...

He was buried...

AND ON THE THIRD DAY, HE ROSE AGAIN!

Hallelujah!

Jesus is Risen!

"I PRAY ALSO THAT THE EYES OF YOUR HEART MAY BE ENLIGHTENED IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY KNOW THE HOPE TO WHICH HE HAS CALLED YOU, THE RICHES OF HIS GLORIOUS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS, AND HIS IMCOMPARABLY GREAT POWER FOR US WHO BELIEVE. THAT POWER IS LIKE THE WORKING OF HIS MIGHTY STRENGTH, WHICH HE EXERTED IN CHRIST WHEN HE RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD AND SEATED HIM AT HIS RIGHT HAND IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS, FAR ABOVE ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY, POWER AND DOMINION, AND EVERY TITLE THAT CAN BE GIVEN, NOT ONLY IN THE PRESENT AGE BUT ALSO IN THE ONE TO COME. AND GOD PLACED ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET AND APPOINTED HIM TO BE HEAD OVER EVERYTHING FOR THE CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE FULLNESS OF HIM WHO FILLS EVERYTHING IN EVERY WAY."

EPHESIANS 1:18-23 (NIV)

Through the Lens of Worship - Week 4

I DELIGHT GREATLY IN THE LORD;

MY SOUL REJOICES IN MY GOD.
FOR HE HAS CLOTHED ME WITH GARMENTS
OF SALVATION

AND ARRAYED ME IN A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

AS A BRIDEGROOM ADORNS HIS HEAD LIKE A PRIEST,
AND AS A BRIDE ADORNS HERSELF WITH
HER JEWELS.
FOR AS THE SOIL MAKES THE SPROUT COME
UP

AND A GARDEN CAUSES SEEDS TO
GROW, 

SO THE SOVEREIGN LORD WILL MAKE
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PRAISE
SPRING UP BEFORE ALL NATIONS.


PSALM 61:10-11

Through the Lens of Worship - Week 3

Keeping it simple this week.  I was going to share a different experience but as I was looking for the scripture I was thinking of I ran across a section in Psalm 103 that reminds us to have an eternal perspective.  God is faithful and loves us SO much!  It's so difficult to comprehend.  I find peace and encouragement in these words.  With the photo I'm sharing, this makes more sense.  Blossums don't seem to last long once they've bloomed.  They're delicate and the slightest breeze can make a tree bare again. 

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

As a father  pities his hildren,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

From In Sarah's Shoes

As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

For the wind passes over it, and it is gone.

And its place remembers it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Psalm 103: 11-18

Through the Lens of Worship - Week 2

This last Saturday was a TTL of Worship photo outting.  Typically Rhonda, Diana and myself get together once a month to take photos together somewhere locally.  Unfortunately Diana was not able to join us this time around.  Rhonda and I went to two TOTALLY different places.  It was tough to choose a photo for today as I didn't really capture anything that illustrated the verse I had shared with Rhonda on Saturday, and I don't really have something on file that would work either.  I've been going through some trials and Isaiah 43:2-5 were some Scriptures I'd really been holding onto.  BUT... I spoke to my mom yesterday, she encouraged me and shared with me out of Psalms 16.  After we got off of the phone I looked it up and was totally inspired to do something completely out of the ordinary.  I really don't care for doing much post-editting, but I am pleased with how this one turned out.  The photo, for me, illustrates the verse.  So why not put the verse on the photo??  I added these to the Scriptures I'm holding onto during this time.  I know God is faithful and I am so blessed to be His child.

There are a lot more photos from the outting that I will put up later in a separate post.

FEATURED: Through the Lens of Worship

What a blessing!  My entry for Through the Lens of Worship - Week 1 was chosen as the featured blog post.  I am so glad to be a part of this group and the relationships that are growing from it as well as the way God is using it.  You can see my entry here on my blog and on Through the Lens of Worship. 

If you are a photographer, I encourage you to check out what we're doing and consider joining us.  We'd love to have you!  This Saturday we'll be getting together for fellowship and to discuss what God is doing in our lives and then heading out to take photos together in worship of God.  You don't need to live in Hanford to join us!

Through the Lens of Worship - Week 1

I cannot express how exciting this is!!  Welcome to my entry for Through the Lens of Worship - Week 1!  This is my entry for our first week as an official open community of photographers.  I'm thrilled to see how God is going to use this group. 

My husband and I recently went to Lake Havasu City, Arizona for an Adam Allen Photography Senior Graduate photo shoot.  We were thrilled to be hired out of state by someone we didn't know already!  (We get thrilled for those who know us and hire us out of state too... believe me!)  Anyway, one of the first things I noticed was the scent of chaparral in the air.  It is very distinct and reminded me of my grandmother.  She introduced me to using medicinal herbs and this was one of them.  It was not the best tasting tea ever, but the memory of it is a good one.  My grandmother also introduced me to the most important thing in my life... Jesus Christ.  God used her in prayer and influence to bring me to Him.  She passed away not too long ago, leaving behind a legacy that I desire to continue and am excited to see other family members also doing the same - whether consciously or not. 

Her legacy and my life's goal:  To follow hard after Christ Jesus and to show Him to others by being an example in Word and in Truth. To pray always for those who've yet to come to know Jesus and for those who already know Him.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
 
This is a photo of our lovely client in an amazing Arizona sunset

 
Finally, a photo of God's glory!  I love the sky!

Through the Lens of Worship

I am so excited that this announcement is being made today!   The following link is to my friend's blog that explains something super meaningful that I've been a part of that has affected my relationship with God, friendships old and new and how He has used me creatively.  The vision for this group is amazing and it has been such a blessing to be involved from early on.  Check it out and pray about joining us!  We would love to have you-- whether by internet or on Saturdays here locally.

Exposing Grace Blog Post - Through the Lens of Worship

Oak Trees...

Are lovely!  I have wanted to take photos here for a long time.  As a teenager I drove by these trees daily for about 2 years.  This past weekend myself and two friends made a trip to meet God here and capture what He revealed to us.  There were also some great walnut trees and fantastic barley to wade through.  My pants were soaked up to my knees!

A Note on the New Year

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."  Isaiah 43:18-21

There are a couple of stories which will interconnect regarding the verse and this photo.  First the photo... This was taken during the week of Christmas of my Aunt's Christmas tree.  It was a very different Christmas for everyone involved.  My cousin Gabe passed away on December 19th, the Saturday before Christmas, to everyone's utter shock.  My husband and I were on vacation that week and had determined that we were going to go up and stay as long as we needed to.  My mom decided she would come out and arrived the next day.  We headed up the Monday before Christmas and were joined soon after by my other Aunt, to be comfort and support for my Aunt, cousin Jenn and Gabe's widow Elaine and son Matthew.  God did some marvelous things during that week.  So, this photo came to represent the week... there was pain and grief spotted with the color and the light of hope and joy and love and peace that was descending upon our family.  My Aunt and my cousin have expressed their appreciation and how blessed they were that we all joined them for their unique Christmas. Unfortunately, to end an already exhausting and difficult year filled with change in this way really took much of the excitement for a new year from me.  In reality I just wanted time to stop for a moment or for Jesus to return and whisk His saints away.  But that was not God's will, so I must continue. 

The verse... On New Year's Day after I'd taken my mom to the airport, a brief nap and sending my husband off to work I had the house to myself.  I was very sad, exhausted and not thrilled to begin 2010.  I felt like it would be just another year of difficulties and I would find myself a year later in 2011 more exhausted.  But this was not God's will either.  As I sat and cried out to God of my frustration and my petitions for Him to ease the trials, He met me in my living room on my couch.  I was enveloped in peace and heard "Behold I am doing a new thing."  My tears slowed and my breathing relaxed and I immediately grabbed my Bible to find this verse which I so well loved.  Through God's Spirit and Isaiah, God showed me His will for 2010:  I am doing a new thing!  I love that the NIV puts and exclamation mark at the end of that part because I needed that exclamation mark... I needed it to take me out of my slump. 

I realized that for over a year I had begun pulling away and closing myself off from things like ministry and service.  I was getting burned out and sick of people who just wanted to go to church and see a show and go home and not do anything about it.  I felt like I didn't really know many believers who were seeking and chasing after God whole heartedly.  (I need to interupt:  I just have to say that there are many believers in my life who are wholly serving God and seeking Him in and outside of Sunday mornings. God began to bring those people into our lives early 2009.)  Adam and I had only recently started to really seek God after a season of complacency.  I then grew complacent again and after beginning to attend a new church in spring, I didn't try very hard to get involved, which is not the way God made me.  I wanted to, but I had no vision, I felt little passion.  I realize now that an opportunity that was offered to me before I left the old church awakened in me something.  I love to design, I love to create, I love art in all of it's vast forms and I love that our church encourages that.  God is doing a new thing and I am excited to see what ministry and areas of service He will call me to.  A funny thing happened, our pastor talked from the heart about the vision of our church that Sunday and I was extremely convicted and convinced further that I was not alone.  I could not go home and not do anything about it!

The connection... this photo now represents 2010 for me.  My awakening, my epiphany.  January 6, 2009 God showed me and Adam that we needed to make some seriously big and seriously difficult changes and that we may not come out unscathed.  January 6, 2010, God showed me that there is a place for me in our new church family.  I serve an incredible God that I just can't praise enough! 

I hope that 2010 you find the color and light of God's plan and love and desires for your life.  God bless!