Dreaming BIG

"Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders." -Hillsong United, Oceans

My husband and I put this up as a daily reminder to keep our focus and never stop dreaming big for God. It is important that we dream BIG for God. Often, we can get trapped in the mundane routine of life with our busy schedules. God is calling us to more than just our daily routines. He is calling us to something greater than ourselves, a purpose beyond our understanding. He wants to use His people to show His power and glory.

 But in dreaming big for God, it is also important that we be Spirit led. We can sometimes have good intentions by wanting to do huge things for God, but we shouldn't be doing those things from our own self. A few times recently, I felt God stirring my heart to step out and do some big things. I was all ready to go across the world, start a rescue home, or team up with other missionaries. But God had other plans. It's not that those things may never happen, but He wanted me to step out in my local community and within the walls of my own home right now. 

It's important that we follow big dreams He places on our heart, but it's more important that we stay in tune with His leading and focused on His call. It's not always about WHAT we do or HOW BIG we do it.....it's about how OBEDIENT we are to what God asks of us.  Stay true to those heart callings. What a joy and blessing to be a part of His beautiful plan. 

He is Greater!! 

Dreams & Blessings

This image was taken with my iphone.

Is there a dream on your heart that has not come to fruition? We often have our own expectations of how that dream should come about. Many times as we set aside our own expectations, God reveals that HIS plan for that dream on our heart is beyond our wildest expectations and it may stretch us to live beyond ourself to give more to the world that He has entrusted us with. I personally know that it's a tough journey. But as we trust more in God, we realize that there is way more joy and beauty in His plan than there ever could be in our own plan.

"so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

Maybe there's a dream we're not waiting for anymore. We were blessed in abundance! Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone when God asks more of us within the realm of that blessing?

"When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." Luke 12:48

Be The Voice

It wasn't just a camera....

The camera that my friend gave to me over a year ago was a gift beyond what I would imagine. As I started a journey in photography, I prayed that every "click" would bring glory to God.  I had no idea it would bring me to this place. 

My heart is heavy for oppressed children all around the world, especially children that are being sold into slavery through human trafficking.  When I prayed to God asking how I could help, He said GIVE. Give to organizations that seek to prevent, rescue, and restore these beautiful lives.  When I knew my husband and I didn't have the finances, I asked God how I could raise the money to give.  That is when he laid on my heart to start the Portraits of LOVE fundraiser.

I had the opportunity to do many photo shoots with friends of mine...and I still have more to do this fall!  I am so thankful to all the families that supported this fundraiser!  These are some of the children from the photo shoots. Every penny from the fundraiser will go to organizations that fight against human trafficking.  

This summer my heart was heavy again and I knew there was something more that God wanted me to do to fight against this injustice.  As I prayed to God, He told me to start a ministry in the community that brings awareness to human trafficking and empowers others to be a voice of hope. 

So Be The Voice was started.  I will be launching it officially in January, but I am preparing and promoting during these next few months. You can find us on facebook Be The Voice and on Twitter @BeTheVoice30. 

So you see, it wasn't just a camera. It was a tool that God used to stir my heart for a greater cause.  It was a tool that will bring hope and restoration to many precious lives.

God wants to stretch us beyond ourselves to build His kingdom.  Don't underestimate the resources that He has put before you.  "Together, change can happen...together, hope will rise." 

Season of Refreshing

I absolutely love the Spring season!  Sunshine, fresh air, windows open, birds chirping, green grass, flowers blooming, new animals being born, and a sign that warmer weather is on it's way.  

This season refreshes my spirit like no other.  Yes, it reminds me how God is growing me and changing me.  One of my favorite verses says it all..."See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

But it's so much more than the new things He is doing in and through my life.  Yes, that's a very beautiful thing to be a part of......to be a part of His divine plan.  It's about my heart and soul being refreshed simply because HE IS GOD.  

Because as my eyes see the colors appearing from the earth, precious life being born from His creation, hearing the sound of birds giving praise to their Maker, feeling the fresh breeze of wind on my face, and smelling the sweet aroma of blossoms in the rain......

...all these things remind me that through the joys and through the tears of life....I am in awe of who He is as my Creator.  I choose to praise Him not based on how my life is going, but simply because HE IS GOD.  When I acknowledge who He is and all that I am is because of Him...

...it is then that I am refreshed with His joy.

"Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:1

Portraits of LOVE

I will be doing a fundraiser this year to raise money for a few organizations that help orphans and help fight against human trafficking (mainly sex trafficking).  It's so awesome to look back from my first post on this blog about getting started with my photography journey and how I wanted it all to bring honor to God. 

There are over 153 million orphans worldwide.

There are over 27 million people worldwide in bondage from human trafficking.  

My heart has been heavily burdened by these statistics.  I asked God how He wanted me to help.  I really wanted to help on-hands with an organization that is working for these two causes. I would adopt a child this very second if I could, but due to finances....I wait for God's perfect timing.  God said, "I want you to give. For now, I want you to give to support these ministries."  

He showed me how I can use my photography to raise money to support these three organizations:

Show Hope www.showhope.org

Project Rescue www.projectrescue.com

Starfish Project www.starfish-project.com

I encourage you to check out these websites to learn more about each ministry!  I will be doing photo shoots this year, and every single penny will go to support these three organizations.  

God's been challenging me to live beyond myself. My heart says, "I want to save the world!" Maybe He has something bigger in store for me to do down the road, but for now, God tells me to be a voice and to give.  It's not always about WHAT we do or HOW BIG we do it.....it's about how OBEDIENT we are to what God asks of us.  

Please keep the "Portraits of LOVE" fundraiser in your prayers this year and please continue to pray for all the orphans and many lives that are victims of slavery.  Ask God how He would have you help with these causes.

Brooklyn Bridge

Not many words for this blog....just images. I absolutely love the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The architecture is simply breathtaking. 

Merry Christmas

I had lots of fun experimenting with Christmas lights this season.  These are a few shots that have our tree in the background.  

I love this book by Max Lucado, One Incredible Moment.  It brings out the essence of the Christmas season, the celebration of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  There is a great quote in the book by Oswald Chambers...

 "God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me.  He expects my personal life to be a 'Bethlehem.'  Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God?  God's ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me."

By allowing my life to be a "Bethlehem," I welcome Christ to be the center of my life as I strive to honor Him in shining His love to others.  Let us continue to allow the essence of Christmas, the message of our Messiah, transform our hearts and inspire our daily lives to bring glory to our God! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am beyond blessed and so very thankful for many things this year! Thanks to God for His love and grace in my life! Life brings ups & downs, but God has been such a Rock and Healer to me.  I am so thankful for my amazing husband!  He is such a huge support and encouragement to me and brings so much joy to my life.  I am thankful for family and friends, laughter, and deep conversations.  

In my photography journey, I am so extremely thankful for my husband, family, and friends who have expressed so much support and encouragement along the way.  You all keep me growing....keep me inspired....and keep me pressing onward! This journey has been so much more than just taking pictures....it's been a special part of healing in my life.   

I've noticed we, as humans, have a hard time of not complaining and being thankful for all that God has done for us.  We get so wrapped up in our daily routine, desire of "things" and our human expectations on life and others.  We tend to lose sight of what's truly important.  

May we all slow down, love more deeply, cherish life & loved ones, talk to God more, live more passionately, and remember that every breath we take is a beautiful gift from above.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

My First Photo Shoot!

I had my first photo shoot this month! There were definitely some things I learned along the way, but it was so much fun!  I did the shoot for some dear friends of mine from college. It was such a beautiful day at a local park that we went to.  

I didn't have much equipment...just my Nikon D40 and 50mm f/1.8 lens.  This experience was such a blessing!  It "got me out there" and stretched me in my photography journey.  Several months ago, I would have been scared crazy to attempt a photo shoot...with real people! Ha ha! :)  But now, I can't wait to do another one! 

I am so thankful to my husband, my photog friends and my other friends for so much support and encouragement along the way! You all truly help me to keep on trying, keep on growing, and never give up.  

Living On Purpose

God has been growing me immensely with the powerful impact of "living on purpose."  Abiding in His presence, showing love in all situations, being thankful in all circumstances, expressing my creativity to bring Him worship, and using my joys AND struggles to bring honor to His name.   

My husband and I met up with our friend at a local hot air balloon launch a few weeks ago to get some fun shots.  It was a blast!  I feel like photography has branched me out of my comfort zone to do a little more exploring.  It wasn't Mount Everest, but it was something new.  We probably never would have gone seeking out a hot air balloon launch before our photography journey.  It has pushed us to think outside the box and explore even our local area a little more.  While in these new explorations, we create fun memories and cherish life in the moment.....the moment God has given us.  

Are you tired?...Are you always "busy?"....Do you feel bored with life?  Be encouraged to find rest in God's presence today, to slow down, to cherish every moment, to make some new explorations, and to be grateful for all that comes your way.  Your life has so much value!  You were created for more than the busyness of life....you were created for purpose.  

White Balance

White balance can extremely change the feel of your photo.  I learned this the hard way as I forgot to put it on the correct setting when we were at the beach over Labor Day weekend.  I had it on the Incandescent setting from earlier when I was experimenting with shots inside our home.  I took these shots and it was too bright outside to notice the coloring on the screen. After we drove away is when I found out my beach shots were all BLUE!!!

Thankfully, we have the amazing technology through photo editing that I could change the white balance accordingly. So I am now a happy girl because my beach shots have a normal hue to them! Ha ha! :)

Letting More Light In

This photo might not look like much, but it represents a lot to me.  We were in Philly with some friends on Sunday to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Franklin Institute.  After the exhibit, we walked outside to go to our car. However, we got distracted and started shooting & experimenting.

I was already used to shooting in shutter speed mode and aperture mode, but this was my first day of shooting completely in manual mode, where you set everything individually.  When I first started taking this shot, it was very blurry and extremely dark (because it was very dark outside).  I played around with the ISO and shutter speed and it still wouldn't work. I showed my husband and asked him what else I should do. He asked me if my aperture was set low. Thinking my aperture was already low, I looked and saw that it was set pretty high. Silly me!!! I put my aperture on the lowest setting, and voila!....this is the shot that I got. 

This reminds me of my relationship with God.  Lowering the aperture setting on a camera allows more light to the image sensor, which in this situation created a beautiful picture instead of a blurry mess.  There are things in my life (pride, fear, insecurity, etc.) that I need to lower to allow God's light into my heart and mind, so that He can continue to grow me as His beautiful masterpiece. 

Where Your Heart Is Leading You...

My husband is so supportive of me and my heart! He spontaneously suggested we go check out a local park  the other evening to take some pictures.  This shot was taken while we were walking around.  It was the perfect time of day. 

I read a quote on facebook the other day..."Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about discovering who God created you to be."  We often try to make it through this life on our own effort or change ourselves to be "something else."  We were created to bring glory to God by using the passions that He blessed each of us with.  But what do you do when that passion is either put on hold for the time being or is in the "unknown" category due to situations that are out of your control?...or what do you do when you feel like your time is up and it's too late to dive into that passion this late in life?...or what do you do if you're not sure what your passion is?

What do you do?....you dig deeper.

Colby Brown, a professional photographer, posted some great words on his page the other day....
"Often times I come across individuals that feel so lost, they don't know where to begin. If you find yourself in this situation you should think of it as an opportunity to embrace the freedom with your choices moving forward, rather than dwell on feeling lost in the chaos of life."
How did he become the Director of Photography for the largest travel website in the world?
"Passion, drive, persistence and an openness to take advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves to me as I moved forward through life. When in doubt...always be moving forward, you never know where you might end up..."

This is great inspiration!  When I felt like I was at a wall in my life, I started digging deeper and asking God how I could still use my life to glorify Him.  I always loved taking pictures and had an interest in photography. Ever since my friend gave me his old camera.....my heart has been stirring with passion once again.  I have so much to learn and so much to grow, but I will move forward...one day at a time...one image at a time.

I encourage you to dig deeper in your own heart and find that passion that God has given you. It's not too late.....there's more within you.
If you are a photographer, I encourage you to find new ways to use this gift and this passion to bring honor to God.  After all....it's because of Him.

Clicks & Fresh Perspectives

My hubby was at a work meeting tonight so I decided to go to a local park and have fun with our new camera.  It was so peaceful and relaxing as I walked around taking some nice shots of the trees and flowers.  

As I was clicking away, I realized that every picture I take can become an act of worship. With so many "unknowns" and "uncertainties" in our life right now, I feel like taking pictures is a way for me to express my heart to God.  There are other passions on my heart that have either been put on hold or are in the "unknown" category right now.  I would often get discouraged...because after all, the passions on our heart are the reason for our existence....to bring glory to God!  

So I started considering other passions that I could live out for God. I've always loved taking pictures and I always wanted to get more into photography, but it was just extra money that we didn't have at the time.  Wonderful friends of ours gave us their old camera this summer and words can not express how much of a blessing it has been.  It has stirred up the creative passion within me to get more into photography. My heart hopes to learn more, become better with the art, and start my own photography business in the future.   Every landscape shot soaks in the beauty of His creation and reminds me how much of His love is all around me.  Every portrait and animal shot is a way to capture those precious moments in life that we often take for granted.  They remind me of all the blessings in life. 

I also love that my husband enjoys photography too! It is a great hobby for us to enjoy together. As I embark on this new photography journey, I pray that every click I make becomes an act of worship and brings glory to God!