Photos in the Afternoon

I took my lovely roomie, Amy Ahrens, on a photo shoot this afternoon. She's such a good sport! She hates dressing up, but she did it for me! I haven't edited these yet, so they are straight out of the camera. I just wanted to share! Enjoyed the challenge of this shoot. Enjoy!

This is one of the shots where Amy couldn't stop laughing, I love getting her in that comfortable place because it makes some great photos. 

This one and the two below I have titled the River Dance because she was interpretive dancing with the flowers before we went into the river. 

I made her get in the middle of the water because I love the serenity of it. I follow a photographer that often does this with her subjects to see what they will do. Interesting I must say. 

At this point the chair started sinking, so we had to get creative. Loved this shot that I caught. I've called it the Wading Act. 

The Sojourner 

This was really just a shot I got while adjusting my camera. I wouldn't use it for reprint, but I think it's Amy just acting crazy, so I wanted to share. 

I think she looks a little like Jane Goodall here

The Still Small Reminder

Body image is something I struggle with a lot, and if you are a woman I would assume that you have the same struggle. Our struggles may not be the same when it comes to image, but it's still an image issue. Recently I have been reminded of how much it is us just wanting to please the world, it's us not thinking we're good enough, not seeing us as loved and I could go on and on. I was reminded by a great friend of what one woman said over the summer, "Really God looks at the heart, he doesn't get caught up, and he looks at the real you." Not the person we put on, not the person we compare ourself to and defiantly not the person we see ourselves as. I read a blog post today that I needed to hear- truth. Recently the struggle has been greater, and this post reminded me that we are small and God is the I AM. He's not the person that you have coffee everyday, He's not human and He's not who we often make Him out to be. Here's a little excerpt from the blog I read...
I say: “Nobody really loves me.” God says:I love you. (John 3:16) 
I say: “I can’t figure things out.” God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6 & Proverbs 16:9)                                                   
I  say: “It’s not worth it.” God says: It will be worth it. (Romans 8:28) 
I say: “I can’t forgive myself.” God says: I FORGIVE YOU!(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1) 
I say: “I can’t manage.” God says: I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) 
I say: “I’m not smart enough.” God says: I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30) 
I say: “I feel all alone.” God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13.5)   

I needed to hear some of those truths this morning as a reminder that God is the one I need to look to in all things, find myself in Him, my image in Him, my future in Him because He is the I AM. 

Spring Fever

Well it's that time again. The last 8 weeks is the hardest for me to handle during the spring semester because I really want to be outside. Today I have office hours, so I am dreaming about hiking and being in the woods. 8 weeks will end soon, and when they are done this girls is done with school! It's weird because school is something that I have done every year in the same way since I was 5. Now I'm 21. WHOA! A lot of people have been asking me the one question we all get asked at this stage, 'What are you going to do with your life?' It's funny because I thought right now I would be finishing up application stuff to go over seas and live in a foreign country for 2 years, that was up until last September when God really halted me in that process. That started this long journey that I am still on, and I am realizing more and more of what a privilege it is. I have applied for a few jobs, applied for an internship in Africa and even started raising money to go on another trip to Africa. However, none of those things were what God has for me to do. You may be asking what that is exactly, and to be honest I have no clue. I do know 3 things though- I love people, I want to make their story be known and most of all I want to tell them about Jesus. For a while I walked around feeling lost about what was going on in my life-because after all I'm supposed to have it all together right? I mean I did go to college.- But, I've realized this is a learning opportunity. God is allowing me to learn more about His spirit, He's allowing be to learn more about what it means to truly follow and abide in Him. I'm a people pleaser so sometimes not having the answer is the hardest part for me, but I have been learning that if I'm not having the faith that God will show me in His timing then I don't really believe He can do it. How ridiculous right!? Along the way I've held close to some things like James 1.2-4 "Consider it pure joy my brothers when ever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith will develop perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be more mature and complete not lacking anything." What wonderful words-not lacking anything. I read 2 things yesterday that have put this whole journey into a perspective. One was in John 1. 27 where it says "the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." and then the second thing was also in John by it was in chapter 2. It's where Jesus tells the Jews want a sign to show who he really is and he says to destroy the temple and he will raise in 3 days. It goes onto say the disciples remembered this time after Christ's resurrection. It says after remembering this they believed the scriptures and what Jesus had said. It struck me because in the chapter before these men started to leave everything, but they really didn't believe or fully understand until after the resurrection. 3 years! I was just amazed and struck by that point. (it's always interesting how sometimes we can read something over and over but the Holy Spirit impresses upon us different pieces at different times. Awesome!) That's where I'm at right now. I'm following Jesus, and I believe what the word says and what I know to be true right now, but I am just following blindly. I don't know my next step but God does. He knows the outcome, and He is so far ahead of me that I can't even imagine what He's doing. It's my job to be obedient in the day and continue to do what I know I have been called to, follow at all costs. When I'm uncomfortable have faith and follow, when it seems like things have changed have faith and follow, I could go on, but I think you get the point. So, I'm in deep spring fever both spiritually and physically. However, I am learning a lot, and I'm thankful for it.