Wednesday, 03 June 2009

• She's alive...

  Five photography jobs, over 18 hours of shooting and several thousand images later... Kristi is alive! Yay Jesus!

   

  What a weekend. Let's just say that it is best for Kristi not to have more than two photo shoots in one weekend, let alone four. Wow. God was so good, providing just enough energy and everything I needed. It was hard, it wasn't easy. Many moments of wondering what on earth I was doing, also falling into the loosing-sleep-pattern again, and staying up late downloading pictures so I could clear my memory cards for the next shoot the next day... ah yes. The abundant life!

   

  Currently, I have been pretty much glued to the computer since Monday afternoon as I begin to sort through, edit, upload and download all these images. The editing is what takes the longest. Most people forget that fact. They think photographers just shoot images for a couple of hours and then edit for an hour and throw them on a disk... um, nope. Grab a glass of lemonade, water and maybe snacks put on some lively music or even play a video to listen to, settle down in the desk chair and click away...

   

  Meanwhile, lest you think my entire life has only consisted of photography, I feel I must share some things that the Lord has been showing and teaching me lately. Sometimes, almost randomly, I will open up a book of the bible and just start skimming it looking for verses that pop out at me. This week, it was Isaiah and it exploded. Verse after verse... I couldn't write fast enough:

   

  "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
         "and my servant whom I have chosen,
         so that you may know and believe me
         and understand that I am he.
         Before me no god was formed,
         nor will there be one after me.

  Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
         No one can deliver out of my hand.
         When I act, who can reverse it?

  I, even I, am he who blots out
         your transgressions, for my own sake,
         and remembers your sins no more.”

   

  - Isaiah 43:10, 13, 25

    

  “I make known the end from the beginning,
         from ancient times, what is still to come.
         I say: My purpose will stand,
         and I will do all that I please.”

   

  -Isaiah 46:10

   

  Overwhelming love.  

  Unspeakable goodness.

  Indescribable faithfulness.

   

  How does one begin? So often life just seems to move on without letting us take pauses and realize all that God is doing in our lives. Even amid the business of life lately, I have had an overwhelming sense of these attributes of God. Specific answers to prayer have been one of the most amazing things to me. Short prayers, quick prayers, desperate prayers… and He answered! Sometimes exactly how I was hoping, others not quite so much, but He answered. Keeping rain away. Providing perfect timing, windows of time for lunch, phone calls from friends at the right moment. Giving grace, creativity, ideas and energy. Protecting all my driving time, equipment and health.

   

  Being involved in so many details of life at the moment, it is so easy to get caught up in the little things and forget about the big pictures. He has been gently reminding me of His will, giving me a desire to know Him more, serve more, delight more, trust more.... refocusing my vision. It has been something I have almost wanted to put off…. Vision for the future. The next step. Making decisions. The bend in the road. Thoughts of: What could the Lord have for me around the corner... never leave my mind, but when one is occupied with things, you can quite easily shove them to the way side and say you will get to them later. However, the feeling of question and doubt still can loom about, when thinking of what the future holds and how to start to take those next steps. So thinking a few of those kinds of thoughts this verse in Isaiah was a comfort to my heart:

   

  This is what the LORD says—
         your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
         "I am the LORD your God,
         who teaches you what is best for you,
         who directs you in the way you should go.

   

  -Isaiah 48:17

   

   He always knows best. It simply comes down to trust. Which sadly, is not always so simple. My job is to trust Him. Obey His word and allow Him to lead and guide. Sometimes that means waiting. Waiting is hard for me. I want to go, get things done, accomplish, move ahead, progress... and more often than not, He asks me to wait. I could fret and fear. Worry and wonder. Moan and mumble. However, from past experience (thank you Lord, for growth) it is always best to trust. Never have I trusted Him and been let down or disappointed. It has been painful, it has been hard and difficult... but it has always been worth it. Trusting Him is always best and yes, it is a choice. Not an emotion.

   

  There will be more to come on what the Lord has been showing me. I told a friend last night that journaling has been impossible of late, because I can't even begin to sort out my thoughts of all that is happening. Good things. Hard things. Growing things.

   

  "Love is not Christ's making much of us or making life easy.

  Love is doing what He must do, at great cost to Himself (and often to us),

  to enable us to enjoy making much of Him forever." - John Piper

   

  -KM

   

   

  Saturday's pictures:

   

  I was honored to be able to photography Ben and Suzy's wedding pictures. Not only are they an incredibly stunning couple, they have hearts that love the Lord and radiate His grace through their lives. It was a weekend of pictures... lots and lots of pictures. Saturday was portraits and Sunday for the bridal party pictures and the reception. What a privilege it was to be a part of their special weekend and spend time with such dear friends as the Zellers and their precious family. ♥

   

  God was so good to provide patience, ideas and overall cooperation. He blessed the lighting pretty much right when it was needed and clouds when they were needed. I kinda felt like the Israelites being led by a cloud and the sun. *grin* As always, I learned so much and am still in awe of how God works through my mistakes and stumbling.

   

  So these are a few favorites from Saturday of just Suzy and Ben, more to come as the editing process is completed. For more of the two of them you can go here. 

   

      

   

      

   

   

  

   

   

      

   

   

  

   

   

      

   

   

  

   

   

  

   

   

      

   

      

   

   

  

   

   

  

   

  

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