Eternal Weight of Glory

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you." -2 Corinthians 4:7-12


How easily we forget. There is a PURPOSE to persecution. A PURPOSE to affliction. Not to bring about strength in our mortal bodies... not to buffet our ever decaying flesh- but to manifest the life and power of CHRIST! How easily we are overtaken by the simple occurrences that we "do not deserve". Who am I to turn away the opportunity to shine in the strength of my Lord? Who am I to decline a more intimate relationship with Him for the purpose of my COMFORT?!


I forgot this week. I became discouraged. I was weighed down by "momentary light affliction" that I could have embraced for the purpose of an ETERNAL weight of glory. Do not find yourself in the same position. You will miss out on the ultimate PRIZE. 


Have a blessed Saturday, beloved friends. 

To Write

Why did I ever stop writing? There is freedom and release at the tip of the pen. How easily I forget what is important to chase after those things that will soon fade. Technology wraps me in it’s tight hold and begs to become my all… my savior. It’s ever-growing and takes a constant effort to keep up… but the simple miracle of a pen and paper is an ageless commodity.

Perhaps, I will start again. Rebirth. Rejuvenation.
Take that journal everywhere with you, dear girl… and don’t lose sight of the gift of expression. Your thoughts are a treasure that will come and go as does the summer wind… seize the opportunity to pour out pieces of yourself and fill the pages with wonder. Someday, tomorrow even, you will be someone different. Everyday evokes a change… and you will not remember who you were just 24 hours ago. But… you can capture that person on paper. Speak of inspiration… love… the simple devotion of following the Savior… even the hearts deepest cries. That voice will mature, and the young girl that once was will grow into something new. She will be lost forever if not for the life on paper.

Renewed Gratitude

"Yesterday was glorious. To some, it would seem like just another Wednesday... but when you're attending a church where there's no doubt of what you're called to do, it's like an adventure everytime. The Lord has brought 15+ teenagers into my life that have changed my world in so many ways. To be able to stand behind a microphone and hear their voices singing to the Lord is... incredible. They are gifts... truly. To be able to walk beside them and be a part of their lives is so far beyond what I deserve."

I wrote this in October, 2006. I think about this post from time to time and remember exactly where I was and how I felt when I wrote it. My heart was filled with intense gratitude. Now, five and a half years later, I am once again filled with gratitude. Not a moment spent with them is ordinary. The Lord, because of His awesome grace, has granted the opportunity to be a part of the lives of these teenagers, and it leaves my heart in complete awe.

Morning View

I open my back door in the fall, and the sky is bursting with color.
 

"It was very good..."

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

He understands the cry of my spirit. The longing that I reveal to so few. Each fiber of my being absolutely yearns to get out- to experience. How much of that adventure can I desire before it becomes coveting what I do not have? Should I simply settle within the season in which I find myself, and not "explore... dream... discover"?

I went with family to watch Avatar yesterday, and it ignited the fire in me all the more to see worlds that I have yet to see. Pandora, for some, stoked depression. "Our world will never be that good. That perfect. That beautiful." I'm sorry but... are you blind? My Father is not captured within human limitations as is James Cameron. Just imagine what He is capable of creating. It didn't bring me down in the least bit. Instead of watching creativity across the big screen, I want to view it at it's peak.

Sit under a sky delicately painted with His stars. Watch a blazing sun rise out of the early morning sky. Stand so close to the edge of a cliff that I can feel my heart beating in my throat. Feel the rush of water below my feet and know... my God created this. My passionate God was inspired by a black void to create something so spectacular that it steals my breath. Not simply in Ohio. There's an entire world out there that my God made beautiful with a word.

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." -Gen. 1:31

Photo Shoot Updates

Chod C.- Senior Photos





Delong Family- Children's Portraits




Denius Family- Family Portraits




Gentry G.- Headshots




Anna H.- 2009 Riding Competition




Alex L.- Senior Photos




Spencer Family- Family Portraits

Question

I wonder how much of a routine person one can be without becoming boring. What do you think? Are you a routine individual or more on the spontaneous side? Do you prefer to spend time with one type of person over the other?