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“We have insulated ourselves from miracles. We no longer live with such reckless faith that we need them… If we get sick, we go to a doctor. If we need food, we go to the store and buy it. We’ve eliminated the need for miracles.” {Shane Claiborne} “We say things like, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’… and then we live and plan like we don’t believe God even exists. We try to set up our lives so everything will be fine even if God doesn’t come through.” {Francis Chan} “But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God’s fidelity to His promises.” {Chan} I have to ask myself, what in my life would turn out to be a disaster if God didn’t come through? Is there anything in my life that is requiring me to put my total trust in Him, and just jump?I say I trust Him, but do my actions and my plans and my dreams show that I do?
Read MoreThere is so much I could write about this congress. I’d really like to share some of the stuff God did there, but I think it might have to wait until a later post (or posts!). For now I’m just going to share pictures. A quick synopsis of what Call2All is, and what went on during the week. I’m also including pictures of The Call with Lou Engle (to find out more about The Call, and upcoming events go to www.thecall.com ) “Call2all is a worldwide movement calling the church to a renewed, focused collaborative effort to complete the Great Commission.” – Call2All Website {click here and visit it for more info} Call2All is an umbrella organization that’s aim is to bring Christian ministries from around the world together to network and work together, so that efforts aren’t be duplicated and there is access to every ones unique talents, gifts, tools etc. It’s called a Congress (in place of a conference) because it’s not just an event where delegates come and listen, it’s much more interactive than that. Over 600 people from over 40 different nations attended. Every morning there were “round table sessions” where everyone would come together around tables and hear a speaker talk about a certain un-reached people group, a ministry technique or something along those…
Read MoreThe white bus with blue and red stars, tinted windows and the name “The Friendly Rider” drove quietly through the small town. The slogan under the innocent name proclaimed “an easy way to get from here to there”. The sun was sinking on the horizon, signaling the end of the calm summer evening. The only sounds were an occasional car as it drove by, and a dog barking a few blocks away. A tired girl sat on the bench on the corner of 6th and Illinois Ave. She’d had a long day at work, and she had an even longer walk home. Her black shoes hurt her feet, but were a requirement on the job. Just then the Friendly Rider pulled up the curb. She wasn’t at a bus stop, and she hadn’t waved them down, but the bus ground to a stop alongside her. She’d never taken the bus before, but tonight she thought, “sure, why not?” She didn’t pay much attention to the driver as the doors slowly folded open and she reached in her purse to find her fare. She mumbled her destination and made her way to the third row, vaguely noticing the absence of other passengers, other than an older lady in the very back, and plopped down on the seat. The girl reached…
Read MoreElevators. Why were they invented? I understand that sometimes they are useful, but more often they are just plain awkward. I just spend ten days in hotel that only had stairs in case of a fire emergency. Needless to say I had lots of experience riding elevators. The more I rode, the more I wished for a set of stairs, even if that meant being out of breath and taking a little longer to reach my room. I still haven’t figured out the proper way to act in an elevator. Do you engage the people in there with you? Or do you pretend to stare intently at the screen and watch the floor numbers change? Is it rude to make small talk, or is it rude to pretend that they’re not there? Both ways can be equally awkward. Like when the older man in the elevator started making slightly unnerving remarks about how beautiful our eyes were when we still had multiple floors to go. Or when you ride nine floors down with the big guy who is wearing gold chains and has tattoos that doesn’t say a word when you get in. If you do start a conversation, it’s always rudely interrupted by the elevator doors opening, but if you don’t start one…. the time feels like forever.…
Read MoreI think this is one of my favorite shoots from this year. It was just for fun, but the light was insane, and the girls are so beautiful! Way to be models Gab and Maddie. :) Love you two!
Read MoreIt’s taken me a long time to get these up… but I did this extended family earlier this fall, and they are a bunch of fun people! \
Read MoreThese families are going to be coming to the blog soon!!
Read MoreThe girl waited impatiently to leave the plane. She stood in the isle with her backpack slung across one shoulder and her suitcase at her feet. She pulled at the neck of her Twins sweatshirt and shifted. Thoughts flashed through her brain, ‘was this really a good idea?’ she second guessed herself. Eventually the line started moving and everything went from the quiet calm on the plane to busy people rushing here and there, the sound of roller bags on the linoleum, here and there a different language. The girl briefly wished she wasn’t wearing a sweatshirt and tennis shoes in the California airport, but the thought was interrupted by the sound of her name. “You’re here!” Hugs, parking lots and cars followed, then two years’ worth of catching up. It didn’t take long to skip the small stuff and jump right into what God had been doing in their lives, but still the quiet doubts lingered. The next day the two found themselves in San Diego, looking for a gelato shop in the midst of all the crazy ComicCon goers. After enjoying cappuccino flavored gelato they ventured up the outside staircase to find the bathrooms. Laughing and talking as the followed the sign the pushed open the door and stopped when they realized it was a single bathroom. “Ummm, go…
Read MoreAhh, I’m in LA! Crazy story, but basically God provided a way, and pushed me along to this. :D It’s so exciting. I just decided on Tuesday afternoon that I was coming, and we arrived yesterday morning. Today we start training for Call2All. Basically we’re volunteering for a global congress, where Christian ministries and leaders from over 100 nations are coming together to strategize and collaborate to fulfill the Great Commission, to reach the rest of the world with the gospel of Christ. Me, my sister Amy, and two of my aunts are here for ten days. I’m not exactly sure what we’ll all be doing, but it looks like I’ll be taking pictures, since the coordinater told me that the photographer had to cancel due to a surgery. So, anyone who would like to pray, would be awesome! If you could pray for the Congress it’self, that God would be there, that He would direct the plans and actions of everyone. That the volunteers would be organized, that everything gets worked out. For us, that we would stay healthy, and focused on God and serving Him rather than ourselves. Thank you! Here’s the website if you’d like to find out a little more about it! http://call2all.org/Groups/1000075743/Call2All/Events/Call2All_Global_Congress/Call2All_Global_Congress.aspx
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Hi, I'm Kelley, a MN portrait and wedding photographer located in the greater Brainerd Lakes Area. Welcome to my photography blog!