[R:] set 3 >sunday<

[R:] Sunday
(life details to be updated soon….)

[R:] set 2 >saturday<

Resolved day 2:

Saturday’s hype is always a thrill to be around. The crowds are thrilled to be there and you can see on everyone’s face the fever of spiritual hunger. One of my favorite parts of shooting the conference is when I stand in the lobby to shoot candids of everyone waiting for the doors to open. It makes my day when people look into the camera from across the room to make a funny face or to wave to the camera.

I feed off the energy and excitement of groups and individuals who know how to laugh and relax in even uncomfortable and confining areas and schedules. Here’s your hint for the year- If you want to be in my candid section of resolved photos next year, here’s all you have to do: Smile…&/or laugh. I usually stand with my back against the greatest light source in the room and screen the room for all the people who are DELIGHTING in light ☺. I call it “smile hunting”- it will make my day to see you enjoying the precious air of life and laughter, and you will most likely be on my blog (that is…if you want to be?)

Speaking of enjoying life… to it’s fullest- Enfield.
Saturday night was the Enfield concert. I was up and down, and in the front and back during different times of the concert, but I can say that for their last song or two I was completely captivated by the overflowing energy, and elation of each band member as they worshipped with every lively pore of their souls.

A highlight for me-not only for Saturday alone, but for the ENTIRE weekend- was watching David, Ryan, and Paul play off each other during the end of their performance. I tried to capture just a little bit of the passion and fun that they were having with each other, but I have to say- there was nothing liking seeing the thrill and smiles on their faces that night.

Alright enough… enjoy.

(Sunday and Monday will be posted in as few days as possible… we’ll see)

Resolved Conference [R:] set 1 >friday<

There’s so much I need to say…

Resolved:
The following images are the start of Resolved Conference weekend just a few short weekends ago- Friday night.
This conference was very different for me from the many previous I have had the privilege of being a part of. I experienced and lived many new lessons (not necessarily regarding the speakers-naturally), definitely new challenges, and no doubt- unfamiliar levels of experiential and soul delight- life.
I hope to share my heart more on these aspects of weekend as I go through the different days of the conference.
Unfortunately, I can’t say much about the first evening for shortage of time.

I know-for those of you who check regularly-you have come up very disappointed with my lack of updates. Well, this has been an intense summer…year. In short… thank you for your prayers…

All to say, stay tuned for the following:

Resolve: Saturday, Sunday, & Monday
Woman’s Spring Event- Conference
Gabrielle- Senior
Bree- Senior
Shelly & Aaron- 1 Ring
…and Definitely more

I was having fun capturing the energy of the action of the finely skilled camera guys

climb to humble laughter…

If you’re not familiar with the experience, than no doubt you will still be able to identify by allegory the hard work and grind involved in climbing a cliff side or mountain…only to reach the top and be grasped with that delicious…yet, unquenchable element of fear upon arrival of the height of the edge—with full breath of the massive horizon expanded beyond.

The full experience—preparation, time, strength, and devotion—all eclipse into what would seem to be an opposite revelation from what was expected or anticipated. The expected enlightenment and release are not felt immediately, but rather, even if for just the time span of a breath—fear invades both body and spirit. Curiously, an awkward bind stings at the heart as a new reminder that the bottom of your mountain is now…down… and there is no longer any height to be obtained.

There is no more room for expansion on that one hilltop. Experience brought sight, sight brought fear, and fear extinguished the freedom of accomplishment. Nowhere greater than in this place, and at this moment would the height of accomplishment place the heart into such a low and insignificant ditch of elementary perception. Who knew that the very accomplishment that so much life, heart, and time (regardless of its length or intensity) would be so invested in, could resolve in such a level of…fear?

Tediously speaking, typically a prominent individual of society lives to be the senior in his field of expertise or class, yet once he gets there… Once I get here…

By illustration: During an enjoyably monotonous moment at work today, I became trances in a brief compassionate connection with two elderly men who, while surrounded by young college students, greeted each other with a “so-long” embrace across the room from me… I felt the same connection with a vibrant young high school girl the night prior… Who knew that the very accomplishment that so much life, heart, and time— whether here with the short, fresh years of high school, during the rugged terrain of college life, or to the extent of a full life time of blended trial and error—would be so invested in, could resolve in such levels of…

The young girl I conversed with feared the exodus of her high school years… It took her three years of experience to gain that fear. The elderly men I found myself (now oddly) identifying myself with must have seen so many individuals reach the expanse of their own mountain tops…never to be seen again, leaving these two men only to fear, without advice from the experience of the trained, how to gain death… It took these men an entire lifetime of experience to gain…fear.

The relation I have placed myself in—between the vibrant young and the seasoned aged—is of not much more value other than that of a further evolved question. If for the adventurous—whose fear lies in a life of stagnation—what is the goal and victory in striving higher—faster—and greater onward and upward if the finish to be obtained promises the very thing being escaped from through the experience—fear? Height and experience strengthen the nerves, and grows the heart, but by significantly purposed design, all is resolved in a finish of sheer enlightened humility.

Hmmm… hahaha… how did I miss this? If experience—even the grandest height of experience—produces fear—and in proper turn—humility, then the beautiful conclusion of full heart-pounding release is that the traveler climbs NOT for the building up of his OWN grandeur and magnificence, but with far greater anticipation to reach a better, indefinable thrill of an unattainable Deity.

Every step—in fullest experience through both physical restriction and strengthening inspiration—bring on an entirely new and enhanced view of the always-expanding horizon. Every step of gained experience significantly decreases the traveler in size and significance—YET, hahaha, with the decrease in significance comes an increase of enjoyment—free of charge.

Life is consumed in a satisfying fullness of every breath, and all is resolved not in excellence of man, but in glorious contrast to this—humility… laughter.

Now, tiny feet graze the peak of drive and devotion—experience in full…at least for this mountain…

Chapters and seasons conclude in not the magnificence of the traveler, but in the expounded praise of a thankful and undeserving soul for the ever-increasing perspective and view of the One who supplies the walls of the endless horizon.

Yes trials, thorns, broken bones and scares infect the climb, but by it, only a greater acceleration of personal insignificance occurs. And again, the greater the insignificance of self, the great the life, beautiful, and magnificence is to be found in the thrill and indescribable breadth of the travel…and more so in its completion… and even more so in the very designer, molder, and craftsman of the mountain, and path itself.

Your perspective, body, and heart has been transformed between the clefts of the rock… As you continue to reach, you bound to the top… where is fear?

Ben & Emily 1 Ring

Dear friends,
It has been a long time…
I have pages and pages of blog material about this world and life that I have experienced and learned just waiting to be released and expressed through the simple characters of type… as well as hard drives filled with images that are awaiting the world..(wide web ). Well, all in progress! Don’t loose hope in me… the cages of what has been captured cannot be contained…

First release:

Ben and Emily… are hilarious.
As you will see, Ben is pretty… strong… and Emily =) adorably dainty (not to say she couldn’t get a job done if of need!)
When I first met Ben and Em at Santa Monica (a favorite date place of theirs during their dating days) the first thing I told them (after we found each other amidst the multitude of people) was that they were to consider our time together as a date- to have as much fun as possible and to just enjoy each other to the max. As soon as I said this, their seemingly tightened shoulders dropped, they looked at each other, smiled, and with a sigh- just giggle a little… I found out that my request of them would not be a challenge at all! Much of the time we had to redo many shots because I would just start laughing at what Ben was able to do with Emily… acrobatically! He just playa with her like a… doll! And Emily soaked it all in with a sweet smile that my camera seemed to love.
These two are going to be an incredibly God-honor duo in their marriage. Their love and affection for each other is only exemplified by their intense motivations in all that they do to love and serve of Lord. I greatly look up to you two!

I was faced with many new challenges on this location that I have not played with before… I went through a lot of discs, but learned a lot, and am pleased with the out come. The busy, bright, colorful pier suited Ben and Emily’s dynamic well… let me know what you think.

It was a warm day, so I thought it would be fun to get some images of Ben and Emily enjoying a common-pier experience- ice cream! I hadn’t done this before… I forgot to tell them… not to… eat it right away! I grabbed a few shots and all of a sudden it was gone! =D Mmmm =)

little experimentation…

So… once I started going through these images (about a week or so after we shot them) I came across this image… honestly, could not figure out…where I… was when I my camera captured this? Cause… I don’t remember being… anyway… Ben helped remind me today…

My camera must have snuck out of my bag to get some of these… cause I don’t remember this being such a dangerous day!

of Christ & coffee…

In a moment of conversation, with one of those friends who you wonder what you would do without and how you even ever found in the first place, I heard the phrase, “I love the Lord so much” come out of my mouth. This surprised me—surprisingly. I meant it! With all of my heart—that’s why I said it… but I realized in disappointment that I do not really hear that phrase on common occasions. I assume this is because it’s…assumed? What Christian doesn’t “love the Lord so much”? That comes with salvation right?… I am humbly, humbly learning that this assumption has kept me from great levels of dependence and honesty in the Lord.
Grace from God and love from man are not spiritual parallels. God has given His redeemed an incomprehensible quantity of grace—boundless and unending— and an immeasurable supply of love—perfect and concentrated, but this does not mean that we, the redeemed, have reciprocated these measures of love in return to God simply because such divine graces were attributed to us. I don’t know what else to say about this… These are very “obvious” Christian truths simply re-inspired to me through the persistent care of those well-needed conversations, a day of conviction, and a mind stimulating coffee—Gande-half/caf-with room.
In this growing perspective of what I am relearning to believe, I have come to change my angles of vision toward the Lord… my prayer is that I come to find myself smaller, and my God bigger, my expression greater, and fears weaker, my flesh colder, my heart warmer, and Christianity realer.
Give your mind a cooling eclipse of new perspective of your God. Change your angle. Climb a tree. Drink some coffee and laugh with God over the fact that He invented that wonderful feeling inside of you… do you have room in your theological attaché for that?

Ryan & Stacy One*Ring

Long before I actually met Ryan and Stacy, I had—in my own mind—voted them as the “cutest couple on Master’s campus.” I would be surprised if many people disagreed with me this.
These two individuals have far-past impressed me with their devotion to Christ and high standards of academic, and athletic integrity and dedication. Both Stacy and Ryan are excellent basketball star’s at The Master’s College, and have just this week been granted the All American Basketball award in their leagues! (? I’m not sure what the official title of this award is?). And if I’m not mistaken, I believe they are the first couple to receive the award together! Just fabulous =)
On court and off, Stacy and Ryan conduct the manner of their lives with outstanding integrity, class, and balance. Even though they show exceptional passion on the court, they also enjoy the quiet and serene parts of life such as a small town, and a remote countryside… which is the side of them I tried to capture the most.
Stacy—Ryan—you two are beautiful! I had a TON of fun hanging out with you…despite the ants… and cannot wait for that beautiful, and fast-approaching day!

So… in this shot I had decided to climb way up in this big beautiful tree!… but it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was completely swarming with vicious, black, man-eating ants! Just talking about it makes me tingle and twitch! I got one foot on the tree and my jeans were swarming with the little beasts! Thankfully… Their bites created no harm, and I have not felt any repercussions since =)

A personal thought on thermometers and scarfs

I give you a thought for today, through the experience of… a time.
Enjoy the seasons. Yes- take my cliché and let it either breeze past you delightfully or pound you on the head; either way, I am please to share with you a personal lesson of recent.
If you are at all like me- my common prayer for those in my immediate milieu is that you are not- you are happy when the summer starts a little sooner, and lasts a little longer. You love the warmth, comfort and ease of an even and predictable heat. There’s nothing wrong with this. The Lord has designed many different people to be very different in these areas of preference. For the purpose of my following analogy, I will reason to say that this preference is likened unto every individual’s personality and person as a whole. There are summer people. There are winter people, and every combination in between.
What I hope to convey in this brief ellipse of joyful conviction is this: Enjoy every aspect of the differing seasons at the first moment that the changing wind touches your face.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 (you all know it) tells us that there is a special and unique time for everything in life— emotionally, spiritually, socially, and materially. The problem here—at least for me—is the skewed idea that these are all options of turning times (or seasons) and arenas of life that each individual can choose from when it seems most appropriate. Which, in certain perspectives, is very accurate. But what if in contrast to this perspective we were to change to a different angle in order to see that these seasons will come, and that—just like the natural seasons of the planet—they will bring both surprise, and delight.
Friends, don’t try to stay in the summer. The more you crave and need that comfortable air, the greater your thermometer of discontentment will rise inside of you.
I give this to you because it has been given to me by a myriad (exaggeration-ish) of God-given hearts and tongues in the period of just a few short… long weeks. If you’re a summer individual, and a blistery gust of winter air cuts your face, think of this: this is the time for that cutting air to be around you! Take it! Honestly, you never know if you will ever be able to feel that again in all of your life! It is SO precious to just enjoy these things!
I am fully aware that all of you have heard this dozens and dozens of times in your lifetime, so I feel weak and inferior to repeat it for you, yet again. So then, at least just take this thought to praise the Lord with me if you do not feel inclined to adopt what has not been conceived yet in your heart—although I pray that the Lord gives you the delight of such a heart transformation.
If you are young and have little liberty- create the best possible memories of being young without little liberty POSSIBLE. You may never feel that breeze again, and frankly, you’re missing it.
If you’re in school and have to stay up until 5am to finish a presentation project- take those grinding and aching feelings of fatigue and weariness and don’t forget them! They will be memories of college (or high school) moments that you will never forget! Make them the BEST grinding and aching feelings of 5am fatigue that you could ever have! Laugh at them! You KNOW that they will pass quickly! And as much as that is a hope of relief, it is also a reminder that you have the opportunity to enjoy those feelings.
I am having difficulty explaining this I’m afraid. Because seriously… who can honestly say that they enjoy the painful parts of life? All I know, is that when you live in a land of summer, and you suddenly go to a place of cold, icy snow for just a few hours—IT’S GREAT! It goes by SO fast, but it’s there, and it’s cold, and it’s unforgettable.
If you’re poor, be poor and laugh at the tickle in knowing that it’s not a significant part of life.
If you’re “too” busy, laugh at the feeling of the rough ground and the burning muscles in your legs as you stride your days, because next time you’re on that path, it may feel entirely different, and you don’t want to miss out on learning how to run in these conditions.
If you’re lonely, laugh at that feeling of your heart spinning and spiraling inside of your making you dizzy, because you may never get to feel that again, and it’s teaching you something entirely new that you will never be able to learn from any other experience in life.

My conviction:
Life can be fun. James 1 is right- consider it ALL joy when you enter into various trials!
Have FUN! Enjoy the snow!
Collect the colored leaves of the Fall as they blow by.
Splash in the mud of Spring’s gush.
Build a snow man.

This is only possible with the awe-striking and hysterical grace of our sweet and fearful God. I can only say hysterical because such grace makes my jaw drop in laughter to try to come up with a reason why God would allow so much joy and hope for such an incredulous and hopeless creature like me. He has given us a perfect hope in Him through His plan of faith in Christ- our redeemer. And has gone as far to say that we can enjoy our trials. So I mean to do so.
I look forward to the changing seasons, because it means new lessons and new tools that will allow me to enjoy the next seasons EVEN more. If through ingenuity and contentment you gain a shovel to dig in the sand during a hot, cloudless day in the summer, then use your shovel in the snow when the seasons change to build a snowman (for they will change). From that you may gain a scarf and a carrot (from the nose) if you are brave enough to use your hands in the cold. With your scarf you can make a kite for the windy Fall season—what fuN!
These are silly illustrations, but allow them to make you laugh. Because life is enjoyable, the more you learn and take away from each season that you may not prefer, the more you will enjoy the next…and the next… and the next…and the next…

Refreshed… in many ways.

There’s something about the countryside that gets me really, really excited. At the same time, it overwhelms me with a peaceful contentment that I can hardly explain. As some of you know, I lived in Wisconsin for some years, and my time living in the country grew me extremely fond if it. Countless times I would go for long walks—either by road or field—just to enjoy the hidden beauties of God’s creation… and to get away to think truthfully.
I have been on spring break this week, so I drove up to Modesto with my brother who was on his way home from the Shepherds conference. I needed to get away for a little bit to “get some air” you could say. The other night Sam, Nicki (brother and sister-in-law) and I took a short little adventure to stretch our legs, explore the area, and to get out of the house. We found a beautiful park with a long walking trail along a small river. Above everything else, I wish I could capture how good it smelled. The air was so fresh, that after breathing in its rich cleanness I felt as if I had never breathed before in my life. On our walk back, we crossed a bridge, and found a little hidden path that trailed back to our destination. It was just a narrow path that weaved through super long grass, trees, flowers and bamboo dams. With every breath I felt like my lungs were going to expand out of my chest—I couldn’t get enough of the fresh, clean air that smelled sweeter than anything in the world.
Well, that’s not what the following pictures are of—but I did try to capture the same feeling in the series of images below.
Tonight I went with Sam and Nicki to choir practice at their adorable little (GOD honoring/truth sustaining) country church. While I sat outside with my brother, I could hear my camera whining at me to get out of the stuffy car. So I took him out and let him look at the church for a little while. It was about 6:30pm and Sam said that I could take the car to go exploring since they wouldn’t be done rehearsing until 8:30. I knew I only had about 30 minutes before the sun set, so I jumped in the car and started driving (trying my best to remember the streets I drove on so I could get back). I really wanted to capture the feel of the beautiful blooming trees that we had adored during the whole trip—so that was my first stop. After that I just drove down the road until I found an incredible field of tall grass, which I spent the rest of the sunlight on.
Right when I was finishing up there, Sam called me to tell me that there was a huge lake 10 miles in the opposite direction from where I had gone. I knew that it was too late to take any photos of it, but I figured a good country drive would be very therapeutic and refreshing.
As I drove, I saw this strange and enormous round glow peaking up behind the Yosemite mountains. I thought it was an optical illusion because it was too big to be the moon (so I thought)… I could hardly believe my eyes! The images that I got hardly capture the size and beauty of it as it rose through the fields and hills that I drove past to get closer to it. Take note—whenever you see an enormous moon coming up, take a picture of it immediately =) Don’t try to get closer. The “closer” you get, and the higher it gets, the smaller it will appear. =) It was a fabulous chase nonetheless. I could hardly get the image I wanted framed properly without the moon rising through my eye-piece. If you ever wanted to freeze a moment, this would be one to keep for a lifetime. I found a spot where the road curved past a brook-like-canal, so I pulled off to watched/captured it rising over the brilliant green hills, while listening to the rippling stream, crickets, birds, and toads in the background of the mystic evening light.
After the moon rose to a normal size, I decided to continue my drive down a single lane, bumpy gravel road. I was surrounded with green fields and hills on both sides. I would never had imaged that I was still in California. I stopped the car for a moment to answer a text message (because it’s illegal to text and drive! ) when all of a sudden, I looked up and there were two stunning horses walking along the fence toward me–just gazing at me. They walked over, and just stared at me as if they were waiting for something (probably food right?). I assumed they wanted me to take their picture, so I did =) but then they moved. I had fun experimenting with them with the delicate moon light behind. I think the slight vibrations of my car music gave the images a mystic feel and glow.

Well, all of this to say, God is a God of beauty, life, and refreshment. He refreshed my soul, and spirit as I talked with Him about His creation, and the wanderings of my own heart. He lightened me with encouragement and life during a time of discouragement, trial, and confusion.
So as a point of advice—if you would— in everything you find to enjoy that stirs or lightens your spirit, let it be filled with God. And when I say “let it”, I mean take it for what it really is. All things are from and for God, and NO greater enjoyment can come out of these gifts except that they bring us to a closer relationship and delight in God and His Son, Christ. Joy truly is in the Lord. He only uses earthly delights to remind us of that. Let Him be the one to fill and renew you to life and purpose. He’s good at it. He designed delight, and He designed our hearts, so naturally He knows how they fit together in perfect unity.
I hope these images encourage you to closer delight in Christ- Ps. 37, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” It’s true =)

I couldn’t help but put a lot of photos… Words couldn’t do justice.