|| l a t e l y ||

So many escapades, adventures, and endeavours have been going on in my life. Let me catch you up a little...

mexico trip || o n e ||

As I sit here and reflect on the first Mexico trip I think over all the things God did and wonder what it is that I learned?

This was a trip never to be forgotten. So many obstacles, battles, and work. So much more victory. Our God is not dead, He truly is alive and working things for our good and His glory.

So what was the main thing I learned?

It was not patience as we waited at the border each night for over an hour and a half each time.

It was not learning to trust when bus two had numerous issues.

It was not relying on God's strength after getting only three hours of sleep and having a full day ahead. 

It was not realizing how much more I need to pray about everything.

 It was not recognizing that serving without love is vain.

It was not hearing that seeing people saved is a huge way that God is glorified.

Yes, I did learn lessons from each one of these things, but there was one thing that I really, REALLY  learned on this trip, and it was this:

 that God's ways are higher and better. 
At the beginning of the week would I have planned all the complications and all the battles? No, because I, being human, couldn't see the outcome. I had no idea who would be changed, who would learn, who would grow because of these things. But Thursday morning as I sat and listened to the various people give testimonies about what God did in their hearts that week, I wouldn't have changed for a week with no problems. God used these hard times and battles as a means to teach us. So you see the thing God taught me on the first Mexico this trip is that His ways are always higher and better. I just need to look up and keep walking towards Him. Trust Him- He's got amazing things planned for you!

[Isaiah 55:8-9] For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

|| thinking BIBLICAL ||

i desire to have good, godly, biblical thinking. the WORD even tells us what to think about.

finally, brethren,

whatsoever things are True,

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are Just,

whatsoever things are Pure,

whatsoever things are Lovely,

whatsoever things are of Good report;

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, Think On These Things.

[philippians 4:8]

We all know however that unless there is much preperation, much work, and much reliance, it's right next to impossible to think biblically. I have so much growing to do in this area and it's really a journey that i've started months ago, i'm just here to share some things that have been helping me along the way!

|| 5 ways to have a God-focused thought life ||

I. ASK God for help

Do you really think that God doesn't want you to think on Him and His Word? If you do you're absolutely WRONG! He wants us to bring our thoughts captive and control them!

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

II. LISTEN to good media

Most people always have some sort of background noise...so why not choose something that will draw your attention to the Saviour? Listen to music that sings His praise and exalts Him.

Psalms 45:11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

Psalms 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Why not turn on a sermon? Everyone has access to the internet these days and Sermon Audio is a great place to turn for good preaching. Personally I like to listen to a sermon before I go to bed at night, or when I'm doing housework. It's so easy to look one up on your laptop and for those of you with a smart phone or some sort of ipod or mp3 player it's even easier! All I have to do is open my app and I already have messages that I've chosen to download. Podcasts are a great place to find good sermons too! Taking walks and long car rides are a great time to turn on some good media too!

{for those of you wondering who to look up on SA try out a few of these names: Jerry Ross, John Van Gelderen, Rand Hummel, or Dr. David Gibbs II. That should at least get you started!}

III. MEMORIZE Scripture

Scripture memorization is something I've gotten pretty serious about over the past year and have no regrets about the time I've given to it! When you're trying to memorize something more than likely you will meditate on it- you'll mull it over in your mind again and again. How much more Biblical can your thinking get than thinking on the Bible? Set a goal for yourself and work at it. For me keeping the verse I'm working on somewhere where I'll see it helps. A tip I just got from a good friend was to read over your verse at the start of the day. Make it the first thing you do after you turn off your alarm clock! I am so thankful for this tip. It has helped me tremendously, because from the start of my day I've got something to grasp hold of and recite all throughout the day.

Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalms 119:97 MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

IV. PRAY throughout the day

God wants us to pray!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Not only that, but did you know that you can't pray without thinking of the Father? I believe in time spent in prayer where you confess to the Lord, praise the Lord, thank the Lord, and lift your supplication to the Lord; but I also believe that aside from your prayer time, you should remain in a spirit of prayer. Some call it popcorn prayer. Just little requests offered up to the Lord as you think about people and things. Some people put requests on 3X5 cards above their desks, or just focus on one request a day. Something new I've tried is plastering the mirror on my closet door with sticky notes. On each sticky note is a different name of a relative or friend and under their name I have their requests listed. For me I knew I'd see them fairly often because once I open my closet door in the morning it stays open all day. I have also tried to target one person each day and really earnestly pray for them throughout the day. Checking in with them about requests and really spending the day praying for them. I know there are a lot of creative ideas out there...what works for you? Talking to the Father means thinking about the Father!

V. SURROUND yourself with the Bible

When your eyes are constantly running across a verse or portion of Scripture every time you walk in to a room, it is a great way to draw your mind back from it's wandering. Not only is it great to have Scripture displayed throughout your house, but putting it as your desktop wallpaper or phone lock screen is a great place to display it too! Put verses up where you know you'll often look...maybe it's the bathroom mirror, above the kitchen sink, on the door, the fridge, in your lunch box, on your locker, or wherever your eyes frequent!

Psalms 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Right now in my life right now I have placed at least 5 signs to draw my attention back the the Lord and back to the goal. A chalk drawing rests on my desk that displays Philippians 4:8, a picture on my mirror displays Philippians 4:8, my lock screen on my iphone displays Philippians 4:8, my picture frame has a 3x5 card with Proverbs 31:26 written on it, a sticky note on my laptop screen has Psalm 50:23 on it, and another chalk drawing hangs above my head that simply says “glorify God.” I know, I know three of the six things I mentioned are all the same, but when my eyes meet those words and my mind reads them I am immediately reminded to draw my thoughts back to Christ!

I hope this may help someone or encourage you. We are daily becoming what we think about! There are plenty of others ways to keep a right focus, these are just a few that I often use. What about you? What helps you think biblically? 

|| first year photography || olivia + family

Here are the pictures from the photoshoot I was talking about in this post.

Though Olivia wasn't very full of smiles during our session, she is still just as cute as ever! :) It was a pleasure to photograph my youth leader and his little family! 

|| c a p t u r i n g || grandma's house

earlier this week i was out at my grandma's house. there were so many different things to capture...this is just a preview! feel free to follow the links that lead to my photography blog to see more! 

grapes.

fields.

flowers.

 raindrops.

 roads.

farms.

{sorry. that was like picture over load!} 

|| keeping busy ||

i thought life might slow down after graduation and that i would be able to become a more frequent blogger. that hasn't happened, yet but maybe one day! i do have blogging goals...

i am hoping to start posting faithfully. but not now, because life is right now i'd be way too crazy to commit to such a task. maybe in the fall...though things won't be slowing down then either, i should at least be rooted in one place and not galavanting off on any adventures far from home. i really do desire to write more often and share more stories and things i'm learning, but right now time isn't allowing that.

for now here's a glimpse of the craziness.

an adorable little girl i know is turning one and i was able to photograph her and her family this past weekend. more pictures will be coming soon, don't fret! 

i was able to pick up these six windows last week. mom and i ran to the grocery store and saw them by the side of a barn on the way home... all for the price of FREE.  these should definitely be some fun projects to work on {and post about} ;) 

on thursday josiah and i head to the southwest to serve the LORD for a month. there will be great opportunities and great challenges, i'm sure. i have not decided if i am going to try to keep my blog updated during the trip. whether you see updates on here or not though, you can definitely pray for us! 

we were able to make a trip to spend a day with my grandma. she's been living with my uncle, so we were able to take her out to her house and do a little bit of work out there. you don't know how good it was to see her working out at the house again- her house.  it happened to storm while we were there, so when the storm cleared off and the sun came back out, the sky and lighting happened to be excellent for pictures. more posts about this later...

photography work has been keeping me busy! between working on props, setting up sessions, studying different things, and of course taking pictures i have been devoting a good bit of time to that. i think i have a slight passion for photography, don't you? =) 

we had a nice fourth of july evening. it was quiet and peaceful, but it was nice to be able to have a cookout and eat outside together as a family. dad just returned from a two and a half week missions trip to romania on thursday, and with josiah and i leaving this week, time as a family is few and far between this summer. i do so miss our family meals together. 

amidst all the craziness i have been trying to enjoy some of the simplicities of summer. these little things make me super happy. doesn't watermelon just scream summer???

more posts are coming soon... i promise!!!! 

adventure || p. e. i. ||

here is one more final glimpse of the island before i bring this series to a close.

 so many pictures were captured, and there are so many more to share. 

 one day i'll write that story about timmy and the simple pleasure we found in him. 

"isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive- it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for the imagination then, would there?" 

here's a look at our worn out map that we used to tour the island. oh the places this map lead us to and oh the memories we made along the way. memories i'll never forget.

while this is the end of this series i'm sure i'll share more stories and pictures about the island in weeks, months, and years to come. by this fall you will hopefully be viewing all 900+ pictures from the trip. i hope you've enjoyed this series! 

keep checking back for more adventures!