skulls of sadness

Such somber eyes
Sometimes you can see in people the weight of the world, 
A sadness they've been carrying in the cerebrum,
Trying to intellectualize God away.

Pilgrims & Pumpkin Pie

Thanking the Lord for my crazy insane family today, tomorrow, all days, forever. I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with the people you love, siting around a table full of food, sharing smiles and stories. Don't buy into the Black Friday madness -- spend time with those God has given you. Thanking the Lord that I get to spend sweet time off of school with my favorite souls!!

Oh, and eating pumpkin pie. That's a thing.

"Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." ~ Psalm 100:3-4

familiar walls, a tired scene

space cadets

God is a God of galaxies.

This morning I had a dream that I was traveling to outer space and my friends and I were being sent up in this rocket ship to the moon. I'm used to my weird dreams by now, but this one was just out of this world. #hadto

I mean, can we just marvel for a moment at the fact that everything around us was created and designed by a God that gave us breath in our bones? It baffles me how we can praise great artists, lauding the work of human hands, but in the same breath we can turn and denounce the greatest Artist of all time. There never was logic in atheism. 

people that are poetry & the Gospel of glory

I would not say that I am the most thankful human being in history right now.

In fact, lately I have been more of a sleep-deprived, complaining curmudgeon. I know that my attitude will improve with the glorious combination that is prayer and sleep, but another remedy for grumpiness (as I was reminded of in church today) is thankfulness. In the past I have found that I am the most joyful and cheered of heart when I am giving thanks. So, without further ado, here is a list of random things that I am thankful for today, right now, in this moment:

>>My mother and father and the fact that I will be home on break in exactly 48 hours; my bed; the guitar my Dad gave me that is now named for him; the amount of snuggly sweaters and scarves I have amassed over my lifetime; the name Shiloh; toes; the fact that I have vision, I can see; photography; a little thing called chocolate; my sister; writing letters; the Beatles; a blog project I'm working on right now; the Gospel of glory; cheesy Christmas movies I watch with my family every year; blue font, blue eyes, blue everything; people that are poetry; paintings hanging on walls; my favorite pair of jeans; the fact that beagles and lions and skylines exist; the beach on a cool night; Bible college; pizza pie.

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced." ~ Psalm 105:1-5

Tell me at least 3 things you are thankful for below!

**Stellar shot of the moon found online; not my own photography. (Obviously)

Film Friday #10

One day, they will arrive, and I will not know what to do with my heart. The very fact that they will be half of me, and half of him, this mystery soul that will come walking into my life in 4/4 time, will be a miracle in itself. And we were all little people once, and I think in some ways we all long to be little people again, after we grow up and taste the wickedness of this world and the cruelty of this life. But God has given us the gift of family, for which I am eternal grateful. And one day, they will arrive, and I will not know what to do with my heart.

>> This dapper little dude is my Dad! Yes, my father. This photo is famous in our family, fondly referred to as "The Rose Bush". Legend has it that my Uncle George was incredibly jealous of his little brother Mikey, all clad in his new spiffy shoes and suit coat. Supposedly, he pouted during this photo shoot, sulking somewhere amongst the rose bush. My dad claims no responsibility for any of this. Not sure I can blame him, sweet little guy!

night does away with colors

forty four degrees
frozen fingers

heart inspired

head asleep

Even From the Dust I Was Loved

There is a field just a shout away from my dorm door here at the Bible Institute, and it is perfect for pensive night wanderings. This evening was exceptionally chilly, too cold perhaps to be true, and so in a hoodie that was much too heavy for Florida's usually tame November, I walked out to this field with feet laced into sneakers and ears full of tunes.

Through His creation and the sound of singing, God spoke to me in such a beautiful, whispering way. I have been learning that I can't do anything in my own strength. But today I learned a little more about God's love, and how astounding it is that I have a Savior that came and died for me.

Stop. Slow down. Read that again.
Don't let His love become trivial, a fact.
Feel it. Feel it all.

It is my hope, it is my intense desire that each morning I will wake with the sound of revival, something shouting in my bones for joy. What is this life that I live, that each morning I can drink up the fact that God sent His Son to die for me -- for you! It is everything. It is all things.

I don't know, I'm rambling here, but God just really gave me a new perspective today, something I've been asking Him for. I'm also learning about the power of constant prayer. These verses are old favorite friends, but they're starting to see them in a new light:

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is God's will for me. Everyday. Only, never in my own strength. What can I even do on my own? Nothing. That's why I had to be saved.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I would encourage you to click here. It might just change your life.

Adeline & Isaac

The other day I got to photograph my sweet friend Adeline and her boyfriend Isaac for a fun impromptu photoshoot! It was a spectacular day with spectacular people. I even got to interview Adeline afterwards and get to know her heart and passion for art and images. Enjoy!

fg

"My dad is a photographer, so he used to always take me on his photo shoots when I was little, and I would take trips to Philadelphia with my mom and just sketch. My mom would always tell [me] to be creative, think outside the box. I was like six years old. I feel like images and sketches and photography are my past. When I describe my past, I have to show people photos, because I feel like my whole life has been documented. They’re my memories. They represent the good times." ~ Adeline 

Film Friday #9

I will not let myself forget the family from which I come, the blood that I was born into, people with vivacity, visions in their veins. When things get tough, I will remind myself that I am of the brood of bleeders, that clan of crazy souls that God knit together, skin and spirit. My family.

>> This is an old photo of my grandparents. A little grainy, but those expressions!! They have since gone to be with the Lord, but they have been on my mind quite a lot in the past couple of weeks. They were such intense, passionate people that loved each other almost as much as they loved the Lord. For this kind of fiery friendship, I am willing to wait. #lovethesepeople #butwhoisthatkid #kindascary #littlefreaky #stillagreatphoto #butseriouslywhosekidisthis

mama says i should just go to bed but i only dream when i'm awake

My heart is stirred by a noble theme
As I recite my verses for the king; 
My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. 
~Psalm 45:1

>> I long to write but alas, exhaustion is overtaking inspiration at the current moment. Bible college has been rewarding and stressful and has presented me with an abundantly full plate, but this was His plan and so I am trying to find joy in every moment. The Lord is teaching me all about how I can do NOTHING in my own strength, which is actually quite a relief. So, about that sleep!

Things

Boy finds me on the carpet with skinned knees
There's nothing in my chest but anxiety
Why do people keep on telling me things?
Things make me think
And sink

Then I sing. 

Ranita

I had the great privilege of being able to photograph my friend Rain for a fun, impromptu shoot the other day. Rain is a wonderful sprite of a human being who always has a kind word and is up for all sorts of adventure! God has been in the business of making splendid creatures for quite some time, but He really out did Himself with Rain. Case in point: throughout the shoot, we were graced with the presence of a miniature garden snake named Pablo. See if you can spot him!

portrait of the girl /// body image, the slayer

She looks at me and says things like, "Do you really mean that?" And I wonder why she should have to ask. I ask myself why a woman with eyes that haunt, that wear an expression so genuinely mournful, yet never somber, so very penetrating, yet always pure, would wonder about beauty, not only in general, but even her own. She is a creature that sees so much, that searches for this type of purity in other people, yet has trouble glimpsing the blatant beauty in herself.

And this culture to which we are bound loves rib cages, but never what is contained inside them. Let us distract ourselves with talk of bodies, for if there we are occupied, we shall never search further and examine our souls.

She is golden fields and her grandmother's grief, a song personified.
Give me a bucket for the words "body image."

"You hem me in -- behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me." ~ Psalm 139:5

by myself i can do nothing

Delightful photograph of the Michigan woods found online.

All at once, exactly where I'm supposed to be, yet longing for the taste of the sun in the treetops, for the embrace of the man with a name like a song, for letters written on parchment paper. All at once, exactly where I'm supposed to be, yet struggling, yet delighting, feeling everything. All at once. Exactly.

Reading: The Screwtape Letters. You should, too. 
Listening to: A lot of the Beatles lately.
Craving: Sleep; St. Augustine; writing my novel. 
Realizing: I can do nothing apart from Christ.  

"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses.....known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." - 2nd Corinthians 6:4, 9

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." ~ 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9 

23 Reasons for Joy

C.S. Lewis, the mountains, my sister; 

Old cottages, cake, the smell of vanilla; 

Worn quilts, poetry, sapphire eyes.

Scarves, laughter, the woods;

Photography, flannel, redemption;

Spiderman, St. Augustine, freedom in His name.

Fleet Foxes & naps;

The Appalachian Trail & violins;

Birds.

Surreal

I come from an artist community back home, so to be away from streets proffering record shops and vintage stores and *oh glory!* art museums is difficult. I ache to stand before a painting and examine its strokes. Especially if they were made by the masterful René Magritte.

"We must not fear daylight just because it almost always illuminates a miserable world." ~ Rene Magritte