by Amy | Aug 21, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Sunflower Mini Sessions | Part Two
Lots and lots of things going on this week…with tons of amazing photos on the desktop waiting for their turn to be edited, you can expect to be seeing a lot of pretty faces here on the blog in the near future. But let’s pace ourselves.
A week ago I shot these amazing, super-pretty shots of Naomi in the sunflower fields as. All the other sunflower mini sessions got moved, due to work conflicts. That’s okay, though. Naomi and I had a great time. And there was no rush, since it was just the two of us…which is fine by me because she is incredibly easy to photograph.
Just don’t be bummed out…the others didn’t get cancelled, just moved. So there is still one more sunflower post to come before the season is over.
by Amy | Aug 20, 2014 | Blog, Context, The Art of Faith
image via
As I’ve been memorizing Colossians there have been a few verses that have really stood out to me. Tonight I want to tell you about one that has haunted me {in a good way, not a weird-creepy way} for weeks now.
It’s Colossians 1:2.
To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
On first glance it might not look like too much. Just your average biblical greeting from Paul. But God has taught me so much recently through the second half of this verse. Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Like I told you in my update about memorizing the book, one thing that I’m learning is that every single word in the Bible is important. Right down to the order the words fall in and what words have been chosen, it’s a divine and living book. In this instance let’s look at the words GRACE and PEACE.
Upon first read you may, like I did, not think it matters which comes first. Peace, or grace…who really cares? They are nice words to start a letter with. A nice well-wish. And all that would be true for any other book. But not the Bible.
The Bible tells us that peace is part of a Christian’s inheritance. That doesn’t mean that we will live forever in a fuzzy daze of joy, not feeling the stings of mortality in a fallen world. However, it does mean that the peace that passes all understanding is ours to claim and enjoy. Peace that comes when we trust in the Lord and make a choice to proclaim that He is a good God, a God who loves us and knows what He is doing.
Often Satan tries to steal this peace from me. He nabs it away and replaces it with lies and uncertainty. For me, he convinces me to examine myself and do a lot of self-hating. I look at my struggles and my hurt and can always trace the cause back to my shortcomings.
A week ago I was physically and emotionally miserable. I was in terrible pain, more pain than before I underwent surgery. I was sure that something had gone terribly wrong in my back, sure I had reherniated the disc that was just operated on. I’ll save the details for another time, but I’ll tell you this now: I saw no way out. As I looked ahead it was just a hopeless mess of pain. My heart raced and I was sinking in panic. I laid on the couch and thought of a million reasons to be mad at myself. Consciously, I know God is good and loving and perfect. So I’m never mad at Him–instead, I mirror all my emotion onto myself.
If I had been more careful I never would have hurt my back to begin with.
If I wasn’t so active this wouldn’t have happened.
Was it from the gym? If I could have a little more self control in the kitchen I wouldn’t have pushed it so hard.
Maybe I should have been doing something different post-op.
I should have prayed more before surgery, what if this wasn’t even God’s plan?
Eventually I decided that I could live with the pain {maybe} if I could just have some peace. So I cried out to God…and He replied with Colossians 1:2b–Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
Grace comes first.
The order is important. In order to redeem our coupon for peace we must first accept the gift of grace. Grace isn’t something we earn through works or prayer or living well. It’s not something we deserve. That’s grace. God offering us love and life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. A deed that allows us to reenter communion with Him, even though there is no way to pay Him back for it–other than committing our lives to glorifying Him.
We must accept God’s grace before we receive His peace.
In essence I was dragging His grace through the mud and demanding that I get some peace in return. I was buying in to the lie that my shortcomings were {are} bigger than the grace He offers. Bigger than the God I serve. I had bought into the lie that this problem was too small, that I was too insignificant, that there were bigger and better things to pray about–and that I should deal on my own instead of bothering God with me. Maybe you have bought into similar lies at some point?
If you are there, or have been there, or know someone who is…chill for a second. Take a breath and repeat after me: Grace and peace.
Find a way to let go of the lies and embrace the grace God is holding out. Then, cash in on that peace.
xo
Amy
by Amy | Aug 18, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
It was like something from the movies. A big crowd, all gathered and buzzing with excitement, even though it was 5:30 in the morning. A breezy, chilly, South Dakota morning. But most people didn’t seem to notice. They were too busy taking photos, checking the time, corralling children or comparing adorable/witty/brilliant poster board signs.
Homecoming.
This particular homecoming is for Matt and Megan. This is Megan.
Everything is thrown off kilter when they leave. There are tears and anger and sadness and {at least for some} a deep rooted thought that the Air Force is the biggest bully in the world. Eventually a routine is established. And you get used to stepping around the hole left while they are away.
Everything is thrown off kilter when they come home. But its a good off kilter, a welcome off kilter. Because you start to look forward to getting back to “regular,” even if you don’t know how long it will last.
It’s emotional. Always emotional. And this was especially so because it was so much bigger and more TV-ish than any other return I’ve witnessed.
It was massive. And the anticipation was palpable. Seriously. Then it happened. The plane landed. They pushed the stairs up and a line that looked like khaki colored ants started to descend. I’m confident that there is no better feeling than identifying your khaki colored ant.
by Amy | Aug 16, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Art, The Art of Living
Through the summer Minot holds Arts in the Park every Thursday and Sunday evening. A few months ago, I was blindsided when I got a call from the Minot Area Council of the Arts contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in being a featured artist.
Arts in the Park works like this. A band plays in the band shell, people come and listen, and an artist stands off to the side. You can do anything you’d like to as the artist, they just encourage it to be something interactive or a demonstration. Like most things, my art is pretty diverse. I had no idea what they wanted me to do, but they were clear that I could do anything I wanted.
So I did what I usually do in a situation like this. I try to think what I would want to see if I was just attending. This is what I came up with.
It’s a community canvas. I drew a black outline of a design {inspired by sunflowers, so perfect for this time of year.} Then I put a dot of color in every space, denoting what it should be filled with. People are welcome to come and fill in as much or as little as they want. And when it’s all filled we are left with a lovely piece of art that many hands had a part in creating.
And people loved it!
Which was so flattering, since I tend to think that my arty stuff is only stuff that my mom would like. Better yet, a woman from the arts council asked if she could buy it. {Say what??!} But wait–there’s more. Minot has an “Arts in the Schools” program that sends local artists in to schools to teach art to kids…and they asked if I’d be interested in being involved. {Duh!} Nothing is super official, but it’s still nice to be considered.
Here’s a progression of the canvas throughout the night.
What I’m getting at is that is was a great night. A night much needed as this fell right around the time of the “Unstuck” post. It was an up that I was in need of. Arts in the Park is done for the season, but if you live in Minot, you should keep a pulse on the cool things the arts council is doing. These folks are working hard to infuse our community with art, culture and fun activities, which I think is something we are all in favor of.
xo
Amy
by Amy | Aug 13, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Art, The Art of the Moment
Let me start by saying–IT’S NOT ME. Really, truly, honestly…this post isn’t about me.
Recently I had the fine privilege of shooting a pregnancy announcement. When we sat down to brainstorm how they wanted to break the big news, we decided that a custom chalkboard background would be just perfect. So, Derek moved the panels inside and I went to work drawing up what just might be the best background I’ve ever created. Which is why I couldn’t resist showing it to you.
Making this chalkboard wall was one of my best decisions ever. I just love drawing big, giant word art up there.
The photos, however will be kept secret until their friends and family have found out. So until then, I guess you all will just have to speculate.
Amy
by Amy | Aug 12, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Sunflower Mini Sessions
Hello night owls! I’ve been on the road all day traveling back to Minot from visiting Rapid City for the last few days. But, as many of you know, my sleep schedule is pretty weird right now…so I decided to go ahead and post a few of my favorite photos from the first round of sunflower mini sessions.
I think they are great. I mean, even those of us who get really awkward in front of the camera, {ahem…Kelleys} look great in a field of giant flowers stretching as far as the eye can see. It’s North Dakota romance at its best. Enjoy!
Oh, and I just couldn’t resist one more. This little one had never seen sunflowers before. I think it’s safe to say she like it.
If you like what you see here and are living in the Minot area you–yes, you–can have your very own sunflower session {details here}. I’ve got session space left on Wednesday August 13th between 6 and 7pm. Annnd–because a couple folks who had scheduled had an unforseen scheduling conflict {thanks, Air Force} I’ve decided to add a few sessions on Saturday Sept 16th. If you are interested don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Amy
by Amy | Aug 8, 2014 | Bible Reading, Blog, The Art of Faith
{image via}
Remember when I told you I was going to memorize the book of Colossians? I’m happy to report that I’m still going strong. And Derek is too. I think everything is more fun if we do it together. This included. Especially since there have been days when I wasn’t in the mood and he pushed me to memorize the day’s verse…and vice versa.
We are just a few verses shy of having memorized the first chapter. I was going to hold off on telling you about it until I’d gotten through the first chapter, but I am simply too excited to wait. I am so thoroughly enjoying this process I don’t know if I’ll ever quit. Here’s a quick list of why I’ve loved memorizing such a big chunk of Scripture all at once.
1. Every word counts. I know I kind of said this before I started, but now that I’m knee deep in this memorization game I’m really getting it. Repeating the words day after day has really forced me to realize how significant every single word is. Every word choice, it’s placement, the structure of the sentence….it all holds a deep meaning. Meaning that I have never realized before when I simply read through a chapter at a time.
2. I’m constantly meditating on the Word. No matter how much quiet time or Bible study I’ve done in the past, nothing has helped me stay focused on God’s words for us as much as this bout of memorization. Because I don’t want to forget the verses I’ve learned, throughout the day I find myself thinking about yesterday’s verse, reciting the whole passage, and mulling over the meaning in the verses I know. Since I add more each day there is always something fresh in my mind to meditate on. And in the meditation has caused me to…..
3. Gain a deeper understanding of the Lord. I feel closer to Him, even though lately I’ve been struggling with bad attitudes and small bouts of the down-and-outs. I feel like I’m gleaning an understanding of Christ’s nature with every verse I tack on.
4. I’ve learned new prayers. Paul writes this letter to folks in Colossians, even though he has never met them. Now, if you are familiar with Paul, you might have noticed that his introductions and opening statements can be somewhat lengthy. In the past I’ve tended to skip over these parts, which I considered frilly filler {tsk, tsk.} But now that I’m memorizing, I have been forced to look deeply at the meaning tucked inside the intro.
Paul is a great intercessor and a spectacular prayer warrior. He offers a real teaching moment in the beginning of this letter by telling the Colossians how he prays for them, what he says in those prayers and why. I have basically started to copy his words verbatim when praying for fellow believers. {Especially the sweet teenage girls I have the privilege of mentoring.} Where I used to get stuck and tongue tied, not knowing what exactly to ask or say–now I use Paul’s very powerful template for intercession.
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
5. I’m banking money verses. What’s a money verse, you ask. A “money verse” is a key verse, one that defends your believe or is extremely usable in conversation, teaching, etc with the world. Colossians is jam packed with money verses and I’m learning them word-for-word and finding them really easy to interject into regular conversations.
I’m also tucking them away for days when my beliefs may be challenged. Then I’ll be able to pull out things like: Christ is the image of the invisible God…; by Him all things were created…all things were created by Him and for Him; God was pleased for all of His fullness to dwell in Him {Christ}–as in Christ was fully God in mortal form.
6. Scripture is coming up in conversations. Since I’m comitted to memorizing the whole book of Colossians it’s really easy to throw it into a conversation–even with a nonbeliever. When someone asks, “What have you been up to lately?” It’s the perfect opportunity to chat them up about how amazing the Word of God is and all the things I’m learning.
7. I’m on pace with the commentary. If you know me at all, you know I l-o-v-e reading commentary on Scripture. I like knowing the original Greek, I like knowing the cultural state and the political climate of the times. The New Testament has so much commentary it’s a huge undertaking to read it alongside a whole chapter at a time…since there may be several pages dedicated to two or three verses alone. Taking Colossians slowly, one verse a day, has made reading the commentary doable. Not overwhelming.
That’s my quick list. I’ll give you another update in a month or so. But really, you should start memorizing. It’s so worth it. Stop waiting and just start. The first day is really easy. Pinky swear. You won’t regret it.
Amy
by Amy | Aug 7, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Living
Yesterday’s post was set in a thrift store. Today I’m going to tell you about the amazing deals I found there. It’s going to make you so jealous. Unless, of course you live in Minot–in which case you’ll just be thanking me for the tip.
Okay, so starter info. This is useful to anyone anywhere. We all love Target, right? I have yet to meet someone who’d rather be at Wal-Mart. Barf. Anyway. Local Targets always make a deal with a thrift shop. At the end of the season, when they change merchandise out, or have overstock, they donate it. Brand new, untouched, off the rack, off the shelves overstock. In a lot of places it goes to a Good Will. But not always. I’d even venture that you could call your Target store and ask them who they have a deal with. Then shop there.
In Minot, this stuff goes to the Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch Thrift Store. If you don’t know, it’s on Broadway just south of Heritage Park and it looks like this.
{Image via}
It’s not just clothes. There are lampshades, table cloths, bedding, dishes, yard stuff. After Christmas this place is a treasure trove.
But right now they are having an amazing sale. All the clothes they are getting from Target, as the store makes room for back to school merchandise, are coming here–and they are all $0.99!! They have a ton of clothing from baby to adult and they are all less than a dollar. Best of all, I talked to an employee and she told me that they have received so much they will be processing it all through the month of August and the sale will last until the end of the month. So get over there already.
Did I mention shoes are a dollar too? And purses? Yep. And everything from Target is new, untouched and usually still comes with the tags on.
It’s practically stealing.
I went a little crazy. Here is a small sampling of what I picked up.
To give you the full rundown, I bought a dress, a skirt, two shirts, red pants, a pair of jeans, a scarf and five pairs of shoes.
Derek also lucked out. Well…I lucked out for him. He hates shopping, but his wardrobe has been looking really sad. I am talking olive cargo shorts with the hem ripped off of one leg–sad. Really, we are old enough and financially stable enough to afford pants. Come on. But he has been out of town, and as stated he hates shopping. So I took a stab in the dark and picked up a pair of new cargo shorts, some khakis, three polos, a pair of flip flops and another pair of shoes. All fit. Less than $10.
Awesome.
So. Be jealous, or get out to the Boys & Girls Store.
Amy
