Grief is often spoken about only in terms of someone passing but grief can be so much more. You can grieve a sense of safety, a friendship, aspirations you once held, a job, or many other things. I lost a sense of safety for years and I watched many things slip though my fingers while my fight became too much to handle. But I have been given so much by loss. If my parents didn't divorce, I wouldn't have got a chance to eventually live with my dad while going though cosmetology school and get to know him better. If I didn't have to quit dancing, I wouldn't have been able to work and save up my money for a trip to New York as well as for my camera and computer. On a deeper scale, if I didn't loose touch with myself, I wouldn't have found God.
So when I ask what have you lost, I'm really asking,
Sometimes this world seems bigger than it is And I just can't help but see it this way And I know you're telling me to cast my cares aside You know I try, Oh I try These walls that I build Just won't let me see you These walls that I build Just won't let me hear you And these walls are just walls I build between you and me, Lord
If I could see you, if I could hear you Then I'd know I need you just as before 'Cause I've barricaded these tendencies My selfish pride, these things inside They always get the best of me Show me love, teach my truth And break my heart, and bring me back to you Oh bring me back to you. Take these dreams, this is me All I am, here at your feet Take me as I am, with you I wanna be Of all this world it's you I wanna see So I'm here, I'm here on my knees Oh, God, I need only to see your face again I need only to head your voice again, Jesus I have only all I am, all I am And all I am is all I am in you So I fall on my knees again And I fall, I fall on my knees again At your feet, oh Lord And I fall, I fall on my kenes again At your feet, oh God And I fall, I fall on my knees again Walls come crashing down And I fall, I fall on my knees at your feet And the walls come crashing down And I fall, I fall on my knees At your feet, Oh God 'Cause these walls are just walls I built between you and me Come and tear 'em down These walls are just walls I build between you and me Tear 'em down, won't you tear 'em down And these walls are just walls I build between you and me Oh Jesus, please tear 'em down And these walls are just walls I built between you and me So I fall on my knees again at your feet, oh Lord And I fall on my knees again Walls come crashing down And I fall on my knees again, oh God And I fall on my knees again ///
As deep as oceans dive
As high as mountains climb
So is my love for You
This is my love for You
You have my heart
Lord, you have my heart forever.
///
The love of God is greater far
Thank tongue or pen can ever tall
It goes beyond the highest start
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God have His only Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
You and I pardoned from our sin.
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! It shall forevermore endure How measureless and strong! The saints' and angels' song we sing Holy holy!
When ancient time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall When men here refuse to pray
And all rocks and hills and mountains call God's love, so sure, will still endure
All measureless and strong
Redeeming grace to Adams' race Shall be the saint's and andels's song
Could we with the ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! It shall forevermore endure
How measureless and strong! The saints' and angels' song we sing Holy, Holy!
Oh love of God, how rich and pure! IT shall forevermore endure
How measureless and strong! The saints' and angels's song we sing
Holy, holy!
How measureless and strong! The saint's and angels's song we sing
Just thought I would share some verses that stuck out to me while reading parts of 1 Timothy waiting for the bus to church this morning.
///
But she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.
1 Timothy 5:6 ESV If we live for ourselves, we might as well not be living at all. We are children living for our amazing Heavenly Father. The things of this world are not for us to love: "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you." 1 John 2:15 NLT
///
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 ESV
///
Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
1 Timothy 4:12 NLT I've seen this verse float around the internet in a typographic format and I think why is because of how applicable it is to young Christians growing in their faith. People of all ages have something to offer. As someone who is "young" I feel excited to have the responsibility of being an example to other believers (as well as non-believers) entrusted upon me with the armor of God protecting me. It's easy to conform to worldly ideals about how we should live, love, or be pure, but the primary guild is in the word of God and that is where I look to find who I am and who I should be.
Chloe is my one of my best friend's younger sisters who I still can't believe is going to be a senior in high school! She has grown up to be such a beautiful young woman!
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand film against all strategies of the devil"
Ephesians 6:10-11
///
We all fight, some more than others and some more frequently than others. Some battles are incredibly strong while others are simpler tests of willpower. Often our battles are outstretched over a course of years and sometimes they last minutes. Although often our fights are similar they are never the same. Never forget that everyone is fighting a hard battle. Luckily, we have God on our side to stand firm in our faith. The devil often shows up as the things we feel/think that we want the most. "Lying is Satan's most effective warfare strategy. Doubt sets in when he can deceive us into believing a lie, or many lies. One doubt sets in, you quit desiring to obey God. That's really all Satan is after anyway...to get each of us to disobey God's will." [///]
Doubt can cloud our minds tremendously. Doubt over relationships, jobs, money, school - there are many things to feel doubts about which means there are many things to pray about. When we pray we put on God's armor to shield us from our doubts and find clarity and peace in Him. We always have God to fight for us and with us.
Stand firm knowing, "Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." Psalms 30:5
Anna got me this spoon ring for my early early birthday and I'm never taking it off.
///
"For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true."
I am probably the luckiest person in the world. This summer I get to do hair for nonstop photoshoots and then I'm able to hang around and shoot behind the scenes and have fun.
This shoot was a collab with Anna Peters (aka, the one in the striped dress in this post) and our model is Jesse. Anna shoots primarily film so her photos won't be released for around 2 weeks but I'll be sure to post a link! These are a mix between pics I shot and ones Anna shot as digital test shots.
///
test shots of me while drinking some tea.
///
I take advantage of test shots obviously:
///
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of our love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.