What They Have Given Me

Oh how I love this little boy! I see Elijah almost every Friday night at The Able Church. This six year old ministers so much to me! Elijah is a happy boy and he a joy to be around. I play with Elijah and keep him occupied during the service. During that time, he helps me to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. I begin to see the beauty around me. The world is so wrong about beauty. When I interact with Elijah, I feel such love, unconditional love. Elijah makes me feel beautiful, rare, and special. That is how I feel around all people with disabilities. That is how people with disabilities have changed my life. They have given me so much! I have experienced such love around them because I have truly opened myself up to the love of Christ. There are not that many people who are willing to truly open themselves up to this different side of love in Christ. This is the love that we have all been searching for, the love of Christ through people with disabilities. This love fills the deepest parts of your soul. A lot of people are afraid to open themselves up that much. There is nothing to be afraid of around people like Amanda and Sarah.

I was holding Natie on Sunday and I asked him for a hug. He gave me a big hug and his little hand patted my back. Natie is only two years old but the same love flows from him. He is such a sweet boy, he is such a gift! I have known Elijah and Natie for two years now and they are so dear to my heart!

There are two young women who speak so much into my life and make me feel so loved and special. They make me feel extraordinary. I am so blessed that I get to interact with people with disabilities on a daily basis.

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The Influence of the Ring (LOTR)

I have loved the story of The Lord of the Rings for a long time. I love the books and the movies. I was watching The Return of the King(3rd movie) the other night. At the beginning of the movie we find out how Gollum came into possession of the ring. Gollum was once named Smeagol and was a lot like a hobbit(a half size human). Smeagol and a friend were fishing in a river. The friend found the ring at the bottom of the river. Smeagol and the friend fought over the ring. Smeagol killed his friend because he wanted the ring for himself. The ring has a lot of bad power because Evil made the ring. The ring's influence and Smeagol's flesh(selfishness) drove him to kill for the ring.

Smeagol went into hiding with the ring. Smeagol forgot the taste of food and the smell of the wind. He even forgot his own name. That is when he became known as Gollum. Smeagol's appearance started to change because of the ring. The ring turned Smeagol into Gollum, an evil creature. There were several things that were significant for me in all of this. The ring represents sin in our lives, it is evil. The ring's influence in Smeagol's life drove him to kill his friend. That is exactly how the ways of the world influence our lives. The ways of the world mixed with our sinful nature are a bad combination. If we allow ourselves to be immersed in the ways of the world we will become a lot like Smeagol. The influence of sin in our lives slowly turns us into our own Gollum. We completely forget who we were before. The physical change that Smeagol experienced as he turned into Gollum is a representation of the change that will take place in our hearts. As Pastor Jerry said last Sunday, we fall so easily to the ways of the enemy. We must be on our guard.

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I Wish I Could Do More

My mom took this picture while she was in Mexico. My mom went to visit an orphanage and met this little boy with Down Syndrome there. He is so precious. I had to post the photo. I wish we could take him. He is much better off in an orphanage than neglected on the street. I don't even know his name, but I am going to pray for this little boy. My heart breaks for this little boy. What a gift he is! I pray that he will know how much he is loved!

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My First Official Photo Session

Well, yesterday I had my first official photo session with a wonderful family. The kids were great and I had a lot of fun taking pictures. Here are some pictures from the session.

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Girls Weekend

This weekend, Amanda, Sarah, and Crystal spent the weekend at our place. Saturday was a workday and we helped Karol with the gardening all morning. The girls painted shingles in the afternoon. We had a blast together and we laughed a lot.


I love these girls! They bless me so much!

Sarah being silly
Amanda and Sarah walking on the Down Syndrome Awareness Walk. We went with Sabrina and her kids.



What a great smile!

I love this picture! Elijah is looking at himself in the mirror. I finally came up with a name for my photography. There are several reasons why I picked reflection. I want to reflect Jesus by the way I live my life. I think that people with disabilities are the ones who reflect Christ the most. They are a reflection of God's love. I thought that reflection was a good word to describe the many changes in my life. Isn't this picture perfect for the name? I am using this verse:
2 Corinthians 3:18- And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.






Lydia was also looking at herself in the mirror.
Fish face



This isn't the best quality, but I do love it! It is so fun to capture moments like that. I sure do love those kids!

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