God

Confessions of a Single Photographer

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Over the past weeks I have had the privilege of photographing couples. I have met young couples and old couples. Some married a few years, while others have been together for decades. Some with children, many without. Their children were grown and gone.

I learned a lot about the condition of their couplehood by the way they looked at each other. While many would have us believe that marriage is something that is on the way out, I have seen something that disagrees with that stance. When people get an idea of what it is really all about, they will embrace the idea.

As a professional photographer, I meet a lot of people. I can snap hundreds of shots in a day. Many people put on their “taking a picture” mask.  It is my goal to crack that mask and get to the real person underneath. Some days I am successful, some days not. While trying to crack the mask on folks, I learned something with couples.

After having couples do a few tradition poses for their portraits, I ask them to look at each other. This moment tells me what these two people think about each other. They can hide everything from me and the camera, but when they look into the eyes of their love, truth comes forth. In most cases this is where the giggling starts. He giggles. She giggles. We all laugh. The photo shoot is pretty fun after that.

Now there were some couples who looked at each other and nothing happened. (I am single so it did take a few times for it to register that there was something going on in that marriage.) I just smiled and moved on. I felt sorry for them because they were missing out on what the others had.

The only thing better than taking the photo was watching the couples look at the photos of themselves. I remember one woman repeated over and over “Look at me and (his name).” The sight of their love for each other surprised her. She was overwhelmed by the sight of it.

I don’t get tired of men telling their wives they are beautiful. I do get tired of women blowing it off. I watched a man badger his wife because he thought she was beautiful, but she didn’t value his opinion. Yet, I love watching the love stories play out.

The Lord has allowed me to see all types of stories played out. I have watched a curmudgeon turn to jelly at a glance from his sweetheart and a wife who was ill, reach up and kiss her husband out of love. They all had their role to play in the relationship. The ones that were most secure where the ones that knew what role they played in the relationship.

Moments like these make me wait with anticipation for the man God has for me. I want to giggle at the sight of the man who loves me.

Learning from Animals

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For the first time in my life, I dog sat. This year, I am really stepping out of my comfort zone. I am not a pet person, so I was quite amused by pet behavior. It was new to me and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The dogs were charming, irritating and funny.

I realized I am not cut out to be a pet person. Pets have too many characteristics of people but none of the reasoning capacity. They were much smarter than I imagined. They opened doors, threw fits and read me like a book.

I got amused watching the dogs interact with each other. Loulah, a Cathoula/Shepherd mix would tease the chihuahua, Roscoe, who was tied down with just a limited area he could roam through. The chihuahua was the newest to the mix and had not adopted all of the house rules, so he had to be limited. Loulah is a sweetie, but she has her moments.

Loulah

Loulah would get the squeaky squirrel dog toy and take it to Roscoe. She would walk around him, like musical chairs, while he  chewed on it and made it squeak. And just when he was comfortable, she would snatch it and run out of his range. She would take it to another room, them after a few seconds would skip back into the room with it, but careful to stay out of Roscoe’s range.

I got a kick out of watching. Roscoe fell for it every time. Loulah definitely enjoyed it.

That is what Satan does to us. He tempts us with something we think we want. We get to chewing on it and comfortable with it, then he snatches it from us and takes it out of our range. When we are good and dumbfounded by it, he skips back in with it between his teeth taunting us with it.

Needless to say, I am not amused when I am tricked by Satan in that way. Unlike, Roscoe, I have God’s word to guide me. Last month’s verse was Psalm 19.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul,

The statues of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

If Satan is taunting or tempting you, there is a place you can go so that you don’t keep falling for it over and over again.

God’s Plans

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Many many years ago, I took a class. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Some of it stuck. One of the rituals I do every years is make goals for the year. Physical. Emotional. Spiritual, Etc. If you don’t have goals then it is difficult to tell if you are making progress or being static. I try to plan out my year. Review quarterly to see what is working and what is not.

Sometimes the things that I want are not in line with what God has planned. I am learning to trust God. If something doesn’t work, don’t push it. I go back to Him and ask what He wants me to do. Most of the time He says “Be still.”

I set goals with long term planning in mind. I understand that I have plans but God’s plans trump mine. Normally I try to plan according to the guidance God has already given me. If He hasn’t told me to change, I keep doing what He has told me to do.

One of my goals this year was to lose weight and get off my blood pressure medication. I attacked this goal with the intention of it being a long term goal, taking 3 to four years. I increased my exercise and worked on my diet (but I do love fried chicken.)

Roughly three or four months into this year, I lost about 10 pounds. When I went to my doctor, I asked her if I could stop taking one of the medications I had been taking.  She said,”Sure, lets try it.” She was very helpful and encouraging. I was so excited. I had reached a goal for the year. Yay me!

This year has been one of the hardest years I have ever lived physically, emotionally and mentally. My mom passed in December. One of my aunts got sick in April and I spent many a days by her beside until the Lord took her home. I have found myself challenged at all points to where some days I was ready to fight anyone who got in my face.

But God blessed me.

He gave me the funnest job I have ever had, but it has come with challenges. When you face challenge after challenge it is easy to get discouraged, but my God always has something in the wings. I sprained my ankle on vacation and had to go back to the doctor.

Routine blood pressure found my BP so low, I could get rid of another medication and in addition to that I lost 5 more pounds. Praise the LORD! If my ankle wasn’t sore, I would have danced out of there.

Some areas of my life, God is moving like an out of control freight train going down hill on a track. Some areas are at a complete stand still. I am learning to find my contentedness in whatever my circumstance. He is so good to me!

This year He is teaching me to live Philippians 4:11-12.

Destiny’s Dilemma is available on Amazon Kindle

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You can get the Kindle version of Destiny’s Dilemma on Amazon. The paperback will be available by July 31. You can order online or by email.

An African American woman moved home to take care of her dying mother giving up the opportunity to experience a world beyond segregation. Zoraida Hughes Williams finds that some things have changed about her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas while some have stayed the same, like Hell’s Half Acre, an area where saloons, prostitution and gambling runs wild. Like most of the residents, she wants to keep her head down and stay away from trouble, but it comes in the unlikely form of an Anglo Baptist preacher. He messes up everything and almost gets them killed.

Destiny_Dilemma book

Destiny’s Dilemma on Amazon

Purpose and Passion

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Lately,  I get to meet some of God’s people and photograph them. It has been the kind of blessing your really can’t describe because you need to experience it yourself.

I have met a woman drowning in grief because her fiance was murder.  I met another woman who survived stage three colon cancer. In spite of their circumstances, these people have continued to trust God. I appreciate being able to contribute to their lives.

God has placed people in our path for a purpose. Every time you think your story has reached its worst possible conclusion, God introduces you to someone who has it worse than you. If you are feeling down, look up. There is someone who needs your encouragement.

Every day of my life I get to remind people that there is beauty in this life God has created, whether in photos or videos or books.

God has called you to something. What passion has He ignited in your soul?

Destiny’s Dilemma

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This is one of my favorite stories. You can check out the first six chapters of this story for .99 cents on Amazon Kindle. I know you will find it to be fun.  You can order it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VN1JOHA

Destiny_Dilemma book

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An African American woman moved home to take care of her dying mother giving up the opportunity to experience a world beyond segregation. Zoraida Hughes Williams finds that some things have changed about her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas while some have stayed the same, like Hell’s Half Acre, an area where saloons, prostitution and gambling runs wild. Like most of the residents, she wants to keep her head down and stay away from trouble, but it comes in the unlikely form of an Anglo Baptist preacher. He messes up everything and almost gets them killed.

An Intimate Look

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Allow God to lead your day.

My day started when I got up and prayed. I made my to-do list for the day. Lord bless this list. Change it where you need to.

One of the stops on my list that I thought would take hours took about 15 minutes. Praise God.

I went and walked afterwards. As I was heading to my car at the end of my walk, I ran into my cousin. (the one that is 30 years my senior and I can’t keep up with.)

I decided to do another lap with her.

My bible study time:

It made me wonder how many of you will I see in heaven. And I also thought about what it would be like when you first see Jesus ( Rev 4, Isaiah 6)

As I was knocking other things off my list, I got a call that interrupted my progress.  I tossed everything to the side and went to the call.

I spent the afternoon with my aunt who is fading fast.  She had on an oxygen mask, so we couldn’t talk like we have been the last month. We watched the Rangers lose.  Sad I know.

A few hours later, other family members poured in. We sat, talked and waited.

I decided to leave. I needed to go home and check on my family.

But in the parking lot, a few of us started talking again.

I went back in.

This time it was my aunt who is fading fast, her best friend and me.

(This was one of those life changing moments so I don’t want you to miss it. Cause I almost missed it, but I listened to God and went back in.)

My Aunt’s best friend took her hand and began to pray. She prayed a prayer the reminded my aunt of all the things God has done in her life. Reminded her of all the amazing moments in life they had experienced. Reminded her of God’s faithfulness, mercy and His grace.

At the end of this woman’s prayer I heard the struggle of wanting your friend healed and wanting your friend to see Jesus.

When she finished, I prayed Lord, I want a friend like that. Someone who will remind me of your faithfulness.

After the prayer, my aunt kept looking up. See, she is looking for Jesus.

Like he said in the video, I know it is going to be an amazing experience.

He knows what’s coming. Allow Him to order your day.

 

 

Whom Shall I Fear?

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In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah got the opportunity to see God in a whole new light.  The fact that Isaiah hung on to the death of something in his life showed he had experienced great loss. There was something valuable to him that was there no longer. But what he gained was bigger and better than he ever thought possible.  God gave Isaiah a glimpse of who He really is. Once you get a glimpse of who God really is, nothing else matters.

Isaiah needed that moment with God to fill his emptiness.

Once God filled it, Isaiah was ready to minister again. “Here I am. Send me.”

Like Isaiah, I have experienced great loss. I have nothing left to give. God has emptied my coffers so that all there is is me. But all the takers in my life are still trying to take. They are frustrated when there is nothing there to take. They want more of what they were used to getting, but there is nothing. He brought me to this season for a reason. God is my only source, and I have learned contentment. (Philippians 4:11-13)

In my 50th year of life, the Lord is teaching me how to fear Him. It is the beginning of wisdom. Once you get a good picture of who you serve, it puts everything in perspective. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that there are lots of thunderstorms and earthquakes in this area. God shakes our foundations to show us we don’t control anything.

The same God who loved us so much He sent his Son, is also the same God who turns up the earth in quakes and sends us running for cover in tornados. I serve a mighty God and trust Him with all areas of my life.  He shut the mouths of lions for Daniel. He kept the fire from the 3 Hebrew boys. Ain’t nothing out there can touch me, less it go through Him first. If He brings me too it, then He will bring me through it.

If Noah had brought other people on the boat, they probably would have jumped off after 20 days because they didn’t trust what God was doing with Noah. He got to experience God as a destroyer of mankind and as a provider for his family. I know that when this season of life is over for me,  I will be like Isaiah wanting to share all that He has done for me.

God is in control. He knows what He is doing. I believe that His children will not be forsaken.

Share Night

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I used to kick “Share Night” to the curb. I had made it through another year of bible study, so I was gonna sit at home and relax. Skip listening to other folks talk about what God had done during their year. I had collected all my points all year by going to class, doing my lesson and even sharing on the personal questions. That was good enough. I was in my 30s and didn’t get it.

Share night is the last night of the study. The whole group meets to hear what others have learned and experienced during the study. There are questions designed to prompt this sharing.

Needless to say, I did not do the last lesson which caused you to reflect on all that you had been through that year. I was so stupid, but God didn’t tell me that. He just continued to nudge me forward. I did not stay stuck on stupid. I did start to attend “share nights” and discovered the Living God working in the lives around me. When you are wrapped up in the media, you can miss what God is doing right in front of your face.

Share night puts God in your face.

One of my favorite share night memories comes from the South Fort Worth class. A majority of the women who got up to tell what God had done in their lives, first thanked Judy Brewington who invited them to join the BSF class. Judy takes the study of God’s word serious an shares it will all who comes into contact with her. She is an incredible woman of God.

Through the years of Share Nights, I have laughed and cried with many woman. Through this journey God prepared me.

What I have learned this year in Bible Study Fellowship through the study of Moses’ life is that taking time to reflect on your journey is a good thing. Whether you know it or not, you are on a journey. And all of the people who are travelling with you are not experiencing the same things as you, but you can still journey together. God will entrust you with a vision that not everyone will understand or comply with. Moses had to bury all but Joshua and Caleb in the desert because they did not understand God’s plan.

During the study of Moses I experienced the most loss I have experience in my life at one time: my mom, my job, some good friends and more. As God revealed the mortality of things on earth, he revealed the immortality of heaven.  The joy is that God does not get old and frail. He does not become forgetful or weak. He can be all of the things we have lost. He has taught me He is the one thing I cannot do without.

My overall principle was He was with me. The Third Day song Spirit hit the nail on the head. When all else failed, His presence was always with me. He would always be my guide.

This year I prayed show me what He wants me to know and protect me from what He doesn’t. I choose to know Jesus Christ and him crucified. That is enough for me.

Serving Others

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TAB 2 Tarrant Area Food Bank

My pastor is preaching a series on serving others. His theology is God knows you are serious about putting Him first if you are serving others. He defines serving others by doing things for people who can’t reciprocate. Dr. Tony Evans said that others’ special needs are designed for divine intercession, it allows God to teach us about Himself.

I have had an amazing walk with God this week sitting in hospital rooms. Sometimes I got to sit quietly, while other times the rooms were filled with conversation and laughter. I have the best family. These people will show up and stay when you are in need. I got to see a compassionate God who cares for us in our weakest moments. We are all heading for that moment. Oh but for grace that will meet us there.

Last night I worked at the Tarrant Area Food Bank with a group of good friends. It was a blessing to be with folks who gave their time unselfishly. We had a good time doing something for someone who could not pay us for the work. God revealed what unconditional love looked like through these people.

That is what I love about God’s word. He gives us examples to live by. We know that if we serve others, we are in His will. If we are selfish, we are not in His will.

I know who I am in Christ. I know my strengths and my limitations. This week I got to be His hands and feet to the point of exhaustion. When I scheduled the Food Bank, I had no idea the other events of this week would take place. I am confident that I am in this season of life for this purpose.  My confidence is from Christ and His power at work in me.