1
2
3
4
5
“
How do we want to be remembered in this place? What would we like people to
say about us when your name enters into a conversation? If we could be described with one word, what word would we want that to be? If I could be granted one sentence about my character, one that I would want to be remembered by I think it would be this: She was a girl who had a big heart and she chose to use all of it.
- HANNAH BRENCHER
6
�
7
10
IN THIS ISSUE 18 BUILDING YOUR LEGACY // COVER SHOOT Sitting by the camp fire, drinking french press, roasting marshmallows, eating smores, wearing knit socks and boots, and enjoying sweet fellowship.
30 A SHIVER // THE AWAKENINGS OF FALL The authentic beauty of a legacy takes place when one is abandoned, set free, and fully alive in the realities of the Savior. By Sarah Delanie
38 PATCHES & SCARS
Recovery and joy can begin only once you have let go. The only response to brokenness is rebuilding. By Mackenzie Kern
42 THE MESSY, THE BROKEN, THE PERFECT God has begun a revolution within and amongst the daughters of this nation. And you are one of them. By Stefanie Sjostrom
44 INTERVIEWED // AMANDA MARIE LACKEY I must remember without my Maker, my businesses wouldn’t even exist. He created me for a special purpose.
52 REGRETLESS
When our fear of failure outweighs our hope for growth, we need to make a heart and perspective change. By Mackenzie Kern
60 EMBRACING HOPE
As soon as we realize that the Lord has something much greater for us, it becomes our joy to embrace our circumstances. By Caroline Hulse
IN EVERY ISSUE 12 Letter From The Editors 14 Contributors 58 What We’re Up To 11
12
LETTER FROM THE
EDITORS
T
his season of life has built it’s mountain and this climb has proven it’s fierceness for each of us. The concept of “legacy” that has inspired so much of this issue came from an awakening that these battles are not our own to bear. This fight to live out the gospel, love people well, to be intentional, and inspirational is horribly wrecked when we try to pursue it in our own power and for our own benefit; but, good gracious, what freedom we find when we let go of all that we are and let Jesus work and move! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. // 2 Corinthians 3:12
That is what we live for. That is our legacy. Our prayer, in this season, is that Jesus would give us fresh eyes to see the glory only He beholds and to be bold. That He would be our sole support and strength, and that the light of His word and finished work on the cross would make us steadfast and hopeful. Our hope is that this issue, though small, would refresh your hearts and fill you with joy and life! We understand and know all too well that weight of never being good enough, bold enough, or whatever that “enough” might be in your life. Our desire is to encourage you to set yourself free from that burden because it is not yours to hold onto. He is perfecting you, preparing you, loving you, and equipping you. He is doing all of this to fulfill the utterly spectacular purpose He has bestowed on your life. You might not always know what that purpose is, in fact, you probably never
will, but each new day He does not fail. He is The Overcomer of our hearts and that, friends, is enough to dynamically change the way we approach life and the legacy we will leave. Through this pursuit of entrepreneurship, those new hard beginnings, those stand stills, those questions, whatever your “those” are, just remember your core purpose. You are an encourager, a leader, and reflector of Jesus Christ. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. // Psalms 39:5 Don’t be afraid to remind yourself that this life is but a breath. In order for our hearts to be open to the legacy God is calling us to, we need to be broken enough to allow him to reshape our plans. Our focus and the foundation of our life decisions needs to be profoundly based on Christ, and living in His will and spectacular plans. Seek Him. We know you have heard it before, but sometimes you just need to hear it again. Seek Relentlessly. Find. Be Set Free. Rejoice. And rejoice again in the love that is poured out on you. How we live our days is how we live our lives. // Annie Dillard Here’s to full hearts, intentional living, becoming hopeful and joyful, and leaving a dynamic legacy, The S&S Team, Bethany, Ciera, Sarah & Mackenzie 13
WRITERS SARAH DELANIE Hello, I’m Sarah Delanie, a destination wedding and lifestyle photographer and executive editor for Shine & Soar Magazine. I have quirk for writing, a love for laughter, and swoon over beautifully cultivated art and rich relationships. You can usually find me sipping on a cup of coffee while pondering “this and that”, I have a curious draw to intentionality and an addiction to traveling. Imperfections and shortcomings are my specialty, but by grace I have been chosen, saved, and redeemed! My heart’s fullest desire is to live a life reflecting the noble beauty, grace, and love of Jesus Christ my Savior, less of me and more of Him is always a better place to be! Just a girl, with a heart that is consumed by the Overcomer.
CAROLINE HULSE I am the author and creator of the creative lifestyle blog SewCaroline.com. My husband, puppy, Sammie, and I live in Fort Worth, TX. I am a self-taught seamstress who loves to bend the rules of sewing. Not being taught to sew traditionally, I strive to show my readers (and sewing students) that the process of sewing can always be done more than one way! I completed and published my first Ebook in 2013 called Sew a Skirt. During the day, I work full time at a locally owned fabric store, so my blog is merely created out of my love of sewing and wanting to share it with you. In my free time (what’s that?!) I like to read, be outside, and spend quality time with friends and family.
MACKENZIE KERN Hi friends! I’m Mackenzie Kern, a wedding + lifestyle photographer, jewelry designer & managing editor at Shine & Soar Magazine. I’ve always had a love for adventure & a desire to pursue the unknown. After experiencing six moves before I was eleven and countless hours in the car for family road trips, I grew a passion for change & the challenge it brings.... If the brands of Kate Spade and Ralph Lauren met, I would be their baby. I am an olympic champion in sarcasm and running late for flights. I am an encourager, adventurer, lover of the sea and emboldener. “Therefore, since we have this hope, we are very bold.” - 2 Corinthian 3:12
STEFANIE SJOSTROM Hello! I’m Stefanie and I come from a small town in Birmingham, Alabama. I have a heart for young women, photography, and all things wedding. I am currently in school in Auburn, Alabama working towards my degree in Fashion Merchandising where I hope my dream of becoming a wedding planner or wedding dress designer will flourish. I believe in dreaming big, authenticity and that there is nothing better for the soul than laughing until your tummy is sore. Learn more about me and what God is doing in my life at stefaniesjostromphotography.com 14
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.� - ALBERT PINE
15
16
LEGACY
(n): something that is handed down or remains from one generation to the next; a heritage; a tradition
17
18
BUILDING YOUR CAMP FIRE, BUILDING YOUR LEGACY PHOTOGRAPHED BY CIERA CHANTE PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTED BY SARAH DELANIE, SHELBY HEWITT, AND QUYNCI WISDOM
19
20
21
“
Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you did not do than by those that you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails and explore, dream, and discover.
- MARK TWAIN
22
�
23
24
LIVE WITH PURPOSE
26
27
28
29
30
A SHIVER
// the awakenings of fall WRITTEN BY SARAH DELANIE PHOTOGRAPHED BY MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHY
31
“O
ur days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.” - Bill Graham We are a stitch in the story, a shiver in the awakenings of fall.
32
“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored.” says the Lord. “You expect much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,
while each of you is busy with his own house.” Haggai 1:5-9 Our legacy is not our own, we simply are partaking in that which has already been proclaimed eternal. Striving after our own glory will leave us wandering in a sea of darkness, forever entangled in the confusion of unanswered questions. The authentic beauty of a legacy takes place when one is abandoned, set free, and fully alive in the realities of a Savior who has joyfully covered you in His everlasting, unfading, beauty. The hard truth is that you will eventually, over time, be forgotten, but that soul of yours... it gets to partake in an eternal legacy. A legacy that has shattered the yoke that burdens your heart, the bar across your shoulders, and the rod of your oppressor. “He must become greater; I must become less” John 3:30 We would all be lying if we pretended like we didn’t want to be the next Christian “it” girl and as a result we cling to the “If only I could write like that, have (blank) followers on my blog, travel here,” the list goes on… Maybe, just maybe, then, we would be fulfilled if we had an
33
34
inkling of the labels so many of us more impactful and world changing use to define and beautify our out- than your heart will ever be able to ward adornment. comprehend. Your purpose is to love Jesus and pursue Him. The reLet me tell you this, the label is sult of that is a legacy that will radithe lie. ate from your life, a wholeness and Your greatest victories and most joy that comes because Jesus chose honest moments will happen in the to give it to you, and not because most sacred of places that no one the circumstances were ideal. This will see and most will never know. idea of legacy is an utter gift and Why? Because the simplicity of Je- that is something we must never sus being your only beholder is far forget.
“I had an inheritance from my father, It was the moon and the sun. And though I roam all over the world, the spending of it is never done.� -Ernest Hemingway Build up the kingdom through grace and set your soul free. Embrace the awakenings of fall and let the brief moments of a sharp shiver down the back of your spine awaken your eyes to see the unseen. 35
36
37
S C A R S & PAT C HES
S
omeone else’s success will not make you great. Someone else’s faith will not make God anymore real to you. Momentary highs will leave you empty. This life that you’ve built on someone else’s definition of success, this persona you’ve created to step into someone else’s shoes, will leave you restless. You are not entitled to or owed the same story as someone else. Allowing yourself to think differently will simply drown you even deeper in discontentment. And, that is what we do. Slowly and steadily we become consumed by the hope of being awarded approval from others or becoming someone else, so we change. For some of us it’s giant leaps and for others it’s small and steady steps. If you are here- if you are at a place where you have begun to give small pieces of yourself away, if you are at the point where you can’t remember what was there or what is missing.. If you’re forgoing an intimate, fulfilling relationship with Christ for approval from society. If you are pushing yourself onto someone elses path simply because they are gaining the approval you desire. Let go. Even when it seems like God is placing your dreams in someone elses hands, let go. 38
WRITTEN BY MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHED BY MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHY
We are each constantly seeking contentment, which we often think can only be defined as success. which we often label as wealth or someone else’s endeavors. No matter what our age is or circumstances, we often go through that thought process. We glorify a scenario or pattern of success that we see in someone elses life, and we measure those circumstances against ourselves in order to define our usefulness, our creativity, our authenticity, our worth, or (you fill in the blank). We define ourselves by someone else’s story or the story that others write for us. We often look to others who are gaining admiration or approval and instead of taking the time to pursue our own path, to go the hard way, we throw ourselves into someone else’s journey because it looks quick and easy. We so desire instant gratification that we forgo the authenticity and richness of our own story. Patching up your dreams with someone elses plans is like placing a piece of gum on the crack of a dam. It looks healed, you can deny the start of the hurt and the difficulties, but it will break. And the longer the pressure builds, the longer you have to hold onto someone else’s identity, the hard-
er you hold onto the comfort of blindly doing life, the braver you try to look, and the more you try to cover what you know is not your own…. the harder the rebuilding. Recovery and joy can begin only once you have let go. The only response to brokenness is rebuilding. The cracks left behind from poor decisions are not always visible, but they are there. Don’t be afraid to let go for fear of being the only one scarred. Those cracks don’t hinder our story, they profoundly bless and strengthen our testimony and our mission. We need to stop labeling our stories and overanalyzing the definition of success. Your uniqueness is so much more valuable than the pretty box you or society places you in. If you want respect, if you want admiration, you must let go of the notion that anyone elses life could be better for you than yours. Finally seeing truth doesn’t make it easier, but it allows us to finally break in order to heal. Pursue your own path... Use these moments here and now to chase after greatness and fight for the incredible dreams and potential you alone have. Don’t walk, run towards the goal with all of your being.
39
40
When we place what matters most first, we are blessed in other areas of our lives in the most dynamic ways. 41
the messy, the broken, the perfect BY STEFANIE SJOSTROM
42
W
e may not know everythingin fact we may hardly know anything compared to the abundance of information that flows through the all knowing mind of God. But you know what? That is OKAY. Often we find ourselves in whirlwind of doubt, insecurity and fear, which ends in an overflowing pool of excuses. Excuses of why we are undeserving, inadequate, and why we will never measure up. We find ourselves trying to vindicate imperfections that were created to be imperfect and end up losing ourselves in our brokenness. Our hearts are called to be challenged, and challenged at the core. Yes. Life is messy. Life is hard. But His grace is made perfect in our weakness. I wonder how many of us would stop trying to justify our brokenness if we just really rested in the fact that we don’t have to explain ourselves to God. It’s not even that we don’t have to, it’s that He’s not interested. When we don’t have the strength, or we fail, or we just don’t want to do it He is not looking for an excuse. He’s not looking for an apology. He doesn’t want your perfection. He wants your brokenness. All of it. Bare. Raw and real. He wants a heart that is yearning for grace. A heart that can
hold brokenness and not break. God doesn’t want us to become broken, but He calls us to be broken. Because you see, the moment we become something we are conformed to it- we become slaves to it. We become bound to the chains of brokenness. But when we experience glimpses of what is broken- when we taste and see the messy just even for a second we are transformed and distinctly reconstructed by our Creator. When we are broken our hearts our soft enough for the words of the Lord to be planted. And, where the words of God are planted, a revival begins. If you are struggling with brokenness I wish I could hug you because I know how it feels. But please know that God is embracing you, transforming you and loves you to pieces. In the midst of your brokenness rejoice in the fact that you are strong enough to hold it’s weight without breaking. Give thanks joyfully. Now pause. Breathe. And release. God has begun a revolution within and amongst the daughters of this nation. And you are one of them.
43
IN
AMANDA 44
NTERVIEWED //
A MARIE LACKEY 45
GET TO KNOW AMANDA MARIE Photography // I started Amanda Marie Portraits in 2008, and have since shot 100+ weddings. I have a love for all things wedding really. Engagements sessions, the commitment to the one you love, and the way a room stares at a father/daughter dance. It all melts me to mush! My goal is to capture love with timelessness, quality and true beauty. I’m so blessed to be invited into the one of the most memorable days of a couples life, and I couldn’t be more thankful. I am passionate about serving people, and I feel God has truly blessed me.with a camera to serve where love is found. Styling // In 2011, I began working for Anthropologie part time and before I knew it, friends and colleagues in the creative industry were asking me to style outfits for almost any occasion. That eventually turned into styling personal closets, styled shoots, and in 2012 Amanda Marie Styling was born. Your style should be two things: effortless and a reflection of your personality. My personal style rule? One accent piece. Something bright just does a soul right.
46
On a more personal note, I recently married my best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Lee Lackey, on December 31, 2012. We rang in the new year with all our closet family and friends and felt more love in one night than we ever thought possible. I’m learning now more than ever that the Lord created an amazing thing when he made marriage. In my downtime you’ll find me: drinking a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop, loving on my sweet Boxer/Australian Shepherd mix pup Jackson, spending time in the Lord’s word, hanging out with my adorable niece and nephew, rummaging through thrift shops, and soaking up this beautiful thing called life! AMP has been featured on: Grey Likes Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Brides of North Texas, Green Wedding Shoes, and Grooms Sold Separately. Clients Include: Gaylord Texan Resort & Spa, Brides of North Texas, Reata Restaurant, Wolfgang Puck, Edison’s, Wendy Krispin Caterer, City Club Fort Worth, and Anthropologie.
1. How do you balance dayto-day life, running a full time photography business, travels, and college? If I’m being honest, I really don’t think I’ll ever have the ‘right’ answer to this question. I’ve been running my business since 2008, and every year I learn something I could do better, including time management. What I’ve come to find, is that if you truly love your life, job and friendships, and value every single aspect in your life, everything sort of just comes together in a weird way. There’s absolutely a lot of hard work thrown in the mix, but when it comes to balancing, I’m just flat out not an expert. There is however three main ingredients I like to use when it comes to making everything in my life fit together. Patience, contentment and a whole lot of prayer. 2. What are Amanda Marie Lackey’s go to travel tips?
Read travel blogs!! I love Googling the place I know I’ll soon be visiting and then I read all of the reviews. Once I’m at my destination, I take a ton of iPhone photos. Sometimes my camera can get bulky while traveling, and if I’m not traveling for work, it’s nice to have a little break from carrying it. My iPhone captures the perfect little memories, and I like to make small Artifact Uprising books of the adventure when I get home. It’s a great way to display all of your photos in once place without feeling like you have to frame every photo. 3. If you could start over and do one step differently at the beginning of your business, what would it be? I’d ditch the expectations. So many times I said to myself, ‘When I’m this age... my business will be there too.’, or ‘Once I get this lens, I’ll be able to do that as well...’ then, I would only end up disap-
pointing myself, and for no really good reason. When I was able to learn that I am my own person in my business, all the expectations of needing to meet the goals of others flew out the window. In return, my work was able to flow freely and creatively. 4. We all have the one thing we never leave the house without, what is yours? A Kate Spade bag stuck to my hip, (I like to think one day I’ll own the whole collection, but let’s not get too caught up on life’s important things ;)) a journal for doodling in case a creative idea comes to mind, and a thankful attitude for life. With thankfulness, almost anything can happen. 5. What is the one thing that you love most about your job & makes everything worth the hard work? This is always a bit hard to nail down, and every time I really try 47
to think about the answer to this question, the same thing always comes to mind... I love the entire creating process. I know I was born a creative, and it just fuels my heart to live it out. There’s so much beauty, time and effort that goes into every ‘creative’ process, and what I love most is that my job is always in the process. It hasn’t ended, and I love the mystery of not really knowing when it began. Pretty deep for someone who was the owl mascot at their high school huh? ;) 6. Favorite coffee/coffee stop three, two, one, go! Brewed in Fort Worth all the way! My Instagram feed has little nooks and crannies of Brewed at least once a week, and I like to tell friends it’s my second living room. And that I decorated the place of course ;) 7. Goals are key assets to growing a small business, what would be the most challenging goal you have set or are currently setting for yourself? How did you achieve that goal/what steps are you taking towards current ones? Goals can often be intimidating to me, but when I think of them as more of a journey and adventure, it doesn’t seem as scary. One goal of mine is that I’ve always wanted was to write a book. So crazy big right?! Hey, this girl is dreaming big! Goals I plan on taking to make
48
that happen are to:
when we know we’ve made a mistake and life gets confusing, wait -continue researching and pinfor the goodness to come. The pointing the exact topic I’d most Lord always provides for those want to focus on. Whether that be who wait. business, styling, the time I shot a basketball for the other team in 9. We all know Amanda Marie middle school, etc. Lackey is the style guru, what is your all time favorite outfit, ac-research publishing companies to cessories and all? see who most often publishes books similar to mine Oh goodness. So hard to choose just one! I’d have to say one of my -work on something small every all time favorite outfits I ever wore single day to obtain my goal was when I was proposed to by -pray, pray, pray that the Lord has the love of my life. I was wearing a a plan in my goal and that I contin- simple black polka dot dress, with a bright colored chunky Anthroue to follow it in His path pologie necklace, and gold gladia8. Growth is often hard and tor sandals. The second best part messy, what areas of your life to an outfit is what happens to have changed as a result of pur- you while you wear it! suing your business? 10. What legacy do you hope to The mistakes and challenges leave those who look up to you? I’ve gone through have 100% molded me into the person, busi- The word ‘legacy’ makes me wish ness women and artist I am now. I’d get started on about 10 trillion It took about a year, after strug- more new things! But when it all gling with many transitions, to re- comes down to what truly matally know the good they do. Once ters, the legacy I would like to I realized that, I realized the Lord leave for others is that I lived my knew exactly what He was doing life solely for my maker. Of course in my heart. The most uncomfort- it wouldn’t hurt to create or design able situations and times in your the best photography + styling life often mean something special business or product, but without is brewing. My advice to someone my maker, my business wouldn’t going through challenge, heart- even exist. That’s the one thing I ache and all around uncomfort- must always remember. He creableness is to know it means that ated me for a special purpose you did something so spot on. and my purpose and legacy is to When we don’t make mistakes, live that out with the happiest of we leave no room to grow, and hearts.
49
WHE OUR H
50
E N O U R F E A R O F FA I L U R E O U T W E I G H S OPE FOR GROWTH, WE NEED TO MAKE A HEART AND PERSPECTIVE CHANGE. 51
52
REGRETLESS WRITTEN BY MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHED BY MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHY
53
54
F
rom the time we are born, we are trained to run from what scares us, and to step away from what threatens our safety and comfort. As we grow older, instead of running from real danger, we begin to run from change. Especially the really good, really hard changes we need to make in order to achieve our dreams or goals. We create this far fetched notion that staying in the complacency or the ease of our current circumstances should win over any hard alterations in life. We forgo the potential of so many dynamic, spectacular blessings simply to control and retain familiarity. We justify running from these much needed changes by telling ourselves that it would have be too hard or too much to conquer. You may believe you were born with an unfettered will and ability to face things head on, but I can guarantee that you have or will struggle with these changes at some point in your life. Changes that will place fear in your heart. There is always more than one answer to a question, and with every change in life we have more than one outcome. Yet, we are told that when fear grips our hearts, when the road to our dreams and changes looks rough, the easy answer is to run. The truth is, when we do that, when we justify our inaction with doubt, we make way for fear. We let “what if’s” enter into our vocabulary and we strip ourselves of the greatness God has so clearly placed in each us. Repeated fear based decisions
almost always lead to a fear filled life. When our fear of failure outweighs our hope for growth, we need to make a heart and perspective change. No one ever said pursuing greatness would be easy. There is no guarantee that pursuing a current dream will have the perfect outcome in society’s eyes. But, if you are pursuing what God is calling you to, your success can never be defined by what society is calling you to. By choosing to pursue Christ, and embrace change and the dreams he has given you, you are choosing to find hope and success not just in this place or in this world, but in Him. And that is the ultimate goal. That is the keypursuing your Christ centered dreams not just because of what you want or feel right now in the difficulties and unfamiliarity, but because leaving a legacy requires leaving no stone unturned. Being recognized as an innovative, bold, (you fill in the blank) human being often comes when we forgo our desire for approval, throw our plans out the window and wholly embrace the beauty in the freshness and newness that change brings. Your life is worth living passionately, wholeheartedly and fear free. Free yourself from a need for complacency and allow yourself to fall into the richness and joy that covers us when we get it, when we embrace change and let go of fear and regret.
55
“A legacy gets passed. To children. To friends. To lovers. To people you will never even know in this lifetime. And it does not begin when your eyes shut or your fingers stop playing on the piano at night. And maybe it’s time we asked, will mine be full and bursting with goodness?” //HANNAH BRENCHER
56
57
58
WHAT WE’RE UP TO // what we’re currently loving
BETHANY
CIERA
…is listening to: Lecrae’s Church Clothes 2 and Beautiful Eulogy’s Instruments of Mercy. I love my Christian Hip Hop.
…is listening to: Counting Stars by OneRepublic
…is reading: The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin and Jesus > Religion by Jeffereson Bethke.
…is loving: My new instax! Woo!
…is loving: Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia and Karamel Sutra Ice Cream...it’s clearly getting to the end of the semester.
…is reading: Jasmine Star’s EXPOSED magazine.
…is dreaming of: 2014 & business planning for the next year! So excited for what the new year holds!
…is dreaming of: Having a break and taking bigger steps with my business in 2014.
SARAH
MACKENZIE
…is listening to: “Rend Collective Experiment”
…is listening to: Turning Page by Sleeping at Last
…is reading: About to dive into “The Christian Atheist” by Craig Groeschel
…is reading: On the verge of finally starting “The Power of Starting Something Stupid” by Richie Norton and his amazing wife Natalie.
…is loving: My new Jeep Patriot, I always wanted my own “beep beep” & now I have one! …is dreaming of: Little red Starbucks cups with red lipstick marks and Christmas downtime to regroup, write, read, and begin preparing for an exciting 2014!
…is loving: Raspberries, sleep & Bare Minerals lipstick in moxie …is dreaming of: Booking a wedding in Italy or Switzerland.
59
60
EMBRACING HOPE
WRITTEN BY CAROLINE HULSE PHOTOGRAPHED BY MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHY
61
62
D
o you ever find yourself in a place and realize you have no idea how you got there? It’s moments like when you’ve driven yourself to work one thousand times and one day you wake up, get in the car, start driving, and somehow you end up on the complete opposite side of town. You know where you started, and where you ended up, but that time in transit? Lost. I think life goes that way sometimes. You know where you started and you know where you’ve ended up (to this point) yet you have no idea how you got there. Through some series of circumstances in life you’ve reached this point. Where you are now. YOUR day to day. Are you embracing it? Are you embracing the life you have and the potential you have to live for Christ and share the gospel daily? As Christians, we have the potential and the responsibility to change the world around us for God’s Glory. Think back to your day yesterday. Did you allow God to work through you regardless of your circumstances? Whether we’re having the best day we’ve had in months, or the crummiest day of our lives, we can’t let our circumstances determine or hinder God’s ability to work through us. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12 We are promised tough times,
but through our faith in Christ, we are also (and more importantly!) promised hope. “For in hope we are saved. But hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Romans 8:24-25 Hope. Now that’s something not everyone has. We, as believers, have a reason to embrace our circumstances. We have a hope for something better, something greater, something much more than us, or anything we could imagine, waiting for us right around the corner. Embracing your circumstances can be tough. Especially when you feel you’ve been wronged, you’re totally and completely spent, or you just don’t understand. But as soon as we realize that the Lord has something much greater for us. Once we recognize hope, it becomes our joy to embrace our circumstances. “[Yes, and I will rejoice,] for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or death.” Philippians 1:19-20 The Lord takes everyone’s life journey on a different path. We may not know exactly why we’ve been placed in a certain situation or circumstance, but it doesn’t matter. Our job is to embrace life and embrace the hope we have in Jesus Christ. 63
64
What will you leave behind?
65
NEXT ISSUE: The Winter Edition
66