Issue 1 by Shine & Soar Magazine

S P R I N G 2 013

New Beginnings

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 6 10 24 26 36 38

Letters From The Editors Contributors Finding ___________ in the Change Two Girls on New Beginnings The Inseparable Lover Made To Crave // Book Review In The Winter

Spring 2013

The Ones // Poem Interviewed // Kristen Leigh Morris Jumping Into Business Creating an Inspiration Board 7 Ways to Prep for Summer Genuine Beauty Photography Contributors

42 44 52 58 60 64 68

BETHANY My heart is doing cartwheels in my chest...and it is FULL with gratefulness at the same stinkin’ time. I’m seriously in a pinch-me state as I type these words right now. God has brought me + these three fab ladies so far since August when we all met from the first time and it never ceases to blow me away. New beginnings + change + contentment have all been big themes on my heart over these past couple of years with moving for the first time in my life, diving into photography, giving up the dog I raised + loved, doing college as a Junior in high school, and many other big changes that

I’m still stunned that I got through (and only because of God did I get through them). I hope this issue blesses + encourages + fills you with hope. That is what spring is all about :: hope for new life. So even if you are in the middle of a valley in your life right now, you can have new + full life. Why? Because you have the only thing you need to truly have a full life :: God. And you are His beloved, and He is yours...the Creator of the universe is your Beloved...just let that sink in for a minute. He knows you perfectly and wants to have intimacy

KILEY MARISSA PHOTOGRAPHY

with you beyond your comprehension. A deep & intimate relationship that will make the deepest, messiest, dreariest, most hopeless time of life into the most joy-filled one. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. // Psalms 16:11 He gives life. He gives joy. He satisfies the desires of our heart. He is all that matters. BETHANY ALESHIRE Editor-in-Chief + Publisher BethanyAleshire.com

MACKENZIE Hello friends! It is already Spring, and I could not be more excited about all that this issue holds! I love how God works, because the topic of change is so pertinent to all that is currently happening in my life. After so many challenges in the Fall and Winter, this Spring is going to be a huge time of change in my own life...I’m moving to Minneapolis in two months (Woohoo!), shooting my first wedding in May, and traveling to Europe in June....These are all things I’ve dreamt of for so long, and they are finally coming to fruition...

I’m reminded as I finish this semester of classes, that these changes are just a part of what God has planned for me... and my life is one smidgen of history compared to eternity. For now, as you discover change throughout this issue and read so many incredible articles, remember Ecclesiastes 3:11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

In this season of life, walk out in faith, hope, and courage. You are going through your very circumstances for specific reasons and a special purpose. Nothing you have done or will do is a surprise to the incredible God we serve.... He makes everything beautiful in its time... Lets rely less on our own plans, and instead, find peace in Jesus through the change.... MACKENZIE KERN Assistant Publisher/Editor MackenzieKern.com

SARAH “Just as the roof of a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it.” // C. S. Lewis This season has been a season of new beginning & change in itself, along with preparation for new beginnings & change for the future. Hebrews 6:7 says, “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.” Jesus Christ is our constant source of joy, peace, power & purpose in the change of life and we are so thrilled to be featuring some amazing articles written by inspiring hearts. Our prayer is that you would find contentment in the place and season the Lord has you in, that

you would find purpose & power in walking worthy of your calling. We believe that the Lord has a divine purpose for you to fufill here and we hope that you would be encourage by the words in this issue. We pray that you would walk richly in confidence that only comes from the Lord, reflecting his divine purpose & power in your life.

to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. Believe me when I say, I will be doing the same! Just to encourage you before you dive into this issue Hebrews 10:39 says this,

Change is something that I myself struggle with and I know all to well that it is all to easy to get comfortable where you are, forgetting that Jesus makes all things alive & new each day. We are not calling to live a “busy” life, but a “full” life and as fine of a line that that may be, my hope is that the Lord will open your eyes to the areas in your life that need attention, change & perseverance in order to grow deeper in your faith. I pray that you will draw near

Praise Jesus that he has chosen us to be his warriors and fight for his kingdom despite our flaws & short comings!

what He has done already and am expectant for the future! The vision behind this issue is new beginnings, and it fits so perfectly as spring is starting to come into bloom. From graduating high school to starting a new job, it seems like change is all around me as we prepare to launch. I hope you find every article to be full

of inspiration! We are praying that this magazine pushes you forward as you continue making changes throughout your own life. In every season, remember, bloom where you are planted.

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

Keep fighting for more, keep raising the standards, keep loving & keep living, SARAH DELANIE Executive Editor SarahDelanie.com

CIERA We are so excited about releasing this issue! With this being the first official issue, I am simply amazed by how God has already started to use this magazine to bring him glory. From all of the girls that modeled to each of the contributors, he has involved each of us in this magazine for a specific purpose. I just love

CIERA CHANTE Creative Director CieraChantePhotography.com

CONTRIBUTORS These ladies are pure amazing and we’re so blessed to have their words and a little bit of their hearts here in these upcoming pages. Here is a little bit about them & how to find them elsewhere. BRIDGET BLAIR // The Ones Poem // Pg. 42

When I was growing up my parents never tried to hide my adoption, and as I got older they revealed more to me about my pre-life story. Turns out its too complicated for a 500 character bio, but the important thing is how Christ has used me through all of the hurt and brokenness in my life. All the trials & chaos I’ve been through, He’s been through too, right by my side. Not once has He left me. All of the spoken word I’ve written has come out of a dark place in my life, but recently it has become focused on God and His endless redemption.

CATHERINE MARSH // Two Girls on New Beginnings // Pg. 24 I am an outgoing and talkative dreamer + photographer + designer! I am my happiest in airports, or riding horses. I am from a crazy family and have 5 siblings. I dream of the snow + cold weather to keep me sane and my Pandora is currently on the Film Scores radio. Most important of all, I love Jesus and I have been saved by His amazing grace. Also I’m an Australian which means, yes, I have an accent! // You can keep up with her on her blog at pinklemonadestand2.blogspot.com.au.

ELIANNA AYALA // Two Girls on New Beginnings // Pg. 25

I’m Elianna and currently I’m a 15 year old Sophomore in high school. I’m also a ballerina with a love for vintage things, handlebar mustaches and being good old fashioned crazy. Some of my best memories come from just laughing and sharing coffee with friends. God has inspired me to be passionate every day and to do things to the fullest. Being apart of Shine & Soar Magazine has shown me that I can choose to make a difference with my life. What will you do with yours?

ELIZABETH ANN KING // In The Winter // Pg. 38

I’m a wedding photographer based out of Birmingham, Alabama. Much more than that though, I’m a daughter of our sweet God. Long ago, I made the decision to live a full and focused life; and I am committed to choose that life every day. I love and believe in people more than anything in the world. I long to help others see the greatness God has placed in their lives. I live every day in the truth that life is too precious, and my calling is too great, to settle for less than God’s best.... and, you can almost always win my heart over with Reese’s pieces! // See more about her heart + work at ElizabethAnnStudio.com

HOPE SIMMONS // The Inseparable Lover // Pg. 26

I am a 16 year old Junior from Fort Worth, Texas, where I live with my family of 6. I am striving to love this beautiful city well by working with a local organization called The Net & by sharing my life with the grand people that make up The Rooted Church. I am a hipster imposter, a recovering carrot addict, & a horrible teller of jokes. I love eating like a hippy & sitting way too close to people. I am striving daily to center my life around the Gospel, & I’m hoping to move to Ethiopia in the next few years to explore the adventure of a Gospel calling in another country. // She blogs at mercifulserendipity.blogspot.com

KRISTEN LEIGH MORRIS // Interviewed // Pg. 44

Though I second-shot my first wedding when I was 14, my business officially began in 2007 when I was 17. I graduated highschool and flew straight to Chicago to intern with another photographer. After that, my little soul was set on fire and I ate up any photography opportunity that came my way. From New York, to Napa Valley, to Mexico, to Jamaica, I was traveling, flying, shooting and living the dream. Now, I’ve settled down and have been married for eight wonderful months and am two months away from meeting our son. Life is crazy good. // Keep up with Kristen at imkristensphotoblog.com

MizB // Jumping into Business // Pg. 52

MizB is a married mom of two who is learning what it means to be an all-out Jesus follower and let God have the pen to write her story. Her passions are reading and design. MizB lives in Ontario, Canada and hopes to one day be her own boss, working as a Graphic/Web Designer. // You can read more at shouldbereading.wordpress.com

SARA FACHETTI // Creating an Inspiration Board // Pg. 58

Sara Beth Fachetti is a blogger writing primarily to teen girls. After years of living in bondage, she is passionate about speaking to them about their worth and beauty in Christ and pursuing their dreams. Hailing from metropolitan New York and currently living in Denver, CO, she is currently seeking the Lord for her next big adventure while she writes from her heart. // Visit her at www.SaraFachetti.com.

SARIT BRIDELL // Genuine Beauty // Pg. 64

My whole life I’ve always been a complete girly girl and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love the fast paced life the city has to offer and of course the extreme diversity of fashion and people in it. I don’t have a favorite color because I love all of them equally. I’m currently a 17 year old teenage girl who’s trying to navigate that crazy place called high school. I have high hopes and aspirations to move to California and pursue my dream career. As far as that scary thing called the future goes all I can say is, embrace it with open arms.

We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make a new beginning, but we can start anew from where we are today. 8

So begin.

welcome to the spring issue

Finding 10

___

Content

_________ in the change

Balance HOPE Peace tment Purpose Power

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 12 // Romans 12:2

hange is hard, uncomfortable, annoying, bothersome, exhausting & trying. Needless to say, it is a rarity to come across someone who “enjoys” change. Believe it or not, there is an exquisite,

unexplainable, beauty in change. Whether that be life change, physical change, mental change or spiritual change, it can all benefit us in the long run. Take a peak into how the Shine & Soar team deals with

the struggles of change + new beginnings by fighting the mundane with Jesus + authenticity + contentment + hope + purpose + power + peace + balance.

Finding Purpose & PoweR // Sarah I

used to underestimate the power of my testimony. Questioning what power there really was behind it. In my flesh I am Unworthy, I am Powerless & Purposeless. I have been blessed with two Jesus fearing parents, who have inspired me to fight for something more. At the young age of 5 I felt a huge calling on my life, a calling to walk worthy of my destiny. Now, don’t get me wrong, at the age of 5 my vocabulary was not quite this vast! I may not specifically remember exactly the moment or words when I made my profession of faith, but what I do know is this // The Holy Spirit was present & the Lord had big things in store.

I’m going to be real with you guys. I have not had to suffer much, I’ve grown up in church and been surrounded by Christian family members my entire life. I have not suffered any huge losses or been deprived of basic necessities. I guess you could say from the eyes of an outsider I have the “ideal” life. Here is the problem. When I was twelve years old the Lord began to tug at my heart. I don’t mean just a little “hey there little pickle, look over here” kinda tug, I mean a burden. I can remember countless times getting in the car after school or church with my mom in tears saying, “There is just something more and I don’t know what it is.” I wasn’t satisfied. I didn’t believe

in living a mediocre, lukewarm life, but yet, that’s what I felt I was living. Shallow, self-centered, spoiled brat are the words I would use to describe myself & I hated it. Then, there was a question. “What does a truly authentic, Jesus fearing, modern day, teenager look like?” I searched & I searched & I searched. To no avail. I was surrounded by complacency, boy talk, gossip, immaturity & half hearted worship. Sounds harsh, but this is our generation. “So what is the next step?” I asked myself.

You can change this world, you can redefine the stereotype that lies with being a teenager. You have a choice.

Prayer. I had always been told prayer would do some good, but until the fabricated church worship/ prayer times, with lights & bands and the AC turned up so you would feel chills on your arms faded into a distance, did I realize what tangible power truly lied in it.

It is time for a change.

One of the most eye opening, memorable moments of prayer I have experienced would be the Summer of 2012, sitting on the floor in a tiny hotel bathroom, by myself, in Boston, at 2 in the morning. I still giggle every-time I flash back to that moment. Jesus has a sense of humor ya’ll.

It is time for you to jump out of the rut & stop defining yourself by your surroundings. You are not your talent, you are not your youth group, you are not your Facebook or Instagram account and ultimately you are not your own.

But besides the matter, in that moment my eyes where finally opened to something greater. An “Authentic Dream” as I like to call it.

It’s time for New Beginnings, New Experiences, New Awakenings. It is time for you to DREAM. & DO. It is possible.

You are a chosen one. A royal priest hood, a holy nation a people BELONGING to God! You can change this world, you can

I finally knew my purpose, calling & for that matter, every believers purpose & calling. Christianity is slowly but surely conforming to the world, I see many teenagers - talking the talk, but NOT walking the walk.” It was my job as a follower of Christ to shake things up & be the change that I so desperately wanted to see. To embolden young believers, to strengthen them & direct them to the Lord who would open their eyes to a greater calling, one with higher standards. Standards that make people take a step back and ask what this aroma of life, love, compassion, & forgiveness comes from. Here is the deal ya’ll, just going to church on Sunday & being apart of church youth activities does not make the cut. We are called to SO much more than that. There is such POWER that lies in the hearts of a young teenager fighting for truth, you have a divine purpose here & now to fight a battle that has already been conquered.

redefine the stereotype that lies with being a teenager. You have a choice. If you want to be a leader, you can not run with the pack. If you want to be a difference maker, you can not give into pressure. There is purpose & power in your calling, whether that be photography, graphic design, videography, interior design, nursing or teaching, you have the choice to use that God given gift now. I pray Jesus sets a fire ablaze in your heart & that fire catches other hearts on fire. Keep pressing into His presence, Sarah Delanie

Finding Peace // MACKENZIE I

t’s frightening, it’s exhausting, it’s beautiful, it’s messy...Whether you love it or hate it, change is everpresent…. Change is life…. Oftentimes we find ourselves wrestling with the frustrations of change. We fight through it and try to convince ourselves we love it... In the end, we often hate change because it means that we, in our own flesh, are no longer in control. My own life has been full to the brim with change… Before I was eleven I moved six times and traveled all across the country with my family. I developed a love for travel, and change... Or so I thought… After finding out last October that my family was being transferred to Minnesota I quickly realized that I was not nearly as fond of change as I though. I asked why, I cried, I felt excited. I became a one woman circus as I experienced every emotion under the sun. I tried to convince myself that

I loved change... After all, it sounds so special to say you love change! To me, saying I loved change was comparable to that feeling you get in first grade when you’re the coolest kid in the class because you have a slap bracelet, bubble tape, AND a book of Lisa Frank stickers. (90’s kids, please appreciate that with me). It just felt cool! In reality, I realized that I’m not a fan of change. I’m a planner to the core. I need to know, I need to do the best, and I really like it when change is something I can somewhat prepare for. Crazy, I know! I also know I’m not the only one out there who struggles with this fascination, yet deep struggle with change. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. -Ecclesiastes 3:11 For me, and so many of us, it all

Start by doing whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s necessary; then do whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. -Saint Francis of Assisi 17

comes down to this one thing... control...and it is a beast! It is all consuming and so tiring when we try to control things in our own flesh. The beautiful truth is, you are going through your very circumstances for specific reasons and a special purpose. Nothing you have done or will do is a surprise to the incredible God we serve. When we are actively pursuing God, AND filtering our life decisions through Him, we have nothing to fear. In order to find peace in change, we need to give up control. We need to walk out in faith and trust. I love how God so clearly tells us through John sixteen that we absolutely will have trouble in this world. We will struggle through the good changes and the bad changes in life...BUT, be at peace for there is not one bit of change in your life that God is not already aware of. One of my own goals for this year has been to rely less on my own plans, and instead, find peace in Jesus. As we move towards all of the change and growth that spring brings, remember this, you serve a God who knows every fiber of your being. Find rest in Him, and set aside the fear of giving up control. You have been created for more than you can imagine.... Never forget the God you serve and the peace you can find in Him. xoxo, Mackenzie

FINDING BALANCE // CIERA W

hen I was younger, I was one of those nerdy, geeky kids. (Okay, lets be honest, I’m STILL one of those kids...) Instead of watching TV, I read the entire Nancy Drew series. I was fascinated by this young girl and absolutely loved how she knew she wanted to solve mysteries no matter her age. She was told by so many others to give up her dreams and conform to what every other teenager was doing. In the end, she moved beyond mediocrity and proved she had the skills and ability to do what she loved. As crazy as it may seem, I like to think I share the same balance between passion and maturity that Nancy displays in every single book. I guess entrepreneurs run in the family… My parents have their own business and I sort of just followed suit. I was the tycoon & monopoly loving kid that always had some sort of business going on. I can remember the many lemonade & cookie stands, clay figure & bracelet making businesses, & that one time I decided to make tutus and never sold a single one. Ha! Oh, well can’t blame a girl for trying! Entrepreneurship is in my blood and I can’t deny that, so after high school

when I decided to pursue my dreams of being a business owner, I’m not sure my parents were surprised. When I decided to go the non-traditional route and not got to college I was pretty much going against everything this culture expects and boy was that hard to swallow. So, I started my business in February of my senior year of high school and I never looked back. The first few months were rough. Learning the ins and outs of photography while trying to build up my business was definitely a challenge. Then I graduated and this is where things get really messy. I pretty much stopped all communication with the outside world, besides the frequent Facebook chats and the occasional trip to the lake. I was so consumed with stalking photographers blogs & chatting on Facebook that I forgot to actually build relationships outside the internet. Whew… That does not feel good to write. In the end, I lacked balance. Eventually, through my never-ending blog stalking, I stumbled upon an online photography group. Turns out they have a Texas small group and even better they were having a meet-up sometime in the summer! So, I went and met some new pho-

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

tographers. I found out about the SHINE retreat and there I met Bethany, Mackenzie, & Sarah…thus this magazine was formed.

change are setting a routine and sticking to it, waking-up and going to bed at the same time each night, to-do lists, and scheduling myself.

Now, a year or so after starting my business, I’m at a place of complete and utter chaos. Trying to juggle photo shoots, blogging, magazine prep, and business, all while starting a new job, has left me so stressed and worn out. I’ve gone from one extreme to the other. In this season of my life I’m trying to find the balance between the two. Being an introvert by nature, I need to have ‘me time’ to collect my thoughts and recharge so when I’m with others I can enjoy that time and invest more into their lives. However, if I have too much ‘me time’, that can lead to selfishness and social anxiety. Finding a balance between the two extremes is something I’ve been working on and no doubt you’ve probably experienced something of the sort yourself. I’m so thankful I have the freedom and ability to do what I love. Some things that have helped me throughout this

I have come to realize that living a full life is very different than living a busy life. When I pursue a balanced, full life over a busy life, I’m left with more grace, love and peace at the end of the day. In the end, the culmination of a balanced schedule gives me more time and energy to passionately pour into my craft, family, and friends... And let’s be honest, it also gives me time to slip in a Nancy Drew book here and there :) In the end, all of the change that surrounds us can either push us forward in life, or distract us from our life’s purpose. We have been put here on this earth simply to glorify Christ with our entire beings... Never, ever, ever forget why you are here. Life is too short to just be busy with change...lets live lives that are full of Jesus, family, joy, and balance -Ciera Chante

FINDing hope & Contentment // Bethany

irds starting to chirp again, flowers breaking out from under the snow, being able to walk outside with a thin jacket on, + the impending potential of summer. Oh man, I love this season…in weather and in my soul.

Why? Because it is the season of hope. Hope because things are changing + coming alive again, and we get to experience a new beginning.

And a lot of times I don’t always feel hopeful. I get stuck in the cycle of hopeless thinking + living and I choose to think that my life IS itself hopeless. Wrong. You see, for the past year and a half, my life has felt like it’s been on a repeat cycle of fall, winter, and fall again. Full of brokenness, pruning, surrendering, and pain. And not even

just pain at times, but dreariness, which honestly feels worse than pain sometimes. Want to know what my antidote to feeling hopeless is? Dreaming. That’s right. My thinking is, “if today isn’t amazing, I’ll just dream + plan of how amazing tomorrow will be.” Can someone say wrong? Absolutely dead wrong!! Because my life won’t ever be perfect or amazing enough for me. Never ever. There probably won’t come a day where I’m fully content based on what I have achieved. Even the creatives + entrepreneurs that we look up to and who we think have “made it,” are prone to be discontent themselves, and probably, especially. Discontentment plagues all of us because there will always be something faster, stronger, better, thinner, and more perfect. Oh, how I wish I could scrub the word perfect away in pretty much all of our lives!

felt content, but he is to be content. He was ordered to choose contentment. We also are ordered to be content because God did not create us to be grumbly, unhappy, selfish beings that want the next season in life now or to have “x” today, etc. What glory or happiness would it bring a creator if his handiwork wishes they were something else or somewhere else or had something else? Not much at all because the creations are grumbling about their creator’s decisions. See where I’m going with this? God knows perfectly where we are to be in life. Point blank, end of story. We just get to choose if we’re going to grumble about it or embrace it with open arms. Now, times of change in our lives are a time of discomfort because we’re moving into something different, something that is going to stretch us, and we have to be content with the it. But hope. Hope is defined as: A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

We can’t live perfect lives because we ourselves aren’t perfect. Only God is.

As I said earlier, sometimes I don’t feel like my life is hopeful. I feel that things are going to be like they’ve always been and that I can’t change.

And that is why contentment is such a feat. It goes against the desire for more that our flesh screams out for! In Philippians 4:11 it says this: ...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Whoa. Paul didn’t say he

Truths: God is changing me everyday into His likeness and I need to make the hard decisions and choose to follow through what He’s told me to live out. My life is hopeful because it has God in it. Even if I was Queen of the world (haha!), but didn’t have

Jesus, I would be beyond hopeless. Achievements and success doesn’t equal true, lasting, hope. As we know this life only last 70 to 80 years, and eternity beyond that is where our true value of how hopeful our lives are should lie. I’m in a time of asking God to be my hope and my all. In gloomy times and bright times. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. // Romans 8:28 If you are in a hard season, press harder into God + love the people in front of you + be grateful for the little blessings in life. If you are on the “upswing” in life, keep your heart focused on God. On what really matters. Don’t place your hope on things that will fail you. I can feel my life thawing out. Dripping of lies, hopelessness, and I can already sense that this summer + year is going to be good. Not perfect, maybe not always exciting, and probably not traveling much, but it will be good because when I focus on God + invest my love/time in where I am today, the future just takes care of itself. Choose to be hopeful. Choose to see new beginnings. Choose to be content with where you are. Choose God. xoxo Bethany Aleshire

CHOOSE GOD & 22

YOU GET LIFE. 23

TWO GIRLS ON

ew beginnings, oh how those words scare me! Whenever I hear those words so many things come to mind – moving, new friendships, a new day and a new business. Each is significant, potentially nostalgic, and contains so many amazing opportunities. You see, I have had many new beginnings in my life – I have moved seven times (military family! Hello!) and have attended seven different schools. I have also skipped 8th grade, and moved states. So at the moment I am 14 and a junior in high school. I think one of the hardest things about new beginnings is that we don’t always like them. Nearly a year ago I found out I would be moving 3500km across Australia to a fairly remote city by the name of Darwin. I was reluctant to say the least. I would have to leave my friends, my youth group, my church again (we had lived there once before) but we had to move. It was one of the biggest new beginnings in my life. I have moved before but we had planned to stay on Mt. Tamborine for the next five years so I could finish high school. But no, the Lord decided to

CATHERINE MARSH PHOTOGRAPHY

shake things up MAJORLY. Within 2 months we moved to Darwin where we barely knew anybody. That meant a new house, a new school, a new church and hopefully new friends. I was not looking forward to it and for the first few months I was quite depressed. After a few months I had not found many friends, and I was unmotivated. Twelve months later, nothing is ideal, but I have learned so much! One of the biggest things I have learned in these last twelve months is that sometimes I need to let go. Let go of the ideal that I ‘need’ good grades at school, let go and embrace new beginnings, let go of the thought that I have to handle it on my own. God has been teaching me these last few months that He loves to mess up plans. One of my all time favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11- “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I remember the first time I really listened to that verse sometime last year and it clicked- God Knew! And that is such a powerful thing. He knows what’s going to happen and He has

plans for me, plans that give me and you HOPE! I had heard the verse before but had never really grasped its meaning! Trusting in God can be hard, particularly when nothing seems to be working out for you, but for me realizing that he has a purpose in everything was so freeing and relieving. Moving around the country every few years is not easy and some places are much harder to live in than others. My view of new beginnings is not spring and flowers- its hard work and tears and I can become quite pessimistic when someone mentions the term ‘new beginning’, but I am learning everyday that new beginnings can be a beautiful thing. I had a friend tell me the other day- “ there is a season for everything and Catherine - it will pass”. To know that God, the King and ruler of everything, promises that is even better. So I have a challenge for you – let God mess up your plans, it may turn out to be one of the best things that have ever happened to you. So please let go and embrace new beginnings. Catherine Marsh

NEW BEGINNINGS “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” -Lao Tzu

hat do you think when you hear the words “new beginnings”? I usually think of things like spring and second chances. Tragedy isn’t exactly the first think associated with new beginnings. This first edition of Shine & Soar Magazine is all about starting fresh. But maybe, a new beginning is hidden in the midst of a catastrophe. When something bad happens to you, you have to change your perspective. What you do during this time will shape the rest of your life. Just to prove my point, I’m going to share a couple stories about people who dealt with their tragedies in extremely different ways. Mindy McCready was born on November 30, 1975 in Florida. As a child, she began her vocal training in opera before switching to country music. In 1994, she moved to Nashville where she met with success and signed her first recording contract. Unfortunately, she struggled with

depression and got involved in drugs and alcohol. Suicidal tendencies also characterized her life. In January, her boyfriend, producer David Wilson, was found dead in her home from a gunshot wound. Sunken deeper into depression, Mindy killed herself on February 17. As upsetting as her story is, it demonstrates that the choices you make in the face of trouble will affect your life. Example B is found in the life of surfer Bethany Hamilton, made famous by the movie Soul Surfer. On October 31, 2003, 13 year old Bethany was surfing at Tunnels Beach in Hawaii. The reflection from her watch attracted a shark who was swimming in the area. Within seconds, what was once an arm became a mangled stump. The friends she was surfing with rushed her to the hospital where her calm trance-like state actually managed to save her life. The doctors stitched up her arm, but her life would never be the same again. Without her arm, her surfing career seemed to be over. The average person would have given up at this major setback, but not this determined surfer. Instead, Bethany came back stronger than ever,

winning the Courage Teen Choice award and the EPSY Award for Best Comeback Athlete. Through it all, Bethany continued to share her story and inspire others who had similar situations. Mindy and Bethany both had tragedies occur in their lives and each was given an opportunity for a fresh start, but each woman responded differently. You see, there is a beginning in every tragedy, it simply depends on whether or not you choose to find it. Mindy drowned her chance for change in drugs, while Bethany embraced her disability and urged others to do the same. As you start summer 2013 soon, enjoy the triumphs and the discoveries. Just don’t forget to look for a fresh start when something bad happens as well. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” God knows exactly what He is doing when he gives you a trial. He’s testing you to see if you trust Him enough to let go. Elianna Ayala

THE I N S EPA RA B L E

LOVER

by Hope Simmons

his life is a walk, a journey and an adventure. You are walking to be found and find.

You seek love always; without end and you have been called to walk in newness of life. This fight, this search, this expedition for love takes on a whole new meaning with the resurrection from the dead you experience daily. For from that moment when the walls of life came crashing down and all you knew, all you held close too, all you defined your life by came down in dust; that moment when Jesus came bursting through and all you could see was Him and His love, it was obvious that nothing would ever be the same again. But sometimes we don’t quite get what this walk is about; we don’t quite grasp it all. While we will never be able to grasp it all, I want you to know that there is one thing you need to grasp; one thing that will change everything. This thing is something you will always feel lacking in. This is something that you will never grasp enough. But this is a thing that will only leave you longing for Jesus more and more and more each day. Once you grasp this, you can stop worrying about the trillions of things

you know need to change, because once you start running after this... well, everything will be brought into perspective and will fall into place. Jesus, “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.” He is your Husband. And, if you are His, He is absolutely in love with you. Go ahead, take a moment, think about what that means for you. You could never be good enough to touch on the idea of joy and hope, on the idea of knowing God or life. You know that feeling that you get on a bad day, when you’ve tried again and again to succeed, but all you every succeed in is failure? That is the feeling that without Jesus you would live with. Even if you knew you needed help, and you knew you were sinful, and you knew there was a God and He deserved all your praise and all your love. No matter how much you wanted it you would know what the guidelines were. That guideline that called for perfection was your death

sentence. It was all a mess of rules that would cause you to be desperately frustrated every day. Because not only could you never succeed, you could not even remember all the rules at once. This is the life that you would live without Christ, this is the life of darkness and never ending death. But, it is not the life we live. The life we live is so different because upon that star filled, cold night, in that rustic barn off the cobble stone streets God had mercy. That night Jesus Christ, the King, the great I Am, and Emmanuel came down and asked His bride to marry Him. See, that life of hopeless and utter despair came to an end on that cross. If you are God’s child, you were not saved a few years ago, a few months ago, or a few decades ago. You were saved the day Jesus rose from the dead. That day Jesus saved you, and that moment in your life when Christ took command of your heart is the day He became your God; your Love; your Husband. Darling, you no longer have to search for love, for approval, for joy, for a dream of never dying love. You are

God is absolutely in love with you. 29

living that dream of faithfulness and undying love. He will “never leave you, nor forsake you”. No matter how many times you sin, no matter how many times you search for love, approval and joy in other places (because you will), He will continue to love you; He will continue to chase after you. He will continuously be there by your side, walking through the joy and the pain daily. You need no one else, He is sitting right beside you. He is holding your hand, embracing your soul, asking you daily to walk with Him; to walk FOR Him. If you look at these words in disbelief, in horror, and pain because you have never known this God, and you know He could never love you. Or you have walked away from Him and given your heart away to other things, and all you see is that somehow you just KNOW He could never love your striped, crushed, and fragmented heart. Hear me when I say, no! No! You cannot live without this God, you will not live without this God! You need Him, and He wants you. He wants your tear stained, broken, angry heart. If you feel the tug, let your heart be called home. Dear, if your love has been given away to other hopes, to other dreams, to other people and things, let your heart be called back home. Let Him have it. Trust that He has brought you to this place to crush your heart in order to remold it, and in humbleness bow before the throne of God, ask in repentance to make Him the love of your life again. Re-dedicate and never turn back again. Submerge your life in His love letter and pray and beg for hope; unending hope. One of my favorite things about the work of Jesus, and the hope it brings, is the hope found in the fact that we have been made inseparable by His work. In His love letter, God tells you, “that [it is sure] that neither

death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate you from [my love] in Christ Jesus [your Lord]”. You, sister, are inseparable. Nothing will ever separate you from this love. You have been raised to walk anew. Walk anew in this hope, in the newfound passion and understanding of the measure of God’s love. You

won’t ever be perfect on this earth, your won’t ever do this perfectly, but that is the thing about hope. You don’t know hope unless you know hopelessness. You don’t love Jesus unless you have loved sin. He is in love with you and He is calling you to live. Dive deep into to His word and dedicate your time to finding this life deeper and deeper each day. As a girl who has recently discovered this, one thing I would encourage

you to do is to dive in deep to Isaiah. It holds hidden treasurers. Read four chapters a day, challenge yourself! Constantly, every day, each time you open and read your Bible, be looking for the gospel. Who are we? Who is God? What is God doing to bring us back to ? Where we should be? Find this and rejoice daily. //Drink deep and live// xoxo, Hope Simmons.

Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father...walk in newness of life. // Romans 6:4 //

// Isaiah 43 // But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.â&#x20AC;? 33

Some stories donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to happen next. // Gilda Radner

SARAH TEETER PHOTOGRAPHY

MADEbook TO CRAVE review

s humans, God has designed in us desires, wantings, and cravings. We desire to feel loved, wanted, accepted, in control, special, and important. But, it’s how we satisfy these cravings that matter. We try to fill the craving to feel wanted with checking our Facebook first thing in the morning and judging our worth on how many notifications we have, not opening up the Bible and soak up the 66 love letters God wrote for us. We fill the longing to feel comforted by filling our bellies with whatever food that feels good to eat, not acknowledging that food is fuel for our bodies, not for our souls. Finally, we try to fill the want to feel important and improved by buying another cute outfit at the mall or getting an iPhone, when we forget that we God’s beloved, the apple of His eye. God, as in the most powerful, glorious, supreme, majestic, holy, and important being there will ever be in the universe. Now what were you craving again? Did that feeling dissipate, even just a little? Yep, thought so. I’ve just described to you three different types of cravings: emotional,

physical, and material. Lately, in my life, I’ve been convicted that I was chasing things/accomplishments because I wanted to feel a certain way. And God deepened the conviction in me by putting “Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst & Shaunti Feldhahn

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. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. // 1 John 2:15-17 NLT in my path. This isn’t the regular “Made to Crave” book, which only focuses on physical cravings, mainly food. This is the young woman’s

one. I picked it up over the “adult” one because it talked about other cravings we have in our lives. I highly recommend this book to you if you find yourself chasing things to fill your heart, but you are still feeling empty. Lysa & Shaunti make this book come full circle by asking what are you craving, going through the three different types of cravings, how God can only satisfy you fully, walking out a life of self-control & discipline, talking about some assorted principles, and finally being happy with where you are in life & who God has made you. If I hit any things you are dealing with now, pick up this book and prayerfully go through it & let God take away these cravings from your heart by being satisfied in His presence. There you will find fullness of joy & life. xoxo Bethany Aleshire (and it also strikes me as ironic that my pitfall desire of wanting to feel important is conveyed here when I was photographing this book. I was playing busy by having a million things going on. Convicted!)

send us your questions We’re answering reader questions as a regular feature starting with the next issue! So if you have some questions you’re dying to have answered, send them to:: hello@shineandsoar.com with the subject line: Q&A

we can’t wait!

IN THE

WINTER by Elizabeth Ann King

IMAGES BY ASHLEIGH JAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY

e all go through seasons of life. Some seasons we feel like we are on top of the world, and other seasons we feel like we can barely hold on. We love the "on top of the world" seasons, but we loathe the tough ones. We ache to think about the messy, mundane, and sometimes even hopeless-feeling seasons. While we walk around every day with a smile on our face, some of us are crying on the inside. There are a few things I want you to know...

God is in EVERY season. You need to know that whether everything is going right in your world or everything in falling apart, He is in and through every season.

He hasn't let go. You feel like He is distant. You feel like He forgot. You feel like He turned His face. But He hasn't let go. And He won't. One of my favorite songs right now is "Oceans" by Hillsong. God has been wrecking my heart through one simple line in this song: "You never failed, and You won't start now." Know that there is a deep faithfulness of God to lean on, even when you don't feel it.

There's a floor under your feet. You will hear all of your life that "the sky is the limit". Let me assure you, dream big. Keep dreaming. And dream some more. Take leaps. But know that in seasons where you want to throw up when someone tells you that "the sky is the limit", not only has He given you the ability to leap but He has set a FIRM floor under your feet. Psalm 40:2 says "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." Know that you don't just keep "falling and falling". There's a floor under your feet and it's steady. Stand, my friends. HE is our rock.

Depth, not height. People (especially in the creative industry) will tell you to keep jumping. Keep reaching higher. Keep putting your name out there. Keep make YOU look better. While in moderation those things are all helpful in the appropriate areas, I vote we all make a decision right now to build DEPTH in our lives. When we are building height, not only are we elevating ourselves but we are building a shakey foundation. You see, I am not enough. We are not enough. I will never receive enough approval from man. I will never be placed on a pedestal enough. I will never be able to build enough height to be truly validated. At the end of the day, when I am my own foundation, I fall so short. But when we make the decision to building depth in our lives, we're building a strong foundation. A foundation on Jesus that doesn't fall when things shake. The wind can blow and storms can rise, but because of a deep and rooted faith in Jesus, we can stay standing on His rock. The bonus of this is that He always blesses us. Matthew 23:12 says that when we humble ourselves, He actually lifts up and exalts us.

Greatness is coming. You need to know right now that this is not the end of your story. Things might be hard now, but His greatness is coming. Endure on, friends.

Oh my soul. Know that He has joy and deep satisfaction for your SOUL. That's right...your mind, will, and emotions. Many of us know the song "10,000 Reasons" and the Psalm (chapter 103) that says "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits." We read over it and think "that's sweet", but what we don't realize is that this was a command. He was literally commanding His soul to bless

God. Although He didn't feel it and maybe didn't even believe it, he was telling his soul that he had no choice but to bless the name of the Lord. Oh that we might have that faith and trust. All of this to say, I've experienced some seasons in my life. I've been through some really tough things that have been defining moments in my faith. Moments where I have experienced the deepest pain and had to make a decision on whether I was going to trust and know God in the season, or I was going to try and rely on my own strength. I want you to know that we have a God who works in seasons. "For everything there is a season..." (Ecclesiastes 3). You could be in an amazing season right now, but you could also be in a season right now where you feel like you cannot go another step. A "winter" season, if you will. Maybe you are going through relational struggles. Or maybe the business that you have prayed and worked so hard for is failing. Or maybe you are questioning your faith and foundations. In some ways, I am in a winter season in my life. I am in a season where I am having to trust God when I don't feel it. You need to know that in the winter season, there a deep roots that grow. You can't see them right now, but they're there. And right now, in this time, God is preparing you and growing you for the dreams and visions He has placed in your life. Right now you have the opportunity to be a faithful steward of the things He has placed in front of you, and in the PERFECT season, He WILL place greatness in front of you. May we become so obsessed with the things going on inside of us, that the things going on around us don't even matter. Stay strong in this winter season, my friends. This too shall pass.

THE ONES

by Bridget Blair

From adoption to redemption My heart is on a mission Looking for the ones that will love me for me and only me The ones who won’t leave, deceive, or grieve the loss of the outside me On the inside I cry because losing the ones who raise you, praise you, and never degrade you is hard. Shunned for who I am and who I’m not And realizing that maybe I have missed my shot The naive ones always tell me I’m not good enough for the ones I love and that’s why they left me I need someone to protect me Finding my way through the dirt Always being let down or hurt Lost among the ones who matter. Tired of failing and having my heart shatter. Call me a try hard but not hard enough because apparently I’ve let you down again. Is this why you won’t help me as I drown, again? This is a cry for a need that needs to be filled. Not with the fake and plastic pills but with a light you can’t provide. I am ashamed. The blame is on me always me. You never take responsibility. Letting me believe I have no choice in life, love, or the freedom to be me. Why is it that those who mean so much never admit that they’ve lost touch of what you had or meant? Maybe if I repent?

My sins upon the shoulders of God He’s my saving grace He holds me as I sob. As I run with no purpose but to stay away from the ones who I can’t escape I feel. I die. It’s real. And I might be crazy but I cannot lie. I’ve been cut deep. And the ones who place lemons on the wounds are the ones I run to.

KRIST

INTERVIEWED// TEN LEIGH MORRIS Image by Allix B. Photography

If you where to describe yourself in three words, what would they be? Family-oriented, observant, creative. You shot your first wedding when you where 14, but when did your business really begin to take off? I scheduled an internship in Chicago (I’m from the DC area) a few weeks after I graduated high school. I flew into the loving arms and nest of Sar-

ah Barlow for six weeks, turned 18 at her house, and came home with a fresh motivation and eagerness. My goal for the following year (2008) was to book 10 weddings. I ended up booking 30, and with that: my business took off! What was the most difficult obstacle you had to overcome when you first began your business? My organization + “admin” skills. Who am I kidding. It’s still my most difficult obstacle. One bride a couple of years back laughed with me (I had scanned her signed contract but forgotten to e-mail it back to her): “You’re an artist! Not a secretary! I wouldn’t hire you to keep my calendar, but you can’t replace your eyes. I just have to have you and your picture skills. I want beautiful pictures and you’re the only one who makes me ‘feel’ the way I do when I see your images.” Part of what she said made me go “YES! Exactly!” and

another part isn’t quite true: I am an artist, but I am also a business owner who IS a secretary and accountant and marketing team and customer service rep. But boy, it is not my strength. I wish I could be a full-time picture-taker and blogger. And Office Fairies could come do the rest ;) What is the one thing you wish you did differently when you first began? I wish I had shot “for myself” more than I did. Getting into photography I was constantly taking pictures of my family/life/days and that slowly trickled out as photography became my “job.” What has been the most rewarding aspect of starting your own photography business? Being able to really live life and experience my story as well as know other people’s stories. I’m actually not obsessed with “photography.”

ALLIX B. PHOTOGRAPHY

ay hello to Kristen Leigh Morris of I’m Kristen Photography! This woman will blow you away, her heart for the Lord + authentic lifestyle is inspirational. Kristen first launched her photography business at a young age which makes her the perfect candidate for a Shine & Soar Magazine interview! Get to know her and her story + some exciting things that are to come in her future, along with advice to encourage you as you take on new beginnings!

ANNA MORRIS

It’s cool! But I love a lot of other things too. Photography doesn’t fulfill or satisfy me. Story, however, does. The Little Stories that are all a part of The Story. “In this story, the sun moves. In this story, every night meets a dawn and burns away in the bright morning. In this story, Winter can never hold back the Spring... He is the best of all possible audiences, the only Audience to see every scene, the Author who became a Character and heaped every shadow on Himself.” [ND Wilson] It’s been so rewarding to tell story with picture, to coach basketball and soccer, to write a lot, to move and travel, to be nanny for a time, and a PT for a woman with a disability, to baby-sit, LYDIA JANE PHOTOGRAPHY

and cook, and be on the youth team at church and go on missions trips, and spend hours and hours every single day with my boyfriend-turnedhusband. Having my own business allows me the gift of being able to enjoy the things I most care about in life - and pay the bills doing it. I’m starting to realize how rare that is. How do you find contentment in a world that is constantly changing? By stressing out. Constantly. Worrying. All the time. Just teasing. Honestly, the things I truly love and desire the most are things that don’t change that much. My husband, real relationships with dear friends and family, good food, creating art, tell-

ing story, learning about God and life, laughing hard, sunlight and moonlight, kids. It’s simple and really what I love most! So if life has any (or heck, a few!) of those things in it, I’m genuinely content. “Do not resent your place in the story. Do not imagine yourself elsewhere. Do not close your eyes and picture a world without thorns, without shadows, without hawks. Change this world. Use your body like a tool meant to be used up, discarded, and replaced. Better every life you touch. We will reach the final chapter. When we have eyes that can stare into the sun and we will see laughing children pulling cobras by

their tails, and hawks and rabbits playing tag.” [ND Wilson] On our topic of New Beginnings, what are some new beginnings that are taking place in your life currently? Well well wellllll. That’s an easy one :) I’ve been a wife for eight months and I’ll get to hold our baby in about eight weeks! I’m in love with my sweet little family. What does it feel like to be where you are in business and life in the now? Life feels wonderful! I am so happy being a wife and mama and big sister and daughter. I love living

in my parent’s basement apartment (which I swore I’d NEVER do. I judged Christian couples who did that. And now I almost never want to leave. Wups!) Business is simple and good. Want to know the truth? I have about 10 weddings booked for this year - two I’m basically doing for free for friends. I’m not raking in the moula. I could definitely work harder at gaining more business. But truthfully, I’m so happy with where it’s at right now. I worked crazy hard for a chunk of years, and now life is turning away from business-andlots-of-travel to cozy-home-life with my boys. And I don’t want to miss out on these wonder years. Hopefully I’ll write more and photograph my

life often and have more people hanging out in our living room. Working as a photographer will always be a part of me, and I’m by no means “closing shop” - I hope to do this until my hips break! But I’m learning I am a better photographer when I can give myself completely to the client, and enjoy them thoroughly and not CRAMTHEMINONATRIPLEHEA DERWEEKEND!AH! Long way to say: work is good, life is great, and God is crazy ;) I’m very happy.

ALLIX B. PHOTOGRAPHY

YOUR DREAM JOB DOES NOT EXIST. YOU MUST CREATE IT.

Jumping into 52

Business

by MizB

eginnings are a scary place to be. There is a whole wideopen landscape of possibility before you, and it can seem overwhelming if you look at the grander scale. Who are your customers/ clients going to be? How will you meet deadlines if you get sick and are a sole proprietor? What if no one cares what you have to offer? How will you afford to start up this business and pursue this dream when you have not got a lot of money, and it seems like no one in your sphere of influence is willing to support you? But, you know what is even bigger than that wide-open landscape, and all of those scary questions? God. He oversees all of it, and then some. He can also see the smallest detail. Like a seed waiting underground until spring to sprout through the surface and become a tulip. Like a little house gecko as he scurries to hide from the broom of someone who didn’t like that he’d entered her house. Like you, and your new business idea. God cares about your plans, and how it will all turn out in the end. I read somewhere, recently, that the term “Do not fear” (and other variations of that) appears 365 times in the Bible -- once for every day of the year – and that God doesn’t expect us to never fear, but that when we do, we should give our fears over to Him and let Him ease them. He knows we will get fearful. But He reassures us that He walks side-by-side with us every moment of every day, so we don’t have to panic when things are not going as we planned, or are not happening as fast as we would like them to.

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.” // Psalms 23:4, NLT Every new business will have its share of obstacles. For example, meet Alyssa: Alyssa is a young, twenty-something entrepreneur who had a dream of starting a Mobile Lab Service. Often times, when people are sent by their doctor to have blood work done, they find that the lab hours are inconvenient, for one reason or another. And, the elderly and invalid often cannot get out of their homes to go and have this testing done, or don’t have the necessary transportation to get them to the lab. Alyssa thought that she could help by bringing the lab to them. She sought help in start-up through a local government-run selfemployment help centre, and this is how I met her. Alyssa’s passion for her business idea was catchy. When she passed a milestone in the start-up process, she would send the office an email full of smileys, and you couldn’t help but cheer for her. But, the start-up process was scary and fraught with hurdles. Just when Alyssa was almost ready to launch her business, she received word that the testing lab she had planned to use to bring her samples to was not going to be able to work with her, due to recent policy changes. Panicked and desperate, Alyssa reached out to our office, and sought the advice of others who had gone before her in starting up their own businesses. We, and they, encouraged her to find another

way. And so, she did. Alyssa called doctors’ offices, and other labs, and researched what else might work. In the end, she was able to find a loophole that enabled her to still legally work with the original lab, and she shortly thereafter opened for business. This brings to mind three elements that can help to override fear in a new –or seasoned-- business venture, all of which are linked to the others: Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose. Passion is what gets you up in the mornings, eager to get started, has you talking about your idea with anyone who will listen throughout the day, and keeps you up late at night, still working hard. Your passion helps you achieve what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of “Creativity”, calls “flow” – where you are so engrossed in your task, so absorbed in it, that hours can pass by unnoticed. Passion is the giddy excitement that has you believing in your idea and ready to tackle anything that comes your way. Perseverance is that determination to press on, even when things seem bleak and impossible. Because those days will come; it’s not all smooth sailing, and success never happens overnight. Regardless of how things seem, you know in your heart that you have a great service or product to offer, and that there are people out there who need what only you can provide. You care so much about seeing your business succeed that you try one way, and if that doesn’t work, you try another (there’s that passion, again!). And, you keep trying until you find what works for you.

The late Dr. Randy Pausch said in his “Last Lecture” at Carnegie Mellon University, “Walls are only there to see how badly you want it” {paraphrased}. And, I believe that’s true. If we are willing to scale that wall, or find the doorway through it, success could be waiting just on the other side. “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God, I can scale any wall.” // Psalms 18:29, NLT Lastly, Purpose is the driving force behind your idea. Why are you do-

ing this? Is it just to make money, or is there a greater reason? Who are you helping? Maybe it isn’t direct – maybe you can’t see that reason right now. That’s okay, because God is always working behind the scenes. Nothing happens without His approval, or allowance. You are where you are, and you are doing what you are doing “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). God will use you and your business to impact lives, even if you never even realize that it is happening. Because that’s what God does. He works everything out “for the good of those who love {Him}

and are called according to His purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). Even if this beginning is scary, keep going. Believe in your product or service, believe in yourself and your ability to be the business owner you dream of being, but most of all, believe that God will be walking beside you each and every step of the way, and that He will provide wisdom and clarity when you need it. -MizB “For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” // Philippians 4:13

Submit to the next issue! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already working on putting together a collection of inspring articles + soul-filled photos for the Summer issue. See out Contribute page on our website for more details!

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IMAGE BY CRISTY CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY

57 43

CREATING AN INSPIRA

s a creative and a photographer, I thrive off of visual inspiration. It is my primary form by which I seek to be creatively fed. So, there is no other way I would imagine creating something to use as a constant source of inspiration and a reminder of my goals and callings in any given season. Having moved into a new apartment just after the New Year, it was the perfect time to create new inspiration boards for my room. There are so many ways to create an inspiration board, but here is how I went about creating my 2013 inspiration boards. Materials: I picked up a pack of 5 - 11x14 white poster boards from Target.

I then picked up about 5 different magazines from Barnes and Noble. I made sure to identify magazines that matched my personal style, my brands style, and my passions. I am hugely passionate about magazines in general, so making a collage with magazine clippings is the primary way that I create a piece of visual inspiration. I also college 5 - 11x14 poster frames from The Dollar Tree. Finally, I rounded up my scissors, glue stick, and metallic Sharpies.

to whom I wish to appeal and with whom I want to work. The next board I created was a board depicting my goals for 2013. The final board is a board depicting my general life dreams as they stand at the moment. Process:

Themes:

Before you can create a collage that is a great depiction of your ideal client, your goals, your dreams, etc., you need to know what they are! You also need to know what your personal style or favorite colors are.

Before beginning to create my boards, I identified a theme for each board. The first one I created was a board reflecting my ideal client (senior girls). I chose words that described my ideal client and the girls

Step 1: Identify the content that you want to depict with your inspiration board. If you want to make a board depicting your dreams, take some time to really identify what your dreams are! Maybe you know you

ATION BOARD want to travel and help people, but you’re not really sure how you want to go about doing that. Take some time to simply close your eyes and dream. Perhaps after doing so, you’ll realize that you want to work with orphans in Africa. The more you take the time to really know yourself and what you want, the better your boards will depict that as well. Step 2: Peruse the magazines and other visual material for words and pictures that depict the theme for the board that you’re working on. Stick to your personal style. I picked photos from the magazines that contained my favorite colors and/or personal style to serve as backgrounds. I then layered words and additional photos on top of those. I made sure that my brand color (hot pink) was

present in each board that I did. Then, when you are all finished, the boards will look united and you will have one great, cohesive look to your inspiration wall. Step 3: Add embellishments - if you so choose. When I had finished choosing my clippings for the boards depicting my goals and dreams, I wrote my actual goals and dreams on the board in gold metallic Sharpie. You can’t necessarily see it in pictures, but it is great for me to be able to read them and be reminded whenever I want or need. Tips: -Don’t worry about symmetry unless you like it!

-Choose only the words that really speak to your heart and the heart of the board you’re making. -Don’t be afraid to start over if you don’t like what you’ve done so far. -Do it when the inspiration hits you if you’re not particularly motivated or inspired when you sit down to do one, it won’t turn out to be a board that you love. I only make these (or do other creative projects) when the inspiration really hits...that’s why I still have two boards left to do! I hope this helps, I know the girls at Shine and Soar and I would love to see photos of your finished work! xoxo, Sara Beth Fachetti

7 WAYS TO PREP FOR SUMMER

IMAGE BY JESSICA OH PHOTOGRAPHY

1 // Get all your dreams for the summer out of your head and on paper and pray like crazy over them. 2 // Press deeper into His presence. Schedule a night of worship to just be alone with Him. Nothing could be sweeter than this, trust us. 3 // Create a summer reading list. Vary it up with fiction/non-fiction and old/new books and you diversify your brain & knowledge. 4 // Create a list of relationships that you want to deepen over the summer and make plans to invest in them. 5 // What memories are you going to create this summer? Adventures? It could be as simple as sleeping in your backyard one night. 6 // Choose one life goal, one business goal, and one personal goal you want to accomplish this summer and create a plan to do it. 7 // Pick a book in the Bible to study over the summer, or a Bible study to work through. 61

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED.

Genuine Beauty

hat does it mean to be “beautiful”? In our world today girls are made to think that if they are not model skinny, with perfect skin, and gorgeous hair they aren’t beautiful. The world encourages girls to strive for perfection and look like the people in movies or magazines. In our culture being “perfect” is portrayed in every aspect of our lives. Magazines, television shows, movies, and sports encourage girls to be or become “thin”. In the 1990’s fashion models weighed 8% less than the average woman. These days, in order to be a successful model you must weigh 23% less than the average woman. Clothing stores now cater to the smaller sizes as well. Day after day society tells girls that they are not skinny or “perfect” enough. With all of these lies being fed into our daily lives many girls self-esteem are being lowering drastically. With our world telling girls they must “look” a certain way to be considered “beautiful” it is not a surprise that so many young girls are starting to practice unhealthy acts to fit this image. In National surveys it was reported that 50% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight and 80% of 13 year olds have attempted to lose weight. 1 in 200 American women suffers from Anorexia and 3 in 100 American Women suffer from Bulimia.

By Sarit Bridell

95% percent of these girls with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. It is heartbreaking that girls have felt like they needed to turn to these unnecessary measures to feel beautiful. This image of being “thin” and “perfect” is becoming what the world thinks of as the new normal but in reality this very image is not normal at all. What REALLY makes one “beautiful”? Beauty is not what the world portrays it as. Girls do not need to strive for perfection, because it does not exist.

“Beauty is not to strive for perfection; it is to strive to be yourself”. It does not matter if you have flawless skin or not. What makes someone genuinely beautiful is to have a loving heart overflowing with joy, to be comfortable your own skin, and greatest of all, to have a passion for God. It is not about how much makeup one piles on or how “put together” they look. It’s about what’s on the inside. Genuine beauty means to love others and put them first. Look at life with a joyous attitude. We as Christians should not be judging beauty by the outward appearance. We should look at beauty the way God does.

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” // 1 Samuel 16:7 Now is it wrong to take care of oneself and make an effort to look nice? No, not at all! Wearing makeup isn’t a bad thing, neither is wearing cute clothes. I enjoy putting on makeup and styling a cute outfit. It is part of who I am and I’m never going to give it up. There is nothing wrong

with trying to look pretty as long as you are not hiding behind the makeup. You still need to feel comfortable enough with yourself to go without it. Makeup can be used to enhance your beauty but it can also be used as a mask to hide it. The same goes for looking fashionable. Do your clothes represent who you are or hide you? It is a choice that every girl is going to have to face for herself. I believe that everyone should take pride in how they look, after all we all feel better when we look nice and feel confidant. But just remember, stay true to yourself and do what makes YOU feel beautiful. Some people feel best in a hoodie and sweats, while others like girly dresses. No matter what, be yourself and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let others make you feel like you have to change. You are BEAUTIFUL.

SHE DECIDED TO START LIVING THE LIFE SHE IMAGINED.

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS Thank you to all of our fabulous photography contributors! ANNA MORRIS :: Pages 46 ALLIX B. PHOTOGRAPHY :: Pages 44-45, 47, and 49. ASHLEIGH JAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY :: Pages 38-41. BETHANY ALESHIRE PHOTOGRAPHY :: Pages 36 and 64-65. CATHERINE MARSH PHOTOGRAPHY :: Pages 24-25. CHRISTY CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY :: Page 57. CIERA CHANTE PHOTOGRAPHY :: Page 5 (top). JESSICA OH PHOTOGRAPHY :: Pages 60-61. KILEY MARISSA PHOTOGRAPHY :: Page 4 (top). LYDIA JANE PHOTOGRAPHY :: Page 48. MACKENZIE KERN PHOTOGRAPHY :: Middle picture in Table of Contents, pages 37, 42-43, 50-51, 52-56, 62-63, and 66-69. SARAH DELANIE PHOTOGRAPHY :: Cover, back cover, top photo in Table of Contents, pages 4 & 5 (both bottom pictures), top picture in pages 6-7, and pages 8-23, and 26-33. SARAH TEETER PHOTOGRAPHY :: Pages 34-35.

NEXT ISSUE: Summer 2013