It Changes Everything

"It Changes Everything"

This photo is from the OneThing conference held annually in Kansas City. The conference is put on by International House of Prayer and draws around 25,000 people of all ages from all of the world. Three years ago I attended the conference because my best friend from high school had heard about it and was interested. I'll be honest in saying my motives in going at that time as a sophomore in college were this: 1. A road trip with my friend I hadn't spent time with in awhile since we were going to different colleges. 2. A chance to explore a new city. 3. I was ready for Christmas break to be over 4. I like Jesus, it looks cool, it's free, why not?

Upon getting there, I wanted to leave. I was confused as to why the worship went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r, why people were laughing uncontrollably, people were dancing in worship- I was certain we had stumbled upon something weird, I wanted to run and not look back. Praise the Lord for my friend who said, "no, I like it." I couldn't leave her behind so I thought I'd just suck it up. What I didn't know is that when I would leave, I would never be the same.

I ran into a good friend that attended the same University I did a few days in to the conference. We were both shocked to see one another. We served in a ministry together back at school and were going to be going on the same Spring Break missions trip in a few months. Me, unable to not wear my emotions on my face, began to express how weird I thought the conference was. She endearingly laughed and we spent the next three hours sitting in Starbucks as I pushed my Bible across the table saying "if what I'm seeing in there is real, show me where it is in here." A beautiful question I must say, I love where my heart was at that point in time. We left Starbucks that day and I realized it was as if I'd never truly read the Bible before. Jesus heals. Jesus does miracles. Jesus dances. The Holy Spirit is alive- I never knew. All of a sudden, I felt left out- how did I not know this till now? How did I grow up in church, attend youth group, go on mission trips, and not know that Jesus speaks to me personally, intimately? As we were walking back, my friend asked my permission to have some people I'd never met but that she knew pray "original design" over me. Which is simply asking what the Lord thinks about me and what his thoughts were when he designed me. I of course said "no, are you crazy?" To which again, she smiled, and said "I love you too much." In this next period of time, my life changed forever, a moment I'll never forget. I stood there weeping as strangers declared truths over me, confirming desires of my heart, but ultimately lavishing me in God's love. I knew from that moment on, everything would change. This God wasn't just confined to my Bible any longer, he was living, moving, breathing, and begging to use me for his kingdom.

I leave tomorrow to go to the OneThing conference for my fourth year. The best part, my parents are joining the party. I cannot express the excitement and joy I have about this reality. My expectations are big. I sit here today smiling as I ponder the verse found in Luke chapter 2: "Jesus grew in wisdom, and stature, and favor with man and God." Say what! Jesus grew in favor with the Lord! This excites me so much as I think about growing in my relationship with the Lord, Jesus grew, so then, how much more can I? Not that I can have a favorite part of faith but I must say, I absolutely love that life with the Lord is not stagnant and it is inexhaustible. If I'm feeling like it is getting dull, I know the hold-up is on my end-not his.

A song I keep going back to recently has a bridge that declares this truth:

This life, this love, was always meant to be
A wild, crazy adventure, discovering
The thrill, the rush, the more of You I see
The more it leaves me wanting
You're everything, You're everything

I'm not meant for a mediocre life, neither are you. God is speaking, he's inviting us with a smile on his face to see the world through his eyes. To receive his directions and change the lives of those we encounter. I was speaking with a friend a few days ago and I told her that I realized I've always longed for adventure but that my definition of adventure had a bold sized FUN right in the middle. As I pursue what the Lord has for me, I realize that I don't think adventure is a synonym for fun but rather, a display of faith- a breathtaking journey with the Lord. An adventure I cannot resist, He's worth it all.

"Welcome Home"

This door. It's cool isn't it? The way the light is hitting it. The texture of the wood on the porch subtly calling your attention. The contrast of the black sharp design with the white, sunlit door. The lines of the house itself, all of the shades, lines, and contrasts invite me in. I'll be honest, the house that the door opens to isn't anything spectacular. It's the people inside. 

This is the door to a house full of my closest guy friends, my brothers. The guys who live here have provided countless laughs, endless conversations, movie nights, games, and some good food along the way. We've been neighbors for about four months now. Summer nights spent on this porch are some of my favorite memories. The weather is cooling now and we are forced to bundle up or go on inside but again, the time spent is just as valuable.

So why this picture? My thought on this photo is short. Where am I going? I have gone in and out of this door countless times in the past few months and for me it represents a place of comfort, laughter, and peace. I've been thinking a lot about where I am going lately, what does my future hold? The thought of the future excites me immensely but it's undeniable that there a significant amount of mystery that it holds. 

The Lord has been teaching me a lot about faith lately. What is faith? It's something I want to live my life by. It's something I don't comprehend. It's something that I want to define my every step. God is good and has been enjoying watching me tear the word a part, chew on it, and begin to see what it means when I say 'yes' to having me reveal what faith means to him. 

I realize my thoughts are jumbled this evening, I think it's because I have so many and the idea of being able to communicate them all seems so very unlikely. I challenge you to at least walk away thinking about where it is that you're going, what doors are you walking through, what doors are opening that God is saying, 'come'? Trust him, ask him what faith looks like in your life, and then enjoy what he reveals.

Dumpster Door

"Dumpster Door"

This blog as a whole will take you on a journey with me- a woman in love with Jesus, a photographer, an artist, and a free spirit looking for the next adventure. An inside look as to what is going through my mind as the shutter captures the desired composition. The point of this is to let you in on something, everything has a purpose. On the days that I pick up my camera to accompany me in my adventures, Jesus and I can't seem to stop talking about what I'm seeing through the lens of my camera. 

This photograph is really quite special to me. It is the inspiration of this blog. One day I was taking the trash to the dumpster. I was complaining to Jesus about how I was finished living in the cornfields. I was making him aware that I was ready for the next adventure and that this time I'd like there to be no corn, beans, or wheat decorating the roadsides. Don't get me wrong, Indiana is beautiful and will always have a special place in my heart but in that moment, I wanted more "beauty." My thoughts abruptly interrupted as I turned from tossing my trash in the dumpster to be caught by this exquisite door. The shadows, the lighting, the lines, the window atop, the wood grain- I couldn't stop staring. The Lord in his sweet way: "Sarah, wherever you go, I will provide beauty- You just have to look for it." 

In that moment, I felt many emotions. God loves me being the first of these. He cares so much. It doesn't make sense really. Here I was complaining about my surroundings when he so graciously interrupted, taking my breath away with a door, hidden behind the dumpster. Think about that, it's just like Jesus. He would allow this beautiful door to be hidden on the back side of a shed that is falling a part and a dumpster that is well, a dumpster.

I began to think about one of my favorite quotes "I saw an angel in the marble and I carved till I set him free." -Michelangelo In that moment I realized, life in and of itself really does hinge on how you look it. I can choose to view this world through a lens of negativity, anger, bitterness or what if I choose beauty? Another one of my favorite quotes is "I will make everything beautiful, that will be my life." I used to love that quote because I thought of it from the perspective of that's what I want to do. I want to bring beauty, in every sense of the word, to every place that I go. But as I thought about this dumpster door and the quote from Michelangelo I thought "what if I brought the perspective of beauty wherever I go." Think about that. It would change everything. 

I long to see people the way that Jesus do. He is absolutely, completely in love with each and every one of us. WHAT. When the lady takes too long in front of me at any given line- I am not thinking, "man, I can see why Jesus loves her!" I am challenged to view people, creation, subjects, technology, and all the little details as Jesus does.

Today, I write this blog as the beginning of many. My hopes aren't to state radical revelations or provide controversial issues but rather to open a door into my spirit. I invite you to walk with me as I journey to see the world through the eyes of the Creator. If this brings radical revelation to you, praise the Lord but today all I ask is that you don't forget to look around you today with a fresh perspective.