June 11, 12 - For the Love of Friends

Proverbs 17:17 (The Message) Friends love through all kinds of weather, 
   and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

My better half and I had the pleasure This past weekend to spend time with a dear friend and her husband. It had been over a year since I had seen them...at their wedding, which I photographed. Mary and I have been friends since 1994, where we met at a church function for which my husband at the time played with a band. We began to visit her and her husband and 4 children and fell in love with the family. She is a beautiful and artistically multi-talented with more talent in one eyelash than ten other people put together. We have been through some very trying times over the course of our friendship. We both went through divorce, lost loved ones through distance and/or death, got involved with the wrong kind of people and moved away from God.



Fortunately for us both, God never let go. He drew us back to Himself. We had to suffer the consequences of our sin, but He remained a merciful Heavenly Father. When I look back at what foolish choices I made, I am so very thankful that God does not exact vengeance on His children. He loves us so much. 

Psalm 68:6

New International Version (NIV)

God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing;but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.


I am thankful for all of the friends He has placed on my path. I am an only child of an only child. I have a step-sister, who although our parents divorced years ago, we chose to remain sisters. I have a group of about 8 close girlfriends that the Lord has given me as sisters. This was not easy for me. I had so many walls up as self-protection, that I would not allow anyone to get close to me,

Proverbs 18:24

New International Version (NIV)

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Lord, thank You for blessing me with such a wonderful family of sisters! Thank you for delivering me from a spirit of judgement and solitary living. Thank You for answers to prayers for my friends. You see, Mary used to wear her pain on her face. Yes, she was beautiful, but when I look at photos of her from three years ago, I see the pain and anguish of her life's choices in her eyes. Now, I see peace and joy! Hallelujah! God is GOOD!


I love You, Lord!
Pamela

Day 40 - I Doubt It

Mark 11:23
Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.


How often have you allowed doubt to creep into your life? I know God's Word is true, but I doubt my ability to trust Him enough to be able to tell a mountain to go jump in the sea and the mountain obey me. Heck, I can barely get my little Maltipoo, Alfie to  obey me and she only weights 10 pounds!!! I really want that kind of faith, whether it pertains to my life, my full-time job, or my part-time photography business. 


I was once in a relationship where I was told time and time again that we would go to church together, that he was coming to visit me, and that I was special to him. Time after time, plans were changed at the last minute...I was dressed and on my way out the door when I would receive a text, instead of a phone call, (I usually wear a bluetooth headset or ear buds, so may not see a message right away) saying "Sorry, I can't meet you/not coming/family issues", take your pick. For me, a person's word is their bond. When I finally addressed the issue by saying "I don't believe you!", I was met with "Oh, please don't say that." This person proved over and over again that their word was not trustworthy. I began to doubt everything they said. 


I had reason to doubt in this case, but I have no reason at all to doubt God. Titus 1:2 tells us, "God CANNOT lie." Not He won't or he chooses not to...He CANNOT! In Revelation 3:14, Jesus is called the Faithful and True Witness. Yet the Bible is full of people who doubted God, yet achieved great things in Him. Moses doubted that he would be able to speak to Pharaoh and lead God's chosen people out of Egypt. Saul doubted God's timing and offered a sacrifice that caused him to lose his kingship. 

John 6:35-37

³⁵ Jesus said to them, “ I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. ³⁷  All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

Thomas, a chosen disciple walked with Jesus, yet had to see the nail-scarred hands, feet and side of Jesus to believe that He had risen from the dead. He received the moniker "Doubting Thomas". Jesus often chastised the disciples for their lack of faith. If the disciples who saw Jesus everyday dealt with unbelief, what chance do I have? How often and I a 'doubting Pamela'?  

John 20:26-30

²⁶ After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “ Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “ Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” ²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”


My desire is to be faith-filled. I want to trust God totally with my finances, my job, my business, my mate, my family, my friends, my pets, my time...all aspects of my life. I feel foolish knowing I have doubted God, who CANNOT lie.


Lord, help me to truly grasp the fact that You are unable to lie. Other humans fail us all the time...just as we fail them and ourselves. I do not put my trust in man, but in the Son of Man, who lowered Himself to come to earth as a human being, live a sinless life, be crucified for MY sin, and raised from the dead. I know that I am going to live forever. Yes, I will shed this earthly tent we call a body someday, but my spirit is eternal. I want to spend that eternity in the presence of the ALL MIGHTY God and Creator of all.


As I come to the end of this 40-day challenge, I pray that it has made a significant difference in my life and in the lives of those who have taken time to read it. May I continue to encourage others and share the gifts with which you have blessed me. I pray that I have reached someone for the Kingdom. May they make the choice to ask Jesus into their hearts, surrender and live life for Him.


I ask this in Your Precious and Holy Name.


I love You, Lord.
Pamela

Day 39 - Did You Have Fun at Work Today?

Colossians 3:23-24

²³ Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, ²⁴  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.


This Scripture verse is the verse I use for my photography business...as well as for the job I have working for someone else. You see, wherever I go and whatever I do, I "work for Jesus." I represent Him to the world. I do all that I have to do with excellence, whether it is how I treat a client or a co-worker, how I complete a task, I do as if I am doing it for Jesus.


Let me ask you a question. What is your passion in life? What cause is close to your heart? Are you working your passion or do you simply have a job that pays the bills? Why do you go to a job you hate day after day? God has placed in each of us a desire for something. My passion is my photography. I also love computers and databases...my full-time job satisfies those passions. I have been fortunate enough to have never worked in a job I hated. I like having fun and laughing and I do a lot of that at work. 


I don't understand people who work at jobs they absolutely despise for year upon year. Are you gifted in the area of fashion? Become a personal shopper and/or image consultant. Crazy about computers? Become a consultant or help senior citizens learn computer skills. Do you love to cook? Then cooking is what will bring fulfillment...do it! Do you like to drive? Become a chauffeur or bus driver. Do you love animals? Go to school to become a veterinarian or vet tech. While you are in the process of finding your passion and working it, you can volunteer to sharpen your skills. 


I shared my quote a few weeks ago, and it bears repeating..."Creation is most majestic when it simply is what God created it to be...that includes us!" A tree is never a failure at being a tree....look at it with it's branches raised in praise to THE God who created it!!! Birds don't try to be dogs. Flowers don't try to be rivers. Why do we, God's greatest creation (because we are created in HIS image) have difficulty being who He created us to be? My simple answer is sin. We make poor choices then suffer the consequences of said choices. We get ourselves into a jam and must take any job we can get in order to get by.


You can bring joy to whatever job you currently have, whether it is your dream job or not. I choose joy every day. It was not easy when I was going through a difficult divorce 23 years ago, but with the help of some great (and a little crazy) friends, I began to laugh more than I was crying. I learned to let go of the past and not worry about things over which I have no control. I used to fume for hours if someone cut me off in traffic, but I realized that I have done it to others accidentally. So I began to say, "Hey they probably did not see me! No one go hurt. I can let this go." The more I began to let that stuff go, the more pleasant my commute to work became. If I see someone driving dangerously, I will slow down and stay away from them or get past them when it is safe to do so. I don't stress over their issues.


My prayer for you is that you seek God's Face about what He desires for your fulfillment. I am NOT saying quit your job, but change your job if you are miserable. I have fun everywhere I go...even in church! Choose joy today. You can have the joy of the Lord no matter what circumstances you are facing.

Day 38 - What Are You Afraid Of?

When my youngest son, Trent was the ripe old age of four, he said to me, "When you spank me, it doesn't do any good, and when you yell at me, you only hurt my feelings." As a parent, I knew he was telling me the truth. You could threaten Trent to take away his favorite toy, television privileges, or send him to his room and his response was always "I don't care." Trent showed no fear or care when he received his punishment. There are times when I would like to exercise that type of fearlessness...not defiance to God, but in defiance to fear. I had seen this acronym before, but Scarlett brought it back to mind in her posting today....FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real.


What fear(s) is/are holding you back? Are you afraid of failure? Look at the likes of Thomas Edison who said, "I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." or "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't' work." He suffered many failures before he achieved success. Albert Einstein, who also suffered many failures said, "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."


What does God's Word have to say about fear?

2 Timothy 1:7

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Joshua 1:6-8

⁶  Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous (DON'T FEAR); be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. ⁸  This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Isaiah 41:10

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Joel 2:21

Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,

For the Lord has done great things.

John 14:27

²⁷  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.


There are hundreds of examples in the Bible where God tells us FEAR NOT. I can hear some of you thinking, "It is easy for God to say....HE has no fears!" Yet, for those of us who believe in Jesus and trust Him as our Savior, He has equipped us with HIS PEACE! 


Lord, forgive me for continuing to fret, worry, fear, complain, and miss the mark again and again when Your Word clearly tells me not to do these things. Help me to walk in holy boldness!!!

God Give Me Guts Box Sign

Primitives By Kathy / Gift

I love You, Lord!

Pamela

Day 37 - God, Use Me

I am amazed at how quickly these past 37 days have gone by. In the beginning, forty days seemed like a long time, but it is just a vapor. My prayer is that what I am sharing will touch someone's life for the better. There are those of you reading this blog who will never meet me face-to-face, yet we are communicating over the internet. The internet is not bound by space and time as we are. Anywhere in this world that can access the internet, we can communicate with others half-way around the world at any time of day or night.

Jeremiah 33:2-3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

² “Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it, the Lord is His name, ³ ‘ Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ 

There is so much garbage out here in cyberspace that is easy to get caught up in the mess. But there are also some wonderful sites on the internet that can help you in your struggles. One of my favorite websites is http://www.biblegateway.com. I can look up passages, do searches on words, and enjoy devotionals and other learning tools. There is http://www.embracehistruth.com, written by my dear friend, Doris as words of encouragement to others. Of course, there are other photographers that I admire, such as Ross Oscar Knight of Atlanta, GA, Zach and Jody Gray of Nashville, TN and of course, Scarlett & Stephen of Jacksonville, Florida who I can follow via their blogs and websites. What I love about these particular photogs is not their skill alone, but their love for the Lord and their willingness to help other photographers!

When you least expect it, or are unaware, someone is watching you...your life is affecting someone for better or for worse. Make a difference for the good. Let your light shine in a dark and miserable world.

Lord, may the words on my blog, my photographs and scriptures I share touch the lives of others. I am a willing vessel, Lord...USE ME!


I love You, Lord!
Pamela

Day 36 - Seek Ye First

Matthew 6:25-34

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁵ “ For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life,as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as towhat you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first HIS kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Do you worry about tomorrow? Do you worry about what you want to be when you grow up (even if you are in your forties or older)? Has your career path taken you in so many different directions that you feel schizophrenic? Psalms 46:10, God says, "Be still and know that I am God." We are so inundated with images, technology, computers, smart phones, the internet, animated billboards, flashing lights and over consumption of things we don't need. It is no wonder our heads are spinning at the end of the day! 

Today's reading spoke about The Definition of You. Do you define yourself as a photographer, an architect, a doctor, a secretary, a mom, a dad, a sister, a brother, a husband or a wife? What if you simply defined yourself as a child of God...then sought HIS direction for your life? The first scripture from Matthew that I quoted at the top of the page talks about how precious we are to our Heavenly Father. He cares for your needs. He also gives us the desires of our hearts. 

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Are you delighting in the Lord? Are you seeking first HIS kingdom? As believers, this is the measure of success. When we spend time in HIS Presence and show Him how much we love Him and want to be with Him, He delights in giving us our desires. Sometimes, He will give us desires that we ask for, even when He knows it is not the best thing for us to have. When we fail miserably because of it, He is standing and waiting with open arms to welcome us back into His Presence.

Lord, I pray that I would earnestly desire to seek Your Face. I am asking those who are reading this blog to do the same. I know that we will be sharing awesome stories of how You worked in our lives as we see You.

I love You, Lord

Pamela

Day 35 - Give and It Will Come Back To You...

Luke 6:38

³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Has your minister ever said, "You can't beat God in giving"? I used to struggle with the idea of giving God 10% of what I earned, thinking, "Why does God need MY money? He doesn't really need it!" But what my tithe and your tithe does is meet the needs of your local church. It costs money to run a church. There are light bills, gas bills, water bills, building and grounds maintenance...not to mention a salary for the pastor and other church staff. Not only that, but everything you earn and have really belongs to God anyway.

It was God who gave you the ability to work. He supplies air to your lungs. He gives movement to your limbs to allow you to drive to work, or get on a bus and ride to work. In reality, God does not NEED your money...He owns the cattle on 1,000 hills! (Psalm 50:10)

Psalm 50:10-11

¹⁰ “For every beast of the forest is Mine,

The cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹ “I know every bird of the mountains,

And everything that moves in the field is Mine.

Tithing is an act of obedience....and obedience is better than sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:22

²² Samuel said,

“ Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

As in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

When you give your tithes and offerings to God, you are saying to Him, "I am trusting You to meet my needs, Lord."  God does not just want our money, He wants our time and treasure as well. I need to work on the amount of time I spend with the Lord. My tithe and my treasure (all that is important to me, like my business and my family) I can give to Him, but when it comes to my time, I must admit that I waste way too much of it. Sometimes, I just need to sit still! Yesterday, my honey came by. It was early evening and the sun was streaming through my front window. For some reason, the neighborhood was so very quiet (there are usually lots of children out playing). We decided to leave the television off and just enjoy the peace and calm. It was so relaxing!

Lord, help me to spend my time more wisely. I have made an effort to get up 10 minutes early so that I can begin my day with You. I know it will make a difference in my day. 

I love You, Lord

Pamela

Day 34 - On Doing Nothing

I remember back in 1970 when a store in our community decided to open on Sundays. In the world in which I grew up, nothing was opened on Sunday except Church. The grocery stores were closed. The banks were closed. The retail stores were closed. The gas stations were closed. Fast food restaurants, which consisted of McDonald's, were closed. People actually took a day of rest. We did all of our house cleaning on Saturday, so we did not even clean on Sundays. 


There was no email, no video games, no cellular phones, no VCRs or DVD players. There was no iPod, no XBox, no Wii; yet we were happy, well-adusted children who enjoyed playing outside. Most of the fresh fruit I ate as a child came from my own back yard. No, I did not live on a farm...I lived in the city where we had cherry, apple, peach and pear trees in the yard as well as grapes, blackberries and raspberries. 


The picture on the television was black & white. There were only 3 channels and broadcasting ended at 11:00 p.m. But guess what? My sister and I were never bored. We played board games or colored in our coloring books. We played with dolls or made up our own plays, which we subjected our parents to. We even once had a little acrobatic show on our back porch and charged admission. We climbed trees, rode bicycles, ran races with our neighbors, or read books. Life was much less complex. I thank God for technology, but there comes a point when we need to turn off the phones, ignore the email, turn off the television and iPads and just rest. How long can you do nothing without beginning to fidget and feel nervous inside?

Job 11:18-19¹¹⁸ 

“Then you would trust, because there is hope;

And you would look around and rest securely.

“You would lie down and none would disturb you,

And many would entreat your favor.

If God, who created the entire universe in six days rested on the seventh day, what makes you think you don't need rest? It is time to make an effort to rest and rejuvenate yourself.


I have learned the art of doing nothing and I have become fairly good at it.


Lord, thank You for Your rest. Help me to put down the phone, the iPad, the TV and rest in You!


I love You, Lord.

Day 33 - What Have You Done?

What is it that got you where you are today? How many jobs and what type of jobs have you had in your lifetime? I began my "career life" working in a catalog showroom. I sold all types of housewares and was trained to sell jewelry as well. After a few years, I left to work as the manager of the camera department of another, much larger catalog showroom. I had always had a love of photography and selling cameras and learning more about them as I continued my career deepened my love for my art. 

For a short time, I worked as the assistant manager of a clothing store and then a grocery distributor. In1992, I was hired as a Key Account Coordinator for a large grocery chain. When that job ended, I went to work at the first Bed Bath and Beyond in this area. My final place of employment (other than my photography business) is a regional educational facility where I began as a secretary. Eventually, I became a data coordinator and later a systems specialist. I began all of this with a high school diploma. You see, I followed my dream of becoming a wife and a mother at the very young age of 18. I started working outside the home at the age of 20. 

I had some college...I wanted to be an electrical engineer technologist, but discovered that math and I don't play well together! :-) It was not until 1999 that I decided to go back to college. I received my Associate Degree as a Computer Specialist. In 2006, I decided to go back for my Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology and Management. I graduated in May of 2007 and continued my schooling to achieve my technology-focused MBA in 2009. Yet through it all, my passion remained photography.

Do I feel like I wasted time achieving this goal which has nothing to do with photography? Absolutely not! You see, continuing my education, with the end result of getting my degrees showed me that I have the tenacity to complete a task. You are never too old to learn. One of my favorite things to tell people that share with me something they always wanted to do is "It ain't too late til you're dead!" 

Hebrews 3:6-8

⁶ but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house— whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

⁷ Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“ Today if you hear His voice,

⁸ Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,
Isaiah 49:8-9^8 9 

As in the day of trial in the wilderness

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Thus says the Lord,

“In a favorable time I have answered You,

And in a day of salvation I have helped You;

And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people,

To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;

Saying to those who are bound, ‘Go forth,’

To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

Along the roads they will feed,

And their pasture will be on all bare heights.

While it is today, you have an opportunity to make a change in your life. Whether it is choosing to trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, or perhaps making the choice to return to school, look for a better job, or choosing a life partner....it ain't too late til you're dead.

Thank you, Lord for today...it is all we get...one day at a time. Help me to keep that always in perspective. You are in ultimate control of everything.

I love You, Lord

Pamela

Day 32 - Now That's a Good Question

Today, Scarlett's journal entry was about the difference between HAVING faith and WALKING IN faith. I thought of the analogy of having a camera and actually using said camera. I can have faith that I can take great photographs with the camera, even though I have never taken it out of the box. But taking the camera out of the box, attaching a lens and shooting pictures would be more akin to walking in faith. I know that faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1), but I am attempting to give you a word picture. As I press the shutter button, there are all types of things happening inside my camera that I cannot see. My faith is that when I set the camera properly and focus the lens, the end result in a perfectly exposed and composed image.

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith and not by sight

Just as taking the camera out of the box and actually using it, faith requires some action on your part. You have to believe that you have it before you see it. Do you remember the days of film cameras? You were able to press the shutter to capture action as it happens. With digital cameras, there is a lag between when you press the shutter button and when the shutter opens to expose the image. You have to anticipate the moments that will be worth capturing...the "money shot." Sometimes you miss it, but on those occasions where you are spot on, you have an amazing photograph.


Like using a camera, or any other tool that requires  a modicum of skill, practice makes perfect. The more you practice walking by faith, the better you get at walking by faith. There are things we do daily by faith without seeing it as faith. You walk into your doctor's office, do you pick up a chair and turn it over to see if all the the nuts and bolts are tightened and there are no cracks or defects in the chair? No, you have faith that the chair is going to hold your body weight and you sit down. When you get into your car, put the key in the ignition and turn it, you have faith the car will start. When you step into an elevator, you have faith that it is in proper working order and will take you to the floor of your destination.


The Bible is full of examples of sick people being healed by their own faith. 

Luke 17:18-20

¹⁸ Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

Matthew 15:28
Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.


Perhaps the story you most remember about faith is the woman who suffered hemorrhaging for 12 years. She had spent all she had on doctors, only to get worse. This woman could have been put to death for being among the throng of people surrounding Jesus because she was considered unclean. Yet she took the risk, having the faith that if she could touch the hem of his garment, she would be made whole. (Mark 5:25-28)


Matthew 9:22
But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.

Luke 5:18-24

¹⁸  And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. ¹⁹ But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.²⁰ Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”

       __________________________________________________


So now it is time to exercise your faith muscles. Begin to believe God to work in a situation in which you have struggled. Our God is faithful.


I love You, Lord
Pamela