my mind in this moment

Most of these days my mind has been on...a camera. photography. What is it about a photograph that can capture our eyes, our minds, our hearts, and our imagination? There is so much in a photograph that can bring a laugh, a smile, tears and a story.

Stories. They are so unique and important. We, as human beings, are so incredibly drawn to stories. That's why we go to movies. That's why when we aren't going to the movies we are reading books. That's why 9 times out of 10 in our conversations we are telling a story: of the past, the present, or dreams of the future. The coolest part about stories I think is that God knew this very thing. That's why the Bible is the coolest story that could have ever been written, a story of redemptive history starting with the creation of Adam and Eve. That's why God revealed His word in a book for all to read. That's why Jesus himself taught in parables (stories). That's why the gospel is centered around the greatest story that was ever to be written: that God sent His Son to come and die on the cross for our sins so that He could defeat and conquer death and allow us to be covered in His righteousness, that we may be seen as holy before God.

There are so many stories. There are stories in my life that I want to remember forever: stories of redemption, stories of the lives of the people that I run into by God's grace, stories of how God is daily sanctifying me and changing my life dramatically every day. And my mind keeps going back to a photograph. Photograph's can capture a moment in time; a moment to remember, the moments in my life I don't want to forget.

This week on my week off I am really excited about a project I have thought of. I am going to develop the pictures of the girls who are on my lacrosse team and put them in a photo album. I am excited because I am going to write about them...not just facts, but the dreams I have for their lives and where I hope and pray God will lead them in the future.

And with photography, my mind goes back to a camera. I am considering buying one. And I don't mean a digital camera. But a good, nice, expensive (yikes) camera. One that I can have forever to capture the moments of happiness, joy, suffering and surprise of life. That can travel with me and my lacrosse team right now and hopefully to a mission field one day to capture the lives of others to share with the world. I am praying to see if it is a good investment of my money, so this may end up being one of my big dreams but who knows...maybe I could become quite the photographer.

Some photos that have captured my heart:

Taken by: Natalie Parkman

Taken from a blog by: Alicia Keel

Taken by: Natalie Parkman

Found online.

Found online.

Found online.

(I love this picture and I will eventually blog about it. It has so much significance and purpose-I'm excited to share about it!)