Monday, January 2, 2012

I will miss you.

California.
Where the sun is always shining and the temperature gets up to 76 degrees Fahrenheit on a mild winter day.





























I've loved every minute spent in this lovely state and I am sad that my family and I have to leave tomorrow. We'll miss our grandparents and other relatives. Hope to see you again soon, Cali!

A word for 2012.

Courage.
That's my word for 2012.
This year I want to be open and vulnerable to whatever Christ calls me to, no matter what the sacrifice might be. My desire is for Christ to remove all of the unreasonable fears that have been holding me back from complete surrender to his will.


Just as God commanded the Israelites to be strong and courageous many times in the Old Testament, he desires for us to be courageous and take hold of his promises. 1 Chronicles 22:13 says, "For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!" and Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."


This year I will be seeking out every opportunity I can to be courageous. I want to do things in 2012 that I'm afraid to do now because I know that God is with me and he won't ever abandon me. My heart's desire for these next twelve months is to be willing to do whatever God asks of me immediately without holding back anything. May 2012 be a year of courageous growth!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Memories, Dreams, and Reflections 2011

1. Me! - picture of yourself (you don't have to show your face). What are you most proud of accomplishing in 2011


I am proud of how much my photography has improved throughout the year. I've made significant progress because I have been working on a 365 photo a day project and I took the class Intro to Photography last semester.

2. I Love You - picture of your husband, boyfriend, children, pets, etc.
























I love my little brother Christopher so much! I love the rest of my family, too.

3. Still Laughing... - a moment you're still laughing about now...tell us a story.



When the movie Courageous first came out, a few of my friends and I went to see it in the theatre. Daniel, (the Korean on the far left), pretended that he didn't speak a word of English and made CJ (the guy next to him) translate for him to the lady at the ticket counter. At the end Daniel said something in English and watched as the lady made an astonished expression on her face. Lol.

4. Winter Wonderland - a picture that reflects Winter.


5. Birthday - share a birthday picture (your own or someone you love).
























I wasn't with my real family for my 19th birthday, but I had good friends to celebrate with. They took me out to Olive Garden. My family called all the way from PNG right when we got to the restaurant and we were able to talk for a while. :)

6. Friends - a picture with friends (this could be your friends or your children with their friends).
























Mia and Anh Thu are such great friends! They've encouraged and challenged me to grow closer to Christ and also shared with me about their home countries, Japan and Vietnam. (I'm also thankful for all of my other friends not pictured here.)

7. I Was Inspired... - could be a picture of your inspiration (person or thing), or inspired by...
























God's beautiful creation! He's created so many beautiful things but we can miss out on seeing them if we aren't looking. 2011 was a year of looking for beauty in the broken.

8. Spring Fever - a picture that reflects Spring.




9. Travel or Vacation - a picture taken on vacation or on a recent travel experience...even if it was only a few miles away.
























My family and I are in California celebrating Christmas and New Years with my grandparents. A couple of days ago I saw a cat in the backyard so I got my mom's attention and then we both went out to see it. I love the weather here in sunny Bakersfield and I'm not ready to go back to cold, snowy Ohio.

10. Summer Days - a picture that reflects Summer.


Playing with the hose on a brilliantly sunny afternoon in August is my idea of a wonderful summer activity.

11. A Day In My Life - a picture of a typical day in your life.























Nearly every day I spend time reading and studying the Bible. I want to grow to know Christ more, and so I read his word, which he uses to speak to his followers.

12. All Smiles - a picture that makes you smile or of smiling faces.























A few friends and I enjoyed a picnic by the lake on a pleasant October day. I can't remember what was so funny, but something someone said made Caleb smile like this. Lol.

13. Autumn Harvest - a picture that reflects Autumn/Fall.


























Autumn is Cedarville is lovely. I love walking by Cedar Lake on warm, sunny days when there are still trees filled with colourful leaves.

14. Family or Home - a picture of your family or a picture that represents family/home for you.



Home is the place where you can relax and be your silly self. My brother Jon always makes me laugh.

15. Celebrate! - a picture that reflects a celebration.























In July, my cousin Greg married his high school sweetheart Lindsay in an ornate Orthodox church. I was able to attend the wedding and take photos of the beautiful ceremony.

16. Let's Do It Again... - a picture of something you'd like to do again soon.


Christopher and I need to bake more Double Chocolate Chip Cookies in 2012!

17. I Miss You - a picture of someone or something you really miss.


I really miss Ana and the rest of her family! They kindly offered to let me stay with them for about 7 weeks last summer and it was such a blessing.

18. Beautiful - a picture of someone or something you find beautiful.



My Vietnamese friend Anh Thu is seriously so beautiful on the inside and the outside!

19. Dress Up - this might be a picture from Halloween or not...but someone who is all dressed up!
























Elliv is one of Cedarville's biggest annual events. It's a show put on at the beginning of May by talented students with music, dancing, and singing. A friend of mine, Amy, asked me to photograph her and a group of friends all dressed up for the event and I willingly accepted the opportunity.

20. Macro - share your favorite macro or close-up image.



My mom started teaching me how to play guitar over the summer. I want to keep learning, but school has kept me too busy. One of my goals for 2012 is to learn at least a few more chords and be able to play a few songs.

21. Holidays - a picture from the Holiday of your choice.



I never get tired of Christmas! It's definitely my favorite holiday.

22. My Favorite - share your favorite picture or memory from 2011.


Choosing a favorite memory from 2011 is impossible! There were so many wonderful things that happened this year, and one of the memories that stands out to me the most was going to the Creation Museum in Kentucky with my friends Mia, James, Caleb, and Caleb's mom, who drove us down there. We had a blast exploring the museum and taking silly photos.

23. Don't Ever Change - something you love about yourself, someone, or something that you never want to change.
























I love Bethany's joy and enthusiasm for life and serving Christ. She has such a vibrant, cheerful personality and I hope that never changes.

24. Just Because...So There! - share any picture(s) that you really want to share, but doesn't fit in any other category.




25. Hopes and Dreams - share what you hope to come or dream for 2012. Feel free to share an image of your choice.



My hope for 2012 is that I will continue to develop my Christian walk through prayer and reading of the word, and I hope to lead someone to Christ. I also hope that God will reveal to me where he wants to me go after I finish college in May 2014 and that I will get a job over the summer. He's faithful, so I'm trusting him to lead.

Memories, Dreams and Reflections

2011 In Review.

2011 has been a year of change. I've grown and been challenged in many ways. My photography has improved, I've learned more of the Spanish language, and my love for blogging has really increased this year. I've learned the value of honest relationships with other Christians, which I never fully understood before. Christ set me free from unreasonable fears that I was struggling with. Several of my friendships have really deepened in ways I never expected but I'm so grateful. God knew and still knows exactly what I need.

My head has been plagued with doubts about my relationship with God at times, but I've continued to cling to his promises. On this last day of the year I confessed my doubts to God and asked him to forgive me.  God convicted me with his words in John 15:4, which says, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me." In 2012, my heart's desire and sole ambition is to remain in Christ and serve him wholeheartedly.


















































Happy New Year, friends! May 2012 be a year of growing closer to Christ and remaining a part of the vine of Christ. <3