When I started Best Captured in 2015 my goal was not to turn a hobby into a monetary project. My goal was simply to find an outlet to share a few things I enjoyed: writing and photography. With balancing a typical busy schedule that seemed regimented in many ways I was itching to find a way to release my more artistic roots. Best Captured fulfilled this and quickly my personal side hobby became a fun interest that was now more enjoyable because both Jo and I were invested in it. The Lord was good to us during this season of our lives, allowing us many unique opportunities to venture the world through missions, work trips and leisurely vacations. Best Captured served as a motivator, if we even needed to be more motivated, to explore, to adventure, to appreciate more of creation, to meet beautiful people from various cultures, and to experience the goodness and diversity of many parts of this earth.
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Tags: Devotionals / Faith This week we enter a week of Holiness as some may call it. Those familiar with Christianity and the bible know that we just celebrated Palm Sunday. This is a day of remembrance for when Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11), just one week before he would be resurrected (Matthew 28).
Leading up to the week of Easter - Jesus' Resurrection - our home church, Providence, has given out a daily devotional study with the goal of preparing our hearts for Easter Sunday. Please feel free to follow along throughout the week as I share up here the same scripture used in our churches daily devotional plan. Last night I was at a Bible study surrounded by a group of women who I am so privileged to call my friends and mentors. It is such a joy for me that I am privileged enough to experience this every few weeks.
At one particular point in one of our discussions, one of the women looked at me and she said "you know you really should lay that whole situation on the altar." The specific topic of the conversation is irrelevant, but I will provide insight into the situation by stating that the topic that we had been discussing was one that I had been praying about and had honestly felt that I HAD been laying it on the altar. After much reflection and thought I would soon realize that that wasn’t completely accurate. Recently there has been an aching inside me for the country and world in which we live. Just this morning, like too many days recently, our News Sources were flooded with reports of the latest overnight shooting and other acts of violence. It is discouraging and even scary because it seems that violence and malice are running ramped throughout our streets, cities and nations. It's fearful to walk out of the house knowing that violence could occur right where you live or to travel the world rarely feeling completely safe. As a teacher, I worry for our children and their hearts.
It is terrifying for our neighborhoods, schools, and cities and it is fearful for our future. Just this morning as I found myself feeling rushed and anxious about all the "other" things that I needed to get done I pulled out this book that I am using as a daily bible study. I think it is so essential to find yourself in the word daily even though I find myself consistently struggling with it. I try to be good about it and I have found ways of being able to incorporate studies into my daily routine. I have found that "The Christian Servant," an online devotion is a great tool because they send out daily devotions that are relevant to the work place. The devotion is in my inbox when I get to work in the morning, they're quick and easy to read and the best part is that their written by every day workers around the world, just like you and I. On days when I "guilt-ingly" don't get to my bible study I find that I have missed out.
Recently a similar conversation has been coming up in our household. The topic is no stranger to many. Especially those thinkers out there. You know who you are!
I must admit I have always been one of those thinkers. Since I can remember I have been thinking about EVERYTHING! I don't mean just thinking about things that are right in front of me or the topics that are directly embracing my attention at a particular moment. I mean thinking, dreaming, planning, analyzing, scheming, reflecting, the list could really go on but I'm sure you get the gist. Imagine the surprise of those that know me best when I married a "thinker" as well (no surprise really). So, together, happily married, us thinkers over here have found ourselves coming back to one specific topic. THE PLAN! |