Gods photo-shopping!

This past week I was able to create two new photo's for a client!  
Taking old and kind of shabby looking photos and turning them into - a masterpiece! ;-)

Working on these photos and now seeing the end result reminded me of the way God works in our lives. Taking our ugly sin filled lives, our mistakes and failures, our victories and triumphs, our mistakes and high points an turning them into something beautiful like only he can do! 

Cutting.
Blending. 
Layering.
Combining.
Deleting. 
Adding.

Sometimes when we go through "bad" things we don't understand why, we question God, and even fight back. God understands and has a reason for each trial shaping our lives 

Even the good things we go through are being used by God to mold us! 
We are the work of his hands! In the end all the cutting, shaping, blending, adding and deleting, will make us into His masterpiece! 

Isaiah 64:8
Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clat, You are the potter; we are the all the work of your hand!

OK so I KNOW my photo-shopping could never compare to amazing ways Gods works in our lives every day to make us more like him....but even if they are not a "masterpiece" they are now clean and new! Here is some clean up I did for some Gazebos.

God Bless you today and this week as he continues to shape each of us into his own unique masterpieces!  

Rose Finley

www.TheFocusPhotography.com
www.facebook.com/thefocusphotography

The Eye of A Needle

             While on a recent trip to Israel I learn that the eye of a needle can also be referring to the small door inside of the larger door to the city gates. The small door was used to keep the city secure, opening only the smaller door made it so only one person and his donkey could get through. 

           The door in the photo is the Jaffa gate with a perfect example of the eye of a needle!

         As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
         
        “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

       “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

         Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

        At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

        Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

        The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

        The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

        Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

       Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

       “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Spending Time With God

Spending Time With God

              This is has been one of my challenges...
Making and Taking the time to build the most important relationship you and I will ever have. Our walk with Jesus Christ.

              Why is this so hard sometimes? Everything around me that seemed so important at the time zaps up any time I was meaning to set aside to spend time with God. Work, family, friends, sleep, these things and many more crowd the day and slowly begin pushing time with God out of the picture

             However, when you think about it, Spending time with God or lack of spending time with God effects every aspect of our lives. Our relationships, our work, our families. Our entire moral, physical and spiritual outlook on life changes depending on where our relationship with God stands.

            This relationship is the most important relationship we will ever have. It is the relationship we will base all other relationships around....the relationship we will base our lives around! It is this relationship that God uses to impact the world around us!

SO...
STOP asking yourself when the last time you really spent time with just God, nothing else, no phone, computer, friends, or church...just you and God. Stop asking and GO DO IT. Taking the extra time each day to hear from Jesus.
STOP asking yourself when the last time you got real with God or let God get real with you was, and GO, spend that time with God. Get real with Him, let him get real with you. Pour out your heart to Him. Let him pour out his love on you! Let him show you His way, His heart, His desires!

These are the things I know I have to do....but everything else always seems more pressing.
Then I ask myself....
How can you help others grow closer to God, if you aren't growing closer to Him in your own walk with God?
How can you impact the world around you for Jesus, if your life is not being impacted by him everyday?

Our time -My time- with God is the most important thing in this life. Taking the time to hear from Him each day will mold and shape your days into a strong and consistent walk with Jesus Christ!!

Goodbye 2011 ~

Goodbye 2011 ~ 
‎2011 has gone by WAY to fast, and 2012 seems to be coming in like a flood. 
In the last couple days of the year I kept remembering and looking back on the past 12 months!
I cannot believe all of the things God allowed me to be apart of this past year!!
It was amazing! I don't even know where to begin in telling about Gods faithfullness...Just when I thought the year was going to be long and boring. God opened the flood gates and purred his blessings out! 
Day after day God continued to bless me!  

 

I am looking forward to all the things he is going to do in 2012!

Middle East Part 1:

Israel

How do you describe the simplicity and yet amazing feeling of walking a path that Jesus walked. The feel of the cold stone of the Western Wall, listening to the people around you praying and singing. Watching as people slide their prayer requests into a tight space in the wall. I wanted to take one out and read the  earnest prayer of a Jewish worshiper. I wondered how different their prayers are then mine. I watched as the Jewish women walked backward away from the wall, as a symbol of not turning their back to God.  Do I have as much reverence and respect for God in my life?

How do you describe looking out over Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Seeing the paths that Jesus walked the night he was betrayed.  Walking the streets of the Old City Jerusalem. David Street and Delarosa.  Seeing the remains of the pool of Siloam, where the blind man in faith did what Jesus told him to do and washed his eyes in the pool, which restored his site. Standing inside an olive press, hearing how Jesus stayed in a place called Gethsemane the night of his betrayel–an olive press. Walking beside, swimming in, and sitting out on a boat, at the Sea of Galilee, imagining what it would have been like to hear Jesus teach. Looking out over the wilderness where Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying.   

How do you describe seeing the detail and care that went into the writing of the Dead Sea Scrolls? Each piece written with such precision and care that the lines drawn on the page to keep the writing straight were also done with exact measurements. Each writing was penned with perfection and accuracy. Not only did the people just right them, they studied and believed in what they were writing, and knew the significance of preserving it. Do I, in my own life have such dedication and perseverance in my walk with God on a daily basis?   

There is so much more I can say about each place. It would very quickly become an endless list of all the incredible things we saw and learned while here. It was an amazing trip filled with the places of the Bible and challenging lessons from the lives of the people who walked the paths before us.  

I’m not sure I could do any of it justice when putting my thoughts from the trip into words. So here are some pictures that will hopefully help you to see some of what I saw!

The Western Wall

Olive Press much like the one Jesus stayed at the night of his betrayal.

A garden tomb

David Street

The Pool of Siloam 

Mount of Olives Overlooking Jerusalem 

David Street Markets

The wilderness that Jesus spent 40 days in fasting and prayer

The caves and mountains of Kidron Valley where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Sea of Galilee 

Morning Devotions on the Sea of Galilee 

Shalom

Rose

Stay tuned to hear about Jordan and Egypt!

Where is the summer going?

So I am back in PA.
It seems like I've been going non-stop all summer with no chance to post any pictures from the awesome people I have been able to see and the amazing things I've been able to do. I thank God for all of the things He has  paved the way for this summer. It has been a summer I will not soon forget!
I will post more about "My Summer"  with pictures later....because I still haven't stopped or slowed down enough to be able to get things together. SORRY :-(
So here is a post!

I'm leaving again!!
In early April, I received a scholarship for a Bible Study Tour Trip to the holy lands!!   
I will be leaving September 6th for a 2 week trip to the middle east, TURKEY, ISRAEL, JORDAN, and EGYPT!
I can't wait to start and begin the next adventure that God has for me!
Random fact for you....Did you know Egypt is in Africa?! For some reason I never really thought of Egypt as being part of Africa! 
Anyway back to the trip.....We will be hiking through the different place you always read about in the Bible but never really imagine yourself there! We will be hiking for most of the trip while we learn and see the place of the Bible. I have never been on a trip quite like this. It will be different. But it will be great! For now I am running out of time to write this post so for more information on the trip visit this website!

Please keep our team in your prayers

For health and strength for participants to make the most of this gift. I Samuel 25:6, Nehemiah 8:10, John 17:21

• For travel safety to, from and within Egypt/Jordan/Israel. Psalm 43:3
• For the leaders of the group, for good choices, good communication, for sensitivity and patience. Galatians 5:25
• For all of us to grow in our understanding of the Bible and to deepen our faith in Jesus Christ, our Messiah. Psalm 119:34-36, Deuteronomy 6:5
• For us to be faithful witnesses during this trip wherever we go. 2 Timothy 4:2
• For the glory of God in all of this. Psalm 34:

Thank you for your prayers and I will update you with pictures and stories when I can!
Rose 

Streamside Kids Winter Blast!

Kids Winter Blast at Camp Streamside!  It was good to be back at camp for a weekend. 

From Friday night to Sunday afternoon my time was filled with taking pictures, making sure kids were where they were supposed to be,  to helping to run games! It was crazy and I was wiped out when it was over, but it was worth it! I got to catch up with staff I haven't seen since summer and get to know some of the campers better. 

The Tubing Hill -Through the eyes of Lucas...well his sunglasses anyway! ;-)

The campers made climbing back up to the top look like climbing Mt. Everest.

            

Naomi is now walking and quite the lover of electronics. I taught her some basic photography skills. 

She will be an amazing photographer! ;-) 

Vespers!

The top of the tubing hill.

Minute To Win It game! 

The last night after a busy weekend.

On Friday we will be going back for Teen Winter Blast! Please pray for us as we minister to these campers!

       

         Pray for:

               God to open the hearts of the campers

               Opportunities to share Christ.

               Energy for the Staff  ;-) 

               Safety for everybody

Rose