The Lord's Army: A Reflection of the 4th of July

Martin of Tours.

Martin of Tours saw Christ in the face of the poor and in the commitment to nonviolence. He was born in what was now Hungary and as a young man was involuntarily enlisted in the Roman Army. Martin's conversion to Christianity occurred after he met a beggar seeking alms. Without money to offer the man, Martin tore his own coat in half and gave one part to the beggar. The following night, Martin dreamed of Christ wearing half of his coat. Once Martin was baptized he resolved to leave the army because Christ called him to nonviolence. His superior's mistakenly saw his request as one of cowardice until Martin offered to face the front lines without weapons as a sign of Christianity pacifism. Denied this offer, Martin spent time in prison. Afterward he joined the monastery at Solesmes and eventually served for ten years as bishop of Tours.

I am a soldier of Christ; it is not lawful for me to fight.

Luke 6

Love Your Enemies

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

 32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

 35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Flight From the 70's

This afternoon is Gulf Shores we did a 70's themed photo shoot of Flight From Below. 

Flight From Below needed updated photos since my husband, John Martin joined the band, and when Flight From Below does worship sets, I come into play... but to be honest, the main reason we wanted to take this gnarly 70's portraits is because we just love each other :) hanging out with these guys has been such a blessing! We've just become one big family, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Beauty in Nature

This afternoon as we were making our way back to Dauphin Island to lead worship at a youth camp, these abandoned boats caught my eye. Pictures like this is the main reason why I am sure to have my 1D everywhere I go. You just never know what Mother Nature is going to throw your way. 

Capturing the beauty of life and nature, and finding art in everything is one of my deepest passions.

Bradley & Paige Inman

A few weeks ago, we had the joy of taking part in the wedding of Bradley and Paige Inman. Such a bright-spirited young couple! Their wedding was held at the Malbis Community Center on a gorgeous Friday evening. Paige's personality really stuck out with her choice of decor, every center piece was unique, and everything was original (made by Paige), right down to the bridesmaid's bouquets. It was such an honor to be  a part of the beginning of a new journey for Bradley & Paige. They are such an amazing (and quite adorable) couple!

Here are our favorites from the wedding..

Flight From Below

For the past month, my husband and I have been traveling all around the south east with an aggressive worship band, Flight From Below. We've had such a great time with them leading worship at various venues, churches, events, and even youth camps. They are the most encouraging group of guys I have ever met.. After being with them for even a short period of time, I began to think of how lost encouragement is these days.. and how as brothers and sisters in Christ we are to be encouraging and uplifting to one another.. yet encouragement is so rare these days. These guys have been such a blessing to our lives, they are such a joy to be around.

Here are a few photos of the guys...