spring time love

28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.

29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?

32 It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.

36 You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.


Psalm 18:28-36


*not my photos above, just spring-y inspiration :)

angel

so I heard this song today for the first time and i maaaaaay or may not have cried a little because it is so sweet. i'm such a sap.

tender life christmas party

yes, i know that it is february, and very far from christmas! but I shot some photos at tender life's christmas party in december and i wanted to share 45 billion some of my favorites with you :)



mmmmm dinner...



terry announcing raffle ticket prize winners...



a story of salvation and the grace that is tender life...



high five-ing santa!



santa passes out gifts...









the best portraits with santa...









smiley kid faces!























hellloooooooooooooo cupcakes!



bye little ones!









merry super belated christmas, haha!


<3annajoy

sing a new song

ever since i heard this song at church this past sunday i have been listening to it non stop! pleeeeease ignore the cheesy video and semi-cheesy style of music. the words are great and thats what counts right? i apologize for the lack of photo-y posts lately, there is some cool stuff in the works I promise, so stay tuned!

<3 anna joy

a monday thought

"It is a beautiful necessity of our nature to love,"

- Douglas Jerrold

valentines day

today is a day full of love. for some it will be really amazing, for others it can be incredibly lonely. i realized this morning, what a great day to be reminded of God's love! it is never changing, failing or faltering, always constant and perfect. He never loves us less or more, so nothing we can do or not do can change his divine desire and passion for us, or his yearning for intimacy with us. His word says that he holds his lambs (us) close to his heart, and knows us all by name, as He is 'the great shepherd'. God is love. the word 'love' appears well over 500 times in the bible. I think this means he is trying to show us something about his feelings toward us! so wherever you are, whoever you are; single, engaged, married, divorced- rest in the fact that the love of Jesus transcends all understanding, and you were created for him to love you without limit! happy valentines day everyone :)




(p.s. I know I've already blogged this phil wickham video before, but there's no video for 'fall into you' [download the song!!] so here is divine romance again :) )

sarah + paul

gee, i'm not even sure where to start about this couple; there's not enough great words to describe them! i just love 'em to death. i can't wait until their wedding in portland, OR in may. SO excited. SO EXCITED!




















<3annajoy

psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields [b] with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

daisy + luke

today I got to hang out with a really intriguing couple, who happened to be the winner of a free engagement session with me. they were so sweet and so content in their love, i had to wonder what sustained them so. in talking with them a little more, I realized that their love for the Lord had bound their hearts together in an unbreakable and certain bond. what a beautiful thing that I got to photograph them at this time in their lives. best wishes to them both as they return to England in a few months for wedding # 2 and a life in the missionary field! here are a few favorites that caught my eye...













<3 annajoy