For The Love Workshop

[ Written by Melissa Helser, Wife, Mother, FTL Worship Leader ]

{for the full effect…this should be read while listening to the song “Le Chant” by Andrea Marie Reagan link to Andrea Marie’s Album}

Pictures usually inspire my heart to write…pictures I see waiting to happen outside my window, pictures I make with my handy little iphone or my big Canon Mark II, pictures I create in my mind when beautiful music is playing, pictures I see when looking back thru the history of our life remembering the moments that swept me off my feet and made meremember why I am alive.

This morning I was looking back thru my photos…and there it was, my Cadence Zion, 9 years old, brown as an indian, sitting in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

As parents we “capture” our children with our eyes all the time…most of those times are when they are not looking. It is the way there hands move or the way they smile when no one is around and they amuse themselves, or maybe when they look at you and all at once you feel love like you’ve never felt before. I feel like a constant camera, asking the Holy Spirit always to help me savor this life I have with them. I ask that He would keep me alert and alive, that my eyes could be kissed with eternity. He has put eternity in the hearts of men, so how do we connect with eternity in every day life?

I am on a journey to feel eternity here on this earth – in the real soil of life. Cadence Zion here in this moment; I caught him in the in between. In between what? I can’t remember. It doesn’t matter. Oh that every season would be my favorite. That I would look back on life and feel overwhelmed by the goodness of God to invite me into motherhood. Life is moving, always, may we get into the flow of the beauty of it.

That we would trade in our heaviness for a weightless grace to love deep.

 

Melissa Helser

In the summer of 2009, I met Jonathan and Melissa Helser for the first time when they traveled from their farm in Sophia, NC to Greenville, NC to lead worship for a yearly event called “Worship Fest”.  Shane (my husband) and I housed the worship team that year, and the course of history has been changed ever since.  I remember sitting with them at the kitchen table and telling them all about my dreams, my hopes, and my ambitions.

I had just finished up my last year of being a public school teacher, and had just stepped into the incredible journey of being a full time photographer.  Jonathan and Melissa were very excited for me, as they too were part-time wedding photographers and so after I finished sharing all my plans, Melissa explained a simple vision that she had for me while I was talking.  She said that she saw the Lord handing me a giant Sharpee, and he was going to teach me how to draw boundaries in my life.  I’ve held onto that vision desperately ever since, because I’ve always been in need of boundaries in my life.  I had no idea how to say “no”, and I had no idea how to “rest”.  Especially when it came to photography.  I enjoyed photography so much that it didn’t seem like a job.  Oftentimes I would choose to spend my evenings editing photos rather than spending time with my husband and best friend.  I would miss family functions because I had photo shoots.  My life was completely void of boundaries, and I had no idea how to “rest” in a whirlwind of To-Do lists.

I clenched onto that vision in 2009, but didn’t start seeing the boundary lines appear until this year.  All along the journey, I’ve formulated some decent ideas on how to stay renewed.  I even teach a workshop called “Renew”, and wrote a guest blog post about it, but just today, I stumbled upon a scripture that I need to tattoo on my forehead.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”"   -Isaiah 30:15

I now see that all my striving, whether in photography or in my spiritual life, was a reflection of my lack of trust in God.  All of my busyness was a fear that if I didn’t DO, that my dreams would be dashed.  And even as I write this…I see that all of that is rooted in pride.  That all my striving and busyness is a lack of trust, which ultimately screams “God, I don’t trust that your plans for me are good.  I don’t trust that you have my back.  God, I can do it on my own…I don’t need your help.”  I’ve spent too long putting my faith in myself, and I’m now putting my faith in Him.

Join the conversation?  Have you ever had a similar revelation that you can add?  We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

[ Written by Edith Taylor, FTL Alum ]

I cannot chant this enough ATTEND THIS WORKSHOP!! Why? Because what happens here will bleed into every aspect of your life. This one week will change you forever. God will meet you in the morning, he will whisper in your ear, you will feel his presence as he sits beside you, growing his place in your heart.

Let me share my story with you.

I won’t lie, I signed up thinking “oh cool! A workshop about photography with other Christians! I’ll learn about my settings, low light, posing” blah blah blah. I was 2 years into my official photography business; I work a second full time job, was a wife & had reached my wits end. I was tired, exhausted & done. This was a last hope for me before throwing in the towel. I did learn how to be a better photographer technically…but not by learning which buttons to push. I became a better photographer because God has done a work in me.

I remember the day that my life began to change. This moment is frozen in my heart for all eternity. The Helser’s spoke about looking at the world through the eyes of God, dazzled with every client because they could see His handiwork. Like our clients every time we come to him he is overjoyed, elated & dazzled by our presence.

For the next hour we sat, silent in prayer with one question written on a page for God to answer instead of what the industry & the world has told us. I sat in front of the window, looking out on to the view that I considered paradise. I had never written out a question to God. I had never heard God speak to me. I scribbled “Who do you say I am?” Silence. More silence. Then simply, sweet & soft yet in a way that rocked me to my core…I heard him. Emotions rushed in like a wave, a heat engulfed me, my breath left me. I HEARD GOD SPEAK! I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I actually heard the creator of the universe take time to SPEAK to me. And then it came like a flood. His words & my tears.

Q: Who do you say I am?

A: Love. Light of my love. Light of joy.

An open heart for my creations
You are so beautiful (this is where I totally lost it. God called me beautiful)
You are to the world what this view is to you
It’s just you & me kid
You are my daughter
Rest in me like you rest in this place.

When you hear from God, when you hear his voice, you know what it sounds like. You begin to recognize it. Although it may become distant, you can sense it even when you feel it’s a whisper. I left that workshop not searching for God but walking WITH God. Today I can say I confidently walk holding his hand, our fingers entwined.

About 3 months ago I sat at my computer, thinking about my work, where it was going vs. where it should be going. Ever so quietly I let these words slip from my lips “I’m all in God. Whatever you want to do with my work, I’m game.” Since that day I have heard from God clearly more often then I ever thought possible. Recently at church we prayed for God to reveal to us what we have been commissioned to do. I cannot say that if I had not heard from God so clearly once before & so often over the past few months I would have believed what was spoke. God’s plans for us are always bigger than our plans for ourselves. It was as clear as day, just like the first time. Then the wave, the heat, the exhale came again.

Photographer, Rescuer, You will go into the nations.

This workshop has brought me to a place where I fully know the purpose behind my gifts. I had always dreamed about things such as this, but felt so far from what I envisioned the people God choose to use as. My gifts are for the field of ministries & missions trips with a deep cause. I have begun developing a project for sessions that will aid ministries that help or rescue youth who have been saved from sex trafficking. This is an area I know God will use my images to speak against the lies of the enemy & show them how lovingly God created them with so much beauty.

I know I will end up in worship & prayer photography, capturing moments of individuals in deep spiritual meeting with the Lord. I am not a singer & cannot play an instrument, but worship music courses deep through my veins. While I still don’t yet understand some of what God has told me, I know I will be led into areas that many may not travel. I will go to rescue in a very literal sense, to witness God’s pure sweet love, to photograph the journeys & bring God’s light to place that have forgotten what it looks like. I have seen the end image of where he will take me, now I wait patiently for those who I am to work with, his perfect timing of when & in which direction I am to step.

When I got to For the Love, there was a card from Ginny that she’d written to me. In it, she explained that she was praying Philippians 4:7 over me:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

After working 2 full time jobs for 2 years this hit home like a ton of bricks. I needed peace to save the gifts he has given me. I would not reach that if I leaned only on my understanding. Tonight I’ve reflected on where I’ve come & looked at the section it was taken from:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

His peace is overwhelming & no I don’t fully understand all of which I will be led to do, but I walk in faith. God knew what he was building in me even before this day had come. The walk I tried to find in my own ways for so many unsuccessful years, this workshop was able to do in just a few days. The most important thing is this; I learned to hear from God. I walk with God. I know who I am to God. His truth has built a stronghold in my heart.

That is the most important lesson I have ever learned. In or out of a workshop.

 

About Edith

I am a very short, overly energetic yet kind of awkward small town girl from Oregon. What I lack in height, I make up for in energy & hand gestures.  I carry an overwhelming joy in my heart brought forth by a fierce love for God’s truth, everyday blessings & the love of my husband. What started in 7th grade resulted in a small town girl marrying the boy who used to live next door. We live in a small farmhouse our 4 year old lab named Moose who plays the role of our only child.

 

A couple of weeks ago, I started reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and I came across this sentence…

 ”God is the happiest of all.  Joy is God’s life”.

As a child, I never concerned myself with the affairs of the world –  I never thought about bills being paid, social injustices, and I certainly hadn’t yet tasted the sting of disappointment.  I happily went about my day with a childlike whimsy with not many worries aside from which friend I was going to invite over for a sleepover or which color of chalk would make the best hop-scotch on the sidewalk.  But now, as an adult…I’m familiar with the weight of the world, and I realized that at my core, I haven’t believed that God is actually happy.

Simply, I haven’t believed that God has the biggest laugh of all.  I haven’t believe that Joy is God’s life.  I haven’t believed those things, because my mind can’t fathom how he can be joyful when there’s so much sin and sadness in the world.  But even as I type this, I recalled that scripture in 1 Sam. 16:7 “God doesn’t see as man sees…” and I’m reminded again that God, he is the happiest leader of all.

So, my encouragement for you after reading this is to take a moment, breathe deeply, and think about God being a God of joy, laughter, and hilariousness. And then maybe – just maybe – have a little laugh with Him.

Have you ever had one of those experiences in life that was so unreal that you just knew that you had tasted a little bit of heaven on earth?  Those times when you stop afterwards and ask yourself if that really just happened? Well, that’s exactly what happened right after the last For the Love Workshop that we held in Oregon.

When I first started researching Oregon as a possible location for the second FTL, I stumbled upon an image of Crater Lake.  I sat there, captivatedby crystal blue waters surrounded by snow covered mountains.  I knew then and there that I had to go there.  Unfortunately, it was so far off the beaten path that it was difficult to get to, but when we decided to have the third FTL in Oregon, I knew that I had to make a point of visiting Crater Lake, but I didn’t want to go alone.  So, I invited The Youngrens, Karen & Isaac Stott and their kiddos, and Keary Cheney to come along for the ride.   The lake was nearly 4 hours from where we were having the workshop, and so that meant that we had a small window of opportunity to see the lake.  So, we drove down on Friday night and only had Saturday afternoon to see it.

When we arrived at the lake, my heart sank.  I’ve never in my life seen such thick fog.  We could barely see 3 ft in front of us. Ugh.

I was heartbroken. I’d been thinking about this moment for nearly two years, and the disappointment was overwhelming. How could this be? At that moment, I remembered this scripture: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

So, I figured that if I truly believed God’s word like I said I did, then God, the creator of the universe, could certainly move this fog away.  So, we all gathered together with childlike faith, and asked God to clear the fog.  Then we hopped into our cars and drove a little further around the lake to the next overlook.  When we got out of the car we could see in the distance the ripples of water from the lake and we were overcome with joy – God was clearing the fog.  We stayed there for a little while, ran up the cliffs around the lake, took lots of photos and then we got in the car again.

In excitement that God was moving the Fog, we prayed the same prayer again, and stopped at the next overlook.  Even more of the fog was gone.  We could see some of the mountains surrounding the lake.  Again, we were overwhelmed with joy – it was the kind of carefree whimsy that I haven’t had in years.  We were literally screaming and laughing about what God was doing! But, even still, we weren’t satisfied, we wanted to see the whole lake.

We got back in the car one more time, and prayed for the last time, “Father, we know that you love us no matter what.  We know that you don’t HAVE to answer our prayers for us to know that you are truly Good, but Lord, will you please clear the fog so that we can see Crater Lake.  We believe that your word is true, and that you can do ANYTHING.  Will you clear the fog just for us?”

We got out of the car and were in awe.  Not only was the fog nearly completely cleared out, but there was a rainbow right where we stopped. Yes, seriously. A rainbow.

Even as I’m typing this, I feel chills.  At each stop, our faith was growing as we actually watched our prayers being answered.  I can still feel the smile of God when I think about that day and how we were all a bunch of grown-ups laughing, running, praying, screaming, and believing that God would do the impossible – and he did.

Have you ever experienced God answering your prayers right before your very eyes?  If so, we’d love to hear your story.  Tell us about it in the comment section below.