Portraits Of Praise: 2012

Monday, November 12, 2012

Courtney

I am sooo excited about having another PoP session!!! I knew that once it got started that doors would open. This is such an awesome experience-- please tell your photographer friends about it and to contact a PoP representative at portraitsofpraise@rocketmail.com to see how to sign up!

Meet Courtney. She is a beautiful Senior from one of our local high schools. I happened to meet her mom at a softball tournament. We connected through FB and I started seeing all of her posts about Courtney on there. So at the next tournament I told her about PoP and how I would love for Courtney to be a part of this ministry. So through tears and a few texts we finally set it up.

I really am not sure of the details of Courtney's struggle. I know she was diagnosed at an early age with diabetes...but there is so much more to it now. She has really fought hard to be healthy the last 3 or 4 years. Since I have met them in May, Courtney has been in ICU several times and even tranferred by ambulance all the way across our state to try to get better. She has many geneticists studying her history trying to get a diagnosis- or possibly create one based on Courtney.

But despite all of the obstacles, she is a straight A student and a true joy to be around!! I enjoyed every single minute with her... and as evidenced by her portraits- I believe she had a good time too!!

It is truly an honor to be part of this ministry. These guys and girls inspire me and strengthen my faith. Their parents would move Heaven and Earth (and have) for them and covet any and all prayers they can get for their child.

So PLEASE remember Courtney in your prayers. She needs to stay healthy and prepare to go on to college. She needs encouragement and guidance as she makes some big decisions for her future. Pray for her family as well. Having a sick child truly takes it's toll on everyone. It is heart breaking. So please... thank God for this family and lift them up daily.

Also remember James Christopher. He is New York right now and will have a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow. Our prayer is that he is doing far better than they even anticipate. Please lift up his family as well- and pray for safety on this trip.

THANK YOU for keeping up with PoP! I can see from the stats that over 100 people have checked in just TODAY!!!! That is such a testament of what God can do!!

"Heal me O Lord and I will be healed, save me and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise!"
Jeremiah 17:14

**For more information- please click on the tabs above. =)

Friday, October 26, 2012

PoP- The Allums

Oh my goodness-- there are NO words to adequately express how I feel at this moment!! This day has been a looooong time coming!
God led me to be a part of His ministry 3 years ago. I knew then who my first family would be-- but it has taken us this long to get everything worked out!! -- Even if it was FREEZING today-- and even if it rained on us as we prayed together-- but was worth every degree my body temperature dropped!! Lets PRAY that no one gets sick from this!!

Meet the Allums. This is one of the MOST precious families I have ever had the honor of photographing. We have been praying for them for over 10 years. We started out as strangers then... but God definitely gives you a love for those you pray for.

Through events at church, and accidental run-ins in Wal Mart, posts on James Christopher's Caring Bridge site, and bone marrow drives, we have become friends. My children feel as though they know James Christopher through all of the prayers they have prayed for them. Not a week - or often a day - goes by that we don't pray for this precious family.

The amazing thing for me is that when we take part in something to help enourage the Allums-- we ALWAYS leave feeling more encouraged and inspired by THEM than we could have ever done for them! They are so full of God's joy that it is literally contagious!!

James Christopher (he is the oldest child) was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia (FA) when he was very young. This can cause so many different problems, but especially with the immune system. Little sicknesses that we don't even give much thought to - such as a sinus infection - can actually be life-threatening to a child with FA. Immediately upon diagnosis the Allums and their entire community went into "prayer mode" and have been there ever since. Through prayer James Christopher has grown and flourished, far exceeding his doctors' expectations. He has been involved in many different ministries and has been a huge component in bone marrow drives across our nation- and even met with President George W. Bush to pass laws to make bone marrow donation easier and cheaper than ever. Many, many lives have been saved thanks to James Christopher's willingness to speak out and share his story with others.

Please, please visit James Christopher's Caring Bridge site http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jameschristopherallums to read more about his life and his family. You can sign up to receive updates to let others know his praises and needed prayers. He also has a guestbook that you can write words of encouragment in-- please take a minute to do this.

I could go on and on and on about the unselfishness and generosity of this family-- but it won't take you long to learn that through his blog. But I ask you to PLEASE join me in praying for this family. Pray for God to continue to bless them and draw them close to Him. Pray that He will touch James Christopher and heal him. For I KNOW this family would shout it from the mountain tops and give all of the praise and glory to God-- they already DO! Pray for the ministries this family is involved in. They have litereally touched thousands of lives. They know that prayer is exactly what has brought them this far...

It is truly one of my greatest honors to be a small part of Portraits of Praise. I am so touched that God would use me to hopefully bring a little ray of sunchine in the lives of others. To help others praise Him during the storms of life. I thank God for this family and for being the inspiration to this ministry.

PLEASE tell other photographers and families about this ministry. The links at the top tell who qualifies as a recipient, what they will receive and what other photographers need to do to serve.

Heal me O' Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved; for You are the One I praise.
Jeremiah 17:14

Thursday, May 10, 2012

T-shirt Sponsors!

I am sooo excited to report that we have had MANY step up to the plate to be sponsors for our t-shirts!! I will be posting them all on here as soon as I have a final list. I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU for all of those who are involved and who have supported this ministry!!
I am pinching myself --- God has truly blessed us!!

The picture posted is our LOGO-- that is what the t-shirts will look like on the front. The back will have the sponsors names or verses. They will be a sky blue =)

Each child that we minister to will receive a t-shirt, and each photographer that signs up will receive one!

Thank you sooo much!!!!