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