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appy New Year. I hope you're excited for what God has in store for us all this year. I'm very excited. My resolution with God in 2015 is to learn better patience with Him. I get a little frustrated with His timing and I sometimes, or quite frequently want my will to be His will for my life. But His will is greater than mine and I'm asking Him to teach me patience as I walk with Him in 2015. I hope you enjoy the content Angelic releases in 2015 and jump on this great ride He has us on. You may already know that we're spreading from our base in the southwest to the east coast in March, and in April our next Jesus Music Fashion Event is taking place in Atlanta, GA. I'm inspired and have other big projects for Angelic this year that excite my soul. You will be reading about and seeing these projects come to life in 2015. I turned 29 last month and this is my last year before I hit the big three zero. Before the year ends, more than my willl, my ideas, projects and timing, I hope and pray to have mastered the understanding for what He wants for my life and I pray to have learned to fully trust His timing. In Jesus' glorious name, 2015 is going to be amazing for all of us. This issue is celebrating life and the awesome babies you see in this issue is a celebration of God's beatiful children.
“WE ARE J ESUS FOLLOWERS, H IS GOSPEL IS OUR PROFESSION , AND MUSIC IS OUR METHOD .�
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by angelic editor
" very common misconception is that Jesus wouldn't understand your problems, circumstance, sin, questions, doubts, or fears. The truth is you don't need to change anything about yourself to run to Jesus, or clean yourself up... all that is needed is to call out to Him alone in faith." - - The Advance EP ALBUM REVIEW: "We Are The Advance"
I listened to their album not knowing what to expect. I had heard the lead singer Dan sing a few years back when he led worship at The Anthem Church in Tempe, AZ and knew he was passionate about his craft so I pressed play on The Advance's first track off their EP
called "Give Us Faith." Their music had a melodic sort of feel to it with lyrics talking about gospel truth. I liked it. I listened some more. My favorite off their EP is a track called "Hymn." A piano driven song with Dan's vocals harmonizing overing the keys. The Advance has their own blend of Jesus music that doesn't sound like anything on the radio. They're fresh and unique with faith driven vocals. I rate their EP as a definite listen to if you're looking for new rock inspired melodic praise music.
S TREAM THEIR EP ONLINE AT wearetheadvance.com
BAND MEMBERS: D ANIEL S CHWARTZ // J P S CHWARTZ // N ATE E RICKSON WEARETHEADVANCE . COM
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B Y KAYLIE B RITTAIN - VERSE 14 MINISTRY ight now in my life the Lord is seriously teaching me patience. It’s a grueling process and more often times than not I find myself feeling like a farmer sitting outside on a stool waiting for the crops to grow. Hours pass and I’ve accomplished nothing. My heart yearns for clarity. It’s in that moment when I feel the Holy Spirit whisper, “Beloved, why do you ask me for a life map when I give you my hand? Why do you ask for clarity when I have already given you a call?” Suddenly, I am overwhelmed with memories. I remember all the times He has carried me, stooped down and picked up my sunken soul and just held me tenderly in His loving arms. He is my Father, my loving Father. What choice do I have other than to trust him? The process is long, but the thought occurs to me. It’s not MY process. My mind begins to paint this picture: It’s a beautiful cloudless day and God takes my hand and leads on a walk along a gorgeous grassy countryside. Everything is stunning. Picturesque green rolling hills, with purple pops of color from the wild flowers which dot the horizon. It’s peaceful. After walking for a minute we arrived at a flank of stone which has been overgrown with vines. My heart grows solemn. It is a tombstone. “Read it” He whispers. I recognize the name. It’s me. My name on a tombstone. Immediately I understand. I surrendered my life to be able to walk with God, forever. He is holding my hand, right now. This very minute. Patience is found in peace. My mind keeps painting. I squeeze His hand tighter, and he takes me to a room. It’s filled with people. Each person’s ankle is chained to a weighted ball. Everyone is walking around aimlessly and expressionless holding their ball. I look closer and each ball is etched with a singular word on it. One says, “Lust” another “Money” one of the heaviest spells out the word, “POWER”. My heart feels their weight. I hear a tender voice, whisper in my ear, “Go”. This is the call of the Christian, the unseen reality of life. It’s not my process it’s His. It’s not my plan, it’s His purpose. I want to start every day at the that tombstone. I give him my life and he gives me Himself. That is enough. Mark 10:39 “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
GIVING YOUR DREAMS TO GOD "I ALWAYS DREAMT THAT I WOULD GET MARRIED, HAVE BABIES, HAVE FINANCIAL STABILITY, GOOD HEALTH AND TRAVEL THE WORLD"
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By Brittney Wilson Verse 14 Ministry
rowing up, I made a list of all the things I want to achieve and expect myself to experience during my time here on earth. I always dreamt that I would get married, have babies, have financial stability, good health and travel the world, etc. For 21 years I have expected and almost demanded all of those rights to myself. I mean, who doesn’t want to get married, make money, and live a long life? I have the right to all of those things, don’t I? Aren’t those things just “expected” to come to reality? Unfortunately no, I do not carry those rights. Paul writes in Philippians 2 that we are to imitate Christ’s humility. “Who, being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:6-11 – I am not my own, I have been bought with a price. Glory only came through the cross, and there are no shortcuts to glory. Because I am bought out, He owns me and has all rights to my life.
I find myself holding onto my “rights” of: Relationships, good health, the right to recognition and respect, the right to a husband, the right to justice, the right to make a lot of money, the right to convenience and comfort. The right to live a long life, and the right to be understood/approved of. Is it worth it to give this to God? If we choose to follow Christ is it worth it? What am I doing with my life- living for God or myself? Am I willing to lay aside my rights, to let go, and give my life fully to Him? Christians who yield their lives make a difference. There is a vast difference between rights and privileges. All of the things I expected in my life aren’t rights, but rather privileges. God doesn’t have to give us with financial stability, a spouse, convenience and comfort; He blesses us with those things. I struggled immensely with the death of my Father, feeling as I had the right to have my dad present in my life in this moment. I felt cheated and it felt unfair that others beside me had their father around and I didn’t. The reality is, God didn’t have to bless me with the incredible Father He gave me. But He did. He didn’t have to bless me with my Dad’s presence for 17 years of my life, but He did, and I am so thankful. It was not my right but a privilege. It’s a continual choice to yield, but I yield my rights because HE IS WORTHY.
"MY FAVORITE DAY IS SUNDAY BECAUSE I GET TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL AND LEARN ABOUT JESUS FROM MRS. KELLY WITH THE CURLY HAIR. MY FAVORITE BIBLE STORY IS JONAH AND THE WHALE BECAUSE THE WHALE THROWS UP JONAH , THAT' S DISGUSTING! I AM LEARNING ABOUT JESUS SAVING ME FROM MY SIN. I LOVE MY DAD BECAUSE HE IS THE BIGGEST! WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO MARRY MY DAD, HE IS THE BEST! JESUS LIVES IN MY HEART, I WISH HE WOULD COME OUT SO I COULD SEE HIM." - MATILDA
WE ARE ALL ABOUT COVERING YOU IN THE LOVE OF JESUS, COVERING YOU WITH ENCOURAGEMENT AND COVERING YOU WITH FASHION FORWARD, MODEST CLOTHING.YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.YOU ARE LOVED. YOU ARE YOU. BE CONFIDENT IN WHO JESUS MADE YOU TO BE.
WHY JESUS? He is my creator, protector and He is the writer of my future; a future that is bigger and more wonderful than my wildest dreams. Most importantly He loves me unconditionally, always and forever. He will never leave me. He is perfect love and I cannot thank the Lord enough for calling me to Him. WHY MUSIC? Before I gave my life to Christ, music was my life. It has always been my escape. Singing, playing and writing used to help temporarily fill some of the emptiness I had before the Lord came and made me whole. I am so grateful that the Lord blessed me with a passion for music and I continue to pray that I can use my love for music to glorify Him. WHAT ONE QUESTION WOULD YOU ASK JESUS? Please can you explain to me how people who have disabilities, that impair them from speaking, hearing and learning about you, get to go to heaven?
THREE RANDOM FACTS ABOUT YOU? 1. I once went to the cinema on Christmas day on my own. 2. My head is slightly squashed (from birth) and one of my eyebrows is about 1cm more forward than the other one. 3. When I was younger I really wanted to be an astronaut. WHAT' S THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IN YOU SINCE COMING TO KNOW JESUS? Before I became a follower of Christ there was so much I missed out on because I was too busy focusing on myself and my world. The moment Jesus revealed to me that it wasn’t all about me, He lifted a whole lot of weight from my shoulders. There are so many beautiful moments in every single day and I love that I get to witness them. They are little gifts from Jesus, gentle reminders of his love.
WE HURT PEOPLE WHEN WE IGNORE THEM.
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"BEING IGNORED ACTUALLY ACTIVATES THE SAME PART OF THE BRAIN THAT IS ACTIVATED WHEN WE EXPERIENCE PHYSICAL PAIN" BY ANGELIC MAGAZINE
once heard Jay Leno say he knew who his real friends were, if they would be willing to take time out of their schedule to pick him up at the airport. That may seem insignificant, picking someone up at the airport, but how many people can you call or text, or Facebook to come pick you up? How many people do you have in your life that would be willing to take time out of their day just for you? Think about it and pull up a number in your mind. My guess is that your number is just a few. In our society its become second nature to be isolated from others and for genuine communication to exist. Text messages go ignored, posts on social media, private messages and emails all get a glance but without our response to follow. Missed calls go unreturned and it’s commonplace not to take time out for people. We would rather ignore people than to deal with them. There’s a crazy statistic in communication studies texts that anywhere from 70 to 90% of our communication is non-verbal. Every form of communication communicates something, even ignoring people. "Being ignored actually activates the same part of the brain that is activated when we experience physical pain," said Purdue Professor of Psychological Sciences, Kipling Williams. ”We know that when people are ignored, it can affect their perceptions, physiological conditions, attitude and behavior – all of which sometimes can lead to aggression.” So, when we’re ignored and people don’t take time out for us, our minds experience the same trauma as if we were being slugged in the face.
This pattern becomes a cycle. The pain of our experiences in other relationships eventually prompt us to behave that way in our communication with others. We begin to use this mirrored image of behavior in our interactions sub-consciously. Soon enough we don’t have the time to pick others up at the airport and we’ll get back to their text or email later because we’ve been wounded through the years of people ignoring and not having the time for us. We don’t have the desire to go out of our way for people. This type of socialization is flawed but it’s our reality. A personal relationship with someone has the ability to change their life. To be a light for Jesus means to shine before others and when we act like the rest of the world, we’re neglecting our relationships with people and the opportunity to share God’s love with them. We often don’t want to give our time and energy to others because we don’t feel we’ll get the same amount of time or energy back from them, but let’s do it anyway. We’re so afraid of being hurt by people because if we reach out to them and let them know we care about them, what if they don’t reciprocate that? Let’s care about them anyway. When we care and love people, it’s not just about us or them, but reflecting the God in us towards them. If God is the center of our lives, we need to take time for people. When we communicate with people we take away the pain of being ignored. If you read this, I hope it will prompt you to invest more in personal relationships with others. They’ll know were His disciples by our love for one another.
A NEW BEGINNING A NEW YEAR IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW BEGINNING. WHAT NEW BEGINNING AWAITS YOU THIS YEAR?
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By AnnaMarie Dorris very year there is a plethora of resolutions, goals and dreams. Sometimes it may feel as if you’re swimming in them. This year I am challenging all of us to pick a core group of things we want to focus on in 2015. Here is a mental picture- you may have a lot of friends that are mere acquaintances but you only have a core group that you trust completely and walk through life with. That number is unique to everyone. Don’t compare your goals to your friends or anyone else’s. What is truly important is that you choose things that are significant to you. Allow these decisions to come from your heart. There will be times where you are going to feel as if there has been no progress made; look back to when you started and know even the tiniest thing is progress. Start writing your journey from the beginning even if it is just a few key things like victories! Then when you are having that discouraging day you are able to look back and see how far you truly have come! A challenge is to add one thing to your core decisions. Do something that has nothing to do with yourself. Volunteer and give back, this is something that may be uncomfortable but not stressful, start small and build up from there. Go to your local church or Google something that you would like to be a partner with in serving. Anything you can do is a blessing! If you are already a part of something try something new.
Go with the knowledge that whatever your dreams are, it is okay if things aren’t perfect. In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, “But he said to me, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefor I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest upon me.” The fun fact about weakness and imperfection is that one can replace the other because they are synonyms of each other. Your body is what keeps you going; don’t forget to give it grace just as Jesus gives us grace anew each day. Our bodies go through everything we do. That stress you are feeling will show up on that beautiful face of yours as will happiness and joy. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we are reminded, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefor honor God with your bodies.” Our body is the Holy Spirits temple so let’s be gentle. No matter which dreams-resolutions-hopesgoals you have, I pray that you are able to hear God’s truth spoken over you. That this year reading the Bible does not become a “chore”, but the place you run when you need to be reminded of whose you are and the TRUTH Christ has spoken over you. Also, that your Bible is your refuge and we all get to know grace and love more.
This is my 11 month old niece Adrina Jade Casados. I'm the creator of Angelic Magazine and since this issue is featuring babies and new life, I obviously had to include my little niece Adrina. Adrina loves me like no one in my life has ever loved me before. When I walk into a room and she sees me, she crawls to me. When I pick her up she doesn't want to go with anyone else, not even her mom, my sister Amy. She clings to me and just wants me to hug her. In the 11 months that I've known Adrina, she's taught me what unconditional love is. It doesn't matter to her if I had a bad day, if I failed or succeeded that day or what is going on in my life, all she knows is that she loves me. It reminds me and gives me a clear picture for how God loves me. No matter what I go through or experience, God always comes to me and wants me. I love my niece Adrina and if you met her, you would love her too.
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"I HOPE AND PRAY THAT JEFF AND I ARE ABLE TO SHOW OUR KIDS THE KIND OF LOVE AND GRACE I WAS SHOWN IN THAT CRUCIAL MOMENT OF MY LIFE." By Chelsea Markins
first found out I was pregnant with our second child in June of 2011, just four shorts months after my dad had passed away. When I was given a February due date which was within about a week of when my dad died, I was emotional and excited all at once. What a beautiful way for God to redeem such a hard time for our family. My husband, Jeff and I, have one son, Noah, who was so fortunate to get to have seven months with my dad. My dad was a family man to his core and loved being a “papa”. Having had a wife and two daughters of his own, he always had a special place in his heart for girls. While driving with him on a road trip just a few months after Noah was born he began asking typical grandparent questions like when we planned to have more kids and just exactly how many more we had in mind. We talked for a while and I threw out some rather vague ideas to appease him. He was content, but I remember him saying, “Just promise me someday you’ll give me a girl”. As soon as I found out I was pregnant and figured the timing that our soon-to-be baby would be here, I knew I was going to have a girl. Sure enough, we find out four and a half months into my pregnancy that a beautiful baby girl was growing in my womb. My dad was always such a loving, kind, and gracious person. After he passed, so many people expressed what a life of grace he had lived; always believing in, living in, and showing grace to the world around him.
I began to think of times that he showed me grace and was overwhelmed by the single most gracious experience I have had in my life. I was raised being taught the ways of the Lord and always had a deep love for Him in my heart. In my teen years, however, I slowly began to stray away and got caught up in myself and in the world. I got my first serious boyfriend at the end of my sophomore year in high school and ended up giving my heart, and much more to him. I struggled with that for a while and carried a lot of guilt and shame with me through the years. I hated lying to my parents, but knowing where they stood on the matter, I kept it a secret. Aside from feeling like they were strict and would likely be upset with me, I was afraid of how they would look at me; how it would affect our relationship. Time went by, my boyfriend and I broke up, and over the years I began to get my life back on track. I started leading Young Life and met a fellow leader who was Jeff. After some time getting to know each other as friends, we began dating and were engaged after 7 months. We did a premarital class through the ministry my parents were involved in and one of the lessons was related to honesty, truth, and cleaning up old “baggage”. The leaders of the class believed it was important to be honest and share things not only with our partner, but also with our parents as they were
still our covering. I immediately felt convicted to share my past with my mom and dad. After a few days and with many nerves, I came to my mom crying and shared everything with her. We talked for a while and I could sense some sadness from her, but she gave me her forgiveness. I didn’t have it in me to tell my dad, so I left it up to her. I stayed away for a day or two and was terrified of what it would be like when I saw my dad. Sure enough, coming over for dinner one night my dad was out and about in the front yard. I wanted to turn around and drive the other way, but knew I had to face him sometime. I got out of my car carrying so much shame and he looked at me with his joyful, genuine smile that could light up any room, he walked towards me, put his arms around me and said, “I’m so proud of you and I love you”. I felt instant relief and weight lifted off of me. I wasn’t expecting him to fly off the handle, but I couldn’t believe what love and grace had just been shown to me. I was so overwhelmed. I was still his little girl, I was forgiven, and he loved me the same. When it was confirmed that my husband and I were to have a little girl in February we knew we wanted to name her after my dad in some way. Terry Lee May isn’t the most feminine of names, but we came up with something to hopefully honor him and the legacy of grace he left. I hope and pray that Jeff and I are able to show our kids the kind of love and grace I was shown in that crucial moment of my life. I pray our daughter grows up knowing the grace we have all be given by God; able to give and able to receive. Our daughter, Gracie Lee Markins was born on February 17, 2012 at 3:43AM. She weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and is absolutely perfect!
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By Angelic Editor e used to tell me that I was square. There was a friendly teasing in his tone when he’d say it but I knew he never understood why I was the way I was. My friend from college didn’t believe in God, in fact, he hated God. He was born in Russia and moved to a suburb in New York City with his family during elementary school. The neighborhood he lived in was surrounded by a Jewish community and the kids there asked him one day if he believed in God? When he told the kids he didn’t know what God was, they laughed at him. I remember him becoming withdrawn within himself as he told me that story. The boy that was made fun of for not knowing who or what God was never forgot the way they made him feel. They humiliated him. And it was then, at that moment as a boy that he decided to hate God. I haven’t seen this friend since I graduated college nearly five years ago. The last I had heard about him was that he dropped out of college and joined the Air Force. He got a girl pregnant that he hardly knew and he married her, prompting his path away from finishing his degree. The tale of my friend doesn’t end with him finding Jesus and declaring Him as His Lord and Savior the way I would’ve hoped because to be honest, I have no idea if he ever found Jesus. I sometimes think and wonder if I should’ve shared more about myself to him,
for why he thought I was square. You see, my friend wasn’t a college friend of mine because we had similar interests and backgrounds. He was my fraternity brother and we pledged our fraternity the same fall semester. I never chose to be friends with him, he just one day became a part of my path. He knew I didn’t drink and I didn't sleep around. In his eyes, that made me square. I realize now that God places people in our lives in many different ways: work, school, neighbors, shopping at the grocery store, athletics, etc. No matter the path that they’ve come into our life we have the opportunity and responsibility to declare the goodness of God to them, even if their time in our life is only for a brief moment. I fully realized this a few weeks ago when I was sitting in the airport in Atlanta, GA waiting to board my flight to head back to Phoenix. My flight was the last flight of the night and everyone in the airport had a Christmas destination they anxiously wanted to get to. It was December 16th and throughout the airport Christmas songs sang in the backdrop reminding us why this was the best time of the year. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas played on the speaker system as I sat at my gate waiting to board my plane. A few minutes after I sat down a girl sat in the chair next to me. She was dressed for comfort, sweat pants, an oversized sweater and her hair was up in a bun.
I still have an awkwardness of sitting next to a stranger no matter where it may be, a movie theater, on the train, at church and I guess even in the airport so to kill that awkwardness, I decided to strike up a conversation so we wouldn’t be strangers anymore. I asked her if she was ready for Christmas. And that one simple question got her going. She had an excitement in her voice when she spoke and she began to tell me she couldn’t wait to fly home for the holidays because she missed her mom. She was in medical school at a university in Puerto Rico and had spent the last 3 hours on layover sitting at the Atlanta Airport. In the midst of her disclosing a glimpse of her life with me, I forgot to ask her name. She asked me why I was in Atlanta and a part of me wanted to hesitate. I paused, gathered my delivery, and told her. I’m the creator and editor of a magazine that blends Jesus, Music and Fashion, and in the spring the magazine is spreading to the east coast and the south. I was in Atlanta getting prepared for what was about to take place. I knew what I had just said was going to get questions from her. She immediately asked how the magazine showed Jesus through fashion? This stranger, a girl whose name I do not know, someone with a different calling and interests than my own sat beside me at an airport in Atlanta, GA and we talked about Jesus in those moments. In some way I almost feel like God designed our paths to intersect in that moment and I was meant to say his name to her. I told her the purpose of the magazine is to inspire people to know Jesus by blending the creativity of music and fashion. She told me she wasn’t very religious but had a lot of Christian friends and couldn’t wait to look up the magazine online and ask her friends when she got home if they had ever
heard ofAngelic Magazine. I boarded my flight and took my seat in the very first row of the plane. She waved to me as she walked past me searching for her seat and that was the last we saw of each other. In the middle of the flight we experienced some rough turbulence, strong enough to make me pose the question to myself, if I should die, have I fulfilled my calling to God? Did I take advantage of the opportunities in my life to tell people about Him? I felt good in knowing that the last significant conversation I had with someone was about Jesus and in a peculiar way, flying forty thousand feet above sea level in the midst of the Christmas season, a friend who I hadn’t seen or heard from in five years came into my mind. I thought about my fraternity brother and realized I missed so many opportunities to tell him his hate for God didn’t mean God hated him. As Christians we sometimes hesitate and miss opportunities to let people know God is love. Strangers who sit next to us, friends who we know, we feel just because we live a certain way means that people will understand why we live that way but our thoughts don't communicate our actions. In 2015 it is my goal and purpose to not miss any more opportunities to communicate why I live for Jesus and I’m not going to hesitate in looking for opportunities to have conversations with people about the goodness and greatness of who He is. These conversations and moments may seem insignificant to us but they may be the moments that save a person’s life. If you read this article, I hope you don’t hesitate or let anymore opportunities pass you by as you seek to fulfill the calling God has placed on your life.
p h o t o g r a p h e r - allie hine m o d e l - clare tucker c l o t h i n g - henry & june m a k e u p - becca whittinghill s t y l i s t - allie shirley l o c a t i o n - atlanta, ga
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"THAT GIRL I USED TO BE CRIED OUT AND MY DEADENED SOUL ACTUALLY LONGED FOR JESUS THE MOST, BUT I FELT TOO WORTHLESS, DIRTY AND DAMAGED TO RETURN TO HIS ARMS"
was raised in a southern baptist church/community from the time I was born until I graduated high school. This is where my story begins. I was active in the youth group, had social life within the church and even got baptized when I was eight years old, because my best friend did it... and I never really knew what any of it meant. I don't think I ever felt a connection with God, but I understood that being a "Christian" and going to church is just what we did. When college came, so did the ultimate temptations, and I indulged; because it felt good and because I believe I was still entrenched in heavy grieving from the loss of my father when I was a small child. I didn't understand anything of the world or my family at all, and I didn't live at home anymore so no one could make me go to church. I decided to abolish any sense of responsibility or faith and walk away from God. I was mad at Him anyway for stealing my dad and leaving my family in shambles. It sounded more logical to just do what I wanted and control my own life because I was seventeen and knew everything. To condense my life away from Jesus, I'll say this: the confusion, pain, suffering, bad decisions, losses and self-loathing stacked on top of each other crushing any life out of me that was left and I didn't care. It was here that I believe that girl I used to be cried out and my deadened soul actually longed for Jesus the most, but I felt too worthless, dirty and damaged to return to His arms now, believing everything Satan told me. How could God want anything to do with me when no one else did? God knew before I was alive that it would come to this. He never let me break, He promises that,
but He let me bend enough that I was too weak to fight Him off when He came and picked me up and took me Home. It was then we had our moment, face to face with Jesus, I knew He would never let me suffer again, because I could never live without Him again. He says come as you are and He means that because only He can undo the damage the world has done to us. Jesus loves the broken and suffering, those are His special ones and He will not stop searching for us until we come home and rest. He washed me clean. Now, my life is a testament to the least of these, how great is that? I'm His messenger! He chose me.He turned the shame that I inflicted on myself into beauty and inspiration for someone still lost. Maybe they'll be the next one to call on Him and be rescued. Letting God control everything is a relief, not a sacrifice. He does this for us, not Him. The greatest thing I've done on Earth is give my life to Christ. I have given Him all of me, and He has rewarded me with the purest form of grace and salvation. He's always been with me, carrying me, avenging my battles, scooping me out of fatal pits and singing my poor tortured heart to sleep every night of my life whether I asked Him to or not, whether I thanked Him or not, and whether I deserved it or not. You CANNOT run from His grace and mercy no matter how unworthy you envision yourself to be. I came broken, on my knees, dirty, heavy, hurting, bruised and beaten by my OWN device. He was there waiting like He'd promised and He took me like that, no questions... and buried everything I used to be. He is my everything. Fully man, fully God. I Owe All to You Jesus.
best thing about living in atlanta?
I love that Atlanta is this beautiful, booming city but it still feels southern. It still has that southern charm and hospitality to it. There is constantly something going on; whether that's a festival, concert or pop-up shop, you'll find something to do. The people of Atlanta love their city and stick to their roots. It's inspiring.
what do you hope to achieve with photography?
To inspire others and to capture raw emotions. I hope that I can be a light to the fashion industry and to everyone whom I end up getting to work with/for.
why jesus?
Jesus is the only constant in this life. He pours overflowing grace and mercy on me and His love for us is so evident. He is constantly pursuing me, even when I am at my worst, and yet He still loves me. Where ever else could you find that kind of love on this earth? His greatness leaves me in awe every time. Jesus is so good and so faithful, always.
where do you get your creative inspirations from?
Hearing other creatives talk about their own passions and dreams always leaves me so inspired. Music inspires me. Lyrics and melodies can hold so much weight to them. Creation. I grew up on the beach, so the ocean is one of my favorite muses. I especially can't resist a good sunset over the water. I'm in awe of God's craftsmanship and how He cares about every detail, of both creation in nature and in His children. @alliehine www.ALLIEHINE.com