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OUR STORY MAGAZINE IS A MONTHLY PRINT AND DIGITAL PUBLICATION THAT BLENDS MUSIC, FASHION AND THE REAL STORIES OF PEOPLE SEEKING TO LIVE FOR JESUS. WE BEGAN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 FEATURING CONTENT SOLEY FROM THE SOUTHWEST OF THE UNITED STATES AND SINCE OUR BEGINNING, WE'VE SPREAD TO NOW FEATURE EDITORIAL CONTENT FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ATLANTIC, AND BEYOND. WE HAVE READERS ABROAD COMING FROM PARTS OF EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA, ASIA AND AUSTRALIA. ANGELIC HAS A MAGAZINE NAME BUT WE ARE A MINISTRY FOCUSED ON FEARLESSLY PROCLAIMING JESUS. WE SPOTLIGHT MUSICIANS AND BANDS WHO HEARTS STRIVE TO BEAT WITH HIS. WE FEATURE FASHION PHOTO-SHOOTS WITH PHOTOGRAPHER'S, STYLISTS AND MODELS WHO DESIRE TO PROFRESS THEIR FAITH IN HIM. OUR ARTICLES ARE GUIDED BY THE BIBLE. WE HIGHLIGHT ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES WHO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. THE TESTIMONIES WRITTEN ARE FILLED WITH WORDS OF REDEMPTION AND GRACE. WE DESIRE TO STEP INTO THE WORLD AND BRING THE WORLD BACK TO JESUS. WE ARE NOT A RELIGIOUS MAGAZINE. WE STAND FOR JESUS.
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2 CORINTHIANS 3:12 "SINCE WE HAVE SUCH A HOPE, WE ARE VERY BOLD"
EDITOR L L
THREE YEAR ANN
ate nights working on deadline. Cramming. Waiting till Overloading myself. Overwhelming myself. Straining my Hours. Days. Minutes. To do anything great in life, dedication is necessary. An going. The want to stand for Jesus has persevered. Dedicatio Yes, there were times I thought about quitting. Are all of th
To put out a magazine so people can flip through it online Or to build a ministry where the goal is to reach people in To not quit when the voice of doubt tells you to. To k computer for so long and your head hurts because you've str The minutes you count down until you are finished putting it? Will people like it? Was this your best work or was it rush And you process and ponder, and you realize, what else w This is my craft. Rushed? Maybe. Did I give it my all? Yes. My complaints and inner laziness of do I want to work a Magazine stand and last another three years? And the answer is yes. Yes, because this is who I am. Jesus, music and fashion is For three years we have stood, and we will continue to stan To the late nights and cramming, the issues of the last 36 m This not about ourselves or our brand. This is for Jesus. And for Him, may He continue to lead us by faith.
-- Jesse Anaya
LETTER
NIVERSARY ISSUE
l the last minute. eyes.
nd for three years the desire to not fail. The desire to keep on has won out. he late nights worth it? So much work and what's the point?
and then, what? Is that it? Jesus' name. keep going on those late nights where you've stared at the rained your eyes for hours. g it together and then the voice of reason asks, was it worth hed? would I want to do with my life? This magazine is my art.
at this? Do I want to keep this ministry going? Will Angelic
me. This is a part of the calling God has given me. nd for Jesus. months, we will persevere on.
The cross PHOTOGRAPHY BY BREE COTA MODEL
:
DANIELLE HEYER
HAIR AND MAKEUP CROWN
:
:
VICTORIA MCROY
THE WILDFLOWER AZ
CROSS OF CHRIST "WATCHING DANIELLE MODEL THESE TRANSFORMATIONAL PHOTOS REPRESENTING THE NEWNESS WE RECEIVE FROM THE CROSS OF CHRIST WAS NOTHING SHORT OF BEAUTIFUL . CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION HAS THE POWER TO MAKE US NEW PEOPLE. "
W
PHOTOGRAPHED AND WRITTEN B Y B REE COTA
hen I initially heard the theme for these photos, "The Cross of Christ," I thought, how am I ever going to think of how to photograph this?! It turns out, I had a little inspiration from The Holy Spirit. I began to develop this idea in mind, without even meeting, or knowing my model, Danielle's story. As soon as we began talking in the car, I knew this collaboration was divinely arranged because of my photo ideas and her testimony. She told me, " ...the characteristics of a Father-like God figure were foreign to me. So when life threw difficult things my way... my first responses...were to find relief any way I could. This, for me, meant hurting myself, drinking, drugs, stealing, and relationships. For years this pain and searching escalated and things eventually grew to my breaking point where I grew tiredly hopeless. I bargained with [God] and said, “'I give up. I need you. IfYou help me, save me from my circumstances, I’ll get to know You and spend the rest of my life following You.'” In that moment, after years and years of searching, my entire body and mind were flooded with the peace I had longed for. I cried in unexpected welcoming joy." Watching Danielle model these transformational photos representing the newness we receive from the Cross of Christ was nothing short of beautiful. Christ's death and resurrection has the power to make us new people.
Community
Family
THREE YEARS
WHAT WAS YOUR LIFE LIKE THREE YEARS AGO?
T
B Y KAREN HIGUERA
hink back to your life three years ago. What was it like? Who were you friends with? What were your dreams? Did you have a five-year plan? Were you in school? Starting a job? Going through a low point? A high point? Now compare that to today. Did you ever think you would be where you are today three years ago? Maybe you did, but it’s more likely that you never could have dreamed you would be doing exactly what you are doing now, three years ago. What we dream for ourselves is nowhere close to the amazing plan God has in store for us! We make plans, set goals, change plans, and achieve goals. Sometimes huge triumphs enter our lives at unexpected times and sometimes huge losses. We prepare for some things our whole lives and for others there is nothing that could have ever prepared us. What is important to remember is that everything happens for a reason. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I promise you, that light, it is NOT a train! Life changing and time passing is not a bad thing. It is a precious gift that we should be thankful to experience. Thankful for everything God has given us and the lessons we learned from the bad times. Remember that if you pray for patience, God will give you situations in which to practice your patience. Just because life changes and things happen does not mean we should not still make plans - just be open to those plans changing. We never know what tomorrow holds. Yes, we could get hit by a bus but we may also finally solve that algorithm, stick that new move, or create a masterpiece. The future can be scary and overwhelming but let’s not forget to live this moment and give glory to God for the wonder that is life. I pray that no matter how the last three years of your life have gone, that in the next three, you will find infinite blessings, peace, happiness, and joy on the path that God provides.
FEAR ACCORDING TO GOD, AND YODA
F
BY STEEN JONES
“ ear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” -Yoda. Fear is something that we all understand. We are all scared of certain things; the dark, spiders, death…people who look or act different than us. There has been SO much suffering in our nation and overseas the past few months. So much to grieve, to mourn and pray for. We get upset, shake our fists, and take to social media to cry out to the world, “How can this happen?!” But the truth is, the path to hate is an easy road to travel. And it starts with fear; especially if it is left unchecked. How does it happen? When we become afraid of something, or someone, our fear soon leads to anger. Because fear makes me feel weak, exposed, and vulnerable; and no one likes to feel those things. Then, before we even realize it...we begin to hate that thing, person, or people group. And we all know what hate leads to, we’ve seen all over the news. Nowadays, it’s easy to get caught in this never-ending circle. It easy to get swept away and overwhelmed with the shootings, racial hatred, mass panic, and fear of authority. Sometimes we forget that God is in control of all of it and that He is so much bigger than our prejudices and outrage. Not only that; He is the antidote. Fear and prejudice is something that we all struggle with to some degree, no matter what side of the fence we fall on. So the question is: How does this affect us personally, if we were truly honest? Do we walk on the side-walk, crossing by a man of a different race, clutching our purse? Do we see the police officer approaching and assume he is there to help us or profile us? Do we see a gay couple holding hands and assume the worst about their lifestyle? Do we silently judge homeless people and not give them money because we aren’t sure what they will use it for? How can we change our hearts and see all of these people as the sons and daughters of Abba that they are? The good news is that after we have exposed it in ourselves, we can we actually confront and deal with our fear. The answer lies in 1 John 1:5-7. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
THE SINGER
ÂSONGWRITER
ALBUM
COMING SOON
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Bree Marie PHOTOGRAPHER
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JOE HAYES
PRAIS E AND WORS HIP LEADER
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LEXINGTON, KY
"WORSHIP TO ME IS SIMPLY THE REALIZATION OF HOW GOOD GOD REALLY IS, AND KNOWING I AM ALWAYS IN WORSHIP BY KNOWING HIM IN SECRET AND IN PUBLIC" 1. Why do you choose Jesus?
In John chapters 15 and 16 He says if we abide in Him, He will send us His Spirit to convict us, comfort us, and lead us into all truth. His active Spirit was what I was missing in my entire life of Churchianity. Just last November actually, the Holy Spirit had had enough and knew I needed to once and for all put to death the sin of pornography in my life (after many failed attempts in my own power), and I had a cry out to God moment of repentance in the closet of a house I was helping build at work. The months following Jesus has been so amazing to me, ministering to me by His Spirit, and teaching me holiness and freedom through His scriptures and through some amazing people He has positioned for me. So now I choose Him every day. 2. Best part about worship?
The best part about worship to me is simply the realization of how good God really is, and knowing I am always in worship by knowing Him in secret and in public. I'm learning my entire life is to be His son, and to submit to Him by worship and praise. 3. Why do you do music?
He allows me to use my greatest passion of music, to the best of my ability, by the leading of the Holy Spirit for His glory. I can't think of a better use of my gift, to honor the creator of the universe who gave it to me by His Spirit inside me. I mean, the creator of THE UNIVERSE is using me as a vessel of public praise, how honored do I feel?! 4. How do you want to see Lexington grow in community for Jesus?
After living here for 17 years, I think it's safe to say that some kind of holy fire has ignited in Lexington, and it scorched me. More and more people I know personally seem to be talking about, and coming to the Lord in a deeper way in this City. I want to see that continue, and I hope to see a larger part of the artistic community here surrendering themselves to Him. I hope to see more churches, coffee shops, public areas, etc. filled with presence of His Spirit.
ANGELICMUSIC
Hope PHOTOGRAPHY BY MALLORY JOHNSON MODEL
:
JENNA JOHNSON
LOCATION
:
LEXINGTON
,
KY
Work in progress. "GOD ISN’ T FINISHED. HE’S NOT FINISHED WITH US AND OUR MESS. HE’S NOT FINISHED LOVING US"
W
- @EMSENFF hile we hear the message all the time that nobody is perfect and everyone has challenges, it can be difficult to really believe it. When many of the things we see are curated, when our perspective is often filtered, and when competition and envy can so easily fill our minds, it can be so tough to resist the call of perfection. When we talk about the Cross, there is a natural heaviness that comes along with it. What Jesus did for us there is something that we will continue to unpack and understand more as time goes on. Our brokenness is very real and it can sometimes seem like our sin and suffering take place above God in our lives. Faced with the idea of never being able to overcome something like that, many people can live out their days from a place of guilt or feelings of unworthiness. A lot of the time, faith means looking to the Cross instead of focusing on these failed attempts at perfection. And when we don’t have it all together, we can rest in the fact that Jesus did all He needed to do - He’s already won. He’s already conquered whatever obstacles we face, already moved the mountains we stand in front of. Even more, God isn’t finished. He’s not finished with us and our mess. He’s not finished loving us as growing, imperfect people. This means that when we choose to look to the Cross, we don’t have to have it all figured out. The beauty of the Cross is that the struggles we face are small in comparison to the love that has reached out its arms towards us. In this way, any movement we make is growth and any struggle is a means of grasping a better hold on the truth. We are works in progress. God isn’t finished with us yet. Where we find heaviness in the crucifixion, we find great hope in His resurrection - Jesus defeated even death. There is hope for new days, for fresh starts. There is hope that we can live as though what Jesus did for us on the Cross actually means something. We can embrace our lives as works-in-progress, and know that God walks with us every step of the way. There is always, always hope. BY EMILY SENFF
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WAIT
I WOULDN'T HAVE SEX WITH THAT PERSON UNTIL WE MARRIED. RADICAL IN THIS DAY AND AGE? YES . RADICAL, REWARDING‌ AND BEAUTIFUL.
O
B Y CLARE TUCKER
ne of our former Angelic Magazine writers felt that God laid it on her heart to put on a night of worship under the stars. We joined from all sides of the country in Lexington, Kentucky and faithfully pressed into Jesus as we watched this amazing night unfold. I expected nothing but to join in on this Spirit-filled community, see Jesus face to face, and worship Him in a raw, intimate fashion. My heart longed for this and my spirit was so hungry. I wanted more. And I got it. People who hated God, met His Son Jesus and gave their life to Him. An anointed Pastor I had never met before asked to pray over me. I literally saw Jesus as I studied this man's face while he whipped up these words from Heaven and graced my ears with them. Jesus said to me clearly, "We wanted you to know this, my dear. I brought you this person to tell you. This is as close as I can get to you in the flesh, and Heaven needed you to know something." I could barely process all of the things being said during this other worldly prayer, but two in particular I never forgot. "Thank you Lord that Clare has stepped into the purposes you're designing her for. Thank you Lord that Clare is going to pray for and heal cancer patients." It was vague, and it didn't apply to my family or my job, but I still was so interested to hear about a ministry or calling I was going to be a part of and/or lead in the future. Cancer patients. Healing. Wow, when people said, "you're going to do big things", I never foresaw them being this big. But God calls us to do way more than what we ever believe we are qualified to do. I treasured that night and I treasured my prophecy from Jesus, given to me through a stranger. So, I kept following. I lived life, went to work, prayed, read His Word, studied devotionals and inspirational Instagram accounts. Yet, I never really acted or meditated specifically on what we talked about for me that night in Kentucky. Four months later, still doing the same things, the Spirit begins to realign my life and I wouldn't know it until now. I was just radically in love with Jesus and adamantly sticking to my year long "dating sabbatical", if you will. In all this chasing after Jesus, He encouraged me to make Him a promise because He was going to fulfill one Himself. He was going to make me pure again, pure in heart, mind, spirit and body. He was going to right what the world had wronged in me. He was going to transform the way I saw myself, wrecked by years of rejection, self-hatred, and promiscuity. I in turn promised Him that I could do something to help -- I wouldn't date anyone but Him, I would open my heart to no one unless He sent them and made it obvious to me, and even when that happened, I wouldn't have sex with that person until we married.
Radical in this day and age? Yes. Radical, rewarding‌ and beautiful. I would do it with the strength He gave me, and the man He designed for me would have the same desire and promise in His heart. No problem. God sends Truitt: he and I were Facebook friends but had never met, one of those social media-mutual friend connections. He sent me a private message asking for prayer because his world was getting flipped upside down again, for like the 5th time, come to find out. We know now that God kept putting my Facebook page in his newsfeed and all of the spiritually motivating status updates and Scripture sharing that I had posted with hopes only to bless someone who was hurting, had been blessing someone who was hurting. He knew I loved Jesus and he knew I would knock on the doors of Heaven with his requests. And I did. It was clear that the prophecy of my life from that summer night of Worship in Kentucky, was unfolding and I hadn't had to wait some 5 or 10 years as expected. It was happening now. I called on all the other prayer warriors I knew and we flooded the gates of heaven with requests for order and complete healing in my new friend's body. I told him of my Kentucky story and I promised Him that God was going to heal Him. Biopsies came back negative and Truitt didn't have to relive this destructive cancer nightmare which God had once delivered him from...but, we already knew that. It was no surprise, yet we breathed sighs of relief and gave Glory to Jesus alone. We finally joined together for a face to face celebration of God's miraculous work, and it was clear that Truitt and I were so much bigger than just Truitt and I. We had been introduced by Heaven, and Jesus joined our hands together. Each of our hearts, personalities, flaws, weaknesses and strengths had been molded to fit together like pieces of a puzzle, so different but designed as such to reach completion of the "bigger picture". We will soon come together as one to use our gifts to impact others that don't personally know our Jesus, and to leave a mark on the kingdom of heaven if all we can do is tell others what He did for us. This is what God made us for and we get to do it for Jesus together. We've maintained every promise to God through this relationship never tempting each other past the boundaries first established and pray every day for strength to finish the race pure in heart, mind, body and soul. It hasn’t been easy to live in the world and not fall for the lies and temptations, but we have made it easily because God always gives the strength for which we ask. It makes the hard days easy to finish, and the good days even sweeter. I am beautifully restored and will be the wife I never thought I could. He will always do what He says He will do. He is so faithful every day.
Jasmine
FEATURED ON THE COVER O
F
"WHEN I WAS SOBBING ON THE FLOOR OF MY BATHR WHEN I COULDN’T SLEEP BECAUSE I SAW MY ATTACKER’S FACE
irst I would like to thank Angelic Magazine for giving me the opportunity to work with them for the first print edition, and now again after three years, to give my testimony. It has been a difficult time since the photo shoot we did three years ago. My sister called me shortly after and told me that she had been praying and God told her to tell me that Satan was going to hit me with all he had, and that I needed to be prepared. Although this made me uneasy, I was at an amazing place spiritually with God and I thought, “bring it on.” Several weeks later, I was sexually assaulted. One of my close friends asked me to drive him home and in my naivety I didn’t realize that he was drunk. I just hadn’t been around alcohol that much. I was pinned under him when I realized how bad the situation could get, and I prayed to God. Immediately the guy got really tired and passed out. God saved me. I will never forget how terrifying it was to be stuck there and how all I could do was keep trying to pull my clothes back in place, but God heard me. He heard me and He saved me. A few months later, I was in a terrible car accident. I fractured my neck, my back in two places, my shoulder, and my elbow. I also punctured my lung and had a concussion. My sister had to have surgery to realign her neck. But once again we prayed and God healed us. We should have died, or at least have been paralyzed, but instead we walked out of the hospital four days later, on Christmas Eve. God promises us that we will suffer in this life, but He also promises us that He has overcome the world. These were difficult struggles, but God walked with me through them. Most people would see these things as a clear sign that God was active and working in my life, but I had always thought that God would save me from the fire, not that He would allow me to go through it and become refined by it. I got angry with God. I started trying out things of the world, including drinking. In my search to heal my heart from the pain I had been through I caused it much more grief. I got in much worse situations with guys and I didn’t pray.
Rogers
OF ANGELIC' S DEB UT IS S UE ROOM WANTING TO END MY PAIN, GOD WAS THERE. E AND COULDN’T GET HIS WORDS OUT OF MY MIND, I PRAYED"
And God didn’t save me. Although I am not responsible for what other men have done to me, I carried the weight of it everyday. 1 Peter 5:6-10 is beautiful and says some really good things about suffering. First, we see that the devil prowls, looking for someone to devour. We have to stay strong and flee from sin. Secondly, it tells us that we are a part of a family of believers that is undergoing the same kinds of sufferings. We may feel isolated and completely hopeless, but we know that we are not alone; God is with us, and so is a community of people who are standing firm in the faith as well. Lastly, it tells us that after we have suffered for a while, God will restore us, make us strong, and make us steadfast. I cannot begin to explain the amount of suffering that I faced from being assaulted more than once. It was significantly worse than a car accident and left me feeling lost in the darkness. But when I was sobbing on the floor of my bathroom wanting to end my pain, God was there. When I couldn’t sleep because I saw my attacker’s face and couldn’t get his words out of my mind, I prayed and God gave me peace. God forgave me before I could forgive myself, and He loved me when I didn’t love myself. God loves me, and He loves those who have hurt me. I still struggle with my worth, with purity, and with accepting God’s grace, but I know that I will continue to grow in understanding. I have a God who loves me and that is enough to get me through anything. Where there is love, there is forgiveness, grace, and healing. We will always have struggles in our lives, but God will always be one prayer away. And you will be refined, you will be made new, and you will be pure again.
Yes PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANNAH ROSE GRAY MODELS
:
KORY AND KASEY
LOCATION
:
FLAGSTAFF
,
AZ
say yes to love A GUY'S OPINION B Y JES S E ANAYA
Y
ou’re mine, and we belong together. The melody plays in my mind and I can hear it so clear. I ask myself, would I give love a chance? If love was to be at the doorstep of my heart, would I be willing to open my heart to it? Yes, because we belong together. Because you were not created to be by yourself. And I wasn’t meant to be alone. But lost in the shuffle in that want for love is the want to be wanted, desired and loved by someone in the flesh, heart and spirit. And in my fear, I fear that I will just settle. Settle for something or someone that wasn’t meant for my eternity. So, how will I know if you are knocking at my heart? I imagine I will only know because you make my heart skip a beat and all at the same time you make my heart feel at peace. You’ll always be mine. And you’ll always be. My heart calms when I realize I do not have to fear in settling or making the wrong choice because where there is fear it is not true love. Because only perfect love can cast out fear. So, I have my answer. You’ve taken away my fear. You’ve knocked and my heart has answered. So, yes. I say yes to love because we belong together. I say yes to love so that I can love you forever, and ever. For all eternity.
Unified
Together
Forever PHOTOGRAPHY BY HALEY CHRISTINE MODELS
:
TRENT AND BROOKE
LOCATION
:
WENATCHEE
,
WA
knowing god DO YOU KNOW GOD OR JUS T KNOW AB OUT GOD? B Y KAYTIE GAUS
- @KAYTIEMAY_
Isawrecently heard a quote the other day that has stayed with me. I'm not sure if I it browsing Instagram, heard it in church, or maybe on the radio, but it is
something that has stuck with me. The phrase I heard was this, "Do you know God or just know about God?". This quote is something that makes my head hurt and run in circles. To me, it was something like, what came first, the chicken or the egg. I found myself having a debate in my head, naming and listing all the things I knew about God and wondered if this constitutes as knowing Him too. I know He is loving. I know He is forgiving. I know he offers grace and second chances. These are all things I learned in church and have been told by fellowship group leaders, but do I know these things firsthand from God himself? I think the difference in knowing about God versus truly knowing Him personally is how much time you commit to studying His Word and allowing yourself to experience Him throughout your daily life. I have experienced God's forgiveness daily through asking for cleansing of my sins. I have experienced His love when he reveals His goodness through His word and throughout my life. I have experienced His beauty in the sunrise or from a breeze on the ocean. I see His grace and mercy through others. It's so easy to know about God, but if we open our hearts and are receptive, we will come to know Him as well. If you find yourself wrestling with the initial posed question, I encourage you to dive into the Bible, settle down and pray for a bit, and open your heart and mind so God can truly reveal Himself. You will be amazed at how God longs for relation and for us to truly know Him.
Painting Wit
ARTIS T: S ARAH HIC
S
"SHE STARTED TO PAINT TO CHANNEL HER EMOTIO WRITTEN B Y KAYTIE GAUS
arah Hickey, local Dallas artist, grew up the oldest of three in Dallas, Texas. Her father was a pastor and she came to know Christ when she was in middle school. Sarah is very gifted and she used her artistic skills to serve God in the church through music. About five years ago, her father resigned from the church and left her family. Through her parents’ divorce, Sarah's life was turned upside down. She was experiencing heartbreak from a devastating breakup and coping with her sister's pregnancy. Her family lost their house and she found herself growing bitter towards God and questioning His provisions. She sought her worth from what others thought of her and tried to find attention from men. Through this, she grew to have trust and commitment issues. Sarah's mom began to attend a program at Watermark Church in Dallas and Sarah noticed her mother's heart changing. She was patient and forgiving and always grateful. Sarah wanted what she had. She started the yearlong program and God too, changed her heart. Through the healing process she had her faith restored. She found her value and worth through Christ. He mended relationships and her niece has becoming a blessing in her families' lives. Sarah said she has seen Romans 8:28 play out in their lives. Although hurt and confused at moment of adversity, God created a mess into something beautiful. Since then, God has introduced Sarah to her husband, Shayne, and he has been her rock. Sarah has always been a creative person. She loved to create and draw as a kid. She was used to the control of pen and pencil and drawing and sketching became natural to her. Sarah ended up taking an oil painting class in college while studying Speech Language Pathology. Upon graduation, Sarah applied to a handful of grad schools, and unfortunately received rejection letters in response to her applications. She was discouraged and didn't know where to go. Among this confusion she started to paint to channel her emotions and use that as a time to talk to God. Doors began to open and she started sharing her art. She donated pieces to non-profits and charities and used her art to raise money for friends to go on mission trips. As Sarah continued to paint and create, a friend approached her and asked if she would ever consider selling her paintings. Sarah knew if she went this route, she would want her paintings to have meaning and she wanted to use it to minister to others.
She said she would paint with a p process to me and ironically, I th today as Christians. She told me of what direction she wants to tak and creativity take over. By the time she has finished, sh acrylic paint and essentially four result. This made me think of us where we want our lives to go. But through trials and mistak gives us new life, a new coat of this beautiful finished masterpiece Throughout Sarah's creative pro describes the piece, and then a When someone buys her piece, sh and prays that they are able conversation and cultivate relatio them to use it as a tool to spread th Sarah also contributes a procee the nonprofit, Compassion for mother founded that ministers Philippines. Sarah has been invo was a child and is grateful she can own work. Sarah's desire for her art and bu impact the community, and impa others with her art, to touch th contribute to the changing of lives God is faithful, God has a plan own beautiful masterpiece. If interested in connecting wi follow the links below or visit Ten
th a Purpose
CKEY
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DALLAS , TX
ONS AND USE THAT AS A TIME TO TALK TO
GOD. "
urpose. Sarah explained her creative hink it reflects who most of us are that she typically has a general idea ke, but as she starts, she lets emotion
he said there are layers and layers of completed paintings under the final as Christians. We have this idea of
kes and repeated forgiveness, God paint to speak. And all God sees is e. ocess, she comes up with a word that bible verse that reflects that word. he shares this verse with the buyers to use the painting to strike up onships with others. She encourages he Gospel. ed of profits from every painting to Asia. This is an organization her to the poor and needy in the olved in this organization since she n continue to contribute through her
usiness is to impact those around her, act the world. She longs to inspire he hearts of those who see it, and s. n, and God will use your life as His
ith Sarah and purchasing her work, n20 Gallery in Plano, Texas.
INSTAGRAM: @INNERGLOWART FACEBOOK: INNERGLOW ART WEBSITE: INNERGLOWART. COM
We are
re one.
Sisters
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANNAH HICKS MODELS
:
JENNY AND GRACE
LOCATION
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COOPERS ROCK STATE FOREST
,
WV
the imagineers PHOTOGRAPHY BY RACHEL HEISEL MODEL
:
GABRIELLE HUMPHREY
LOCATION
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SAN FRANSISCO
THE IMAGINEERS ,
I WRITE THIS TO THOSE WHO DARE TO BE IMAGINEERS TO THOSE WHO WILL AWAKEN THE WONDER INSIDE OF THEMSELVES , AND TO THOSE WHO FIND POWER IN THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES , JESUS .
W hen I was originally approached to be apart of this Septembers issue the topic given to me was, how
PHOTOGRAPHED AND WRITTEN B Y RACHEL HEIS EL
do my photos represent Jesus? And because of this I found myself asking, “How can I convey this message to empower people to see themselves as apart of Gods kingdom in their sphere of influence?” So I write this to those who dare to be imagineers, to those who will awaken the wonder inside of themselves, and to those who find power in the name above all names, Jesus. In the house I grew up in we loved Disneyland, and were captivated by all things Disney almost more than anything else on earth. We loved people watching in the park, the smells of all the food, the secret passageways to get around the park quicker, and getting fast pass after fast pass to jump to the front of the line. All that is to say, we have done our research on Disney and because of this I know about Walt Disney’s Imagineers team. In the 1940s Walt began to create a team of people (The Imagineers) who would help him, and partner with him in creating what dreams he had of Disneyland. He had all the great ideas of what to do but he invited people to help imagine and create with him what he planned and purposed for his dreams over Disneyland. He said this; “Imagination is the groundwork of progress and the blue print of joy.” Walt Disney saw something beyond what was real; he used imagination to bring dreams to life. Imagination happens to be a God given tool that the Lord has given to humanity to bridge the gap between reality and possibility. No one has to teach children how to pretend, or imagine, but that is just how they are wired. We are all wired to wonder, wired to imagine. We already have it; the wonder of God is in your passions you just have to claim what is already yours.
The Bible is full of dreams and possibilities and the imagination of God, and he wants to partner with us and allow us to be imagineers to help restore the world to what he intended the world to be. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We get to partner with God to live out what Jeremiah 29:11 says. I understand life gets messy and there are failures and reality sets in, but what’s so amazing about our God is that he sees beyond our reality into the creation and purposes he has for us. So how do I see my photos representing Jesus? Well if I am looking at it from mere human perspective it looks like, just another model, some nice outfits, cool hairstyles, etc. But when I begin to look at my work and envision what God is imagining over my life I see that things as just the beginning. I see the stories of God’s creation coming to life. That each person in my photos has a story, and that story has its own expressive adventure and journey. I see how my photos can share and ignite passion and bring awareness to people and how through that humanity can be healed; and imagination and wonder are the driving force behind that. What I see is that God can use a little girl from California for the Kingdom of God. I see a girl who is daring to believe His word, that He has plans and a purpose for my life that is bigger then what I am currently being entrusted with. What can you believe and imagine for your life? How do you see Jesus in your sphere of influence? God calls us to create and to be imagineers of what his kingdom might look like today. This is not just for the “creative” people who are gifted in the arts, but God calls ALL of us to imagine and use our creativity to bring Heaven to earth everyday.
ANGELIC
MAY JESUS BE GLORIFIED JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.