I manage to get out one evening to shoot. Here are some of my favorites.

Ms. Stewart, graduating this May, but will not stop here. She has plans to enter law school upon completion of her undergraduate degree in Psychology.

All the best to you!

So, by the end of the day I should have taken down my Christmas decor and had my traditional New Year’s Day meal. I think I’m off to a great start! Some days I know I’ll fall short, but everyday I open my eyes is yet another opportunity to get IT right. I’m a work in progress.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,400 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 40 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Luckily, I have a daughter and a dog who don’t mind being photographed.  The guys….let’s just say, it’s like pulling teeth.  Enjoy some of the photos from a recent shoot with my two favorite girls.

I was fortunate to be among the 10 missioners chosen from St. James United Methodist Church.  St. James UMC partnered with Life for Children Ministry (www.lifeforchildrenministry.org) and built six homes in Western Kenya in the towns of Kisumu and Wachara. Each home was completed in one day and the underlying message after each build was God answered a prayer.  The testimonies were powerful as we witnessed faith in action and restored hope on a daily basis.  From one grandmother smiling for the first time in a long time to another saying she can now go and live with God because she had received a home with a tin roof.

Building homes were only part of the mission.  We also ministered and served a hot meal to the street kids in Kisumu.  The Sunday meal feeding program provided by Life for Children Ministry is sometimes the only meal many of the street kids will receive all week and survival depends on dumpster diving or stealing.

We were also blessed to have the Senior Pastor at St. James UMC, Rev. Dr. Michael T. McQueen, traveling with us and he preached on several occasions.  On one occasion, he preached about “A Dreamer” named Joseph to the parents, students and faculty at Wachara Primary School.  That message resonated with the young and the old and many came running to receive Christ for the first time and for prayer.  It was a powerful moment and an awesome way to end our time in Wachara, Kenya.

Over the 2-week period I witnessed so much poverty.  More than I have ever seen in my life but I also saw God in action throughout the entire trip.  It’s amazing how vivid God was to me while in Kenya.  I know God is at work no less at home, but the busyness of my western lifestyle sometimes cloud my vision.  It was clear to me that I need to be more intentional about seeking God in the busyness of each day.

God took me out of my comfort zone and allowed me experience and see Him anew.  He showed me even in our lack we have so much.  Our time, talent and resources can make a big difference in someone’s life and sharing them will make a big difference in our own.  I encourage anyone who would like to experience God to participate in missions in your community and/or abroad.  Mission is possible and you will be blessed beyond measure.

Click here to view photos from the Kenya mission.

Mother-Daughter shoots are always a lot of fun. These ladies were a hit together and solo. They gave advice to one another about how to pose and what accessories to wear. They even played hand games, lol. Remember when? It was a special time together for the two of them. A time that will be remembered for many years to come.  See more photos from this shoot.

Photos from the event.

The awards portion of the night was hosted by Comedian, Akintunde and Juandolyn Stokes. Two of the top award recipients were Reggie Gay, Lifetime Achievement Award and Dottie Peoples, Thomas A. Dorsey Award. The evening was filled with many gifted and anointed artists such as Dottie Peoples, Sonya McGuire, Kersten Stevens, Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, Harold Holloway & Company, William Davenport, St. James UMC Sanctuary Choir, Alycia Levels, Billy D, Taylor Elise and International Christian Fellowship Choir.

Photos from this event can be viewed here.