Surrounded by Love
If you know me at all you know that I love to show women how beautiful they are through the gift of photography. I love the look in their eyes when they see their images for the first time. It seems the women in our culture are plagued with a lack of self-confidence. We are told we are not enough, that we should be skinnier, have better skin, be more, do more. It hurts me so to see it. So for Valentines Day I want to give away a portrait session to one of the women in your lives. She just has to be able to come to me (I am northeast of Atlanta). She will be treated to a hair and make up session and portraits in my studio. She can also choose 10 images to keep.
So here are the rules:
1. Nominate a woman (in the comments section) in your life who you think would benefit from a portrait session with me.
2. Tell me a bit about her and why she would love this or needs this.
3. I will draw from the names at random on Valentines Day and announce a winner.
I am so excited to show some TLC to someone who needs it. (And we all do)
ps. These lovely cookies were made by Sweet Angel Confections. She is located in Jefferson, Georgia and you can contact her for custom cookies at angelperry@bellsouth.net.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ~“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Be Mine
Sweet Valentine
I Heart You
17 Comments
My Anna is 22 years old but wiser than most at 82. She has fought and won an impossible battle against pediatric brain cancer. She was left with battle wounds. She resently graduated from college earning a degree as a teacher. My sweet Anna is deaf and she has physical limitations but never complains, never looses faith, she never stops putting others ahead of herself. I would love to see her finally feel like a woman not a child. I would love for her to see herself that way as well.
I nominate my beautiful sister in law, Faith Scheidt. She is the one who told me of your work which i love and follow religiously…. 😉 your photography teamed for your glory to God, makes a great read every morning!
Faith is a precious lover of people, she has given and given to others (especially her family) sacrificially — she would benefit from knowing she is beautiful, STILL!
Hope to meet you someday and just share with you who God is and all the beauty he lovingly puts in our lives.
First of all, those cookies are PRESH. Loving your new 365, MamaMo.
Secondly, I want to nominate Allison Criswell. She’s been such an impactful friend to me for so many years, loving me through weird teenager phases and nurturing me as an older sister as we transition into the adult world.
Allison is one of the most caring people I know. She’s always put herself second in our friendship, teaching me how to be gracious as a receiver, and inspiring me to be giving in everything I do. When I had an intense health scare and surgery last year, Allison bought me groceries and brought them to my house–and remembered little things, like a pack of gum (because I always say that ‘gum is love’) and grabbed an extra coffee for me, too. Even though I haven’t always been the best about showing up to her performances, or truly understanding the severity of her own health ups and downs, she still rises to the occasion every time I need a friend.
Since graduating from school, Allison’s had a difficult time remembering she is beautiful and worthy of love. Working in a soul-less cubicle is not the dream of an opera singer. I hope a little photo and beautification session can uplift her spirits…. and no doubt, maybe those headshots will get her a little closer to broadway.
I want to nominate my amazing mother, Cathy Averill. My mom has loved and cared for me tirelessly ever since I was born! She has always encouraged me, supported me and been that shoulder to cry on when I needed it. She serves without ever expecting anything in return. In the past 6 months or so, she has been faced with trial after trial. She admits it hasn’t been easy but her faith in God has kept her strong and moving forward. My mother is humble and kind. Although I don’t think she believes it, she is one of the most beautiful people I know. I would love for my mom to get some much deserved VIP pampering! I think it would give her a great sense of confidence and understanding just how beautiful she is, both on the inside and out!
I would like to nominate my sweet wife, Heather Disney, for this. She gives 100% of herself to me and our 3 children. She homeschools all of them and has put aside hers wants and needs to pour into them both spiritually and with their education. She is a loving wife and the most loyal firend. I would love for her to have something just for her. She has such a beautiful smile that lights up her whole face and I would love to see that captured by your God-given talent.
I want to nominate my daughter, Mikayla Farrington, who is 8 years old. Not only is she beautiful inside and out, but she has a worshipper’s heart. One of her favorite activities is to sing worship songs, but she also likes to compose them! Before she was born, we asked the Lord how we should pray for her, and He said to pray that she would be a “child of praise, with a joyful heart and an obedient spirit.” We’re so grateful that that prayer was answered!
Jennie Armstrong is walking ball of radiance. This woman lights up at the name of Jesus and has given her life away for college women to know God and themselves more! If I could capture Jennie in a few words… freedom, organic, smiling, and vivacious. She swoons for the Lord and is enraptured in the small beauties in life.
I met Tammy Farmer when my husband signed up for a mission trip to visit India. Tammy’s husband, Dave, is the founder of a ministry called Crisis Rescue: http://www.crisisrescueinternational.com- a ministry that delivers girls from sex trafficking and rescues orphans from the streets.
Quickly I saw that Tammy’s heart was for serving others in WHATEVER capacity she could be used. While her husband leads teams to India multiple times per year, Tammy stays state side and ministers to the families that have loved ones ministering in India. Regularly, Tammy holds Women’s Bible Studies at her house and serves by mentoring younger women- all while working full time. Thankfully, I am one of the women who have been mentored and poured into by Tammy. Through her testimony of growing up in an abusive, dysfunctional family- where her mom was never present and she was left on her own at a very early age, I witnessed first-hand that even the messiest situations can be redeemed through Christ. Tammy’s lives confidently, professing that she is a daughter of The King and her identity is IN HIM.
Tammy is also a mom to three girls, ranging from college to elementary school. Since birth, Tammy’s youngest daughter had suffered having seizures until two years ago when Tammy felt a press from God to take her daughter off her ‘seizure preventative’ medication. I clearly remember sitting in a coffee shop with Tammy, as she mentored me- but openly wept about the tough decision to follow God’s prompt or listen to the doctor’s direct advice. Once again, Tammy was faithful to her Father’s prompt and went against doctor’s orders. The young girl is now OFF her medication and seizure free!
Tammy knows who she belongs to and where her identity lies. She knows that she is a daughter of The King, fearfully and wonderfully made. However, I know being a middle aged, working and ministering mom, can be draining and far from glamorous. You are so gifted in photographing middle-aged women and bringing out their beauty, I am sure that Tammy’s images would be breathtaking through your camera lenses and Tammy’s grace.
I want to tell you about my sweet sister, Cherie Smith! She is beautiful inside and out! She has in the past year lost 95 lbs. Through pure grit and commitment to stop numbing out her heart and become who God designed her to be. She is a force to be reckoned with… But doesn’t know it yet.
I nominate my lovely mother, Robyne Adams. She is a source of light and strength to all who know her. She is constantly loving, encouraging, and pouring her heart and life into those around her. Since she is always reminding others of how beautiful they are, she definitely deserves to have the same done for her. She is a warrior and has fought through so much; I want her to see the beauty of her battle scars, the beauty of who she is right now. She tends to shy away from being in pictures, but I think that participating in something she’d rather avoid would be a wonderful source of encouragement for her. I want her to see what everyone else sees. 🙂
Mary Anne~
Thank for this beautiful opportunity. When I was reading this my dear, dear friend April instantly popped into my head. I didn’t respond yesterday because I just wasn’t sure about, but today I was urged again to nominate her. We used to be colleagues and I have never met someone more true and loving and warming then her. She is currently in a Christ- based organization to help her with her eating habits. She has struggles with obesity for many years and because of this lacks confidence in the beautiful woman God has created her to be. This would be eye opening to her and her and graciously impact her walk with The Lord. I thank Him for the desires placed within your heart!
I am so excited about this adventure.Becca my daughter, wife of paster, mother of 8 under the age of 11 years old would give you tons of beauriful pictures to the glory of God for all He has done through this family.❤️
I want to nominate a wonderful lady – Cheryl Harkins. She is in my Small Group at church. The Lord has spent the last year streching her to embrace having her mother in law living in her home. She has grown so much in her love for the Lord and in that growth has grown to love with God’s love her mother in law. I have changed for knowing her. She and her husband, Mike, and two children, Tyler and Ashley, have allowed me to share some wonderful moments – especially when we went together to Atlanta to feed the homeless on Christmas Eve. A portrait for her would allow her to see what a truly amazing woman she is – inside and out. Thank you for offering this wonderful gift of your talent.
The first woman I thought of is my daughter, Rachel. She is 31 and going to have her first baby this summer. Her husband is in the army and she is far away from family and friends. But she loves being a wife and soon-to-be mother and looks for ways to serve the Lord. When I think of the Proverbs 31 woman, Rachel always comes to my mind. Thanks you for this great opportunity for one very fortunate woman!
I got very excited when I was reading this post. I want to nominate my girlfriend, Christina. This is a gift I’ve wanted to give her for a long time. This Valentine’s Day will be a week before our 18 month mark together. I often feel like I don’t encourage her very well to believe how beautiful she is, which is difficult because it’s so obvious to everyone around her. She’s a surprisingly wise and mature woman for her age and it shines out in her face. She has had a lot of stressful situations occur recently, especially school, and I think this would be a wonderful break for her and a chance to see how loved and how wonderful she is.
I nominate my beautiful cousin Jodi Cofer. Though she lives in Georgia and I live in Massachusetts, we are as close as sisters. I am so lucky to have her. I have watched her build a relationship with God that inspires me to work on my own relationship with Him. She truly has a heart to serve. She makes me want to be a better person every day.
We followed your first year-long blog. Often, our daily conversations centered around your ability to make us laugh or cry or both with your photographs and your words. Jodi might know how beautiful God has made her on the inside, but a session with you would be such a wonderful opportunity to help her see how beautiful she is on the outside too.
Regardless of who you choose, thank you for reading this, and thank you for sharing your thoughts and photographs every day.
[…] with her daughter Salena and granddaughter Catherine, her namesake. Cathy was the winner of my Valentine Portrait Giveaway and Salena nominated her. So sweet. When I chatted with Cathy on the phone I asked her if she […]