Germantown, Collierville, Memphis baby children family portraits Cindy Thymius » Memphis TN Family Portrait Photographer

The blog will be silent the next several days as I take time to travel, work, and spend some much needed time with family. I have given a lot of thought to this blog post, and I want to spend it focusing on a book that I am reading called, “You Were Born for This” by Bruce Wilkinson. A very sweet friend at church recommended it to me, and it has really enhanced the way I have started to view my daily living.

Before I begin, I am truly truly BLESSED to be a photographer, and I am so thankful that God and you, my clients, have allowed me to do this for my career. We all know that our careers are only ONE facet of our lives…I have mentioned that I am a mother, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, and so on. First, and foremost, I am a Christian, and I have been called to lead others to Christ here on this earth. Growing in my faith has certainly been a process, and God has used many wilderness journeys to mold me and shape me along the way. While many people read this blog for work, I cannot help but integrate my faith into this blog…

Recently, I experienced a wilderness journey that truly made me and my husband experience God, His provisions, and his miracles in a way like no other way before. After months of waiting, praying, networking, and asking for a divine deliverance, God delivered, and He delivered in a way only HE could do. As I write this, I am still utterly moved at the way God provided, and this experience prepared me for Bruce Wilkin’s book. I just cannot adequately express into words how transformed my husband and I become over this period, but I know God was using this time to prepare us and our hearts for an amazing awareness of His power in a more intimate way.

This is where Bruce’s book comes into play. After experiencing the wilderness period for so long, God opened and prepared our hearts.

Before this chapter in our lives, I would use words like, “Wow, can you believe that?” “That was amazing?” “How ironic?” Now, I have come to realize that I have overlooked God’s amazing power! It’s not irony, a fluke, happenstance, or luck…it was GOD, and He was working a miracle!

I think it’s very sad that we have overlooked, taken for granted, and ignored opportunities for God’s miracles. We can partner with God, and we can ask to be an agent to help Him deliver His miracles. On the cover of Bruce’s book, he asks these questions:

1. Why are experiences of the miraculous so rare for most people?
2. What if God wanted you to experience them on a regular basis?
3. And what if ordinary people like you and me are invited to partner with God to deliver them to others?

I’ve begun to pray daily to be an agent for God, to ask my heart to be wide open, to partner with Him and help Him however I can. There is much work that needs to be done for believers and nonbelievers. Because, guess what, Christians needs help on earth, too. We need miracles too. I want to “learn to be a living link between Heaven and earth, recognizing a miracle opportunity where others see nothing at all.” I can tell you that our family experienced a first hand miracle recently from someone I FIRMLY believe was an agent working with God. I know he partnered with God to deliver our miracle. I don’t want to miss the opportunity to help out someone who may be in need.

How much faith do you have? Go out and buy the book.

Blessings and Peace,
Cindy

Have you ever sat back and wondered why your life hasn’t gone as you had planned? Even as Christians, we often struggle with “what ifs” and “if onlys”. We trust God, attend church, complete Bible studies, worship daily, yet constantly we are faced with new challenges that can cause us to question our choices, our actions, and our relationship with God.

I do not have all the answers, but I have an answer. God decided long ago what would happen in our lives. The steps we take to get there may take us off course (by choosing the route we want to take rather than God’s), but God’s will shall ultimately be done. And, here’s another answer I’ve learned too…God doesn’t always choose the easy, most direct way to give us our lesson on this journey. I don’t know about you, but during those times of deep challenges, I just want to cry out to God, “Why is this happening?!?!?!” He’s molding us and shaping us into the Christians He wants us to be. I am thankful I serve a loving God who will take the time to help me be what He wants me to be.

I heard on KLOVE radio the other day this: That in the moments when we feel like God is there for us the least, that is when He is holding us to Him the closest. What a reassuring and eye opening thought!

We serve an alimighty and powerful God who is capable and performs miracles daily. You must believe it to recognize it. And, even though your life may have veered down a different curve than what you had planned (I know mine has!) I take the greatest comfort in knowing that God has a plan for me. Jeremiah 29:11-13.

I’ll end with an uplifting e-mail my aunt shared with me recently:

Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God.
God closes doors no man can open and
God opens doors no man can close.

God’s Blessings and Peace to You,
Cindy