Addyson

    Hello again! I know I have been slacking on my blog a bit, but it doesn't mean my ministry has not been active. God has been working through my photography and I have tried my best to answer his call every time he puts it on my heart to do something. I know without a doubt, that this ministry is a true calling from God. I knew I wouldn't sleep tonight until I got this blog finished. I have been up for 22 hours, yet God has given me the burst of energy I need to post this blog. Throughout the next year, I hope that this ministry can touch many more families in need. I know God has a beautiful plan and I am so excited to be a part of it.    
       This week, I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful, sweet 4 year old girl .  Her mom and I have been trying to work out a time for a session, but her schedule has been difficult due to traveling and treatments. I was thrilled to finally get to photograph this sweet girl and her family this week! Meet Addyson Clark...

 Addyson is the 4 year old daughter of Jimmy and Amanda Clark. She currently is facing a battle with 3 inoperable brain tumors. Addy is getting weekly chemo treatments and isn't feeling her best, but you sure can't tell it in her photos. Her sweet smile melts my heart. As soon as she arrived for her session, she vomited. It wasn't 2 minutes later that she was smiling, as if nothing had ever happened. It is astounding the strength that a 4 year old can have.

Addyson is a big sister to Korbin. Watching them together was the sweetest thing. Addy is protective and loving, and Korbin admires his big sister so much already. I could not stop pressing the shutter. I ended up taking about 500 photos within the hour they were there.

Addy loved hugging on her little brother, and he didn't seem to mind it one bit. Korbin is so sweet and laid back :)

Addy's parents, Jimmy and Amanda completely amaze me. Their faith in God, especially during such a hard time in their lives, is truly inspirational. I have been following their facebook posts for months. No matter what their update may be, they always glorify God in all of their updates on Addy. Their strength and love for their children brings me to tears. They make me want to be a better person. Pictures speak louder than words...

In a certain post about Addy, Amanda said, "We count as a blessing that he chose us to walk this path. " There are few people I know that could be so positive and find good in all of this. If you want to know what God's love look like, it is written all over their hearts and faces.

I went to school with Amanda, she has always been one of the sweetest people I have ever known.

I am pretty sure we were the only girls who were googling wedding ideas and honeymoon spots during our senior year of high school. We were both ready to be wives and momma's at a young age. What beautiful wife and mother she has become...

Jimmy is an amazing dad too. It was my first time meeting him, but a complete stranger could not deny that he is an awesome daddy. He was so patient and loving with Addy and Korbin. 

I think the most profound thing I witnessed during their session, was that they are all living in the moment. During that hour, they were enjoying their time together as a family. And they are such a happy family. You can tell that God's presence is so strong with them everywhere they go. Lately, I have been guilty of worrying about what is going on from one week to the next. I think sometimes, we all need to just slow down and look around us at all the blessings we have . 

     Addy is such a brave girl. I can not fathom what she is going through. I wish there was more that I can do for her. I ask that all of you share this blog and pray hard for this sweet little girl and her family. She is fighting so hard. We should all realize that our problems, really aren't that big. We should all hug our babies a little tighter. We should cuddle them, play with them, smell them, shower them with kisses. Appreciate each day we have with them.  Make it count. Make every day matter. Because today, is a day we will never get back.
      Thanksgiving is coming up, I know that this photo session with the Clarks has made me so thankful for the health of my children.  What a difference we could all make is we all chose to give back to someone in need this holiday season. A small act of kindness could change someone's life. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? I have heard (more than once) from two of my favorite pastors, "Find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it." I pray that God allows me and all of you to follow him and dedicate our lives to giving back to him in different ways. After all, without him, where would each of us be? Thank you for taking the time to read this and pray for Addy and her family. It is very much appreciated! I asked Amanda to include a paragraph and I will post it below. God Bless!


"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

" Addyson was diagnosed July 27th, 2012 with 3 inoperable brain tumors causing her to lose vision completely in her right eye and a large amount in her left. She is currently having chemo to try to shrink the tumors. Things have been rough since she was disgnosed, but God has given us so much grace through all of this and made is so much easier. We have learned so much as a family and are living each day like there is no tomorrow. Our photo session with Andrea was amazing. She adjusted to make Addy feel comfortable and took the time to ensure she captured just the right photos. We are so grateful for her doing this phot shoot of our family for us. These photos will be cherished for a lifetime."- Amanda Clark

"

Reece

      The response to my blog was so overwhelming. I never expected it to reach so many people. I am so thankful for all that shared it with others and for all the sweet emails and phone calls. It is so awesome to have such positive thoughts and prayers as I move forward with this ministry. I am in the process of updating my blog (changes coming soon). I am also having brochures printed and will be working with several businesses/foundations very soon. God is working in awesome ways!

       I had my first official Shoots of Love session this weekend. I was nervous about keeping her and her parents comfortable and capturing extra special pictures of her with her family. When they walked through the door with Reece, her sweet smile melted my heart.

       Reece has Rhizomial Chondrodysplasia Punctata, Rhizos for short. Reece is 18 months old. She is such a sweet and beautiful girl! Even though she can't speak, her smile and happiness speaks louder than words. She is crazy over her big brother, Riley. When we were doing pictures of them together, she couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

        She is crazy over her parents too. Everytime we asked where her momma was, she would light up and look around with the biggest smile.

      I got the sweetest photos of her admiring her daddy. It was like they were in their own world when he was holding her. He sang her the ABC's and she hung onto every word.

       It was such a blessing to photograph Reece and her sweet family. Reece is such an inspiration. In spite of everything she has to go through on a daily basis, she is a happy baby girl. God has gave her a joyful heart! Please take the time to pray for Reece and her family. Her story has made me appreciate life and hug my babies a little tighter. I asked her Mom, Patti, to give me a brief paragraph about Reece. I will include it below.

"Reece has Rhizomelic Chondrodysplasia Punctata (RCDP). It is a very rare and terminal genetic disorder.... It affects 1 in every 100,000 live births... It includes shortness of her limbs, tight muscle tone, congenital cataract and developmental delays, but we let her be our guide and show us what she is capable of...She also has a feeding tube. Because of their small chests, Respiratory issues are the most common factors that leads to death... We cherish every day we have with her..Our photo session with Andrea was wonderful.. She took the time to make sure Reece was comfortable and happy and was very patient with her to make sure she got the perfect picture... She took pictures that are going to show how special Reece is to her big brother, Riley. We can't wait to see the pictures that captured the love we all have for our precious gift. We are forever grateful" - Patti (mother of Reece)


I will end this post with a scripture that made me think of beautiful Reece and every child that God creates...

Psalm 139:13-16 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Andi

Shoots of Love

     My name is Andrea Harper and I don't even know where to begin a blog. When reviewing what I'd written on paper, it was a big jumbled mess of my thoughts and prayers. All I know, is that God had been knocking at my heart to do this for quite sometime and I have finally decided to listen. I have been making excuses. "I haven't had the time." "I'm not the perfect christian." "I'm simply not good enough." Those are all excuses and fears. I have decided to push those all aside and take a giant leap of faith into a ministry God has called me to do called Shoots of Love.
     I am a mom, a wife, a Christian, and a photographer. I am passionate about all of those things.  I have a business in Scottsville, Ky with my mom. It is called Wolfe Photography, we take pictures of children, seniors, families, newborns, etc. I never knew i could love a job so much.  My mom gave me a canon slr for Christmas several years ago. She is an amazing photographer and has always had an amazing business and clientele. ANYWAYS, I couldn't put it down. I began taking pictures of everything. Friends, family, and especially, Hudson & Paislee once they were born. Your own kids make the best models when they are little! Then, my mom had enough faith in me to start photographing her clients. She had MS and couldn't continue to work as much as she once could. I've been in business with her for 3 years now at Wolfe Photography. I do most all of the shooting now, due to her illness. It has been the best 3 years of my life. I am genuinely happy and LOVE what I do.
       Yesterday at church,  the pastor talked about how God gives us all different talents and abilities. He said we should use our talents to glorify God. Because they aren't our talents...they are HIS. God has blessed me so much. He has given me a wonderful husband, 2 healthy, beautiful TWO year olds (they are twins). A supportive family, and a job that I love. He has given me the ability to help capture precious memories for others. He has given me SO much, but what do I do for him? Sure, I go to church. I pray daily and try to lead a good christian life. I try to set the best example for my children. But that isn't enough. I feel like I was called to do something greater. My nana has often told me that, "Life is just a vapor." That is so true. I want to know that when my life is over I will have done something important in my life to glorify God.
      I have known for well over a year that I was supposed to do something with children. Ever since having Hudson and Paislee, my maternal instincts have went into overdrive. I get so emotional about everything, but especially children. They have a special place in my heart.  H & P were preemies, they were born 8 weeks early and were fragile 3 pounders when they were born. Seeing them in the NICU for those first few weeks of their lives made me see life in a totally different perspective. Whoever can see a baby that small and not believe in God, is beyond me. Everyone always laughs when I tell them I want a housefull of kids, but that would be a dream come true for me. I am so drawn to children, I feel like I was born to help them or nurture them in some way. Motherhood has made me want to be a better Christian, a better mother, and human being. Sorry, I'm getting off track again :). Anyways, I knew God wanted me to do something to benefit children. Then it dawned on me. Why not take my love of photography, my love for kids, and my love for God and create a non profit organization to honor them all.
       After our church service, I began to talk to Cody about it. I was discussing where or who I should talk to to get it started. He told me to pray about it. We were shortly interupted by two hugry toddlers jabbering about lunch in the backseat. They pretty much run the show :). We decided to take them to O'Charley's for lunch. While waiting, I whipped out my camera and did what I do best, stick a camera in their face :). I begged and bribed them to take just "one more picture." They cooperated, so I ended up with about 10 adorable pictures of them hugging and kissing eachother. I was excited to get some cute shots of them in their coordinating church clothes. They looked SO CUTE!  Later on that afternoon, we went to my parent's house. I wanted to get my camera out and show her the cute pictures I'd taken.  I realized it wasn't in my purse. I frantically called the restaurant asking if it was there. They told me someone had turned in my case, but the camera had been taken out of it...it was gone.I literally felt sick, a sick that made my heart hurt. It wasn't that someone had stolen my camera, that can be replaced.  They stole memories I had taken of my sweet babies, pictures that I can never get back. All of their pictures from the beach, the trips to the waterpark, all the pics of them loving on eachother and making silly faces.  They were gone. Did I mention I felt sick? As a mom, especially a photographer/mom, I value those pictures more than any credit card or amount of money in my bank account. Those aren't the things that can all be replaced...but pictures cannot.
       Hours later, as I was tucking in my sweet babies, it hit me like a ton of bricks. God spoke to me so clearly and profoundly..."They took my pictures, but I still have my children."  The tears began to flow like a river. My babies are right in front of me.  They are healthy, happy, beautiful, sweet, and so full of LIFE. I got to thinking about this organization. There are families that are living at hospitals with their sick children.  They are watching their babies hurt, get stuck with needles around the clock.  Some are even...watching their children DIE.  That sentence is so hard for me to even type.  I get a lump in my throat and cold chills.  I cannot, nor do I want to, imagine that sentence being a reality. I then, felt so guilty for being so upset about my camera.  Like most parents, I would gladly die for my children.  But, I'm not sure if watching them die, would be something I could do.  Their strength is such an inspiration.  My aunt, Emily, whom is only a few years older than me, has always been my best friend.  When she was 16, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was so strong through all of it, my hero.  Watching her cling to life was one of the heartbreaking things I've ever had to do. Now, as a parent, I can't imagine what my grandparents went through.  How helpless they felt, watching their baby fight for her life.  I know they must have felt so helpless.  This makes me want to help even more.  I cannot do much, but I can take a good picture. For a moment, I can make time stand still.  I can capture memories that they will have forever. Whether their childhood be short or long, I can capture a piece of it their parents will treasure forever.
     The last thing I want to do is get praise for this.  Anyone that knows me, knows I don't like for good deeds to be told.  This isn't about me, it is about something far greater than myself.  I want to use my talents and abilities to glorify God and do a little good in the world.  I want this ministry to let God's love to shine through my photography. I want to give my whole heart to this, so that it will be a blessing to these families. 
      Most parents, that have terminally ill children, have many medical bills and do not have the extra money to afford a photo session. That is why Shoots of Love sessions will be completely free of charge.  All families will be given a cd with all images and the print release.  There are other organizations similar to this in other big cities, but nothing local, and nothing faith-based.  We need this.  These familes need this, our community needs this, and I need to do this.  I live in a small town called Scottsville, KY.  Most people haven't even heard of it. I don't expect to reach thousands, and that is okay.  I am thankful for everyone who reads this blog and passes it on.  If I can help one family, then that is one family who may have not had professional photographs of their fragile child.  Their time is so precious, that is why I want to help capture it. 
     I have created this blog to help record this journey. It will also act almost like a prayers chain for the sick children I photograph.  I have reached out to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and hope to be working with them soon.  I am also asking all of my family and friends to help spread the word and help get this organization started.  I also, need your prayers that God will lead me in the right direction with this.  I know this experience will be life changing. If you, or someone you know, has a terminally ill child, please contact me at 270-622-8736.  You can also email me.  I hope this wasn't too unorganized. I will try to get better at this blogging thing. My parents always taught me to walk by faith, not by sight.  That is what I am going to do.  I am going to end this post with a bible scripture I stumbled upon the other day during prayer. " BUT LAY YOUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN, WHERE NO MOTH, NOR RUST, WILL CORRUPT, AND WHERE THIEVES DO NOT BREAK THROUGH NOR STEAL. FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO."


I also want to thank God for giving me the strength to do this.  I want to thank my Hudson & Paislee for inspiring me in every way and showing me the most pure love I've ever witnessed. My amazing husband for his love & support.  My mom, aunts, and best friend for nudging me to finally do this. I love you all.


Andi