Amanda
Potts
Photography
Wed
09
May
2012
The Red Signs
You've never heard of The Red Signs before? Well, that's probably because they don't exist, but a made up band is as good a reason as any for a photo shoot!
Wed
02
May
2012
A Continuation...
This post is a continuation of my last blog entitled: "Jesus Smells Bad". This topic has been on my mind and heart recently due to Bryant's encouragement and conviction that I have found from reading the Bible. I downloaded a book onto my Kindle a few days ago, "Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture" by Brandon Hatmaker. Here's a brief description of the book:
"People are hungry to make a difference, yet most don't know where to start. In fact, 'serving the least' is often one of the most neglected mandates of Jesus. Barefoot Church shows readers how today's church can be a catalyst for individual, collective, and social renewal in any context. Whether pastors or laypeople, readers will discover practical ideas that end up being as much about the Gospel and personal transformation as they are about serving the poor. Here they will see how the organizational structure of the church can be created or redesigned for mission in any context. Drawing from his own journey, Brandon Hatmaker proves to readers that serving the least is not a trendy act of benevolence but a lifestyle of authentic community and spiritual transformation".
I have only read the first three chapters so far, but I wanted to share a few quotes from my reading because they are eye-opening and extremely truthful.
The author and a few members of his church council watched a documentary on sex-trafficking and here was his response: "after the film, in an unfair swing of emotions, I instantly felt indignation towards every Christian who ever attended any church anywhere... ever. Including myself. In a broken world in need of hope, it's depressing to consider the details that take priority in our minds. And it's embarrassing to think about the topics we reason away choosing to remain blissfully ignorant while we maintain business as usual."
"If you truly love someone, then you hate to see them treated unjustly".
"We often confuse the heart of compassion that requires response with the feeling of sympathy that remains idle."
"Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, suffering and injustice when he could do something about it. But, I'm afraid he would ask me the same question."
And here's a translation of Matthew 25 from Richard Stearns of World Vision:
"For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved."
Is this convicting? Absolutely. Am I doing enough? Not even close. So the question from here is this: what do we do? I think I speak for all of us in saying that my life is extremely busy, I have plenty of responsibilities and my finances are certainly not in abundance. But as Christians, aren't we called to give EVERYTHING?
Luke 9:23-26
"Then he (Jesus) said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
Matthew 19:21-30
"Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."
So what does this all mean? I'm not sure yet, but I would love to hear ideas and opinions and I will continue to post as I read this book.
Mon
16
Apr
2012
Jesus Smells Bad
This past weekend Bryant and I, and his cousins Ethan and Kyle went to a recovery center in East Lansing to visit and join in on their Sunday morning church service. To be completely honest, I don’t know a lot of the specifics of this recovery center. There were probably 15-20 other people there and most of them are current addicts or are recovering, and many are homeless. The first thing that greeted me when I walked in the door was this awful smell. The only way to describe it is to think about being in a room with 15 people who probably have not showered in a few days. The church service was held in the tiny basement of the building and it was hot and humid which made the stench all that much worse. All throughout the service all I could focus on was not breathing through my nose so I wouldn’t throw up. The service was wonderful and after we left, I was frustrated with myself for not talking to more people there. Bryant and I were talking after we got home and I mentioned the smell and we agree that sometimes the “least of these” don’t smell the greatest. Then Bryant said sometime that I think will stick with us for a long time. He said, “Jesus smells bad”.
Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about love and what it means to love the “least of these”.
Matthew 25:40: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Who was Jesus referring to when he said “the least of these”? According to Matthew 25, the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the naked and the imprisoned. Romans 3:23-24 says this:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
The book of Romans tells us that without a doubt, we are all sinners and we are all equally condemned and drowning in our sin, but we are also equally given forgiveness, no matter how deserving we are or not. Doesn’t this make us all “the least of these”?
How can I ever look at another person and think better of myself than them? I have been doing my nursing mental health rotation these past five weeks and Pine Rest Christian Mental Hospital and the thing that I have noticed time and time again is how much I can related to my patients there. If you or I were in the same circumstances as some of these people, we would certainly be in a mental hospital too. My heart just goes out to them. Most of them just need someone who genuintely loves and and cares about them.
Romans 12:3 “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
I have been realizing lately that the least of these are not only the impoverished and starving children in third-world-countries, but they are my neighbors, they are my family members, they are my friends, they are the people I come into contact with at work and at school. And It’s also me. I am broken and empty. We are all fallen people, one way or another. There is absolutely nothing about me that gives me the slightest advantage over another person in God’s eyes.
So what does this mean? I think the bottom line is this: love. Love has the ability to heal the wounds that are found so deep in all of us. Love can cover old scars and wash away bruises. Love can stich up broken hearts. Love can join hands of enemies and reunite damaged relationships. Love can forgive.
1 John 4: 10-12 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
When it comes down to this simple truth: God loved us and forgave us as absolutely undeserving as we are, how can we not turn around and love each other? If we can see people as broken, but loved, healed and forgiven by God, we can do big things.
It takes receiving love to give love. Let’s accept God’s gracious, redeeming, endless love, let it overflow our hearts with joy and compassion, and go out and love the least of these, wherever we are.
Mon
23
Jan
2012
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
Just under nine months ago, some friend of mine found out they were pregnant. When their baby wasn't growing as quickly as he should have been, genetic testing was done and it was discovered that he had a broken chromosome. The doctors have told his parents that we won't survive. He was been growing slowly throughout his pregnancy and he passes all of his tests without a problem. He is schedule to be delivered this week.
Through my friends I discovered this organization: Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Here is the link to their website: http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/
Through this organization photographers can volunteer to do free maternity and birth pictures for families with terminal diagnosis. I would love to be a part of this. Unfortunately volunteers have a membership fee to pay, but I thought I would write this blog in case you know any friends or families with a similiar diagnosis that I might be able to help out. What an amazing way to touch someone's life and preserve the memory of their child forever!
Psalm 139:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Thu
08
Dec
2011
Canvas, canvas, canvas!
I have a new addiction.. and it's not cheap! I absolutely LOVE canvas prints! They are so awesome! I decided to make canvas prints an available option for my customers at a minial price. Check it out here: http://www.amandapottsphotography.com/pricing ! You are more than welcome to order canavases from any pervious photoshoots too! I just got these two 8x8's in the mail of my soon-to-be nieces! Shh.. don't tell their mom though, it's her Christmas present!
Thu
08
Dec
2011
Winter
I have sort of a love/hate relationship with this time of year. It can be so pretty, but I hate that the sun never comes out and sets so early! It doens't give me enough time in the day for photo shoots! :( Ohh well.. It will make for beautiful pictures once we have some snow!
Thu
09
Jun
2011
Lexi!
This is one of my best friend's daughter Lexi. She will be turning 4 in July and since I did her 3 year old pictures last summer, her mom asked me to take her 4 year old pictures this summer! Lexi is going to have a big pink birthday party this year so took some pink tutu pictures to put in her birthday invitations!
Sun
29
May
2011
Photo books???
I have to apologize, because I know that the lighting on these photos is terrible, but I was in a hurry. I have been wanting to put a photo book together for quite some time now. I finally got around to it last week and I love how it turned out. I'm really curious to know if anyone would be interested in buying photo books and if it's something that I should add for customers to purchase. Your feedback would be super helpful!!! :)
(Book is an 8x11 hardcover with 20 pages)
Fri
27
May
2011
Couple Shoot!
I had a fun couple shoot this week and tried out some new ideas (balloons)! I just thought they were so much fun! We had to cancel our original date due to all this rainy weather, but luckily the next day offered a few hours of sun before the rain came back!
Sat
21
May
2011
Rainy Day :(
Rain, rain.. go away. I hate to postpone photoshoots!
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