Yesterday Kensington Church launched their fourth campus. This one is located in Beverly Hills, MI just outside of Birmingham, MI.
I think there were almost 1100 people that came for the first official Sunday to hear the great music, message, and drama!
Here’s a link if you want more info:

http://kensingtonchurch.org/birmingham/index2.asp

This past Saturday, Ken and Rachel were married. We had a great time with them in downtown Plymouth with their reception to follow at the Meeting House.

I just thought I would end the day with something peaceful.
This image was taken on my fall color road trip last year in Tinicum park along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. It was a very peaceful place. I remember the sound of the wind rustling the leaves and watching the occasional leaf flutter to the ground. I walked down by the river which was just across the road, and then came back to my car and took a little nap as the cool breeze past through the open windows.

We have really been blessed with some great friends in the photographic community. Last night we had the chance to get together with about 20 local photogs to have dinner and chit chat. Our friends Jes and Nate from Mod4 Photographic brought us balloons and a sweet handcrafted trophy for winning the WDIV Best Photographer in Detroit contest. It was made from pieces they got from the dollar store across the street from their house including a wedding cake topper, a vase wrapped in duct tape with gold sticky letters along with gold glitter that was ever so carefully patterned around the “trophy”! Mod4 rocks….or as their slogan says “rockin’ their socks off since 2003!!!”

It says “Best of 2007 Arising Images”

Earlier today, Matt and Adrienne were married at Woodside Bible Church where Matt works. Afterward, we had some fun with them in downtown Utica and then headed to St. Clair, MI for their reception at the St. Clair Inn.

We WON the contest!!
Just wanted to thank you all for voting. Out of 80 photographers, we received the most votes for “Best Photographer” in Detroit. So thank you everyone for taking the time to vote for us and for leaving so many great comments!!

To see some of the other winning business, check out this page: http://wdiv.cityvoter.com/Winners/PopWinner.aspx?contest=23

From Proverbs 15:15

All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

The interpretation in my bible says:

Our attitudes color our whole personality. We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose our attitude toward each situation. The secret to a happy heart is filling our mind with thoughts that are true, pure, and lovely, with thoughts that dwell on the good things in life (Philippians 4:8). This was Paul’s secret as he faced imprisonment, and it can be ours as we face the struggles of daily living. Look at your attitudes and then examine what you allow to enter your mind and what you choose to dwell on. You may need to make some changes.

This passage reminded me of a photo that I took in Africa back in 2000. There were these two young boys…probably 11 or 12 years old that were walking down the street with their arms around each other. They were sharing a pair of rusted out roller skates. The wheels didn’t turn anymore and they each had one skate on, but they were laughing and giggling the whole time. They could have easily been upset that the skates didn’t work anymore, or they could have been like a lot of kids and fight over who gets to wear them. This photo has always been a reminder for me of making the most of what you have and finding pleasure in EVERYTHING.

Also this afternoon we did pictures for Kelly who is Ashley’s step sister. I love the family connections!!

This afternoon we did senior pics for Ashlee who is the sister of a girl named Lauren who we photographed a couple years ago.

Today we got to shoot some fun photos for our friend Kristan who is the catering director at Cherry Creek Golf Club where we shoot a lot of weddings. These kids will soon be Kristan’s step kids and she already has a great bond with these kids.

Yesterday was Evan and Mary’s wedding. We had a great time with them in downtown Detroit near the riverfront and then they had an amazing reception at the Roostertail.

Tonight, Immaculee Ilibagiza came to our church to speak. Over 2200 people came to hear her tell her story.
This was one of the most inspiring stories that I’ve heard in a long time, and I would strongly encourage people to buy her book

Rather than writing something myself, I pulled some information from Kensington’s website to explain a little bit about her:

Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.

Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them.

It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers.

The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman’s journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss.

Here are a few photos I took tonight: