The Calling Voice

Just added six new stories to Crissa's Website The Calling Voice. Please check it out if you have a few minutes. Her photos are amazing and her stories are incredible, and I'm not saying that just because I'm bias...they really are!

Thankful

I'm incredibly thankful for all the people God has placed in my life. This week of surgery prep has just once again made it incredibly obvious how many people care and love me and I am so grateful to God! I know that I complain a lot over why I'm still in LA and I lament a lot and I'm pissed off and frustrated and disappointed a lot but it's times like this--when I remember what I was like before and who I was before the last year and a half--and I am so grateful for this time of growth and time of grace and time of love. And I have the bestest friend ever for sticking it through with me--it's more than I could ever have asked for from anyone, even God. Seriously, true friends are made through life--through the good times AND the bad, through pain and tears and frustrations and hurts--And I'm so thankful for the bond and the love that God placed between us to keep us together.

I had the amazing opportunity to shoot family photos of April and Donvanan and their 8-month-old son Journey. They are part of my Foursquare family and I miss them all so much!

Here's a little sneak. See the rest on my photo blog.

Bunion Surgery...Eeeck!

For those of you who I haven't talked in a while, I hope this finds you well. Yesterday, I decided to go ahead with bunion surgery on my left foot. The surgery will take place at 9:30 am on Thursday, February 11. Please, please, please be contending for me during this time. I would very much appreciate it! 

Essentially, Dr. Thomas Harris will be cutting the big toe bone partially in half and inserting a tiny metal plate into the gap to realign my big toe bone. He then will shave down the the protruding bone around my toe. I will be lightly sedated and my foot will be completely numb and the nerves blocked for 12-16 hours. My foot will be in a split and I will be on 48-hour bed rest, only allowed to get up to do the "necessities" and heavily medicated because the procedure is quite painful. Then, for the next 6 weeks, I will be on crutches and on very minimal activity as the incision heals and at the very end of that period able to swim. Afterwards, I will have to under go little physical therapy and should be able to walk/run/hike 12 weeks after the surgery. 

This was a very difficult decision because I have never been inactive for more than week or so ever since I was born. The thought of taking it easy is a new and challenging one for me, that's for sure! 

Please pray: 

1. For a complication-free surgery and for God to guide the eyes and hands of Dr. Harris. 

2. For a complete and fast complication-free, infection-free recovery and healing (that I'm not too clumsy or spastic!). 

3. For deep, intimate and new times with Father God, increasing, strengthening and deepening my relationship with him. A renewed sense of trust, hope and faith in the Lord.

4. For patience and rest, mental and emotional health as I rest and relax for 3 months. 

5. God will bless this increased time with family and friends and that I will return to better physical health then before. 

New lens

I bought a new portrait lens. It was incredible expensive but it's suppose to be amazing. I took a few test shots last night with it before realizing I don't have a filter to protect the lens and putting away and they were amazing!

It was a hard decision because while I've been shooting a lot and have been asked to shoot a lot, I've also been trying to save money to leave California and this definitely put a damper into that. But I have been doing a ton of portrait shots and I needed a more professional camera for it with a better F stop (this one has  f1.8!) so I know it was totally worth it but it's hard, very hard.

It's hard to be content and be OK with the place that I'm at with life. I feel like I should be doing more or at least, if not, be more settled in life. It's hard to be in the crossroad for so long and not think that when I get out of here then I'll be happy. That's definitely not true. I am very happy. But it's easy to fall into a thought process of discontentment and dissatisfaction and lose peace. It's hard because I feel like I'm on the brink of something BIG but I need and want to stay in a place of the moment, a place of the present, a place of contentment and peace and not think that when I get to B then I'll be better than where I am in A. Make sense?

I have the best friends!

A few of my friends came and helped me reshoot the artwork for a project. They were incredibly generous with their time, amazing to work with and on top of it just really beautiful people. I am so thankful to have such great, wonderful friends!

Please check out some more shots at http://nicolechin.wordpress.com!

Happy birthday to me!

This post is dedicated to the number 24. I heard it's a good one. I've been in need of a good one. I won't lament or complain, but I can tell you 22 and 23 haven't been extremely happy years (though there have definitely been some really good moments and some really amazing lessons), to say the least. So I'm excited for 24. I say bring it God! Bring it! Here's to believe that 24 will be a good year and knowing it will be!

Highlights of 22:
-Graduated from college
-moved to florida
-got my ass whooped by God
-moved to westwood
-got my ass whooped by God. Again. It's true.

Highlights of 23:
-moved home
-started working at foursquare
-lost my job at foursquare
-went through counseling; learned the value of intimate and honest communication
-went through cleansing stream; had incredible healing and restoration
-decided to apply for grad school

The thing that keeps me going is the hope that I have in the Lord and the belief I have in his power and in his might and in his love for me. God wants to give me the desires of my heart. He wants what is best for me. He doesn't want me to be alone. He doesn't want me to be hopeless. He doesn't want me to be angry and hurt for the rest of my life. God wants me to succeed. He wants me to find love and joy in people and in life and in work. He wants me to travel and see the world. He wants me to be happy.

Psalm 37:4 reads, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

It's common misconstrued that being Christian means always suffering, always bearing the cross, always dying to Christ. When I think the truth is that when we are following God and we are completely and wholly serving and dedicated to him that his love and his will and his mercy and his heart become the desires of our hearts. In one way or another. It doesn't mean everyone will want to help the poor. And it doesn't mean that everyone will have to sell all of their possessions to give food to the hungry. It's different for everyone.

A relationship with Christ is difficult. It's hard. It sucks. It's wrecked my life on more than one occasion. I thought I was destined to be somebody, but then God got a hold of me. God said, "Sorry, that's not going to be you." And ever since then I've been on this road, this path of life lessons. And it's still hard and it still sucks and God still wrecks my life.

Why? Because he wants the best for me. Because he wants to grow me and shape me and mold me into the person he created me to be. It may sound trite. It may even sound empty but God is good. All the time. He wants what's best for us. He wants us to succeed. He wants us to be loved. He wants us to be happy.

Feeling the love!

God has been so good lately! So good! I can't believe how often--and how easy--it is to forget about his goodness and his love. Praise the Lord!

Highlights:
- Got rec letter back from ESPN, almost unchanged and still a very nice letter!
- Got an amazing rec letter from by former boss at NAIA
- Got a nice paying project from Nate to pay for some of the Christmas damage (I worry about finances right now because I can't work but it's things like this that remind me God's in control)
- Got paid an additional percentage off a project that took way too long. Yay!
- Ummmm my new battery is wonderful!
- Lots of photography stuff too!

I made some hard choices last month and it was really difficult to follow what I believe God was telling me and this, this just proves that when you step out in faith, you take a chance, you cry out to God, you surrender to him--you're going to receive tenfold of what you asked for! Be it in relationships, in money, in circumstances--God fulfills the desires of your heart, the needs of your soul. It's his promise to us.