Experience the Reality of God!

by | Jun 24, 2022 | Recommendations, Stories & Expeditions | 0 comments

Ever heard of Journey to the Heart?

Well, if you want to get a clue on what the next photo assignment will be, go to their website (www.lifesrealjourney.com) and start guessing what kind of photos they might be asking for!

I had the opportunity to go on several Journey to the Heart retreats as a young person, and I very much enjoyed setting aside the busy things of life (especially the cell phone!) to just spend time with God and seek Him intentionally. Journey to the Heart is a retreat for young people (and parents too!) that helps provide an undisturbed time for learning more about Him and hopefully experiencing the reality of who He is in a way that you may never have before.

For me, setting aside distractions meant setting aside the camera for most of the time. So, I don’t have much of a collection of photos from my Journey’s. But I do have some.

Here’s me on my first Journey.

Study

I don’t think the person who was taking the photo of me knew how to change the focus point on my camera. Smile

On that first Journey I was on a Life Focus team so we did some work projects while we were there. On one of our work excursions, I distinctly remember seeing this vast expanse of lily pads. Having had my camera for only about a year at that time, I remember the thrill of wanting to photograph a lily on a lily pad for the first time!

070711_James Staddon_3075 Canon EOS 20D, 50 mm, 1-250 sec at f - 13, ISO 200

Northwoods

The retreat center was a beautiful building, so I distinctly remember trying to photograph it too, in an artistic way.

Northwoods

Northwoods

Northwoods

Over the years, I would take more photos of that beautiful place and it’s amazing sunrises and sunsets. A shot here, and a shot there, each with it’s own volume of memories behind it.

I woke up early to have some devotions up in the tower. I am glad I did. When the sun came up, it was very misty, and I was able to get some good pictures. It was deathly cold outside so I couldn't stay out for long, but there wasn't any problem getting a good picture while I was out there.

081023_James Staddon_9964 Canon EOS 20D, 22 mm, 1-30 sec at f - 3.5, ISO 800

100614_James Staddon_8948 Canon EOS 40D, 21 mm, 1-100 sec at f - 5.0, ISO 400

081023_James Staddon_0137 Canon EOS 20D, 25 mm, 1-160 sec at f - 9.0, ISO 100

100616_James Staddon_9020 Canon EOS 40D, 17 mm, 1-200 sec at f - 8.0, ISO 400

100616_James Staddon_8963 Canon EOS 40D, 17 mm, 1-500 sec at f - 11, ISO 400

100617_James Staddon_9095 Canon EOS 40D, 55 mm, 1-1000 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100

110728_James Staddon_0766 Canon EOS 40D, 17 mm, 1-40 sec at f - 16, ISO 400

110730_James Staddon_1209 Canon EOS 40D, 17 mm, 1-200 sec at f - 11, ISO 200

110730_James Staddon_1250 Canon EOS 40D, 200 mm, 1-1000 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 400

And yes, I photographed that same field of lily pads more than once. Smile

Are you tired of a nominal Christian life where you just go through the motions but don’t really experience vibrant fellowship with the Lord? Does your heart long for a deeper relationship with the Lord and to live a life sold out to Him? Consider coming on a Journey to the Heart (after shooting the next assignment, of course) to experience the reality of who God is in a way like you may never have before!

110730_James Staddon_1410 Canon EOS 40D, 17 mm, 1-80 sec at f - 2.8, ISO 400

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