This is my camera, the camera I learned how to take photos with, the camera I traveled to Europe with, the camera I let other people borrow becasue they had an itch for photograhy, the camera I taught little kids how to shoot with and the camera that started this story.
Every time I think your passion that you have for using your creative gifts from the Lord have surely reached their best, you continue to astonish me!!! I pray for Give Prints and that the Lord continue to use you as HIS great vessel!!! -by my friend.
People say words to me all the time and I love the encouragement because it helps me move closer and deeper to Christ. These words however made me stop. My dear friend does not take lightly the words she says and for that I know she whole heartily means what she wrote and I whole heartily receive it.
I never think of myself as a "creative" person, I know, I know...shut up! But I don't, until recently. For the longest time I never thought I had talent, just a lot of dreams. Christ changed that, just recently. I realize now that I could not see the talent he gave me because there was still a lot of work he needed to do in me before I could step out in faith and know that He indeed has given me a creative side. It's more than just being creative. See my creativity does not come from within just me. It comes from me allowing Christ to work in me and allowing him to use other people in my life. Had it not been for my mom allowing me to pick up a camera at the age of 5, maybe even earlier or my cousin who use to carry her camera around her neck every time we went somewhere I may not have ever known how much I love to look through a lens. It's fun. It is who God has created me to be.
My very first photo I ever remember taking was of my sister. This one. Moni! I remember the day. I must had been 10 years old. She was 5, I think! I remember telling her how to pose, how to smile and to say cheese! I went on to study photography through Junior High, High School and College. I studied in Italy. I built dark rooms, I worked in labs, I shot a ton of photos and I can remember what it feels like to load black and white film in the dark. I remember the excitement of being in the darkroom for hours and coming out to see your photos on paper. There is nothing that compares to developing your own photo and holding it in your hand when it is all done.
Recently I have been thinking a lot about where I came from. I come from a God that loves me. Recently through many moments in my life I am beginning to really realize just how deep and wide that love truly is.
More than ever before people have wanted to know my story. It kind of freaks me out a little! But, they want to know how I got here and how did I come up with Give Prints? In all the conversations I have had in the last few months about Give Prints and photography I can only say, God led and all I had to do was walk through the doors He opened. Now, I won't lie to you, I did not always walk through the right door. I can just picture God going "oh really Cristina, why did you choose that way, you goof ball, get up and come back and take this door." There still is a lot of walking through the wrong doors but I am a lot faster at turning around and there is also a LOT of grace.
Door In El Salvador I took this past year.
So let's get to Give Prints. The big question being asked is, why? Well, all I know is we have these gifts and talents that God has given us and I want to use them for something! I want more than anything in the world for people to know that they are deeply loved by a God who created them and allows them to choose. For a long time I did not know what that meant, but I know today that I choose Christ and I choose to love people. That is not always easy or fun. But I want to be the person that people think of when they need something or they want to do something. I want to be the one to encourage them, love them, pray for them and if I can be the the one to help them walk through the door. I want to be able to provide an opportunity for them to express their creative side.
Give Prints is a dream to me. One of my dearest friends just recently asked me "Cristina, does this all excite you? Do you want to be doing this?" I had been complaining about how much work this all is. She stopped me, I stopped and said yes. In that moment I saw all the doors that I had walked through from this first photo I took of my sister. This is what God has called me to do and it has taken me 26 years and whole lot of doors to get here and it's just the beginning.
I am blessed to get emails from photographers all over the world asking to be part of Give Prints. I am blessed to provide new photographers a platform to GIVE. I am blessed to help charities and people all over the world in hopes that they will know they are loved. I am moved everyday by how our charities and photographers love what they do. They are amazing people and I for one want the world to know that we are trying to GIVE!
So friends -- it's the short of the story because if you know me when you ask me a question of any kind it takes me at least an hour + to give you the answer. Oh the poor people that have been asking for interviews!!! hahaha!
PS: If you are looking for someone to take photos of your family for the holidays or you are planning a wedding or having an event or need a photographer for anything check out our Photographers page on the Give Prints website, and please tell your friends about them! They are all amazing!
Above All Pray!
Cristina
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