A special thanks

A special thanks to the following photographers (whom I consider family) who have already given up their time and talents in some form or other to give Footpath Photography a great start!

Bob and Lydia Fox- Your creativity with the camera is awesome! You never cease to amaze me! Thanks for sharing in my vision, and helping me create this ministry!

Barry Rodriguez- Your very own photography ministry is so inspiring, and your contributions are fantastic! (Please visit worldnextdoor.org for more of his fantastic work in both photography, and ministry!)

Brian McGuckin- Your photography mentoring has been priceless! Thank you for lending your hand and providing guidance to a less seasoned photographer! (Please visit brianmcguckin.com to catch a glimpse of his God-given talent!)

Why "Footpath"?

Well, as one who truly enjoys hiking, I particularly enjoy the term "footpath". It suggests that we are on a journey- one which, in order to reach its destination, requires that we stay true to the path we walk on.

My journey has definitely been on a path "less traveled by". It is my desire that after having walked this life, someone may notice the footpath I have left...and it is my hope that if one were to trace my steps over the years following, they will be able to look up occasionally from the ground, see the beauty all around, and know that the road that I traveled leads to the Creator of all things beautiful- my Savior and my Lord.

(Also, "The Super Awesomest Number One Photograndiose Experience" was already taken...")

(Or wait...IS it...)

The Genesis of Footpath Photography

It started with a missions trip to Canton, Mississippi with my church's senior high ministry, where I was asked to lead worship and take some photos of the team in action. Out of that experience, I felt God calling me to utilize my talents and abilities in a whole new way. In the van ride home from that trip, a seed was placed in my heart to create a photography ministry whose proceeds would go entirely to help further God's kingdom here on earth. A year later Footpath Photography was born. It is my mission to use what skills, abilities, talents, and opportunities God has given me in the field of photography to bless others.

It's not surprising to most people who know me that I have chosen In His Steps Ministries in Canton Mississippi (inhissteps.org) as the base ministry which I desire to focus my giving. Founder Jasper Bacon has a God-inspired vision to minister to at risk children, juvenile offenders, and their families in one of the most poverty stricken cities in the nation. While traveling through the city of Canton, Jasper and his wife Carolyn pointed out the numerous scars of racism found throughout the historic city. They further explained the socioeconomic impact the culture had played in propagating the cycle of poverty in the area. Two distinct feelings overcame me during my week with Jasper, Carolyn, In His Steps Ministries, and my team from Grace Community Church of Noblesville, IN, as we spent that week outdoors in the heat (>100 F!!!).

There was a heaviness in my heart as I felt the weight of years of injustice and pain inflicted on the community. I realized the difficulty in bringing a community out of the conditions and habits ingrained from years of forced social limitations is highly diminished in the minds of those (including my own) who have never experienced or witnessed it. Though heavy, the entire weight of my heart that week can't compare to the crushing weight placed upon those who live in Canton.

Then there was the enormous hope. Seeing undeniable works of God in the lives of the people who served, as well as those who were being served during the week, made me realize that God is active and hard at work in Canton. I felt that by the end of the week, we got to see what appeared to be two sides of how God blesses us- being the receiver of His blessing, and by BEING the blessing to others. I can't imagine and have yet to experience the latter without the former to this day. Jasper Bacon and In His Steps Ministries have been God's hands and feet in the community. Helping remind them that God and His people have not forgotten or given up on them, the ministry fills multiple needs. The most striking need I witnessed was the display of love shown to those children whom the community have given up on- those who are in authority over their lives have considered them a lost cause. In His Steps gives opportunity to bring education through tutoring, loving discipline through athletic instruction, and most importantly the love and eternal hope that is Christ Jesus into the lives of these children. (Visit inhissteps.org for more information!)

As God has revealed my eyes to both the need for support in ministries such as In His Steps, as well as the potential use God may have for me in utilizing what He has blessed me with, I have pursued the creation of this ministry- Footpath Photography. It is my hope that Footpath Photography may experience the same two sides of God's blessing that I have personally experienced in the past. I know I have been and am continually blessed by God, and it is my hope now that Footpath Photography, with your help, will be a blessing to others!