I started learning how to take pictures well about 2 years ago. My cardchef.com business taught me how to Photoshop and allowed me the funds to purchase a very nice camera which made taking awesome pictures nearly inevitable. It has been a very fun, fulfilling, and unexpected pursuit.  I even now have my own website (www.LilacPhotography.com) to showcase my journey. I have enjoyed taking pictures of people – especially women. I just love making them feel beautiful.

God gave me a new motivation with this new hobby recently. It’s a project He has called “The Romans 12:2 Project.” I started challenging my friends to let me take their pictures with no make-up on. I wanted to help them see their true beauty, but God had slightly different plans for this project.  I prayed for a few weeks about doing this at all. I wanted this to be an anointed project – not just something i thought up. The idea kept coming up and so I told God, “ok, if You want me to do this, then help me give it a name – a motivation.” A few days after that prayer at church, I opened my bible at random to Romans 12:2. I read it and thought, “this might work,” but it wasn’t really what i was going for.  I was searching for something to do with beauty, God’s true image of women, etc. I put my ribbon there and kept searching to no avail. I went back and re-read Romans 12 a few times and started to feel better about it, even though the ‘lesson’ wasn’t really what i had in mind for people. I prayed during church for confirmation. Then during the last song, the worship leader said, ” I feel like I am supposed to share a scripture with someone here,” and can you just guess what it was? Romans 12:2. My heart about burst and i knew my prayer had been answered. My project had a new motivation and a name.

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

I have found a good number of women recently who WILL NOT go out in public without putting on their ‘face.’  Some of them have agreed to take on this challenge. Wearing make-up daily is just one way that women conform to the world’s standard and I intend to help a few – however many I can – challenge themselves to put down that world standard and let God transform them by changing the way they think.  ….because who wouldn’t want to know God’s will for them?

I feel blessed beyond comprehension to be allowed to minister to women in this way. I hope that I can plant seeds that will grow with time.

If your heart beats with nervousness just thinking about taking pictures with no make-up, then this project is for and about you. Call me and let’s talk about it!