Reflecting on Today through photography
Art students at a Christian school in Minnesota (Avail Academy) had the opportunity to interact in-depth with January's Today devotions by reading the devotions, taking photos that reflected the theme, and writing reflections of their own. We pray that you'll be blessed by their photography and reflections below.
Susan VanGeest, their art teacher added "Using photography, students seek and capture the beauty around them as a way to open their eyes to the abundance of God's beauty."
As you read these reflections, I hope you are encouraged by how young people in our Today community are engaging with God’s Word. I hope their reflections and faith inspire you as you interact with God’s Word this year.
"Carried All the Way"
Read Jan 4 devotional
This photo was taken at my cabin in northern Minnesota. To me, the lamp post represents how God is our light, he guides us as a light on the path when the sun is going down. The rocks lining the path represent another way He helps keep us safe, protecting us from straying. We can follow God’s path & follow his light into the beauty of eternity with Him.
Elsa Hill
"Strength & Courage"
Read Jan 6 devotional
My photo displays the strength and courage that God gives us to get through hard circumstances and fear. This flower needed strength and courage to overcome the difficulty of growing in a hard place; we also need God's strength and courage to get through difficulties and things we are scared to do. Fear is not from God, fear is from Satan, and God wants us to ask for his help to have strength and courage.
Delanie Gray
"Never Abandoned"
Read Jan 9 devotional
God is always with us no matter what; He will never abandon us and he will never stop loving us. I had to climb up a tree to take this photo of a pinecone, but at some point it will fall from the heights. This is kind of like our lives, there will be times when we will have to fall & start all over again. Because the pinecone falls, it will eventually spread its seeds creating new trees. Similarly, God uses us for His good; He will create something new from us even at our lowest.
Ezra Aune
"Be Victorious"
Read Jan 22 devotional
It takes a lot of hard work and responsibility to own and take care of animals. At our family farm there are many tasks that have to be completed to care for the animals. They have to be fed and given water, open space, and protection. It might seem that through all of the hard work there are no benefits, but they do provide milk, food, and fun for us. They also help fertilize and care for the land. God might call us to do something that seems hard and we might not want to do it, but we can look for the ways God may bring good, blessing, and learning out of the experience.
Stella Hagen
"God's Treasured Possession"
Read Jan 23 devotional
The flower is an unexpected element in this photo. People tend to see flowers from a bird's eye view, only looking at them from the top. However, when your vantage point is under the flower, a whole new level of beauty is discovered. God sees things from all perspectives. He sees the beauty even when we cannot. So I try to remember to trust God through the ups and downs, knowing He has a plan whether or not I can see it coming.
Grace Postma
"The Secret Things of God"
Read Jan 24 devotional
We don’t always know God’s plan. Sometimes it can feel like we’re shrouded in shadows, looking up at a dark, foggy sky, searching for answers that will never come. Even in the midst of this darkness, however, we can see a light behind the shadows. We know it’s there. Its movements are hidden from us, but we can trust that it will penetrate.
Berean Bock
"Trails of God's Faithfulness"
Read Jan 29 devotional
In our walk with God, it can often feel as if we are making our own winding path that no one has been down before. It can seem as if God may not even be there when difficult things happen in our lives. When we have these doubts, it can be extremely encouraging to see the stories of God’s faithfulness in other’s lives. Their stories can remind & comfort, smoothing the terrain, like the many bricks creating a path in this photo. Even when it seems difficult, we are not the only ones who have walked this trail, and God will be with us all the way.
Patrick Grosser