… The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose. - John Marm Brown.
Family.
I’m so very proud of these images and these subjects. I love who they are and what they represent… again… both images and subjects. Image-wise they are my beginnings, my past… subjects wise they are my future… both are a vital part of my present. The image on the lower right started and will remain one of the opening images into my web site… it is the beginning of ELP… take a walk with me… with us…
These final four (yes, a little delayed) inspirations will (if I get it right) be maybe some of the shortest write-ups I’ve written since starting this exploration of the inspiring. :) They need little explanation but deserve more words I could ever give them. Hence I will try to honor them with less than more… because from what I hear less is more?
That being said… Buckhead Church is #4. It is my favorite place in Atlanta, you wouldn’t know it though because it is a place I cry religiously… pun intended. If you move to Atlanta within a week you will have been convinced to test the waters of Buckhead Church… even if you’re not a ‘religious person.’ It is the ‘cool’ thing to do, the place to meet ‘young good looking singles,’ and yes, ‘everybody’s doing it.’ When I moved into Atlanta I went ocassionally for all of those reasons. It was when I wanted to MOVE out of Atlanta when I went for the right reasons.
It is not your traditional church, but I suppose traditional is very relative. I’ll just say that the first twenty minutes can be compared to a full-fledged rock concert, baptisms occur in a large pool of water 50 or so feet above everyone’s heads and jeans/hats/t-shirts/flip flops/etc are all allowed and incredibly common in the audience of hundreds. Police man the streets to help with parking, the programs/handouts are works of art and large screens and video feeds occasionally take the place of an in-the-flesh pastor. These all make it different but not a distraction. What makes it so ‘cool’ is that the mission is beautifully simple ‘to lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.’ I realize I am touching on a sensitive subject of religion but like my #10 Goodbye Guy, it is a sensitive subject that is important to the validity of this list.
I will just say there has been no better change in my life than what caused me to find Buckhead Church. But it took BC for me to realize that the change was a positive one. For me it has made me more whole, less lost and inspires me to want more out of what I give to the world… not what I get back. Without spilling religion on anyone (much like BC) I pray that everyone has somewhere to go that brings their faith full circle. Whatever you have faith in… may we all have FAITH. It is a beautiful beautiful beautiful (one more time, beautiful) thing to believe in something that isn’t tangible or right in front of us… faith itself, in whatever it may be, makes way for the possibility of so many greater things that we could never have imagined. Faith also makes those hard things in life so much less substantial by giving them purpose, paving the road for those great things we know nothing of… yet. For me Buckhead Church has been my path to that inspiring notion of faith.
Buckhead Church’s head pastor Andy Stanley is probably as celeb as it comes to me now…
but check out his podcasts for some inspiration… no matter what your religious views, I have little doubt you’ll enjoy this man’s intelligence and words. OR if you can’t make it to Buckhead in Atlanta go online at 6PM/5PM CST, to see what I see every Sunday… they broadcast the service live! It rocks… so even when I visit Iowa I can get my weekly reminder of faith! Go here for more info on Buckhead Church.
Hope everyone had a safe holiday! Be in touch… erika@erikaleighphotography.com!
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