Wainwright Family [Spring Canyon, CO]

These are my friends the Wainwrights, I met them this past week at Spring Canyon.  Ryan and Mary and their two kids Danielle (4) and William (16 months) are moving out to Fort Lewis in Washington to continue serving our U.S. army.  I had such a great time getting to know this family, I absolutely love their heart and love for the Lord.  They have such a beautiful family and beautiful hearts.  Enjoy their family as I did.

The Life of a Mountain man [Buena Vista, CO]

I've now been in Colorado a little over a week and a half, my time here so far has been so busy that I haven't had much time to spend alone with my good friend Jesus, let alone stay caught up with all my 'people' that I love so much.  Life is definitely a whirlwind at the moment.  Busy going from one training session to the next.  It's been quite alot of fun to be getting all of this training, I've been absorbing quite a bit of new information over the past week.

We've spend the most amount of time on learning all the different rock climbing and repelling systems.  Getting all the knots down, all the protocols for climbing and being anchored in to something, how to tie students in, how to rescue a student in case they get stuck.  Attention to detail I'm learning is one of the most important things as a instructor and guide.  The safety and lives of students depend on making sure that everything is 100% correct 100% of the time.

Mike Displaying proper technique for clipping into your harness.

This is my face(s) for getting ready to go out and spend a day on the rocks.

Though people may not be able to perceive this, I do miss my family quite a lot, that has been probably one of the hardest parts so far about being out here in this wilderness paradise.  NO FAMILY!  My desktop background is currently as follows.

Though this time away from family and familiar environments is hard, I feel like this summer is the training grounds which is moving me from boyhood to manhood.  I feel a maturing taking place in my heart as I continue to plow ground.  There is a reality of now plowing ground for myself as Isaac Mark Smith.  I am laying the foundations in these years that the rest of my life will be built upon.  What are going to be the founding principles of my life, my household.  No one can make these decisions for me, as well no one else can walk these values out for me.  I get to dream with the Lord and press into however much of Him that my flesh can take.  Narrow is the gate, difficult is the way, and few are those who find it.  How far will He let me go, how abandoned will He let me be.  I want to be dependent on the words of one man alone.  Truly His opinion is the only one that matters.

Until I get wireless internet again...I remain...

Mountain man.

A Family of DomiNation (Preview) [Ann Arbor, MI]

More to follow, I absolutely love the Brabbs family.  Here's a preview of a family shoot I got to do with them at their home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Check out the Brabbs blog and journey here.

Pushed into Leaning

There hasn't been to many transitional seasons in my life, I'm not sure if I would even consider this summer to be the Lord moving me into a new 'season'.  Maybe just a mid-season hiccup.  All my stuff is packed as I am getting ready for a summer that will be different than most I'm used to.  In just a few days I will be flying home to Michigan to see my family for a week.  Upon returning to Kansas City I will have two quick days to repack and get ready for a summer spent in the mountains of Colorado.

For the past two years I have lived in KC, the longest time I have spent away from this place was a month back in the summer of 2009.  When I moved here, I don't think I knew that I would be moving here more or less permanently.  When I finished my internship I moved into a house with 5 other guys, called the 'Refuge House.'

Left to Right: Me, Jay, Micah, Kris (the owner of the House), Josh

Jay, Micah, Kris, and I have been together for the past year and a half in the house.  I've had alot of fun getting to know these guys.  Basically, we had fun pretty much all the time when anyone was home.  The refuge house really has felt like home here in Kansas City, it's going to feel really odd to be back in Kansas City and not coming home to these guys.

As for where I will live come fall, I have no clue.  There are so many things that are out of my control at the current moment of life.  My heart is to find a place with fewer guys, a little slower pace, and would prefer to have the guys going to IHOPU.  Life here at the House of Prayer is really busy, really fast pace, so it's important that when you walk in where ever you are living that you are able to enter into true rest.

I think also having grown up in a big family, going straight into internship life, then coming to a house with 4 roommates, I'm ready for a little break.  I need a little smaller crowd for home life.

Truly my heart will miss these guys.

So today, I officially feel like my summer is starting, as I take this first step of trusting the Lord.  I know this summer is about leaning for me.  Leaning into leadership that is unseen.  Learning to hear His voice and trust Him at His word.  I feel the pressures on my heart already to abandon ship, to neglect the voice of the Lord because of the tensions my heart will endure through the uncertainty.  Truly, He must increase, I must decrease.

"The boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places."

Isaac

Love my Franklin Family!

I just got back Monday from flying down to Houston over the weekend for a wedding I photographed.  The wedding pictures are in the process of being edited right now, but I couldn't resist to through these pictures up from the time I got to spend with the Franklin's! 

I got to spend Saturday night with Cris and Heather, and then the Lord worked it out so my flight was cancelled and got to spend all of Sunday together as well!  I had so much fun getting to interact with their boy David, (turns 4 soon) and their daughter Danielle, who is 9 months.  Definitely would love to spend more time with them in the future!

Sunday I shot a few pictures as we took a stroll in the park and had a picnic lunch.  Here's some of my favorites!

 

The Franklin's are such an amazing family, I love Cris and Heather's heart for raising up kids that love the Lord!  I was so blessed to spend the entire day with them and get to see the inner workings of raising two kids.  David is almost four and has quite a few different allergies that they've had to deal with since he was born.  Sunday morning David had an allergic reaction to something that we had eaten at breakfast, there were alot of questions in my heart for the Lord.  I'm standing with Cris and Heather in prayer that David would be healed completely from all allergies!

I can't say enough about how I absolutely love this family.  They have been such a blessing to my heart and my ministry.

Love you guys so much!