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20TH IN OREGON – PART 1
Jen Mininger • Oct 27, 2019
Part 1 of My 20th Anniversary in Oregon
Welcome to my very first blog post. An authentic post about my marriage. A most meaningful, personal and powerful sharing from my heart, for my heart. Our memories of 20 years together and our 20th anniversary trip. You guys, THIS is my photo therapy…THIS IS LAYERED PHOTOGRAPHY….and I LOVE it! I hope you love it too. I hope you are inspired. I hope you get goosebumps! Enjoy!
I have reluctance about this. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to share… but its vulnerable to sort of bare us a little bit here… AND, I don’t want to mislead anyone.
I mean, no need to be jealous or envious after looking at a pretty photo. After all, in one way its just a little highlighted memory of one weekend out of 20 years. It just wouldn’t be right to be envious. Cause while these photos are fun and pretty, they are NOT of a perfect couple living a sweet little life…actually we are husband and wife doing the normal juggling act, raising 5 kids, paying bills and…
…and to be honest, we are 2 very broken people who are grateful for Jesus. If it weren’t for His death on the cross, then would we even be seeing 20 years of marriage?!
So, we honored this marriage milestone by taking a big ol’ crazy little trip to Oregon! Just three nights on the west coast, and a bajillion sleepy hours in airplanes and airports. “What the heck is in Oregon?” (at least that's what I said)… you’ll see, and if your like me, you might just want to take your own crazy little trip!
So here is our fun stories, our vulnerability, our authenticity… here is a piece of our real… a window into our brokenness. We believe its a view of what redemption might look like.
It was my desire to get a good pic of us dancing on our 20th anniversary ON the pacific shore! I wanted to print a giant canvas of it and hang it in our bedroom. I wanted the photo to be a vision of hope and inspiration! I imagined looking at the picture as I passed by it in our room, and singing the line from Garth Brooks’ song, “I could have missed the pain, but I would have had to miss the dance”… its a good song, and those are good words … but, now that I have this image, I think that that line really doesn’t cut it. It sort of implies that “the dance” is a place of arrival.. but the reality is, we have NOT “arrived”!
This dance photo, this memory, our time together on the beach…its truly precious to us! We are REALLY grateful for it and we do want to hang it on our wall..but when we look at it, I think the song that more closely speaks to this image is by Andrew Peterson... its called “Dancing in the Minefields."
Because, life… marriage is full of unpredictable hard stuff. Like minefields.
…the stuff of life can surprise us and bring harm to us. Sometimes, its good to “dance” around them, but Korey and I are finding that true intimacy happens when we “dance” right on top of them, or possibly regardless of them. We are not ignoring or pretending the minefields (or the elephants in the room) don’t exist. Rather, we talk about those minefields, often we cry about them, and we find ourselves closer and stronger then before, even with our wounds.
We can do this, because we know that God goes with us in those minefields… cause “even though we WALK THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear evil, because HIS rod and staff comfort us.” (Jen’s version from Psalm 23:4)
So, whenever we end up choosing the right photo to hang so large, I might sing Garth’s song, but more likely I think I will be singing “Dancing in the Minefields," and I think I will smile because I will see the pain, but I will know that dancing is still possible! It might serve as a visual reminder..a source for perspective.
“In the face of all this chaos, baby I can dance with you.” -Andrew Peterson
Friends… thank you for walking with me here. This is just part 1 of our 20th in Oregon story. I invite you to follow along on my facebook
and instagram @jenminingerphotography
to see how this layered photography unfolded for me. To see what God showed me through our time and through these visuals that we captured! I have been deeply encouraged… and its my prayer that you will be encouraged with the encouragement that I have received! If you would like to join my email list then send me a note at jen@layeredphotography.com
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Bobbie went from full hustle to full halt and discovered what God can do in a valley season.
It ached to hear the harsh words that she knew could be her own, yet it felt so safe and reassuring to know that God sees her and wants her to have new lyrics in her own heart.
Acknowledging the dark as well as the light feels so honest and helpful in these moments. Although, I will warn, that it can also feel raw and not always easy, YET it is a kindness to ourselves when we start with honesty, isn't it? It is both, difficult and kind.
Letting go.. or saying "no" can be SO HARD ! We don't want to, we'd rather be awesome, all the time, in all the things! BUT... is that really working for you and your people? What do you need to steward (manage, maximize or multiply) better? Do you need to let go of something so that you may better steward something of more value… for a season?
Tracy leaned into the old car unafraid of the dirt and rust that she was now touching.
As I said in an email to my Belize Trip Prayer Team.. “ I am thankful. Actually, I am dumbfounded, humbled and in awe.”
C O N T A C T
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