About the author
Hi! I am Chesney :)
Brief background:
I am a wife, a mom of three beautiful and rambunctious little humans, and a redeemed daughter of the King. I have been into photography for 10 years! Can you believe how fast time flies? I can't. I live a very simple life and love the beautiful things about it. I am a California native and will forever long for the beach forever and ever. Amen! Ha.
My whole life I have searched for a purpose. I find that when I think of how big our God is, it reminds me that no matter what my situation is, he is always and will always be in perfect control. He is always pushing to use our gifts, strengths, and weaknesses to seek out his people and bring them back to knowing perfect love and inexplicable peace.
I was burdened with a burning fire within the moment I stepped back into church. I was someone. God knew me. He knew my weaknesses and he knew my strengths. But how can I walk in his calling? One gift I was certain he had provided me with along my journey was an eye for photography. Fun, right? But what does it all mean? Sure I was 'good' at taking photos of people and things. Sure, it helped my family's financial situation, but what was the deeper purpose? I had prayed and prayed to find out why I had a longing within my heart to do more with the gift I had been given. What I was unaware of was God was wanting to use it for His Glory and to shine a light on people who are like me, who have also experienced a whirlwind of traumas, doubts, and shame in their lives.
Thats when a sermon by one of the pastors at my church spoke to me. Your story is a WEAPON... and boy did I have a bunch of them. I took heart knowing that I was certainly not alone in some of the crazy things I faced in my 28.75 years of life. What I didn't know was how these events would give me life and in return, give others life as well.
That was until one day, I was driving and had thought of a few sessions that I had done recently. I remember a common denominator between these women I encountered. Many of them telling me that they were worried about their looks. Women hiding behind their beautiful children feeling ashamed for not losing all of the baby weight. Some feeling like their faces weren't pretty enough and that I needed to do "special editing" to alter their looks. I know the feeling because I am the same way. I am constantly feeling the weight of shame regarding my looks, my body, my past, and who I am as a person. Then just like that, it clicked....
There God was. In His always perfect timing FINALLY showing me the why behind the what regarding the calling he placed in my heart nearly three years ago. People have reasons that they don't see themselves as God sees them. In HIS image. Perfect. Cleansed and free of flaws thanks to his Son, Jesus. Don't you love when you get an answer to a long awaited prayer? This is what I believe I am called to do. To tell people's stories while photographing them to show them just how beautiful they truly are. They are perfect. You, reading this, YOU ARE PERFECT. Not because of anything you have done, but because you bear the image of God and the blood of Jesus has restored you to his original design. Nothing can ever undo that, no matter how bad things may seem.
This is why I created this blog. I absolutely can not wait to share his love and encourage not only people who come to me with their testimonies, but the people reading this. Once again. You are so, SO incredibly LOVED. Most importantly, you are not alone.