This past weekend I graduated from Liberty University, with a degree in Visual Communications Arts – Graphic Design, and a minor in Photography. For any of you who are close to me, you know that these past 5 years haven’t been the easiest for me. It’s been a rocky journey to say the least, but graduating from the Honors Program and with Summa Cum Laude, is proof that God truly is faithful (more faithful to us than we know!), that He rewards hard work, and that He really does see every late night I stayed up studying, every tear I cried, and heard every cry for help. All the glory goes to Him because there were so many times that I thought I wasn’t going to make it, and so many times that I didn’t even want to try and make it. He also put amazing family members around me to encourage me, awesome friends who were there to make me laugh and not feel alone, and teachers who encouraged me to do my very best in the work that I did. I am truly thankful for the education that I received at Liberty, not just in academics, but life lessons too.
When an individual is graduating, everyone wants to know “what’s next?” It is a weird feeling to know that I really am done! I’m not getting a summer break and then starting school again in the fall. But I am very thankful that I do have a plan laid out before me and I want to share that with you today! Even though I have this plan, I am certain that things will change, and that they might not look exactly how I think they will look from where I currently stand. Things rarely turn out exactly how we have imagined that they will in our heads. Just like the past 5 years have been a different variation of how I thought they would be, i’m sure the next 5 years will be the same. But here is what I see happening next…
When I first started my degree in Graphic Design I knew that I needed to use my giftings and skills in this area to further the Kingdom of God, 5 years ago I had no idea what that meant, but God is faithful and has given me the opportunity to work with Operation Mobilization Arts! OM is a missions organization, and I am thrilled to be able to work part time for OM Arts International as a graphic designer and photojournalist. But here is the cool part, my Dad is the boss of OM Arts! We have been working together over the past year together on a special project and I have to say, we work extremely well together, I am very excited to be able to work with my Dad 🙂 How did that all come about? Well as an honors student I was required to do a thesis. As a visual communications major, I was able to do a creative project. So I decided to created a 50 page magazine, with all of the photography, articles, and design created by me. But what topic could I talk about that I was passionate about and that I could talk about for 50 pages? Well, what I ended up doing was creating a magazine called VIVID, with the subject of how the arts can be used on the mission field. My Dad saw what I was doing and when it was all said and done, he asked if OM Arts could use it since that is exactly what they do! I was thrilled, and God gave me a sneak peek of how He wanted to use my graphic design skills for His Kingdom. My Dad has since asked if I would join OM Arts to be the creative director and editor for VIVID Magazine, which will now be a semiannual publication produced by OM Arts to raise awareness and showcase how the arts are being used all around the world in missions. What a cool thing to be a part of! I am in awe of what The Lord has done here.
But there is a second part to this whole thing. Not only do I get to use my graphic design skills for God’s Kingdom, I also get to run a photography business and follow my passion! Noble Sparrow Photography is my pride and joy. I waited for a year to shoot my first wedding; I spent that year praying and asking for this opportunity. When the opportunity finally came in October of 2014, I had no idea just how much I would fall in love with it. Shooting that wedding solidified in my heart that I had to go for it, I needed to start my own photography business. We opened our Facebook page in November, launched our website and this blog in January, booked (and are continuing to book) 5 weddings for 2015, and just booked our first wedding for 2016! I feel truly honored that I get to be a graphic designer AND a photographer.
If I could give one piece of advice to someone after what I have learned from these past 5 years, I would tell them that God knows you, He sees you, He cries when you cry, He cares about your dreams, He will not let any part of your life go to waste, and if you live a life in surrender to His will, He will do something bigger and greater than anything that you could have imaged (even if you have to wait for it)!!
