A Richmond Day of Exploration

Richmond Day of Exploration | Christmas Edition 2011

Shockoe Bottom of Richmond Virginia.

A few weeks ago a grand idea hit my little head and I decided to run with it. Being a photographer, I love to explore and discover new things; it’s kind of a highlight of my life. Well I started to have this yearning in me to visit Richmond again and every time I saw somebody in our Fredericksburg missions community that was from Richmond, that yearning came to the forefront of my emotions and so I started talking about the idea of having a Richmond Day. After weeks of this coming up in my heart, and talking about it with every person from Richmond Olivia Williams helped me pick a date to make this thing happen and as soon as there was a date, I started developing more of a storyboard of how this day would go. I invited nearly every one who I knew that was living in Fredericksburg and was originally from Richmond to pick spot or place that is special to them, their favorite Richmond “spot” and as the request came in, I starting building that schedule. We ended up packing my little rental car full of people and had an amazing day!

We started our lovely adventure at Shockoe Bottom where Jamie found Ellory and me climbing the train trusses that you see in the photograph above and the one below. We stayed there for a little bit and just hung out (literally), it was quite calm and very chill.

This is just underneath of Interstate 95, where several major roadways tower above with a couple different train tracks on stilts (of which we climbed) and where the lovely (smelly) canal makes its way towards the James River.)

After we left the train trusses, we headed to Shockoe Expresso, while stopping off at a lovely (expensive) antique furniture shop, but that was only on the way to our next destination, the old train station! In the photographs below you will find us exploring this amazingly extravagant location.

Jamie, what a great photograph!

Elegance!

Ellory Greene

I would like to make a small comment on the privilege it was to have Ellory Greene with us on this day of awesomeness. She is a young sister in the Lord who is originally from Richmond, but lives in Fredericksburg now and serves at the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace. I’ve only just begun to know her and one of the things I love most about her is her honesty and the joy that is within her. This whole day was remarkable and I consider it a great joy, a high honor and a wise investment, concerning the time spent with Ellory, Olivia, Jamie and Michael. God was with us and the relationship that was built during this day was one of the sweetest things to my heart and I believe it was a pleasing fragrance to God most high, our Father in Christ.

 

The City of Richmond, Through the Window.

This photograph you can see my secret agent skills play into action.

Soon after we left the train station, we met up with first Michael Moore and later Olivia Williams at the Virginia Museum of Fine arts in the neighborhood of Carytown in Richmond Virginia. We explored some of the “interesting” exhibits, marveled at a few, made fun of a bunch but one of the more exciting things was that we totally felt like we were in a Jason Bourne movie and thus when Olivia called me in an effort to try and figure out where we were and how to get to use, I played the part of Jason Bourne. As you can see in the photograph above, we were in a sky bridge in the middle of the museum with thick glass walls. Well, I stood by the corner of the wall underneath of the door way that you see behind Jamie and started to tell Olivia where to go, step by step, because, well, I could see exactly where she was and who was behind her and in front of her. I actually acted like there were people following her… It was just a fun little highlight.

Espionage betrayal!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off!

Michael Moore

There are a number of reasons as to why this day meant so much to my little heart, but I suppose you wouldn’t have the ears nor the time to hear every little reason, so I’ll give my top few. Days like these bear such a strong witness to my heart for the vision of true community. Every single person that was in my little rental car that day means so much to my weak heart and they are each remarkably valuable and unique. I considered every moment with them as a rich investment into godliness. My friend Michael Moore represents leadership of a real move of God in Virginia. Though Michael is much younger than I, God has called him to lead “heaven moving” prayer meetings that will effect and change major components to the city of Richmond and even others in the future, so having him on our little adventure was a major blessing. It gave me a glimpse into this young man’s heart and just built a few more blocks on the house of our friendship.

A third person with us on this day is an amazing young lady by the name of Jamie Koschmeder. Although I’ve only known her a short while, she is such a genuine soul and it’s such a comfortable experience to hang out with her. She just graduated from the Burn Internship (the day before). We’ve had some time to hang out in casual settings as well as run hard after God in the place of prayer. She’s a talented photographer who happened to take the majority of the photographs with me in them from this day. As with the others, it was such a great investment to have spent time with her and to have known her a bit more.

Jamie Koschmeder

We then left the Fine Arts Museum for a very special place in the City of Richmond. We headed to an outlook, a park that overlooked the James River and a portion of the city. The best part about this wasn't the fact that it was sun set, it was that it turned into a prayer meeting.

Jamie taking a photograph.

Olivia & Ellory enjoying location.

The City of Richmond

We were there for no more then a few moments and one of us expressed our desire to song a worship song to Jesus. Thus, we began singing songs and after a while those songs turned into intercession for those in Richmond. Suddenly we were tearing up, seeing prophetic images of God's work in the city, and feeling the warmth of the fire of God's presence upon us. It was glorious!

The Richmond Day of Exploration (Christmas Edition)'s Intercessory Prayer Meeting!

Olivia Williams

A forth person that was with us is very special to me because of how far I’ve seen her come in God over the last two years. Olivia Williams did the Burn Internship with me nearly two years ago. I recall the immaturity that was present in all of us in those days and I especially remember it in her because she is a very expressive person, but over the last two years I’ve seen such a strength growing in her and such a tenacity for God and truth take hold of her, it’s been very encouraging for me. I am so proud of her for all she has fought for in her heart before God. As I see her, and every person who was with me that day in Richmond, my heart moves deeply and I find a jealous flame in my heart for every one of them that is straight from God’s heart, that they would never give up and would always press hard into Him, that they would know the fire of God’s love.  Song of Solomon 8:6.

After we left the prayer meeting spot, we made our way over to Carytown only to realize that all the shops had just closed for the night… what a bummer! We didn’t let that keep us down, we just walked into Sweet Frog and got some great ice cream! That is where the photo of Olivia that is just above was taken. After leaving Sweet Frog we made our way over to Shochkoe Strip, which is a Downtown neighborhood where all the big buildings are. We pulled over at the Omni Hotel where we explored their “Christmas Light Land”. It was beautiful!

They have what seems to be hundreds of reindeer made entirely of Christmas Lights and white wire, but there is ONE with a red noise and it was our joy finding it!

Jamie Koschmeder

Olivia Williams

Michael Moore

Ellory Greene

The Christmas-Lit Trees, just above our heads.

Elevator Ride to the Sky Bridge.

The Reindeer Pose! (please, dancers only.)

Olivia is joining the awkward statues! (she must have been home-schooled...)

This concludes our amazing day of awesomeness.

The Aftermath of an Earthquake

This gallery contains 35 photos.

As everybody is well aware, the east cost was somewhat rocked by a mild earthquake yesterday. We all have the little stories of where we were when it happened, and what we originally thought it was and our thought pattern of coming to terms with what happened, and we all love to tell it again […]

My Life Through The Lens

I would like to express my past week through my camera                                                        and more importantly through my 50mm 1.4 and 16-85mm lenses. 🙂

 

 

• At the beginning of the week just as we’re preparing to go hard for the next week we hear of news that the moon is going to be it’s biggest since the beginning of the year and it’s not going to be this close to earth for a long time. The night was beautiful and warm, and just a few weeks earlier Bekah and I found and purchased a couple of unique/antique bicycles  and tonight we wanted to ride them. We also thought to take advantage of this rare close moon, thus we took our bicycles and my Nikon over the hill to a beautiful lookout where you can see the whole of Southpoint. This is where these two beautiful photographs were taken.

Enjoy. 03.18.11

 

 

• These photographs were then taken the following weekend. On a last-minute trip to Washington DC, we decided to surprise our friend and Bekah’s roommate with a trip to the National Zoo. This happened to be my first time to any zoo and once I saw the lions and tigers, it was a while before I was willing to take my eyes off of them.

 

After seeing animals that I’ve only ever seen on the screens, which was amazing, we enjoyed our last moments at the zoo on our way back to the car..

Saturday 03.26.11

 

• The Following day, Sunday. We attended the birthday party of one of the precious little girls that we minister to in the Children’s Equipping Ministry on Friday nights during our weekly Burn Service. We’ve been taking our free time and sowing it into this little girl and her older brother’s lives over the past three weeks and this was just a small part of that. Her birthday party was hosted by a local McDonald’s.

This is the little girl in the photograph below.

Bekah, my housemate Jason, Jason’s brother and I ventured up into the play place to play with and love on these little kids. The Lord is bringing His heart for children and setting it before us that we may behold it, and in beholding it, we become like it. This is what scripture declares.

Bekah Shea is one of the most kind-hearted people I know, it’s part of the reason that I am pursuing her with all my heart. This is her doing what she does so naturally, pouring herself into little children. The reason this moves my heart so much is because this is just a picture of what Jesus looked like and the beauty I see in Rebekah’s heart toward children is just a shadow of what I’ve already seen in Jesus’s heart and in the Father’s heart.

 

Happy Birthday!

The little girls older brother in the stripes.

 

• These last few photographs follow along the same theme of those above, however this is a different day and our focus differs a little as well.  This wonderful family has been going through some hard times and these children need their love banks filled by those who know the Father’s heart. We’ve been helping their parents in packing up their house with them and we’ve wanted to serve them as best as possible through the trial they’re facing. In addition to helping them clean, pack and just pouring into their little children, we took the time on this rainy day, the last day we have to sow into them in this personal way. We took them out and photographed them with the wholeness of our excellence.

The photos are below.

03.28.11

 

• These next and last photographs were taken just a day before the photographs above were taken. These photos are just what came forth from a fun little photographic adventure on our Tuesday date. 🙂

Enjoy.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the photographs and insight into my past week. I love sharing my heart and even more I love sharing the photographs that flow from the day that my heart was apart of. I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed them and that you’ve seen my heart a little more clearly. Thank you for your time.

Blessings to you.

Until He Returns,

-Timothy Yantz

A Queer Thing Happened to America

During the week, last Wednesday I accompanied a caravan of folks from Fredericksburg on up to Washington to stand in prayer and to photograph and archive the release of Dr. Michael Brown’s new book. The title of Dr. Brown’s book, “A Queer Thing Happened to America”.

Standing in the National Press Club on 14th street in Northwest DC I photographed and captured video clips of this event and what an honor it was. This man’s book is #1 on Amazon.com for Gay & Lesbian literature and for good reason, this book from what I’ve heard is very compelling and well written. Dr. Brown has written near 25 books and has been a pastor for many years and was apart of the Brownsville revival that happened back in the 90s. He is a very softhearted man from what I have witnessed and a very brilliant man. I have great expectations for this book and am excited to start reading it.

The book is written to simply shed light on the subject of the “Gay Agenda” and the results it has caused in our society. It’s written by a brilliant man of God, to unbelievers in an attempt to simply talk about the subject. He quotes in this book from people who live the gay lifestyle more than he quotes anyone else. Dr Brown’s book can be found here on Amazon.com

 

The Photographs of This Event

Until Christ Returns,
-Timothy Yantz

Aaron & Juliana’s Wedding

Yesterday I had the high honor of photographing Aaron & Juliana Custalow’s wedding day. I can honestly say this was the hardest wedding I’ve done yet, but it was one of the most glorious weddings as the Lord was there strong in presence and I found myself even weeping as I was shooting the bride coming down the aisle. We started the gentlemen’s portraits an hour after we had planned and thus in one hour we had to work in the guys portraits, the minister/father of the groom praying over the bridal party, the minister praying over the groom’s party and the girls portraits in one hour. Things were rushed quite intensely and I found myself running around the building snapping shots from 12:25pm until the bride and groom left in my car immediately after the ceremony to our planned out locations for the photo shoot. I remember while the ceremony was still proceeding, I felt my heart beat and never had I felt a heart beat so quickly in my life, I was very tempted to take a minute and count, but I had not even a minute to spare as I was on my feet for six hours straight with no break. The bride, Juliana walked down the aisle in procession towards her bridegroom, Aaron while I was snapping pictures and as the music picks up I take a few brief moments in between shots to look around and see the atmosphere of the room, most everyone was crying. Aaron’s father who is the minister, was crying, Aaron was crying, many others were crying and I was crying. This wedding is more than a job, but these are the two souls who lead my section at the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace, who fight alongside me day and night for the release of glory in the Fredericksburg region, who press onward that Christ may receive the reward of His sufferings. These two who have paid such a high price and fought through so much darkness to be together, in Christ, in love have made it to the day of their full joining together and not only them, but countless people and angels and even the Lord Himself has fought for this day and here it is happening before my eyes, her proceeding towards her groom, her last steps as an unmarried women, for now she is forever joined with Aaron Custalow, one with him as Christ is one with the church.

After the ceremony ended we rushed to my car and Scott Anderson, my apprentice in training drove us away to our two different locations for the half an hour photoshoot, an old baron farm and broken down barn where only the foundation remained and to the downtown of Ashland Virginia, where we took photographs on the train tracks that ran down the center of the town street. We then rush back to the church and I photograph the whole of the wedding party and families and then on the way to the reception hall we sneak away, just the bride & groom and myself to a snowy field on a side road and with the grass poking its way out of the snow and the moon shining in its fullness, we take photographs that display a deep meaning. “Though there is snow and it is cold, despite this barrenness true love remains. Life is found sprouting from beneath the snow.”

We make our way to the reception hall and pulled up just on time as we had originally planned, how we worked in three photoshoot locations and the families of the bride and groom and the wedding party in the scheduled time is amazing. My busy work day ends around nine thirty in the pm as I sit in the parking lot resting, praying and crying before the Lord. Then I make a phone call as I’m leaving to talk to my best friend, Rebekah Shea. 🙂

 

Love

Tonight I write concerning some deep understanding I received from the Lord while pondering love and watching my own heart in relation to those who are closest to me.

Many have asked & wondered upon the definition of love, as to what it is. In the wonderings of my own heart I’ve searched long and deep and have come to understand that God is love and that it’s really that simple, it’s who He is. To wrap our mind around a verbal definition of love as if it is an expression is insanity, for we do it all the time. We see the expression of love in others and try to define it, but one cannot even have a bare definition of it by seeing the expression of it, they must see the One who Is It. There is an innate love within every human, or better fit, a capacity to love with in all. However God is love and to understand love one must know God. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God, because God is love | 1 John 4:7

In other words he who does not know God cannot love, because it is impossible to love apart from deeply knowing He who alone is love. The reason it’s so difficult to place a definition on love is because love was never created, it always was. As long as God was, love was. As image bearers it is our destiny to love, each of us is created with the capacity to love and we are destined to see God. Something I’m learning from being close friends with one of the staff here is that the only way to love is to lay one self down. Because that’s what love does, it compels its possessor to lay down their own for the sake of the other. Love is a state of being and the only way to be is to submit in entirety to He who is love, namely Christ who is in perfect union with the Father, who is love, who is God.

What I’m learning by the deep teaching and leading of Holy Spirit is to abide in Christ and have my affections be in perfect agreement with Him through union. If my affections for somebody are not in a beautiful agreement with Christ by union with Him, then my affections for that person cannot be rooted in love, for Christ alone is love, meaning that those affections would in turn rooted in something else, either pride, lust or fear. By saying this I am clearly stating that every relationship in the world that is not in Christ is either based in lust, a strong desire for someone who is not yours, fear, because people are scared they’ll loose something, or pride, because they think they’re better then someone. I’m learning that love is completely selfless, as the bible says and cannot have any lust in it, any pride in it or any fear it, and in my own strength, that’s all my love can have, but in Christ’ strength I can love.

1 John 4:18 | There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 | Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

Planned Parenthood, Stand For Life

This Saturday I, along with many others drove up to the Washington Court Hotel in Washington DC and held meetings of prayer and worship with one mission in mind. It’s a very real truth that there is another realm then the one we are physically present in, the bible makes that very clear and so does science. This realm is effected and also effects the natural plane we live in, meaning our prayers actually move angels and demons. Our prayers or lack there of either give room for darkness to expand or light to abound, it’s the churches place to choose. I’ve heard it said that “all evil needs to thrive is for good men to do nothing,” and “all darkness needs to expand is for light to be dampened”. Meaning the condition or well-being of a region is directly proportional to the condition of the church, who is the light of the world. {matthew 5:14}

This summer a man was arrested on a public sidewalk outside the Planned Parenthood for “trespassing” on the sidewalk to pray for light to abound. There was a fence and signs placed up around the sidewalk by the P.P. for the direct purpose of keeping those who oppose the action of abortion, which are those who stand faithfully before the Lord, like Danielle. It’s a long story and if you’d like to read more about it, visit the Bound For Life blog.

My journey into this story is that of a passionate, obedient son of God. Knowing that injustice is served by those who perform abortions and the one thing that brings lasting change, namely prayer, being threatened with arrest by those who practice their rights, knowing that is even more of an injustice.. I went to DC to fast and pray, to take a stand before God and man, risking arrest, preparing for it, although not desiring it. Much of my time was spent in prayer worship and photographing & videoing the event. I have many pictures below to show of the day. Prayers were answered and non were arrested, the sidewalk was declared public, meaning that people can take a stand and press heaven that light may go forth, restraining the death of hundreds of pre-born children.

6.22.10

Arron Custalow drove me back to the Wolford house last night just after it finished up raining. As we’re pulling up to the house, out of no where the sky lights up in majestic beauty. I asked Arron to drop me off on the unfinished road behind the subdivision so I could just snap a few photos. I laid there for a bit wondering about it all then I snapped a few photos and my camera could not do justice to that remarkable sky, the detail and color go far beyond what you see in this photo..

Do Not Forget He Who Holds You

The color fades, I go home, only to get offered free Chinese food by the family I’m staying with.. one of my favorite foods. All this time, I’m feeling the deep ache of longing for God and feeling no sweetness. Out of nowhere, lightning picks up, so I go back to that new favorite plot of land and snap this shot..

Do Not Forget

The day has ended, it was good.. but there is still more ground to take.