Wow, what an email!

I opened my Facebook account and checked my messages the other day, something I rarely do as much as I should so I apologize to peeps who have written me on there, but anyway I had this amazing message. The kind of message that just lights up your day, your week, heck maybe even my month.

So here’s the message, I have taken out as much personal info as possible as “Miss A” has given me permission to blog this but I didn’t want to totally give away her identity. Our response to her was of sincere gratitude for sending us this kindhearted and honest letter. Wow, just wow. Thank you Lord for blessing when you least expect them. Maybe you all too can give her words of encouragement and any advice you may see fit. – M

Hi Marissa & Kimberlee,
You don’t know me, and I have never met you! But right now I find myself sitting and writing you (with my husbands encouragement as he finishes off supper!) and wanting to tell you a little bit about my story and why there are tears running down my face.

Oh where to start! I guess I should introduce myself, so hi, my name is A——, I love Jesus, my husband and photography (and many other things that don’t apply to this tale). A few months ago I got this idea in my head to give my husband a few sexy pictures of me for Christmas. The challenge is that its rather difficult to take great pictures of yourself like that! So I enlisted my aunt who is a great friend of mine, and even though she was scared and couldn’t believe I had talked her into to it, we found ourselves running around her bedroom in skimpy little outfits with a camera. The result was incredible! My husband was blown away, but better yet my aunt’s husband was astounded. Last spring their marriage of 17 rocky years almost blew up. But they pulled through and have been working hard at it since then. Her little album to him changed everything! Suddenly she felt sexy for the first time in years, and he found her new confidence incredibly attractive! Now they leave love notes on each other’s facebook walls, spend time together and even enjoy each other. Our God is good! And he used something as simple as a beginners try at boudoir photography to glorify Him

Right around that same time my husband and I moved from a small prairie town to a big mountainous city (I live in Canada by the way), because my husband and I are involved in ministering in prisons and felt an incredible call to follow the opportunity to be involved closely with a chaplain in K——-, BC. So within a couple of months we had quit our jobs, packed up and said goodbye to family and started a new life. God blessed my hubby with a job, but somehow I never found one, and after a lot of encouragement from my amazing man, we decided I would pursue starting up a photography business, with an emphasis on boudoir. Yup me, who has only ever done one shoot, and was a part of it! I had been doing other photography for quite a while, and knew it was something I loved doing, so before I knew it plans were in motion!
Originally it was going to be fairly low key, but suddenly I found myself accepted to apply for a grant and needing a business plan. Things snowballed as I realized that I was getting into this for real, and really wanting to make a difference in the lives of women.
So that leads me to you, in my research somehow I kept returning to the Boudoir Divas site. I must have looked at it every day for the last week, always finding something new!

However, then the fears also starting hitting, who was I to think that I could do something like this? I don’t have a studio, not even a house to do it in! I have no hair experience, and though I love makeup I haven’t done much on other people. And hold up, I only have a $500 dollar camera, 1 lens, no lighting let alone lingerie and sexy heels! Only a knowledge that this was something I was called to pursue. I kept finding myself struggling to trust God though, worrying that maybe I wouldn’t get any funding, maybe all these dreams were for nothing. Well today was one of those days. I knew I should be trusting God, but there were so many impossibilities and unanswered questions! So I started looking at boudoir photos and sites simply to get inspired and reaffirmed that that was what I was supposed to do. Well God led me back to your site. And then to the video of your studio and I was so surprised to see a psalm written on your wall. So I paused it and then noticed Prov 3:5-6 (Which has been a verse that has been a huge part of my life) and I almost started crying. I found myself heading out the door for a walk, and stopping on my knees crying out to God “I trust you, I have to trust you, I can’t do this on my own!” and this incredible peace came over me and I knew that I wasn’t doing it on my own. Well when I got back home God blessed me again, I became curious as to who these Boudoir Divas really were, and did they mean what they had on their office wall. I found your mission statement, and it blew me away. When my husband got home I grabbed his hand and led him over the computer where we both sat and read it over and over again. Tears streaming down both our faces as God confirmed again that he is the one who leads, and sustains.
And so I find myself writing you a massive note, smells of chicken wafting out of my kitchen as my man tells me supper is ready, and tears replaced by a smile. All this to say Thank You. It is incredible to know that I am not the only one God has called to do this, I am not alone. And he does provide in incredible ways! May you and the other girls be incredibly blessed for the work you are doing, and the encouragement you have been to me.

Love, Your sister in Christ
A.