This piece was inspired by a friend who asked me to illustrate her connection with Jesus Christ as a Lion. The tribal pattern on her dress was taken from here.
Lion Heart
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Midwest Edge
I haven’t posted any fashion photography in a while, but that’s changing this summer! This particular shoot occurred last spring with a fellow creative named Trevor. We went to Urban Outfitters (on Ohio State’s main road) to gather inspiration, but we ended up taking photographs inside the store. It was really fun! The comfortable, vintage atmosphere of UO is one of my favorites next to Anthropologie.
Although this is an oldddd shoot, it’ll have to be the kickoff to this summer’s fashion projects 
.
Princess Gem
Word Juggling: Lovers and Friends
*I don’t think this poem makes much sense. It’s 2am and I’ve been exhausted most of the day. Enjoy reading fragments of my jumbled mind
This late night, my mind runs into love
What is it all about?
It hits me like a belly flop at the deep end.
Ouch. That one squeezes my heart really good.
Love.
How many times have I been surprised by love?
These eyes of fire see straight through me
Yet there is nothing but kindness in them
My Lover says He’s buried treasures in my heart—
Of gems and diamonds that went thru the furnace.
As each day passes on my short timeline
They stack higher in my treasure chest
I feel His voice sighing in my heart
These precious stones can’t be kept to myself
I must share these jewels with a courageous smile
O Lover, I bow my head before Your throne of Grace
I need Your help to reopen this locked gateway
Peel off the calloused layers that concealed it for years
Have mercy, my King, I cannot do it without You
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you…
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
For the first time in a while, I write about this.
This character hasn’t been revealed in the story yet,
But once the flower blooms, the secret will be out.
It is a story about you and me, lovers and friends
The Maker of our souls knows the beginning and the end,
So we mustn’t grow anxious of what shall unfold soon
It stirs up excitement in our bellies, but… why “but”?
Is it just a figment of our own fantasies that captivates us?
Why do we fear the pain of falling deeper and deeper?
Our lips sing and testify of this wonderful love
Yet, hiding underneath those facades, terror directs our feet.
Oh truly, we fall in love with Love quite easily, so we say
But, we’ve been puppeteer’d by fallen angels who steal our devotion—
Who pump our fists in praise like lifeless mannequins!
You see those slim threads attached to our wrists?
Of course not, they’re invisible veins coming from the heart.
It’s true. We fall in love with Love without much hesitation
But love must reach to those who even hate our love
The King calls us lovers and friends because it was meant to be
O, how we need His Spirit to fall afresh on us again
Holy Spirit, come rush through the caverns of our filthy souls.
And reawaken us back to our first, everlasting Love.
Let’s risk our pride to love one another with heartfelt affection
If it means being friends first, so be it, let’s craft this friendship
Lip service without the action totally fails the relationship test
Can I be transparent with you?
A God who is Love created us to be lovers and friends
And the more I meditate about it,
Loving Love without loving you can’t be true love at all.
Flame Painter
Free Bird
My Name is Summer.
Exposed
The Spirit reveals the secrets of my heart, even the ones I carelessly overlook.
The Truth has divided my soul into fragments from deep-rooted brokenness
When my mind understands, but my heart fails to follow through;
It feels like a train plummeted me from my feet to the ground
O God of mercy, I ask that You’d fall afresh upon this fragile heart
And find rest in its dusty dwelling place—its temple for holiness
Invade the space
Empty out the clutter with force
And Fill the gaps with Your gentleness
The Lord knows I have walls built on the inside
And His discerning people see right through them
To Love is to be vulnerable
Make me a lover of Your Love–a shameless worshipper.
Direct my gaze towards You, away from the harsh observers.
Protect me against friendly backstabbers who use my transparency for jokes.
Why do the sheep forget the voice of their shepherd?
Give me clean hands to praise Your mighty name!
My only desire is to seek the heart of my Father,
And to share in His thoughts and His emotions!
I am being cleaned, swept, and molded into His magnificent design
As I gaze at my reflection, I wonder what my spirit looks like underneath this mask of flesh.
Let me care for the health of my inward parts more than what others assume of my exterior
My weakness… I lay it down at Your feet in desperation for daily deliverance
Consecrate me into Your holy nation
Beautify me for the marriage feast
Sanctify my desires
Come, Lord Jesus
And find pleasure in this contrite heart
Urban Girl: Off Work
Thorns
Churlish lips speak as hot sugars drip from their decayed teeth
Some of the ones I hear smell like rotting fruits in an untended garden.
The stench of their breath enters my heart like a Grim Reaper’s skythe
They lash out from war-torn cities where fires burn and chains clang
As the smoke rises to meet the bruised, purple sky,
Thorny skeletons lean on the hardening, cracked earth
All I see are remnants of these once-beautiful roses
Now they’re nothing more than scorched twigs with bristles
Where has the rain gone?
