"Only when we are in alignment with our soul purpose do we find true joy and and inner peace"

*Alignment*

What does this word mean to you?

Have you even thought about it before? If your answer is yes then i can confess that I don't either till this morning. Well I have said it and heard it especially when my husband keeps reminding me that my car needs alignment. So google said ,"noun: alignment arrangement in a straight line, or in correct or appropriate relative positions' '. What do you think? Do you feel like you need to be straightened? I think for me I feel like we need to be people who are constantly seeking alignment, not agreement. When a family, a community, a country, or a team , is aligned, everyone has common direction, purpose, and goals. Each action can be different and not necessarily agreed by everyone. When a team is in agreement, everyone agrees not only on direction but on each action. Whatever form they take, aligning actions say to others that we agree with the norms and expectations of a given situation and that we will act accordingly. For example like waiting in line to purchase something at a shop, exiting an airplane in an orderly fashion after it has landed, or driving on the right side of the road of course, not when you're in Zambia driving on the left is expected of you there. Sorry I'm being off track right now .What happens when we are not in alignment with our families, our community, our jobs , ourselves, or with God? For me personally when my alignment with God is not intact with Him I lose track of my purpose, my mission and myself. My family are usually the first people to notice that something is definitely off track with Mommy. This year on new years day I dreamed of a hand writing on the wall. I was in a room that felt like a classroom, being sent on a mission. The hand had written the word Purpose and next to it was a word Mission. I struggled, patiently waiting for the hand to write another word, but unfortunately it didn't. I remember feeling on edge, thinking that if this assignment has only two words am never gonna figure out the third word because if you're like me , you know that everything works perfect in threes. Like God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy spirit, like peanut butter and jelly, it sounds like two things but don't forget the bread in there. There's something about threes that just completes the puzzle . Now do you see why I was getting or worked up about only having 2 words only. I suck at solving puzzles, even my 8 year daughter finishes a 10 piece puzzle with her eyes closed and I can't even do it with my eyes open. I like straight forward directions with a picture attached to it of course. I was so worried that I was going to wake up without getting the third word, but I ended up waking up without it.

As I sit here writing this and sharing hoping to encourage someone out there today. I'm quite embarrassed of myself because I was so focused on wanting clear direction , even though I know that God doesn't work like that at all. We have seen in the Bible many times giving people partial assignments and working with them along the way till they got to where he was taking them all leading them to.

God clearly wanted me to align with Him as we work my purpose and the mission He has called me to. Today as I was talking to him, I said align my heart to yours so I can stay focused in faith knowing that all I need is to let you lead me towards that Purpose to accomplish that Mission. When I finished those words, it was like a light bulb got switched on and I had to write it down to share with you all as we enter this new year of 2024. Let's remember to go for an alignment check up! Maybe we feel ourselves drifting of the road and we have been finding ourselves more to the left side even though we know the cost of it is life threatening but since we are off alignment we don't even know that we are drifting off leaning on our own understanding and leading ourselves to distraction and off the dangerous cliff.

I guess my question for you and me is that are we off alignment? Do we need adjustment to focus? When you look back on the past year , could you tell where you felt like you hit the bump or something that got you off alignment and you haven't been able to adjust it on your own? Maybe it's time to go for a check up , because that engine light is not going to turn off on its own. The engine light is a sign letting us know that we need a mechanic to fix us and turn it off , so we can stay focused. You and I both know that if we are operating on an off alignment body we become a danger to ourselves and those around us. We become bitter, angry, Suicidal, jealous, depressed, and ungrateful. Alignment helps us to stay focused and safe. It's for our own good and for the people around us. Cheers to this year. I'm praying for all of us that God will open the eyes of our hearts to see those engine lights in ourselves that need fixing instead of focusing on the other people's engine lights that probably seem obvious to us since we can't seem to see our own. Have a blessed year.

This is one of the reasons why am a photographer and also one day maybe become a writer. I believe pictures a reminder of a certain time and what occurred when they were taken. These pictures were taken in 2009 a week after my wedding. I had 2 big things happen on this day. The first was 😬 " oh my gosh don't laugh guys , this is true life event not just some kinda story from a book where. I got to go on an elevator for the first time, no one told me about them at all, I was just following my husband and his parents walk into a small room. I was the last person to enter and the door started closing while I was halfway in. I screamed in lunda Yayaameeeeee lelu nafwi tata Nzambi kwashi kwashi ami Ever ami!! The people behind working at the reception and lobby laughed so hard. My father in-law also now known as my Father in-love , he rushed by me and held the door. I saw so much love and concern in his eyes. I remember his words still loud and clear in my ears today, " Eva it's okay! You're okay!"

I thought that the elevator door was going to go through me and cut me in half. So now you can imagine the fear that went through my body and the expression I was wearing on my face. Do you have anyone in your life that tells you to focus on them when you feel like everything else is falling apart? The people that were laughing behind me belong exactly where they're meant to be of course ( in the back) I focused on the future the people that were in the elevator waiting for me , my new family and my new Life.

At this point you're probably like ," get to the point Ever, what was the next thing that happened ?"Calm down you crazy reader it's coming

While the second thing was haaaaa help me Lord to get this out

This was my first time to a fancy dinner. It was at the Intercontinental hotel . See we just drove from my village straight to this different planet in the same country. I was so worried about eating with knives and folks. The thought of it consumed me and my whole day . I was

terrified me even more. I was so worried that I completely forgot how to smile. I kept thinking the people that saw me enter this hotel I mean heard me enter this hotel are definitely going to be there at this buffet thing for sure.I wanted to ask someone to teach me how to eat with knives and folks. My whole entire life I had used my hands to eat and only in movies that we saw people cutting chicken and eating at the same time. I was afraid that these people are definitely going to figure me out that I don't belong. My new husband is also going realize that he had just made a biggest mistake of his life. I tried to fake it till I made it but that's not my thing, I don't fake well.

I decided to order the only thing that I know of and how to eat it .They asked me what would you like to drink and I said "can I have nshima and chicken please". My husband said Fanta will be perfect for her. He didn't try to correct me or make me understand what was happening. Everybody got up to go and grab their food. It was an amazing buffet! Each food tray or whatever you call it , had a person dressed in white shirt and black pants behind it to save you. They all looked and seemed fancy.

My husband new that I was terrified, he didn't ask me why I was, or to chin up buttercup.

Him and his brother made sure that the people at the hotel cooked nshima and brought it to me even when it was not on the buffet menu. Nshima is the native Zambian food. It's want I knew , and what I needed on that moment to help me with the fear of people realizing that I didn't know how to eat like a western well mannered person.

The reason why I'm sharing this is to remind someone that it's okay to be terrified when you're not in your comfort zone. It's okay to step forward even when you have no clue what to do. It's okay not to know everything. It's okay to be born exactly where you were born. It's okay to be you because the right people will see you and your potential not the things that fall short on their perfect list of the person they want.The list is endless , I could go on and on, but I want you to know that, this girl if she had a chance to go back to this day, she wouldn't change a thing, she would just remind her younger self that nobody cares weather you use your hands or knives and folk to eat. You're you! The only thing that matters is to enjoy what's in front of you and not let worry steal your today's happiness and experience.

The end!

Now go out there and live your own authentically life and take lot and lots of pictures.

The picture credit goes to my Mother in-love who lovingly captured this moments for her son and I.

I'm forever grateful.

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Refocus To Focus!

What does  this even mean?!?!  At the end of every year I always pray for a word or a vision for me to focus on in the upcoming year. This year was a little different , I lost my dad on December 28th, had the funeral on the 31st . When people were celebrating for the upcoming year I was grieving instead.

I have been praying and asking the Lord for the new world for me for this year. I was doing dishes when I suddenly heard a gentle whisper in my mind saying "Eva you need to Refocus to focus".  I wish you could have seen me guys, I was like " is that you Lord? , what do you mean I need to refocus? , what does that even mean?".

I felt like the Lord wanted me to share this and not keep it to myself. It's been days now since I heard this and I have been trying to keep it to myself and it's not working at all. I believe this was not just for me but for a lot of us. The last 2 years have been very difficult for all of us, it seems like we have a new variants every six months, people have have been focusing on who is vaccinated and whose not , which political part do you belong to for you to feel welcome at an event or at family gatherings. It feels like everything seems to be out of control making it very difficult  for all of us to focus.

 As a photographer focusing is a big deal! You can have the most expensive camera gear and newest  lenses on the market ,but without refocusing your camera to focus on your subject you will end up with out of focus pictures that are pretty much worthless. someone with an old and cheep camera could get the best crispy sharp shots than you, just because you did not refocus your camera.  When I heard "Eva refocus", It was a reminder that some how somewhere along the way I might have shifted my sight on what's important in life. We all know that  focus attracts distraction .  As a photographer I know when to take the shot, I have to actually use my view finder and see the  red dots on a place that I want my focal point to be, I don't just click click  because my camera will chose the closest thing to it and focus on it not  the main subject that I want it to take.

I feel like to refocus is to remember who you are deep deep down your heart. It's to reconnect with  your self. For me it's to look back and try to pick  up where I lost myself.

To refocus is also to reconnect with your passion,  things that make you feel alive again, things that feed your soul,  those things usually go hand in hand with your calling. So for this new year if you're feeling stuck , maybe at your job, it looks like other people are thriving and you're not. Maybe you're feeling stuck as Mother , it looks like all the other moms on your news feed are always doing something new every weekend with their kids and you feel like you don't even know what to do. Maybe you're feeling out of focus in your marriage, friendships, or even a place you live. Whatever it is that you're going through if you feel stuck? I have some good news for you my friend! It's time to refocus to focus! To remember why you got married, why you had those kids, why you got that job you have if you're like me is to ask yourself why you started that business you have. 

To refocus is to Refresh!!

 Focus is a matter of thought. What we think about becomes the center of our focus. If you feel distracted by what's going on in this world, by your enemies or friends that have pretended to be your friends but were working against your assignment as a wife, a mother, or what God has called you to , please kindly remove yourself from those situation, because distractions are always trying to pull our attention from what we are supposed to focus on. God is in control! Focus on him and what He has called you to not on the World.  

Happy New year guys!! I really hope and pray that it's a good one for you. Praying for peace, love, and unity. 

     What does being brave look like to you?

Well for me being brave is me writing this, like serious am not even kidding. Being brave can look different depending on our circumstances .I don't know about you but for me, am that type of person that makes new year resolution and try to do them. did you read the part that I said try? well I do try but my fear and self doubt keeps me away from reaching all my new year resolutions. Well I feel like God is definitely calling me to be brave, to step out of my comfort zone and allow him to lead me toward my calling which I still don't know what it is that He wants me to do ,but all I can do is say yes and do the next thing.

When I was a growing up I was a very very brave girl. I had so many people tell me that over and over, strangers that I even didn't know would tell me that too. But as I grew up and saw so much hurt in the world fear started growing in me , self doubt started leading my life which you all know how that goes when we allow self doubt lead our lives.  You all know that I'm a self taught photographer right? I remember my 2018 new year resolution. My first sentence was, " I wanna teach myself photography , start a business, run a marathon , build a secondary school in my village ,and write a book" . I don't know about you but am pretty scared re-reading my writing from January 2018. Those are some big goals!! 3 years later i feel like am still writing the same goals every year. The fun  thing is that when I grabbed my journal from 2018 to 2021 they look so identical even the words are the same. I was like " how is this possible"? As the saying foes " speed doesn't matter , forward is forward " hahahhaha , i grew up with elders that kept telling the story about kalulu (Hare) and the Tortoise,we all know that the moral of the story is  slow and steady wins the race. With that being said, Well I did start my business but am working on growing it, I did start building the school which is almost done but close , I did learn photography but I keep wanting to learn more, I ran a marathon but I never stopped running i want to run even more marathons, and I never wrote a BOOK not even  a word.  I realize that writing terrifies me, because it has to do with sharing your life and your past with others. Sharing your story takes guts! But I wanna be brave, don't you?!?! The type of brave that makes people think of Acts 4:13 " the officials were amazed to see how brave peter and the john were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain that these men had been with Jesus." Man!! I get goose pumps when I read this, I get inspired, it gives me courage, and makes me brave. God is not looking for a giant person with a big fat brain that screams "look at me am smart" , he is looking for you and me, just ordinally people with past problems and self doubt.

Do you wanna be brave this year?!?! Well all you need to do is do the next thing, take the next step, believe in the one who has called you, take one step at a time and say the next yes. Remember you will hear so many discouraging words, self doubt ,you will get hurt big time, you will cry wanting to give up, You will hit the runners wall like I did when I ran a marathon, you will feel like you are gonna die, you will ask your self questions like ; " why am doing this to myself, why can't I just be like everybody else, is this really what am supposed to be doing, this is stupid I give up, and what is in this for me, what do I get out of this?  You will go through ups and down but Take heart my friend because you Braver than you think, you're destined for greatness , you're born for this, you're unstoppable warrior , you're God's child my friend and his got you. Remember a person of courage is also full of faith. So whatever scares you the most go for it!!! So here is my tip for you and me for this year, that blog? Start it. That book? write it. That idea ? flesh it out. That gift? put it to use. That life ? live it my friend!!!! Take chances and believe in yourself.  You're BORN FOR THIS!!! BE BRAVE!! BE BOLD!! BE YOU!!!!

"IT'S BEEN A GREAT JOURNEY SO FAR!!!  "

I love my job! This is a dream come true for me, a lot of people don't get a chance to do what they love, but here I'm doing what i love. I love people , i remember getting in trouble as a kid because of loving people too much, i just wanted to know everything about every body. Photography is like that for me, when i shoot engagement, birthdays, events, weddings, newborn, maternity, or just a family session i get to live in that moment in those people's world and it's amazing! I can't to be part of their celebration , how wonderful is that?!?!?! My goal is to capture the mood and the emotions of the day to creating lasting memories for my clients . 

I have been shooting professionally for 2 years now ever since my husband surprised me with a new full frame camera!

 I don't have any pictures of myself at all as kid or growing up till I met my husband. That's when I decided to make sure that  every child especially in my village gets a chance to have their photo taken to  freeze the special moments in life. My goal was to go back home every year and take pictures of families ,print them  and hand them out. So I decided if I was gonna do that I might as well do it professionally then. I went to the library grabbed  a bunch of books about photography . I started reading and teaching myself.  The more I read about photography the more I fell in love with it. Right there I decided this is what I wanted to do professionally. I gave myself a whole year of learning  and practicing. The first 6 months when I started teaching myself ,I  needed people to practice on, so I went to Zambia. I had 100+ families asking for their picture to be taken. I started gaining confidence and trusted myself a little bit more with my camera. I have been doing that for 2 years now. The facial expressions that I get from families when they receive their photos is priceless. I just love freezing moments for people, it's such a blessing to be part of that.

  YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT!!!

This is so true,i do believe that a human brain is such a strong tool. When we train our mind to do something you will be amazed what your mind is capable of doing . I learned this during my marathon training.  If you're a runner you're familiar with the "Runner's Wall"? The Wall occurs somewhere around the 20 - mile mark and it is the point when a runner's glycogen (stored energy) within the muscles is depleted. this forces the runner to slow down considerably, sometime to walk. Well i have hit that wall  many times, in my businesses, in life, and even an actual physicall runner' wall during my marathon. I was running to raise funds to build a high school in my village.  The question is that ,how does it feel to hit the runner's wall?  When you hit the runner's wall it feels like you have run face-first into a stack of bricks. Your legs start feeling like  concrete posts, every step is a triumph of will and you seriously doubt that the race actually has a finish line. I remember wanting to walk but i knew once i started walking i wouldn't run again. I just wanted to give up so badly, in that moment i didn't even wanna know the reason i was running for. You get to the point were even the people cheering for you are actually annoying you, you just want them to shut up hahaha ( sorry Ryan mom, dad, and the kids) hahahaha.  During this moment is when you learn to really listen to this small whispering  voice inside you that says " you got this , you can do it, you're stronger than you think, don't worry about anything around you just focus on taking one step at a time , you will go through this" .  I have heard people say that the Holy Spirit is very gentle.  I would like to think every runner has heard from Him then. It's this inside voice that you didn't  even know was inside you. People saying when you hit the runner's wall you don't run with you mind any more, you run with your heart. That's powerful and very true!! Imagine if we went through life with our hearts not our minds? Right now my business has been dry, i feel like am hitting the runner's wall right now, but i also know that the whole World is hitting the Runners Wall right now. This is when we actually have to live with our hearts, and  lean in into our hearts and hear that small whispering voice inside us  that reminds us to keep going strong, it could sound like this ; " don't do that, that's not good for you, don't post that,  delete that ,keep your mouth shut, or keep your head up and take one step at a time" . I don't know what it is for you but for me my heart  whispers to me when I feel like am hitting the wall It tells  me "Ever Photography is your  passion, Loving people is your calling,Changing the world is what i you were  born for, shinning the light in the dark is your identity as daughter of the kingdom of light". What is it for you? What whispers do you hear?  Have you hit the runner's wall yet? If not then it's will sooner or later. So here is my Journey and it's been a great One so far, I don't know where it's taking me but i already know  who is there where it's going therefore i can have peace even even when i hit the Wall.