S2C

To God be the Glory

Stewart — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:21:48 +0000

It’s been 12 minutes since I watched my family leave me here in Merced to go back home. As they drove away, all I can think about was the love that has been poured out towards me for the past 21 years of my life. It was the love of my family that stuck by me when I was called into the principal’s office for selling firecrackers in middle school. This same love was the one that my brothers had when they rushed me to the closest ER when I fell on my face when roller skating in an area they had already told me not to go to. This love was what made my family drop whatever they were doing, leave work, and stand by my bedside before I went into the operating room for my appendicitis. It was their love that saved me from giving up on life. It was this love that forgave me for the countless mistakes I’ve made because I deliberately disobeyed their teachings. I’ve learned hundreds of lessons the hard way and I have never dealt with them alone. I can share literally thousands of examples on how my family has loved me unconditionally, but the point of sharing this with you is to tell you that it was this love that has brought me closer to Christ. I want to say thank you to my Mom and Dad and to my Ahia and Dhia for always teaching me how to be a man of God. Thank you for showing me that there is only ONE way to live this life and that is to live for Christ in the way where to die is gain. Thank you for always keeping me in your prayers.

I pray that during this short time away, we continue to live a life that will bring glory to God. I pray that we continue to grow spiritually more mature in order to hold each other (as well as the people around us) up in Christ. I pray that God bless us with a heart to fall in love with Him; a heart that yearns to seek after him every moment we have so that the world may know, God is enough; God is all we need; God is all we desire; Jesus is my joy, my portion, my life forever and ever. Amen.

July

Stewart — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:28:45 +0000

I am happy to say that I was actually able to squeeze a few photo sessions in this summer! I met Melanie over ModelURL.com to further expand the S2C’s portfolio. Her boyfriend Jojo came along to escort her (not that I’m a creeper or anything =P) during the shoot. I later found out that Jojo has been training at a local Mix Martial Arts gym in Chatsworth and needed some photographs to give to his sponsors. I wish the best to both of them in their career path! I also would like to thank my cousins Sam and Jessica for coming along with me on both shoots; without their assistance I don’t think the photographs would have turned out as well as they did.

Patrick Tan {Eagle Scout Court of Honor}

Stewart — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:58:44 +0000

A month ago, I attend my cousin’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor held at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Los Alamitos. It was a bit stressful covering the event on my own without Carissa being there to take shots from the other side of the chapel, but this did not distract me from witnessing God’s grace on Patrick. As I took my shots, I could not help but hear the scout laws; that a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. I pray that Patrick be able to exercise these traits daily not only because he is now an Eagle Scout, but because he is first a servant of our God and it is what the LORD wants from us. I pray that he continue to earnestly seek out God with all his heart. That knowledge of God is all that he desires and that he will continue to fall in love with with our heavenly Father and be filled with indescribable joy that can only come from above. I pray that Patrick be that light to the world so that God’s glory would be made known. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life; you will always be in my prayers.

Thank you for Loving Me

Stewart — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:48:49 +0000

To be in relationship, that’s one thing I have been blessed with. Since the day I was born, I have been smothered with love from my family. Since I can remember, Sherwin and Stephen have always invited me to be a part in their life and they have always made the effort to be a part of mine. They were always there to protect me when I’m in trouble; always there to make me smile.
When I was in middle school, possibly even younger, they would invite me to go out to watch a movie with them and their friends. No one was my age in their group. I had no business in there, but I felt so loved to be noticed. When I’m with them, they never made me feel like a burden. I remember when the first Rugrats movie came out in theaters; they took me out to the local Mann Theater by our house to watch it opening day. I knew they didn’t want to watch the movie, but they still went with me; it was the first movie I watched without my parents. Though they laughed their way through the movie as Tommy was about to give Dill up to the monkeys (yes I remember the scene), to have them at my side at that time is something I’ll always remember as part of my childhood. I would be lying if I were to write that they were not influential or that their opinions did not matter to me. It is their example they has brought me closer to God. I have had the pleasure of seeing them grow closer to God; watching them burn with a passion for His glory. I truly believe I would be lost without them in my life.
I have been graciously blessed with two older brothers that are always there to pick me up when I’m down and whom are willing to always guide me by their example. I am proud to say that I am loved by two people who are on their way to start the next chapter of their life according to God’s plan.
I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you Sherwin and thank you Stephen for allowing me to be a part of your life. It is my absolute pleasure to document and present your engagement to the world.

Lift My Eyes

Carissa — Sat, 22 May 2010 18:31:02 +0000

Come let us worship the King
Come lay Your heart at His feet
Come let us worship the King
Come let us bow at His feet

{J’s & C’s}

Carissa — Sat, 15 May 2010 19:08:32 +0000

I haven’t written on this blog in so long, so sorry.

I absolutely loved having a photo-shoot with these girls (Jenny, Janet, Jackie, Camille, Cindy). We all met because of EPIC on campus, an Asian American ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. It’s been a joy getting to know them more and more since fall quarter. They all have such beautiful hearts .

After church we headed out to a random area in SLO; I never knew this town could be so beautiful! This was my first photo-shoot taking portraits of people that weren’t babies (hehe). It was super exciting and these girls are naturals. So here is taste of their discipleship photo-shoot.

JOYCE YOO, thank you so much for letting me tag along. & GRACE SHIN, thank you for helping the models hehe. Please support them in their trip to Uganda this summer. Joyce is available to take more pictures!

Kudo

Stewart — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:42:58 +0000

I decided to write something before this blog starts to become nonexistent. It been a little over a month since the last post and I want to show you all that I’ve been keeping busy. I’d like to share with you something that has always interested me; fashion photography. The creativity behind a series of photos is simply boundless in this genre thus allowing the photographs to tell a tale without words. However, I am not one to speak Prada or have a closet filled with designer name brands, but I have come to notice that clothes do bring about personality.

Nanae Kudo has been a long time friend who I first shot back in high school. She possesses a particular attitude that is edgy that she brings with her to a photo-shoot that is incomparable and completely unique. As I continue to experiment with fashion photography, you will be seeing more of Nanae in shoots to come as I continue to find inspiration from photographs by Lillian Bassman, Richard Avedon; as well as inspiration from photographs found in magazines.

As for now, here is a sample of what to look forward to on this journey into this realm of photography. I would like to thank Jean and Austin Tsai for letting me barrow their lighting gear to allow me to experiment with light. I have always been a photographer working around natural light but after being introduce to what I am capable of doing with an external light source with a few modifiers, I believe my style will continue to develop from here on out.

Your Grace is Enough

Stewart — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:37:01 +0000

A few months ago I created a Model Mayhem account for S2C to find work to expand the portfolio. To be honest with you, I thought nothing would really come out of the account till Paget came along. Paget is an upcoming actress and had asked me to do some head shots for her as well as take some photos of her with her sister Genessee. We met at a park off Sunset Hills in Thousand Oak and God blessed us with some magnificent shots that I would love to share with you all! When she becomes famous, I hope she remembers me!

On another note, I am honored to present to you a man God placed in my life in the most unimaginable way! Below is a photo of Bill; he has been homeless for about 3 and 1/2 years and is a fellow brother in Christ. I met Bill on the evening of February 5th, 2010 before Friday fellowship in Glendale. Initially, I wanted to go to the Borders bookstore at the corner of Broadway and Brand to study for a test. As the story goes however, God had other plans for me. Bill was standing outside Old Navy asking for money. A few people in front of me passed him by but I decided to give him a couple of bucks and went on my way. As I was about to enter Borders, I felt a nudge in my heart to just talk to this guy. It was extremely frustrating because I had to get some studying done, but before I knew it, I was on my way back towards Bill and I don’t regret the decision.

I asked Bill what the money was for and he honestly said it was for a bag of Cheeto’s and a pack of cigarettes. Before I showed up, he has saved about $1 in the past 3 hours and prayed to God that He would provide for him in some way; then I showed up to answer his prayer. He was sharing with me how God’s working in his life always surprises him. Bill has been homeless for quite some time due to a drug addiction but has been clean for one year now. He accepted Christ as his savior when he was a teenager but as we all know, bad habits and temptation may get a hold of us. Graciously, he has not been near drugs recently.

I had not eaten dinner at this time, so I invited Bill to come eat with me. We went to Panda Express where he would begin to share his testimony. He began to talk about how staying at homeless shelters is very hard for him because being in that environment is very depressing. So he has a few abandon areas where he sleeps at night. Bill also shared with me how he has a brother who is very well off and would like nothing to do with him till he would “get his act together”. As Bill continued to share, tears began to show and through the tone of his voice, you can hear him holding back his cry as he began to explain how if the rolls were switched, he could never act in such a way towards his own brother. I wanted to cry with him.

Bill is one of those individuals who hold on to the bible for dear life by memorizing scripture such as Luke 18:27 to help get through the days. In a plastic bag with a few belongings, he carries a pocket New Testament bible where he began to read scripture to me. What shocked me was that not once did Bill ever curse God for putting him in the situation he is in now. In fact, his cup was filled with joy for Christ. His love for God was something he desired to spread and he said that times like the ones we were sharing were the ways he was able to share his testimony. To him, the good news in Christ was that he sends people his way so that he can share the Gospel with them.

As we continued talking with one another, Bill began to point out all the other homeless people around us and the struggles they go through. One individual Bill pointed had a cocaine addiction and he had been praying for him for the past year and had finally been clean for a few months now.

Now if this doesn’t blow your mind, then I do not know what will. In front of me is a homeless man that has the desire to spread the Gospel; A man who we would be consider by our standards to have nothing, praying for other homeless people. My goodness, I am lost for words on this matter. I stayed with Bill for about an hour or two and I could not feel anything but conviction.

I began to question in my life, when was the last time I prayed for someone whole heartedly? Here was a man in a position where I expected curses to be thrown at God, but instead he praised our Father and His Glory. Bill has been the most influential Christians I have ever personally met who models how the church should act towards one another by lifting brothers and sisters up in prayer. It sickens me to know that in the church, I had slandered others. Because of Bill, I really hope to bring about a change in our Youth where they would grow to be a community who can come together as one body and worship our Heavenly Father. Thank you Bill for your living testimony and I do hope your life can impact others.

The Lo’s & Snoopy

Carissa — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 23:30:06 +0000

When I first started attending FEC Glendale, I met the Lo’s. Actually back then, they weren’t even married hehe. I remember playing with them all the time and now they have two kids!

The week right before winter break ended, I got a Facebook message from Auntie Kathy mentioning a photo shoot with her family. I missed doing photo shoots and the timing was great. I was so excited and replied immediately! It was great to see Kaylin and Jordan because I haven’t seen them for a really long time. They’ve really grown up and are tons of fun to be around. Same with their dog Snoopy! Snoopy is still only a puppy and looks like he’s at full size. With a spontaneous dog it was difficult at first but we got great shots of the Lo girls with Snoopy.

A couple days later it was Auntie Kathy and Uncle Robert’s wedding anniversary and they found a picture of Shaina and I. Wow, how time has gone by. Now I’ll know how Auntie Kathy and Uncle Robert feel about the Jung sister’s growing up when I see the Lo girls ahha. A couple months ago Auntie Kathy posted a verse and it’s always a nice reminder.

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Reflections on Passion 2010

Stewart — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:32:30 +0000

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder.”- 2 Peter 3:1-

As some people may already know, I have been trying to obtain a press pass for Passion 2010 to document what God is doing over at Atlanta, Georgia. I had received an email saying that my name would be on the list that would allow me to cover the main sessions of the event. Unfortunately, I received a second email a few days before leaving for Atlanta saying that there were already enough photographers to cover the conference. My mindset coming into the conference completely crumbled and I did not know what to expect.

Even though my plans did not go as I would have wanted, I believe this was God’s way in telling me to listen to what these speakers have to say; this of course is easier said than done. It’s been hard on me because I’ve been bitter about the photo pass situation but somehow God got through to me.

“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” -Isaiah 66:2-

“He who… trembles at my word.” The bible is not just a book of morals and laws; it is the living word of God. In Sunday school, this has been taught to me over and over again, yet I never grasped the seriousness of it till Francis Chan spoke at Passion. As he read from 2^nd Peter, the passage where Peter recalls the transfiguration, the enthusiasm and energy that carried Francis Chan’s message helped me realize I’ve been reading the bible the wrong way. I have been reading the bible just to go through the motions and called it devotion. When in reality I never went deeper into the word. Not only did his message point this out to me, but he also pointed out that it is because of God’s divine power that I am able to live a life for God; that God granted me all the tools necessary so that I may become a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2Peter 1:1-4).

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” -Matthew 37-38-

John Piper opened up my eyes again and helped me realize why I was at Passion. I wasn’t here for the worship music, or the speakers, or to take pictures; I was there for God. I realized that I had nothing to be upset about; this time in Atlanta, or the photos I take are not about me, its all about God and magnifying God’s glory; less of me and more of Him! As John Piper had said, “… We are not made to be somebody, but to know somebody.” My life and my work would not count for anything if Christ was not glorified by it! I felt so much conviction come upon me. The past few days, I was so raddled up because things didn’t go the way I wanted them to; it was an inconvenience for ME. Then it hit me. Who cares what I want?! This life isn’t about me but about God!
I am so thankful that I was able to come to this conference so that I would be reminded why s2c photography exist.

I was still able to a take some pictures for memory’s sake and I would love to share them with you.

Lastly, I had a blog entry reflecting my plans on spreading the gospel to the homeless and taking their photograph. The following image is of Eric. I met him outside my hotel in the freezing cold during the last night at Passion. His hat was flipped over to collect change anyone was willing to give. I gave him some money and told him that 22,000 student from around the world has gather in Atlanta for a single purpose; to come to know Jesus Christ. I shared the gospel with the man, prayed for him, and went on my way. I will continue to pray for Eric and I hope that God reveals himself to him.