Back to the topic at hand, over the past year I’ve received emails asking if I offer scholarships to my workshops.  After giving it some thought, I decided to create an opportunity for someone to attend who might not otherwise be able to.  So I’m happy to announce that I’m giving away one workshop seat to a worthy applicant!  However, you don’t necessarily have to be financially strapped to enter the contest.  And I guess luck or random drawing doesn’t have anything to do with this one either.  I’d really like to give this workshop seat to someone with heart- someone who inspires others, even if it’s behind the scenes without a lot of recognition.  Tell us how you love, serve or inspire other people in your life, and what attending the workshop might mean for your photography journey.

Also, I wanted to add that Grand Rapids area photographers are also welcome to attend my workshops. You don’t need to have a business to enter.  Whether you are a pro, semi-pro or hobbyist with an SLR, I am so, so excited to hear your story!

I’m collaborating with the sweet Angie and Amy over at I Heart Faces for this contest.  I’ve had the really cool experience of being a guest judge for them a few times and I think what they are doing is awesome.  They have  a wonderful community of photographers- fun, genuine and ego free!  So if you would like to enter to win the workshop seat, you’ll need to do so through I Heart Faces right here.  Be sure to read the complete contest rules and requirements.  You have until March 17th to enter, and the winner will be announced on March 31, 2010.  Have fun!!

And lastly, I really wanted to share these photos today.  This was my absolute favorite session last summer (maybe my favorite session to date), and I never blogged it.  Who knows why.  Maybe it was just the chaos of my life or maybe I was hoarding the photos because I liked them so much.  I do that sometimes.  Okay, I need to end this post before I make any more confessions!

I’ve just opened up registration for the two photography workshops I’ll be teaching this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  The dates are:

May 11-12, 2010

May 25-26, 2010

For more information about the workshops, or to register for a seat please visit the website: www.amywenzelworkshops.com

If you would like to be put on the workshop mailing list please email me.

For those of you considering the workshop, here are a couple of testimonials from last year’s attendees:

“Amy’s workshop was a fabulous experience from every perspective. She delivered what all photographers come to learn: her knowledge and unique fashion influenced photographic style. The accommodations were so elegant, the workspace so comfortable, the food sinful, and the models straight out of a magazine!  Spending a few days in her company was such a delight and so refreshing. I strongly recommend Amy’s workshop to anyone in love with her work.”   - Arrielle

“After doing your workshop it has brought my business to a completely different level.  It’s the truth.  I am a different photographer and business owner because of it and I cannot thank you enough.”    -Jamie

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And last but not least, all of these images were taken at the October, 2009 workshop.  Thanks guys, and I hope to meet so many of you at the 2010 events!

We had the good fortune of celebrating New Year’s Eve with our good friends Jasmine and JD in the beautiful city of Queenstown, New Zealand.  As we all sat around the table reciting our New Year’s goals for 2010 I felt my hands start to sweat.  I was hoping that somehow they would skip over me.  That somehow I could blend into the back of the chair so as to disappear altogether.  Can I just say it again?  It’s been a long year.

It’s been a year of shock, pain, change, courage, fear, tears, hope, regret, struggle, perseverance, endurance and faith.  It’s been a year of learning for me. And the truth is that it’s completely re-arranged me and turned me on my head.  My faith in Jesus was strong before David was diagnosed with brain cancer, but being faced with hardship has only intensified and deepened my love and pursuit of God.  My whole life has been hi-jacked by my faith in Him.  I’m really, truly discovering that every longing and wish my heart ever made has all in a sense just been a reflection of my longing for Jesus… I just didn’t know it.  I didn’t know it was all found in Him.

Back to the dinner table when all eyes turned on me to hear my New Year’s goals.  I felt the exhaustion from the past year down to my very bones.  I felt my secret fears of inadequacy creeping up on me, that I should be achieving. Performing.  But there is no performance left within me.  I wondered if I should just make something up that sounded palatable, like learning to knit a sweater or something, you know, for polite table talk.  Something, anything to keep me from opening the can of worms that would make me start bawling my eyes out at the table.  But I knew that making something up would be an utter betrayal of all that is in my heart, just like getting on here and blogging like all I care about is photography would be totally inauthentic and therefore offend my sense of self.

So as I sat in the silent moment of choice, I could not deny the Divine burning in my soul, bubbling up within me like word vomit. The desire to speak of Him was so strong it took my breath away. Through trembling and tears I managed to stutter to my husband and friends that I don’t really have a lot of goals for this year.  There is one thing I want so badly though.  I simply want to be wrecked by God’s love for me.  I want to be so undone that I can never be put back together.  I want the Holy Spirit to so utterly consume me that my every breath is to bring glory to God.  I want to be so intimate with Jesus that I am like a light shining in the darkness, pointing the way to the most beautiful, wonderful truth you can ever experience.  I am a woman consumed by passion to know the living God.  I can hardly think of other things sometimes.  His love is changing me. Rescuing me.  Healing me.  I am not the same as I was, and I can never go back.  I have found everything I was ever looking for.  He’s so beautiful.  He’s saving me.  And I adore Him so much that I just cannot stay silent.  So if there was ever a New Year’s resolution for me this year it would be to unify my voice.  To speak my heart no matter what the cost.

Anyways, just wanted to explain my absence as I continue to fight for balance in my life between photographer, wife, care-giver, friend, daughter, sister, child of God.  Lately I’ve been overwhelmed and feeling pretty run down.  It doesn’t matter how much I sleep, the weariness is still there when I wake up in the morning.  So I’m spending some serious time on the couch today trying to lay it down at the feet of Jesus.  That big heavy burden.  I don’t want to carry it anymore.