Ashlynn Bagley: Faith & Photography

Another week, another post to glorify Christ!

The goal of this series is not only to help inspire creatives to put their faith first, but also to find belonging for faith-centered creatives. This is my small way to make my own photography business a ministry<3

This week I interviewed Ashlynn at Ashlynn Bagley Photo, based in Southwest Missouri! Ashlynn specializes in couples, families, and portraits and her work really is stunning! I love her clean colors, rich tones, and natural backgrounds! You can see more of her work here!

To start, I wanted to share a little bit of Ashlynn's faith journey and walk with Christ!

Ashlynn's Story:

Ashlynn grew up in Southeast Idaho, raised LDS. She believed in God because of the example her parents set, but as she grew older and gained more life experience, her beliefs were tested and she really had to reflect on what she believed and who she wanted to be.

Ashlynn grew up in an area where 99% of people knew about the LDS church, so she never had to second guess what she believed or stand up for her faith. However, after moving to Missouri, she began to experience questions and inquiries about her beliefs. She shared that these experiences strengthened her faith and provided a strong foundation on which she built her testimony.

She says, "Finding common ground as a Christian is a really special foundation for a lot of friendships that I have made over the last several years. I love living in a place where I get the opportunity to make friends with people of all religions!"

I just think this is SO COOL! I love love love the idea of uniting with others through common ground. I read a post recently that talked about how our lives become what we seek. When we hyper-fixate or focus on certain things (differences, problems, negativity), that's what we notice more of.

As we center our lives on Christ and SEEK to find the similarities in our faith and the good in every person, we can come together to form a very powerful unit in Christ. At the end of the day, are we not all just trying to make the world a better place?

I love Ashlynn's testimony of God: "I have felt His hand guiding me through life- through the highs, the lows, the times of questions and the times of certainty. He has been a constant, often the only constant thing in my life. Through those experiences, I have built my own testimony in Him and can't deny that His hand is in everything!"

Little example of Ashlynn's work:)

Beautiful.

Okay- let's get into it!

For His Glory with Ashlynn Bagley:

1. What does turning your photography into a ministry look like to you?

Lately I've been getting involved in programs that allow me to help people capture moments at some of the hardest parts of their lives.

I have a background as a Pediatric ICU nurse, and being able to combine my love and passion for that (and my comfort level in what many would find to be uncomfortable situations) with photography and documenting people's stories is a really special and sacred opportunity.

I love the simplicity found in Joshua 24:15:

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord".

I try to stand by that in my own home and family, and carry it into my business as well!

2. How do you stay grounded in your faith when business responsibilities get overwhelming?

The demands of my business on top of motherhood is definitely a challenge, but I trust that God will continue to bless me with opportunities in my business as I am personally striving to center my life around Him.

For me this means living by faith, daily scripture study to begin my day, and praying often on my own and with my family. Rooting my life in Christ always beings peace and the ability to see how involved God is in my life. He is constantly providing opportunities for me and my family to find joy.

4. In what ways do you intentionally share Christ’s light with your clients?

I like to make sure that people are able to tell based off of my social media that I am Christian! I am not afraid to mention God on my social media and I hope that that connects me with people who also share a love for God, regardless of what religion they are a part of!

I don't usually bring up my religion to clients, but I sometimes have opportunities to share

about my beliefs with clients if it naturally comes up in conversation. Just yesterday I was doing an in-home newborn photoshoot and one of their daughters started telling me the Easter story. I was able to connect with this little girl about Christ and it was a really sweet experience! 

5. How do you discern between your own plans and what God is calling you to do in your business?

I have found that it is pretty easy to discern between my own plans and God's plans for my business just as opportunities come. There is a definite feeling that I've grown to understand, and I can tell when an idea is coming from God. And that means I'd better follow through with it! When God is nudging me in a certain direction,

it feels peaceful, and the logistics seem to work themselves out.

6. What advice would you give to business owners striving to glorify God in their work?

If I could give advice to anyone trying to incorporate God into their work, it would be to just have the courage to share what you believe! This used to be so scary for me, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes! And I've learned that it is such a special people to connect with people through- it is SO worth it! 

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Wow, Ashlynn is such an inspiration to me! I think my favorite part of her interview was when she talked about how discernment from God feels peaceful. (Especially because I'm sometimes a naturally anxious person;)

I've had my fair share of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm throughout my life, but every time I'm able to find true peace and serenity.. Jesus is always the reason.

Very recently, I went through a period of time of intense anxiety. Daily worries and fears about the future robbed me of sleep, hindered my creativity, and spiraled me down into a deep depression.

Through it all, I did my best to give my life and time to the Lord. I often couldn't feel His peace, but I trusted that this was a season in my life that could be overcome through Him.

Just a couple weeks ago I had the impression I needed to quit my part time job and go full time photography. I questioned this impression and honestly doubted my abilities to make this thought a reality. But as I took this seed of an idea and truly considered the possibilities, each day seemed to bring new confidence, clarity, and direction.

A short time after I received this impression, I followed through and felt IMMEDIATE clarity and overwhelming peace.. to the point of all consuming joy. There was nothing wrong with this job I left- in fact, I adored the people I worked with, but my peace came from acting on a prompting that I received from the Lord and stepping into the path He'd set out for me. I'm really excited for all that's in store as I continually try to put Him first.

Romans 14:19:

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another"

Just like Ashlynn said, there is a definite feeling to the things that are of the Lord. I'm still learning how to quickly act on the nudges from the Holy Spirit, but one thing I know for certain: God can make so much more out of your life than you can.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

"And the Lord directs your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ"

The heart is the great life director. And behind the heart is the Lord.

You exist to make the excellencies of God known- especially the excellencies from which he calls people from darkness to light.

We have so much potential within our roles as photographers, daughters, friends, whatever you may be- to bring the light of Christ to the people you serve. My question to you (and myself) is how can we continually turn our hearts to God?!

WORSHIP SONG OF THE WEEK:  Eyes on Him by Strings & Heart

Thanks for joining me as we all do our best to give God the glory in what we do:)

If you're a photographer navigating faith and business, please reach out HERE! I'd love to hear your story.

<3 Malia