[The following is an article I wrote about World Changing. While it is not a direct update for a project, or anything specific about RevMedia, I believe it has merit to the philanthropic lifestyle. I hope you enjoy. - Christina N Dickson]
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The alarm clock sounds. You roll over and hit the snooze button. Most begrudgingly your brain begins to come to that point between sleep and awake. By the time the snooze goes off again, you have awoken to the thoughts of another billion things on your to do list. Between work, school, chores, family, friends, and the rest of life, you plug away, hardly able to remember the last time you actually felt like you accomplished something. Then you get that twitter update from RevMedia, tell you about what projects the are working on with philan - however you spell that word - art. If it's not bad enough, they also challenge you to do something yourself. Yeah. Right. Not even Stephen Covey's 7 Habits will help you sort through life enough to get to that point.

It may seem like the above is a good description of your life. But to be completely honest, I wasn't imagining a bunch of random scenario's from your life. Truth be told, I was describing the circumstances of my own.

Wait. Aren't I, like, the head of RevMedia?

Actually...Yeah.

The last 6 weeks has found me w.a.y. in over my head. Pick any area of life and you will find it a really interesting place. My family is moving. My friends are starting relationships. My business [finally] is growing. My ministry gaining momentum. My health declining. My projects - while rewarding - are demanding. A littler of puppies and a family accident completes it all.

This to say, my time has been spent in and out of touching all those areas, and at the same time, I feel like I've touched none at all.

This is a pretty tough place to be for someone who wants to be a World Changer. In fact, life during these times seem more like a complex survival season of Lost than they do of impacting the world.

At this place, when you try, and try, and try to clear away the lists, to make time and room for "changing the world", it's a good time to re-center on something.

A World Changer is someone who has been made aware of their affecting power and consciously taken up the identity of an "influencer" in the world around them.

World Changing may at some point in time involve breaking out fellow believers in restricted countries, but in all honestly, the life of a disciplined World Changer is consistent. It is continuous. It starts where you are and it builds from there.

World Changing is simply the acknowledgment that you are an influencer - today, right now - and a commitment to influence your world for the good.

On one hand, this gives us all an incredible freedom - not to pine away for opportunities or abilities that may never come our way - rather to embrace a passionate, visionary lifestyle even as it involves doing dishes, packing boxes, taking portraits, or making plans. This idea gives hope to our desire of making our life count - even as we work at a hospital, study chemistry, or plan a wedding For in a these situations, we influence dozens, if not hundreds of people. What kind of World Changing are we attempting there?

The challenge is not entering a new World Changers lifestyle, but submitting it unto the life you are leading right now.

At some point, you may have been able to point a finger at me and accuse "that's easy for you to say". But today, as I lay aside my philanthropic projects to take care of my injured mom, and plan a photography class for ladies, it's not easy to say. It's not easy for me to say as I lay aside my desire for traveling this year in exchange for building roots in my business and ministry administration.

Attempts at World Changing are never easy - no matter where you are. It sounds more glamorous and impressive to say our World Changing took place in Africa as opposed to a conversation over dishwashing; but there is equal merit, reward, and responsibility in both. World Changers tale these moments and attempt to influence as best they can.

So here's the challenge: Influence someone today.

Make an attempt at World Changing.

We can try it together.

The jet-lag is long gone, the bags unpacked, the images are key-worded, categorized and complete with basic edits...

And now the real work begins.

Wait...The images are shot, isn't the work done?

No, it has only just begun.

The focus now turns to lay-outs, graphic design, writing...and the task of narrowing down what the core of our message is all about. One can't even imagine all the road-bumps along the way. Computers dying and being out of commission for 5 weeks, one of the members of the team who is working on the project being in another foreign country for 4 weeks, trying to find the free, yes free, way to compile copious amounts of work among the various members of the team. As time passes and we get farther away from our time in Thailand, the fear of losing passion and momentum sets in. Life at home continues on and makes its demands.

Why do we choose to do this?

To expend our own resources for a project that no one asked us to do...no one but God.

We do it because God entrusted us with a vision, a piece of His heart that He wants revealed to the world. It's our responsibility and privilege to put our hands to this task and see it through to completion.

When in Thailand I came across a verse in Proverbs that took on a whole new meaning and we are applying it to this project. "The slothful man roasts not that which he took in hunting,; but the substance of a diligent man is precious." Proverbs 12.:27. We can go out and shoot the images, but not until we come home and prepare them to impact an audience and take them out into the world do they become precious. We must be stewards of the images that God gives us the opportunity to see and capture.

So computers are repaired, time is managed to the best of our ability, sleep is sacrificed for writing, the search for free networking options are explored. And through it all, God not only maintains the passion, but builds and deepens it. How could He more clearly stamp His approval on the project? We move ahead, making progress, carrying in our hands a precious story to be told.

- Hannah Brandau

This last weekend Jocelyn and I drove 7 hours from Portland to Wenatchee for a wedding. As a part of the drive [which we both, by the way, l.o.v.e.d], we talked about photography curriculum and Project Unnamed.

Only, by the time we came home, it was no longer Project Unnamed. It was Project: Risk Love.

Driving through the mountain passes of northern Washington, inspired by the view, the scenery, and the air [I guess?], God sent inspired brilliance. It was so incredibly refreshing, for this piece has been a lot about working through creativity rather than walking in it steadily. I think that God sends us through times like these - times that we have to push through getting something together - so that we will remember it is He who equips. We can have talent by the bucketloads and still not touch people's hearts. He is the one who sends the connection points of true visual communication.

Anyway, not only did we suddenly had a name, we had truly, the heart of what this piece is going to be about.

What does it mean to Risk Love?

Well, I guess you'll have to wait to find out.

Oh, and one final note: If you ever get stuck in the "uninspired" rut of project creation, Jocelyn and I both h.e.a.r.t.i.l.y. recommend a day trip which requires you to drive many hours during sunrise to sunset, and praise and worship music to enjoy the scenery by. Really - I give it my whole hearted endorsement! ;-)

Thanks for your prayers friends! Here's to all the Philanthropic Artists trying to make a difference in their world.

Okay. Here is the scoop in all honesty:

Christina is a horrible editor.

Allow me to clarify.

I am capable. I understand the system. I know the process - or at least where to find the answers to my questions. It's all good in that department. That's not the problem.

The real problem with being an editor lies in my inability to close myself off to the world and step into the "Darkroom". I'm sure all my video and photographer friends know exactly what I am saying. This "Darkroom" phase is the time that you have pajama days more often than days that you get fully dressed [baring showers of course - we have to stay feeling good and sharp]. It's the time when you emerge from your "Darkroom" for water and meals and internet when you are about to go crazy. Some people love the editing process. And in all seriousness, I do too.

Except when it controls my life.

I'm finding that video editing is, of course, a bit different than photo editing. Especially as I am the solo editor for two projects. It's harder when you can't run ideas off people. Or show them what you have to get suggestions. Being new at the hardcore "Darkroom" process, I don't make any attempt to hide the fact that I'm not used to being able to multi-task when I need to be on creative edge. It's so much easier when you have a team around you than when you are on your own.

Last week I put together this piece. Two days later I was about to go i.n.s.a.n.e. And then I realized something: It's so much easier to be in the trenches and doing the work with the people you love and who are brilliant and who are in need. But doing things by yourself, it takes a different level of discipline, of devotion to your call.

I know many of you photographers, video people and the like, arent able to have a huge team to pull together projects like Ashes to Beauty or Risk Love. But should that stop you?

When you are passionate about your calling, nothing will stop you. Not even takin the high road and goin solo.

I promise.

The RevMedia team is synergizing and brainstorming, and has many good things in the works for the upcoming months. We are praying for direction in several areas, including how to best serve those in need of rescue, how to support developing Philanthropic Artists.

Our "Question of the Week" is this: How do you balance the "Be" of your life with the "Do" of your life? Each of our team members has wrestled with this question on an individual level, but what does this look like for the corporate culture of Revolutionary Media?

It may not be an easy question to answer, but it is one that shapes direction on the deepest level.

Stay tuned to catch RevMedia's growth and development. In the meantime, download this wallpaper, and think about how you live your life.

Blessings!

The RevMedia Team

This shoot was super productive for Jocelyn and myself, but I must admit, it was a challenging one too. Honestly, when you try and complete a project based on 2.5 shoots, 2 planning sessions, a budget of $0, and half your cast of characters, it may be rewarding, but it isn't the easiest thing ever.

What happens when you know something is worthwhile, but the challenges facing it seem to overcome the good intentions? How do you keep holding on to a vision of dynamic impact when the world is against you?

You keep on holding on to Jesus. You rest secure in His control.

And you don't back down.