Well, if you were able to attend the TMS Banquet, then you know what an incredible event it was. As we process the photos from this years banquet, I thought I would give you the chance to flip through the photos from the 25th Anniversary Banquet, which was truly a celebration of thankfulness to the Lord for 25 years of His grace at the greatest Seminary on earth.

I know that you were all originally told that the photos would be available for purchase online, but I have to apologize: you can’t purchase them because they’re free. Claire and I decided to give them away as a “thank you” to all the friends and family of TMS for the way that TMS has blessed us. Since long before we came here to study, TMS graduates have ministered to us, and the fruit of the ministry of The Master’s Seminary has impacted our lives in immeasurable ways. So, as a way for us to say “thank you” and “Praise the Lord!!” you can download your portraits from the TMS 25th Anniversary Banquet by clicking this link, and you can see all the other event photos here. There are instructions for downloading your portrait at the bottom of this post if you are unsure.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PORTRAIT FROM THE 25th ANNIVERSARY BANQUET:

1. CLICK HERE to be taken to the photo album.

2. Scroll through the thumbnail view of the portraits until you see yours, and click on yours when you find it.

3. Underneath your portrait, click the download link.

And then of course, here is the fam.

I’m pretty sure that Halle taught my daughter Sophia this move, as it has been showing up around our house when I get out the camera. Though, it may have been the other way around.

Now, as any of us dad’s with daughters know, there just isn’t anything sweeter that little girls who love their daddies.
Below are some great moments we captured in the park of some special daddy and daughter time. 

And what little man doesn’t love getting chucked as high as humanly possible into midair by his dad?
After all, this is why God made daddies so strong, for launching children.

And last is my favorite shot of the day, the textured family shot. Jade and Trish had mentioned in a previous conversation how they loved the textured look that I often throw into the mix on family photos, so I made sure to include the look into several of the images I delivered to them, but I especially love the way this one turned out. 

To start things out, here is a little Sophia, who has turned out to be a regular “model” when the camera comes out.

and it’s actually hard to take a bad photo of Leia. It’s as I always say, “Hair like fire, eye’s like the ocean.”

The extent to which their personalities are revealed in this next photo is uncanny.

My amazing wife. See also my previous post, which is merely a personal rant about God’s grace via my wife: True Love: Fact or Fiction

And of course, the shot of the day, the one we went for. The Fam.

and a few bonus shots of the sweet little ladies…

The party was organized by her kids, and was hosted in the upstairs party room and balcony of La Piazza at The Grove in Glendale, CA. Anyone who has been to The Grove or La Piazza knows that this place is the foundation for a unique night to remember. And it certainly was. Below are some of my favorite shots from the evening.

As you can see, every detail was in place. They thought of everything. If you look closely, they even replaced the standard La Piazza wall frames with some of their favorite photos of their mom.

The balcony was pretty cool completely awesome, and provided a fantastic view of the incredible water fountain that the city of Glendale recently had custom-built especially for Mary’s 60th Birthday Party.

Yes, I was kidding about the fountain. But hey – it felt like it was there just for the viewing pleasure of Mary’s party on the balcony.

Here’s Charles. I love the way this shot of him turned out. Having the chance to talk a bit with Charles was a cool opportunity, as he is a fellow creative-artist like myself. I would be remiss if I did not tell you to go check out his artwork. The man can draw. He has a few of his most recent drawings up on his website at www.myforefathersfineart.com and its a pretty impressive collection.

The textured stucco wall became an obsession for me throughout the night, as it provided a perfect backdrop on which to capture some phenomenal portraits of Mary enjoying the evening with all of her friends and family.

The food was all perfect, with every garnish in place and no details overlooked.

…and the desserts were a huge hit. I think I had 46 of these little things. Wait–– did I just say that on my blog?

Lastly, I leave you with a shot of the birthday girl herself. Mary may be 60 years wiser, but it is abundantly clear that amidst many years of experience, she hasn’t lost her youthful attitude, pleasant demeanor, and ability to enjoy life with her friends. 

The band was phenomenal. And it’s not all glitz and glam (as the photos may seem).
These guys and gals sacrificed more time than most of us will ever know. Much practice, prayer, and preparation went into Camp ReGen worship times.

Epic games amidst epic backdrops.

Below, please insert the phrase, “Sharkface!!!!!”

The preaching, brought to you by Austin Duncan, Rick Holland, and John MacArthur, was phenomenal, and as Austin would say, “very helpful.”

It was my joy to have the opportunity to shoot photos at camp, and look forward already to next year.

In fact, when I found out that they were engaged, I was actually quite surprised, and I think that’s exactly how it should be. They chose to honor God in their dating and marriage in such a way that it was clear where their priorities were. Johnny and Paola, I commend you for your faithfulness to do what many people are not willing or are not able to do: to put God first. Bravo. May your marriage ever be a testimony of God’s faithfulness to us.

Oh yeah, and they asked me to shoot their wedding too (sweet!) and now… here are some of my favorites from that day.