Photos by Jamie Engle Shuler with the first photograph from her Faith in Focus 2009 Fall Collection, which combines scripture with beautiful images.

By Jamie Engle
Staff Writer

In tough times, it can be difficult to remember to have faith things will work out. Combine hard economic times with the long-term illness of a loved one, and it’s even harder. Murphy artist Jennifer Shuler is hoping she can help people keep their faith in focus.

“Faith in Focus is more than a business name,” she said. “It’s also my passion, what I want people to take away from my art.” She just released the fall line of framed, spiritual artistic photographs with accompanying inspiring Bible verses.

Shuler’s mother passed away in 2008 after losing her yearlong battle with cancer. Always close to her mother, helping her battle the disease and going through it with her profoundly affected Shuler.

“You don’t go through something like that without being changed,” she said. “This past year has been a long journey requiring a lot of change. Change is often difficult and requires us to be different.  It sometimes allows us to pass from one place to another.  My mom told me many times that she knew where she was going but she just didn’t want to leave us.  Her unwavering faith got her through those grueling months, and she was the inspiration for the change in me.”
 

Photos by Jamie Engle Shuler with her husband and two daughters.

Shuler always enjoyed travel, road trips and driving off the beaten path and many times stumbled upon many hidden gems, taking photographs all along the way. Her hobby became more of a passion after her mother passed away. 

“After my Mom passed away, I was sad and realizing how short life can be. I was looking for a way to make more of a difference with my life,” she said.

Walking along a river in Oklahoma this past summer, Shuler was praying and asking for some kind of sign and direction about how she could better serve God. Looking down, she saw two crosses glimmering from a river rock.

“I was amazed by the cross-shaped, white crystal-like striation patterns in that rock!!  It truly was a miracle, and I believe that God put it there for me,” Shuler said. That rock is now in her garden in the backyard.

Soon after, she began matching her photographs with inspiring biblical verses and framing them.

Photos by Jamie Engle With each photograph, Shuler matches the "perfect verse for each picture."

“It’s a natural progression for Jennifer’s photographs,” said longtime friend Jana Baird. “She’s always had an interest in photography and has been taking pictures forever. Jennifer has tons of pictures from traveling, and they just sat in photo albums until now. As she’s become more faithful and more involved in her faith, it’s a perfect progression to use these angels and beautiful pictures of crosses. Her photography and her faith married together perfectly.”

Baird sells Shuler’s art in her Southlake store, Serendipity at Home, an interior design studio and retailer of unique gifts.

Sunday, Oct. 25, Shuler is hosting an open house to introduce her fall line. There are 21 different designs, a mixture of color and black and white photos of angels, praying hands, missions and other spiritual images, taken over the years during Shuler’s travels around the world, across the country, and on road trips right here in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

“I pour through the Bible looking for the perfect verse for each picture,” she said. “When someone walks by the photo every day and sees it over and over again, I hope seeing the picture and reading the verse reminds them of God’s presence in their life and brings some peace and calm to their hearts and minds.”

Today, Shuler looks at the river rock from Oklahoma in her backyard and still discovers more crosses.

“I’m more open to the unique and subtle signs that are out there for all of us if we would just open our eyes and hearts to receive them,” she said. “It’s a matter of slowing down long enough to see them. I consider myself a work in progress because slowing down is still something I struggle with!”

The Faith in Focus Fall Collection open house is from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, and open to the public. For more information, contact Jennifer Shuler at jennifershuler@verizon.net.
 

Photo by Jennifer Shuler Murphy artist Jennifer Shuler was inspired to start Faith in Focus by this Oklahoma river rock with cross-like markings.