About
snapshots of Lisa
Get a glimpse of Lisa’s journey, vision, mission and more in these snapshots that show the heart behind Living Above and Beyond
her history
“My greatest joys are my relationship with God, my family and photography. I have a deep passion for Bible study and helping others grow in their walk with Christ.”
My name is Lisa Sanders. I was born and raised in Oklahoma, but just out of high school I moved to Tennessee with my parents where I met and married my husband a few years later.
Living in the picturesque foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains we have raised 3 beautiful children and celebrated over 30 years of marriage.
I love to serve in our church, relax on our deck and get away to the mountains as often as possible. We also take every opportunity our schedules will allow to travel taking countless pictures to preserve every trip.
My greatest joys are my relationship with God, my family and photography. I have a passion for Bible study and helping others grow in their walk with Christ.
I know full well that without Jesus, my life would be nothing and I am continually amazed by His mercy and grace. He is the first and foremost priority and I’m truly blessed to be given the privilege to serve Him.
her ministry
“The desire of this ministry is not only to teach God’s Word, but to help people learn how to study it, grow in their knowledge of Scripture, and develop a deeper and more personal relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ.”
I was blessed to grow up in church, where faith and ministry were a regular part of everyday life. If the doors were open, my family was there. It was during a special weekend church event that I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior at nine years old.
My mother faithfully served as a Sunday School teacher and was deeply involved in the church, while my father shared the message of the Gospel as a Southern Gospel singer and songwriter. Their love for the Lord and dedication to serving Him had a lasting influence on my life.
However, it was at home where my mom truly sparked my passion for studying God’s Word…
show moreEvery morning, as she prepared for work and I got ready for school, she always made time for prayer and Bible study. I loved watching her read her Bible, pray, and journal as she wove her “quiet time” into her morning routine. Some of my favorite memories are the mornings when she would call me into her room to show me a scripture that stood out to her or to share a truth God had just revealed to her.
Today, being between the pages of God’s Word is one of my favorite places to be. It is there that the Holy Spirit speaks to me. He guides me. He teaches me. He comforts, encourages, convicts and grows me in ways that I can hardly explain.
From that love of studying Scripture and spending time with my Lord and Savior has grown a deep desire to teach God’s Word as well. When He shows me a new truth, a fresh perspective, or reminds me of some incredible aspect of His character, I can’t help but want to share it with others.
Over the years, God has placed a deep passion in my heart not only to study His Word, but to help others learn how to study it for themselves. I believe that when people truly learn how to see God and hear His voice through Scripture for themselves, it transforms their understanding of Him, strengthens their walk, and helps them live out their purpose of glorifying Him in a special way. .
The desire of this ministry is not only to teach God’s Word, but to help people learn how to study it, grow in their knowledge of Scripture, and develop a deeper and more personal relationship with their Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Her Photography
“Through the years God has shown me how sharing what I capture through photography is the best way that I can bring glory and honor to Him from behind the lens of my camera.”
Growing up, I had an amazing aunt who was a photographer. Each summer, she let me play in her simple little dark room whenever I went to visit. She let me help her develop negatives and print enlargements long before I ever even held my first “real” camera.
It was in Girl Scout camp in the 5th grade that I was handed an actual SLR for the first time to use for the week in my first “official” photography class. Although I was learning the basics of photography, I felt right at home in my second ever dark room. I won the best photographer award at the end of that week, but I’m sure it was far more for “enthusiasm” than talent.
Even since those early days photography has been comfortable and natural. I’m truly in my happy place behind the camera.
show moreI’ve taken several classes over the years in college and other outlets, and won several awards in various competitions, but like many, I’ve learned the most by trial and error, experience, and practicing what I love. My truest joy in photography comes, not with awards, but with each person who sees into an image and experiences at least a fraction of what I saw and settles into it’s beauty along with me.
A very dear friend and I co-owned and operated our own photography business doing portraits and events for over 5 years and I spent several years as a contract wedding photographer for an event venue in Townsend, Tennessee. However, nature and travel photography bring me the greatest joy and is where I focus most of my attention.
Through the years, God has shown me how sharing what I capture through photography is the best way that I can bring glory and honor to Him from behind the lens of my camera.
Every corner and detail of His creation is infused with His majesty, beauty and creativity. I simply want to enjoy, absorb, capture and share every piece of it that I possibly can, and spend every opportunity to glorify God through those images, focusing on our Incredible Creator.
show lessher vision
Through the ministry of Living Above and Beyond, my desire is to help believers of all ages grow in their relationship with God through the study of His Word. By bringing my love of Bible study and photography together, my heart is to help others learn to dive into the Scripture deeply, pray intentionally, and recognize God’s presence all around them.
I pray that through time in His Word, hearing His voice through the pages that He reminds you of how beautiful and purposeful your journey is and that you can live above and beyond your own expectations through an abundant life with Christ.
As the ministry grows I am praying that God will show me more and more ways that I can be used to teach, love, minister and help others develop in their relationship with Him.
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her mission
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
My life mission statement is simple one… something that I can apply to every season or circumstance in my life. To GLOW
Glorify God
Love Others
Walk in Wisdom
Simple to say? Absolutely! Easy to execute? Absolutely NOT!
As a sinner saved by only the incredible mercy and grace of Jesus, I can confidently say that I fail at this mission more than I succeed but as I strive to be more like my Him, I pray that others will see His light reflecting off of me far more than they see me.
Watch for the study called “Glow” to understand more of what this mission statement means in my life.
show lessher journey
There are so many stories to tell of God’s goodness and guidance as He has walked with me throughout my life in all types of life circumstances. But here, let me share just one…
In 2002 I found myself back in a discussion with God in prayer that I had been in far too many times concerning some specific obedience and attitudes that I was dealing with revolving around singing special music in my home church and choir.
Christmas of that year my Mother-in-law hung a stocking for Jesus among all of the others and asked each of us to give Him something specific for the upcoming year. I decided that night to settle the arguments and apprehensions that I was having and I wrote “My voice- in speech or in song” on a card and dropped it into the stocking.
show moreThe agreement with God in that moment was that I would agree to speak or sing anytime with no questions asked, but, I would not volunteer. It had to come as a request so that it was never my “idea” and that I would always be obedient.
What I didn’t know was that this moment with Him was not about singing. It was about speaking and teaching. Throughout the course of that year through instance after instance He placed a very specific calling on my heart and began providing opportunities and opening doors that are too numerous to list. I was in constant awe of the changes in my heart and the ways that He was leading.
After years of teaching various ages, speaking and weekend retreats, luncheons and events and writing all my own lessons and curriculum, He gave me a planted a new desire in the mix… writing for publication.
Regretfully I’ve had even more fear of that than I have of anything else, ever, and to say that I have been less than obedient is an understatement. After 14 years of dragging my feet and using every excuse I could think of as to why I’m not following that path that He keeps bringing me back to I am FINALLY being obedient to that call. Hence… Living Above and Beyond.
While starting here with a blog and other study tools and lessons, I will begin compiling all the series, retreats, curriculums and lessons that He has allowed me to write over the past years and couple them with my photography and just see where God leads me on this new path.
I’m so excited to be embarking on this new adventure and adding it to the extravagant journey He has had me on in life to this point. Feel free to join me on this as I allow Him to work above and beyond in ways that I can’t even begin to imagine.
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