If ever there was a highlight to my career it was this day!
Christ’s Legacy Academy held a benefit for the booming Christian School in Athens, TN at Eastanallee Baptist Church in Riceville. Never in most folks’ wildest dreams did they imagine such notable celebrities like Jep, Jessica, and two of Willie & Korie’s children, John Luke and Sadie, would be brought to the middle of this old pasture land…in a tiny town with no redlight.
Lori, and her husband Crockett, worked tirelessly, with the help of several others from the school and Church, to make sure the day went off without a hitch. I commend them all on a wonderful job well done!
Despite the rain falling outside that didn’t stop over 800 people from standing in a line that wrapped partially around the building, with their umbrellas. The feeling in the air was sheer excitement with a tinge of awe…nothing was going to bring their spirits down!
I was blessed to be able to document the day for the School and the Church…truly a momentous occasion that is sure not to be rivaled for quite sometime!
I got a sneak peek in to their Green Room, and loved how low key they all seemed. When they met a young man who’d almost lost his life to an automobile accident earlier this year when the driver of the car that hit him fell asleep at the wheel they were so compassionate and attentive as he told his miraculous story. The smiles on the faces of the friends who accompanied him in to meet the famous family as he shared in front of such world wide celebrities gave the room a much brighter glow. A moment none of us will soon forget!
The pastor, Tony Crisp, his wife, Karen, and the CLA board members were invited in to pray before the event, and it is TRULY an immense blessing to know that in this world that moves further from Christ, and prayer, The Robertson clan are devout Jesus lovers…and prayer warriors!
They went out to greet the throngs of fans, and singed autographs on everything from water bottles, cell phone cases, Vols hats (to which I heard Jep wrote a little tribute to his favorite team…hahaha!), duck calls, even the boots right off people’s feet! The 4 Robertson’s smiled and signed away.
After almost 2 hours of meet and greet they retreated to the Green Room to rest a bit before the Q&A session began. The sanctuary was packed to the limit as episodes from the one of a kind show played on the projector screens.
Then they took to the stage, and Pastor Tony started asking questions like:
“Is the show scripted” to which Jessica replied “Some what. Things will happen when we’re not filming that we think “we need to recreate that”, so we do, but mostly it’s just our life.” and Jep added “You can’t script Si” which resulted in an eruption of laughter from the realization of how true that statement must be!
“Who is someone you admire?” John Luke replied “Godwin…he’s just happy to be alive!”
When asked how they handle being married and all of the fame/fans Jessia said “As a husband and wife we don’t go in a room alone with the opposite sex. We don’t want to give the appearance of anything…”
My favorite quotes of the evening may have come from Sadie and John Luke….when asked “What do you find attractive?” She responded without hesitation “RESPECT! Seems like guys don’t respect girls anymore!” and he responded “Her relationship with God.”
Jep interjected “When it comes to Sadie and boys, Willie has a screw loose!” and again the whole sanctuary erupted in to a roar of laughter.
It truly was a once in a lifetime event, and I’m thankful to have witnessed and captured it for future generations to know that even in the smallest of places, with the most unassuming people, God can, and will, do big things! The testimony this God loving family preaches and lives is something to be admired..and hopefully replicated.
Thank you Robertson family for believing in, and sharing the Gospel, and thank you Christ’s Legacy Academy for your commitment to teaching children, and helping raise up a new generation of believers.
BraskaJennea Photography | Destination Wedding & Curvy Boudoir Photographer 