Sebastian Saarloos

🙌🙌🙌 15 YEARS SOBER 🙌🙌🙌

Exactly 15 years ago today was my first sober day. I was at the end of my rope. I didn't care about anyone or anything, even myself. Thankfully God answered my prayer and has provided me with the Strength and Will to be sober and turn my life around.

I now have an amazingly gorgeous, energetic, dedicated and caring wife, three beautiful children, a rewarding job, good health and a reason to Live. It wasn't easy and I'm not perfect, but I strive to improve everyday. Thank you all so much for following along, your support through this page over the years has helped me more than you'll ever know. And while I don't post much these days, when I do your support is amazing and I'm grateful for that.

This last year has been filled with lots of great memories and challenges. In one way it was one of the best years yet.

I'm fully involved in ministry now. I was blessed to preach a Sunday Morning service at 4 different churches this last year, along with some other smaller opportunities. I am still leading a Men's Group Bible Study weekly and running the Awana group at our church.

My parents have needed some more support lately with their age, but we have been getting great care. My sister was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ovarian cancer last March, but praise be to God, she is now cancer free!!

My wife through these trials has been a huge blessing. Her support and love is unconditional. I thank God for her every day. She is amazing.

The kids are growing up fast. You can see that in the photos below. I do my best to keep up and to savor the small moments, knowing not to take any day for granted.

Obviously I stay pretty darn busy, which doesn't leave much time for aurora photography. I do hope to get some new photos this season yet to share with you all. I'm still being published in calendars every year, which encourages me to go find new photos.

You would think after 15 years of being sober life would be a breeze, and in many cases it is, but I still have to work and pray through things just like anyone else. The good part is that instead of leaning on a bottle of whiskey and a joint, I turn to my Lord, the Bible and knowing that He will get me through things. I know that when everything else falls part, He is enough 👆🙏

If you've made it this far, thank you! I hope the words above inspire and encourage you. I've added a bunch of favorite photos off my phone, some of which you've seen and others you haven't, and no they're not all amazing aurora photos, but these are the photographs and moments I cherish the most. All my love. God Bless. ❤❤❤

Wow! What a beautiful place I get to live and work in. 🙏❤️🇺🇲

Home For Holidays

I am very thankful for a warm, dry home for my family.

I'm grateful to be able to share Alaska's beauty with all of you through Facebook. Most of my audience does not live in the north, but many have lived here before or have visited. Its great to be able to share God's creation with all of you. I'm even more blessed to be able to make a good living, doing something I love for a Nation I love. Every day I get to take photos and videos that hopefully help make our great country a bit safer and our troops better equipped. For that, I get to be able to provide for my family who is sleeping quietly inside, sheltered from the arctic deep freeze.

None of the above would not be possible for who I am eternally grateful for: My Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. -- Now you can stop reading now or unfollow my page, but please understand that I only share this because this photo is the physical proof of the change in my life that was only possible through God's work.

Fifteen winters ago, if I was up in the middle of the night I was more than likely trying to find a ride home from the bar, stumbling drunk and higher than kite in a hurricane, not getting photos of the aurora. I was a slave to alcohol and drugs, as they had complete control over my life. I only worked enough to get by, to get the next bottle or bag of w**d. I took photos every now and then, and people said I "took good photos" but I never pursued it or tried to better myself in the field. It took a family member nearly dying and a long night in a hospital waiting room to finally give my life to God and begin to change. I had attempted quitting drinking before, but never with the help of our Lord. This time, the final time, January 20, 2011, I finally stopped for good. Later that summer I quit w**d and that fall to***co. Was it super easy now that "God was in control.."?? ... No! It was just as hard, even harder in some ways. But before when I just leaned on my own will power and failed, this time I had someone much bigger and stronger than me to lean on and help me through the most difficult times.

Fast forward nearly 15 years... I am the husband of the most beautiful woman in the world. I am the father of three wonderful children who make my smile and cry and try harder than anything before. I am the leader of a Men's Bible Study and the AWANA Ministry Director for our church. I am still enrolled as a student online at a Bible College. I am scheduled to preach next month which would make four Sunday sermons around Alaska since April. I am military photographer for still the greatest nation on the earth. I get to land survey with my 86 year old dad on my off days. I am a internationally published landscape photographer with National Geographic and NASA credits.

I am thankful. Thankful for all of you. Thankful for my family. Thankful for my God. And thankful for a warm, dry home, with aurora shining above!

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving All. I hope you and yours have much to be thankful for. ❤ ❤

Sebastian Saarloos