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We all have someone else to thank for our blessings. Today let me start working on the thanking process. First I thank God everyday for His forgiveness, His grace, His compassion, His Son and His Holy Spirit. Life, for me, simply wouldn’t be possible without Him. Second I want to thank my wife and the love of my life Sherelene, and for the family she has given me. I thank you Scott and Diane, Clint and Catherine, Wes and Rhonda for being in my life. Thank you, Hannah and Ben,
Cassidy and Cade, and Elijah and Abigail for making smile everyday to have wonderful grand children like all of you! I want to thank my wonderful friends and partners in photographic crime;
Bill Pekala, Scott Diussa, the entire NPS team, Scott Kelby, Matt, RC, Adam, Brad, Larry and all his rest of his great folks, then there is Chuck Summers, Jim Begley, Ricky Skaggs, Tim Isaacson, Jim Haverstock, Larry Williams, Ron Pinkenburg, Carl Turner, Raymond Jabola, Chuck Daffin, Susan Scharenburg, Phyllis Burchett, Bud Motter, Del Morisette, and countless others that have made my life so much better than it would have ever been without them. My new shooting buddies, Snake Barrett and Chuck Barnes have to be on this list too. I’m going to stop before I get myself in real trouble, it’s been a long two days, I’m exhausted and I’m sure someone really important is not on this list, but just know I love you, I’m just really tired.

And now you. Yes you. If you are reading this, you may also be one of those folks that prayed for me for the past two days, some even longer than that. Even if you didn’t pray for me, you’re reading this blog and doing so you are providing me with the incentive to keep writing. I love sharing His love with others and you are making that possible. You provided me one of the best days in my career. Things went letter perfect, and you can trust me when I tell you, I’m not letter perfect. I trusted in Him and you lifted me up to Him, and that made the difference. I love when a plan comes together, and thanks for making it so!

Please follow my lead and take a little while this week to make your own list, and then let them know just how much you appreciate them. They will be just as thankful for you, as you are for them. That’s how love works, you give it away, and it comes back. That’s what His Son did,
He gave it all, so we could give Him back, our all.

the pilgrim

* Photo Note: D7000, 24-120 AFs VR, F11 @ 1/15th of a second. ISO 200.

** Cheesebuger Alert, found a 4.4 pickle burger in Oldsmar, at Burger 21. Near perfect, and seasoned
wonderfully. This is getting strange, every time I’m around Scott Kelby a great burger turns up! Yes, I’m sticking to my points, just enjoying an occasional burger……..

I’m posting again on the night before another busy day. Thank you so much for your prayers, today went very well indeed. That’s the way things go when you place all your faith in Him. I’m constantly reminded that when we trust Him, He will not fail us. I truly do not want credit or fame for myself, the joy of living this life is reward enough. When I was young, I wanted to be noticed,
everyone does, but with time and God’s maturing hand I’ve come to desire more than anything that He be the one that is acknowledged.

Today I had a chance to visit with Scott Kelby between taping sessions of the new class. He revealed something to me that I find almost impossible to believe. Before I share it with you, I need to tell you that I waited for Scott to call me after I finished the first program and tell me we could still be friends, but he didn’t want me to tape anymore classes. I really thought it was not going to be that great. Now, today Scott told me that since it’s release it has been in the top five courses viewed by subscribers every week since it became available.

I’m dumbfounded, but not surprised, God can do anything, even with someone like me. I’m honored to even be listed among the great group of teachers at Kelby Training, to have a top course, even for a short time, is even more stunning. Ratings are not with matters, at least not to me, what matters to me is I’ve received countless emails thanking me for being open about my faith. Wow, how could I be anything else. I know we live in a world that says people will be uncomfortable if you share your faith. I know some people feel uncomfortable, and it has never been my desire to create discomfort for anyone, but it has been my desire to encourage people to consider that they need Him……more than they need comfort. Living apart from your Heavenly Father is reason enough to be uncomfortable. I don’t want to be alone in the world, and with Him I’m not, all I want is for everyone else to feel the joy, only He can bring.

Thanks Scott for giving me a platform, and Thank You Father for giving me something worth sharing!

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: Shot from my new close-up class coming soon on Kelby Training. D7000, 85mm Micro Nikkor, f16. Kayro Syrup on a glass plate with a red flower lit below.

Driving from the Orlando Airport to my Marriott in Oldsmar last night I was driving the route that I usually take when my GPS said exit I-4 at the next exit. I had a moment of deciding did I really trust it to know a better way. It always gets me to the address I’ve entered and sometimes shows me a better route. Well, I trusted it and turned. I did get there, eventually. It took forever, but the driving rain, flooding, plus rush hour traffic might have been part of it. What do you trust? When you walk into a dark room in your home, and you reach for the light switch, in the dark and flip it, do you believe the lights will come on? When you pick up your camera, turn it one and hold it to your eye and push down on the shutter release, do you expect to hear it fire?

Most things in our lives, that we trust, we trust because the vast majority of times they work as we expected them to. Even though my GPS has led me a stray a few times, I still trusted it. It amazes me that so many people do not trust in God. My GPS failed me, my lights have failed to come on,
my camera has not fired when I pushed the shutter release a time or two a year. God has never failed me, period. Not everything God has allowed into my life has been pleasant, but I can think of nothing that has not proven, over time, to have been in my best interest.

God is faithful. God can be trusted. God loves you more than anyone has ever loved you. He gave up His only Son to give you everlasting life. In a world where we constantly trust in things that we know can fail us. Why would we not trust in a Heavenly Father that never has or will?

Today’s Prayer; Father, give us the faith that we lack to know you are completely, and totally trust worthy. Help us to know that if we fall you will catch us. Help us to understand that your love is real and deeper than we could ever understand. Father thank for giving up the most precious thing you have, to save us. Father forgive us for putting faith in things not worthy of that faith, and so often failing to trust in you. You deserve much better from us.

the pilgrim

P.S. Today the Close-Up Class tapings for Kelby Training get started, please lift me up in prayer.

Health Update: I’ve been on the road a lot lately and my weigh ins show me hovering around 214, my low point, but I’m loosing inches like crazy. My blood pressure is down from 180/95 to 130/75 and I’ve cut back to half my diabetes meds, so it is really working. I’ve gone from XXL’s to XL’s and they are getting loose…… I’ve still never exceed my weekly points on Weight Watchers for the four months I’ve been on the program! Thanks for your prayers, my friends, you’re holding me up……

I’m doing Monday’s post Easter evening as Monday will be another all day in airports days. This morning I was awakened right about sunrise time by a thunderous rolling sound. As soon as I was awake I realized it was thunder, but it resembled the sound of a giant stone being rolled away. I laid in bed and thought about what a sound that would have been on Easter morning over two thousand years ago. Just imagine being one of Jesus Disciples, how your whole world had come crashing down on you on Friday when you saw your Saviour die on a cross. I’m sure they thought they would rule side by side with Him forever, and then He was dead and buried.

The Easter story is the most important part of the life of Christ. Christ didn’t come to rule, but to serve. He lived so that we might have an example, and then sacrificed Himself to pay the debt for our sins. The thunder this morning was a glorious reminder of the reality of His resurrection. Jesus
didn’t have to give up His life for us, He chose to…….

Thank you Father for the greatest gift of all, Your Son, Jesus.

the pilgrim

Prayer Request: I’m taking a few vacation days this week to tape my newest Kelby Training
Classes on Close-up Photography, Parts 1 & 2. Please lift me in prayer. I am so honored to get to work with Scott, Matt an their great team, I want to do a class that will be worthy of their confidence in me. Thank you…….

*Photo Note: Nikon P300 Coolpix camera. Glamour Glow applied.