Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

This weekend I was honored to, once again, share some photography programs with the great folks that attend the Wilderness Wildlife Weekend. These are wonderful people, very appreciative of anyone’s efforts to share with them. A man asked me after one of my presentations how I could be so calm while presenting. I said, “I’m a Christian and I trust God in all things, He is in control, anything you saw that you liked is from Him.”

This morning I got an email from my dear brother Chuck Summers, it contained a great story and message. So, this is my first guest blog from a guest, that didn’t know they would be a guest!!!!!

I hope this blesses you as much as it did me.

And thanks Chuck!

the pilgrim

The story has been told of a do-it-yourselfer who went into a hardware store early one morning and asked for a saw. The salesman took a chainsaw from the shelf and commented that it was the “newest model, with the latest technology, guaranteed to cut ten cords of firewood a day.” The customer thought that sounded pretty good, so he bought it on the spot. The next day the customer returned, looking somewhat exhausted. “Something must be wrong with this saw,” he moaned. “I worked as hard as I could and only managed to cut three cords of wood. I used to do four with my old-fashioned saw.” Looking confused, the salesman said, “Here, let me try it out back on some wood we keep there.” They went to the woodpile, the salesman pulled the cord, and as the motor went Vvvrooommmm, the customer leaped back and exclaimed, “What’s that noise?”

The customer trying to saw wood without the power of the saw to help him is very much like the believer who attempts to live the Christian life without the daily empowerment of the Holy Spirit. There is no way we can live the life Christ has called us to live in our own power or strength. Certainly the apostle Paul understood this. That is why he said, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Jesus taught the same thing. In John 15 he said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” If you do not feel like you are accomplishing much for Christ, perhaps like the man with the chainsaw, you have not been utilizing the power that is available to you. Learn to abide in Christ and to allow the Holy Spirit to empower you for victorious Christian living. It truly does make a difference!

Dr. Chuck Summers

Photo Note: Image of me speaking by Sherelene Fortney with the D700, 16-85 AFS
VR lens

Today I had to replace my tires on the FJ Cruiser. Wow! what a difference with fresh treads. I had put off doing it because the Michelins I use are far from cheap, but they’re great tires. I had allowed the tread to get way to thin, and was feeling it in rain and snow. I was really shocked how much more sure footed the vehicle was after the new tires.

Has your spiritual life ever been slipping and sliding out of control or to close to the ditch? I sure have had those times. I have some suggestions to keep you going straight down the spiritual road.

Read the instruction manual. If you are in the Word as much as possible it will give your spiritual walk great stability. The enemy can’t lie to you if you’re getting your information straight from the source. God’s Word gives us confidence and the knowledge we need to defeat all the attacks that will come our way.

Call the Tower for better flight information. God is the tower and prayer is your radio, leave it on.
Talk to God through out the day, all day, every day. He is waiting for your call, and He has instructions, and comfort you need to make a safe landing.

Concentrate on the facts. These are the facts: God loves you, God accepts you just as you are,
God has provided forgiveness for all your sins through His Son Jesus. God wants only the best for you. God will protect you, if you stay close to Him. God will never lie to you or forsake you.
The same God that made the Universe, considers you His greatest creation. (All this is in the instruction manual, by-the-way)

Be eternally thankful for all He has done. Praise and Honor Him without ceasing every moment of your life.

That will keep you from “Slip-Sliden’ away”…………….

the pilgrim

Another snow, enjoy

Photo Note: D7000 and 16-85 AFS VR lens.

Tech Friday will return soon, working on new ideas for what to cover.

The Church is the body of Christ, all those that know Him, love Him and stand together, apart from the world. There are many denominations and approaches to theology but the church is all believers united in their acceptance of Jesus.

We have a common message, mission and motive.

The Message: Man is sinful, Jesus died for the forgiveness of those sins, One day everyone will stand before God to give an account for his life. Believers will take responsibility for what they did with the truth they knew, but unbelievers will answer for every day they lived in rejection of Jesus Christ.

The Mission: Matthew 28:19 (New Living Translation)
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In other words take the love and forgiveness that was given to you by Christ and share it with your world.
The Motive: The church’s motive is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to glorify God the Father.
May your path lead you to this, the greatest fellowship of all………..

the pilgrim

*Editorial note: My thanks to my dear brother, Charles Stanley, for the message today. It was inspired and edited from his daily devotion in the In Touch magazine.
*Photo Note: Nikon D3s and the new 28-300 AFS VR lens. Arches N.P. October 2010.

Yesterday I encouraged you to develop a passion for serving God. I would imagine some who read the entry, said I’m ready, but where do I start? The most important step is to be prepared to serve Him. There is an old mountain saying, “never take a knife to a gun fight”, well the enemy you are facing when you seek to serve Him is far more powerful than you could ever be, with one
exception, when the Lord is standing beside you!

Here is a short check list for determining when you are truly ready to serve:

Do you know you can’t do it yourself? When you come to grips with the realization that you must be fully reliant on Him, your in the right position. You can’t train enough, learn enough, or build yourself up enough to be assured of victory. Victory in the spiritual realm comes when you let go, and let God take control. He can give you the strength and power that you cannot attain on your own. This is the one battle that you don’t want to be in alone.

Do you realize just how much He has given you? We are all sinners, which means we all have fallen well short of God’s desire for us. There is nothing we can do to redeem ourselves. The only hope we had was that God would intervene on our behalf. He did! He sent His only Son to die so that the death penalty for our sin would be paid. We didn’t earn it, we could never earn it, it was a gift. That’s the kind of God we serve!

Do you deeply desire to serve Him? When I think of what I was, what I have done, how far from Him I was, and that in spite of all of that, He still was willing to sacrifice His Son so that I might be forgiven, what else could I do? God does not demand that we serve Him, our hearts demand it.
When Jesus comes into your heart, you begin to see others, and love them through His eyes. This is the greatest gift, to truly be able to love others, that like yourself, are not easy to love.

Do you want all the Glory and Honor to fall on Him? When you truly, no longer, want the glory for yourself, when you don’t need to be recognized for your efforts, when all that matters to you is that others make that connection with Him, you’re ready. Serving God is not about you, it’s about Him.

So if you take up the challenge what will you get? Everything worthwhile. If you don’t?
Nothing worthwhile.

Titus 3:5-8 (New Living Translation)
5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone

“Light of the world shine on me, Love is the answer, Shine on us all, set us free, Love is the answer.”
Love Is the Answer England Dan and John Ford Coley

Don’t serve Him because you have to, serve Him because it’s your hearts desire………..

the pilgrim