Monthly Archives: October 2012

11 years, 5 months ago 5

I  had a person ask me the other day if I was afraid of dying.  I shocked them when I said, “No, I’m rather looking forward to it!”  Take a note, non-believers often are confused by our thought processes!   If I thought that this life was all there was, I wouldn’t be all that anxious to leave it, but knowing that I have an eternity with Him waiting, it’s hard some days to not wish that day would come sooner, rather than later!  I’ve shared this before, but when I had cancer at age 35 and was told I had very little time to live, I faced death square in the face.  Since I’ve already dealt with it, I can’t think of a good reason to deal with it again.  The matter is settled for me, I’ve given my life, and heart to Jesus, it’s His to do with as He pleases.  If He wants me here working for the Kingdom, that works for me, if it’s to be with Him, that’s even better.

 

One of my grandchildren crawled up in my lap recently and said, “Papa, I don’t want you to die, I want you to just stay here with me forever!”   It’s a delicate conversation to try and explain to a four year old how all this works, but I tried. I told Abigail that she knew I go on trips, and sometimes I’m gone for quite a while.  She knowingly said, “Yes, I know Papa!”  Very lady like, I might add!  I told her that someday I’m going on a very long trip and won’t be coming back here, but will see her when she comes to where I’m going.  That seemed to satisfy her for now.

 

I’ve lost a lot of family and friends and I am happy to know that most are with the Lord, they are the fortunate ones, life here can be daunting, but with His strength we can make until we get to be with Him for eternity.  I was visiting with a friend a few years ago  who was dying of cancer, he said something that has really stayed with me.  I said to him that I was so sorry about his situation, he said, “Don’t be, I’ve lived a great life, and I’m going to an even better one, I love you man, and I’ll see you at the gate when you get there!”  He was right on two points, it is something to look forward to, and I will see Him again, and next time, he will be completely whole!!!  What a wonderful, peaceful way to go to our reward.

 

I’m not hanging out in cemeteries because I know something you don’t, I just loved the cross and the trees!!  I’m not going anywhere a minute sooner than He has it planned!  But when that time does come, please rejoice for me, that’s what I will be doing up there!

 

Be blessed, have hope, and know Him,

 

the pilgrim

 

11 years, 5 months ago 4

My plane landed in Louisville at 5:00 p.m. last night and my steering wheel on my FJ Cruiser really tried to turn onto I-64 East, the first leg of the trip home, but it was not to be, I had to force the wheel in the opposite direction to drive west across Kentucky to my next assignment.

 

When I got up this morning, thankfully not at 2:00 a.m., like all last week, I showered dressed and loaded up for the first morning of the Mountain People’s Workshop.  On the drive over to the college I saw some beautiful fall foliage and just couldn’t pass up the tree above.  Standing in the brisk morning air and photographing this tree, a lot of memories came flooding back, of lots of cool days, photographing lots of wonderful fall leaves.  Fall is my favorite time of the year for a lot of reason, but mostly the wonderful cooler weather, and incredible color.  You know already, if you have visited here often, that I love color!!  As a photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of shooting so many fantastic subjects that really depend on their great color to make them succeed! Color literally attacks the senses!

 

I plead with my students to discipline themselves to work in a way that their images do attack the senses!  The purpose of making photographs is to tell a story, and if you do not believe that the story is compelling, why are you doing it, and if you do, then you want it to hit the viewer with all the impact you can put behind it!  Your work needs to have impact, change things, cause people to want to make changes, inform, inspire, and teach.

 

Even more so, should your life have an impact!  What  kind of father or mother are you, what kind of parent, or grandparent, what kind of friend are you to your friends?  Do you bring kindness and compassion into the lives of others. When you come into someone’s life and then leave it, do you leave something of value, of worth.  Our lives, just as our photography, needs to be impactful.

 

When it is all said and done, that will be the measure of if your life was well lived.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Photo Note:   D600 with the 16-35 AF-S VR

11 years, 5 months ago 6

Wow, what a week, extrememe highs and lows!  Days starting at 2:oo a.m. and cold, cold, cold, mornings, working in a tent!!  Lows!!   Color and spectacle like nothing I’ve ever seen, in the company of great people, extreme highs!  As a photographer you live for this kind of color and expanse, this is truly one of the most photographed events in the world, and I can see why!

 

We finished around 10:00 a.m. this morning and so it’s to another airport to fly to the next assignment tomorrow.  I will continue to shoot what I find and share them with you guys.  I have to share one thing, I’ve been richly blessed this week, for some reason, maybe because the long days have been so stressing, the Lord has been so very kind to me, assuring me of His love and supplying all my physical needs! This has been great training for the upcoming workshop in Utah in November.  It is such a comfort to know that when you are not sure you can keep up the pace, that God will provide just what you need!!  It has been great to spend this time with Jay and Susan Miller as well, what great people!!!!

 

The next assignment is the Mountian People’s Workshop run my Western Kentucky Universities Photojournalism Department and it is being held in Henderson, Kentucky, farming country!  It should provide a great chance to seek out the less than obvious photographs, which is exactly what the student attending will be trying to do.  I will do all I can to help them and try to find great images myself, as well!

 

No blog tomorrow, as I will be traveling all day and into the night.  I hope to get back in business on Tuesday.  Thanks for tagging along. Your encouragement means so much to me, thanks for your prayers, and kind words….

 

Be blessed,

 

the pilgrim

 

11 years, 5 months ago 4

      Some years ago I interviewed the NFL Atlanta Falcon’s quarterback,    Steve Bartkowski.  When Steve signed a football for me, he added below his  signature, Glatatians  2:20.  I went home and looked up the scripture and  read it over and over.  It had a very deep impact on me, and I decided to  claim that same scripture for my life as well.

 

 Galatians 2:20   (ASV)

  20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but    Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith,  the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for  me.  

 

Over the years I’ve put that scripture after my name anytime I sign a  book,    it reminds me not of who I am, but Who I belong to.  When we accept Christ  into our hearts we die on the cross with Him, to be reborn and forgiven when he came out of the grave, because of His monumental sacrifice for us.  It is through faith in Him that I can live for Him, and only through His  strength, that I can live, even close, to His standard. None of this is done  out of obligation, but because of the desire to, the desire to serve Him, honor  Him, and live for  Him!!!  Along with that comes the deep desire to reach out to and love  others, into His presence.

 

Sometimes people send me emails, comment on the blog, and tell me in face to face conversations that they’re proud of me for being so open about my faith.  While it makes me feel good, it is pretty far from the truth, the truth is I could not fail to do this, even if I tried.  When you’ve been saved from all the agony that would surely have come my way, without Him, how could I do anything else.  Let me make it very clear, I love my Saviour, Jesus Christ, I owe Him more than I could ever repay, in thousand life times!  I can’t imagine getting up in the morning and facing one more day without Him by my side.  Who would I turn to when I’ve failed my wife, my children, my friends?  How could I ever face the future if I thought He would not be there for me!

 

No, I belong to Him, I have given Him every moment of my life, and I will serve Him every moment until He calls me home.  Not because I have to, but because I want to, with all my being!

 

Be blessed,

 

the pilgrim

 

P.S.  Yesterday I bought a t-shirt with that scripture on it,  I will wear it proudly, and another that says;  “A man who kneels before God can stand before anyone.”