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I don’t deserve the kind of friends and family that I have, but yet I have them and you, it must be grace. Grace is unmerited favor, I sure have gotten a lot of that. I wanted to let you know that you are also mighty prayer warriors as well. Got a call from my wife an hour ago, she said my cardiologist has called with yesterday test results. Her simple answer was, “you passed.” Apparently they could find nothing to be concerned about, except my looks, and that is far more complicated medical issue to fix. No, the scans and test revealed no significant blockage, and a good strong, albeit old heart. So thank you so much for your prayers, only God knows what kind of shape I was in before the praying started. Suffice to say, I’m indebted for your kindness.

As a tech rep I get constant calls and emails from customers seeking help with repairs. My advice is always the same, send it to a good repair facility, that stocks the necessary parts to get the camera or lens back into like new condition. Fixing broken people is not the same. It seams that some of the reasons we don’t function the way we should is a lack of the right parts. It has been said, and I believe it’s true, that man has a big empty space in side, it’s the shape of God. Nothing else will fill it and nothing else will help us to perform and live as we should. We can deny that we have the hole, but that doesn’t make it go away. We can try to fill it with material possessions, but they will never be enough to fill the hole. We can medicate ourselves, and fill it with alcohol, but that won’t fill it either. Maybe the most dangerous thing we an do is try to do it all ourselves, fill that hole with self, that certainly doesn’t work, trust me on this one, I know.

No, we all need God in our lives, we need His love, no one loves us more. We need His forgiveness, He forgives when no one else will. We need His strength, we aren’t strong enough to face this life alone. We need His fellowship, no one wants to be our friend as much as He does. We need to believe in Him and worship Him. What out there is more worthy of our love and devotion than He is? We need to fill that God shaped hole with God.

I’m glad to mark one more thing off my list, that might have taken me away from this life, but I’m not thrilled to keep living, just to keep being alive. I’m glad because I’ve been given a few more days, weeks, months, or years, to live for Him. I was never alone, and I haven’t been for along time.

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: D7000 and 24-120 AF-S VR. Shot in Kanab, UT, standing with some of my best shooting buddies.

O.K. first, I had my stress test over the last 6 hours. Don’t know much yet, but my Doc said I did very well on the stress test part, and the scan results usually follow the performance on the treadmill. I think the entire staff was shocked I didn’t die in the first 2 minutes on the treadmill.
I will share with you, when they share with me.

Today I would like to cover a little equipment news and then share a story of encouragement. First
the new replacement for the P7000, (the P7100), arrived today, and I have some initial observations.

The body is more rounded
and has some added pads
that makes hand holding
easier and more comfortable
I mentioned earlier that,
this one has a LCD on
the rear that folds out so
that definitely adds to the
usefulness. The big change
and for me it is a huge
change is this model is
fast, the shutter to actual
image time is very fast.
I loved the P7000 but was
wooed away by the P300 because of the speed at which it operated, now the P7100 is even faster! Wow, an answered prayer, I loved everything about the P7000 but this camera is far more usable. I will give it a full run down and shoot some images in Reno next week and will report back, but expect it to be a stellar report, I can already tell, I’m going to love this camera.

Now a little story, I hope you will enjoy, and I will warn you up front, there is a moral. About a month ago I got a card from a friend in Virginia informing me that her husband, a long time photographer friend, had passed away. I was sad to loose this buddy and sorry for his wife for her loss. She said in the card that she had no idea how to sell his camera gear and wondered if I would help. I gave her a call and told her about a large, well known camera dealer that specialized in used gear and suggested she send them a list and then let me know what they said before she did anything. I also ask to send me a list and I would start working on what she had to help her out. A week or so later she called and told me they offered her two thousand for everything. I was shocked, I felt the gear was easily worth twice that or more. I suggested she let me put out some feelers and see if I could help her sell it. Now let’s take a short break, at this point I’m just trying to help the widow of an old friend. You might say trying to offer an act of kindness.

Now let’s run back the calendar nine years. I’ve just accepted the job as a tech rep for Nikon and one of my best friends in the company says, “sell all your gear. “ I said, but I’ve collected my stuff for years, he said and you will get a consignment of all the latest stuff, plus digital is coming fast this is the time to sell you old film gear. So I sold it all, after it was all gone started regretting immediately that I sold my Nikkor 400 f 3.5. It was super sharp, not too big, and would have worked great with my current digital SLRs, so for the last 9 years I’ve hunted high and low for another. Problem was mine was new, out of the box, when I bought it, I mean mint, the chance of ever finding another like that was almost impossible. I’ve searched and searched, but most of the ones I’ve found were beaters (really used hard), and just not what I wanted.

Back to my friends widow. Going through the list, to my shock, I found that he had a 400 f3.5,
the pictures she sent me indicated it was in nice condition. I called her back and told her she had some nice pieces of equipment and I would like to start the bidding on one of her lenses. I checked
around and found what was the going price for a 400 f 3.5 in good condition and made her an offer, turns out she had the matching TC-14B, which was also something I wanted so I upped the offer and, long story short, you can see it in the opening image at the top. Now, soon I will be posting a number of pieces that you may want to consider, really good gear, in mint shape, so you too, if you need something, can help her out.

Now the moral, God asks us to treat others as we would want to be treated. When I got the card from my friends wife, I thought about how I would hope one of my photographer friends would do the same for Sherelene someday. I didn’t think any of the equipment would be anything I needed or wanted, but when we step out in kindness and offer His love to those in need He has interesting ways of showing us that we have pleased Him. I have to admit that when I got the card, I first thought, “I hate that my friends has died, but I really don’t have time to deal with this right now.”
Then the Holy Spirit said ever so gently, “What would you want your friends to do if Sherelene had written any of them?” It wasn’t hard at all to pick up the phone after that reminder. To be truthful, I’ve really enjoyed talking with her, and hearing more about her late husband who I do
miss.

In the events of everyday life, you will hear a voice urging you to do something for others. Sometimes it will come at a time when you just are covered up with life’s cares. Don’t say no,
when He calls, always answer, yes Sir. Obedience is about being willing to share God’s love,
compassion, and grace with those, He chooses. Trust me, the rewards will be far greater than
a 400 f3.5……….

the pilgrim

Postscript: Thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for the calls, emails, and comments on the blog, and I know you guys, many more than contacted me, were praying. You just may have to pay for those prayers, I just may stick around for a little while. Truly I’m so blessed to have friends like your guys and gals…….

I’m going in for a stress test tomorrow morning. Seems the old body continues to remind me that mortality is inevitable. I’ve had a few instances that have given my doctor some concern. I prefer to think that it is more, caution, either way, I’m fine with it. I fully expect them to find the spells to have nothing to do with my heart, but then I’ve been surprised before, so we’ll see.

About four years ago I had some tests and when I came out of the mild sedative, my doctor looked concerned and Sherelene had been crying. I knew what was coming, had heard it before. “You have cancer.” The best part was that my doctor got to see, first hand, what faith is all about. I answered him calmly and in a matter of fact manner, “o.k. what do we do now?” My doctor actually said to Sherelene, “ I think he’s still not completely with us.” I was, I’m just not afraid of leaving this earth. I am not expecting bad news, but I’ve had bad news before, and I’m still here, and I will be here until God is ready to take me home.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a great time, and love my family, and friends, but no one ever said this would last forever. I have the glorious promise that whatever God does it will be to His honor and glory. Given a choice, I’m having too much fun to say goodbye, but then to be with Him will be divine. I’m not sharing this to evoke sympathy, or cause alarm. I certainly would be happy to have your prayers, but mostly I want to share how wonderful it is to know you can trust it all into His hands.

I’m sure later tomorrow I will write a blog saying another false alarm, but I will not complain regardless. I’ve lived the most incredible life, that has been filled with the most stellar family, and friends. I’m ready to serve Him here, or worship Him there.

Till later,

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: D7000, 70-300 AF-S VR.

Over the weekend, I watched a great college football game between Baylor and TCU. Texas Christian University was highly rated and no one expected Baylor to be able to stay in the game with them, except Baylor. Baylor shocked everyone, (the last time they had beaten a top ten team was over 20 years ago), by building a big lead. Then also, as everyone expected, TCU roared back and got very close, late in the game. The quarterback for Baylor who had played an incredible game, breaking a number of school records, threw an interception that allowed TCU another chance at a win. On the sideline, dejected, he saw TCU take the lead on a field goal. With only a minute to go, he went back into the game that he felt he had lost for his team. In the huddle his teammates told him that he was their leader, and that they were going to win the game with him leading them, just like he had, all night long. With one minute on the clock they drove down the field, kicked the winning field goal, and shocked the top rated TCU team, and the national media.

God loves us so much that he gives us teammates, people we can count on, people that will be with us even when we think we’ve let them down. For 42 years I’ve vacillated between being a good husband, and a failure, but many, many times, I’ve come back to the huddle dejected and down on myself, and Sherelene has said, you lead and I’ll follow, and sometimes when I couldn’t lead, she has. Teammates.

Thank God for a teammate I know I can always count on…….. and the God that gave her to me.

the pilgrim