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Up in the mornin’,
Out on the job,
I work like the devil for my pay.
I know that lucky old sun, has nothin’ to do,
But roll around heaven all day.

I fuss with my woman, and toil with my kids,
Sweat ’til I’m wrinkled and gray.
I know that lucky old sun, has nothin’ to do,
But roll around heaven all day.

Dear Lord above, don’t you see I’m cry’in?
I got tears all in my eyes.
Why don’t you send down that cloud with the silver lining,
Lift me up to Paradise (lift me up to paradise).

Show me that river, why don’t you take me across,
Wash all my troubles away,
I know that lucky old sun, he’s got nothing to do,
But just roll around heaven all day.

Sung by Ray Charles

I was sitting in the airpot terminal in Memphis yesterday afternoon and I was humming this song, because it was how I was feeling. No I haven’t been “fussin’ with my woman” or ”toiling with my kids” (there grown and Sherelene and I are doing fine), but I was feelin’ like, “I was working like the devil for my pay….” After all I was sitting in an airport on a Sunday afternoon still a long way from home. About then I glanced out the window and watched a man in a rain cover poncho with water dripping off his nose throwing heavy bags on the conveyer that led to the plane. I remembered how heavy my bag was that morning when I lifted it up on the scales at the Delta counter. This poor guy was doing that all day long, and in the pouring rain! I was sitting in a nice dry terminal, answering emails on my laptop, all of a sudden my circumstances didn’t seem quite so bad. I felt pretty guilty for being a whiner like that.

Perspective. I talk about it a lot here, and I should. Perspective is what helps us make sense of it all. Is life tough, yes it is, are our lives tougher than everyone else’s, I don’t think so. At Southwestern Photojournalism Seminar over the weekend they had what are called 2 minute shows. Photographers have two minutes to show some of their work and talk about it. Some very impressive stuff came from students and very young photographers. Even more that the quality of their photography was the passion of their hearts. Many had gone into or were from the mission field. Their images made me forget about my temporary problems. I was touch deeply by the great desire they had to reach out and touch other’s lives.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds, with our own cares, but there is a big world out there and most of the people in it are not nearly as fortunate as you and I. The images and stories from these young people and my dear brother, Gary Chapman, once again opened my eyes to the world my Lord wants me to see. Jeremy Cowart’s images from Haiti reminded me again of what real devastation looks like, and how even in that You can bring hope.

Wake up calls are good, they keep us focused outside ourselves, on the world on others with needs far greater than ours. When we get involved in other peoples lives that need us, we lose the need to think about what troubles us at the moment.

Today’s Prayer;

Father, please help me stay focused on You, and others. Help me to have a passion for those that are lost and in need. Show me how You would have me reach out to those less fortunate children of yours. Father, please bless those that have given up the comforts of this country to go out to the most desperate parts of the world to lead others to You. Father, show me how I can support them and share in their mission. I could never thank You enough for how richly You’ve blessed
me and my family. Please keep my heart tender to others. I know Your Son came and died for all of them too. Amen

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: D7000, 24-120 AFS VR f4. F4 @ 1/400th of a second. ISO 1600.
Sculpture in the Dallas/Fort Worth International airport terminal.

A few days ago I asked for your prayers about a sharing experience I had last night in Fort Worth, Texas, at Southwestern Photojournalism. I was the last twenty minutes of a day packed with powerful teachers, photographers, and speakers, that wowed the collected with their fantastic work and talent. My mission was a lot more simple, remind them how much God loves them and how much He wants to use their talents for His Kingdom.

I asked you to pray that it would not be me that they saw, but Him. Your prayers were answered.
I believe that in the end, they saw clearly just how much our Heavenly Father loves them, and how much He wants them to succeed, but succeed at serving Him and others. I followed Jeremy Cowart, an extremely talented young man, who has used his talent to accomplish some of those goals of reaching out to others. It was a touching moment in his program when he revealed just how much we can affect others lives with our God given talents.

It was an incredible time of seeing many dear old friends that I have such a deep love and respect for. It was a wonderful feeling driving back to my hotel last night knowing that once again, His mission was accomplished. When my head hit the pillow last night, I sent up one more prayer for the day,

Father, thank you for being with me tonight, thank you for once again, giving me the words to express my profound love for You. I’m gratified with the many kind words expressed after the evening program had ended, but Father my prayer to you is that they will have a hard time recalling my name today, but will forever be indelibly reminded of Your love, and Your Son’s great sacrifice for them. I pray that anyone that was there that does not know You, came to an understanding of their deep need for You in their lives. If one person decided to give up the fight and surrender to You, it was all worth it. Father, thank You again for giving me the mission I asked for so long ago. Please don’t let me ever misuse it, but may I always direct all the praise and honor to You. In Your Son’s precious name I pray, Amen.

the pilgrim

My good friend Sam Garcia, says, “A man who has a watch, always knows what time it is, and a man who has many watches, never knows what time it is…….” I’m not sure that quote is original to Sam, but he is the first person I ever heard it from. Today I have to take a moment to laugh at myself.

Yesterday morning after doing the blog, I had breakfast with Sherelene and then packed the car and headed to the airport. I had checked all my paperwork, flight, March 4th, rental car, March 4th, hotel reservations beginning on March 4th, I looked at my watch, March 4th. Off to the airport. Arriving in Knoxville an hour before my flight I went up to the Delta counter and said “I’m on the 12:25 to Memphis and then on to Dallas/Fort Worth.” The lady said let me find you and after a lot more clicking on the keyboard than usual, she said sir, I can’t find you on that flight. I assured her I had a copy of my e-ticket and handed it to her. She looked at it and looked up and said, “this is for tomorrow.” I said, “but today is March 4th and that’s what the ticket says.” “No sir she said in a kind voice, “ today is March 3rd.”

At the end of February if you have an old watch, like the one I was wearing, you have to change the dates yourself. When changing the date I must have advanced forward one day to far. The result, if you use your watch to determine the date, better set ti right. No harm, no foul, I visited a client in Knoxville and drove home for another night with Sherelene and then today, I really am off to Fort Worth. It is the 4th, isn’t it? At least that’s what my watch says……….

I’m a watch collector, sad to say I’ve got over two dozen, as marvelous as they are, they aren’t worth a dime if you don’t put the right information in them. Our lives are much the same, we must be set to the proper place if we are to be of any value to ourselves and others. The proper place is under the authority and guidance of Jesus Christ. When He rules our lives, when He sets our schedule, we are never too early, or too late.

It’s really pretty simple, I want to make a difference for Him, and I have nothing in me of enough value to accomplish that desire, but, He can give me all the tools, skills, love, patience, grace and power needed to do His will. He doesn’t want me to do it in my own strength for two very good reasons, I can’t, and He wants me to be dependent on Him. If I go out and do something He has led me to do and great results come about, the credit, and the glory all goes to Him, and that’s how it is suppose to be.

To Your glory my Father,

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: Nikon D7000, 60mm Micro Nikkor f 2.8 lens, window light.

Since I’m leaving for Fort Worth this morning and will not return until Sunday evening, Jim Begley and I ran over to Shaker Village yesterday to test the D7000 and do some scouting for an upcoming workshop we are holding in that area. It was a beautiful “spring like” day with temps in the mid 60’s.

We enjoyed walking through the beautiful Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky scouting shooting locations and making a few images along the way. I wish our society took a deeper interest in history, their is much to learn in a place like this. While I may not believe everything the Shakers believed, I can have nothing but deep admiration for their steadfast dedication to their beliefs. This Historic Village remains a shadow of things past with great accuracy due to the wonderful dedicated staff that keeps this history alive. Only three individual Shakers are still living today, but long ago hundreds farmed and lived in this wonderful place.

I can’t wait to share this great experience with our friends that will join us here in April. While you enjoy some of the images, please think about how important our won history is to us and what our forebears and forefathers passed down to us. Think about our responsibility to keep it vital and alive for our future generations.

Blessings, the pilgrim You can check it out at: http://www.shakervillageky.org/

Top, Spiral Stairs in Shaker Village, Above left to right, Traditional Shaker straw hat on peg runners,
Steep stairs with side table and lemons in bowl, broom straw in the brethren broom shop, Shaker dwellings, wool yarn made and dyed at Shaker Village. Below, the famous Sunset Motor Lodge sign, nearby in Sanford, Kentucky, made famous by Jim in his terrific HDR shot, very bottom, beads and watches in the Beaumont Inn gift shop.

* Photo Note: All images D7000, 12-24 AFS f4 Nikkor lens and 24-120 AFS VR f4 Nikkor Lens.
All tripod shots except the lemons and stairway, shot hand held at equivalent focal length of 180mm
at 1/50th of a second, gotta love Vibration Reduction.