Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

I got an interesting email last night from a good friend, without revealing their identity let me quote directly from the email; “I saw you blog entry on Kelby’s blog yesterday, I can see it was well received, please don’t take this the wrong way but why would you take that kind of a risk? You know some people will take offense! I care for you man, I just am not sure why you felt you needed to do that??”

Let me start by saying this person is a good friend and I understand their concern and do not in any way take their comment wrong. I do want to address their question, as it is vital to my walk.
Let me first say, that in some ways, my friend is right. The world is hostile to people of faith, and often for good reason, they feel looked down upon. That is our fault. Being a Christian, being saved, knowing and walking with the Lord does not make you better than someone that isn’t any of those things, it just makes you forgiven. If someone thinks you think they are evil, they will naturally not care much for you. Being a Christian means you; (1) realize you’re a sinner, (2) you genuinely regret the wrongs you’ve committed, (3) you desire to be forgiven by God, (4) you accept His Son Jesus as your Saviour, (4) you know that you are forgiven and start trying to live life again in this new relationship with Him. Nothing in there makes you better than anyone else, just forgiven.

When I was forgiven I was so relieved to be rid of the burden of my life, I couldn’t thank the Lord enough. I was literally a new creature, changed in every way. Every aspect of my life was better, relationships, my work, even food tasted better! I knew that I had to share the experience with everyone I met. Now I knew my way of witnessing would not be to rush up to people and start talking about Jesus. What I could do, because of the ways he had changed me, was to love others the way He did. He gave me a love for others that was far greater than my natural feelings. I was lost and then I was found. Some people out their are still lost and I’ve got a copy of the map!!!! If you met someone and knew they were lost, would you not offer to share with them the way?

My obligation to the Lord is far greater than my obligation to my job, my reputation, or what others think of me. I have a brand new life, a new way of seeing, hearing, and existing. I could no more not want to share that than to not want to breath. Will some people not understand?
Sure, but I don’t want a single soul that I could have affected go by the wayside……

Be blessed,

the pilgrim

*Photo Notes: D3s, 24-120 and 70-300 lenses.

One more time, thank you so much for your prayers, I’m still hardly able to get over the wonderful response to yesterday’s blog entry on Scott Kelby.com. Such a good feeling to share your faith and see other appreciate the God you are praising. As promised we were up at 4:00 a.m. this morning to make the airfield for sunrise. Reno is a spectacular place to photography planes
because, they’re here and the early morning light is so wonderful. Today I got make images of some planes I’m very familiar with, even flown in and others I shot for the first time. I hope you enjoy the images. I tried to use the light to the fullest extent I could, just like we all try and use His Light for all it’s worth………

Blessings,

the pilgrim

*Photo Notes: D3s, 24-120 and 70-300 lenses.

*First, thank you so very much for your prayers last night, and today. I want you to be fully aware of what a powerful tool you wielded for Him. Today’s blog posting for Scott Kelby hit the very mark I asked you to pray for. The nearly 100 responses, ( 99% very positive ), indicates to me that God had a message, and it was received loud and clear. I can’t thank you enough for standing in the gap with me. This is such important work, and your obedience, concern, and faithfulness made it possible. I got a wonderful phone message from Scott today expressing his profound appreciation, I share that with you because you are very much a part of this. I knew you can be counted on, and that means more to me than you will ever know.

I promise this will be the last day of Bodie images, in the morning we start photographing airplanes and I hope to have some nice stuff to share on that subject matter for the rest of this week. Thanks again for being my partner in crime…….. Don’t forget my friend needing God’s answers…..

a very thankful pilgrim

How many things come to your mind when someone says, “the angles”. In photographic terms these images from Bodie certainly play on “angles” as compositional aids. When I played high school football my defensive coach taught me to take the right, “angle” to get to the ball carrier.
I’ve often heard people say, “what is her (or his) angle” meaning what is their reason for doing something, assuming we all have a reason or motive for everything we do.

It’s probably fair to say
we all have a motive for
what we do. We all
have an angle as it were.
Mine is pretty simple, I’m
a thankful man, I’m
thankful for God’s love
and forgiveness. I’m
thankful for the family
He has allowed me to
have. I’m thankful for
my job, and the people
I get to work with. Most
of all I’m thankful that
He sent His only Son
to die for me so that I
might be forgiven.

I am especially thankful
because I could never
have earned this kind
of love. It was a gift,
given freely, without
any requirement for
anything in return. God
didn’t say If I do this for
you, I will own you,
He said when I do this
for you, you can choose
to belong to me. Free
will makes all the difference.

So what’s God’s “angle” or motive? He loves us, He wants to have fellowship with us. He does not desire that even one of us be lost. He paid the price for our separation from Him. I have given my life, and every moment of my service to Him not because He demanded it, but because what He did for me causes me to demand that of myself. I could not fail to offer my life back to Him when He saved me from certain spiritual death. He doesn’t have to request my heart, I have given it to Him as freely and He gave His Son up for me.

I come to you once again today, asking for your prayers. Today I will be the guest blogger on
Scott Kelby’s Blog. www.scottkelby.com I asked if, this time, I could share my testimony of how
God came into my life in such a powerful way, and changed me forever. I know that all that read it will not receive it, such is the nature of witnessing for Christ. I do pray, and will ask you to pray as well, that it brings powerful returns for Him. I wish for my life to be nothing more than a witness to His Greatness, His Love, His Compassion, His forgiveness, His Majesty. His Word never returns empty, I pray that the harvest from sharing it is exactly what He would desire. There it is, my “angle”………..

the pilgrim

Galatians 2:20 New Living Translation (NLT)

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

May God’s manifest Love unlock the door to your heart, for His Son, Jesus Christ, to enter.