Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

As a photographer when we walk up to a subject in early morning, we anticipate what the light will give us. We wonder if it will be flat and colorless or abound with the rich early morning hues of gold and red. On this morning above, I got very fortunate and the right light appeared for the perfect subject. One of the things that makes photography so exciting is you never know what your going to get, as they say in Texas, “some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you!”

I think what keep photography new for me after 41 years is the anticipation of what just might happen! Light makes or breaks most photographic situations. Sometimes the light is not what you had prayed, or hoped for. The measure of a real shooter is can you find the right subject for whatever light you get?!

In life, there is only one light, Jesus. You either have Him or you don’t. Life just won’t be what it should have been without Him.

So, if you have The Light, you have it made…….

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: Nikon D3, 70-300 AFS VR lens f16 @ 1/5th of a second.

1971, the pilgrim, twenty five years of
age and 170 lbs. I promised this would
not be about me, and believe it or not, it
still isn’t, but let me share this with you.
A little over two months ago I asked you
to pray for me as I went after what has
been the biggest stumbling block in my
life, my weight. I’m sure all of you have
had to face the demons in your own lives
and you know how much fear you have
when you face an opponent you have
never been able to defeat. This morning
I weighed in at 216 lbs. That’s the lowest
I’ve weighed in maybe thirty years. I’m
not at my goal yet of the 180’s but I’m
closer than I’ve been in a long, long
time.

How is this not about me?????? Actually this road that I’m on is because of your prayers, and God’s power. I hate admitting defeat, but time and time again I’ve tried to beat this monster and
have always ended up the one bloody and beaten. This time armed with your support, and God’s
grace, it is happening, slowly but surely. Now, when I get to my goal, I won’t look like the young man above, but I won’t look like I looked in December either.

I want to thank my friend Vinny Collucci for sticking with me and holding me accountable all the way. Vinny has lost almost 50 lbs! He and his teaching partner Melissa Southern have done great on this program and I really appreciate that they’ve been there for me. My daughter, Catherine and my grand children, and Sherelene have all been there too, encouraging me all the way. As much as they have helped, the real accolades go to my Heavenly Father. He has done two things for me that has never happened before, He has given me the reminder of the Holy Spirit when I have been about to skate to close to the edge, and the strength to say no to what I’ve never been able to say no to before.

This all started because I wanted to be healthy, which I was not at the start. I feel so much better, and all my key numbers are back where they should be. Please forgive me for spending this blog space talking about my own battle, but I needed you to know just how powerful your prayers are.
You can make a bigger difference in others lives than you ever imagined by simply lifting them to God. Please, everyday, look for people that need your prayers and write down their names and take them into your prayer time and lift them up. Pray that God will fill their lives with His Love, and His healing power. Stick with it and keep praying for them, keep a journal and record when you start to see unbelievable thing change in their lives. Trust me you will. God wants us to put Him to the test, to allow Him to prove to us just how much He cares. I know this from countless other victories He has given me in my life, and now He is making it possible for me to face my biggest challenge…… From the bottom of my heart, thank you for not giving up on me.

with great gratitude, I am,

the pilgrim

Yesterday, I was working around my office when the phone rang and it was my son Wesley. Wes and Rhonda are moving into their new home across town and they needed someone to keep Abigail, while they made the move. I had worked all weekend so I needed part of a day off so I said sure, I’d be thrilled to hang out with her this morning. While we were watching a movie together, (Up) which I can hardily recommend by-the-way, the UPS guy came with a box. The folks at Lensbaby had been kind enough to send me their Composer model and a few accessories to use for my up coming close-up class for Kelby training. I opened the box and put the lens on my D7000 and while Abigail, was watching the movie, I clandestinely snapped a few shots.

I loved the one above it just captured her pensive mood watching this bittersweet film. The film was about one of the things that matters most in life, our relationship with our loved ones. I’m sixty-five years old, I’ve photographed five presidents, seen six shuttle launches, shot countless NFL football games right from the sidelines, and I once had an image that was in a portfolio that one the Pulitzer Prize. I’ve photographed every major National Park at least twenty-five times, and taken photographers to both Africa and several times to the Galapogos Islands. I’ve photographed
things I never imagined I would ever see, but yesterday watching an entertaining movie on the couch with my granddaughter, was as sweet as any of those experiences, actually maybe even more!

It’s funny how when you start out on this journey called life, you dream big dreams and you think all that will make you happy is to see those big dreams come true. You work and scheme and do everything in your power to make them happen. For me, thankfully most all my dreams have come true, but yesterday watching the movie with Abigail, I realized that all I dreamed of pales in comparison to time with those we love.

Years ago when I had cancer and thought I might die, the thing I most was sad to lose was time with my wife and children. Thankfully God me the desire of my heart and now 30 years later I’ve seen them all grown, married and they have given me six wonderful grandchildren. It’s interesting how much we learn the more we age.

I’m glad that I’ve been so blessed, and I’m thrilled with the life God has given me. Charles Dicken’s in a Christmas Carol wrote that man has the most difficulty learning the meaning of a simple word, “enough”….

Today’s Prayer;
Thank you Father, for in my life, you’ve given me so much more, than enough…….

the pilgrim

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.