Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

It is the beginning of a new year and we are all thinking of things that we should do better than last year. We do it every year and that’s not a bad thing, we should always be trying to do things better. Let me share with you what I think should be the number one resolution for all of us, but first a little ground rules.

It seems to me that we fall into one of three categories with the whole God thing.

ONE – Some don’t really care. They either don’t believe there is a God, or their not sure if there is a God, or they kinda believe but they believe in God like they believe in the North Pole, they know it’s there but don’t see the relevance to them.

TWO – Some people do believe in God, they know a little something about Him and they “try” to be a good person, most of the time. God has very little to do with any day to day decisions and they spend more time hoping God can’t see what they’re doing than thinking about any kind of relationship with Him.

THREE – Some people know God intimately, they worship and revere Him. They communicate with Him through prayer and study His word. They know He loves them and has excepted them. They truly live with the deepest hope to serve Him.

This blog reaches out to all three categories, but this message is to the threes.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (New Living Translation)
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
I want to encourage you to develop a passion to serve God. If we are committed every day to reach out and love others with Christ’s love we never know who we will touch in His name and for His glory.

I was in the Smokies back in early December on a bitter cold day shooting some work with the new D7000. A car pulled up to the pull out where I was shooting and a nice couple rolled the window down with a question. We had a short, pleasant conversation. The man, Mark, said his camera was not working and he hated he would have any pictures of the beautiful Cades Cove in light snow. I suggested if he would email me I would be happy to send him a CD with some of what I had shot. He gladly accepted the offer and I gave him my website so he could get all my
contact info. What I’m going to share with you is an email I got from him this morning. Before you read it please be sure to know that I do not in any way mean this as self aggrandizement. No, this is just an example of how God gets magnified when we treat others the way He would want us to.

If we have a real passion for serving Him this is the result.

Bill,
Thanks for your note and the DVD you are sending. I hope your trip to New York went well.

Yesterday, in the church where I pastor, I continued with the people there in a new study through the book of Galatians. I took the first verse of chapter one to show how Paul had an identity in life and how his identity was linked unashamedly to Christ. I had wanted a real life illustration of how that is applicable in our lives on a daily basis. It was during my preparation time that it all came to pass—the story of how the Lord allowed me to meet you in Cades Cove and was directed to your website where the first thing I saw was your name and the passage of Galatians 2:20.

Well, I shared that story yesterday and then took the link from your website “ABOUT LIFE” and read your words to the people from that page. It was one of the clearest illustrations I have been given in a long time, and greatest of all I could tell it connected. People were actually able to see that the most important thing in life is not who we know, where we have traveled, what we have done, how many things we have, etc., etc., etc. Rather, it is that when others look at our lives they know that we unashamedly are linked to Jesus Christ. The Lord is using your website to make that known to whoever drops by to find out about you.

I might have spent 90 seconds with you in a beautiful place as Cades Cove, and your pictures and stories about all you have done throughout life speak volumes as to your gifts. But greatest of all, when I think of Bill Fortney, I undoubtedly say and said in various ways yesterday when preaching, “There is a man who has a grip on what life is all about. There is a man who really knows Jesus. There is a man who is the real deal!”

I pray you have a blessed 2011, and that you are able to continue to share Christ with others wherever you travel.

Your Friend,
Mark Howard

Thanks Mark, for those kind words, but as you know, the one that should always get the glory and honor is our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would be nothing.

the pilgrim

*Photo note: Shot from that day in Cades Cove’s, Primitive Baptist Church. Nikon D700, 17-35 AFS.
Silver Efex Pro Antique Plate Filter.

Health Note: I promised to be accountable to you guys so here goes, every Monday I will post my weight
under this heading at the bottom of the blog entry.

Health Note: Monday, January 3rd – 239

I don’t mean any disrespect to whom ever is on the back of this motorcycle, I actually would like to thank them. If it were me on the back of that motorcycle, it might have been even worse. No, they have inspired me to know; it’s time.

Every New Years Day I make resolutions, good ones, serious ones. This year I came upon this scene and shot a quick picture, just couldn’t help myself. This year I am making no resolutions, just one promise to myself. I’m going to get healthy. Truth of the matter is I’m in terrible shape, over weight, don’t manage my diabetes like I should, and my favorite physical activity is taking a nap!

I am not trying to get six pack abs, and I do not plan to run in a marathon, nope I just want to feel like staying up to see the end of the football game that starts at 8:30. Now, why am I sharing this with all of you? Actually on several occasions over the last few years when I asked for your prayers for myself or others, you’ve come through like champions. Truthfully, this is not the first time I’ve made this promise to myself, but so far I’ve been met with mostly failure. Next month I turn 65. I really want to be able to continue to serve the Lord, be a husband, father and grandfather to an active family. I want to continue to do my best for Nikon, and shoot a lot more images to share with you, and yes, still write this blog everyday!

O.K. the request is simple, please consider praying for me. I need God’s strength, guidance,
and protection. My promise to you is I will be honest with you about how it’s going. I want this part of my life to Glorify God too. I’m certainly not afraid to die, but I don’t want to live a single day unless it is to the fullest.

Thanks for being out there, checking in to the blog from time to time, and giving me a great deal of
pleasure when I know that God is using this little blog to bless others and glorify Himself.

the pilgrim

Saturday of this past weekend I gave an all day seminar to a group of great folks over in St Louis.
I really enjoyed the day and the people were a fun group. Several times during the day the image, above, was on the screen. Every time I saw it , I was reminded of the wonderful friendship I have enjoyed with the man in the picture. I was also reminded of how fallible I am. Cliff Zenor is a really special friend, a wonderful photographer, and a forgiving soul. In the workshop business the way you break in is working as an understudy to those with more experience than yourself. Cliff came to work for my company, at the time, The Great American Photography Weekends. Cliff worked hard and became a very important asset to the company. His hard work paid off and he was soon being sought after by other workshop companies. Knowing he had risen as far as he could in the GAPW, he accepted a job with Joe Van Os Photo Tours. I hated to see him go and honestly I was hurt. I shouldn’t have been, it was the right thing for him to do. I shared my hurt with my shareholders and used a word that I should have never used in the email, betrayed. As almost a punishment for my unwise words, Cliff got a copy of the email and it hurt him deeply. In retrospect, I don’t blame him, what I said was wrong, I had made a terrible mistake, and treated a wonderful friend, badly.

I tried to apologize and explain, but Cliff was still too hurt to communicate with me. Years past and every time I saw the image above I felt terrible about what had happened and that I had lost such a real friend because of my careless use of that word. I have to confess that I carried a great deal of hurt myself because of the my lost friend, and I had to accept that it was all my fault. I left several messages on his answering machine, but never heard back from him.

A number of years later I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was on my way to Lexington to have the surgery when my cell phone rang, the display said, “Cliff Zenor”. I answered the phone and was greeted with my lost friend expressing concern for me and a desire to renew our friendship. It was the medicine I needed the most. Restoration is such a wonderful gift from God. We had a tearful conversation, and immediately hurts were forgiven, and our friendship renewed.

The cancer was treatable with just surgery and my relationship with Cliff was restored. I would have endured the cancer for just that! I think that a key factor in this wonderful story of a relationship being restored is, confession.

We can never hope to have our sin dealt with until we are willing to confess to the one offended, and our God who forgives.

confession |kənˈfe sh ən|
noun
1 a formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime : he signed a confession to the murders.
• an admission or acknowledgment that one has done something that one is ashamed or embarrassed about, that may have hurt others.

Confession opens the door to God’s forgiveness and to restoration with the one you’ve hurt. I love Cliff dearly, and the reality that my foolish, untrue words, could have separated us as friends forever is a devastating thought. Thank God, it didn’t, and thank you Cliff, for your forgiveness…..

Confession promotes healing. Is there anyone that needs to hear your confession? Do you know how good it will feel when God restores your relationships? Do you know you must carry the burden of your sins until you do confess?

Trust me, as hard as it is to do, it’s well worth it……….

the pilgrim

Not my stomach, that’s completely full, nope my life! Even when things are difficult, not today though, I see my glass as half full not, the other way around. Optimism for a Christian is not some fuzzy, half hope that things will be o.k. It’s the full knowledge that in fact God is in control and He had promised us He will always be watching out for us. A life that is lived in fear and dread is not what God desires for us, and we don’t have to live that way.

God has promised us treasures beyond measure, two of mine are above, my granddaughter, Hannah Noel, and my grandson, Benjamin Luke. When they cuddle up to me on the couch,
I believe I’m truly a wealthy man.

When God whispers to me in prayer that He has a plan for me, and He will not let me fail,
I know I’m wealthy beyond measure.

How is your glass doing, is it half full, or half empty? With God, it will always be, over flowing!

the pilgrim

*Photo note: D7000, 16-85 AFS VR ISO 3200.