Monthly Archives: August 2011

Jim Begley and I and a lot of our friends, love to photograph old rusted metal; trucks, trains, old machines, and on and on. The color and texture of rust is really exciting to us. As beautiful as it is, it’s still rust, and rust destroys. When things sit out in the field and stop working, they react to water and air and if they are metal they will rust, eventually they can rust completely away. As men and women of faith, we can rust to. We must remain active and moving for Him. If we love the Lord, but do not serve Him daily, we will rust, and trust me, rust on a Christian is not nearly as pretty as on an old antique truck.

One of my secret dreams for the Pilgrim’s Chronicles is that it would encourage others to blog and build websites that offer their faith to others. This has been a God produced project from day one, but along the way, I’ve seen how it ministers to people of like mind, (photographers). I’ve had a lot of emails from other photographers, that also happened to be committed Christians, who are serving God in a similar way. Some say they got the idea here, some say they discovered the Chronicles after they started down this path. It doesn’t matter how the Chronicles helps others as long as it helps. We don’t want to have any rusting going on around here. The way to witness is to take a page out of the book on Jesus, the Bible. If you read and studied the New Testament thoroughly, you would discover that Jesus never debated, argued or ordered anyone to accept Him, He simply loved everyone that came in contact with Him with such a love that they could not resist wanting to follow Him and His ways. His love was so much deeper and real to people than anything they had ever experienced that they wanted to know this Man.

We are called to do the same thing. Everyday, everywhere you go, spread His love to others. Be kind to someone in need, speak warmly to those in society that go unnoticed. Offer help to someone to old to do something by themselves. Offer someone to go ahead of you in traffic.
Reach high to get a grocery item off the shelf for an elderly person, open the door for someone on crutches or in a wheel chair. After a good meal, thank the server for doing such a great job. Encourage a friend that is discouraged, hug a child, hug your wife. Listen when someone needs to share something and concentrate on them. Pray for those that you know are in need or are lost.

I had an interesting thing happen in New York. I was attending a meeting for Nikon and I was traveling to and from our hotel to the convention center by cab. Outside our hotel a bellman
assisted you with hailing a cab. I stood one morning and had a conversation with bellman, small talk, where was he from, did he have a family?, that kind of stuff. When we got into the cab, about four of us, one of my New York friends asked me a strange question. “I’ve noticed you are friendly to everyone, you even strike up conversations with people you don’t even know. Why?” My answer was simple, “Why not?” I went on to explain that in the city, where everyone is in a hurry, they seldom take the time to visit with a stranger, or they may feel that some people, because of their station in life, are beneath them. I do not feel that way. The waitress, the bellman, the day laborer, the policeman, they all are God’s children just like me. If Jesus died on the cross for each of them, just as He did for me, they are my brothers and sisters, if they have accepted Him. If they haven’t, what part can I play in encouraging them to know Him.

Encourage others to want to be a Christian by being someone they want to be like. When they ask why you are, the way you are, you can share Christ with them. It’s not much more difficult than that.

I got an email from brother in California sharing his blog that he does for his church. They have a photography ministry, wow, would I like to go to that church! They wrote about my blog in the most resent post, thought you might like it. I’m also posting another couple of websites or blogs
that are very meaningful to me, check them out and be blessed by some of the others out there walking the same path that we are.

Get going for Christ, PREVENT RUST………

http://bridgewayphotoministry.wordpress.com/

http://www.seeingcreation.com/

http://dg.hollums.com/

When I start the new website and move this blog later this year, I plan to post many great places to get spiritual encouragement and enrichment. Till then, keep your faith, and share it with others…..

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: All images Nikon D7000, 24-120 AF-S VR lens.

This morning, my morning devotional reading from In Touch Ministries, (Dr. Charles Stanley), was wonderful. I thought about re-writing it, but decided it was better left exactly as it is, I hope it blesses you as much as it did me!
The scene of the cross is a paradox. It demonstrates the power of God in what appears to be the weakest moment in His Son’s life. With hands and feet nailed to rough wood, Jesus looked totally helpless. Adding to that impression was the fact that He remained there while the crowd jeered, “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matt. 27:40).
Strength is not always revealed in a dramatic display; at times, it’s demonstrated in determined endurance. What power held Jesus on that cross, when with one spoken word, He could have been free? Divine love kept Him there. With mankind’s eternal destiny at stake, Christ hung on the cross until our salvation was attained.
But the power of the cross didn’t end when Jesus finally finished His suffering, gave up His spirit, and died. His death thrust open the door of salvation to all people, and those who walk through it by faith are forgiven for every sin and insured a place in heaven.
Yet even after salvation, the power of the cross continues in believers’ lives. Millions of people have been transformed as a result of the Savior’s victory over sin and death. He sets us free from sinful habits and addictions, empowering us to live victoriously in His righteousness.
Have you let the cross do its work in your life? The Lord does not force its benefits on anyone. Rather, He offers them freely to all who will believe in Him and walk in His ways. With each step of faith that we take, the mighty work of God in us increases.

I love the line, “”Divine Love kept Him there…..”
Thank you Lord for staying on the cross and completing my salvation.
Blessings,

the pilgrim

* Photo Note: This image is actually a color slide shot at Crescent Lake in Olympic National Park with a Nikon F100 film camera, 80-200 lens and Velvia film!

I have shared this before, but I believe it is worth a revisit. An author wrote, “A man only needs three things to have a happy life, 1. Something to do, 2. someone to love, and, 3. something to look forward to.” I think that about sums it up, as long as the someone to love is our Savior.
Today I want to focus on something to look forward to. The image above and below are from the first His Light Workshop in Savannah, two years ago. It was a great workshop with Scott Kelby and I, and it was the beginning of a lot of life long friendships. The group that came together there
was a really special group of people that have now gathered again for two more workshops. In October it will be the fourth reunion for many of us.

His Light Ministries was formed so that photographers could get together and share, learn, and grow both photographically, as well as spiritually. The time together has been and incredible
experiences and has led to many great things in all of our lives. God does not want us to try and face the world alone. That is exactly why Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs. In His wisdom he knew that they would need each other. I know our group that is gathering in New England in a little over a month, are all excited, none more than myself. We’ve seen people get to be much better photographers, but more importantly, many have deepened their walk with Him.

A lot of very hard work has gone into making preparation for this gathering, no one has worked harder than John “the Snake” Barrett. Don’t be put off by his nickname, it’s a good thing. He was named the “Snake” after the late, great, Frank Miller, who proudly wore that crown for many years. I first met Frank at shooting trip in North Carolina, everywhere I went to make a shot
he was leaving, having already gotten it. I said, “Frank, you snaked us again.” Meaning he
slithered in and got the great shot first. It was a compliment. When Frank went on to be with the Lord, his title died with him, or so I thought. John turned out to be the next person in my life that
was always at the right place first! I loved John from the start, a really nice man, who was also a very good shooter and giving and kind to the bone. I asked him to wear that crown, and he has gladly followed in Frank’s footsteps.

John has scouted our trip through New England in a marvelous way, going so far as to have the longitude and latitude coordinates for every shooting location….. The Snake has scouted the area three times in preparation for our trip. I know we will have great fellowship, that’s a given, and thanks to Snake we will be very well prepared. So I have a lot of people to love, plenty to do, and a lot to look forward to. Blessed indeed…… Hey guys and gals, can’t wait……

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: D3, 70-300 AF-S VR, 1 Second at F8, Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 – Glamour Glow.

Last night our family gathering rose to new heights as my brother Homer, and sister-in-law Terri
joined us for a cookout and the annual family portraits. Terri did a wonderful job, setting up a full blown studio right in our home. The family had decided on several different “themes” for outfits and one of everyone’s favorites was Kentucky Blue. I promised to share some of the results so here goes, a lesson will follow.

I’ve often said that this blog is not about me, so
this may seem strange, but it is another act of
supreme thankfulness. When I was a child
a Christmas tradition was to lay out on display
the gifts from Christmas morning with the cards
so that guests, back in those days, everyone
would get dressed up and visit family on
Christmas day, could see who received what
gifts. It wasn’t bragging or one upsmanship.
It was a way of saying thank you so much for
your kind remembrance of us.

This is my way of acknowledging the great gifts my Heavenly Father has bestowed on me. It is away of saying thank you so much for these great gifts. It’s also a gentle reminder to all who come here that they to have been richly blessed with those in their lives that God has gifted them with.
Last night we had a good picnic, took these images, and then settled in to watch old family pictures. Another tradition in my home. Each grandchild got to see pictures of their, great grandparents, grandparents, and parents from birth to the present. They got a history lesson on who came before them. After that they got see images of themselves growing up and the laughter
was music to my ears. Mostly they saw how a family is made up of love and caring, and I hope they got the message that, among God’s gifts, family is one of the most to be treasured and honored. Thank you Father……

the pilgrim