One of my favorite Christmas songs is “My Grown-Up Christmas List”!
Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee.
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies.
Well, I’m all grown up now,
But still need help somehow.
I’m not a child but my heart still can dream.
So here’s my lifelong wish,
My grown-up Christmas list,
Not for myself, but for a world in need:
No more lives torn apart,
Then wars would never start,
And time would heal all hearts.
And every one would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list.
What is this illusion called, the innocence of youth?
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth!
No more lives torn apart,
Then wars would never start,
And time would heal all hearts.
And every one would have a friend,
And right would always win,
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list.
This is my only lifelong wish,
This is my only lifelong wish.
This is my grown-up Christmas list!
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This entry was posted on Thursday, December 15th, 2016 at 1:33 pm
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This is the most wonderful season of the year! Please allow me to make a few suggestions that will make this your best Christmas ever!
Find someone in need and help them. There are tons of orginizations that use this season to spread God’s love. Toy drives, Christmas baskets collecting food for the needy, home visits for the elderly, even visitng the local shelter to volunteer. The greatest joy of Christmas is giving, and it is never more satisfiying than when it is to those, truly in need!
Take time to relive the real Chrismas story. Read the story of Christmas in Luke 2: 1-20. Ponder the significance for all mankind that God sent His only Son to earth to teach us and die for our sins, no greater Gift has ever been given.
Spend time with family. If you are close to your family, break bread with them and enjoy all the great memories of Christmas’ past. If you are estranged from anyone, there is no better season for forgiveness and restablishing the love that was once part of your lives. No hurt is so deep that God’s love and his Grace and Forgiveness can’t overcome it! After all, that is why Christ came!
Take time to watch to very important Christmas films, It’s A Wonderful Life and your favorite version of A Christmas Carol. May I recommend the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge, truly a classic!
On Christmas Eve read your children or grandchildren the story of Christmas in Luke and Twas The Night Before Christmas, hopefully around a roaring fire in the fireplace!
As family gathers, put on your portrait lens and sneak in some casual portraits of your family members. Trust me these will someday be your most important images!
Surprise your spouse with something special she or he is not expecting and use it as a way to honor them and their contribution to your life and the life of your family.
Take time to privately worship the Man that the season is in honor of. Ask Him to come into your heart and make you the man or woman you know you “should” be! If you ask He will!!!
Merry Chrismtas,
the pilglrim
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 14th, 2016 at 2:44 pm
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When I first starting using the Fujifilm X-System it was mostly catching on with the street shooting crowd. I think those folks do some great work, I’m just not comfortable capturing others without their permission. I’m not condemning that kind of photography at all, I’ve seen some amazing images captured on the street, it’s just not for me! I guess I was just born in another time and place. So enough about that, I went to town today with the idea that I might do a little street photography, my kind of street photography. Color, patterns and seasonal images!
We are just 12 days from Christmas and I hope to post a number of Christmas related entries for all that time, some serious, some just for fun, stay tuned! Merry Christmas!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 13th, 2016 at 6:04 pm
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Now that Fujifilm has elevated the top two camera models to the next level, the X-T2 and X PRO2, both sporting 24.3 mega pixel X-Trans III sensors, it’s time to update the User’s Guide! The first eBook sold over a 1,000 copies and I am excited about all the upates and new information that will be going into this new book. The primary goal for the Volume II is to offer real world information on how to get the most out of these new cameras and all the new lenses released since the first volume was released. I hope to have the new book out by mid to late January, allowing time for any new releases at the beginning of this coming year! Below is a early sketch of the Contents and I am open to suggestions fo additiona things “you” woud like to see covered!
Contents for
New Fujifilm X System User’s Manual
Volume II
Chapter One: My Brief History with the Fujifilm X-System
Includes an explanation of X-Photographers Program
Chapter Two: Choosing the right Fujifilm X-System Body
or more than one!
Chapter Three: Five Advantages of the X-System
and how to make the most of them.
Chapter Four: How to Set Up Your Menus
*Full explanation of choices.
Chapter Five: Updated information on High ISO
Noise Performance.
Chapter Six: The Fujifilm –System Lens Family.
A full description and real world examples from all lenses.
Chapter Seven: Film Simulation in 2017 and how to choose the best for each individual situation.
Chapter Eight: The Quick Menu, My Menu,
and the Custom Function Buttons
Chapter Nine: Close-Up Photography with the X-System
Chapter Ten: The Vastly Improved Autofocus System
and how to use it.
Chapter Eleven: Building a system for Nature, Travel, Landscape, Wildlife, Wedding Portraiture and many other areas of photography. Customizing your body and lots of recommended accessories.
Lots of new images and illustrations!!!!!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
Suggestions can be made in the Comments Section below or email to me at: billfortney@ eathlink.net or bill@billfortney.com
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This entry was posted on Monday, December 12th, 2016 at 4:21 pm
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