{"id":4582,"date":"2012-01-31T16:13:26","date_gmt":"2012-01-31T16:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=4582"},"modified":"2012-01-31T16:22:11","modified_gmt":"2012-01-31T16:22:11","slug":"a-great-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=4582","title":{"rendered":"A Great Gift……….."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Photograph by Raymond Jabola<\/p>\n

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I know that God loves us, He gave us the greatest gift of all when He allowed His Son Jesus to die for us. \u00a0That was the ultimate sacrifice any father ever made! \u00a0He also shows His love for us everyday in thousands of ways, for me it has been friends. \u00a0Now before I start I have been blessed with a number of very dear friends, but this morning I want to talk about just three.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A few years ago I was teaching a photography class for my church, and evening adult program so to speak. \u00a0A man I did not know came up to me and asked if I would look at some of his images. \u00a0I took a few moments to look through some prints, my jaw dropped. \u00a0It was amazing work! \u00a0I asked the man who he was and he told me he was Jim Begley and he lived in my own community. \u00a0I had never met him, not surprising when you think I’m gone from Corbin over 200 days a year. \u00a0I spent some of the rest of the evening talking with him because he was obviously a very good HDR photographer and I wanted to learn more about that technique myself. \u00a0Over the last several years we have become the best of friends. \u00a0Jim is a wonderful photographer, quite gifted, but he is an even more impressive man! \u00a0A dedicated husband and father, and a deeply committed Christian. \u00a0I asked Jim to be my partner in developing the His Light Workshops and we have enjoyed a lot of great time together teaching and shooting in the field. \u00a0Thank you Father for a great friend.<\/p>\n

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Once Jim and I started running the His Light Workshops we met a man named Jim Haverstock and his wife Sue. \u00a0Jim is the kind of guy that immediately draws you to himself. self effacing, humble to the core, but a very good photographer. \u00a0More importantly to Jim and I is that Jim (H) has become a prayer warrior and dedicated brother and friend of our \u00a0little Workshop Series. \u00a0Jim was the kind of man I wanted to sit on our advisory board to help keep us aimed in the right direction. \u00a0Jim and Sue are a joy to be around and I treasure the moments we have stood side by side and enjoyed God’s incredible creation and attempted to capture it! \u00a0Jim brings a wealth of life experience and wisdom to our board and he is a great joy to me! \u00a0 Again, thank you Father for another great friend!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Last, but not least, at the event out in Page I met another friend who captured my heart, Raymond Jabola. \u00a0Raymond is doctor from California, but you would never know he was a doctor unless you asked him what he did. \u00a0Raymond is humble to a fault, he really doesn’t know just how talented he really is. \u00a0He has not been a photographer very long, but his skill level has grown exponentially since I met him and he was pretty talented then! \u00a0As much as I love looking at his images, by-the-way, the lead image today is one of his, \u00a0what I love most about Raymond is his tender heart. \u00a0I’m not sure I’ve ever met any man that is more open to the blessings of this life, he feels them deeply and is not ashamed or afraid to show his joy in the midst of everyday wonders. \u00a0I’ve always believed that that one quality is what produces the best photographers, and the strongest men. \u00a0I know Raymond is good father, I got that right from the source, his daughter! \u00a0I also know he has been a good friend to \u00a0me. \u00a0When ever I see that Raymond is joining, \u00a0my heart leaps for joy! \u00a0For the third time, thank you Father!<\/p>\n

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In a few days I will turn 66 years of age and I can tell you that with all the treasures I’ve been blessed with, these friends, my family, and many others I have come to love so much, are my most prized gifts from Him. \u00a0I am a very wealthy man indeed!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Spend a few minutes today thinking about who God has blessed your life with!!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

the pilgrim<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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