I Saw A Man Get Saved That Day............

Awake at 4:30am with voices running through my head,
sunrise is coming, get up and out of bed.  
I've seen them before, I'll see them again,
Just today, I thought I'd sleep in…..

What would I miss, if I didn't go…
That voice came back it wouldn't take no
So I grabbed my gear and headed to the shore,
God's grace to me was what he had in store…

Just before sunrise, the sky was aglow, 
with variations of color, a beautiful show.
I heard some voices as my shutter was snappin',
As I turned and look two fella's were talkin'.

The young man was real quick to tell me the story,
He was to be baptized and give God glory.
He was happy to see me with my camera and all,
To capture his image as he fulfilled his call.

The sun was about to rise above the horizon, the tide was moving in,
The dolphin playing in the background, I could see his dorsal fin.
The young man and the preacher, into the water they waded,
It was such a wonder to see what God had created.

The sun came up, his head went under,
The preacher was preaching, his voice echoing like thunder.
I saw a man get saved that day,
While I was talking pictures down by the bay.

I couldn't hear the preacher, the words he was saying,
But I felt the vibrations in my soul, and I too started praying.
For then I realized, those early morning voices in my head,
Where whispers of the angels pushing me out of my bed.

I looked at the shots when I got home,
I am so thankful those two weren't there alone.
Chains were broken through water and a prayers,
I only wish you too could have been there.

I saw a man get save that day,
While I was taking pictures down by the bay.
I know a man who was saved that day,
While he was taking pictures down by the bay.

A Lesson in Life from a Roseate Spoonbill

“How things look on the outside of us depends on how things are on the inside of us.”

 A typical morning morning walking the trail getting some exercise and taking some shots. At this particular spot along the slough about one-half inland from Galveston Bay I came across a roseate spoonbill feeding alone in the water.

As I stopped to take a few shots I quickly noticed the roseate wasn't walking and feeding as I have seen them do many times before. The roseate's I've seen always walk in the water with their spoonbill below the surface and move it back and forth, left and right, like a wiper blade on a car. This spoonbill, alone where I normally have seen two or more together, was flapping it's wings to get enough height to move from one spot to another. It make continuous short flights to feed in different spots.

It was great to take photos because I was able to get some good views of the beautifully expanded pink wingspan, but I was puzzled as to why the roseate was behaving in such a manner. My only thought as I watched and took pictures was maybe this roseate never learned the technique as I had seen in all the others. I moved on, took more shots in various other spots along the trail, but thought of that roseate most of the morning as I was both puzzled at it's actions and curious how good some of the shots were going to come out.

Later that morning when I got home, over a cup of coffee and breakfast, I was scanning through the pictures I had taken to see if I took any good ones. As I was going through them on my large flat panel screen I saw what I didn't see through the lens of the camera. The roseate behavior was no longer a mystery to me. Although at first I was captivated by the beauty of the bird in the photo, as I looked closer and studied it more, I was saddened by what I saw. The roseate made those short tiny flights to move and feed in the water because it had a broken leg and the bone was protruding near the knee. 

"Wow!" I said to myself, leaning back in my chair and thinking. There I was enjoying the beauty of the bird, hoping to take a great photo, not understanding the movements of the bird, only to come to realize that the bird was struggling to survive. A sunken feeling came over me.

How often in life do we quickly see something and come to judgement, not knowing why someone behaves the way they do? How often to see the beauty or success of another and not come to think that their struggles may be greater than ours and their pains stronger? How often do we judge and condemn the failures and problems of others without knowing the path that brought them there or opportunities and chances they didn't have or didn't take that put them on a path they would rather not be on today?

If our minds could freeze the moments we experience daily to give us time to analyze it as a photographer may analyze his or her work, I think we'd see more and feel more. In this fast paced world where we are so much in a hurry to get through the day and through the week, to finish a project or take our next vacation, if for only one part of the day we can think more about what we are seeing and experiencing and allow ourselves to feel and react to it, our lives will be more fulfilling: we would be less critical and more compassionate.

Every day is precious, open up your soul, be on-guard for those special moments and make a difference.

How is He Today?

“The one who understands does not speak; the one who speaks does not understand”
Chinese Proverb


As I was watching Hurricane Ike spin into and begin to ravage the Houston area and our home in Seabrook from a quaint little restaurant and bar in Destin, Florida I couldn't help think about one of Seabrook's residents.

I don't know him, just seen him over the last 12 years since we've moved to Texas back in 1996. He rides his bicycle around town loaded with bags and stuff. He dresses in a heavy wool coat and wears a heavy hat with flaps that fold over the ears, the type a duck hunter would wear. It could be 95 degrees out and you'll still see him dressed with the winter wear. With a grey beard, weather worn face, I'd say he is about 65 years old.

I didn't know his name until I was talking to my daughter about him last night, mentioning I was wondering how he was doing. She knew his name. Slim. Slim somewhat reminds me of a guy who rode a three wheel bike around my hometown of Plainville, Connecticut. His name was Joe, we called him Joe-Joe. (Hope he is still riding his bike.) He often would turn down our street while we were playing baseball or football on the road and he would talk with us.

Nicest guy in the world Joe-Joe. He couldn't drive as he did some mental retardation that limited what he could do. So, as a kid growing up you understood why he rode his trike.

As for Slim, I don't know his situation. I hear he is married with a child and has plenty of money. I hear he will not talk to anyone.

As I wait for news on how bad we were flooded, I think of Slim. I hope he made it out okay. I hope to say hello to him one day. At least I hope to see him on that bike one day soon.