I Found My Happy Place

With the help of a friend at work today, I was able to get through the anger and frustration and find my Happy place. Just look at how Happy my Ronald Reagan picture made me.

I know that God is in control, but it isn't easy to accept something that I feel is so wrong for my country. I guess I have become too focused on this world, which is truly not my home. God please give me true focus on your kingdom and help me to accept and adapt to what the world puts into my current every day life.

Thanks to all of my friends who have reminded me today that God truly is in control. I found a passage that I love just now, and I will leave it for you to ponder as well.

Psalms 61:1-4

1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah

All I have for you today is that .5 cent thought!

Twilight Jumpers!

I wanted to share this shot as well. It is a silouette of one of my Boys and two children of some friends. This was taken at dusk near Smith Mountain Lake Virginia. I personally love this shot.

Smith Mountain Angels

I just wanted to share a shot I took 2 weeks ago near Smith Mountain Lake. It was taken in the evening. I wonder if it will look anything like this when Jesus comes again breaking through the clouds?

Homestead April 2008

These are a few of my favorite shots from a business trip to the Homestead resort (Hot Springs, Va.) last week.
Enjoy and see the rest at: http://picasaweb.google.com/knuckleheadva/Homestead

Early March in Virginia!

I took these 2 shots recently on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Bedford County! I can't wait for Spring!

Forest Sunset 2/19/08

Had to pass on these 2 shots of a beautiful Sunset out in Forest last night. I got the camera out just in time. One minute later it was all gray!

I love this time of year

I am an amateur nature photographer, and this time of year is the perfect time of year for gathering images of beauty. The sky is a perfect, the clouds seem so much softer, trees and flowers are springing out with color everywhere, and it's just a pleasant time to be outdoors. I have been able to gather some stunning images this spring and I'm looking forward to getting even more in the days to come. I love to be outside all the time, but no time more than spring. Of course, here in Virginia, Spring is either really short or non existent most of the time. For example, this year we went from 30s and 40s right to upper 70s and low 80s. Wow that's a system shock!

A time to heal

As it says in Ecclesiastes, there is "a time to kill, and a time to heal". A picture can at times speak a thousand words, and I beleive the one above does just that. Not because of anything I did in snapping the picture, but because of the young man and the power of his emotions. I saw him at a couple of flags in obvious mourning, and I decided to take this shot in a very descreet manner. It touched me just seeing him there, so I had to share the image with others. What a powerful moment in my life. It is important to remember that these soldiers are real men and women, and not just cold statistics. Each of these 2,800 + flags in this healing field memorial represented a life, a real person. In the demeanor of this young man, I saw love, honor, friendship, pain, morning, and healing. What a statement for these real men and women. They are just like me and you, but with a huge weight of conflict on their shoulders. They fight and protect and yes kill, but there will always be a time for healing. Remember them every day and please pray for these real men and women!

The American Flag that I love!

This great holiday (Call it Independence Day not just the 4th of July) is a very sacred and special one for me. I, for one, understand the many sacrifices that service men over the life of this great country have made on my behalf. My father is a Navy veteran of both World War II and the Korean Conflict. I am very proud of my dad’s honorable service. He instilled in me a healthy respect for this country and the symbols that represent it. The American Flag has always been a sacred and beautiful sight for me. I remember with great pride the days when we opened every day in my California public elementary school with the Pledge to the flag. I still take the pledge seriously, and feel a great sense of pride when speaking it.

I see the flag and I feel the hope of the pilgrims as they start a new life in this new world.

I see the flag and I feel the urgency of the writers of the Declaration of Independence.

I see the flag and I feel the Cold and Hunger of the men at Valley Forge.

I see the flag and I feel the fear and pain of the soldiers fighting for our independence.

I see the flag and I feel the joy at the victory and the gaining of real American Independence and FREEDOM.

I see the flag and I see the faces of many American Men and women who have fought and even died to protect and preserve that independence. I feel love and pride for these dedicated fighters who thought only of the job they had to do and not of self at all.

The picture you see above is from a Soldiers Healing Field flag memorial here in Virginia. Each flag (over 2,800) represents a soldier who has died in this war on Terrorism. If you can walk through those flags and see the names of these brave me and women and not feel pride and yes sadness, something is wrong with you. No matter how you feel about this war of the Presidents decision making in regards to it, there are real lives over there fighting. They are not only fighting to keep us safe and to protect our freedom, but to help give birth to another freedom loving society. That calls for the utmost respect and prayer. I pray for our soldiers daily. They are friends, family, and neighbors. They are real, and they make my pride in this great land even more strong.

I for one will continue to fly my flag in front of my house. I love what it still means and stands for to me and most of America. I will not allow the few extremists to ruin my flag and the Country it flies over. I still follow the long stated flag rules our country has extablished, and treat the flag with great respect. Yes, I know it is just a piece of cloth, but it's more than that. It is a symbol. Many folks don't get that. I think it is partly because we are so cought up with our own selfish wants we don't want to "waste" time on such trivial matters. It is uncomfortable and inconvenient for some to take the time to think through the things I've listed above. Not for me. The flag and what it stands for is real to me and it always will be. My children already feel a very strong respect and love for the flag as well.

Another important point is that the Flag represents America, American citizens, and the American way of life. It does not necesarily represent the government. So, when folks burn or otherwise defile the flag because they hate George W. Bush or the government as a whole, they are really burning the symbol of the entire country and its citizens.

So please take time this Independence to thank God for this country, and to pray and honor the fighting men and women we have over seas. Without the God of our fathers, this country will ultimately fail. Take time to instill respect for our great national symbol in your children. It will soon be theirs to protect and defend.

That’s my 2 cents once again.

ABC13 Home Makeover FINISHED

These are some of the pictures of the final product in the Home Makeover we were able to complete. The results were incredable, but not as impressive as the huge number of volunteer hours that were put in. What a blessing to be involved in this project and play a small part in changing this family's life.

Kittens saved by News Reporters!

Even though we are a news station and not Animal Planet, we do have hearts. At least Danner and Courtney do. These 2 news hounds hunted down some kittens that were in the crawl space under the ABC13 Home Makeover house. They spent quite some time trying to find them under the house with flashlights and a big satelite truck operator. I have a picture of them searching, but decided not to publish the unflattering angle so as not to get in trouble. After rescuing the cute little critters, they transported them to a Vet in Bedford, where they were treated with antibiotics and something for worms (Nasty). These 2 ladies and Living in the Heart of Virginia and Home Makeover host Tab O'Neal are now searching for homes for the little guys (and girls).

More Volunteer Pictures HMO 2006

Had to get these 2 pictures on since Lacy is a frequent reader of this blog! Great job dude.

ABC13 WSET 2006 HOME MAKEOVER

Above are some pictures from today (Wed. the 17th of May) on the WSET HomeMakeover Project at the Home of Elizabeth and Bailey Branch of Big Island, Virginia! The is the second annual makeover project for us here at WSET. It is a great community effort. I am impressed as I go up there to take still pictures for the station every day what great attitudes all of the volunteers have. The reason is because they know they are having a part in changing someone's life. The Branch family has had it rough lately. Their Husband/Father Roger Branch passed away just before a friend entered them into our makeover contest. The craftsmen and women and all the volunteers are giving their time with no expectation of getting anything in return. There are tons of folks donating materials as well.

These folks are literally changing the quality of Bailey and Elizabeth's life. The changes in the house are staggering. They put in cathedral ceilings which will open things up drastically. They are insulating the house in EVERY crack possible where all they had was old newspaper as insulation before. Yes, 1941 copies of the Roanoke World News were found (and saved) in the walls. The improvements are way too many to mention here. The more important part is the huge impact the work is having on the community, the volunteers, and the family. It has been great to see the huge amount of time the members of the Big Island Volunteer Fire Department have spent at the house. Baily is a volunteer at the BIVFD and they want to give back to their comrade. Great job Folks!

It is a blessing to be even a small part of this project and see the way our community comes together to help others. I volunteeded last year, and will be again this weekend. I will have a blog entry on my day at the house next week.