Turkeys!!!! Taxes :( and Relaxin!!!!


This past week I spent a few days at a cabin my parents have in the middle of nowhere. I worked on organizing my tax information for my accountant for 15 hours straight! Then I spent the rest of the time hiking, taking pix of some Turkey that were eating outside the cabin, reading my Bible by the fire and just enjoying the peace and quiet!

It was great. Can anyone say? "You need Quickbooks!" It was on the top of my list for getting it rolling when I returned home.

The first day was spent with my boys at the cabin playing games, reading, doing puzzles and more. Grandpa came down and we had a really great hike through the woods with the boys. Then he took the kiddos so I could spend the next little bit of time focusing on the taxes. Lara was home designing some really, great albums. I posted one of them on our site, it's one of my favorite albums to date.

While at the cabin I always have some time to reflect. I try to get up to it a few times a year to just enjoy a couple days of solitude and reflect and pray about God's will for my life. While I was gone I just kept hearing the letters AIV. AIV means All In Vain. My friend Mike Colon shared with me while we were in the Amazon that he sees this bumper sticker on a guard rail on his way to his studio. He said he realized while on this trip that so much of our lives can be AIV. I have to ask myself is what I am doing AIV or is it unto God. Will it last? I have so many ideas, goals, plans, thoughts and more and yet so often that which gets the most attention deserves the least. Anyway, I spent some time in prayer and said "God sometimes I feel much of my life can be all in vain and I often don't seem close to you or intimate in any way. Everything seems to take priority over You. I feel condemned at times." At that I heard a voice in my mind (not audible and not wierd, just a clear thought) it said "How do you expect to feel close to me if your not close to my Word?" At that I felt compelled to read a book in the New Testament called Romans and chapter 8 was impressed on my mind, guess what it read? "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ." WOW!!!! What a crazy cool quick answer to prayer. I continued to read it and it really made me want to just live all out for God from the way I love Him, seek Him, love my wife and kids to the way I serve my clients, friends, family and the way I lead Thirst. Anyway, it wasn't as mystical as it might sound but it sure was cool.

Praise God!

Today is World Water Day 2006. It's so good to know we have allies in this effort to defeat death and disease through the provision of clean drinking water.

If you have not made a tax deductable donation to Thirst Relief International today would be a good day to do it! Literally if 10 people make a $5 donation an entire family will get a water filter that will provide clean, safe drinking water for a lifetime. It's unbelievable how easy it is to prevent death and disease by simply providing water filters to these families in need. To learn more about how you can get involved visit our website www.thirstrelief.org and also be sure to check out the World Water Day 2006 website.

Together we can save lives and change the world!

http://www.thirstrelief.org is live and running!

Be sure to visit http://www.thirstrelief.org to see what's been happening and what we have been spending our time doing lately.

Also, there is a crazy cool, super short video of our trip to Brazil done by David Jay at this link http://www.davidjay.com/email/February_2006/thirst1Mbps.swf


It's amazing how many hours we've been putting into the development of this project and now it's finally all coming together.

Thanks for all of you who care. For real I can't express the joy I find in knowing that what we accomplish through Thirst will literally save the lives of potentially millions of children!

Sincerely,

Jim and Lara

After reeling in this "lunker" of a bass this little guy was whooped! This is Ashton my almost 4 year old. He share's his birthday with his Grandpa pictured above. They are quite the buddies.

This pic was from this past fishing season but it so depicts who he is that I added it as an introduction to my son. It was so funny. His reel was all tangled up and he asked me to fix it, so I said "Sure I'll help you." and put my reel down on the ground. He picks up my reel and say's "Can I use yours dad?" I said sure but just hold it (I didn't want mine to get all tangled up too.) But as most 3.5 year olds with a rod and reel in hand would do, he began reeling it in. I said "Ashton, you wont catch anything with a live worm if your reeling it really fast like . . . " at that his/my pole bent in half and was just about pulled out of his hands. He reeled it in all the way successfully, admired his catch and said "Dad, I'm done fishing." It was the biggest bass he's ever caught and that was enough for him. He then opted to go jump on the mattresses in the cabin.

Later we enjoyed a fish dinner!

My son Brayden with some really yummy looking pudding! He's our little mess maker!

Others have asked how they can get involved. If you'd like to donate to this cause visit www.thirstrelief.org, online donations will be received in 2 weeks or you can mail a contribution to Thirst Relief International P.O. Box 436, Lewis Center, OH 43035-0436.

100% of all donations go for water filters to those who need them most.

Blessings,

Jim Davis-Hicks

I've just posted my top 11 favorite Amazon images on my website.

Go to www.davisphotographer.com and click on the galleries tab, then click on AMAZON and MORE and enjoy.

Also, for another photographic perspective on the trip visit www.mikecolon.com and click on the Amazon Thirst Project.

Blessings,

Jim

here are some pix of the guys and just a couple of water stuff. I'm still sifting through the thousands of images of the kids and the water project trying to figure out which one's will go in the Studio Photography and Design article.

Enjoy the fun shots. You can see the contrast in filtered water and non-filtered water, Mike chimping and David videoing.



Thanks Mike for taking the up close and personal wide angle shot.

Yes, there are about 10 adults in one canoe. We'd leave the bigger boat and tranport the filters to the huts and then back to the big boat.

What a trip! These guys are amazing!

I can't express my gratitude to Mike Colon for his laughter, his hillarious stories that are endless, for sharing his heart, passion, support and for his amazing images that he captured on our trip. David Jay for being so fun (it's a wonder you didn't get shot while we were spear fishing!) being such a hard worker at getting the video coverage we need to present the world water crises to the public. I know your job isn't close to over. Greg Gibbs for all the endless hours of detail work that noone will ever know. Behind every great President and CEO is an even greater VP and COO. Your polar opposites from me are a true Godsend. It was so good to share in this incredible experience together. Richie for sharing your relationships, your heart and your incredible love for the forgotten River people. You will be forever imprinted on our hearts. Thank you to the Xingu folks who live there year round serving in a climate that is 90+ year round and 90+% humidity! :) My wife Lara for staying home and changing the diapers, dealing with the sleepless nights, the straight up exhaustion of the day to day of raising two little one's under the age of 4. And most of all to God who makes all things possible. I am so excited to have my business and life serve such a greater purpose than myself! What a great team. I can't wait to see what happens and how many lives we can see saved every year.

I just returned from the Amazon where I spent 12 days traveling with Mike Colon, David Jay, Greg Gibbs and Richie Bouthillier. We implemented water filters up and down the Amazon River with Thirst Relief International a newly formed non-profit that I started in order to save lives and change the world. Most people don't know but 2 million people die every year simply because they lack access to clean drinking water. For $50 we can put a filter in a home, hut, village etc. that will literally save lives. We met and talked with people that had already received a filter and they told us of how their children and themselves used to get sick all the time but ever since they received the filter they have had almost no sickness at all. These bio sand filters that we use are made locally, easy to install and even easier to maintain. Truly unbelieveable.
What an amazing trip. I'll post a photo or two here as well.

After about 34 hours of travel I was greated at the airport by my wife and two boys. What a blessed man I am. I am so loved and have been given so many opportunities. What a joy life can be when I am focused on what I have and who I really am rather than on what I don't and all I fail to accomplish. In the midst of my return from my Amazon adventure I've already changed a few diapers :) cleaned up a bottle of syrup soda mix for a drink made in Brazil callled Guarrana. (sp?) My youngest broke the bottle and spilled it all over my white carpet in my bedroom! He's can be a bit of a terror at times. Speaking of he's screaming right now wanting me to go get him up from his nap. I've sure been welcomed home with a remider of true reality!

Be on the lookout for a an article in Studio Photography and Design about our trip to Brazil.

You can also read about our trip from a few different perspectives at these links.

http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3513&st=0&#entry39106

http://transamazon.blogspot.com/

http://www.mikecolon.net/blog/


Thanks for taking the time to read.

Jim