Trust me on this one. My friend Joel has put out his own little 5 part blog on Perseverance and it is really good. I would encourage anyone and everyone to read it. Joel has an incredible way with words and many of his songs have touched me deeply. Check his site out at http://www.memoryresidue.blogspot.com/. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
ROAD TRIP! (unrated version)
Not that any of my posts need ratings, right?? Anyway Andre, Gabe and I went to Huntington Beach last weekend for 3 days and had a blast! We did everything from surfing to six flags. We hit up some surf shops and bought a few things, had a good time at Joe's Crab Shack eating crab, drinking long island's and watching Andre do the carwash with the waitresses. Lots of good times and good laughs. We took loads of video and lots of pics. Stayed up way to late and did lots of goofy things. It was good to get away for a few days. The Funk's who are friends of my family graciously put us up for the couple of days that we were there and introduced us to Danny who taught us how to surf. God blessed us through and through by getting us free surfboards through Danny's friend Ethan, and keeping us safe up and back and all around Cali.
However it is good to be back. School started up, but for me it'll be next tuesday cause the first week is safety vids and a walk around the shop for the newbies. VLI will be starting up soon which I'm looking forward to. The Living Room is splitting back up into 3 nights again (tues, wed, thurs) and it looks like I'll be going to the wed. night Living Room. I'm kinda bummed that Andre, Gabe and another friend of mine will be going to the tues. or thurs. night Living Room's, but we'll see what God has in store.
However it is good to be back. School started up, but for me it'll be next tuesday cause the first week is safety vids and a walk around the shop for the newbies. VLI will be starting up soon which I'm looking forward to. The Living Room is splitting back up into 3 nights again (tues, wed, thurs) and it looks like I'll be going to the wed. night Living Room. I'm kinda bummed that Andre, Gabe and another friend of mine will be going to the tues. or thurs. night Living Room's, but we'll see what God has in store.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Answer to prayer
I finally found a roommate. Fortunately he's alive, and he's a really cool guy. Goes to my college group. He has a townhouse a few miles from where I live and his roommate just moved out. The place is fully furnished with some really sweet stuff. I'm just going to have to buy a bed, bookshelf and a few other things for my room. All the furnishing stuff stays at my folks house because it's theirs. I'm really looking forward to moving out at the end of August. It's going to be a new and exciting adventure.
I'm really looking forward to this thursday as well. Andre, Gabe and I are going to Huntington Beach to go surfing for a couple of days and we're also going to go to Six Flags as well. A little before school starts fun.
I'm really looking forward to this thursday as well. Andre, Gabe and I are going to Huntington Beach to go surfing for a couple of days and we're also going to go to Six Flags as well. A little before school starts fun.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
God is so Freakin' Awesome!
I can't even believe how good God has been to me. Since I started my welding job I've been praying daily at work especially that God would bless me, help my welds to improve, help me to work harder and more effieciently, and to give me favor in the eyes of my supervisors. He has done way more that I've asked. My welds are improving, but I still feel that I can do better. I work hard constantly because I am always operating out of a mindset that I'm competing for my job. They threw all kinds of special projects my way in the past. All kinds of stuff that was rush delivery or custom fab stuff that deviates from the norm. My boss comes up to me all the time now telling me how much he appreciates having me there and how great of a worker I am. When he says these things I honestly am thinking that he's gotta be kidding me. He's not, he's dead serious. I told him that I try and his responce was that many people try, but you succeed. I thanked him very much for the undeserved compliment, and thanked God for His hand working through me. There is NO way I could even make it there on my own strength or my own skill. There are lots of better welders there than me, but yet they have me doing the hardest stuff, that requires the most precision and are telling me that I'm doing an excellent job. Go figure. God is amazing! His faithfullness knows no boundries. There is nothing but good in His heart, and He's poured out His gifts upon me without hesitation or second thought. He's given me wisdom to handle tough situations, and the ability to keep the peace with all of the different attitudes that flare up there at work. He's given me confidence in other areas as well. Times when I struggle to speak up at work or out with friends, He's helped me. After looking into the past and being amazed at what He's done, I can only look to the future with great excitement and faith knowing that God is in control and He's taking me down the most Excellent and Exciting path in life. The straight and narrow.
Lord I love You, and I worship You. You are so faithfull even when I am not. I am so undeserving of Your love and compassion, yet You give Your love and Your blessings out to me freely. I will praise Your name forever. Help me to walk in the path of righeousness and live for You. Let me be a light in the darkness that is the place I work at, and a friend to those in need. Continue the work that You started in me, and do not let Your hand depart from me.
Lord I love You, and I worship You. You are so faithfull even when I am not. I am so undeserving of Your love and compassion, yet You give Your love and Your blessings out to me freely. I will praise Your name forever. Help me to walk in the path of righeousness and live for You. Let me be a light in the darkness that is the place I work at, and a friend to those in need. Continue the work that You started in me, and do not let Your hand depart from me.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Ramblings of a Sojourner
Where to start, I''ve been quite busy. It's been a while since I've posted, and have yet to find a roommate. I put my engine, tranny, and performance parts up for sell and I've been getting calls like mad. I sold it last night for the requested $500. I can't believe the guy actually asked if I would drop the price. The core charge for a Ford 390, C-6 auto tranny, all the engine accessories alone would be more than $500, not to mention the brand new aluminum 4 bbl. intake manifold and edlebrock cam and lifter set. I almost laughed when he asked me that. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask though. Some girl also called on my truck. She seemed stoked, but I guess we'll see what becomes of it. I hope it sells quick so I can get a Super Duty for me, Andre, and Gabe's surf trip to Huntington beach here in a few weeks.
As far as work goes they have us working mandatory 10 hr. days. This wouldn't be so bad save the fact that it's in the 110-115 deg. range every day. That means that it's like 120 or more to me while I'm welding. I talked to my boss today and let him know that I'm going to MCC to get my welding certifications and wanted to know if I could buy my steel through the company. He told me if I was willing to go to school, he would buy the steel. Good guy. Also on the school agenda I'm going to be going to Seminary/Bible college through the Vineyard Leadership Institute. The nice thing is that I don't have go anywhere. They use the home church as a sort of satellite campus so you don't leave for 2-4 yrs., return and find that things have changed. You stay very involved in the church and are required to serve weekly and come up with some sort of outreach or something once a quarter. I'm really looking forward to it. I believe that God is really going to teach me a lot and better equip me for the coming years that I hope and believe will be in the mission field.
On a different, maybe deeper note. I was thinking about something today. The following would be assuming that there was a woman of great significance in my life. I was thinking about how when you find somebody like that, that you would do anything, or give anything for that person. If somebody told you that you could not have that significant other unless you gave them everything you had, all your possessions, all your money, everything but the clothes on your back. Would you? I imagine someone with many possessions might think twice, but not if that person was important beyond even their own life. I don't have many possessions, but what I have I still value. Even still I would give them all up. Now comes the part that is hard to swallow. More still like a knife to the heart. There is a God who lowered Himself to the standard of a human being. His name is Jesus and He died for us without question, without hesitation, even knowing the pain and sacrifice He gave it all. The greatest possession He had was His relationship with the Father. This relationship was the greatest thing on earth past, present and future. Nothing could ever be as great, wonderful, pure and holy as this relationship. Still Jesus gave even that up so that we could be ransomed unto the Father. What do we have that could compare? What sacrifices have we made that even stand in the shadow of such great love and great sacrifice? And yet we put our things which are worthless and perishable before our Savior eternal. We place ourselves and our desires above the One who's love for us was so great that it killed Him. How dare we, how dare I do such a thing. And then we see for a second how wretched we are when singing such a beautiful song like Amazing Grace. (Especially after knowing the story behind the song)
Lord I realize that you know my hopes and dreams and the desires of my heart, but I lay them all down for You and Your will and Your desire for my life. I don't know what that entails, or what direction that means I'll be heading, but I'll trust in You.
As far as work goes they have us working mandatory 10 hr. days. This wouldn't be so bad save the fact that it's in the 110-115 deg. range every day. That means that it's like 120 or more to me while I'm welding. I talked to my boss today and let him know that I'm going to MCC to get my welding certifications and wanted to know if I could buy my steel through the company. He told me if I was willing to go to school, he would buy the steel. Good guy. Also on the school agenda I'm going to be going to Seminary/Bible college through the Vineyard Leadership Institute. The nice thing is that I don't have go anywhere. They use the home church as a sort of satellite campus so you don't leave for 2-4 yrs., return and find that things have changed. You stay very involved in the church and are required to serve weekly and come up with some sort of outreach or something once a quarter. I'm really looking forward to it. I believe that God is really going to teach me a lot and better equip me for the coming years that I hope and believe will be in the mission field.
On a different, maybe deeper note. I was thinking about something today. The following would be assuming that there was a woman of great significance in my life. I was thinking about how when you find somebody like that, that you would do anything, or give anything for that person. If somebody told you that you could not have that significant other unless you gave them everything you had, all your possessions, all your money, everything but the clothes on your back. Would you? I imagine someone with many possessions might think twice, but not if that person was important beyond even their own life. I don't have many possessions, but what I have I still value. Even still I would give them all up. Now comes the part that is hard to swallow. More still like a knife to the heart. There is a God who lowered Himself to the standard of a human being. His name is Jesus and He died for us without question, without hesitation, even knowing the pain and sacrifice He gave it all. The greatest possession He had was His relationship with the Father. This relationship was the greatest thing on earth past, present and future. Nothing could ever be as great, wonderful, pure and holy as this relationship. Still Jesus gave even that up so that we could be ransomed unto the Father. What do we have that could compare? What sacrifices have we made that even stand in the shadow of such great love and great sacrifice? And yet we put our things which are worthless and perishable before our Savior eternal. We place ourselves and our desires above the One who's love for us was so great that it killed Him. How dare we, how dare I do such a thing. And then we see for a second how wretched we are when singing such a beautiful song like Amazing Grace. (Especially after knowing the story behind the song)
Lord I realize that you know my hopes and dreams and the desires of my heart, but I lay them all down for You and Your will and Your desire for my life. I don't know what that entails, or what direction that means I'll be heading, but I'll trust in You.
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