I know you aren't supposed to compare you life to others, but I find myself doing it all the time. It seems like I know so many people who have either been around the world or are currently living in another country. Also, it seems like every time I turn around someone else is getting married or having kids. I just wonder sometimes what happened to me? Did something go wrong?
Over the last couple of days these questions have been in my mind all the time. I have been finding myself looking at others and thinking how cool a life they are living. I feel like I am just slugging away at life here in Kansas. I have a hard time seeing how many people I might be affecting. I look at my friend's or family member's lives and I can see how they are making a difference. Sometimes I wish that I could know how many people I may have affected over my life. This brings up another question I deal with a lot. Am I really making a difference living my simple little life? I don't know about you, but these questions really start to wear you down after a while.
I would ask that whoever is reading this, you read it and consider carefully what you might say. I am not actually looking for advice. I am just getting some stuff off my mind. If you have been at this point and have overcome it let me know what you did. The one thing I am working on is, when I start to ponder these questions I go to the Word.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Future: Immediate and Long Term
Well many of you know that I hold Alaska dear to my heart for many reasons. I would say the main reason is because of the ministry opportunity that I see in Alaska. While I was in college I spent two summers working in Alaska as an intern with Kingdom Air Corps. Our mission was to provide a place where flight and maintenance students could get real world experience in the mission field. The flight students especially get a lot of experience that they wouldn't get at a regular flight school and it was cheap flight time.
You might ask what does this have to do with my future? Well, this summer I am looking at going up for a week on a short term mission trip to help with airplane maintenance. I might actually be helping put two airplanes back together that will have been shipped up there from Kansas. I see this week as a trip to help shape my future working with Kingdom Air Corps.
As for the long term my goal right now is aimed at returning to Alaska to work with Kingdom Air Corps. The president of the organization as given me an invitation to come and work with them. I see it as an open door, all I need to do is walk through the door. I do have some obstacles that I feel I need to overcome before reaching that open door. The one big obstacle is debt. I would ask those of you who read this that you would be praying for me and my obstacles that I am overcoming. So, just in case you missed it my aim at this time is to return to Alaska and work with Kingdom Air Corps in full time missions work. As to when that might happen I really don't know at this time.
If you want more info on Kingdom Air Corps check out kingdomaircorps.org.
You might ask what does this have to do with my future? Well, this summer I am looking at going up for a week on a short term mission trip to help with airplane maintenance. I might actually be helping put two airplanes back together that will have been shipped up there from Kansas. I see this week as a trip to help shape my future working with Kingdom Air Corps.
As for the long term my goal right now is aimed at returning to Alaska to work with Kingdom Air Corps. The president of the organization as given me an invitation to come and work with them. I see it as an open door, all I need to do is walk through the door. I do have some obstacles that I feel I need to overcome before reaching that open door. The one big obstacle is debt. I would ask those of you who read this that you would be praying for me and my obstacles that I am overcoming. So, just in case you missed it my aim at this time is to return to Alaska and work with Kingdom Air Corps in full time missions work. As to when that might happen I really don't know at this time.
If you want more info on Kingdom Air Corps check out kingdomaircorps.org.
Monday, January 16, 2012
My First job
This blog is from an email I sent out when I was up in Alaska working on helicopters. I miss that job now. Wish I could go back and do it all over again. I believe it was July of 2007 that this all happened.
Well I have had the craziest summer I have ever had in my life. The craziest part was the end of last week and part of this last weekend. So on the 14th I took off flew south about 300 miles to Aniak, AK to a staging point for my next short hop to another helicopter. The pilot and I arrived around midnight on the 15th without a place to stay we sacked out under the wings of the airplane we were flying. While in Aniak I did one night of work on another helicopter. On the 16th I was flown out to a lake where one of our other helicopters is located. My job out at the lake was to get the inspections caught up so the helicopter could fly for a while without a mechanic.
During this time I was trying to keep track of the helicopter I am currently with. I saw that this helicopter was approaching its inspection limit. I was trying to get a flight out of the mining camp at Kisaralik Lake where our helicopter was located. So finally on Thursday the 19th I was ready to leave. The float plane came in and myself and 2 other guys were going out along with some soil samples for the mining company. We loaded up and could not get off the water. So we got back to shore. The pilot called the camp and they were asking me to get off the plane. I was reluctant to get off, because I had a plane waiting for me in Bethel our final destination. One of the other guys got off of the plane slowly. The next try the pilot took the float plane in a really big circle around the lake and we were able to get off of the water.
When I got to Bethel I started to make phone calls to see whether my plane was really in Bethel. I got a hold of the owner of the helicopter company. I found out that they had been told that I got off the float plane so our helicopter in Aniak was sent out to pick me up. Instead our helicopter picked up the guy who gave up his seat. All along my airplane was in Aniak. So the guy who gave up his seat was flown to Aniak by helicopter and then flown to Bethel by airplane. Then I got on the airplane and flew back to Aniak. I ended up getting to bed about 2 am on the 20th.
The next day I was up by about 7:30. I had a small check and a servo to change on the helicopter in Aniak so I was talking with the pilot about what the plan was. We decided to work on the helicopter when they got done in the afternoon. A little bit later we found out that the servo had been left in Anchorage. So the pilot who was flying me around in the airplane was trying to track down the package and get it to Aniak. So sometime that night around 10:30 or 11 we finally got the servo. So I changed a Tail Rotor control servo the night of the 20th and morning of the 21st. To top it all I had never done this job before. I finished sometime around 3 or 3:30 the morning of the 21st. We let Aniak at 3:45 am and arrived at my current location around 6:30 am.
When I finally got back up here to Dahl Creek I had to do a 30 hr. insp. tp keep the helicopter flying. So the pilot flew a little bit in the morning and then landed and I had till noon to work on the helicopter. While he was flying I got about 45 min of sleep. Then I had to do an engine vibration test before my chauffeur left. I ended up getting to bed around 11:30 the night of the 21st. I might have had a total of 2 hrs. of sleep on the 21st. So that is just what happened to me in a period of 3-4 days.
I forgot to mention in that email that the night I spent in Aniak if I am remembering right I spent it sleeping on the ramp underneath the wing of the airplane.
Well I have had the craziest summer I have ever had in my life. The craziest part was the end of last week and part of this last weekend. So on the 14th I took off flew south about 300 miles to Aniak, AK to a staging point for my next short hop to another helicopter. The pilot and I arrived around midnight on the 15th without a place to stay we sacked out under the wings of the airplane we were flying. While in Aniak I did one night of work on another helicopter. On the 16th I was flown out to a lake where one of our other helicopters is located. My job out at the lake was to get the inspections caught up so the helicopter could fly for a while without a mechanic.
During this time I was trying to keep track of the helicopter I am currently with. I saw that this helicopter was approaching its inspection limit. I was trying to get a flight out of the mining camp at Kisaralik Lake where our helicopter was located. So finally on Thursday the 19th I was ready to leave. The float plane came in and myself and 2 other guys were going out along with some soil samples for the mining company. We loaded up and could not get off the water. So we got back to shore. The pilot called the camp and they were asking me to get off the plane. I was reluctant to get off, because I had a plane waiting for me in Bethel our final destination. One of the other guys got off of the plane slowly. The next try the pilot took the float plane in a really big circle around the lake and we were able to get off of the water.
When I got to Bethel I started to make phone calls to see whether my plane was really in Bethel. I got a hold of the owner of the helicopter company. I found out that they had been told that I got off the float plane so our helicopter in Aniak was sent out to pick me up. Instead our helicopter picked up the guy who gave up his seat. All along my airplane was in Aniak. So the guy who gave up his seat was flown to Aniak by helicopter and then flown to Bethel by airplane. Then I got on the airplane and flew back to Aniak. I ended up getting to bed about 2 am on the 20th.
The next day I was up by about 7:30. I had a small check and a servo to change on the helicopter in Aniak so I was talking with the pilot about what the plan was. We decided to work on the helicopter when they got done in the afternoon. A little bit later we found out that the servo had been left in Anchorage. So the pilot who was flying me around in the airplane was trying to track down the package and get it to Aniak. So sometime that night around 10:30 or 11 we finally got the servo. So I changed a Tail Rotor control servo the night of the 20th and morning of the 21st. To top it all I had never done this job before. I finished sometime around 3 or 3:30 the morning of the 21st. We let Aniak at 3:45 am and arrived at my current location around 6:30 am.
When I finally got back up here to Dahl Creek I had to do a 30 hr. insp. tp keep the helicopter flying. So the pilot flew a little bit in the morning and then landed and I had till noon to work on the helicopter. While he was flying I got about 45 min of sleep. Then I had to do an engine vibration test before my chauffeur left. I ended up getting to bed around 11:30 the night of the 21st. I might have had a total of 2 hrs. of sleep on the 21st. So that is just what happened to me in a period of 3-4 days.
I forgot to mention in that email that the night I spent in Aniak if I am remembering right I spent it sleeping on the ramp underneath the wing of the airplane.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Give till it hurts
Some of you may have read my previous entry about a "challenge." Well, I have a new challenge. I am challenging myself and anyone else who will join me to give to God "until it hurts." I am challenging you all to give sacrificially. The next time you go to buy your kid a game console, a video game, new clothes, or whatever it is they want, stop and think about whether it is a need or not. Or if you are like me stop and think before buying the latest gadget, maybe new shoes or clothes, or thinking if you just had that new phone you would be so much happier.
To be honest as of late I have struggled with the last item on that list. I have had thoughts that I just had that new phone of gadget I would be so much happier. Just a few weeks ago I had the money to buy one of those new gadgets or a phone, but instead I gave it away to some missionary friends and some other organizations that I felt could use the money better than I could.
I have also struggled with the idea of a savings account. I see it as a good idea most of the time, but I think that for most Americans it becomes our "safety blanket." This idea I think has spilled over into the Christian faith. I feel that instead of depending on God to provide for us, we want to have our "safety blanket" to save us. For example lets say that you have been saving money for a few months or maybe a year or 2 and you hear of a missionary or ministry that has a need exactly the amount you have saved and you give it all away to them. To me that is living by faith. To the world that is stupid. You just got rid of your safety blanket. I would call this giving "until it hurts."
The challenge that I have given myself is to "give until it hurts." Be willing to give up some comforts of my life to help others. This whole idea came to my mind after reading about a Palestinian Christian who was reflecting on how good his life was in Palestine compared to those who live in Somalia. His observation challenged me to be more willing to give up my comforts to help others. Also throughout all this I have had a passage of scripture rolling around in my head Matthew 6:19-21
19 x“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where ymoth and rust5 destroy and where thieves zbreak in and steal, 20 xbut lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
To be honest as of late I have struggled with the last item on that list. I have had thoughts that I just had that new phone of gadget I would be so much happier. Just a few weeks ago I had the money to buy one of those new gadgets or a phone, but instead I gave it away to some missionary friends and some other organizations that I felt could use the money better than I could.
I have also struggled with the idea of a savings account. I see it as a good idea most of the time, but I think that for most Americans it becomes our "safety blanket." This idea I think has spilled over into the Christian faith. I feel that instead of depending on God to provide for us, we want to have our "safety blanket" to save us. For example lets say that you have been saving money for a few months or maybe a year or 2 and you hear of a missionary or ministry that has a need exactly the amount you have saved and you give it all away to them. To me that is living by faith. To the world that is stupid. You just got rid of your safety blanket. I would call this giving "until it hurts."
The challenge that I have given myself is to "give until it hurts." Be willing to give up some comforts of my life to help others. This whole idea came to my mind after reading about a Palestinian Christian who was reflecting on how good his life was in Palestine compared to those who live in Somalia. His observation challenged me to be more willing to give up my comforts to help others. Also throughout all this I have had a passage of scripture rolling around in my head Matthew 6:19-21
19 x“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where ymoth and rust5 destroy and where thieves zbreak in and steal, 20 xbut lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
My goal is to find an organization or missionary each month and contribute to their ministry at the same time cutting out something that I don't need. I hope some of you will join me in this challenge. If you do and are willing I would like to know who you are supporting.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
2011 the year of Confusion
Not sure how many of you who read my blog have ever had a year of confusion. For me this year has been a struggle mostly with 3 questions. They are "Will I get married/Who will I marry?", "Where am I going to live?", and "What will I do the rest of my life?" It seems like these 3 questions hit me all at the same time. The most recent time I have had these struggles was this last weekend and this week. What happens most of the time is these questions can cause me to be very lonely. I feel like I am alone in facing these decisions/questions. For the most part I have been turning to Christ, through reading my Bible, to realize the I am not alone in processing these questions. All I can rest in is that Christ is the one who can help me and guide me through these rough times. There are times I feel like giving up, but Christ is always there for me.
I would like to add that in addition to the confusion I have a few memories that I wish I could forget. There were a few times in 2011 that I was not performing at my best. I think part of my problem, was that I tried to live my life by my own strength and not depend on Christ to lead me. Some of those bad memories have come out of some of my times of confusion. I am still confused, but I feel that through it all I have come to a point where I depend more on Christ's strength than my own strength through those confusing times. It isn't always easy.
I would like to add that in addition to the confusion I have a few memories that I wish I could forget. There were a few times in 2011 that I was not performing at my best. I think part of my problem, was that I tried to live my life by my own strength and not depend on Christ to lead me. Some of those bad memories have come out of some of my times of confusion. I am still confused, but I feel that through it all I have come to a point where I depend more on Christ's strength than my own strength through those confusing times. It isn't always easy.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A Nation of "Ethiopians"
Those of you who are reading this are probably wondering about my title. I am comparing those who live around us in the US to the Ethiopian that Philip talked to in Acts. This idea came to my attention as I was watching many videos on youtube of all the flashmobs that happen during the Christmas season. I wonder how many of those people really know what they are signing about. One song that is very popular is Handel's Hallelujah chorus. That chorus has many lines that are easy to sing, but not really understand what is being said. The lyrics that stuck out to me were "King of kings", "Lord of lords", and "He shall reign forever and ever." Those three lines along pretty much speak for themselves. So I challenge you if you have friends that do not follow Christ and enjoy Handel's Hallelujah Chorus ask them what they think the words mean. I think that we would find that we live with many "Ethiopians" around us in the church and outside of the church.
I hope that post makes sense. It sounded a lot better in my head before I wrote it down.
I hope that post makes sense. It sounded a lot better in my head before I wrote it down.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Challenge
Earlier this year I undertook a challenge to, donate $.50 for each mile I rode on my bicycle, to a charity of my choosing. I am starting that over for the winter months. This time I will be donating $1 for each mile I ride to my friends Pete and Ashley Greenwald to help them get to the mission field. I would ask all of those who read this to join me and for each mile I ride you would donate a certain amount to a missionary, mission, church, or non-profit of your choice. I would also ask the your donations not be out of your extra, but that you would give sacrificially. Also when I ride I will be rounding up to the next mile for my total mileage for the ride. Thanks again for those who will join me. I would really like to know who you are supporting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)