The Lord's Unexpected Lessons

So as I sit and dedicate my thought life to the events of the last month or so, I've realized something that the Lord has been teaching me. As a person of constant question, its easy for me to try and develop answers ahead of time and predict how things "ought to be" or certain situations may pan out. I think that when i do this i start to miss out on the unexpected lessons that the Lord may be trying to teach me and can even wind myself into a frenzy of disappointment or discouragement. Lately it has been the "unexpected" places where i have found true growth, the places in my life that i have considered impossible or out of reach.


To start, the Lord has shown me that with proper encouragement and support, i can push myself to places that i did not think i could go, and in turn, has instilled the desire to become a more encouraging and supportive individual for the benefit of others. The physical and emotional limitations i have put on myself due to previous failures have been stretched farther than they have ever been in the past, and not only that, there seems to be a level of growth and peace to be attained on the other side. When our deepest fears and desires have been submitted to the will of the Lord, and we just walk as we normally would, the ability to distinguish the Lord's guidance is exponentially heightened. The ability to trust that you are in the will of the Lord is no longer in a state of constant question, the fears have subsided, the worry has faded and you simply walk. The Lord is the Lord and you are you.


Also i have been learning about patience and hard work, not just physically although that as well, but patience in the areas of life that seem to be so promising and hopeful. Patience in the hope that the Lord is orchestrating something so beyond your wildest imagination that it almost has to be allotted to you in small increments solely due to its pure awesomeness! and hard work, hard work in the areas of your heart and mind that you leave untouched due to their extreme ability to manifest themselves into emotions and thoughts that are unnecessary and troublesome. these also need to be submitted to the Lord for his guidance, and with proper support and encouragement also seem to dissolve into a pile of useless stresses that can be easily lifted off the back of a burdened soul.


Hard Work! what a lesson the Lord has been teaching me, Discipline and Patience! As all of these have begun to unfold in my thought life as lessons the Lord has shown me, He has at the same time been teaching me the same lessons in the physical realm. The work I've been doing lately is hard, and requires discipline and patience to perform, with my job being postponed for nearly two weeks already, and my reserve funds dwindling, i have been working for the company TAPkon inc. doing general labor work to fill my time.


i decided to include some pictures for you all to enjoy:


i spent the whole workday priming the pieces of a future helicopter rigging of some sort, for paint and fabrication.


it was about 105 degrees at it's peak, and what a mess i made trying to bring it all together, but at the end of the day, the rewarding feeling of getting it done and working hard all day, brought an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and energy (plus a terrible sunburn!) enjoy

here is the job site i was on today, a ranch in the Fresno area (i also learned to drive that tractor today)
here's the mess i made out of the whole primer situation haha:

yes, that's the sunburn line (be very impressed!)
oh and just for good measure, this is a sign across the street from my hotel! it had me cracking up, so i had to stop and get a photo for everyone! haha

well, i hope you enjoyed this little update! stay in touch everyone and share your thoughts with me

Nate

L.A. to Santa Cruz: my life recently

It's about 8:45pm and I am sitting in a Motel 6 in one of the most ghetto neighborhoods I've been in for a long time. It's just now cooling off outside and I've finally found the chance to sit and share some of my recent activities (via blog) with my family and friends. As most of you know I recently left my job at Mt. Hermon as an AV Technician to pursue a career in the Contracting Industry. I was offered a job with TAPkon Inc. based out of Fresno,CA and moved out of my old home just before the start of summer. My first assignment with TAPkon is a job in Pomona, CA at the National Guard Armory, where we are renovating and restoring the property for the Army Corps of Engineers. I will be working as a general laborer for the company at this time (a sort of probationary period) but am being trained to eventually (and hopefully) learn to bid contracts, and supervise job sites. Now anyone who knows about this industry is aware that this is the opportunity of a lifetime and very rarely falls out of the sky, like it seems to have in my case. Especially since the company has built a relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers and is consistently taking on government jobs. However the road to starting with this company (even in the short period of the last two weeks) has taken allot of interesting twist and turns. To be brief I have traveled between L.A. and Santa Cruz/Fresno area 8 times in just over a week due to unexpected contract revisions. However the company has graciously kept me on in a sort of "shadowing" role with one of the Contract Supervisors in order to further my education and training in that area.

Now aside from all of this amazing news and even more importantly, God has been at work in my personal life just as well. The trips back and forth between L.A. and Nor Cal have given me plenty of time to listen to some very amazing teachings on world religion and popular trends in modern spirituality. Laurie Schlaepfer, wife of Renee Schlaepfer and professor at Western Seminary in Los Gatos, has done some amazing talks on these subjects and I definitely recommend a 2 part teaching entitled "understanding Islam" (these are available through the mt. Hermon, CD department summer '07), She goes into depth about the basics of Islam and it's commonly known divisions as they pertain to history and current world politics and events. It is really quite fascinating. Also as a side note, Jon Courson's "When The Snake Bites" and Steve Gregg's "Why I Am Still A Christian" are two of my other favorite and most listened to teachings for long rides in the car. (you can find Steve's messages at http://thenarrowpath.com/ and for Jon's you may have to message me). Since I've started listening to these messages in the car, God has really been speaking to me in allot of ways. I have even found more confidence in sharing my personal faith with strangers and new acquaintances. Its also a good way to stay in the Word when your schedule is hectic and (if your like me) you have a hard time sitting down and reading the Bible without being easily distracted. Being in the car allows me to think out loud and even respond at times as well as perform a simple task like driving that keeps my attention span just distracted enough to be able to really focus on the teaching.

On another note, I have recently met an amazing girl and as some of you may already know we started dating a few weeks ago. Her name is Terra and she is absolutely amazing and beautiful :)

p.s. she also happens to be the amazing mind behind the title of this blog :)

Well, this concludes my first official blog. I hope to continue to keep you all updated as things continue and I am not around as much as I'd like to be. I thank you for your prayers and continual support. You have blessed me in so many ways, and I am eternally grateful.

Nate