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Monday, September 24, 2007

A Special Anniversary

September 24th is a special day to me. In 1999, this was the day that I prayed and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I had gone through 21 of my 30 years thinking I had already done this, but the conviction I felt on that day in 1999 told me otherwise. Statistics say that it is highly unlikely that one will become a Christian if they don't do so before the teen years. The advantage that I had was a childhood in church learning about Jesus. I had always, as long as I could remember, believed that Jesus was real, that He had come to Earth and died for me, and had raised from the dead. I believed it in my head, but not in my heart. Eight years ago today, that knowledge transferred to my heart and into my entire being. It hasn't been a perfect ride - Christ never promised that - but I can truly say that the Lord has been there every step of the way. I wish I could say that I have been as loyal to Him as He has been to me. All I have to say about that is, thank God for grace.

Search your heart. If you don't know Christ, follow this link to get more information on what that means. Or, leave me a comment, and I would love to talk with you about it. My comments are moderated, so if you want to keep it confidential, please say so and I will not post the comment.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Mini Me

Mini me wearing my EMT boots. My Mom says he is EXACTLY like me when I was small. Lord help me.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Quote

"Even if you fall flat on your face at least you are moving forward." --Sue Luke

Thursday, September 20, 2007

New Feature, and Other Stuff

Every once in a while, just to mix things up, I add a new widget in the right column on this blog. My newest addition is my upcoming reading list. Click on the links to take you to Amazon.com and view the description of the book. I'll only list books that I have purchased (probably), and have intent to actually read. The speed at which I go through books varies. Sometimes I can read about one a week or maybe a couple if they are of the shorter variety. Other times, it might take a while. Witness how long I have had Wheel of Time Book 4 listed in my "Currently Reading" widget!

By the way, I am starting a new job on October 1st! Good job, good pay, nice people - can't complain. God is good. He has given me a peace about this position so I feel like everything is going to be OK. I'm ready to get back into a normal - if there is such a thing - schedule. My running schedule has been non-existent and I am itching to get back to 25 miles a week. I feel so much better when I run. Check out the article I listed in "My Google Reader Shared Items". You have to be a runner to really get it. To me, one of the great advantages of running is that it is very peaceful and I can commune with the Lord, especially during a longer run. Think about it, wouldn't you be communing with God during a 15+ mile run?

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Things Don't Always Play Out Like You Expect

It's no secret but in case you have not heard, Jamie and I have come to the conclusion that med-school is NOT the right direction for our family. So, now I am very excited that I am going back into my first career love - computers. Yes, we prayed hard about it and have a peace that a career in medicine is not the Lord's will and I have no regrets. This was one of those cases where I told God that I would move forward and if He told me to stop at ANY point, I would do so on a dime. He has a reason for all things. Sometimes I believe He has you move down a difficult path with an uncertain future just to test and see if you are willing.

Bottom line, my family needs me to be involved with them for the next 8 years. The pre-med program that I started was really just a test case to see what the load would be and if we could balance family and school. After a few weeks, and completing the first class, it became obvious that it was one or the other, not both. In any scenario, I'll always choose what is best for my family.

The great thing is that I have planned all along to use my EMT certification as an extra skill for leading mission trips. It's a win either way.

Now, as I mentioned, I'm excited about getting back into an Information Technology career full-time. The really good thing is that I still was able to stay up on my technical skills at the church, since that was one of my many responsibilities, so there was really no lapse of continuity. OK, now you can start with the geek and nerd comments, I've heard them all. I'm teaching myself Cisco at this point, and plan to take the tests necessary to earn my CCNA certification. I'm also thinking about expanding my systems administration knowledge to Unix and Linux platforms. One thing at a time, however. Cisco is first, and very much in demand.

Until next time: Please pray for me in my job search that I would find the exact job that God wants me to have. Peace...