:D I've returned. Its been two weeks into school now and things have settled down to a more or less predictable pattern and since today went so well I felt like sahring the joy and giving my dusty old blog a shakedown and post. So I guess I'll give the summer update. I did TONS this summer worked at my dad's plant the whole time, but I did so many things while I was there. I basically got to build a process from start to finish. And while to some that may not sound like much....even those in engineering.....trust me its huge. THere's tons of details and no matter how well prepared you think you are there is always something you forgot :x So things like the basic plans, the detailed diagrams, the drafts of equipment and tanks that had to be made because they couldn't be bought, the parts and equipment orders, the piping, the vent system, electronic control system all of these things needed to be done and since I was head of the project I had to do them. So I learned tons and stayed cool about half the time. That was most of my summer. Although I took a "weekend plus" vacation to the Wheeler Peak wilderness in New Mexico and drove through France to get there. The mountains were beautiful and except for the almost dying three times :shock: and being stalked by an elk it was a fairly safe trip as well. I did stress myself out pretty bad during the trip a couple of overnight drives and 14 miles with a 40lb. pack but I'm a strong guy and I survived. If nothing else has been taught to me (which is a lie) over the course of my arthritis then this lesson stands tall "Never take for granted the things you can do, be they as simple as walking, or running or hiking, because you don't know how much you'll miss them when you can no longer do them" I definitely rediscovered why I loved scouts and scouting.....theres a place that God speaks to me at the I can't get to anywhere else but on a mountain in the middle of the wilderness. Like Elijah learned...He's not in the mountain or the storm He's that quiet still voice in the back, the one whose words are quiet but filled with the strength to move those mountains and the power to quiet those storms. Being on top of a mountain gives some people a feeling of superiority (or so I hear). I find the opposite.....I think there is no better place to find perspective on how important you are than to stand on a mountain above the treeline and feel jsut how small you really are to look up to the heavens and realize that from space you wouldn't even be a pixel in a picture. And yet for all the utter meaninglessness of an insignificant speck in an infinite universe, God, the one who made it all, things beyond the scope of even my imagination, sent his Son, came Himself because HE wants to hang out with me, to chill at my place, to be my blood brother, and wants me to want to hang with him too. That was around early July and about two weeks later I got a chance to go to Dallas to the AOG church camp that my youth group attends every year, but I was going to see the Youth Leader of the church who has become one of the most precious of all my families. I went expecting to see Mrs.Kim her husband and her daughter and jsut that thought was enough to get me excited. But just because God loves me a friend that I hadn't seen in more than 2 years from that group had filled a last second cancellation and had come along from LAS VEGAS to dallas. I also was encouraged and prophesied over in a task that has been layed before me and It felt to me something like that of a surprise party. A party is a nice thing it shows that people care and love you....a surprise party is that much better, because it takes more planning and more care, but in the end both people in a surprise party benefit and that whole day felt like that. God had spent weeks/months/years preparing this day for me and when it finally came I knew that He cared for me and it felt to me lie He was pleased :). I like it best when my actions and thoughts please Him. I spent a lot of the summer trying to deal with some issues that came up at the end of last year and coming back to school I was dreading the whole time when I was going to have to face them. But the morning that I was going to face them an incredible thought hit me. I thought "I can't handle this, I wanna quit" but something inside me refuses to let me quit for that reason so I thought "Well if I can't handle this and I can't quit....what can I do?" and like a bolt of lighting on a clear day (God speaking) the thought came to my head.."Ask God to help you handle it....I mean what have you got to lose?" So I did...I got down on my knees and told Jesus taht I couldn't ahndle this on my own, but that since he knew what I was going through and had been to places liek this that maybe he could help me......and He did in a marvelous way. My whole view of my leadership team has shifted and there are depths and levels to it that I can't even describe right here right now, but I can promise that they will come later. For now Jesus and his unfailing grace and mercy are absolutely awesome. NSO (New Student Outreach) for Intervarsity has been like something out of a dream, God is working on this campus this year and its been such a blessing to see these freshmen come in so hungry for God and community. He's even brought us people who are DIFFERENT :o :shock: IT'S SO COOL! School is tough this year with 18 hours of upper level science and engineering classes and finally cracking into finishing some majors during this my senior (4th) year 8) , not that I'll graduate, but I'm getting there. Classes are great so far and while I haven't covered ANYTHING new yet I know that some cools tuff is coming and I know that my homework group for thermo2 rocks. My best friend is getting married in January and I'm gonna be best man, so thats exciting and while I still have worries about the speed of the marriage and engagement I ahve no worries about the couple themselves. There's been some friction between us, but its not huge stuff, but its important and will need to be dealt with. His view of Christian women clashes with my view pretty directly. And His view of a Christians role in society worries me about the state of the rest of the Christians I know. I'll explain on that maybe later. But other than those thats a pretty succinct update of the summer and the year so far. It's great to be back in Lubbock and back to blogging too. There is always something theraputic about this. God Bless you all! May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ go with you and may you follow the path that leads to Him.
The road behind me, the road in front, the masses that beckon to the side, the signs that lead astray, I will not move from this spot unless you go with me Lord. Be a light to my feet and a companion on my journey from this moment until I stand with you by the shores of the Crystal Sea.
Further Up and Further In,
Ferris :-D
posted by: FalconTch (reply)
post date: 09.12.04 (6:48 pm)
If anyone gets the last line there give me a holler.....:D
