One Step at a Time

Then He said to them all, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23

Am I a follower of Christ? How does it practically look each day to deny myself, take up my cross and follow? One thing is certain: it doesn't mean taking the easy way out. A cross could easily weigh as much as 300 pounds according to some historians. That's going to necessitate a focused determination; a singular purpose and drive. It's going to mean looking straight ahead, not allowing the slightest distraction to the left or right from the task at hand. It's going to mean relying on strength beyond my own, human capability. It's going to mean, as the Apostle Paul said, throwing off the sin that so easily entangles, and continuing with perseverance on the course marked out for us. It's going to mean a continual, conscious, daily decision. But only in making that decision is there fulfillment, peace, and purpose in this life. And only then do I discover that, in His strength, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Life here in Spokane continues to rush by at an increasingly alarming rate. It seems the more there is to do, the less time there is to accomplish it. That said, it's exciting to be a part of the work here, and I know it's exactly where I'm supposed to be.

This past week has revealed the fall colors of Spokane in full regalia. They don't call it fall for nothing. It seems that between the leaves and the recent incessant rain, something is always falling from the sky of late. It's a beautiful season, though; the autumn colors glowing through the fog in the crisp, morning air, sparking an even deeper appreciation for that steaming cup of coffee on my way to work.

My position as Associate Instructor (new title as of last week) at Spokane Turbine Center has continued to be increasingly exciting and challenging. This past training cycle has marked the first cycle where I found myself completely responsible for the instruction of the Garmin G1000 pilot/mechanic course. It was exciting and intimidating at the same time. I don't know that I'll ever get over the fact that our students are already professional, experienced missionary aviators and I am for all practical purposes fresh out of school. It provides some good incentive to spend a lot of time in the technical publications, but I still find myself feeling very small standing behind the lecturn in class. I suppose a certain amount of that is healthy. I have to admit, the more formal instructing I do, the more I enjoy it. It's a thrill to see a student really latch on to a concept that had been completely foreign before that class. I can see how people make a career out of this.

It's hard to believe I've been working full-time at Spokane Turbine Center for closing on a year now. It's been an incredible experience and invaluable as preparation for serving overseas in missionary aviation. I've learned so much and it seems the more I learn the more there is to know. One step at a time, I guess. That's all we can do. And, I have to remind myself, that's all that Christ expects: that we follow as He leads and as He gives us strength, one day at a time. We must only be faithful to take up our cross daily and follow...

A Crazy Summer

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11

What a thought-provoking synopsis of the Spirit-empowered life of the believer. May Paul's prayer for the Philippian church also be our prayer for each other and for ourselves - to the glory and praise of God.

It's been a crazy, amazing summer. I am so blessed to have had the opportunities afforded these past couple of months since my last blog update, and to continually have the opportunity to serve our great God each and every day. As is often said, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life;" a new beginning; a new opportunity to glorify our Creator and Redeemer at every opportunity!

And now a brief recap:

I managed to get about a week and a half of vacation this summer, traveling around the northwest spending some very valuable time with my girlfriend, my family, and some good friends. Then I spent time traveling across the country, visiting family, close friends and church family, and found my way to Lancaster, PA. I stayed with my brother and his wife and caught up with my co-workers from Spokane Turbine Center, who had flown the Kodiak from Spokane for a missionary aviation event just outside of Lancaster. The event went very well. We gave rides in the Kodiak and shared with over 3,000 people about the Kodiak and Spokane Turbine Center's role in serving the church and reaching the lost through missionary aviation.

The last part of August and on into September found my boss and I flying the Kodiak across the country and into Canada. We visited Christian flight schools in VA, MI, TX, CA, WA and Alberta, raising awareness of the acute needs, including people and equipment, in missionary aviation. We also shared our passion for equipping missionary aviators and discussed partnership opportunities to provide turbine training for the schools' graduates. Altogether, we flew 94.3 hours, 9,329.4 miles and gave a taste of modern missionary aviation technology to 936 passengers/supporters/future missionary aviators. We give thanks that the most significant mechanical problem we had was a burned out light bulb.

Now we're back in Spokane, into full swing on the training schedule. A class of 7 pilots and maintenance specialists from Haiti, Brazil, Central Asia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea just completed the course last week. Another class begins the week after next. I greatly appreciate your prayers, encouragement and support. This is a team effort, and it's a privilege to be serving our great God along with you - to His glory and praise!