Wednesday, April 25, 2007

A Beautifully Sad World

Do you ever sit and ponder what the bigger plan is for your life? What you will do ten years from now? I had an interesting moment at work a few weeks ago. We have a new purchasing manager, and he scheduled a half hour to sit down with everyone in his department to talk and learn about their jobs. During my half hour sit-down with "big tuna" or Jim (the office watchers will understand that) he asked me what my career outlook was at Pratt. I felt kind of funny telling my new boss this, but I told him "in all honesty this is not my career." Now it's always hard to tell your employer that you don't really plan on making a career out of the job that they have given you, but I figured I should just be honest. I did quickly tell him that the fact that I was not going to make this my career didn't mean I was not going to work hard and make the largest impact I can. Big tuna asked me what I do plan to do with my life. I have been pondering this question a lot lately. Most of you know that I was going to move to Boston to take a job with a non-profit humanitarian organization. Well this is still the kind of work that I most want to do. I feel like God has really placed it on my heart to try to make a difference in the world. There is so much suffering and dispair in the world. I feel like the job I currently have was given to me very deliberately. I have a great opportunity to take care of school debt that I have, and get myself to a position in my life where I can take that step out to take a chance to make a difference. What do I hope to do? I hope that I can, in five years, find a position within a Christian non-profit humanitarian aide organization. I hope that I can work within the administrative portion of the org by traveling to analyze situations around the world, and working in fund-raising. The place I hope to touch the most is the continent of Africa. I don't know of many places as sad as that part of the world. It is amazing to me how a place of such beauty and natural diversity can be so full of suffering. I know that God has not planned for me to sit in an office dealing in aircraft engine parts, but this is where He has lead me so far. I am starting to feel the urge to make that move, but I wait and watch for His direction. I hope that in five years I can be updating you on the incredible things God is doing in my life as I travel the world spreading hope to a people that seem all too lost. That is my thought today...I hope you will all hold me to my hopes and plans!! Until next time...look to Him for inspiration in all that you do.

posted by Eric @ 9:19 PM 2 comments

Sunday, April 22, 2007

I'm Back!

I have returned! It has been far too long, and the world has changed significantly since my last post...at least my world has changed. When I left you, my car had just been totaled, I was about to move to Boston, and it was last August! I am in Michigan now, and never ended up making the move to Boston, which is quite a story in itself. A tree had fallen on my car one week before my departure to Boston. Totaling my car created a bit of a delay in my departure. After the tree fell on my car (which seemed like a bad thing at the time), I had to deal with my insurance, car shop, buy a car, and get all the paperwork involved completed before I could move. I did find a car (an audi A6), and everything finally seemed set for the move. I packed my things, and loaded up the car for the trip. That night I slept on the couch, fully expecting to depart the next morning for Boston. I received a phone call around 8 in the morning from my old boss at Pratt & Whitney asking me if I wanted to stop in to talk for a couple minutes. I took the short drive to Pratt, and walked out about a half hour later with a new job offer. I accepted the position at Pratt, and have been working there ever since. I am currently a subcontract purchasing representative, which probably means nothing to you. The job is much better than the position I was going to take in Boston. I am making much better money, which will help me to pay things off quickly, and have full benefits. It is slightly strange being back in Michigan, but I have been enjoying my time back home. I have been volunteering with the jr. high youth group at Calvary Church as the music leader, and have been participating in one of the worship teams at the church as well. I love working with the jr. high...they are an incredible group of kids, and I am certain I am learning far more from their willing hearts then they will ever learn from me, musically. Speaking of music, I was finally able to purchase my Taylor walnut series acoustic guitar! The exact taylor model is W14ce, just in case you want to look it up. It is a beautifully created guitar, and sounds amazing! The past 8 months have truly been a blurr, but God has been teaching me an incredible amount over that time, and I truly believe that it was his plan to make the tree fall on my car to delay my leaving. I think that this is where God wants me right now, and even though I don't know His whole plan I can definitely see His working through my life. I will try to post more often now. Until next time I wish you all the best, and hope you will seek His will in all you do.

posted by Eric @ 9:16 PM 1 comments