Happy Half Asian

Coming Back to Write

So it has been a really long time since I have posted anything!  I guess life, this past year, has been rather busy and the blog was what suffered.  Things seem to have slowed a bit in recent weeks, so I guess I have no reason to not start posting again.  Life has been rather unpredictable to say the least recently.  I am still working for Pratt, which is a day to day love hate relationship.  It's not that I don't enjoy the people I get to work with on a daily basis, but I just don't feel that aircraft engine parts are my passion.  I'm not at all sure what the future holds right now, but I definitely can't ignore that there is a plan that was put into effect a long time ago that's slowly been working itself out.  I would definitely say there has been some things that have really thrown me for a loop, and I am still not really sure about any of it.  What is it that I'm talking about?  Well unfortunately for you, I'm not gonna say.  I'm like that sometimes.  I'm sure there is more I could say about life in general right now, but I'm pretty tired, so I think for now this is it.  I do hope to get on here more often to update and post.  There are always lots of thoughts in my head, so I guess I should share some of them.  Hope life is well for all, and blessings are of abundance. 

posted by Eric @ 7:46 PM 0 comments

A New Project

Finding myself with a little free time on the weekends these days, I have decided to start on a little project. I have decided to completely build myself a custom electric guitar. I have been wanting to get a nice electric guitar for a while, but I just can't bring myself to spend $1,500 on a factory standard guitar. I purchased two wood blocks for the bodies last week. I figured I would order two just in case I mess up the first one, or if the first one goes smoothly I can then make a second to sell? The bodies are mahogony...I have drawn out the body design for this first creation, and have started to cut it out. I have to cut the body out of the block...round some of the edges off and sand it all down. I have decided on the pickups I will be using and those will be arriving this next week. I plan to document the entire process in pictures and will post them on here. I hope it turns out as well as I expect...this could be the start of a great hobby...and if I start to sell them a very lucrative hobby! Get your pre-orders in for an original Eric guitar!

posted by Eric @ 10:16 PM 0 comments

The Heart Of A Jr. Higher

When I moved back here last May I was asked by one of my good friends to join the jr. high youth group at Calvary Church as the music leader. Most of you probably know that I love music, specificaly the guitar, and more specificaly the acoustic guitar. A lot was changing for me at the time the question was posed, but I agreed to try it out. Well, I have been working with the jr. high this entire school year, and it has been an unexpected blessing to me. I went into this ministry not looking to take a lot from it, but hoping to bring a lot to it. Now that the year is coming to an end I can truly say my assumptions were completely flipped. I am not sure how much I brought to the group, but I have definitely taken a lot away from this experience. I am amazed every week by the hearts of these kids. The majority of these kids don't have much experience in music, or leading worship, but they are more willing and eager to try it out than I can ever remember being. I have learned a lot about the real heart of worship, and have been amazed by all that these kids have taught me. They come to sing and worship Sunday night for an hour and a half as well as Wednesday night for an hour and a half! We started the year out slowly getting to know one another, and getting an idea of what we wanted to accomplish. I quickly realized that accomplishing "good" music was not our main purpose or goal, but instilling a true desire and passion for worship is what this whole thing is about. I have learned tons from these kids, and am truly grateful for that. I am sad that the year is ending with them, and that some of them will be moving on to the high school group next fall, but i eagerly look ahead to seeing new faces, and familiar ones returning. God has truly blessed me in this ministry, and I am grateful for the things He has taught me through these kids.

posted by Eric @ 10:50 PM 3 comments

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

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

posted by Eric @ 2:18 PM 1 comments

A Possible Move?

The school year will be over upon my completion of my last final...French! I will be leaving Virginia bright and early tomorrow morning to make the long treck back to Michigan. As I wrote in an earlier posting, the job at Pratt fell through this summer. Apparently Canada sucks, and because their dollar is useless they won't allow the Muskegon office to re-hire me. Just another reason to love Canada! Those crazy mother canuckers! (You would've had to of been on senior sneak to understand the mother canucker thing) As I now find myself unemployed, I have been searching for possible jobs. I stummbled accross a job posting for a management trainee position with Planet Aid. Planet Aid is a non-profit humanitarian organization. Now this is exactly what I have wanted to do, and hoped to find upon completing college. Now that I found this job I cannot help but think that maybe this is the direction God is taking me. Perhaps this is the reason things have gone the way they have this year? I decided to just submit my resume, and see what happens from there. The morning after I sent in my resume I received an email from a person in human resources at Planet Aid. They have expressed interest in me as a candidate for the position, and they actually wanted me to be there to interview yesterday. The location that would be hiring me is just south west of Boston. I quickly responded indicating that I was finishing up my semester at college, and an overnight trip to Boston couldn't happen. They showed understanding and agreed to set up a phone interview with me for Tuesday the 16th. If I get this job I will be moving out to Boston, for at least a year, where I will be undergoing management training within their organization. Upon completion of the training I will be sent to Africa for one month to learn the international side of the organization, and then I would be given a management position within their organization. Since this is exactly the job I have been looking for, I really can't pass this opportunity up. This will require me to not return to Virginia in the fall, but school is not out of the question. I could easily finish up my education through Liberty's distance learning program. This job is definitely an exciting prospect, and upon successfully making through the interviewing process...I might be moving out to the Boston area. That is what is happening in my life right now, and I am definitely excited to see things starting to move and change! I will keep you posted on what comes of all of this. See you all in Michigan!

posted by Eric @ 10:18 AM 2 comments