God has a plan. He is great! Have you ever had an experience where your expectations are different than the reasons for why you are in that situation? It was made perfectly clear recently that my reasoning for being hired was a lot different than what I had thought.
In my career I've developed a level of knowledge and experience to create some of the most beautiful and expense aircraft interiors in the world. I've travelled the world and had the chance to meet interesting and powerful individuals. I have developed some of the must innovative and interesting solutions to creating these interiors. I had gained great experience in the process of launching my own company. I put in my time and have reached a point in my career where I was ready to take on a leadership role of that opportunity was out there.
Through the process of building my own company I came across an opportunity to join a new company that wanted to do things differently! I thought with my expertise and knowledge I could bring a lot of value to the table, being in the financial situation I was in, I could not pass it up. Besides this was an opportunity to create a design studio from the ground up and get paid doing it!
I start in, even before my official start date of outlining how this now facility could streamline the design process thus saving time and money in the upfront process, which was the vision of the company as I understood it. I was ready to work within the management team and outline the integration of the design with engineering and production. Being strong with developing processes I was energized! God had called me to this opportunity and I was ready to embrace it with all of my being. God gives us our gifts and talents for opportunities like this!
After being in this role for several weeks it was becoming clear that some of the ideas and objectives I had envisioned for playing a lead role in creating the best interiors in the world was dimming.
I was starting to realize that my desires were different than the companies. The time finely arrived to provide some direction to the path I was headed down. A meeting was scheduled to discuss certain aspects of my work assignments. (As a side note, even though the results from this meeting did not , as I felt came out in my career favor, it was freeing to know that the responsibility for the design would not be on my shoulders, God has bigger plans.) It was made perfectly clear that design would not be managed by "us" internally but by an outside design firm, we would be operating in a support and coordination role. I would be using my 20+ years of knowledge and experience to promote someone else's work above my own.
This shows that God has more important plans for my life then becoming the best designer. He is showing me that I need to put him first in my life and my accomplishments second (John 3:30). This is a good test of over coming worldly desires to be number one and promoting someone else.
God, keep me focused on you so my heart grows closer to you. Teach me through this experience to be humble and that you are first, not me.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Candle in the Darkness
We can no longer be lukewarm for good. As evil gets greater it is harder to blend in with the status quo as a Christian. We need to become bold in our faith in order to stay close to God.
I like how Johnathan Cahns compares our relationship with God as a candle. A candle in the light of day has little impact, but a candle at night can be seen from far away. As this world becomes darker our candle will have a greater effect.
Punishment
As Chistians we all get it, but I wanted to share with you what God let me experience last night the reason we need to have punishment in this world.
So I live in a small townhome apartment complex. There are multiple buildings spreadout over the campus. It is a Saturday night so my neighbors take advantage of the weekend to play loud music from not their apartment but from their cars. Which are parked outside my window. I tolerant the noise and at midnight I determine there is no plan for turning it down. I plan to confront them from my balcony but after recogizing the state of Drunkardness I determine it is not safe and call the police.
One I gave my number and address to the operator she immediately know what I was calling about, I assumed others had made calls as well. An offerier did roll by at 12:21 and provided a warning. The music stopped for a few minutes but the drinking and yelling carried on. I was surprised that even with the police stopping over that they where brazen enough to not do anything.
At 1:15 another call was placed and at 1:40 the police came a second time. They we're again asked to turnoff the music. This time the music stopped but the drinking and disruptive banter contiuned on into the wee hours of the morning.
This is a great example of God's warnings to us. As we challenge his authority there comes a point where the warnings have little effect on us . In order to get our attention we need to be affected to the point that effects us in some way. Sometimes this leads to punishment. We have been so defiant that God has no other choice.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Recipes for Minimalist Living
So part of the challenge is living on $5 per day. The best way to accomplish this is by eating all the food and not throwing any of it in the garbage. I also like to have a variety of food. Preprocessed and ready to eat foods are typically more expense, have more preseratives, and are smaller portions so I stay away from these. I like to create dishes with a handful of ingredients, make enough of certain ingredient to have some leftover to make it into something else. This also allows you to potentially only have the stove on for making one batch of something, saving energy, for example cooking noodles that can be used in multiple dishes over an extended period of time.
Here are some meals that I have enjoyed over the past 6 weeks following this minimalist life style.
Salad
Spaghetti Ala vodka
Here are some meals that I have enjoyed over the past 6 weeks following this minimalist life style.
Salad
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Red or White Onions
- Carrots
- Hard boiled egg
- Deli meat ham or Turkey
- Shredded Cheese
- Ranch Dressing
- Chicken Tenders
- Italian Breadcrumbs
- Garlic Salt
- Egg
- Olive Oil
Breaded Chicken Sandwich
- Onion Bagel
- Fried Chicken Tenders
- Red Onion
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Provolone Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Horseradish Brown Mustard
- Spaghetti noodles
- Tomato Sauce
- Heavy Cream
- leftover Meat
- Parmesan Cheese
Tuna Noddle, Egg Salad
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Celery
- Carrots
- Celery Salt
- Tuna
- Elbow Pasta
- Salad Dressing
Pasta Cheese Bake
- Elbow Pasta
- Shredded Cheese
- Garlic Salt
- Italian Bread Crumbs
- Heavy Cream
Bagel Sandwich
- Onion Bagel
- Deli Ham or Turkey sliced
- Red or White Onion
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Provolone Cheese
- Seasoning Salt
- Mayonnaise
- Horseradish Brown Mustard
Green Bean Casserole
- Can green beans
- Mushroom soup
- French's Fried onions
Vegetable Stir-fry
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Butter
- White Onions
- Crushed Garlic
- Vermouth
- Soy Sauce
Fried Rice
- White Rice
- Chicken Bouillon
- Egg
- Peas
- Carrots
- Seasoning Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Sesame Seeds
Sausage
- Sausage
- Buns
- Ketchup
- Horseradish Brown Mustard
- Sweet Relish
Tacos
- Taco Seasoning
- Ground Beef
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Shredded Cheese
- Fresh Cilantro
- White Onion
- Soft Flour Shells
Hamburger
- Bun
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Italian Breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Ketchup
- Red Onion
- Tomato
- Spinach
- Garlic Salt
- Horseradish Brown Mustard
- Sweet Relish
Chicken Delight
- Rice
- Canned Chicken
- Sour Cream
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Italian Breadcrumbs
- Ritz Crackers
Breakfast Cereal
- Generic Rice Chex
- Unsweet Almond Milk
- Honey
Seasonal Fruit
- Bananas
- Pineapple
- Apples
Other
- Granola Bars
- Tortilla Chips
- Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
- Banana Bread
I have been able to stay at $35/week for groceries.
Friday, April 19, 2019
Living a Minimialistic Christian Lifestyle
It was suggested that I write about what I am doing. So here I am. First let me tell you about what I am doing and then I can explain how I got here and provide some background and history on my situation.
I will begin by explaining what I am doing. I am living a life separated from my family. This life includes going to work each day and coming back to a 600 square foot apartment (twice and big as I need) in the evenings. I think I found the least expense apartment in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I am also trying to save money by conserving water, electricity, gas, etc. The cost for my apartment is $800 per month. My food budget is $5 per day. I'm also trying to keep my utility expenses below $150, fuel for my car at one tank per month, no Internet, and no cable in the apartment. Taking all this in mind, I would like to keep my expenses less than $1200/month.
I got put into a situation about 2 months ago when my design business was not generating the level of revenue it needed to sustain me and my family. My father-in-law and I have been trying to get the momentum of the company up to a point where I could leave my full-time position and just do my own thing full-time. We got into a situation that required that I make that jump, maybe prematurely, but it was a step of faith and integrity. This situation propelled me into a position of sales and every other position that is not filled by anyone. With the help of our business coach we were on the road to making it work.
I gave my wife and I a 3 month runway to get our feet up off the ground. As we started to look at the numbers it looked like it was possible to make a go of the opportunity. At the 3 month point all was go and we were on our way! Then as quickly as everything looked promising we started to lose one bid after another, and our potential client list dwindled away. Spending our saving and taking on debit to pay the bills was not the part of the journey we had set out on 6 months earlier. It was time to find a steady income stream.
As an industrial designer with serious experience and expertise in VIP aircraft interiors it is difficult to find a comparable job, pay wise, in a design firm or architectural firm. This put me in the position of looking for positions outside of the local area. This was a reluctant decision, but keeping the kids in the same school district was nonnegotiable, so if I did find anything outside the local area it would mean I would be doing it on my own. It was either this or find a less paying job in Florida, sell the house and move back, with a lessor house.
When God blessed us with this opportunity we did not look at it as a blessing, it was just the opposite. After flying down for an interview for the position,I thought what in the world. This place is 6 hours from home by car, it get hot and humid, and how can I be away from the family in such a place? God works in amazing ways.
First of all, me and my wife would never have made this decision if we hadn't been over our head in debit and if we had any other opportunity on the table we would have taken it. Which we did, at a facility 20 minutes from my home. I received a call the day I was to go to Lake Charles for an interview. This call was made by their HR person to set up an interview with the day after I returned from my interview here! Perfect I could play one off the other and pick the local opportunity. Well the call to confirm the interview time came and went. After several calls with messages and the hope of getting a face to face was dimming. An offer came in from the place in Louisiana and it was time to make the decision.
I signed the paper work and it was official, I was heading to Lake Charles. I decided from the beginning to live as minimalistically as possible to reduce the impact on the family budget and also to be able to send as much money as possible to pay off debit.
Something else God was working on was getting rid of my busyness. More about this later, but I had to resign from being major pro-temp of our local town and from a local charity that raises funds for education, and from leading the robotics club at my boy's intermediate school. He wiped my plate clean in a matter of a week...
After searching over the Internet and calls to some local accommodations, I settled on the lowest cost apartment in a deceit neighborhood and got all the paperwork taken care of before leaving.
We had a couple of weeks to get things in order before departing and off I went, with Amy tailing behind in the van and with the kids to help me move into our second home (only 1 hour from the beach, Amy had always wanted to get back near the water, so here it was!). After getting moved in I got to spend a couple of days with the family before they headed back home.
I had a choose I could look at this as a curse or a blessing. After a few days I decided that God had a reason for me being here and I was going to put it in his hands. The first weekend here I attended a church across the street from the apartment complex. I found out they had a men's bible study every Sunday night at 5 and attended. I ran into the guy that showed me the contemporary service, the first guy I met Barry, and a doctor, Mr Dick Landry. They welcoming me with such love that I felt this is where God wanted me to be.
God has provided many instantly of his presence and has been guiding me to a better understanding of him along the way. The bible study had been about becoming Kingdom Disciples and what it means to follow in Jesus' foot steps as a disciple. Its all about putting Jesus first. This had been my mantra. The Holy Spirit has created a desire to put him first every morning. Every morning I have been dedicated to the study and wanting to learn more.
A trip home last week allowed me to spend over 10 hours listening to Billy Gram's book about the Holy Spirit. These are opportunities I would not have in my busy life of just a month ago.
So I am taking this opportunity to live a closer life to Jesus. Jesus did not have possessions and he lived a very minimal life style with less worldly things. To be a disciple we also must learn to live without worldly possessions. Even though I must fulfill the dues of my employer I can still live as minimally as possible and avoid the trappings of the popular view of needing possessions. Even doing what I am attempting is extravagant compared to most of the world. We can thrive without consumption to the level of today's modern America. This need for consumption leads us way from our focus on Jesus.
So here is how I am doing so far:
Living expenses wise it looks like we are within budget. Living a scarafical life (american style) allows me to put a bigger focus on Jesus and understanding him better.
I will begin by explaining what I am doing. I am living a life separated from my family. This life includes going to work each day and coming back to a 600 square foot apartment (twice and big as I need) in the evenings. I think I found the least expense apartment in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I am also trying to save money by conserving water, electricity, gas, etc. The cost for my apartment is $800 per month. My food budget is $5 per day. I'm also trying to keep my utility expenses below $150, fuel for my car at one tank per month, no Internet, and no cable in the apartment. Taking all this in mind, I would like to keep my expenses less than $1200/month.
I got put into a situation about 2 months ago when my design business was not generating the level of revenue it needed to sustain me and my family. My father-in-law and I have been trying to get the momentum of the company up to a point where I could leave my full-time position and just do my own thing full-time. We got into a situation that required that I make that jump, maybe prematurely, but it was a step of faith and integrity. This situation propelled me into a position of sales and every other position that is not filled by anyone. With the help of our business coach we were on the road to making it work.
I gave my wife and I a 3 month runway to get our feet up off the ground. As we started to look at the numbers it looked like it was possible to make a go of the opportunity. At the 3 month point all was go and we were on our way! Then as quickly as everything looked promising we started to lose one bid after another, and our potential client list dwindled away. Spending our saving and taking on debit to pay the bills was not the part of the journey we had set out on 6 months earlier. It was time to find a steady income stream.
As an industrial designer with serious experience and expertise in VIP aircraft interiors it is difficult to find a comparable job, pay wise, in a design firm or architectural firm. This put me in the position of looking for positions outside of the local area. This was a reluctant decision, but keeping the kids in the same school district was nonnegotiable, so if I did find anything outside the local area it would mean I would be doing it on my own. It was either this or find a less paying job in Florida, sell the house and move back, with a lessor house.
When God blessed us with this opportunity we did not look at it as a blessing, it was just the opposite. After flying down for an interview for the position,I thought what in the world. This place is 6 hours from home by car, it get hot and humid, and how can I be away from the family in such a place? God works in amazing ways.
First of all, me and my wife would never have made this decision if we hadn't been over our head in debit and if we had any other opportunity on the table we would have taken it. Which we did, at a facility 20 minutes from my home. I received a call the day I was to go to Lake Charles for an interview. This call was made by their HR person to set up an interview with the day after I returned from my interview here! Perfect I could play one off the other and pick the local opportunity. Well the call to confirm the interview time came and went. After several calls with messages and the hope of getting a face to face was dimming. An offer came in from the place in Louisiana and it was time to make the decision.
I signed the paper work and it was official, I was heading to Lake Charles. I decided from the beginning to live as minimalistically as possible to reduce the impact on the family budget and also to be able to send as much money as possible to pay off debit.
Something else God was working on was getting rid of my busyness. More about this later, but I had to resign from being major pro-temp of our local town and from a local charity that raises funds for education, and from leading the robotics club at my boy's intermediate school. He wiped my plate clean in a matter of a week...
After searching over the Internet and calls to some local accommodations, I settled on the lowest cost apartment in a deceit neighborhood and got all the paperwork taken care of before leaving.
We had a couple of weeks to get things in order before departing and off I went, with Amy tailing behind in the van and with the kids to help me move into our second home (only 1 hour from the beach, Amy had always wanted to get back near the water, so here it was!). After getting moved in I got to spend a couple of days with the family before they headed back home.
I had a choose I could look at this as a curse or a blessing. After a few days I decided that God had a reason for me being here and I was going to put it in his hands. The first weekend here I attended a church across the street from the apartment complex. I found out they had a men's bible study every Sunday night at 5 and attended. I ran into the guy that showed me the contemporary service, the first guy I met Barry, and a doctor, Mr Dick Landry. They welcoming me with such love that I felt this is where God wanted me to be.
God has provided many instantly of his presence and has been guiding me to a better understanding of him along the way. The bible study had been about becoming Kingdom Disciples and what it means to follow in Jesus' foot steps as a disciple. Its all about putting Jesus first. This had been my mantra. The Holy Spirit has created a desire to put him first every morning. Every morning I have been dedicated to the study and wanting to learn more.
A trip home last week allowed me to spend over 10 hours listening to Billy Gram's book about the Holy Spirit. These are opportunities I would not have in my busy life of just a month ago.
So I am taking this opportunity to live a closer life to Jesus. Jesus did not have possessions and he lived a very minimal life style with less worldly things. To be a disciple we also must learn to live without worldly possessions. Even though I must fulfill the dues of my employer I can still live as minimally as possible and avoid the trappings of the popular view of needing possessions. Even doing what I am attempting is extravagant compared to most of the world. We can thrive without consumption to the level of today's modern America. This need for consumption leads us way from our focus on Jesus.
So here is how I am doing so far:
- Rent: $800
- Electric: $33.28 (includes $12.50 connection fee)
- Other utilities: $68.49 (includes $20 new account fee)
- Food: $50, $35, $65, $15, $10, (home), $13, $2.80
- Fuel: $30 March, $30 (trip home), $30 home, $30 April
- Move in: Ross $40, bed $220, Goodwill: $60, Wayfair $6
- Clothing: Ross $100, $22 shirt alteration
- Church tithe: $60
- Birthday: Movies $10 3/29, gifts from family visit
- Gifts: Gift cards: $50 Wayfair
Living expenses wise it looks like we are within budget. Living a scarafical life (american style) allows me to put a bigger focus on Jesus and understanding him better.
Being Unique through Christ
Put Jesus first. Discipleship is the imitation of the teacher not just in his teaching but also in living. Live like the master. Romans 8:29
Christ allows us to be who we are, liberates us from this world, but at the same time conforms us to be more like him.
Interesting how conforming to Christ is actually freeing and liberating us from this world. God creating us uniquely. 2 Corinthians 5:17. We are called to be unique through Christ.
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