Category: Faith

Is This As Good As It Gets?

On By The Flying DutchmanIn FaithLeave a comment

In the movie As Good As It Gets, a man who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder leaves his psychiatrist’s office angry and worried. As he walks into the waiting area where other patients are seated and stops and asks…

“What if this is as good as it gets?” he asks and then he leaves. The patients remain frozen, pondering the possibility.

It’s a funny moment but it also gives me pause to think seriously about the future.  Such as, where will you go after you die?

I attend Bible Study Fellowship at a local church.  We meet in small groups and discuss the Bible study lessons we were given the week before.  Afterwards there is a lecture on the Scripture we just studied.  During the discussion group we had a visitor from another BSF group across the country.  He related something remarkable from his prior week’s lecture at his home group.  What he said was…

“If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, then this life is as good as it gets.  If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then this life is the worse it will ever be for you.”

So what’s your perspective?

If you claim Christ as your Savior then you have a destiny that is wonderfuly beyond your imagination.  Forget the cartoons portraying Bugs Bunny with wings and a halo sitting on a cloud playing a harp.  Never get your Bible doctrin from cartoons.  It is a marvelous glorious destiny we have that has defied explaination from those whom have witnessed it and returned to write about it.

If you don’t need Christ or God or you think all the fun people will be in hell, then whatever you have in this life will be your reward.  That’s it.  It’s all you get.  Hell will not be a forever party.  That will be happening in the new Heaven and the new Earth.

It’s the best offer in all of history.  Believe in Christ, ask Him to forgive you, and you will go to Heaven.  Simple as that.

Behold, I Am Doing A New Thing

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, Opinion3 Comments

The title is from Isaiah 43:19.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to get preachy (but if you would like to hear about Jesus just ask me!)  My wife had some dreams last year where she kept hearing these words, “Behold, I am doing a new thing”,  “Look, I’m doing something new!”   After those dreams, our life started to change.

I’ve been an avid pilot my whole adult life.  But since I’ve been convicted to scale down our lives I decided to sell my airplane and get into a more affordable type of aviation.   I couldn’t sell the plane no matter how much I lowered the price.  Then I crashed.  Not a bad crash mind you, in fact, I crash better than anyone I know.  (With apologies to Mel Gibson in Air America).  Only the landing gear was damaged but it was damaged beyond economical repair so the airplane was totaled by the insurance company.  I got more than I could have sold it for and with the sale of my hangar, I was able to retire all our consumer debt and put a sizable chunk away into savings.

“Behold, I Am doing a new thing”

Over the Fall, my autistic son became more violent.  To the point we had to call police and take him to ER multiple times.  Eventually we had to throw up our hands and turn to the county regional center who were able to find him a home to live in (because we couldn’t handle him any more).  This gave my wife and I the breathing room we needed to think this through.  I’m leaving a lot out for his privacy’s sake but bottom line is my wife was able to find him a new psychiatrist and get him on some medicine that actually works instead of making things worse.  He is now living in a group home about 2 miles from us and seems to be doing much better.  He wanted to move out anyway.  Now he has and we have respite from 23 years of raising an autistic boy and man.

“Behold, I Am doing a new thing”

Last week I get news that I am being laid off in 4 months.   Not just me, not just my group of 6 network admins, but the entire IT division in our corporation.  All of us from managers on down are being let go.  We also “get” to train our replacements in India.  But the silver lining is we also get a severance package so I should have full pay until mid-October some time.   This news would have been so much harder to take if my son were still living here, if I were trying to figure out how I was going to sell the airplane and hangar still.

“Behold, I Am doing a new thing”

Since my wife’s dreams all of the pieces of life have aligned to put us in a stronger position relative to losing my job.  A stronger position relative to pursuing my dream of living a full time traveling lifestyle.  I’m at a crossroads in life.  Do I do Life 2.0 and “do a new thing?”  I’m already applying to jobs that are in the field I’m qualified for.  But there is something nagging at the back of my brain to work with disable children and adults.  Do I do what I’ve always done and wait for that job to lay me off?  Or do I do a job that will really make a difference in someone’s life?

Maybe it’s time to do a new thing.

I Have Been Co-Sourced

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, Opinion2 Comments

That’s the term Lockheed used when I worked there.  Whenever a program was cut the employees were declared surplus to company needs.  I guess this was supposed to help with our delicate psyches or something.   All through the 1990’s the buzzword was “outsourcing.”   A really nice way to say, “Hey, we really appreciate all the hard work you’ve put into the company but we’ve found we can pay people in other countries far less.”  I’ve seen lots of jobs at my present employer outsourced to overseas companies. Basically your job was given to someone overseas and then you were out the door.

Now there is a new term; “co-sourcing.”  As best I can this means, “We need you to train your overseas replacement and THEN you go out the door.”  So, for the next few months I will be doing my part to train my replacement at a company overseas until early August.  Now, the company is being as nice about it as they can be, offering a fairly generous severance package and the usual grief counseling.  It’s still rather a shock and a surprise.

So why don’t I feel worse about it?  Maybe because I won’t be on-call anymore?  Maybe this is a good opportunity to finally change careers?  I have to say God has been preparing me for this in ways I didn’t even realize.  About 3 months ago I suddenly felt the need to find my son a place to live outside our home.  It wasn’t just the fact that he was getting violent, it was just time.  God also placed in in my heart to pare down the number of our possessions.  I believed it was for living full-time in an RV but as He usually does, it was also in preparation for something else.  So we’re going to continue in pare-down mode and keep trying to “downsize” our lives.

There are a lot of things to think about such as medical coverage, prescriptions and such.  But we’re pretty sure God has already handled that for us.  We’ll see what it is when the time comes.  I have employment until the first week of August.  After that the world is wide open.  I’ve got several ideas but one thing I’m not going to do like when I got laid off from the bank; I’m not going to panic this time.  God loves me and He certainly loves my family.  He will provide a way for us and I’m anxious to see what that is.

Can A Man Fly And Love Jesus?

On By The Flying DutchmanIn FaithLeave a comment

You better believe it!  It’s the tagline of my blog and also how I live.  This blog isn’t always about flying.  It’s also about faith. So if the Christian faith offends you, simply move along.  If you’re on the fence or questioning then you should know that it was Christ that gave me the courage to learn to fly, to build two airplanes and fly them, and courage through countless “oh shoot” moments while flying.  This past year has brought some ground-level adventures to my family.  There were some very heart-rending moments that would make some question the very existence of a loving God.  And where was He through all that?  He was right there with us.  He didn’t prevent the suffering, but He gave us the daily grace we needed to get through it.  He can do the same for anyone who asks.

The Prayer Journal

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Beginning in December I began to keep a prayer journal.  Not only to remind myself for what and for whom to pray.  An unexpected benefit of this journal has been reading about answered prayer.  I won’t go into details but three major prayer requests have been answered since the beginning of December.  Two of the three were answered with in a couple of weeks of starting to pray.  It’s been a great reminder how good our God is.

More changes…

On By The Flying DutchmanIn FaithLeave a comment

So due to family issues that are NOT related to sin… I have decided to resign as deacon at Central Valley Presbyterian Church.  I have had to devote a lot of time and brainpower to some problems my son is facing and I cannot in good conscience continue to serve as deacon.  I am not able to devote any time to church work so I will step down for now.  It’s been an honor to serve.

SIPE – Spurgeon In Plain English

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith2 Comments

Whom He justified, them He also glorified.”—Romans 8:30.

There is a precious truth for you who believe. You may be poor, or suffering, or unknown, but for your encouragement think about your “calling” and what comes from it, and especially the wonderful result written about in the above verse.. As surely as you are God’s child today, so surely shall all your trials soon be at an end, and you shalt be richly blessed. Wait awhile, and your weary head shall wear the crown of glory, and your tired hand shall grasp the palm-branch of victory. Don’t complain about your troubles, but rather rejoice that before long you will be where “there shall be neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” God’s fiery chariot is at your door, and you’ll be carried to glory in a moment. The everlasting song is on the tip of my tongue. The gates of heaven open for you. Don’t worry about failing to get into Heaven. If He has called you, nothing can separate you from His love. Distress cannot sever the bond; the fire of persecution cannot burn the link; the hammer of hell cannot break the chain. You are secure; that voice which called you at first, shall call you yet again from earth to heaven, from death’s dark gloom to immortality’s indescribable splendors. Rest assured, the heart of Him who has justified you beats with infinite love towards you. You shall soon be with the glorified, where your reward is; you are only waiting here to be made acceptable for the inheritance, and when done, the wings of angels shall carry you far away, to the mount of peace, and joy, and blessedness, where,

“Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in,”

you shall rest for ever and ever.

The Airport

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Aviation, Faith, OpinionLeave a comment

Here is an amazing email I received from my wife tonight…

It is amazing how one piece of land surrounded by brush, animals is so unassuming
and yet had made a mark in you and in our family.  It is always going to be a part of us.

Images of you flying the rental plane then the Aeronca, the RV, and the RANS.
As you said it is where the earth meets the sky, where you found a dream and decided to soar and to experience what a few can, to fly to the clouds – a happy place where you are one with your plane and at peace with yourself.  I’ve been there many times through almost half a lifetime. 

Although the children grew, it didn’t change much except for a few improvements.
Although I have been there before, I can see now how and why you like it so much.
It brings peace to the soul, and its silence is healing to the heart.

I had a great time walking with you in one of your most favorite places in the world, probably second to none.

I love you!

Thank you for sharing it with me, my dear.  I love you more than the airport.

Year 25–What a year

On By The Flying DutchmanIn Faith, Humor, Opinion1 Comment

Wow, what a ride this year has been.  I still can’t think of anyone I would rather ride the roller coaster with than my beautiful bride.  We married 25 years ago, against some pretty amazing odds no less.  We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our marriage.  Those who know this will find it surprising but we almost split up once.  But God helped us heal ourselves and kept us together and here we are.  The hills and valleys continue even this year but we’re stronger than ever.

Looking forward to the next 25!

Practical Love–Do Something!

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Here’s another simple, practical tip on how you can show love to your fellow believers; do something for someone. Do you have a skill that would help someone?  Do you have a truck that you can help transport items?  Can you knit a hat?

Your Christian brothers and sisters have all kinds of needs and you are specifically gifted to fill one or more of those needs.  Look around, talk to others, spend time together and find out what others need.  When you become aware of a need, offer to help.  The offer may be declined but be patient, polite, genuine, and persistent and soon you will be taken up on your offer.

Are you having trouble offering or even asking for help then you need to immerse yourself in God’s Word.  God’s Word will give you the motivation you need.  Think of what Christ did for you, is haling off a table in your truck any harder?  Now get out there and do something!

"It is the word of God energized by the Spirit of God that brings about the change in our hearts we so desperately and continually need.  The Christian must have the effectual working of the word in his heart if he is to minister to others."  — Blog post from Christianity.com