I am back again after a long hiatus. Life moves on whether we realize it or not. The question I continually ask myself is, am I making the best use of the time God is giving me?

We have had some beautiful weather this past week for painting. We have primed and painted two wings as well as a few control surfaces this past week. I have really enjoyed painting. It is a great feeling to look at a painted piece and see the beautiful sheen on the part.

We are also back into the electrical maze again. This week we will be starting to build a mock-up of an aircraft electrical system. There is sooo much to learn about electricity.

"A dusty Bible leads to a rusty Christian."

What's Up?

A month has gone by blazingly fast since the last time I posted. I believe this year at school is going to be the shortest year of my life. It has already been 2 months since I started school. I have gone through electricity, math, physics, corrosion, safety, drawing, and materials. Currently I am in Forms and Regulations, Weight and Balance, and Metallurgy. I have completed a few projects already and am working on another one.

This is a picture of two of my projects. The object in the center is a bucking bar used to install rivets. I made that out of a piece of 1" steel. I polished the ends with sandpaper to a mirror finish. I also filed the edges to make it more comfortable to hold. The pieces on the right are going to be a spark plug box. I bent those out of sheet aluminum. Here I am getting ready to rivet the two halves together.

This is a picture of my completed spark plug box. I will use this to hold the plugs anytime I pull them out of an engine. The holes are numbered from 1-6 and have top and bottom markings. Aircraft spark plugs are rotated periodically, so this will be useful in knowing where each plug came from and where it goes next. It also keeps the plugs from rolling off a tool bench and breaking.

My current project is a tool tray. This will be handy for carrying small amounts of tools around the shop while I am working. I will put up a few pictures after I am finished.

Thanks to those of you who have sent a card or letter of encouragement to me. That means a lot to me, to know that you are thinking about me and praying for me.

"If God will work, who can hinder?" ~David Brainerd

How do I love God?

I read a great quote recently by Augustine in his Confessions, X, 6.

But what do I love when I love my God?... Not the sweet melody of harmony and song; not the fragrance of the flowers, perfumes, and spices; nor manna and honey; not limbs such as the body delights to embrace. It is not these that I love when I love my God. And yet, when I love him, it is true that I love a light of a certain kind, a voice, a perfume, a food, an embrace; but they are of the kind that I love in my inner self, when my soul is bathed in light that is not bound by space; when it listens to sound that never dies away; when it breathes fragrance that is not bourne away on the wind; when it tastes food that is never consumed by the eating; when it clings to an ambrace from which it is not severed by fulfillment of desire. This is what I love when I love my God.

My love for God must go beyond just love. It must reach that deep level of delighting in Him. Delighting in the Lord is something that will not only please Him, but it will please me as well. This comes only from spending time in prayer and scripture meditation and study. It is my desire to spend time every day delighting in the Lord.

My Project

The first project in Basic Electricity was to build a digital multimeter from a kit. I had to make sure all the resistors and other components were in the right place and then solder them in. Then this thing was supposed to work after I was finished!

The kit


Starting to look like something


Assembling the cover


It works! I didn't have any problems and it reads accurately.

I'm not sure what the Lord has been trying to teach me lately. I am slowly learning to rest in His promises. There have been a few things that have struck my heart and encouraged me. One was 2 Corinthians 6:18. "And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." It blessed me to know that God cares about me as much, and more than what Dad does. I know that Dad loves me very much, but the love of God surpasses it by far. Dad would never knowingly do something to me that would be a detriment to the development of good character. In the same way, God will never allow things to happen to me that would not, in the long run, be good for me. "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." 2 Cor 4:17

I was also struck by the words of a song. "You raise me up so I can stand on mountains, You raise me up to walk on stormy seas, I am strong when I am on Your shoulders, You raise me up to more than I can be." God does not begin a work in my life only to let me go crashing down again. He does it so I can attain things I never dreamed of before. He provides the strength to climb the mountains. He provides the faith to walk on the stormy seas. I am so thankful for that.

School is progressing rapidly. Out of the required 50+ subject areas that the FAA requires, we have completed 2 and will complete the third tomorrow. We are finally getting into a few projects, instead of having to listen to lectures all day long. Right now in Electrical class we are building digital multimeters. I hope to finish mine up tomorrow and will post some pictures.

For the glory of Christ.

Accomplishments

This past Saturday I reached a major milestone in my training. I completed the FAA Private Pilot test to acceptable standards. Now I am able to fly on my own with passengers and build up time for additional ratings. The next step in my flight training is the Instrument rating. This will allow me to fly in more adverse weather, without visual references.

Thank you to everyone who has been faithfully supporting me in prayer. It truly does make a difference in my life. Thank you also to those who are supporting me financially. The support of your money will go much farther than just my life. In time, it will impact thousands around the globe.

Leave a comment, drop an email, send a note, give a call. I'd love to hear from you!

"Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God"
~ William Carey