MOVING DAY

Hello folks,

This goofy blogger is holding my pictures for ransom.  If I don't pay it won't let me post any more photos!

Ahh, but I am much wiser than they.  I have found a new blogger where I will continue my shananigans uninterupted.  Please check out my new blog at..

  lifewiththegriswolds.wordpress.com

If this isn't a link, just copy and paste in your browser.

Hope to see you there.



Peace

Dan

STEPPING OUT

For the past few months (really a lot longer than that) I have had this undescribable feeling, deep inside, that God was calling me to do something big.  Bigger than myself.  Something that would further the Kingdom of God in this world.
That being said, I have no idea what He is calling me to do.
I do know that it is not at my work.  As a matter of fact, I am increasingly feeling that I may be in the wrong place as far as work is concerened.  Don't get me wrong, I have a tremendous job.  Great pay, wonderful co-workers and bosses, and I love what we do.  I just have an inkling that God could use me somewhere else.

I have numerous people praying for me (and Robyn, she is feeling a tug too) that Jesus will reveal His desires of where I can do His will.  When that moment comes I want to believe that I will jump up and move.
That would mean dropping my life, and everything in it, to go where He asks.

Would I?

Would you?



I'm going to drift away from my normal blog to post a blog I happened upon that struck me as fantastic.
Sarah Schrack is a young lady who is a true follower of Jesus.  This is how I want to be.  Check out her blog at sarahschrack.theworldrace.org

Sarah

Two years ago, I took a literal step of faith. I got onto a plane that took me to New Zealand to start my World Race. I was petrified. I didn’t want to go. But I took that first physical step. Last year, I took another step of faith, once again onto a plane.

This time, bound for London. A couple months later, I got on another plane heading for Africa to squadlead. And tonight, I take yet another step of faith onto yet another plane as I head for London to intern with Burn 24/7.

I go because “the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Corinthians 4:20).” I am so willing to say I trust God. So willing to surrender everything in theory. But His Kingdom isn’t about talk. It’s about those physical steps of faith.

Esther couldn’t just say “Mordecai I feel really bad for you.” She had to act, risking her life to go before the king and save the Jews.

David could have just said, “Oh hey look at that huge giant. Someone should do something about him.” But he didn’t.

Peter didn’t just believe Jesus was the One on the water; he got out of the boat and walked to Him.

The past year of my life has been all about that. All about that trust in action, not just words.

Because at the end of the day, it comes down to one thing. Do I believe Jesus?

Not just that He said some nice things, not just that He saved me from Hell. Do I believe that He’s sovereign in my daily life? That He loves me more than I love myself? That He actually knows best? I gotta tell you, I’ve been saying I believe those things for years.

But talk is cheap.

It’s easy to say we trust Him when things are good. When we got that new job or that new boy or that perfect dream opportunity. But what about when He tells you to do the one thing you’re petrified of and can’t imagine overcoming? To quit your job, break up with your boyfriend, give thousands of dollars away, move to a foreign country that you don’t even want to visit? When you’re out on the water and Jesus seems a heckuva lot farther than the boat, what are you gonna do?

The Kingdom of God is coming. It’s here. It’s sweeping over nations. God is pouring out His Spirit (Joel 2:28). But God is longing for us to partner with Him in it. And that takes power, not just talk. That takes believers believing God at His word and acting and trusting accordingly, no matter how petrified we are.

I want to still trust Him even as the boat drifts away. I want to be the kind of Christ follower that Esther and David and Peter would be proud to call sister. I want to be a woman of power, not just talk.

Don’t you?

You can follow Sarah’s journey on her blog.

She's only 22.  She is someone I would like to model myself after.  I hope that when His call for me is made clear (because I need definition, I am not great at pickin up on hints.  Ask Robyn) I want to take that leap of faith and not look back.  I want to ignore the fear and all that this world says I should do.  

Pray for me, and I will pray for you.

Peace

Dan

WHAT'S NEXT?

Saturday, after doing my weeding, Robyn and I went up to Stormy's.  It was a retirement party for the owner of the bar.  Cliff has owned the bar for nearly a quarter of a century.  He offered to have my sister and I buy it but that is not a direction I want to go, so in one week it will be under new ownership.  When we walked in it was obvious how well liked Cliff is...

It's never this busy when I work

I have worked for Cliff on and off for more than 10 years.  The last time I was looking to earn some extra money, I asked him for a job.  He refused by saying, "I'm not gonna hire you, you have already quit three times."  

It's true.  

Three days later he called and asked if I still wanted a job because somebody was let go and he had a spot to fill.  I said, "Are you just hiring me so you can fire me, as pay back?"  

That was 2 1/2 years ago.

I'm gonna miss him.

Me and my buddy Cliff

After an hour or so at the shin-dig, we went over to my niece's church to watch her kids get baptized.  Alysia did great, she is such a little ham.  Andrew on the other hand didn't handle it so smoothly.  At one point I was pretty sure the baptismal font was going to fall over.  But it all ended nicely.

happy momma

Monday it was back to the grind.  We had an install to do at Iowa State University.  

This was stage two of a very large project.  We installed the benches in the hall that match the trophy case bases we installed last year.  The install went super.

a base and a bench

one hall done

Tuesday we ran the wine bar over to the 12 piece job.  It is the first piece and it fit perfectly.

putting it to immediate use

Once back at the shop, I began wondering when my poision ivy was going to go away.  It has been over two weeks and it's still bugging the tar out of me.

I hope it's not a biblical plague.

pray for healing

I then assembled this contraption...

what the?...

It took some serious thinking and a little luck but I was able to put together a form for the wine bar bottle holder columns.  We then poured the concrete in the tubes.

That picture may be hard to understand, but it is going to be way cool when it is done..

Wednesday we got all the fibers ran in the new pond caps for the job in Paton, Iowa.  

Every time I look at them it makes my heart sink, knowing that this redo is my fault.

I'm sure it is the devil tormenting me and stealing my joy, but it is hard to break out of this funk.

Danny downer

Next we took the upper bar and lower bar over to the 12 piece job.  It took most of the day to mortice in the steel supports and set pieces 2, 3 and 4, but it's looking good.  

coming together

I had to get a picture of the wine cellar.  I think it is awesome.  Check it out....

4g's in stainless steel

Here is a before pic I took while templating, so you can begin to see the transformation.

borrrinnggg!

And the new tops, so far.

we also refinished the floor

I was there until after 7, and it was 100 degrees out side.  I had to make numerous trips around the outside of the house and up to the truck.  In just those few minutes I was drenched.

On my way back to the shop I saw a woman standing by the exit ramp holding a sign.  I decided that if she was still there when I went home I would stop and talk to her.

I first went to a convience store and got a large bottle of cold water (I know how hot it was out there) and a sandwich.

I drove down the frontage road and saw her standing there.  I got out and asked if we could talk.

First I asked her name.  It is June.  Then I asked if she knew Jesus.  She answered affirmitivly.  I asked her if she would share her story.  

She has been homeless since 2003.  She has family but dosen't know where they are.  She is divorced and told me she just gets by one day at a time.  

When I asked if she prayed for God's blessings, she said not very often.  I felt horrible.  After 10 years she had lost hope in Jesus.  

I offered her a devotional and gave her the water, food and a little money. 

I told her about myself, my family and my job.  I mentioned that I was thinking of quitting my job and she told me not to.  June said she quit her job cleaning hotel rooms a decade ago and has been unemployed ever since.

I wonder if God placed her in my life just to say that.

I asker if it was ok if I included her in my prayers and asked if I could give her a hug.  She accepted both with little hesitation.  I hope she saw Jesus in me and it helps turn her situation around.

God, please bless June

Thursday we cut the wine holder colums free from the tubes and began processing them.

interesting...

Then we ran over to the 12 piece job and put in #5 and #6.  They are wrap around shelves that attach to the lower bar.  They were a bit of a challange but alls well that ends well.

the shelves wind their way around the corner

Friday morning on my way into work I saw this unusual cloud formation...

more of God's handiwork

I had to run over to a patio job that Speck did.  The crew had accidently put the treads back on the client's deck backwards and you could see stain drip marks.  I quickly corrected the situation and snapped a photo.

sweet patio

Then we went over to the 12 piece job and installed the wine holder columns.  We put fiber optic lights in the columns as a neat touch.  Piece 7 and 8.

now THAT is cool

We also installed the fireplace panels and hearth.  We will be making a table for this client in the future.  They are going to use the silver color in the table to tie everything together

9, 10, 11 and 12

Here is a picture with the glass enclosed wine cellar in the background.

one awesome basement bar!

I came back to the shop and did a little work and was asked if I would take a table from the showroom over to the 12 piece job.  They had family coming in town for the holiday week and wanted to borrow some kind of table.  I took a bar hieght table with a stainless steel Hawkeye inlay.  

When I got there they had their bar all set up so I took a couple pics for your enjoyment.

built in towel rack and drainboard

In this pic you can see the table in the background...

I wanna belly up

When I got home that evening, Robyn and I went for a walk.  We have been using our walks to discuss future plans.  God's plans that is.

heading off into the sunset

Saturday morning we decided to go to the farmers market and get some fresh fruit and veggies.  

doing a little people watching

When we got home, Robyn showed me a shelving unit she had designed for our office.   Nick and I spent the rest of the day getting material, cutting the pieces and assembling them.  Robyn will paint them next week when I go to Sioux City for my nephew, Brandon's wedding reception.

pretty cool

Sunday the service was about Esther.  She was a woman who stood for what was right, and relied on God, even if it could mean her death.  Her story mirrors the story of our forefathers.  They stood up to the king at the risk of being hanged.  But they knew they were in the right and trusted in God to deliver them, and boy, did He come through.

I have been giving a lot of thought to what my next step in serving Jesus should be.  I know that death isn't going to be the result, but homelessness is a possibility.  I am definetly not being fulfilled at work.  It's odd because I have a great job, but I don't feel like that's where I'm supposed to be.  All rational thought says to stay with my current situation, but something deep inside is saying the opposite.

I honestly don't know what I will do, so in the meantime I will end this week just like last week.

In the garden.  Only this time I am watering flowers, not picking thistles.

There I can relax and pray.

where dreams grow

Peace

Dan