Using God's ever changing GIFTS

Today I start out with a sleep related experience, then go from there.

A month or so ago I was scheduled for what they call a "Sleep Study".  I am thinking it is something that quite a few people have experienced.  I also figured "This is no brainer, I got sleeping down to a science."  Seems, I am not as good as I thought I was.  What a downer that was!  A couple weeks later I tried again, and was a success.....I thought.  Well, they called me in late evening of the day before I was rescheduled.  Drove through a rain storm all the way to the Hospital and about 11pm or so got hooked up...all the electrodes working, extra pillow and three extra blankets and off to sleep I went again.  At 6:30 the technician woke me up and said they got what was needed so I was free to go home!  YAY!!!  My appointment with the lung doctor was made, and away I went.  A week my lung Doc says I had stopped breathing, as I remember, 100+ times during my test.  He didn't seem too pleased with that. So nothing has changed in my breathing capabilities to the positive, and am getting more easily winded, but I will continue to do my best to keep breathing and keep doing what I can to share music, guitar instruction, and sharing God's gifts that have been given to me. 

We ALL have special God given Gifts.  It is our job to discover what they are.  Some are as simple as  a warm smile to those we encounter.  Others my be words of encouragement.  Some may be complex and training is needed, so be prepared to follow through.  I know of lots of instances where God has been leading people to areas that are needed, but few are accepting His "nudges".  There have been many times in my life when I can look back and see the workings of God even in my family!  Those "look backs" are heart warming and gives me assurances that no others can give or take away.  If you take the time in the quiet of the morning or evening, sit and look back on your life, perhaps you will be surprised to see it is God that has guided you to where you are at today.  Maybe not a physical location, but it could be that too.  Maybe not occupational, but, you may find it so.  Maybe it was something that someone who has entered your life has changed your course a touch and you are pleased with what you are because of it.  In the occupational part of my life, after looking back I realized I couldn't keep a job!  hahaha just kidding.  I have been blessed with a variety of occupations that provided me and my family with so much more than we could have imagined.  I was raised in the printing trade, and that has provided me stability through my life, but also allowed me to explore other areas.  I have been a shoe salesman at one time, and within the 6 months doing it, I was the top salesperson in the five store local chain.  The movie Heartbreak Ridge, Clint Eastwood said: "Adapt, Preserver, Overcome". That has been my motto since I heard it. In the few short times that I have been without a job, I found something to do that payed me enough to buy food, pay utilities and house payments.  Of course those were the days when that was what was expected and THAT made the difference between now and then. My family and I had decided to relocate to the Las Vegas, NV area where she grew up in.  Her folks were living there and we were able to stay with them until I could get a job and buy a house. During my time in Minneapolis, I had worked for my Dad in the family printing shop, managed an Aquarium store, worked as a motorized Night Security Officer, and a Transit Driving job with the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Transit Commission after 12 years as a bus driver.  

So when we got to the Las Vegas area, I remember going in for an interview I got from the newspaper for a van driver job.  I was in my late 30's, early 40's.  The interviewer's first question was: "Are you retired?" my answer was "no".  Then he stated: "You realize this job pays $4.50 an hour. Why would you apply for this job."  My answer was, "Because it pays $4.50 an hour, which is better that $0."  He then said "We are looking for a younger person and a lady, to be our van driver."  Needless to say, I couldn't fill his requirements, so I continued my search. I even tried phone sales, but after two days, I knew I was NOT cut out for that type of work.  The State Employment agency finally gave me a lead for an interview with a private sector transportation contractor starting a Downtown Trolley Bus service for the City of Las Vegas.  At the interview they seemed pleased that I had mass transit experience and I was hired as one of three Driver/Supervisor position.  That was a good job.  About a year and 1/2 went by and the City of Las Vegas bought out the contract, hired most of the drivers and now I was a CLV employee.  That led to an opening a while later in the Graphic Arts Department.  

In addition, when I moved to the Las Vegas area, I continued my military (Army) Reserve career and found a local Army Reserve unit and became the Personnel NCO of that unit (Section 3) that was part the total Hospital (the rest of the Hospital Command (HQ + Sections 1 and 2) was located in Southern California.   My military experience continued to get even more interesting when our unit's Field First Sergeant retired and I was chosen to replace him.  When things heated up in the Kuwait area, our Hospital got activated to Desert Storm.  Six months later after the Doctors, Nurses and Techs. were on their way back (by that time I was the Unit's First Sergeant but wasn't  activated at the beginning) I got my orders to ACTIVE Duty to Saudi Arabia.  While there I had the honor of being part of LTG Pegonis' staff in Daharan, Saudi Arabia. Another job skill acquired.  My job was the Communication's representative in the Logistic Operations Center.  An interesting place to work.  Enough said, other that being in that Section gave me the opportunity to see places, others had only seen photo's of.  We were downwind of the Kuwait Oil Fires which had it's consequences. For instance: 4:30pm (1630hrs military time), you could look directly at the sun and in comparison, was duller than a 45watt bare light bulb, because of the smoke drift. 

When that active duty was over, and I reported back to my Unit, I was told that I had been promoted to Master Sergeant (E8) four months earlier and that I was transferred to a USAR School in Bell, California to be an Chief instructor. Of course when I returned, I also got my civilian job back at the City of Las Vegas.  When I returned there, I was surprised that the person who replaced me all those months had graduated from Minneapolis Vocational High School where I had graduated a year before him!  What a small world.  My job though had been changed (to keep Ron on staff) and I moved into the Camera/platemaking department.  I loved that part of the trade so everything was great with my new area, and became very good friends with Ron and his brother Wally (another graduate of MPLS Vocational High School) who had moved to the Vegas area also. Even with some residue from Desert Storm (VA challenges) I was glad to be home and my civilian work got even greater when a new position of Graphic Arts Customer Technician opened up and after beating out over 100 applicants, was awarded the new position.  THAT was the best of anything that I had ever done before!  I was the "go between" between the City department heads, directors, council and Mayor staffs.  What a fantastic relationship I was able to build with the most wonderful, fine, outstanding people.  That is the position I held until I turned 60 and was able to retire.  At that time we were my Wife's (Pat) Father's caregiver.  I kept myself busy supporting her and Dad and enjoying retirement which gave me more freedom to get more involved in our local church which I was the Lay Leader (keeping me pretty busy) and in addition, I had been asked to be the North District Director of the Desert Southwest Conference Lay Speaking Program.  I had a good friend and his wife that I sent out to the remote areas of our District (Central Nevada to the Arizona/Nevada border communities, like Winslow AZ, to Needles CA. and all in-between like Kingman, etc.)  That consisted of 44 United Methodist Churches.  With the help of my team, we were able to train and increase the Lay Speaker Program.  Personally it was very rewarding to watch the excitement of the program growth in numbers and activity results. During this time from the time I returned from Desert Storm, I had been asked to develop a Celebration and Praise Worship Service which is still very well attended 25 years later.

Pat's father went home to the Lord at the age of 92.  It was a big loss for us, but he went home where there is no pain, no age problems, but with peace, comfort and Joy.  It was shortly after his leaving us that we felt that God was telling us it was time to move one last time.  Our Daughter Amy had attended Lambeth University in Jackson, TN.  After she graduated she married a strong Christian man and a year later we came out to see our new granddaughter.  We loved the area so much, we sold our house to the incoming Pastor at our home church, and moved to Rutherford TN about 10 minute drive from Amy's home.  Once we were settled, we started attending the local Methodist Church here in Rutherford and I was blessed to be able to assist in their music program.  After a while, I contacted the UMC District Office and began filling in the pulpit when various Methodist Churches needed.  I enjoyed that time to spread the Word of Jesus Christ and got to where I was traveling quite a lot, which was very spiritually rewarding.  There was a group (charge) of three churches that I was able to fill in for two months, and got a pretty firm feeling at what being a Pastor was like.  Shortly after that experience, I was sent to a church south of my home about a 45 min. drive for three weeks to fill in for their Pastor who was on a sabbatical leave. After the second week, I was called into the District Superintendent's office and he asked me if I would like to be their Pastor.  I was floored!  What an experience that was for me.  I felt I was a pretty fast learner.  I had been assigned as a part-time Pastor, but I tried to make visitations when my Lay Leader was available. (Man Pastor-Female church member situation) required that I be accompanied for each of our safety. We had a Youth program every Wednesday night and one of our Youth Leader's would pick up the younger ones in the church van and those that had "wheels", drove.  It started out with a nice meal that was furnished in rotation from the congregation, and the numbers were usually in the 20's which for a small country church was outstanding!  After 10 months, my life changed.  I ended up in the hospital Sunday night and found out I had a lung condition called Pulmonary Fibrosis which is incurable.  It is a slow developing condition that continues to make breathing more difficult as the elasticity of the airways stiffen.  I was shown equipment that would be a part of my life from then on.  It was a startling time and almost overwhelming emotionally.  I was in the pulpit the following Sunday, not missing a Worship service.  It was my last Sunday at that church.  The Biggest Achievement I feel I had during my rather short stay was the children.  I had given them half sheets of a "grading paper" to fill out and write down some important parts the sermon that they understood or liked. and to score (A, B, C, D, F).  Every Sunday I had several sheets from the kids completely filled out including a score (never had one under a B!) and most had some great looking pictures drawn as well.  I had told them that if THEY didn't understand what I was preaching, I FAILED them, and so I needed their help.  Wonderful results.

I have gotten my breathing challenge to where it is not as scary as it was, but am not kidding myself that I will live to reach my goal of 115 years old either! ha ha ha

So in the meantime, I have opened up myself to offer FREE Basic Guitar lessons for those Church friends that I have to friends I haven't met yet to learn how to play guitar learning the basics of chord progression, strumming patterns, etc. using predominately Gospel Music and some Country & Folk thrown in for variety.

The main point of THIS issue is being open to understand that God's work in us continues on throughout our personal lives.  Keeping an open mind and a willingness to learn new things, is very important. You have read what a plethora of occupations, etc. that I have done and I am sure I have left out some jobs, tasks that I have forgotten. In my opinion: There is little excuse to NOT have a job.  Realizing that today's economy is a little different, but God provides for those that are sincere and ASK. It may not be that CEO position you THINK you DESERVE, but with some effort, I have experienced success in supporting my family, and raising my three WONDERFUL children to be very well supporters of their families.

So, keep on Smiling, Laughing and Singing

May God Bless YOU
Gary