This year, my birthday falls on the day after my sister's wedding anniversary.

Did I say Woot!!! ?

Just got off the phone with my new employer.

I'll be doing exactly the work I do best (and enjoy most):

"Automation Engineer"

at a price that's better than anything I've made in a year.

I start Monday.

God is good.

Thank you to those who were praying for me.

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33 (New King James Version)

Happy Resurrection Day!

Well, life can be interesting.
Since last October, I worked for a company in Mason, MI.
The drive was one hour each way.

I worked as a maintenance technician.
I knew that eventually I would go to the afternoon shift.
I strongly thought that I would be asked to take the Maintenance Mgr position from the day I interviewed. I have experience in that, the guy they had didn't, and his position was advertised a couple months ago.
Three weeks ago, the Plant manager quit. The new Plant manager fired the incompetent Maintenance Mgr. I resubmitted my resume.
Right after that, I got a call from a headhunter asking whether I would like a job ten minutes from home on day shift.
I said yes and they asked when I could start. I said immediately. I did not want to go afternoons.
I gave notice on Friday that that was my last day.

The Plant Mgr asked me to see him. We talked awhile, and then we were interupted by his manager. He asked me to see him before I left. When I did, he smiled across his desk and said he didn't want to lose me. What would it take? I said Maintenance Mgr. He said that was his thinking. We discussed management philosophy and we were in agreement. He asked me to give him a week. So I put off the new job one week.

I had already said goodbye to the guys (got a hug from one!) so they were shocked to see me on Monday. Some guessed that I was now their boss. When I said no, they said they thought I would've made a good one.
I've been dying to tell this story, because I thought it would be good, but didn't want someone to read it at work.

I went the entire week hearing nothing.
Last Friday I saw the Plant Mgr and asked what went wrong. He said "nothing" and then asked me to join him outside.
He asked whether I'd heard from his H.R. Mgr. I said "no". He acted upset and said that he had given her my resume and said I was the guy he wanted. He said he was going to send her an angry e-mail about it, and that he'd get back to me on Monday.
This Monday I started my new job. At the end of the day, I called Mason. I talked to the H.R. Mgr and she said she had heard nothing, but would talk to the Plant Mgr and call me back.
She did, and she apologized for the confusion, but informed me that I would not be the person for the position.
I was stunned.
At least I had the maintenance tech job, closer to home, with the offer of a controls position down the road.

Today I was let go because they are downsizing.

I wonder what's next.

For those of you who pray, there's a position open in town that is right up my alley. I've applied for it this afternoon.

Maybe this is what God had in mind all along.

Pascal Fervor wrote something http://pascalfervor.blogspot.com/2009/10/as-if-in-answer-to-prayer.html wherein he prays for our country while admitting that he is an agnostic, a word for "don't know". The Latin is "ignoramus", but that obviously does not describe Pascal.
I was once an agnostic. And I prayed.
I am a graduate of twelve years of catholic school. We had priests who were family friends.
I almost went into the seminary. Then a priest came on to me in a confessional after I confessed doing something all boys do, repeatedly, in private.
I just stopped going to church after high school graduation.
When I went into Basic Training, the TI marched us to church. The choice was protestant or catholic at the chapel. I went with the catholics. Before mass I thought I should go to confession.
"Bless me father, for I have sinned. It's been two years since my last confession. I forget the rest of the words, can you help me out?"
"What do you mean, you forget the words?", he said and then said soemthing else I don't recall, but the words did not encourage me to stay there, so I walked out.
When the TI came back I was sitting on the steps of the chapel. We talked for a while about why I was out there.

Two years later, I was picked up at an airport in Frankfort, Germany, driven to a hotel in Wiesbaden and dropped off. I was told I'd be collected the next day. It was late.
Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up in intense pain. It felt like when I'd passed a kidney stone the year before, only much worse. Much worse.
I did not know what to do. The night clerk did not speak english. I felt like I had no recourse. So I prayed.
And I quote: "If there's a god out there who can hear me, if you heal me, I will do all in my power to find you and serve you."
And the pain went away.
Trapped by my own words.
I spent the next three years investigating magic, Eastern Mysticism, psychedelics and a lot of other stuff.

I ruled out Christianity, because I'd read the Bible as a kid, and had
never seen any contemporary power in the Christian church I was familiar with.
But I believe that if you are sincerely looking, you will find that God has found you.