August 9th, Part 1.
Well this is Reid Miner. As I write this I am sitting across from a fantastic friend who I have had the privilege of getting to know over the past few months. When I first met this man about three years ago I thought he was a weird, crazy, and high-pitched opera singing little boy. But about a year ago my flawed thinking changed. And recently, having had the great privilege of being able to spend a few days with him at Kingdom Bound, I have gotten to know him even better. Now he is not that weird person but a great friend who is funny beyond belief, a crazy good worker, and a fabulous friend. Tonight, with all his bags packed and ready to leave on a adventure, I realize how much he means to me. He not only has a great heart for God, but he also treats people how they should be treated, and is funny. He has impacted my life in numerous ways. I will sincerely miss him and his out-of-this-world personality. Goodbye Carmen. Have a great time in kentucky serving God and the local people. I will miss you very very much.
~ Reid. J. Miner
August 9th, Part 2.
Home. I don't think you could list how many songs belong to this title.
There is undoubtedly some deep innate connection between an individual and that familiar place they call home. I want to venture a little further today though and propose a theory of what home actually means in our minds. There are of course only three senses in which the word home can be meant, physical, emotional and spiritual. As I explain I think it's important to realize that home is not only a noun but and adjective. Physically there is a place we can palpably touch under our feet, a place we can construct, inhabit, and abandon; this holds in my opinion a minimal amount of affect on our true sense of home which, duly brings me to my succeeding point. Our emotional home is a state of mind that gives us the feeling of belonging. This means many things though; we can easily have a false sense of belonging, or it's quite possible you come home to an abusive family every night but you wont leave because in a sad depriving way....you belong. This is a dangerous way to label our home because it means we will anchor our actions, and beliefs based on what we call home. As an alcoholic your sense of home may very well be closer held and understood inside that bottle than a successful millionaire will feel inside his own mansion. Does this make sense? We are creatures who must belong. I don't care how little you have, even if you have nothing at all you still have a place to call home, in this life or the next. Suppose we took this concept one level deeper now. Say as christians we understood scripture well enough to realize Christ calls us to actually be homeless in this life but heirs of his kingdom. This means we need to realize that we are on a trip, we're not home, home for us should be solely found in our identity through Christ. If we truly acted on this concept imagine the motivation we should be acting with. If you we're separated behind enemy lines from your men what would you do to get home? If you were lost in any vast unknown area I guarantee the first thing you'll think of is home. So why aren't we so avidly pursuing our real homes in heaven? Is it that we doubt Christ is actually making a place for us or that it sounds too good to be true? I think it's a concept satan has done a very crafty job of portraying as a lofty, almost fairy tail like world. The world treats heaven like an arguing point for philosophical theology when it's more real than the dirt under your feet. This is something we need to remember as sons and daughters of Christ, we have a home with our father, it's really there, and he's waiting at the gates patiently to welcome us in. No fairy tales here, no make believe, this is very, very real. Let Christ become your home, let Him be your acceptance, and live as heirs of his beautiful kingdom. It's for us.
2 Cor. 5:1-2
We know that the earthly tent we live in will be destroyed. But we have a building made by God. It is a house in heaven that lasts forever. Human hands did not build it. During our time on earth we groan. We long to put on our house in heaven as if it were clothing.
Matt. 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Friday, August 9, 2013
My King
August 8th,
Finding God is like putting together a puzzle, there's so many ways to fill in the pieces but you always end up with the same beautiful picture.
For me, Kingdom Bound has always led me to a deeper understanding of Christ's love for me, every time I think I can begin to fathom what he's done and who I am because of it he blows me away once again and I am left speechless before my king. Which reminds me there was one band in particular that I likened to quite readily when I heard what they had to say, they spoke of chivalry, how it's all but lost and how important it is to not only show chivalry but treat women as truly valuable. There is much more to be said on this and I am certain it will not be long until this too is expounded on.
This was my fourth year attending KB with PCC youth group and I must say, it only gets better. This year Hillsong played on the first night and it was literally beyond description, had I to feebly word in which way it touched me I would say this; The music that rang in the air that night sang a sweet enough melody to distract a few angels from their heavenly chorus, look down over their shoulders, and smile at our attempt, even if just for a moment. In this way it sweetly deepened my adoration of my lord and savior.
Today I said goodbye to many good friends: Rebecca, Chloe, Corrina, Becky, Carissa, Reid, and many others as we went our separate ways after returning from our wonderful time together at KB. All I can say for the time I have been given with all of you is thank you, may God bless you beautifully for all the love and support you have shown me. There are so many more details to cover but quite honestly I would only say this: I have given it all to Jesus and he has given me a new life and I will be with him forever. He deserves the praise, He is love and He....is my king.
Finding God is like putting together a puzzle, there's so many ways to fill in the pieces but you always end up with the same beautiful picture.
For me, Kingdom Bound has always led me to a deeper understanding of Christ's love for me, every time I think I can begin to fathom what he's done and who I am because of it he blows me away once again and I am left speechless before my king. Which reminds me there was one band in particular that I likened to quite readily when I heard what they had to say, they spoke of chivalry, how it's all but lost and how important it is to not only show chivalry but treat women as truly valuable. There is much more to be said on this and I am certain it will not be long until this too is expounded on.
This was my fourth year attending KB with PCC youth group and I must say, it only gets better. This year Hillsong played on the first night and it was literally beyond description, had I to feebly word in which way it touched me I would say this; The music that rang in the air that night sang a sweet enough melody to distract a few angels from their heavenly chorus, look down over their shoulders, and smile at our attempt, even if just for a moment. In this way it sweetly deepened my adoration of my lord and savior.
Today I said goodbye to many good friends: Rebecca, Chloe, Corrina, Becky, Carissa, Reid, and many others as we went our separate ways after returning from our wonderful time together at KB. All I can say for the time I have been given with all of you is thank you, may God bless you beautifully for all the love and support you have shown me. There are so many more details to cover but quite honestly I would only say this: I have given it all to Jesus and he has given me a new life and I will be with him forever. He deserves the praise, He is love and He....is my king.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Bound For The Kingdom
August 4th,
The days come all too quickly and simultaneously they pass painfully slow.
I came to church feeling quite well actually and enjoyed a wonderful last service and had the chance afterward of spending some relaxing time with the Chapman's and a multitude more at Vivi's graduation. I know it's only 6:30 and this may seem odd but once I got home I repacked from my sleepover, checked over my Kingdom Bound bags, wrote my last two entries and am now going to bed. Yup. I cannot wait for Kingdom Bound (Mon-Thur.)! This will be my fourth year!
Oh yes, I will be out of wifi range from tomorrow ti'll thursday so I'll be back in a few!
The days come all too quickly and simultaneously they pass painfully slow.
I came to church feeling quite well actually and enjoyed a wonderful last service and had the chance afterward of spending some relaxing time with the Chapman's and a multitude more at Vivi's graduation. I know it's only 6:30 and this may seem odd but once I got home I repacked from my sleepover, checked over my Kingdom Bound bags, wrote my last two entries and am now going to bed. Yup. I cannot wait for Kingdom Bound (Mon-Thur.)! This will be my fourth year!
Oh yes, I will be out of wifi range from tomorrow ti'll thursday so I'll be back in a few!
Packing My Past
August 3rd,
It's amazing how quickly your schedule compiles. Today (along with some good help) I packed for an upcoming sleepover, Kingdom Bound, and the entire year at CAP. overall I touched way too much dirty laundry and feel completely defiled. In a strange way though it's cool to look at this one little blue bin full of journals, books, cards and letters I packed and think, "Everything I have been, and am is represented in this bin.....wow."
It's amazing how quickly your schedule compiles. Today (along with some good help) I packed for an upcoming sleepover, Kingdom Bound, and the entire year at CAP. overall I touched way too much dirty laundry and feel completely defiled. In a strange way though it's cool to look at this one little blue bin full of journals, books, cards and letters I packed and think, "Everything I have been, and am is represented in this bin.....wow."
Going Somewhere?
August 2nd,
Usually i'd enjoy going on errands......usually.
I took off to east syracuse at roughly 10:30 to just do a thing or two but my luck had planned otherwise.
My first stop was to Purcell's paint on bridge street, which, of course was my only semi-succesful chore not counting the wrong turn I took just before I arrived. Next off was Walmart which I suppose you could call a success in the way that I got what I came for but also an equally matching disappointment seeing as it cost 100+ for everything......ouch. Lowes was my next destination and of course it would be my luck that they literally had every single spray paint but the one I needed......literally... not even exaggerating. I headed off to Price Chopper next but took an entirely wrong turn on Thompson which was ever so conveniently backed up straight across one side to another so that tagged on an extra 35 min+. Once I arrived at Price Chopper I began recycling my lovely little truck full of gooey, slimy, pungent, cans one painful cap at a time. As if this wasn't already the most thrilling thing ever (you should try it some time really) the machines decided this would be a swell time to break down and so I not only left stinky, dirty, and disgusting but uncompleted. Across the street is the Salvation Army where I dropped off all those bags of junk we've been looking to get rid of forever......oh except.....I forgot all the bags. My day just get's better. I finally show up two hours late to green lakes to meat some friends where we manage to hang out for a short while then get completely rained out. So we went to Panera Bread and sat around for awhile which although fun was rather uneventful. As I headed home from my little victory march I remembered that I had still a redbox to drop off so I went all the way out to tully for that. While there I remembered i had to make several deposits at the bank and grab groceries from the dollar general nearby which, of course, didn't actually have what I needed. Before returning home I also filled up the gas and skillfully forgot to pick up a much-needed chain saw chain. On a much different note I owe thanks to each and every person in my youth group for supporting me and being by my side all this time, I will never be attending again (as a student at least) and will sorely miss our times together.
Usually i'd enjoy going on errands......usually.
I took off to east syracuse at roughly 10:30 to just do a thing or two but my luck had planned otherwise.
My first stop was to Purcell's paint on bridge street, which, of course was my only semi-succesful chore not counting the wrong turn I took just before I arrived. Next off was Walmart which I suppose you could call a success in the way that I got what I came for but also an equally matching disappointment seeing as it cost 100+ for everything......ouch. Lowes was my next destination and of course it would be my luck that they literally had every single spray paint but the one I needed......literally... not even exaggerating. I headed off to Price Chopper next but took an entirely wrong turn on Thompson which was ever so conveniently backed up straight across one side to another so that tagged on an extra 35 min+. Once I arrived at Price Chopper I began recycling my lovely little truck full of gooey, slimy, pungent, cans one painful cap at a time. As if this wasn't already the most thrilling thing ever (you should try it some time really) the machines decided this would be a swell time to break down and so I not only left stinky, dirty, and disgusting but uncompleted. Across the street is the Salvation Army where I dropped off all those bags of junk we've been looking to get rid of forever......oh except.....I forgot all the bags. My day just get's better. I finally show up two hours late to green lakes to meat some friends where we manage to hang out for a short while then get completely rained out. So we went to Panera Bread and sat around for awhile which although fun was rather uneventful. As I headed home from my little victory march I remembered that I had still a redbox to drop off so I went all the way out to tully for that. While there I remembered i had to make several deposits at the bank and grab groceries from the dollar general nearby which, of course, didn't actually have what I needed. Before returning home I also filled up the gas and skillfully forgot to pick up a much-needed chain saw chain. On a much different note I owe thanks to each and every person in my youth group for supporting me and being by my side all this time, I will never be attending again (as a student at least) and will sorely miss our times together.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The Wolverine
August 1st,
Six years.
When I first moved here I hated it. It's been six years now and i'd do it all over again. Our apprenticeship program began four and a half years ago and that as well i was not fond of to begin with but looking back, I treasure each and every week. Today was my two-hundred and thirty-fourth apprenticeship, and my last apprenticeship. Im going to miss working with the guys.....alot. I had the privilege of taking my good friends Abigail, Gabriel, Zach, Logan, and Priscilla to see The Wolverine this evening which was very fun. after two-thousand one-hundred and ninety days of work, i'm finally done. I thank God for every last day.
In a strange way I feel like the wolverine; good at what he does, regretting where he's been, leaving what he's known, and facing what's to come.
Six years.
When I first moved here I hated it. It's been six years now and i'd do it all over again. Our apprenticeship program began four and a half years ago and that as well i was not fond of to begin with but looking back, I treasure each and every week. Today was my two-hundred and thirty-fourth apprenticeship, and my last apprenticeship. Im going to miss working with the guys.....alot. I had the privilege of taking my good friends Abigail, Gabriel, Zach, Logan, and Priscilla to see The Wolverine this evening which was very fun. after two-thousand one-hundred and ninety days of work, i'm finally done. I thank God for every last day.
In a strange way I feel like the wolverine; good at what he does, regretting where he's been, leaving what he's known, and facing what's to come.
Missed It By That Much
July 31st,
It's quite a long story but Zach, Venson, Abigail, And I worked all day to install a log on our trail head that didn't actually fit......oh well, we'll start over again tomorrow.
It's quite a long story but Zach, Venson, Abigail, And I worked all day to install a log on our trail head that didn't actually fit......oh well, we'll start over again tomorrow.
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