Nathan bug, Nathan bug

Tomorrow I will be flying home, and I am pretty excited. I have had a great summer, and enjoyed being with the Christians here. I feel like I am truly a part of this family, even more so then I had imagined. Living with the Crihfields has been a very memorable part of this summer. They made my life as comfortable as anyone could, which takes a lot of talent, especially when their house is under construction, nevertheless, I have always felt at home, and I am grateful to them for their hospitality, and friendship. I have enjoyed reading Randy’s Bulletins. The best way to describe his bulletins would be to say they are unique, edifying observances, which most people understand and say “I never thought of it that way.” I decided that I was going to attempt to be observant about something ordinary, and find an encouraging thought from it, as Randy would.

As I said I will be flying home! For the most part I enjoy flying, and I have flown a number of times. All of my flights until this one have been from Tampa Florida, to Chicago Illinois, or visa versa. Flying home for Spring Break, winter break, a summer, a wedding, and of course many return trips. The reason I enjoy flying so much, is pretty obvious. It saves time! What would normally take 21 hours of driving, now takes 2 and a half hours of flying, and that is without the time change! Not only does it save that time, I don’t have to expend near the amount of energy flying, as I would have driving. It’s so much easier, and with gas, and food prices, I wouldn’t save much money driving. It is simply better and safer to fly, than to drive.

One reason it takes a shorter time to fly, than to drive, (of course the most obvious reason, you are in a faster vehicle) is the fact that a plane gets off the ground. You can get to your destination in a car, but not as quickly as you can in a plane. There are so many things in the way when you are on the ground in a car, whether it be mountains, or hills, or cities, there are a number of obstacles that get in your way. Driving from Chicago to Tampa, you run into the Smoky Mountains, you run into Louisville, Nashville, ATLANTA, and even this stretch of highway in nowhere Indiana, that for some reason has been under construction for roughly 6 years, and though there is no city within 50 miles, it is backed up forever… Sorry for my little outburst against Indiana… But the point is, a plane flies above those obstacles, and avoids those obstacles all together. I heard it said once, that it is good to learn from your own mistakes, but BETTER to learn from other people’s mistakes! Why would someone insist on taking their own way, and run into obstacles, that could have easily been avoided all together? Sometimes we want to drive to the place we are going. We are warned of obstacles that might be in our way, and often we are told how we could fly over those obstacles. Sadly, some of our brothers and sisters who choose to drive will never make it safely. The road will twist and turn, or they will fall asleep at the wheel. When you fly, you may run into turbulence, but be assured, your journey will be easier when you heed the warnings of others. We all hope for the same ultimate destination, and that is going home to our Father in heaven (if that is not your hope, you might want to consider the destination you are quickly heading too, and quickly turn, and CHANGE YOUR PATH!). We are all at different stages in our journey, and we have taken wrong turns at various points in our life. We need to warn others about the traffic that will come from decisions that we make, or that we have made. Let’s avoid obstacles, and seek advice from others about decisions we are considering. It can make our lives much easier. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight, we will be landing in Zion shortly!

Nathan Quinn

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matthew 6:25-30 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

Matthew 13:31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Matthew 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: