Deck the Yard

I thought I'd fill you in on what I've been up to over the Holiday weekend. When Corie and I bought our house it was a HUD foreclosure, and the previous owner had an above-ground pool. The pool was gone when we moved in, but the deck was still there, but as it was setup 5 feet in the air it was of no use to us. So I've been taking the deck apart over the last several weeks and now I've started rebuilding it, only at ground level. I'm looking forward to getting the grill on and having you over for some time to hangout on the deck. Just bring a side dish and a desert and we'll be set.

Anyway, I've been learning in this process. 1. When you don't use skills they are not as sharp when you start using them again. I used to work for a plumber and my mechanical skills were sharper then, but it's been so long that it takes me longer, and that is frustrating. 2. I don't have the tools I need. I use what I've got ,but it takes longer. Nothing like having good tools. I guess that's some of the reasoning behind my pursuit of education. I'm more valuable for what I know than what I do kinda, so each class I take puts tools in my box. That's kinda how I look at it. I was talking to my brother-in-law and he was asking me about why I am working on graduate education. I told him that I think people don't want to hear a pastor who makes things up. I think they want a pastor who knows what he's talking about. Since there's so much I don't know, I have to keep learning.

--Ben