During the making and construction of the log home, I used 5 gallons of chainsaw chain oil, wore out 5 pairs of jeans, destroyed three pairs of gloves, reduced 7 chains on the chainsaw to “nubbins”, obliterated a pair of knee pads, tattered two shirts, ruined a hat, severely cut my finger, and I wrestled with a double case of tennis elbow.  (A doctors term is tennis elbow, I think in my case it should be called chainsaw elbow.)  I also had my dancing partner for the last year to die on me.

That’s right.  Ole Sally Sue, the chainsaw, she “up and died on me”.  It was a challenge to see who would go first, me or her.  See, together we “danced” through many a tree, log, post, and beam.   I whooped it, she didn’t whoop me! (Read her obit here next week!)  First, I’d like to share this week’s blog.  Join me as I share part of my life.

The experiences that took place over the past year have led to one great experience of my building a log home.  I experienced a lot of learning.  I experienced a lot of frustrations.  I experienced a lot of situations that actually required thinking my way through.  I experienced the pride and joy of accomplishing a task.  I experienced the satisfaction of using my own hands to build something that I will call my own.  I experienced the total failure when MY chainsaw refused to crank for ME!!  I experienced the heavenly taste of a cold glass of sweet tea.  I experienced working while sick as a mule.   I experienced the highs, the lows, the temporary failures, the success of two cuts fitting together.  I experienced SO much that these experiences can only be summed up like this.  I am an experienced log home builder.

Yep, I am having so many experiences building this log home (and I wouldn’t have it any other way), that I can’t tell them all.  I enjoy reading a book that teaches me how to do something.  Better yet, I enjoy actually doing what I’ve just read and learned to do.  But this learning process,………..  these experiences that give me experience,…… this learning and gaining knowledge (at least in my case) seems to come from the mistakes, the boo-boos, the slip ups, and the downright failures.  I guess what I’m saying is that I learn from my mistakes.  I learn much more from MY mistakes than I do from other peoples’ successes.

One big thing I’ve learned from all these experiences??     A mistake is not a mistake if you’ve learned from it.  It’s now called a “learning moment“!   You’ve now heard that from a guy “with experience”!

A wise man (my father) once shared with me these great words of wisdom.  “Son, you’ll know what you are doing by the time you get through”.

I bet I will Dad.  By the time I get finished I will have experienced a lot of experiences!  That will make me experienced!  (Tire of that word yet?)

The job market out there in today’s world has a lot of requirements.  Whatever careers, job titles, or occupations, I’ve noticed one thing.  While most require some type of education (college degree), there seems to be a rushing wave of jobs out there that require someone with experience.  I’m beginning to realize what these job openings are asking for is this.  We need men and women who have encountered mistakes (oops, I mean learning moments) in their lives.  This type of experience is vital in this world today.

What about your experiences you are having in your spiritual journey right now?  Can you say that you are seeing a lot of “learning moments”?

Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25: 4-5

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  Experienced wilderness preacher,  experienced log home builder, experienced sweet tea drinker