Times in the life of Tim F...
My, my, My. Fifteen years since I saw almost any of you.....If you want to find out what I am doing now, you will have to skip to the end.
After leaving CSCS, in the fall of '92, I went to Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana to study Computer Science (big suprise, huh?). I had fun, yes..doing crazy insane things with my college dorm mates once in a while... I produced a newspaper called the Fairburn Chronicle which was the contributions of guys on my floor and me. Some time, perhaps my first semester my Sophomore year, as I was taking my first computer science course, (yes, taking Pascal in High school with Miss Bruce did help for the first four programs) I found programming was not for me. I got very frustrated and learned something about me..I like to see tangible results right away. I finished up my Sophomore year taking other general studies courses. I had thoughts of going to photography school, but my Dad told me that it would be hard to make a living at that. Spiritually at Anderson, I grew a lot, surrounded by guys who were eager to grow too.
The summer of '94 I worked at Hugh M. Woods (a lumber/hardware store) on North Academy as a stocker.
Fall of '94, I attended Missouri Southern State College (MSSC) in Joplin, Missouri for one semester studying Computer Aided Design and Drafting/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CADD/CAM). After taking what the school said was 12 hours of school (not including the 6 hours of labs each week), I got burned out. I also did not get connected with any real Christians while I was there, which did not help me deal with my not so good academic semester in school.
I started working at Hugh M. Woods again (Jan-Feb '95, first as a cashier, then in Tools. I bounced around to Paint, Hardware/Seasonal during my two years there. I had fun for the most part working there. I tried to make some classes (that I had gotten D's in at Anderson, and MSSC) at Pikes Peak Community College during this time.
In the around Christmas time, I had jaw surgery...with my jaws wired shut for 5 ½ weeks. You can imagine my already thin physique (before surgery), after was worse :)
After leaving Hugh M. Woods in Dec.'96, I went to New England School of Architectural Woodworking in Easthampton, Massachusetts. We learned how to read blueprints, run the woodworking machines, and we did build a couple of projects. I graduated in June of '97. Some kind older people from the church took me in. I did walk a lot to just about everything (for it was a small town). I did not want to live in the East, so I went back to Colorado Springs and lived with my parents while I worked at a counter top manufacturing place. After six months or so, I was let go, under strange circumstances...God arranged for it. For He told me to keep working there, even though I did not like the job after 2-3 months. So I did.
In January '99, my father had back surgery. He had a heart attack on the operating table (his second, first was 1987). He came through, but his surgery incision never healed, and got infected. He was in the hospital at least once more, then on April 1, Mom found him in a coma, and after a while called the ambulance. He was in the coma for a week. He had a stroke, that is why he was in a coma. He lived a few more weeks and died May 16th, of a blood infection.
Since my Dad died, I have a true idea of how God our Father really is. I did have the view of Him that He was loving, but distant. For I am sure some of you have heard that you view your Heavenly Father how you view your earthly Father (it was true in my case).
I went back to working at Woods in Feb. '98 first as cashier, then in hardware/seasonal. I left in March of '99 for Missouri. My Mom is from Missouri, and she bought ground adjoining her Father's ground.
In June 2001, I started my own portable sawmill business. It was four years from when I saw the machine on TV to when I prayed about it and bought one and a solar-heated kiln kit.
In August '04 I worked for a cabinet shop out of Clinton, Missouri. I was there six months. I was let go about 2 weeks or so before Mom's second cancer surgery. Let me back up...Mom was diagnosed with cancer of the appendix in May '04. She had emergency surgery early June (about a week from when she first had the symptoms. They were shocked to find cancer. In did various treatments, and in the end on May 23rd, 06 she died in our house. Suzanne was around too for the last few weeks.
After Mom died I did not do well for a while, I was worrying, and had lots of grief. It took me almost year to get over it (not that it should not have taken that long). The next part helped some. I am a lot closer to God, and enjoy worshiping God once in a while (I should do more).
Now for the good...I mean GREAT news. I have been praying for years, seriously off and on since I have moved to Missouri. After a while I prayed specifically for what I wanted in a wife. Well, April 30th, 2007, I meet my future wife. That was our first date. Her name is Rachel, she lives in Kansas City, Missouri (about 1 ½ hours from my house). I was not sure what our relationship would do, and I kept it under wraps for at least a month, until I knew it was going somewhere. Unfortunately, my Mom did not get to meet her. I am still trying to figure out why God took my Mom home when He did. We are getting married January 5th, 2008 in Appleton City, Missouri at my home church. The more I get to know her and her family, the more I know God picked her out just for ME!! He answered all I asked for in a wife, and my desires too!!! It was worth the wait!!!!!!!!!! Yes, there were times when I thought, God it's time now...
In late July '07, I started working a shop that makes high end speaker boxes (other parts of our company put the rest of the parts in to make a speaker). It is all I asked for in a job, and once again, my desires to. This happened both times after I surrendered my whole life to God. Right now it is very busy, as I commute 3 hours a day, and see my Rachel at least three times per week. Below is our engagement announcement picture.
Rachel wanted to add:
“God has answered my prayers and brought be a very special person into my life and I am blessed to share my life with Tim. I love him so much and wouldn't trade anything for him. He is the missing piece to my heart. He completes me. I look forward to a future with him. ;) “
A generally happy, but very busy,
Tim and soon to be Tim and Rachel!
.jpg)
