Critical Acclaim for Nathan's Next Post

"You know, after years of reading, I can pretty much tell a good story from a dull and generally boring one. I've looked at these photographs and they just scream a good story. I can't wait to read Nathan's next post!" - General Norman Schwarzkopf

"Brilliant writing, brillianter photographs." - The New York Times

"The story that shall proceed from hence shall be unto thee most exciting as the prophecy hath spoken." - Nostradamus

"We appreciate Nathan's efforts to be bipartisan and look forward to his comments on us." - The Ford and Chevrolet Motor Companies

"Whoa dude, what does this have to do with the really big news that Nathan said he was going to announce?" - Lee Whitworth

"Bark!" - Your Dog

Coming to a computer near you - Nathan's Next Post. Stay tuned.

And unto these my fellows, I bequeath...

. . . a large number of ninja turtle moves.








Okay, so these are my boys . . . well, sort of. I'll name them off for you and you can see what cool, muscular, and generally good-looking friends I have. Then I'll tell you why they are my friends and how we hanged (hung?) out on Friday night. So, here's the lineup from left to right, top to bottom: Colton "Gimp" Groves, Lucas "Divorce the Mountains" McDonald, Eric "SonnyJim" DePaulsen, and someone who looks amazingly like Blake "SuitDaddy" Porter (but really it's just a model - no picture of SuitDaddy available on such short notice).

These fellas and I used to be friends at a place called Pioneer Bible Camp (please note - the use of past tense denotes solely the fact that we are no longer at PBC). This is our story. We met one beautiful summer afternoon for a week of nonstop fun and Mission Impossible-style action adventures. As so often happens to guys who randomly meet, we quickly formed a cabin - except for SonnyJim who decided he was too good to be in our cabin and formed his own. Nonetheless, we accepted him and several other like-minded adventurers into our group, the Simeonites. For a week, life was beautiful. We threw flour bombs at each other, we won cabin cleanup contests, we clocked the fastest chariot times, and we played a strangely fascinating competition known only to great minds as "Byoofuhduh," all the while shouting things like, "Simeon, BE QUIET!!!"' Ahh, life couldn't have gotten better. And it didn't, it got worse.

At the end of the week, we parted ways for time and all autumn, not knowing when or even if we would see each other again. Meanwhile, the evil villain Murkor developed his villifying peanut butter bomb. Horrors!

Sorry, wrong story - what really happened is that the four of us were reunited Friday night in a glorious celebration of everything that freedom stands for. We laughed, we cried, we played video games, we made fun of SuitDaddy and Divorce the Mountains. We almost went so far as to eat out, but opted for a large vat of popcorn instead (there are some things that are just too wild, even for friends like us). And now, I must use the bane of all yearbook tag lines: "A good time was had by all." I hate that line. But yeah, thanks guys for the good times. It's been too long, but I can almost assure you that this won't be the last time that I will visit Utah. I think that some days I can hear the mountains calling to me like a small baby eagle calls to its mother when it's hungry. Hmm . . . that's strange . . . .

And here, I must issue two disclaimers. Disclaimer #1 - for those of you who have read this and have a lowered opinion of my somber writing ability, let me assure you that it is indeed late and I am recovering from a massive headache, both of which tend to make me randomly spacey (as evidenced in this post by the randoms, spaces, and numerous occurances of parentheses).

Disclaimer #2 - for all my other Simeonites who read this, your turn is approaching. Stand fast therefore in the hope that I may surprise you as I have attempted to surprise these my fellows. Also, you will be blogged over the head after I do surprise you.

Aaaaand . . . out.

Imaginative feeling of the evening: Imagine yourself being blogged over the head repeatedly with a blunt blog. What a feeling!

"...my thoughts exactly."

Instant Replay

Just a quick recap of my last post - my good friend Kira commented on our constant surrender to God. She ended with the following:

"The more I just relax and say, 'I trust You, where to now?' the more constant, peaceful, and joyful life is. The surrender doesn't nullify the complex events of life, the surrender simply teaches the life liver once again that he is dead...yet that he lives...except it's not him...it's Christ. Beginning to end, He's not surprised. With each situation, the question is asked again, 'Do you trust me?' and with each situation comes another chance to remember and realign."

That's life. Thanks, Kira.

The Ride of Your Life

Do you ride roller coasters much? If so, what are the two things you remember about all the rides you've ridden?

Well, if you're like me (which could be a ride all by itself), the first thing I think of is the gut-wrenching anticipation that I get as I strap myself into the seat of a roller coaster that I've never ridden before and begin the roll-out or ascent to the first drop. I'm especially anxious if the ride happens to be named something like "The Terrifying Black Dragon of Doom and Fire," or if it advertises itself to be "the fastest, most terrifying ride in the known universe." I mean, what if I suddenly enter the inverted spiral that tortures my body with a force of -9 G's and my insides decide that they've had enough of this and they're going to implode? These are the kinds of things that go through my mind as I anticipate squandering my healthy young adulthood on an outrageously priced thrill ride.

The second thing I remember about my roller coaster experiences is the following thought:

WWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHOOOOOOHOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strange as it may sound, that thought is probably my favorite part of the entire experience. You see, I live for the thrill of the moment, for the unbidden cry of intense emotion that rushes past my lips, for the extraordinary sensation of my heart leaping into my throat in an attempt to escape the rush of adrenaline that sweeps through the core of my very being. I live from one high to the next, anxiously awaiting the next sudden drop, the next inverted corkscrew, the next unanticipated acceleration.

That sounds like a fantastic way to live, doesn't it? It guarantees a surfeit of exciting moments, for as we seek this intensity, so we shall find it. We shall be granted the desires of our hearts, for life is far from monotonous and adventure is always imminent.

Unfortunately, we never pause to remember the negatives inherent in this way of thinking. All too often, we transfer our desire for endless thrills to our spiritual lives. We expect the gratification of an unceasing "mountain-top" experience with God, and when it does not occur, we become bored. We give up on our daily walks with God because they are simply walks. We lose sight of the realization that our spiritual lives were not designed for relentless, exhilarating adventure but were instead fitted for the steadiness and continuity of a walk -- a walk with ups and downs and twists and turns, but a walk nonetheless.

One of the most fitting verses in the Bible says, "They that wait upon the Lord. . . ." Am I willing to wait on God, or do I insist on desiring only the thrills that life brings me? May God save us from bowing before this roller coaster idol - the idol of thrills.

Good gracious, it has been a long time since I posted on here. I don't know quite what to say, except...I missed me? Well, I guess I'll just have to catch you all up on the current news.

For those of you who weren't aware of it, I am back in West Virginia this year. (Wait, does the post below this one mention that?) Anyway, I'm traveling as an Admissions Representative for the college that I graduated from (Appalachian Bible College - or ABC for you younger folks). Basically, I sit at my desk and make a bunch of phone calls to people all around America. Then, because talking on the phone isn't quite as fun as talking in person, I drive to wherever those people are and talk to them again in a public setting. It's a lot of fun for a few reasons - first, I get to meet people, and people are my passion. Second, I get to travel around the country with all of my expenses taken care of. Third, I have the privilege to tell people about a ministry that God has used in my life, a ministry that I firmly believe in.

Let me condense a typical day for you.
6:30 AM - Wake up; get showered and dressed; check my directions and hop in the van for a drive.
7:45 AM - Arrive at destination (assuming it's a teacher's convention or something of the like); set up display and literature.
8:00 AM - Talk to people (I love this part)
9:00 AM - Talk to more people.
10:00 AM - Talk to more people.
11:00 AM - You get the point.
When my day is through, I usually end up driving for a while to the town where the next morning's meeting will be held. There I'll spend the night either in a hotel or with friends. And that is 12 hours squeezed into about two paragraphs. Not quite that simple when you live it out, but oh well...

Oh, hey, guess what. No, I said guess. Of course I'm not just going to tell you.

Okay, fine, here goes...I'll be honest, I can't think of a thing to type. Sorry, my brain is fried. I just spent the day planning my trip to the great western state of Colorado. It's killer I know, but someone has to do it. Just like someone had to sacrifice to spend time at conventions in Myrtle Beach and Orlando. Serving the Lord is funny like that - you think it's gonna be all hard work and no play, but sometimes, the Lord gives you a time and a place to relax and meditate on Him and His Word - and there's nothing like the beach to do that, especially at sunset.

Anyway, that's my blurt for the evening. Nothing formal or organized, just whatever random thoughts I could muster.

More later,

ngolden

Comin' at ya like a whirlwind...

Those of you who watch movies may remember my title as the opening line of the song on the credits of the movie "Extreme Days." That's what it feels like here in Fairmont, WV. With very little training and little or no knowledge of what to expect, I have abruptly thrust myself upon the world of college admissions representatives. To point, it has been a mediocre experience. I must admit, however, that thus far, it has consisted of a two and a half hour drive followed by a workshop that was merely a repetition of guidelines and information that I had previously researched. This workshop took place in a room full of other college representatives who were anything but supercilious, but did not take the time to make me feel welcome. Of course, I suppose that I am partially to blame for that . . . I should have been more friendly. I have no doubt that tomorrow will prove to be quite a bit more exciting, and a lot less intimidating.

I'm trying to decide where I want to eat tonight. It gets kind of weird eating alone. That could be remedied by the presence of my fiancee, but for some strange reason, I don't think that she will spontaneously appear tonight. No predictions, just informed guessing going on here.

Behold, I depart. Keep the peace.

ngolden

Whew! Awesome picture! Me and my woman - I like it, she doesn't. I say my vote wins, so now it's all over the internet. This is us at Jr./Sr. Banquet last Spring. Isn't she beautiful?

A Phenomenal Weekend

Well, my last post is almost obsolete at this point. Let me drop the vague language and covert syntax from before and come to the point. This past weekend, I had planned to rent a car, drive to Columbus, and surprise Vanessa for her birthday. It was a wonderful plan, but the folks at Enterprise dashed the proverbial ship of my dreams against the equally proverbial Great Barrier Reef. After presenting me with a series of hurdles to jump through, they informed me that should I meet the qualifications, I still would be unable to rent a car from them. That was a bummer, let me tell you.

So, I went online and found that all was as I feared - lost. The closest car rental facility of which I might have availed myself was in Charleston, an hour's journey north. I quietly dismissed any thought of corporally wishing my fiancee a happy birthday. At this point, my parents became my all-time heroes. They purposed to facilitate for me a ride to Charleston sometime during the evening. In Charleston, Hertz had caught my eye as the only company that would rent a car to me at a reasonable rate, minus all the hassle with which others had buttressed themselves.

Anxiously, I waited for the evening. As the afternoon waned, my pulse quickened to find that I would indeed be presented with the opportunity to continue with my plans despite the minor delay of 5 or 6 hours.

Yeah, anyway, so that was a good story. But here's the real good part - so I rented this really sweet car that got, like, 36 miles per gallon. I got to Columbus that night at about 12:00. The next afternoon, I drove to the airport to pick up Vanessa. Man, she freaked out when I walked up to her. It was like she'd seen a ghost. She kinda screamed and threw her arm up in front of her face, which made me wonder if I was really as good-looking as she tells me I am. (Note to self: Never say that in front of people again.)

We had an awesome weekend together, even though I was dog-tired. I think she was too which made me look less wussy (which is a good thing if you're me - you're not, so who cares). After it was all over, I drove back to WVA with wonderful memories and the prospect of finally starting my job at ABC.

I'll update later about my first day, but for now, suffice it to say that I am thoroughly excited by the idea of busywork, cause right now I don't have any.

Good times.

ngolden

By the way, this is free for you fellas out there (the ones of you that are my age, I mean): If you decide to get engaged (which I would strongly encourage at some point in your life), make sure you pick the right woman. I sure did! Next summer sure seems like a long way away from where I stand, and if I'm as excited about it as I am right now, I can't imagine what it's going to be like when it gets here. I might have a heart attack during the ceremony. My, wouldn't that be dramatic.

The Attack of the Killer Employees Collectively Named A.J.

Have you ever made plans? Like big plans? Like allsummerlongyouvebeenplanning plans?

What happened when you made those plans? If you say, "Well, when the plans worked out, it was the coolest thing in the world," then you are exceptionally fortunate. For you, the plans worked out.

Now, let us look at Exhibit A in a case heretofore unknown to you. Exhibit A is me. When I plan real small things, they end up going great. But, when I hatch those gargantuan plans that would make the Manhattan Project cry like a baby, I always end up getting snarfed (thanks for the great word, Lee). If you were to visualize my plans, they would be an inconspicuous defenseless ant that is about to be tread upon by Andre the Giant. Yeah, it's that bad. But it wouldn't be that bad if this were just a one time deal. Instead, it's most definitely a thing that happens every time I plan something gargantuan. Bummer for me, huh? Yeah, thanks for your sympathy.

Anyway, so I'm trying to figure out what God wants me to learn out of all this. I've come up with three combo options (or three comboptions for those of you who like words). First, God could be trying to teach me patience and flexibility (a definite "no" answer from God). Second, God could be trying to teach me patience and perseverance (a somewhat definite "yes" answer from God - that depends on my reaction). Third, God could be trying to protect me from my own stupidity. That's always an option.

So whatever it is, I hope that I learn it soon so that my plans are not snarfed once again by killer employees named A.J.

Overwhelmed and Really Stinkin' Tired

You know, sometimes life comes at you so fast it knocks you down and rips on by. Other times, it knocks you down and then comes back and stomps all over you.

That's kind of how I feel right now. I feel stomped on, which really doesn't make sense because the past few days have been some of the best of my career to point (which is good considering that my career is living).

Anyway, to bring you up to date quickly...my best friend just got married. That was an experience. To watch a man transform in a matter of days (minutes when you get right down to it) from this crazy dude you used to hang out with sometimes to a happily married husband is downright freaky. One minute, I was actually in the running for best friend. The next minute, I suddenly became a mere acquaintance. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing. It's just really freaky, or did I mention that already?

I also got to see my good friends, the Gospel Heralds, in concert. It was by far the most powerful concert I've ever been to in my life where I've been a member of the audience. God used them today in an exceptionally powerful way to encourage and challenge me. I really needed what they had to say. Although, it did make me miss the seven hour road trips in the college van...

Well, I'm done for now. I've rambled enough and I'm going to quit. It's way past my bedtime (midnight on the east coast). I'll update either tomorrow or Tuesday and give you a more literate scoop on what's been happening. Don't lose heart, it will come quickly.

ngolden
(Goldilocks: it's Skcolidlog spelled backwards)

D.S. al Coda

"Howdy, big guy."

My summer officially started ten weeks ago with those very words of welcome from field coordinator Ron Thompson. It seems really freaky that it's about to end. Like tomorrow. Like, no more Utah Valley. No more Payson Bible Church. No more Pioneer Bible Camp. No more bugging the Whitworth girls and saying "Who dah man?" to Caleb. No more Temple Square visits. No more Isuzu Trooper getting 16 mpg. It's really, finally, coming to an end.

You might be asking yourself, "Self (because that's what you call yourself), is Nathan excited about leaving Utah?" After you pose this question to yourself, you may feel compelled to find out the answer from one who knows. And so, through some sort of weird telepathic thing, you get ahold of me and ask, "Nathan, are you excited about leaving Utah?" Seriously, warn me that you're going to ask that next time. Let me think about it for a second...

After pondering this question, I find that there are two parts to my answer: 1) yes, I'm stoked about leaving Utah and getting the opportunity to be in my best friend's wedding (100 points for use of a movie title). I'm also really stoked about seeing my family again. You may ask, "What does the word 'stoked' mean?" Well, it comes from ancient German. It begins with the prefix "sto-" which means "a man," and the verb "-ked" which means "who likes pork sausage." So you can see how I would be stoked to go home.

As an added bonus, and really the only truly exciting reason that I could give, I get to see my fiancee, Vanessa. Umm...I could probably talk for hours about that, so I'm not going to go any farther, except to say, "I love you, my little banana nut muffin." If you're not her, don't ask. It's a private memory. If you are her, then please don't kill me for saying that in public. :-D

Oh yeah, I almost forgot my second part: 2) no, I hate the fact that I have to leave behind a lot of people who I have become very close to. It's like moving away from your friends. Not always a pleasant experience. For those of you who are on the Utah field and are reading this, you have been the biggest encouragement to me. Thanks for your support this summer. Lord willing, I'll be back, even if it's only for a short trip. I can't wait to see you again.

And so, as I watch the door close on the end of an era, I sit back and sigh with contentment. I know that I will never again have a summer such as I have had this summer. It has been good. I "climbed down" all over it.

My, wasn't that poetic up until that last sentence? Anyway, I'm going to conclude this post in hopes that the next one won't be far behind. I thought of something today that many of you have found in an email from me. As Christians, we are totally to disobey our parents in this sense - do what your momma told you never to do, stare at the Son. Kind of cheesy, but still a good reminder.

So until my next, more serious post, I bid you "feosgar math."

ngolden
(Goldilocks: it's Skcolidlog spelled backwards)

Habakkuk

So I'm sitting here, trying to be random, but it's not working. Instead, I will just say that Habakkuk is a really cool book when you understand it historically. I've been studying it for the past two hours and it's amazing to see that Habakkuk was writing on the eve of the Babylonian captivity. He was scared, he was unsure about what was going to happen, and he had a bunch of questions for God. He was normal, in other words. I can identify with him easily. But I think the cool thing is that in the end, his final conclusion was that no matter what happened, God had been and would continue to be faithful. Awesome!

ngolden

The Office of Intern Affairs

Quick run-down of the things I never expected to do as a pastoral intern. I never expected to...
1. Clean out a 110 year-old church basement
2. Tow a Chevy Lumina minivan behind a Chevy Express van for 50 miles
3. Change a tire in a narrow canyon
4. Make Sunday School doughnut and cookie runs
5. Drive my hosts halfway up Nebo Loop and back
6. Visit a ski resort
7. Tour Temple Square for the 4th time
8. Learn enough in one day to blow my mind for the whole summer

The Lord is good. Sometimes, He feeds the truth to you crumb by crumb and allows you to digest it wholly before moving on; other times, He pulls out a side of beef and says, "Here, go at it." The analogy is crude, but that's how I felt today. It seemed that today was one of those learning days.

But what if every day were like today? Could I be that attuned to the Lord and His Word? Is there a valid reason why it couldn't happen? The answer: no. This is the Christian life at its fullest - each day full of surprises and blessings to be thankful for, and most importantly, lessons to learn.

It is my prayer that the Lord would work in me in such a way that the things that I caught a slight glimpse of today would burn in me like a raging fire. I don't want to forget what I've learned. I want to be...
1. quietly confident of God's work in my life
2. a leader by example
3. a man of fewer words
4. filled with the wisdom of our Lord
5. a lifelong learner
6. a truly grateful and loving husband (that's still on the way)
7. a man after God's own heart

I have set aside tomorrow as a day to seek the Lord in these things. I look forward to the morning.

I realize that this post is more serious than others I have written, but I think that's necessary sometimes. It's good to reflect on those things that God has given us to learn.

ngolden

Also, for the record, I am so thankful for my beautiful fiancee. She is truly a woman of God and so much more than I deserve. I am deeply in love with her and I am anxious to work beside her in whatever ministry the Lord calls us to. Marry me, Vanessa. (Mushy, I know, but I get to do that now without being embarrassed by it.)

Trial by fire

So I typed for a stinkin' hour and then lost it. Go me. I'll try again tomorrow.

That's not my Jesus

Yesterday, I returned to Temple Square after a two week hiatus. Josh and I have kept busy and managed to make time for one more visit before I move to Payson (that's tomorrow, by the way). A mutual friend of ours came with us (you rock, Kira) and the three of us set out to again be reminded of the chokehold that Mormonism has on its followers. This was my third time there and I think I'm finally beginning to get sick of it. The first two times I went, I was blown away by the huge arsenal of religious propoganda that is wielded by those in leadership. This time, I was heartsick. These people, especially the ones who are gung-ho about the Church, are some of the most pitiable people that I know. Their hearts and minds are enslaved to a religion that will not only prove unfulfilling, but will also put them on the short path to a place that is far from the heaven they imagine it to be.

I think at times that I get a little lax in my thoughts towards other religions. Even yesterday, I sat and listened to the spiel and found myself shutting down. And that's why I think it's important that I went. The experience, while sickening, served to reawaken me to the hardcore truth that these people are just like me, except they're lost - totally and completely lost without any hope at all. The thing that makes it so surreal for me is the revisionist type of history that they are promoting. They have taken what really happened to them in the Midwest and have made it seem entirely unfounded. I often wonder what would happen if they would just come out with the truth. Maybe their church would be stronger as a whole. Maybe it would disintegrate.

The day, on the whole was enlightening. Josh and I discussed our differing viewpoints (West/East; FSB/ABC; Utahan/Flordinian - props to you, Miller; and other various and sundry views) and we came to the conclusion that we both have learned from each other and have profited immensely from each others company. I like the guy a whole lot. He's definitely not afraid to have fun (i.e. get into a random argument about the fast lane - I think he won by forfeit, I'm not sure). I have thanked the Lord for putting us together this summer. Even though today is my last official day with him, we will still have plenty of time to hang out over the summer at camps and stuff. I'm stoked. It's gonna be good.

I'll update later once I get moved in to Payson.

Until next time remember . . . "Goldilocks: it's Skcolidlog spelled backwards."

ngolden

Starten up da shield!

Well, here it is. The first post on my new blog. Interesting, huh? I bet you're thinking, "Wow, this is so interesting, I might go have some more cheesy bacon tuna fish on pumpernickel bread." I know I would think that if I thought this were interesting. And I do. So 'scuse me whilst I make myself a cheesy pumpernickel bacon tuna fish sandwich.