Planning for our Lives Together

God is so faithful to us. I am so blessed to be on this journey with Jenny.

I don't have much time to write but I wanted to put a link to our combined blog that has wedding info. It can be found at: http://natejenny.blogspot.com/

Some engagement pics are on that blog.

We are so excited for what God has for us. He continues to surprise us each day in the ways he is providing and helping us as we plan the wedding and prepare for our lives together.

I feel like the richest man alive!

Built on the Mountain

Wow! I am very blessed and honored to announce that Jenny and I are engaged to be married. This is an incredible honor for me because she is such a beautiful and amazing young woman. God has blessed us and we are in awe of how he has drawn us closer to each other and closer to him. This is one more step in our commitment to each other as we prepare for the rest of our lives together. On Monday Jenny quickly accepted my offer of marriage on the side of Mount Hood in Oregon. I'll give some more details below.Last week was the Mennonite Disaster Service Annual Meetings. Jenny and I traveled out with some of my coworkers on Wednesday. On thursday I was in a meeting all day and Jenny joined me on Friday through the end at noon on saturday. I was proud to introduce Jenny to my coworkers and the others. Someone actually asked if we were married or engaged and I had to respond that we weren't. I wanted to say we were. These meetings were a great time to reconnect with some of the folks I have come to know in the organization. I was also given a renewed vision for my job and the organization as a whole. This is a ministry and I feel called to use it as a ministry and to keep Him the focus of our organization. The focus of the meetings was 1 Peter 4:11"If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." My goal is to keep this in mind in my day to day activities on the job.

On Saturday afternoon Jenny and I rented a car for our trip to Salem to spend the next several days with them. On our way we traveled a scenic route through the Silver Springs State Park to see some waterfalls. Meeting Jenny's grandparents for the first time was an honor. As we entered the house Grandpa checked Jenny's hand for a ring but was disappointed that she didn't have one yet. We immediately connected well with them and my love for them grew as I learned more about them. Grandma prepared a great meal for us and we had dinner with them and Steven, Jenny's cousin.
Sunday was a relaxing day as we went to the coast. The coast in Oregon is so much different than here. The waves were large and seeing and feeling them breaking on the rocks made us thank God for his splendor and majesty. We were awestruck by the beauty of his creation. In Newport we climbed up in a light house and walked along the rocks taking pictures and video of the waves on the rocks. It was a great adventure with my favorite person. What a blessing! In the afternoon we met Steven's son and again spent the evening with grandma and grandpa.

Monday started with a bit of uncertainty. We had planned to go skiing for the entire day but Jenny was feeling really weak and tired from fighting with this parasite. After some prayer and seeking God for direction we decided to give it a try. I am so glad she did. I didn't have a backup plan. I could have done it at the coast but wanted to do it on the mountain. I was praying that we could and that the weather would cooperate. It was a blessed day. After buying chains for our rental car (the only way the department of transportation would allow us to approach the mountain) we drove two hours to the Timberline Ski Lodge. The drive to the mountain was one of the most beautiful drives in my life. The pine trees and snow (measured in 10's of feet) were like nothing I have ever seen before. They don't grow mountains like that on the east coast. As we got closer the walls of snow grew to about 12 feet. I was told that the mountain had 40 feet of snow so far this year. It was one of the best years on record.

Jenny and I rented ski's and then hit the slopes. We skied down from the Lodge and then took a lift up a bit beyond the lodge. Jenny was feeling weak so I decided to take her to the lodge for a break. On the way to the lodge I asked her if she wanted to take a break and sit in the snow and look out over the valley for a while. We took off our ski's and walked into the trees. I cut out a love-seat in a snowdrift protected by the wind and we talked.........well I did. I shared my heart and how much I adore her and want to walk together with her for the rest of our lives. I shared that the mountain was significant for us as we begin this new life together. I shared that I want to be founded on God's word and his purposes for our lives. I also shared that I want to be a strong, safe, protected, firm, secure, place of peace for her to come to. My life verse is: 1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I believe this can be a verse we can stand on together as we serve and honor him together. I asked her to marry me and she quickly responded with a "yes" and we had our much anticipated first kiss. I took the ring out of my glasses case and put it on her finger. She was so blessed. I thank God for leading me to the perfect ring for her. It was a custom ring I created with my love to match her unique personality. In the past she told me that she told me she didn't want a ring or didn't want a big ring. I was also told this by others as well. I prayed about it and felt peace about creating this ring. It was fun. I wanted to bless her and I did. At the same time she was praying that I wouldn't listen to what she and others had told me. I believe God led me. I pray that I can always be open to how God wants to bless her through me.I took Jenny back to the lodge and then skied one more run. I quickly skied to the bottom of the hill whooping and hollering on my way down. There weren't many people there so I could go crazy. She said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!! After returning our ski's and talking to our parents we walked out of the lodge and stepped out into the most beautiful view ever. The sun, which was behind the clouds all day, finally came out and was setting in the west. I immediately thought that this was God smiling on us............our mountain top experience. It was truly the best day of my life! I am the most blessed man alive. You can see pictures of this day by visiting my web albums.Thank you all for your prayers and ask you to keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our lives together. This is so much fun and we have an incredible peace about it. The confirmations we are receiving are amazing. God is Good!

One Year Later

Well, a lot has changed in one year. Sometimes I marvel at how God has directed me over the last year. I am so thankful for what he has done in my life. There were times of intense trial which forced me to trust Him and learn more about how to surrender my life to him. Looking back, I thank God for using the difficult times to round off the rough edges in my life to reveal more of his likeness.

In April I organized a trip for dad, Sheldon and I to go to Mississippi with the Mennonite Disaster Service. Together we enjoyed framing a house and ministering to an older man who lost his house in hurricane Katrina. Over the same time I took a class called “Discovery”. While in the class I learned more about the next steps He wanted me to take. It is so cool how God reveals things to us. Later in the year I took another class focused on experiencing the Glory of God through disciplined lives. Again he met me and showed me more of his plan for my life as I seek his face. He is so faithful! In October he led me to start working fulltime with MDS at the headquarters in Akron as the Project Logistics Coordinator. I am responsible for all of the “stuff” (vehicles, tools, equipment, etc) to keep the projects operating efficiently.The spring and summer months were full of fun adventures with a great group of friends. We are a pretty unique mix which makes camping, canoeing, kayaking, beaching, surfing, horseback riding, serving with MDS, and much more; so enjoyable. Through these friends I developed a close friendship with Jenny Warner. It was really cool how God helped us develop a friendship and led us to start dating in August. I am so blessed to be on this amazing journey with her. We are trusting God to lead us as we surrender our lives to him. I can’t begin to imagine where God will lead me to by this time next year.

Last January was the first I had met this really amazing young woman. From the first time we talked I was intrigued by her and secretly held her in a special place in my heart. Her heart to serve and honor God in all she does really touches my heart. She is like no other girl I have met. Our friendship has grown and continues to increase as God leads us and guides us. We have had a lot of adventures in the last 5 months and are excited for what lies ahead. It is truly a blessing to be on this adventure with Jenny as we live our lives to honor and praise God in all we do. He has blessed us with such joy together. This past month Jenny has been in Ethiopia and India. This time that we have been separated has drawn us closer and forced us to grow in our faith too. God's grace is enough for us. We thank him for bringing us together. We feel God has an incredible plan for our lives together. It is humbling to hear how many of our friends and family all over the world are praying for us as we journey together. Thank you for your prayers. We are so Blessed!

"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Marathon of a Day

I did it!!! Wow, what a day. Thank you Jesus. I have been waiting for this for a long time. On Sunday 11-11-07, I ran in the Harrisburg Marathon. I had been training for this since July and was beginning to get worn out from it all. I can now say I have run a marathon and did pretty well too. My time was 3 hours and 45 minutes. My goal was to run under 4 hours, however the competitiveness would not let myself slow down any further. My pace was 8 minutes and 38 seconds per mile. I ended up 17th out of 34 in my age group and 232nd out of 734 over all.

In July, Todd Cirelli, my the supervisor at my old job asked if I would run with him. I agreed, not realizing how much this would hurt. We never ran together but challenged each other every morning by how far we ran the day before. It was fun. I was having some knee and hip problems in September or October and went to the chiropractor for some help/advice. After getting new shoes and more prayer I successfully finished the training and the marathon.

Sunday morning Jenny, my girlfriend, drove me to City Island where I checked in and prepared. I was nervous because I wasn't sure how I would do. Jenny helped me get ready and said a few prayers for me then went to watch. I nearly tripped over a woman at the starting line who dropped her glove but avoided disaster smoothly. It was interesting to talk with some people as I ran. I met a Christian guy at mile four and I shared with him about how races like this force me to draw on Christ's strength. He agreed and I thought about that a lot during the run.

Jenny surprised me at numerous places along the course. I can't explain how much she blessed me. She and my sister, her husband, and a friend of mine ran with me for a few blocks at mile 21. At mile 22 I "hit the wall". My legs cramped up so much I thought I was going to fall over and roll the rest of the way. I had to force my feet back down to the ground because my quads knotted up. I prayed and leaned forward. At mile 25 the pain subsided some and I could push through to the end. At mile 25.5 Calvin and Curtis ran with me for a little as I approached the home stretch. It was amazing to have Jenny and the others there at the finish line for me as I came through. I was so happy to see them all.

This is a great accomplishment for me but I believe God is calling me to pursue Him with the same perseverance. Many times it is much easier to force my body through rigorous exercises but when it comes to my spiritual life I find it much more difficult.

I don't think I will be doing a marathon for a while but maybe I'll do it again sometime. Thank you all for your prayers.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Words Are Not Enough

Wow! Where do I begin? God is doing so much in my life right now. He is so faithful. I have experienced growth in numerous areas of my life over the last two months. It is amazing how much someone's life can change in just two months. I think that is why I have had such a hard time keeping this blog updated. The last two months have gone by very quickly but at the same time it seems like it has been in slow motion because I have been soaking up each and every moment that God has been taking me through. Words are not enough to express how I am feeling right now.

In the beginning of September I started taking a class called "Cultivating Fiery Devotion" at a local church. This class has changed my thinking about how I approach my devotional life and spiritual disciplines. It was an eight week course that met for two hours each monday. This class challenged me to commit myself to wait on the Lord and to seek his face to encounter his Glory. When we encounter his Glory some rubs off on us and we begin to look more and more like him.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
(2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

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Since July I have been training for a marathon. This marathon is on Nov 11th and I have put my body through some pretty tough training to prepare for this. Early mornings, hot afternoons, buckets of sweat, blisters, sore muscles, achy joints, chafing, fatigue, and so much more were what I put up with to prepare for this ultimate test. I was putting up to 7-8 hours a week training. What is the point?

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8

Sure I would pray and praise God while I ran but it was not the same intensity that I desired. I needed to prioritize my life. This last week, the week before my marathon I have not been running at all as advised by my marathon training schedule. Now instead of getting up early to run I am getting up to spend time with my Jesus. Just this morning I read in Proverbs 8:34-35, "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.” These verses just confirmed that the Lord was calling me to prioritize time with him. I am really looking forward to growing closer to him and learning to hear his voice more clearly.

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Two months ago God really surprised me with a job offer. I had been at White Oak Mills for 16 months and was beginning to move into more responsibility there however didn’t feel fulfilled there. I was seeking God about where he wanted me and he opened up at door at the Mennonite Disaster Service. Out of the blue one day I received a call about a position they have been looking to fill. I interviewed and two days later they offered me the position. Wow! My experiences with MDS have been so fulfilling. I was thinking that this would be the kind of work I could see myself doing long term. I accepted the position and four weeks later started as the Project Logistics Coordinator. This was a tough decision for me, but really felt God opened the door for me. From the time I received the first call until the time they wanted a final answer was about two weeks. These two weeks were over the time when my parents were in Germany so I couldn’t process it with them. It was just God and me. He led me to a passage that my sister gave to me when I volunteered with MDS for the first time for three months in 2006.

Isaiah 58:11-12

“LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls.”

This was kind of a conformation for me to take the position. My responsibilities will cover vehicles, tools, trailers, supplies, RV’s, cell phones, and all the other “stuff” that MDS projects need to rebuild homes destroyed in disasters. I find that Restoring Hope in lives that were wrecked is a way to express God’s love to them and show them that God cares for them and wants relationship with them. I am based out of Akron but will be traveling to the projects some. In fact two weeks ago I traveled to four projects in the Gulf region to see what it takes to keep them going. I am excited for what God is going to use me for here and want to be open to step out and lead where he calls me to.

As I left White Oak I experienced a great blessing by having them bless me as I went. They could sense that God was calling me to take the position and that it would be best for me and the work of the Kingdom. They told me that they felt I had a greater vision then what I was doing there. They were disappointed to see me leave and made sure that if I ever wanted to return to the agricultural industry that they could use me. In my last four weeks at White Oak they tried to get as much out of me as possible and I put fourth my best effort to honor my commitment to the organization. The Lord Leads.

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Last spring I was asked to mentor or be a big brother to a young man who is now a freshman at E-town High School. Alex is a quiet shy guy who enjoys watching football, cartoons, and playing Madden football videogames. Alex went to Kraybill Mennonite School and attends E-town Mennonite Church. Since this is Alex’s first year at a public school I am trying to help him with this transition. Please pray that I can be a loving and caring brother to him. We have spent done some cool activities together however I really want to get more involved into his life and be someone he can rely on and depend on for sound advice. He is a young man with a lot of potential, however if he doesn’t have positive influences in his life he may not reach his potential as a person. Pray for grace for us as we relate and that we can really connect as brothers. It is my goal to allow God to flow through me to him.

This past weekend Alex and my friend Luke and wonderful girlfriend Jenny, went to the Penn State/Purdue football game. It was a great to see how Alex is beginning to open up around me and others. I believe this blessed him and we even got a few smiles out of him. Sweet! Penn State won 26-19. It has been a while since I have gone up there to watch a game. I enjoyed seeing the campus again and catching up with some old friends up there.

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“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

2 Corinthians 9:15

Truly I feel so blessed….beyond my ability to describe to you how I feel. These past two months have been incredibly amazing as Jenny and I have been growing closer to each other and to God. Jenny and I have been enjoying (understatement) the times we can share together. These adventures include kayaking, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, serving, blessing others, and so much more. We have done a lot together in these past few months. God has brought us together for this time to encourage each other, build each other up, challenge each other, praise and honor him, to serve others, and to be light to those we come in contact with. I thank God for what he has put in Jenny to bless me. I see his love flowing through her very often. The way she cares for me, and respects me is beyond what I thought was possible.

“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?”

1 Thessalonians 3:9

I am honored to know that there are people all around the world praying for Jenny and me. Knowing this blesses me so much. Having great church leaders love us enough to ask about how we are doing and to pray blessings on us because they want God’s best for us is humbling. I thank God daily for this privilege of pursuing her. It is my desire that this relationship pleases God and that those around us will see that we are committed to Him and his greater purposes for our lives. Please continue to pray that He will reveal his will to me as the leader in this relationship and that I will not fear and trust him. Pray that we can communicate our hearts to each other and honor and respect each other. We ask for strength to surrender this relationship to him every day, to not let it distract us from his higher calling.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

(I John 5:14-15)

His Continued Faithfulness

Well, If I were to sum things up since my last blog I could just say that God has blessed me so much and I feel fortunate to be where I am right now. His grace and favor is amazing and I thank Him for his unending love for me. I thank God for a loving family and encouraging friends. I thank him for blessing me with skills and abilities that I can in turn share with others as God's love flows through me.

As some of you know I went to Mississippi again last week to work with MDS at rebuilding houses. I went with several friends; Jenny, Luke, Jeremy, John, Brandon and Ken Sutter(Michigan). The week prior to leaving I was given some verses during one of my quiet times. I thought they fit as a focus for our trip and shared them with the whole group on morning. They are from Colossians 3:

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Each time I volunteer with MDS I feel so blessed to be able to help. It is fulfilling. This trip was organized fairly quickly as I was responding to the need for volunteers. MDS is closing down all of the sites for the month of September due to the lack of volunteers. Only two years after the storm people are forgetting how devestated the area still is down there. It will probably take another 10 years until the homes are all rebuilt. How can this happen?

I am grateful to each of our group for there willingness to take time off in short notice to volunteer with me. We had many great times. It will be marked in my memory. Whenever I spend time with MDS I feel like I have developed a new family. I don't know if it is the servant hearts of the volunteers but I always seem to feel sad to leave that place.

Our group flew into New Orleans on Sunday the 19th where we visited the French Quarter for lunch and sight seeing. We then made a trip to the 9th Ward, where the levee broke and killed many people. Monday through thursday my group worked on the porch at the one house (decking, railings, steps, etc). Some of the other groups worked on drywalling, mudding, sanding, painting, etc. On Wed we had a dedication for a house that we helped finish up. It was great to hear the stories from the home owners and to see their excitement for the new home. On Friday we worked around the base to prepare it for being vacant for a month. In the afternoon we took all of the vehicles to a location for evacuation in case of a hurricane. If you care to hear the "Turtle Launcher" story feel free to email me.

It was great to catch up with Lori, Catrina and Maureen while in Pass Christian. They have all been there several months and I have met each of them there before. Their hearts for serving in this way is great to see.

I hope to return to Pass Christian sometime this winter for another week. It would be great to have a nice sized group to go down. I look forward to it. If you want to see more pictures you can click on the "Web Albums" link on the right.

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Our group of friends has really been enjoying the beach this year. Several weeks ago we spent the weekend at Allaire State Park just 20 minutes from the beaches in New Jersey. We had great times together playing volleyball, wiffleball, body surfing, surfing, and sitting around the fire and talking. I am blessed to have such great friends who know how to have fun in wholesome ways. They challenge me spiritually too which makes this so wonderful.

Those of you who have never tried surfing before you really ought to. It is fun to feel the power of the waves below the board and learning how to control that power.

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No I am not a crazy fisherman but this trip was fun. It was on the Cheseapeak Bay for a day with people from work. I had never done that before but really enjoyed it. We each caught probably 20-30 fish, mostly Stripers(Rock Bass), and Blues. Well I caught a Toad Fish, too. Probably the smallest fish of the day.















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The third weekend in July my family went to a cabin along the Juniata River near Port Royal. It was a great time together as we enjoyed the river by canoe and kayak. On Sunday morning we set off from Port Royal at about 6:30 in the morning. At that early hour the air was cool but the water was cool creating a misty effect over the river. It was really neat to canoe through the mist and watch the wild life as we went by. We saw White Egrets, Blue Herons, King Fishers, Mink, Bald Eagle, White Tailed Deer, and numerous species of ducks. We canoed and kayaked about 13 miles. My niece Hadassah traveled in the kayak with me for a while.

I thank God for my family and how we can get along so well. I enjoy spending time with them and am challenged by each of them to dig deeper in God. I thank God for parents who raised me in the faith and taught me so much about living the Christian life. On Saturday night we had a time where we worshiped and studied the scriptures together. What a blessing to be a part of a loving family.

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Some of you may or may not have heard about Jenny. Jenny is an amazing person I met under unusual circumstances 7 months ago. Since that time we have become pretty close and really enjoy spending time together. Her relationship with God and openness to allow Him to use her is really neat. I am challenged by her in many ways and I thank God for her. Together we are seeking God to lead us in this new relationship as we ultimately want to honor him. We are really excited for what God is doing even though it can be scary at time.

Please pray for us as we get to know each other better, as we discern God's will, and that I boldly lead as He directs.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. "

4th on the Beach

It started as a simple idea then developed into reality as we finalized the last minute details for our day trip to Bradlee Beach in New Jersey. What a great day!



Five of us met at my place and we all packed into the van by 7:30 on our mid-week day off. We stopped by Luke's place just north of Philadelphia. We first toured his place (he just signed the papers one week ago) and then piled back into the van for the final leg of our trip. We stopped by a Diner for a casual breakfast and then went to the Brennan's (Christina's friend's) place right on the beach front. Our goal for the day was to learn/experience surfing. However, after turning purple from being in the 67 degree water for only 20 minutes we decided that the waves were too small and water too cold to try it. It was fun nonetheless. The 20 mph wind cut right through our wet clothing. After the short time on the beach we went for a walk on the board-walk and a small beach town. This beach is really nice. It is an alcohol-free beach and is oriented towards families.

Since it was windy I wanted to try out the kite. Jenny and I flew it for a little while. Now this is not an ordinary kite. This kite flies at 400 feet and on a windy day could nearly pull a child off the ground. It is a 6 foot long box kite.

The evening events were quite interesting. I was not aware that we were going to be a part of a large party but the Brennan's blessed us with a lot of food and fellowship. It was really interesting how several of us in the group made connections with people. I think God really had a hand in the events of the day and who we connected with. I met two people I haven't seen in a really long time and was blessed to be able to talk with them about how God is moving and working in their lives. God is so amazing!!! The evening came to a close with impressive fireworks over the ocean while the rain peacefully fell on the sand. I can hardly wait to return.

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another."
John 1:16

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
John 10:10