I guess there is always a first for everything. I have been thinking about trying this out for some time now and have even created a couple of blogsites but have ultimately deleted it before ever making the first post. I have struggled with the fact of what will I write that someone may find interesting. I have come to the realization that I am not writing this blog for others (although I hope some find it interesting) but for myself. During my educational and now professional career the one thing that has always helped me to learn, remember, and solidify is to come to the point where I can describe to someone else a concept, story, or thought. I now want to apply this fact to all aspects of my life so that I may first and foremost grow spiritually all the while provide for my family, develop my professional career, and try to enjoy more of God's great outdoors.
I am part of an awesome church family, I love the great people that make up Pauline Baptist Church here in Monticello. My faith did not start here at Pauline however, I was first introduced to my heavenly father by my awesome family and church family in Camden, AR. I will try to share more about that later. As I continue to seek God's will while serving and learning at Pauline I will use this blog as a way to help me workout thoughts from sermons, bible studies, worship and bible reading.
God has blessed me with an awesome family. My family has played a huge role in my life and the path that I have traveled to get to where I am now. I have a beautiful wife, we have been married almost a year and a half (since Septemeber 5, 2009). We are expecting our first child, a daughter, next month. I am sure that she will be the topic of many discussions between myself and God in the very near future as she already has!
It is amazing to look back and see how individual choices and activities have led me to the point that I am at in my career. I have a B.S. in Spatial Information Systems with an emphasis in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. To put that long title in simpler terms I am a map maker. I currently work for a digital aerial photography and GIS services company here in Monticello. My day to day responsibilities are to process the digital aerial imagery our pilots capture. Other projects give me the opportunity to work with data from sources such as GPS, surveyors, or other remote sensing platforms to create maps and perform analysis to help managers make informed decisions. I believe that maps are one of the oldest ways of telling stories, recording history, and are a great tool when making decisions. I will try to combine my background in GIS or cartography to help illustrate topics.
And lastly my love of the outdoors. I really cannot remember a time when I have not spent time either hunting or fishing. When I look back to how I spent my time outdoors when I was young to how I spend time today I am really amazed at how my idea of enjoyment has changed. This past winter I spent more time going to see new places and just enjoying the time than I actually did hunting. Most days I would only carry a camera, GPS, and a map and would walk for miles mostly along Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) trails. I hope that in the upcoming year I will have opportunites to do more of the same and be able to share some of these trips here.
Thanks for reading,
Michael
