My "Job" Blog - Part 2

A few posts ago I endeavored to record the jobs that I have had over the years - part one is here.
This is Part 2 -
(Side light - Jen got back from Orlando - tired but tanned - on Friday evening. Yesterday was Jenn and Seth's wedding here in Aiken at Hopeland Gardens. She is bushed, so today will be a "cubby" day. REST. REST. REST.)
OK, I left off in the year 1981. In 1982 I encountered God in a dramatic and powerful way. The following year I moved to Toccoa Falls, GA to attend Toccoa Falls College. Here the job list picks up -

• While at TFC I was part of the Work Study program and worked with the heating and air conditioning department.
• A year and a half later I was hired as a part time youth minister at Return Baptist Church in Seneca, SC
• After graduating from TFC I stayed on at Return but, since it was part-time started working at Winn-Dixie as a stocker. That entailed going in at 10 p.m. and staying until about 3 or 4 am filling the shelves with groceries. I stocked the cereal and canned meat isles.
• Those were some long days. I applied, and was hired, by The Tribble Center, working as a Recreational TherapistThe Tribble Center was a vocational rehab center for those with special needs and disabilities. That was a blast.
• In 1988 I sent a request to a church in AIken, SC that was looking for a pastor. After the process that Baptist churches go through in calling a pastor, I began a full-time pastorate in September 1988, at North Aiken Baptist Church.
• While there I was introduced to Apple computers and purchased my first computer - an Apple Lisa. I bring this up here because it led me into buying, selling, and servicing Mac computers. This was part-time but fulfilling. I actually made a killing on a whole bunch of LC II and LC III Macs. We all have our "my first computer purchase" stories. Mine favorite is that I bought an 5 MB external hard drive for $800.00. I thought that that was a bargain. I now carry a 1 GB thumb drive in my pocket that was $39.99 after rebates.
• In 1995 I resigned the Baptist Church and planted The Vineyard Christian Fellowship, still in Aiken. We were part of The Vineyard USA. This was a breath of fresh air and I found a home. Even though the church disbanded following my resignation in 2000, I am still a part of the Vineyard in Augusta, GA.
• Next on the job list was personal training. I have a friend who opened a health club - Heartbeats Health and Fitness. I was working out there and asked if he could use some help training. He said "yes" so I pursued certification. In three months I had studied and passed my certification with ACSM to be a Heath and Fitness Instructor. I did this for a while and my friend asked if I would manage the Club. I agreed.
• This continued until June of 2004. I started working in Charleston, SC. I helped set-up and run HealthFirst, a state of the art medical office. That too was an amazing experience. In September 2005 I had to leave for personal reasons - integrity and such. Scary as hell that was (to be Yodaish), since I was quitting without a job to fall back on.
• Since the Holiday season was quickly coming my wife suggested that I try and find a job as a drivers helper with UPS. I applied and went in for an interview. During the interview the HR guy was looking at my resume and asked, "do you want to be a supervisor?" Short story - I said, "yes" and started in mid-November 2005. So I am presently Part-time Dispatch Supervisor at UPS in Augusta, GA.
• During that time I also administrated a complete computer hardware deployment at Dogwood Stable.
• And, finally, to bring us up to the present time, the friend who owned the health club closed the business and got his real estate license. He asked me to be his assistant and help him organize him and his office. After a month or so he approached me and said that he would pay for me to get my real estate license so I could be more involved in showing his listed properties and such. I said "yes" again and will be attending Real Estate School in August and should have my license in September. The whole market is BOOMING in Aiken so this may turn out to be a great opportunity.

So, that just about covers it. I don't know how many that is, but in retrospect, the career path of my life has been circuitous and variegated.
I am thankful that I have a job - or actually more than one.

WH