It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog. So I am first going to update you all on why it took me so long. First, the last month of college was extremely busy. My senior design team spent countless hours preparing our project for the design fair and writing the final report (it’s only 178 pages). So here is a brief explanation of my team’s project:
“The team’s mission was to provide a low-cost multi-spectral imager that is capable of monitoring crop health from an airborne platform at higher sample rates and resolution than the Landsat satellites. This would allow members of the agriculture industry to correlate the health of their crops to the effects of short-lived or localized phenomena that cannot normally be observed. Crop health can be determined because plants reflect and absorb varying amounts of different wavelengths of light creating a spectral profile that can be measured. This profile can then be correlated to crop health using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index, and other methods. This type of crop monitoring should give farmers actionable data that ca be used to increase the yields of their crops, thus helping solve the world’s food crisis.
“The design of a multi-spectral imager required designing several mechanical, electrical, and control subsystems. Overall, the team designed six subsystems: stabilization, imaging, calibration, flight control, communications, and image processing. First, the team brainstormed and developed preliminary designs that met the functional requirements of the system. Then, using decision matrices, the team made relevant decisions to develop the preliminary design. The team completed testing and analysis to ensure a robust final design. After the final design was complete, the team manufactured and procured all components required to assemble the complete system. The team then assembled each subsystem into a complete system that featured an imager box, gimbal structure, chassis frame, electronics bay, calibration system, flight control software, image acquisition software, and image processing software.
“At the completion of the initial design cycle, a complete system had been fully assembled and the initial functionality was tested. Overall, the system was largely functional and met most of the original functional requirements. Given the complexity of the system, this was considered a great success. However, the team experienced several bugs while assembling the system. The biggest bug was the gimbal system was only able to correct for movement on the pitch axis due to improper mass distribution and lack of controller tuning. All bugs in the system should be easy to mitigate with further development. Despite the bugs in the system, the overall design was very successful and represents a solid platform for future teams to continue developing.”
Second, I needed to take the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam as a potential next step to my career as a Mechanical Engineer. I found out a couple weeks ago that I passed my FE Exam. Third, I graduated from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with Summa Cum Laude honors.
Finally, I served my InterVarsity chapter at Chapter Focus Week by cleaning dishes, lunch tables, and restrooms. I am so very thankful for my InterVarsity brothers and sisters and I am looking forward to hearing how God works at SD Mines next year. Okay, so that brings you all up to date on what I have been doing.
So I know I said my next blog was going to be about Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promise Land, however I at a point in my life where I need time to stop and reflect on all the God has done in this last season of life. More important to take time to erect a memorial, a monument in my life so that I don’t forget what the Lord has done in my life. In Joshua 4 after the Israelites have crossed the Jordan River the Lord commanded Joshua to erect a monument.
“When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’’ Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, ‘Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.’”
— Joshua 4:1-7
The pillar of stones stood as a physical reminder to the Israelite nation of what God had done. The purpose of a monument is to take time to look back in remembrance of what has happen, to reflect on the now, and to renew a covenant for the future.
“So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.’”
— Joshua 24:25-27
So how do we set a memorial in our lives today? In a world in which monuments don’t tend to last generation after generation. There are multiple ways, for me I wrote a short story about what I feeling this last week at Chapter Focus Week. The story focuses on remembering my past and looking towards my future; it’s titled “The Valley”.
I have just left the most beautiful valley I have ever seen. As I look back in that most beautiful valley, I see how the Lord sent His grace, His love, and His Son to transform that valley. The Lord tilled the fields, planted crops and vineyards, and harvested the fruits. Oh, how the Lord loved that valley; He transformed it from a desolate place into a beautiful place. As I traveled through the valley, I experienced many difficulties times, however the harvest that came out of that valley was so sweet and satisfying. The time has come and I must leave that most beautiful valley. I am terrified that I won’t ever find another place so beautiful, so sweet, and so satisfying. And so I stand at the edge of the valley looking back over its beauty. I don’t want to take a step forward, but I know that I must journey into unknown terrain. I turn my sight away from the valley and begin walking into the unknown, however I long to return to the riches of the valley. But I am soon reminded that I am not journeying alone, the Lord my God is right beside me. He will be with me wherever He leads. He tells me to be strong and courageous, and not to be frightened or dismayed as He is with me and will never leave me. I know that wherever we go He will work the soil of my heart; planting crops and vineyards and reaping the bountiful harvest. It will take time and the journey won’t be easy, but the Lord my God will ease my load and my worries. Therefore I take one last glance at that beautiful valley knowing that one day the Lord will transform another desolate place into a most beautiful place. As I turn back around and begin traveling down the unknown road, I take the time to set up a monument, a memorial in my heart so that when I think about that beautiful valley I am reminded of all that the Lord my God has done in my past and all that He will continue to do in my future.
I praise the Lord for all He has done in my life. I thank Him for sending such a wonderful, inspiring, and funny group of friends/family that are always there to encourage me. Thank You. I pray that the Lord will continue to use these friends to encourage everyone they come into contact with. I pray for my squad mates on the World Race as we begin to build friendships that will last for eternity. I pray that I will be strong and courageous in the Lord as He leads me into unknown terrain. I pray for the hearts of the people that the Lord will conquer as I serve him around the world. I prayer that I would fully follow the Lord as Caleb and Joshua did. I praise the Lord that he has commissioned me to serve him and that he is preparing me for ‘The Conquering’.
