Written from the bench at Crusader Munitions, in gratitude and faith.
A year ago, I wrote from this bench about losing my job. About fear. About choosing to trust God when I couldn't see the next chapter.
Turns out, it was the best thing that ever happened in my career.
That layoff opened a door I didn't even know existed. I began learning about AI — artificial intelligence, AI security, red teaming. Things I'd never touched before. And something unexpected happened: my passion for technology reignited. I didn't even realize it had gone cold until it came roaring back.
Now I spend my days working in cutting-edge technology. I'm learning constantly. I'm challenged in ways my old job never challenged me. God didn't just provide a paycheck — He gave me back a fire I didn't know I'd lost.
Where It Got Even Better
But here's the part that still surprises me: AI didn't just change my career. It changed Crusader Munitions.
Because I work with AI every day, I'm now able to develop software that makes our ammunition better. Smarter load development. Faster iteration. Tools that would have taken me weeks to build a year ago, I can build in hours. The same technology I learn in my day job flows straight into this shop. It's not two separate lives — it's one story, stitched together in a way only God could have planned.
I didn't see any of this coming. When I got that phone call, I saw a dead end. God saw a door I couldn't have opened on my own.
The Peace Was Real. So Was the Provision.
The peace I found in the valley was real. But the view from the other side? I wasn't ready for it.
If you're in the middle right now — stressed, scared, unsure — I won't pretend to know your timeline. But I can tell you that God doesn't waste a layoff. He doesn't waste a closed door. Sometimes He's not punishing you. He's rerouting you to something you'd never have the courage to chase on your own.
Don't freak out. God has you. He really does.
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– A brother in Christ,
From the shop bench at Crusader Munitions