So what to write about today...

I don't want to keep rambling on about my AT. I mean, it's interesting to me... but I don't know how interesting it is for everybody else. Besides, the pictures will not be ready until tomorrow night (I didn't want to risk taking the digital camera so I bought a set of those one use type deals). Two things I am looking forward too.

1) The brand new lieutenant did some video taping at AT. He has some really incredible shots. I am looking forward to seeing those.

2) While returning to the firing point late one night (I had to run a soldier to the rear so he could head home to see his mother in the hospital... very sad... please pray for him, and for her). Since it was near impossible to see my "slot" to park the truck in the wood line I pulled into what I thought was a clear spot. In the morning I saw that I had knocked over a small tree. It had thorns all up and down the bark, and leaves shaped like the spade on a deck of cards. There was no way this thing (IMO) was going to recover. Since I had managed to scape a section of the bark off I used that as a hand hold and practically pulled it straight out of the ground. The bark practically peeled right off, and when i took a knife to it the bark was real "pulpy". I set it out in the sun to dry and this helped. The next day the wood was incredibly hard. At least compared to what I was expecting. I whittled the bark all the way down I really liked the texture and grain of the wood. Once I got all of the major nicks out of the wood I then took some of the sand paper we had sitting around (it is used to sand rust off of the howitzers) and smoothed it even further. I also cut it the length of my armpit to the ground. Very nice. I still have some work to do on it, but it is going to be my retirement walking stick. LOL

When it is all done I hope to tap in the regimental crests of the three units I've "belonged" to over my career on one side. On the other side I want to tap in the three branch insignias to represent the three different MOS's I've had as well. Over/under this I will have the dates and the respective units burned/etched in. On the front, the final piece, will be a miniature set of Air Assault wings. Once this is all done I will get it shellacked to help seal it all in.

Wow, I wasn't going to talk about it... and I did anyway... LOL. God taught me a few things... 1) I cannot help everybody. My best efforts fall flat. Sometime its me tripping over my own two feet, and others the help is not always recognized/received. 2) I have to rely on Him. Meaning (and this is tied into item 1), there are things I just can't control. I can worry or fret, but in the end I have to trust in him. No matter what is happening in my perception of things, it is all for the good - and ultimately for His glory. 3) I have had a good overall career in the National Guard. There have been many a time when He has spoken to me when I was in the middle of nowhere. I have often felt very close to my Savior when I am the most isolated, in the most unusual of circumstances (a certain sunset in Central America, and a rain storm while I was on active duty come immediately to mind).

I would encourage everyone who is struggling to hear God's voice to get out of your respective "comfort zone". Get out to a park. Go for a walk in the rain. If you are not into the nature thing, go to a nearby town and sit in a small resteraunt, and get into His Word and reflect upon the things He has revealed to you about Himself. Even if it's "just" that He came and walked on the Earth.

P.S. - If any of you who stumble across this humble blog, and happen to have a set of regimental crest for the 1-115th Infantry... drop me a note... thanks. :)

Verse for today:
1 Kings 19 : 9-12, ESV
There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. [1]

Musical Monday

Ok, I know it's Tuesday... and last week I put this up on Tuesday... but, better late than never. This week I have an excuse (last week I was just lazy). I've started taking the Monday's after drill weekends off. It's just nice to have that break in between. Long ago I remember having to go weeks in between days off... and it wears on you. Especially us old people.

One thing I did try and do over the weekend was to go to an Irish pub to try and catch some live Irish music. Wouldn't you know that they had a duet singing classic rock songs! :P I was a little disappointed.

On to my song for this week...

Word of God Speak by Mercy Me

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

[Chorus]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

[Chorus 2x]

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay

I find songs that draw attention to what I might call a 'silent awe', or introspection, really speak to my soul. There was a Petra song (the title escapes me right now) that was really good in this regard as well.

I don't mean this in a self-beating-down kind of way either. There are just times when I think it is good to reflect and meditate on who God is, and who we are in relation to Him. And then, when I think about all that He has done, it just fills me with wonder and awe.


Oh, a quick P.S. - I managed to sell off some old bags that I had laying around, so when I told my beloved about the new bag I was able to hand her the cash to offset the expense. :-) I really chuckled at the comments by Susan and Lisa. Thank you for that encouragement ladies. :-)
Verse for today:
1 Kings 19:11-12, ESV
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. [1]

Long weekend

I have no idea how it could be Monday already. I mean, it was just a moment ago I was heading home for the weekend. Friday night - I can't even remember what we did... but I do remember getting to bed a little late. Saturday we had a few errands to run before an afternoon Fall party that my beloved was throwing (she is an awesome hostess IMO). Friends stayed WAY late (into Sunday AM). Sunday was a real blur. DD3 has a music thing at 8:30, and then we get the whole gang for 9:45 service. We (my beloved and I) were not slated to serve in the children's ministry, but since my beloved heads that ministry up we ended up serving (well she did) at the 11:00 o'clock service. After that we got DS1's hair cut.. ran to Sam's... then to DS1's last soccer game of the season, and then we split up. I took DD3 to Awana's and she took both sons to the season end soccer thing at Pizza Hut. When we got home around 7:45 last night there was still one more errand to run... as a result none of us got into bed at the time I would have preferred. And now it's Monday, and I am wondering where my weekend went. If anyone finds it, please let me know. :) In other news there were three things that God spoke to me about over the weekend. And they were kind of "whispers". The first one was during the sermon yesterday morning. It had to deal with "do unto others". Not just our friends, or those who are kind to us, those we get along with. But we are to be kind to our enemies too. What would we do for ourselves? Would we be really willing to do that for an enemy? And what about rejoicing when a foe suffers in some way? Do we rejoice? I really wanted to think about this one some more... what does it mean to love myself... and how does that reflect in my dealings with others. I'm mortal so I am going to look at my own house first (my beloved and children). The second thing was do I really expect the best when I pray. Do I expect the God's best in my life? Now, I have to admit that this point was given me through Joel Osteen. I was listening to his broadcast again yesterday as I was getting ready for church. When we come to God are we acting like "Eeyore"? We can come to God with joy and expecting our prayers to be "yes, and Amen" - even if the answer is "No" or "not yet". The greatest gift (Christ dying on the cross) is exactly what enables me as a Christian to have such a joy and expectation. I know Pastor Osteen has been criticozed for not taking a stand about the path of Christianity being the only way to heaven, and for not presenting the gospel in his sermons. He did conclude his broadcast yesterday with (albeit brief) invitation and sinners prayer for those who do not yet believe in Christ. While I do feel he should do more, Pastor Orsteen did present the message in light of the Gospel yesterday. It may not have been as thorough as I personally would have preferred - it was there. The last item, and most likely by far not the least, has to do with the sabbath. God made it a point to include it in His "top ten". It is not a little thing. Thinking through this entire post, and my real life scheduling of things. Do I take a sabbath day? Be it Sunday, Saturday, or any other day? There is a reason God made the sabbath for man. And that was because we are indeed limited. We require sleep, we require rest, we require sustanence. If we do not take that time to rest (let alone time to worship and reflect on the Creator) we will eventually just collapse (wither metally or physically). All of these things God spoke to me... and I really need to take some time - make some time - to reflect on them. Verse for today: 1 Kings 19: 9b-13, ESV And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. [1] And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Communication is Key

Everyone has teachers that they remember from school. It doesn't matter if they are 18 or 81. I have several myself, but the one I thinking of today was my 9th grade English teacher (the last English class I actually passed in H.S. by the way). I remember her going over what "communication" was. Since English is at the core a means of communication she felt it important to make sure we, her students, knew and understood the process. Well, tenty five plus years later, I don't have the materials readily at hand - but I am very thankful for the internet. LOL :) I will be using a webpage titled "Communication & Leadership" by Don Clark as my reference material... Communication is in essence the process whereby the 'communicator' (the one with the "message to be conveyed) is attempting to pass along an idea or concept to a 'receiver' (the one to whom the message is intended for). Now for this discussion it does not matter how many intervening "hops" there are. If the receiver does not understand the message of the communicator - communication is NOT taking place. I see a similar correlation in the process of Leadership. If a leader is unable to convey his/her message, and/or unable to convince others to follow him/her - Leadership is not taking place. Being a husband and father I am called to be the head of my household. In essence the leader (note: I am not saying Lord and master). Many of the troubles I shared earlier this week are as a result of poor communication and leadership on my part. Now, I know that I am not the only participant in this process. I have a wife who is my equal before God. She has her own thoughts, and ideas. She has her own contributions to the issues at hand, and she will be accountable for her actions before God (man that sounds like I am somehow condemning her - when that is NOT my intention, only a statement of fact - she is accountable for her own actions). But in my role I have failed her thus far. I have allowed the troubles of our communication to go on so long that we are at the place we are at. I have failed to identify (to include engaging her on her thoughts and ideas), I have failed to act (to include her on her thoughts and ideas), and I have failed to communicate with and lead her, thus I have failed to "Love her". I have failed to protect and provide. Fortunately nothing is beyond redemption, and we are not so bad as to just throw in the towel. I am blessed in that I am married to a very unselfish woman. She is just as frustrated as I am, and she wants to get through this as well. I am just not sure where else to go, or what else to do - other than pray of course. But communication is the foundation of any relationship, be it teacher:student, friend:friend, business:customer, husband:wife. God provides an example of what is possible when communication is working (Genesis 11). Although it may not be obvious, but God was the one who confounded speech to begin with, and His intention is not so much to cause us to fail as it is to make us turn to Him and to rely on Him... and that is something that has been happening. I feel like I am going through a regular old "1st and 2nd Kings" like experience... hopefully I am one of the kings who went through the land to tear the ashura poles down. Verse for today: Genesis 11:1-9, ESV Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused [1] the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.