Being thankful, Day #21

This may sound unusual, but today i am thankful for a warm bed to sleep in.  Last night (at the time i am actually writing this) it came to my mind.  Now, like a lot of married men i sleep in a bed covered in a heavy blanket, which normally makes me feel like i am encased in a nuclear reactor most of the time.  I guess this is fair, because when my beloved and i bought this bed i picked the firmest mattress i could.  You know the kind that is just a shade softer than sleeping on a slate of granite.  Well, lately - ironically enough - this has been causing us both back and neck issues. Hahaha - anyway, i digress.

Having spent twenty two years in the combat arms, i spent a fair number of nights sleeping out under the stars (a fact a lot of Navy and Air Force coworkers delight in comparing on many an occasion), and one thing i learned early - and this really sounds counter intuitive - was that you need to get out of as much excess clothing before slipping in to that sleeping bag.  Why?  Because, if you sweat and it's cold outside... it's over.  There will be NO way to get warm again.  Well... ever stand outside in your boxers in single digit weather, only to slip in to a cold sleeping bag?  Not likely, unless you are also in the Army or Marines, or homeless.  Well, it is a stark contrast between the cold outside those blankets, and the warmth under them.  I am thankful for the home i have, and that i do not have to shiver to get warm, just to go to sleep at night.

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I know i am but what are you?

It has been a really, really, REALLY long time since i last blogged.  Life has just sort of shifted gears and my free time is even more limited than usual... not sure how frequent i will be able to post in the near future, but i wanted to post something to say that i have not completely given up on this little endeavor.  If there are any return readers out there... thank you for your patience.

Ok, this is sort of an impromptu meme.  The problem is... i do not really have a whole lot of questions to ask... or maybe it would be more accurate to say, i am not sure how to form them into good questions... which i think is the true appeal of meme's but.... anyway... if you participate please place a comment here for myself and others to see what you have to say about yourself, and feel free to tag up to five of your friends.

So here is the catch.  You have to pick twelve (12) words that describe you.  You can do it in less if you get stuck, but no more.  Also, single words only, but then you have to take a few sentences to describe how/why it applies to you because what is red to one person is maroon to another.   Ok, here are mine.....

Christian - I am first and foremost a person who believes in, and follows Jesus Christ.  I am not always a good disciple, i am not always perfect... but in the end it is by His grace, by His life, by His death and His resurrection that i have placed my faith.  We all believe in something that is at the center of who we are, that guides our thoughts/emotions/actions, and for me it is Christ.

Samurai - I know, this one is probably a complete shock to you reader, but i hope that this is a word that does indeed describe me.  I have, from time to time, outlined my thoughts on the matter.  You will find them in the side bar to the right here.  The word samurai is derived from the Japanese verb saburau, meaning “to serve"

Sergeant - When anyone enlists in the military your first line supervisor is always an NCO - a Non Commissioned Officer.  In the Army that is the Sergeant.  Within the ranks officers come and go, they are usually not involved in the day to day interactions with the 'privates/airmen/seaman'.  The one to whom they look up to for direction, for support is their NCO's first.  My first enlistment was the shortest possible stint i could get, but i remember thinking how great it would be, to be a Sergeant.  Somehow, this High School drop out and kid who could not keep a job for more than three months at a time, managed to be promoted to Sergeant just before the end of his first enlistment.  That turned my life around and i re-enlisted for six more years.  I never expected it to last twenety two.  The word sergeant from Old French sergent,  from Latin serviēns,  literally: serving, from servīre  to serve.  Over time my Beloved will ask if i am going to lay down my jacket for someone to cross a street or if we have another name for the Christmas card list.  I am most at peace in my walk with Christ when i am serving someone, or something or group in the church.

Fundamental - In some social circles this is considered a bad thing.  I consider myself a "Fundamentalist" because i believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ - i believe that before the world was formed Christ was and He choose to lay that down and become man. I believe in the inerrancy of scripture - across all available sources of text there is a greater than 95% agreement, better than the works of Plato or even Shakespeare, and that while the translations are not always linear between the modern English translations, they all use the same "baseline" (if you will).  That is why it is important to understand (in my opinion) the translation philosophy of the Bible one reads.  I believe that Christ was born of a virgin - and her name was Mary. I believe that Christ's death on the cross was a propitiation, or payment in full, for my sins past, present, and future. I also believe that He then rose from the dead on the third day and thus defeating death. I believe in the miracles of Christ - I believe he fed the 5,000 and walked on water and healed the Centurion's servant and raised Lazarus from the dead. I believe that Christ will someday return to the earth the same way (but in reverse obviously) he ascended.

Pentecostal - I believe my life is transformed by the Holy Spirit. That i am not the same person i was before the day i accepted Christ into my heart and life, and although i continue to struggle with sin in my life, the Holy Spirit is here with me to help me continue to walk out my ongoing sanctification. I believe that the Bible is the definitive source of authority in my life concerning my faith.

Reformed - This word does not always bring about a good mental image either.  I feel this describes me because i see it as how we should walk out our faith is akin to the early church. We need to live out our "church experience" as a dedicated body of believers, committed to the local church - whether that is the group of believers that meet at the church building on corner, or few families that meet in a basement of a house. We need to live lives that are intertwined with other believers where we can speak into each others lives and help share one another's burdens. I also do not believe that traditions can ever form a basis for my belief, instead the "Word of God" (aka The Bible) is my ultimate source.

Charismatic - This was a popular group of Christians in the mid to late 80's, but they kind of lost their 'edge' as more and more people came into the 'fold' but never took it beyond the superficial.  I believe that my relationship with God can be experienced in my response to His Word. My emotions can be a valid part (but not THE only part, and they can be manipulated or deceived) of my experience in the worship of Christ. I also believe that the gifts of the Spirit are for today. I acknowledge my agreement with these statements with the following caveat: It must be tested by the Word of God. Finite man can't possibly be the final authority in regards to the relationship with the Infinite. Even though we know our experiences better than any other our flesh is corrupted and we can feign an outward appearance in order to deceive the world... and a lie told often enough will eventually be believed by the liar. The same can be said of the gifts of the Spirit. I think this "label" is the most often rejected by others because it is so easily abused and misused. But how can my emotions not be affected as God reveals His glories to me? How cannot i despair and fear when i see the depravity of my soul without Christ? As for the gifts of the Spirit how can one deny the healing of the sick, or "words of wisdom" spoken by an unknowing commenter that say just the right thing at the right time? But, do not allow these things to be the final authority in your life.

Hedonist - because i feel that the ultimate goal of my life is to glorify Christ. For me John Piper is my hero in this regard. As a human being it is only natural to desire to seek out what is best for me. To seek out things for my best interest. I want comfort, peace, security. I want prosperity and i want what is best for me! As a Christian gets to know Christ you slowly begin to realize that all of these things are ultimately found in Him! If we live our lives for Christ he provides us with everything that is indeed best for us! Therefore it can be said that by dying to ourselves we live in Christ. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. He is our joy, our peace, our security, our prosperity (if you will). The best thing for us, the thing that is in our best interest, is to be found in Him.

Eldar or Elf - For me, the romantic view of the Tolkien Elf is pretty cool. and maybe this is just a 'wishful misplaced longing', but the Elves of Tolkien's vision are good.  They seek to protect and to learn.  They engage themselves in the learning of things and the various dimensions and aspects of what they endeavor to learn. It is a similar sentiment heard in the movie 'The Last Samurai', (as spoken by Algren, the self appointed Western Historian), "They are an intriguing people. From the moment they wake they devote themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. I have never seem such discipline." There are so many things (music, writing, history, wood working to name a few) i long to pursue, but our life upon this Earth is way too short.  Sometimes, i think the pursuit of such things can also be a distraction - when they are pursued for selfish reasons, or for the knowledge of whatever in and of itself.  Ultimately i desire, and i truly hope this is a pure desire, to pursue them for the glory of God.  After all, i (all humans) were made in His image, to include desires of His pursuits (which ultimately is the proclamation of His glory and Holiness).  I do not know how we will be praising God through the ages in Heaven, but there is a small part of me that hopes it will be in similar endeavors.  I am sure that no matter what/how... i will be ok with it though.  I love that the original English meaning is a Hebrew first/last name meaning "God resides.  For me that kind of bundles it up nicely.

Nerd/Geek - an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit - n. an earnest student; a hardworking student. (Usually objectionable.) - To be honest, i do tend to be single minded and my tastes do not follow the 'norm'.  Take the game Necromunda, or the music i like - Celtic Folk music.  I do not recall a single time that being "normal" ever really mattered to me.

Redleg - Ok, this is NOT in regards to a term to refer to 'poor white people' in the Caribbean. For me the definition is "Redleg", a US slang terms for artillery personnel. The "redleg" term in the U.S. military comes from the red stripe down the trouser seam of the dress uniforms of US Army artillery types.  The best years of my military career was as a "Redleg".

Panther - Ok, i was desperate to round out the 12th word... i saw a "Blog Thing" question deal.  Where you answer questions and they tell you what color you are, or what kind of girl you should marry or something that silly.  Well, this one was in regards to "Big Cats".  So i did it and it came back as "Panther" - LOL, "You are unemotional and downright stoic. It's hard to ruffle your feathers.  You have an amazing depth to you. You have layers upon layers that no one else has seen.  You are confident about your place in the world, and you've happily carved out your own niche.  You live primarily inside your own mind. You happily spend a lot of time thinking."

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Randomness of the Random Kind

1. What was the last thing about which you procrastinated? ~ Um, getting up this morning.  There are some days i really just want to stay in bed.  I try and allow the bliss of unconsiousness to wash back over me, but then i remember my obligations and responsibilities and i force myself to go ahead and get out of bed.

2. How long does it take you to fall asleep, and do you sleep through the night? ~ That is a multifaceted topic.  There are some days when i am asleep within two minutes of getting horizontal.  Then there are other nights where it can take me an hour or more.  Especially on a night when i might be a slittle tired, but i do not allow myself to just slip off into slumber.  Eventually my body goes into military mode and begins to produce small amounts of adrenaline to keep me alert.  This in turn keeps me awake.  But in either scenario i will usually wake up between two and five times a night.  Most times i can get myself to fall back asleep in a few minutes, but at least once it takes a good 20-45 minutes.  I am not sure why i wake since i do not HAVE to go to the bathroom.  I am not consiously worrying about something.  I try and remember to take these times to go over in my head things that i am thankful for, people to pray for, or i will even read a chapter from the Bible.  I am not always heavenly minded to be honest though, to be completely honest.

3. Which decade would you choose to exemplify your favorite fashion styles? ~ I remember my all time favorite "style" was wearing woodland camoflauge pants, a tee shirt, and an open flannel pattern shirt.  Very comfortable, but not very good at attracting the girls.  I am not a real follower of fashions, or trends.  I could not tell you even when something was in style.  If i am watching a period piece and i do not know in advance what period it is, i could not discern it by what the people are wearing.  I have a hard enough time noticing what the person next to me is wearing on any given day, so... basically i have no clue.

4. What is your personal best dish to feed a crowd? ~ Um... i hope i do not sound sexist... but, that is my Beloved's forté.  If i have to feed more than my family i am more inclind to go to KFC or Sam's or somewhere i can buy prepared meals in bulk.  Preferably a catering service.

5. Are you an impulse shopper? What was the last thing you bought on impulse? ~ I am almost entirely an impulse shopper. 8(  I bought Shadow King by Gav Thorpe in my impulse to learn more about how Elves think.  I have also pre-ordered his book, Path of the Warrior which is due out in late June/early July.

6. What is one wish you have for your own funeral? ~ There is something that has always appealed to me about the Jazz Funeral you typically see in a New Orleans setting.  People are dancing, playing lively music, celebrating life. 

I know people typically experience sadness at the loss of someone in their lives, but i tend to view that as being selfish to some degree.  People are sad because they have lost someone, or something.  But for the Christian it should be a time of celebration.  The Christian who has passed is no longer suffering, no longer feeling pain.  They are now in the presence of God where all their tears are wiped away.  I pray that when it comes time for my own funeral that i have shared my anticipated joy to such an extent that those who come to my funeral will be celebrating with me.

7. If it's true that joy is in found in the simple things in life, what does your joy look like today? ~ Today it is the joy of writing.  I enjoy writing this blog, i enjoy writing stories for my fictious characters.  Sometimes i even enjoy writing at work.  I don't know why i am finding joy in this today... it even caught me by surprise.

8. What is your favorite type of bread? ~ San Franciso Sour Dough Bread.  My mouth is literally watering as i think about it right now.  And there IS a difference between the sour dough breed you can get in the local market versus the stuff you get in San Francisco California.  I say this from personal experience.  The local stuff is good, but the original from the likes of Fisherman's Wharf is so much better.  The crunch, the smell, the taste.  Ok, i have to stop before i impulsively buy a ticket out West...

9. What trait do you fear developing the most? (Laziness, greediness, grumpiness, etc.) ~ Laziness... sadly i have seen this trait creeping in to my daily life.  It has been a life long battle, and i worry about succumbing to it. Laziness, at least for me, is a contributor to other bad traits.  One day, i am lazy and i don't feel like washing the dishes.  The next day i get grumpy because there are no clean glasses to drink out of, etc.  The Bible warns us in several places against "a little slumber, a little folding of the hands" in many places.  We must be diligent.  We must take the extra steps.  It is in the little things that are all too often the first things passed over in laziness, that make the biggest differences.

10. What trait would you like most to develop? ~ Diligence... i would like to develop persistance in following up on the little things i mentioned above.  Not the pursuit of perfection, but the pursuit of doing the things that i can do in order to contribue to the whole.

11. Which room in your house best reflects your personality? Why? ~ Sadly i do not have a room in my own home that reflects my personality.  Why?  Because it would not go with the overall decor of the house.  I desperately need a "man cave" in order to be able to display my retirement present, the canister from my first live fire when i became a Howitzer Section Chief.  I would love a place to build, paint and display my "little army men".  To hang up my Carolina Panthers paraphanalia.  It's not that my Beloved has denied me, it is that i have never exerted myself to stake a claim for my own turf within our home.  Maybe in a decade or so, when the kids are all out of the house and on to college or their own families.

12. How do you maintain balance in your life regarding, work, family, church, other organizations and activities, and blogging? ~ I have a secret weapon that God has graciously provided me.  This awesome gift to me helps me keep my ego and pride in check, it helps me keep straight the events that are coming up, helps me set my priorities in regards to spending and life choices.  This secret weapon is indeed a gift from God.  I am confident that without this gift i would still be working a blue collar job with no real prospects or desire to improve.  I would still be whittling away the precious hours of my life on things that have no real signifigance.  This secret weapon, this incredible gift of God... my Beloved.  The blog is just me rambling and pittering away on trivial things.  8)

All i want for Christmas are my two front teeth

Last night i bit into something and immediately i had the sensation that something had gotten wedged up in between my two front teeth. You know what i mean. The sensation that there is something there, applying pressure to both teeth. Well, i went and got some floss but it kept shredding. So i get a third piece a look in the mirror to see what it's getting caught on. Imagine my dismay when i see a crack appear in one my two front teeth as pressure is applied backwards to get the floss down in between! Fortunately neither tooth is 'original equipment'. When i was thirteen i was running and missed a step (no wise cracks ;) ), landed squarely on my chin and took of the better part off of both teeth. They were replaced by something pretty hard, but the dentist at the time had said they would have to be replaced when i was eighteen. Fast forward to May of this year and whatever the material was, was finally starting to give out and they both had to be replaced. Not fun, but we have a pretty good dentist who we've been using since '92. Now, one of them has to be replaced already. :( Such is life. :) I am just glad i am not in a lot of pain. Lately i have been 'chewing on' Mark 4 : 14-23:

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” [5] And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” [6] (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (ESV)

I know this verse speaks in the context of food, but i have been thinking about this in terms of our other four senses. This is probably not something i can put together in a cohesive thought in written form, but here is my attempt. Basically i am going to concentrate on sight and sound as smell and touch often incorporate at least one of the other four. We live in a world, at least here in the United Sates, where carnal things assault our senses every day. It is a common notion that "sex sells". Now, is sex bad? Context, context, context. Sex with one's spouse is not bad, but outside of that - bad (i.e. a sin). Jesus was pretty specific, "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28, ESV). Does that mean you can never look at a woman? No, it means you need to guard your heart about how you "digest" such a sight. It irritates me when i hear "that's the way God made me". Horseradish! That's the way sin has corrupted you! What about the things you listen to? Gossip, music, slander... None of these actually cause you to sin, but how do you deal with such things? Do you put in your own little quip? Or do you excuse yourself from the conversation? What about music? There are a ton of lyrics out there with suggestive content. Guarding our hearts has to be a full time occupation. It is impossible to fully shield ourselves from such input all of the time. We can make good choices to limit exposure, but unless you live in a hole somewhere, it comes at you. I've heard CJ Mahaney say on several occasion, "we need to talk to ourselves, not listen to ourselves". When we take a passive role in guarding and monitoring our heart outside influences wear down your heart. Sooner or later those influences move in and take hold. I was once a TOW gunner. The T.O.W. missile is still in use by the United States military as a viable anti-tank weapon. It replaced the Recoilless Rifle as the primary infantryman's defense against tanks. Why? Because a bullet in flight, even one as big that can be affected by outside influences like wind, but the T.O.W. is wire guided. It takes commands from the controller and actually makes mid-flight adjustments to make sure it stays on target. We need to be the same way in our walk with the Lord. Verse for today: Proverbs 4 : 23-27, ESV Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder [3] the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

I just need to figure out a way to tell the wife

Ok, it's a lame title, but I couldn't think of a better one. Recently (someone might remember) I purchased a day bag for the Guard - but I have found it to be inadequate. So, I went ahead and purchased another (pictured right). Not in ACU colors since I am going to be retiring here shortly. Instead I ordered it in black. The reason I need to figure out how to tell my beloved is that I still need to sell the old one. Well, not just the old one, but a Large G.I style Rucksack, and a black Helmet bag, (I like bags.) so if you're in the market for a couple of pretty durable bags comment here and I will see what I can do about getting one of them your way (assuming we can work out the details).

I don't know what it is. I like bags that I can organize things and sort of "live out of". I also have a things for watches. Not necessarily any clock, but watches specifically. Well, I really like Grandfather-style clocks too...

Lately I've been in the mood to listen to some folk music, preferably Irish or English. Something along the lines of Steeleye Span. Although the lyrics can be... well, a tad more 'mature' than I usually care for, I really like a good 'jig' or instrumental. The mixture of flutes, violins, etc. is really stirring. I have an old CD from when I visited Kevin Barry's down in Savannah back in 2000, but I've been itching to go listen to some live music lately. I dun know wha I'm, gunna do 'bout it neither!
Verse for today:
Psalm 68:19-20, ESV
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

13 Days in October

Last night I watched "13 Days" with Kevin Costner. I know that media does not always "get it right", and that often what is presented can be "tinted" (to put it nicely) to a certain political view point. However, I think this movie was well done. I think they portrayed the military guys as over-zealous meatheads who only wanted war, but that may have been an accurate portrayal of the men. But it was not over the top either. It also did a good job of showing exactly how much tension there was in the world during this period of the cold war. Thanks to all who posted the encouragement yesterday. Verse for today: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, ESV For I want you to know, brothers, [1] that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ [2] to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Replacing the old Map Case

Even though I am close to getting out of the military, I still have a year or so to go. As I get ready for my annual training time I've come to realize that my old map case no longer works.



It was a gift from an old company commander when I was an MP (not a favorite time in my military career), and I was very happy to get it. Unfortunately it has also been referred to as my "army purse", despite it being olive drab in color, decorated with army patches, and worn from a lot of field use. It has served me well having been taken on flood duty, snow duty, it went with me when I was called up to active dity in '02, and it even went with me to Mississipi and Louisiana. But it's too small : 12" x 8.5" x 4.5":

Often, if I wanted to pack my lunch (and sometimes dinner) and rain/snivel gear, I would have to bring along my Butt Pack as well. But there were times when I did not need to bring my entire LCE (Load Carrying Equipment - also known as web gear) so I would just disconnect it to carry. But that bag has issues too. There is enough room for the food and rain gear, but when I need to pack field manuals too, it would be tight. And the bag did not have any handy carrying straps.



So I have gone ahead and ordered a new day pack. The new packpacks for the Army are more modular. The bag I've ordered is just the day pack. (15" x 15" x 9") It straps on to the larger field pack for the CPF-90 system. This bag has large enough compartments for everything I would need for a quick out and back trip and it has shoulder straps. The only thing is, I wish I could have gotten it in just black.



Now all I need to do is figure out how to get my patches moved over. :)







Verse for today:

Psalm 146, ESV

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.


Put not your trust in princes,
in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Misc. ramblings

This weeks schedule has really kept me off balance as far as keeping a consitant thought train going. So I will just ramble a bit today. :) * The Carolina Panthers sign Steve Smith to a 3 year extension. This makes me happy as a Panthers fan. Not necessarily because Mr. Smith is a good football player though. # 89 has been a consistant team player and he has produced quality play every year. He plays with his heart and he does not hold back. That is what makes me happy. His size and him being a big target for other teams to key on worries me long term. As of now he is under contract through 2012. That is a lot of football left to play. I pray for him to continue to love to play and that he would remain injury free. If God continues to bless his on (and off) the field performance I pray he would make the Hall of Fame. It would give me cause to go see that museum once again. * Alter Bridge - while I was at drill this weekend (I stay over night in the armory instead of driving all the way home) I picked up a copy of apparently the only album these guys put out. For those that do not know them they are the remnants of what was once known as Creed. I enjoyed the album, but I really like the Creed stuff more. * It is the lawn care time of year again. I really need to get some work done on the back year, and some anti-weed stuff down. I also need to dethatch the front flower beds and get some mulch down. I have a truck load of mulch and dirt coming today so it should be a busy weekend. * I have not been able to get out and visit other friend's blogs as much as I would like lately. I enjoy each of the ones I frequent so I miss them. I keep the bookmarks so I can still get to them later. I pray that each of them are doing well. * The military was kind enough to give me an over 40 physical this weekend. I was very relieved to find that they have changed how they check the prostate. It is now done via a blood test instead of the "probe" method. My teeth are in decent shape. My glasses are performing their required functions. I received a thirty day profile for my back. Although my back is still sore it feels stronger so I guess I am making progress. The biggest thing - my colesterol is apparently pretty high. 238! The last test I had it was in the 170's - less than 12 months ago. *sigh* I am working on it. I have paid more attention to my diet this week, and I made myself get up to walk for thirty minutes this morning. * My on going exchange of questions with my beloved have been a lot of fun. I encourage anyone who is having some difficulty talking with their spouse to try this. Well, that is all for today. May the Lord richly bless each and everyone of you this day. Verse for today: Psalm 41:1-3, ESV Blessed is the one who considers the poor! [1] In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. [2]

A tale of two dreams

Not sure why but I felt led to share a pair of dreams I've had. Almost fourteen months apart. The first one I had in October/November of 2005. I had recently received word of a possible deployment for my unit. The dream begins with me standing on 'any-street-USA'. Some kind of alarm sounds throughout - sort of like air raid sirens. For a while I am working desperately to get to "the station". Long story short... I arrive at the station ready to respond to the call (full equipment, etc.) but the station is empty. I arrived just as the trucks were pulling out and I watched them leave. I remember standing around thinking "no what". In time I ended up not getting deployed. Last week while it was still uncertain about my future with the Guard I had a different dream. It was a much darker background than the first, but I was gearing up for war. Body armor, weapon, other equipment. But not like you'd see on CNN. It was more like the kind you see in a computer game. I remember the distinct impression that I was some sort of Isreali special operations soldier (no offense to those who really do that - be they Isreali, Muslim, or American). Now, in my younger days I would have said "HOOAAH"!, but in my middle age I am saying something more along the lines of, Hmm... :) Both of them have been tumbling in my mind over the past 48 to 72 hours. After the first call up came and went without me I thought that the dream was showing me that. I had no idea about the second dream. I thought it was just a testosterone induced deal. But the past few days they feel like they are related some how. Especially in light of my not being invited to a dance for the second time in the past eighteen months. I am not sure what the future holds... and my dreams are not necessarily prophetic, but I know God has shown me things in and through them before. Exciting times... Verse for today: 2 Timothy 1:3-7, ESV I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.