Tomorrow will ark 3 weeks since I returned home. It's impossible to express the feeling that accompany this time of my life with the written word. I'm also not sure I really want to share that much. I can say it has been full of joy and happiness. There are still hard moments like the slightly worried look on the faces of my children when I leave the house in uniform. All in all, though, the transition has been smooth and a very sweet time for us.
The timeline has gone as expected. After our unit finished the RIP/TOA (relief in place/transition of authority) with our replacements, we sat around for a couple of more days in Iraq. This was mostly a time of doing nothing and while relaxing, it was also very boring. We then flew down to Kuwait and spent about 48 hours there before going through the customs process and getting on the most beautiful 747 I've ever seen. After the long fight home, we arrived at Wheeler-Sack airfield on FT Drum. We had to wait around for another 3 hours before going to the gym for the welcome home ceremony. After the ceremony, we were released for about 72 hours. There are some great pictures of our family's reunion on my wife's blog. Since then we've had mostly 4 day weekends and half day schedules. I also led our Strong Bonds Reintegration retreat this past week at Lake Placid.
Thank you for your prayers during this difficult year. I'd also covet your prayers for the next couple of months as we continue the reintegration process. Bob Dole said, "Coming home from war is longer than any plane ride." This is true in many ways and it makes for an especially dangerous time for Soldiers.
-Guardian Angel Out-
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Very Good Sunday
Yesterday was one of those days I don't want to forget, so I thought I'd blog about it. As most of you know, my time here in Iraq is almost finished. Yesterday was the last time I would preach at the chapel service where I have preached since our unit moved back in FEB. There was really never any question in my mind of what I would preach for a final message. I preached a salvation message using Romans 6:23 as my text. There are times when I'm preaching that I swear I can physically feel God's presence. I'm sure there are those out there that would tell me it's just adrenaline or something other totally natural thing. All I can say is I've done enough in my life to know what all those things feel like and this is something altogether different.
While I share the gospel and give invitations often in chapel services, there is rarely a response. I'm convinced this is because most of the chapel services are filled with believers (or at least those who think they are believers) on most occasions. Consequently, I've seen more Soldiers come to trust Jesus as their savior through my counseling ministry than anywhere else. Regardless of those results, I still believe there is something powerful about the proclamation of the gospel in a preaching setting.
Yesterday, after I gave the invitation and was waiting at the front of the chapel, something told me there was someone there who wanted to respond. At one of the pauses in the lyrics, I encouraged a response again. Then it happened. A Soldier made her way down the aisle, tears streaming down her face. We prayed right there at the front of the chapel while the rest of the Soldiers continued to sing "Mighty to Save." I've had the awesome privilege of hearing people pray for salvation on many occasions and I can tell you this was a very sweet and sincere prayer.
The best part about this is I know it had nothing to do with me. God did all the work and deserves all the honor, glory and praise. I am honored to be a witness of what He has done.
In the end, this is why I'm a chaplain. I believe Soldiers need to hear the message of salvation and I believe that God has called me to proclaim that message. Praise God for another United States Army Soldier who will spend forever with Him!
While I share the gospel and give invitations often in chapel services, there is rarely a response. I'm convinced this is because most of the chapel services are filled with believers (or at least those who think they are believers) on most occasions. Consequently, I've seen more Soldiers come to trust Jesus as their savior through my counseling ministry than anywhere else. Regardless of those results, I still believe there is something powerful about the proclamation of the gospel in a preaching setting.
Yesterday, after I gave the invitation and was waiting at the front of the chapel, something told me there was someone there who wanted to respond. At one of the pauses in the lyrics, I encouraged a response again. Then it happened. A Soldier made her way down the aisle, tears streaming down her face. We prayed right there at the front of the chapel while the rest of the Soldiers continued to sing "Mighty to Save." I've had the awesome privilege of hearing people pray for salvation on many occasions and I can tell you this was a very sweet and sincere prayer.
The best part about this is I know it had nothing to do with me. God did all the work and deserves all the honor, glory and praise. I am honored to be a witness of what He has done.
In the end, this is why I'm a chaplain. I believe Soldiers need to hear the message of salvation and I believe that God has called me to proclaim that message. Praise God for another United States Army Soldier who will spend forever with Him!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Some Thoughts
As my time here inches ever closer to the end, I've found myself thoughtful of some of the ways I've changed. I think a lot of it is about the way I now view certain words or ideas. I went to a memorial ceremony today for a Soldier I never knew. I don't even know anyone in his unit. None of that matters though. Before I came here, a Soldiers death was sad. Now it's like losing a family member. I think my idea of family has been altered. Before, I broke my family down into a couple of categories. My immediate family was one. My extended family was another. My close friends were a third. And the family of believers was my final category. Coming here is like being born into another family, a family of Soldiers. It's something I'll never take for granted.
A word I will never use the same way again is hero. Athletes are not heroic. Actors are not heroic. Musicians are not heroic. Heroism, to me, is reserved for those who put their lives on the line for the benefit of others. I'm not saying you have to be a Soldier to be heroic. All I'm saying is that playing a game or, preforming on the stage or singing a song doesn't make you a hero. Giving a bunch of money to a cause or motivating people to do goo doesn't make you a hero. My heroes will probably never attain any fame, but in my opinion, they are the ones who allow others to attain that fame.
I think my idea of commitment has changed too. People think they're committed to all kinds of things like their marriage, their morals, their ethics, their values and their faith. Commitment has nothing to do with an initial decision. People make decisions to 'commit' themselves to stuff all the time. That doesn't mean a thing. Commitment is about seeing those things through in the absolute toughest of circumstances. I think I'm going to have a hard time hearing someone tell me they committed to something without saying, "prove it" in the future.
I could go on and on, but I'll end with one last word: Love. I thought I knew what it meant to love before this year. I found out that being separated from those you love for a long period of time teaches you more about what it means than can ever be learned by many years together. I'm not saying that everyone should experience this. All I'm saying is that my perspective has been broadened considerably by experiencing the pain that can only come from not being with the ones you love.
So, you may be wondering where is all the spiritual insight in this. I don't think I've learned any great theological truth this year. Instead, I really believe God has worked on me as a pastor. Family, heroes, commitment and love all have a huge impact on the daily lives of people. Whether your a believer or not, all these things affect you. I believe God has used this year to teach me about these things so I can better serve him by reaching people.
I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say as I continue to reflect on this year, but for now...
-Guardian Angel Out-
A word I will never use the same way again is hero. Athletes are not heroic. Actors are not heroic. Musicians are not heroic. Heroism, to me, is reserved for those who put their lives on the line for the benefit of others. I'm not saying you have to be a Soldier to be heroic. All I'm saying is that playing a game or, preforming on the stage or singing a song doesn't make you a hero. Giving a bunch of money to a cause or motivating people to do goo doesn't make you a hero. My heroes will probably never attain any fame, but in my opinion, they are the ones who allow others to attain that fame.
I think my idea of commitment has changed too. People think they're committed to all kinds of things like their marriage, their morals, their ethics, their values and their faith. Commitment has nothing to do with an initial decision. People make decisions to 'commit' themselves to stuff all the time. That doesn't mean a thing. Commitment is about seeing those things through in the absolute toughest of circumstances. I think I'm going to have a hard time hearing someone tell me they committed to something without saying, "prove it" in the future.
I could go on and on, but I'll end with one last word: Love. I thought I knew what it meant to love before this year. I found out that being separated from those you love for a long period of time teaches you more about what it means than can ever be learned by many years together. I'm not saying that everyone should experience this. All I'm saying is that my perspective has been broadened considerably by experiencing the pain that can only come from not being with the ones you love.
So, you may be wondering where is all the spiritual insight in this. I don't think I've learned any great theological truth this year. Instead, I really believe God has worked on me as a pastor. Family, heroes, commitment and love all have a huge impact on the daily lives of people. Whether your a believer or not, all these things affect you. I believe God has used this year to teach me about these things so I can better serve him by reaching people.
I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say as I continue to reflect on this year, but for now...
-Guardian Angel Out-
Friday, October 2, 2009
VERY, VERY GOOD NEWS
I haven't written much of anything in here lately, because there hasn't been much to write about. Ministry has continued to go well as we get ready to leave. In some ways it's sad to see the end, but in many, many more ways it's wonderful. I turned 31 last week which was wierd here, because it was just like any other Friday. Lot's of people remembered though, so that was nice. Anyway, I get on with the good news.
In the span of less than 24 hours two really good things happened. Yesterday, I found out that I have been selected for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). This is traning to to be a hospital chaplain. I've wanted this since I found out about the program which was very shortly after I felt called to the chaplaincy. What it means is that in the summer of 2010, I'll start a year of classes and residency at one of the Army's 4 big medical centers. When that's complete, I'll do a follow on assignment of 3 years as a Chaplain in a medical center, hospital, combat support hospital or combat stress clinic. This was very exciting news, because I realy believe there are no Soldiers in the army who need chaplains more than the wounded, sick and those who care for them.
The other piece of good news is that my replacement arrived early this morning. He seems like a really great chaplain and we come from very similiar faith groups, so that makes the transition even easier. This means it won't be long at all till I get to come home and be with my family again.
All of this makes for a very, very happy chaplain.
-Guardian Angel Out-
In the span of less than 24 hours two really good things happened. Yesterday, I found out that I have been selected for Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). This is traning to to be a hospital chaplain. I've wanted this since I found out about the program which was very shortly after I felt called to the chaplaincy. What it means is that in the summer of 2010, I'll start a year of classes and residency at one of the Army's 4 big medical centers. When that's complete, I'll do a follow on assignment of 3 years as a Chaplain in a medical center, hospital, combat support hospital or combat stress clinic. This was very exciting news, because I realy believe there are no Soldiers in the army who need chaplains more than the wounded, sick and those who care for them.
The other piece of good news is that my replacement arrived early this morning. He seems like a really great chaplain and we come from very similiar faith groups, so that makes the transition even easier. This means it won't be long at all till I get to come home and be with my family again.
All of this makes for a very, very happy chaplain.
-Guardian Angel Out-
Friday, September 11, 2009
Never forget
I know not everyone is like me, but 9-11 still feels fresh to me. I think about it a lot, not just on the anniversaries. I didn't personally know anyone who died that day, although a significant number were residents of my home town. I wasn't physically close either, since I was still down in SC for school. The only thing I can come up with is that I've always felt like NY was my city. Even though I grew up about an hour away, I root for NY sports teams, I watched NY local news growing up and a lot of my classmates were transplants from NY. I still hate the sight of the skyline without the towers. The first time I remember seeing them was from my grandfather's boat. I still can't believe they're gone. Today, I read a quote from President Bush in the Combat Update Brief and I led the BN in a short ceremony at the time of the first attack. It doesn't seem like enough though. I don't think we can really do "enough" to honor those who died that day. There is always more to be done. I pray we have the resolve to keep doing it.
-Guardian Angel Out-
-Guardian Angel Out-
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Rest, Relaxation and Return
Well, I've been back for a week and I figured it's about time to post about my leave and return to Iraq. Leave here all starts with the long process of getting home. I had to go down to the terminal here 4 times over a 3 day stretch to get a flight down to Kuwait. Then I was in Kuwait for about 20 hours before the flight home started. Even though it took so long to get to that point, I was pretty content by then. It take about another 24 hours to actually get home form there. Touching down in Atlanta was pretty surreal. I kept thinking everything looked so green as we were landing. The real excitement though, was flying into Syracuse. I got off the plane there and while I was walking down to security, I saw my family. It felt so good to have them all in my arms again.
I'm not going to give too many details of our 15 days together. We spent most of the time at home in FT Drum, just relaxing. We did simple things as a family like going to the park, watching movies together and going out to eat. My wife and I also got a baby sitter several times and enjoyed going out, just the two of us. My parents, sister and niece came up for a couple of nights. We visited nearby Alexandria Bay with them and enjoyed a trip to Boldt Castle. It was a very sweet time and I believe God really blessed it, because I felt like I could really live in those moments and not worry about coming back here. I had such a good time spending time with my children. I think they're favorite time is something the call "break time on Daddy." This consists mostly of wrestling with, abusing and riding on me. I also loved the time I got to spend with my wife. There is no one I'd rather spend my time with and it was amazing just to be in the same room with her again.
The goodbye was, of course hard, but knowing we don't have nearly as much time apart to endure this time made it a bit easier. It took another three days to get back and about a week to adjust my sleep back to normal again. I miss my my family a lot again, but it has been good to see all my Soldiers too. I also finally moved into a new office that is much more conducive to counseling, but still right at the Battalion. Even though, I'll only be able to take advantage of it for a couple of months, at least the next chaplain will be all set up.
That's all for now.
-Guardian Angel Out-
I'm not going to give too many details of our 15 days together. We spent most of the time at home in FT Drum, just relaxing. We did simple things as a family like going to the park, watching movies together and going out to eat. My wife and I also got a baby sitter several times and enjoyed going out, just the two of us. My parents, sister and niece came up for a couple of nights. We visited nearby Alexandria Bay with them and enjoyed a trip to Boldt Castle. It was a very sweet time and I believe God really blessed it, because I felt like I could really live in those moments and not worry about coming back here. I had such a good time spending time with my children. I think they're favorite time is something the call "break time on Daddy." This consists mostly of wrestling with, abusing and riding on me. I also loved the time I got to spend with my wife. There is no one I'd rather spend my time with and it was amazing just to be in the same room with her again.
The goodbye was, of course hard, but knowing we don't have nearly as much time apart to endure this time made it a bit easier. It took another three days to get back and about a week to adjust my sleep back to normal again. I miss my my family a lot again, but it has been good to see all my Soldiers too. I also finally moved into a new office that is much more conducive to counseling, but still right at the Battalion. Even though, I'll only be able to take advantage of it for a couple of months, at least the next chaplain will be all set up.
That's all for now.
-Guardian Angel Out-
Sunday, July 26, 2009
So Close
The past couple of weeks have been good. Ministry continues to be fruitful as many come for counseling and get to hear the Word as a result. I've also preached the past two Sundays and today i was marveling at the amazing cross section of people as I spoke. Almost every rank from PVT to SGT To SGM to CPT to COl was present. There were people from all walks of life and cultures, even to include a local national and a few Ugandans. Where else could possibly have the opportunity to preach to such a diverse cross-section of people?
Last week we had a UMT conference at Freedom Rest. This was a good time of training, encouragement and relaxation. We spent each day from about 0900-1430 training on subjects including traumatic event management, suicide prevention, spiritual resiliency, self care for the caregiver and ministering to adult survivors of sexual abuse. Most of the training was top notch and very relevant. We also had a lot of informal time together around the table. Talking with the two senior chaplains was a great encouragement for me. Finally, I spent about 3 hours each day doing nothing but sitting by the pool and reading fiction. I'd get in to cool off when I got hot and then went back to reading. Of course, I had to jump off the high dive once too. There's video of it floating around somewhere and if I get my hands on it, I'll post it here.
My R&R is right around the corner. By the tie I get home, it will have been 9 months since I left. I'm so excited to see my beautiful wife and my children. I'm sure it will be a great time, even if 2 weeks is way too short after 9 months. I also realized today that this time will be a great test of my faith. I started to worry about something happening to my Soldiers while I'm gone today and then it struck me. Will I practice what I preach. I share Phil 4:6-8 with Soldiers all the time. If I really believe it, I'll trust God with their well being and experience his peace as i think on he things He would have me think about. Please pray that I'll have the faith to do so. I can already tell it will be a struggle.
I don't plan on blogging again before I leave or while I'm on leave, so I doubt there will be anything new on here until late August.
-Guardian Angel Out-
Last week we had a UMT conference at Freedom Rest. This was a good time of training, encouragement and relaxation. We spent each day from about 0900-1430 training on subjects including traumatic event management, suicide prevention, spiritual resiliency, self care for the caregiver and ministering to adult survivors of sexual abuse. Most of the training was top notch and very relevant. We also had a lot of informal time together around the table. Talking with the two senior chaplains was a great encouragement for me. Finally, I spent about 3 hours each day doing nothing but sitting by the pool and reading fiction. I'd get in to cool off when I got hot and then went back to reading. Of course, I had to jump off the high dive once too. There's video of it floating around somewhere and if I get my hands on it, I'll post it here.
My R&R is right around the corner. By the tie I get home, it will have been 9 months since I left. I'm so excited to see my beautiful wife and my children. I'm sure it will be a great time, even if 2 weeks is way too short after 9 months. I also realized today that this time will be a great test of my faith. I started to worry about something happening to my Soldiers while I'm gone today and then it struck me. Will I practice what I preach. I share Phil 4:6-8 with Soldiers all the time. If I really believe it, I'll trust God with their well being and experience his peace as i think on he things He would have me think about. Please pray that I'll have the faith to do so. I can already tell it will be a struggle.
I don't plan on blogging again before I leave or while I'm on leave, so I doubt there will be anything new on here until late August.
-Guardian Angel Out-
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