Chaplain Ken

Capstone - pt. 1

2007-08-25T13:23:00.002-04:00

I know it has been a long time since I posted. I know I said I was going to try to do it a little more regularly, but when most of the day consists of classroom instruction staring at PowerPoint, there is not much to write about.

This past week, however, we were at Capstone. Capstone is the final field exercise we have at CH-BOLC. We go to the field for four days at a FOB they have set up here at Ft. Jackson for the purpose of training. It was a very busy four days, but I really loved it.

We endured blistering heat (two or three of the days the temps were over 100). However, it was a time when a lot of the training I have had over the last three months has finally started to come together. Many of the exercises we did required bringing several of the skills together that we have been learning. It was a period of time where things finally started to "click" for me.

The picture above is our dining facility. We got a hot breakfast and supper here each day, and we were handed MREs here at lunch time.

This picture was taken from inside one of the bunkers set up on the FOB. Over the time at Capstone, there were several simulated artillery attacks. These simulations were actually very cool. They had the high pitched whistle you would hear with an incoming round and then a thunderous boom simulating impact and detonation. They were very loud and from what I hear, the real thing is even louder.

Each night a couple of hours after we went to bed (usually enough time for all of us to have fallen asleep), they set off a volley of these attacks. Nothing gets you wide awake in a hurry like an explosion a few yards away from you.

When the attack started, you would have to jump out of bed, stuff your feet in your boots, grab your battle rattle and make it out to the bunkers. The picture above was obviously taken during the day when we had an attack. You can look and see the next bunker in the distance.

We also had training on a sand table briefing. This is where you mark out a battle plan on the ground so everyone can get an understanding of the flow of the mission.

Here is a closer look at the sand table.

It is only one more week now until I graduate and become a full fledged Army chaplain. God has taken me and my family on such an incredible journey over the last several months. All I can say is that whoever can say that the Christian walk is dull has obviously never become a Christian, and I can say that my God is an incredibly faithful and wise God!

I have more pictures from Capstone in the post under this one so be sure to look at those, too. I had several so I decided to put them in two posts instead of just one.

I am not going to make promises about how often I will post since I obviously fell on my face on that the last time, but I do plan to keep posting in the future so you can keep up with where God is leading me and my family on this little mission adventure so keep checking back.

Latest Pics - Capstone Pt. 2

2007-08-25T09:59:00.000-04:00

One of the best activities we had was Convoy Ops. We simulated actually going on a convoy, and we had the chaplain assistants who are also in training with us so I had an assistant with me to provide for my security on this convoy.

On the convoy, we encountered a simulated IED attack, and we had to dismount the truck and take cover. I took this picture as I am laying flat on the ground a few yards into the wood line. You can make out my assistant and his M-16 as he is looking for "the bad guys."

In another training exercise, we conducted ramp ceremonies. A ramp ceremony is a brief memorial ceremony for the heroes who make the ultimate sacrifice for our country on the battle field. It is called a ramp ceremony because it is held literally on the ramp of the airplane that brings the fallen soldier's remains home. This picture is a bit sobering, but it gives a fitting reminder of the great price that is paid for our freedom. It also gives a great reminder why the role of the chaplain in our military is so necessary.

You saw a picture similar to this way back in June while I was in CIMT (the first phase of our training). This is Victory Tower. It stands about 40 feet high. We climb up and rappel down. We got to do this again this past week during Capstone, and I absolutely loved it! I would do it again in a heart beat.

Those of you who know me know that in the past I typically struggled with a pretty healthy fear of heights. What helped me conquer that you ask?

Well, for the folks back at Aydelotte, it was all that time I spent working on the new building up on that scaffold. That seriously was the time that helped me conquer that fear.

Notice to the side of the tower the large ladder. Notice also the height of the tower compared to the height of the people handling the rappelling ropes on the ground.

Dad, you always talked about rappelling being your favorite Army experience. Mine, too.

A Great Day of Worship

2007-08-05T10:22:00.000-04:00

I just got back from helping to lead worship with the 120th BN. It was a great morning. Sorry...I was not able to get a pic, but it was truly neat to stand before a couple hundred soldiers so recently in off the street that their heads are still broken out from the stylish Army haircut. They were so hungry for worship, and the Spirit of God moved so mightily through that service that there was not a dry eye in the house when it was done.

I played my guitar and sang with the Chaplain in charge of that battalion while he led in worship. Then there was an awesome message preached about God never leaving nor forsaking us by another chaplain here on post. God's Spirit truly moved, and His work was truly done in hearts this morning.

Afterwards, I got the privilege of praying with soldiers who had stepped forward indicating a desire to pray with someone. It was truly amazing to sit in a chair across from soldier after soldier, listen to their burdens, and then take them before the Father.

In short, today was yet another confirmation in a long list of them that God has been so faithful to supply telling me that I know I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. To God be the glory!!

A Fine Fort Jackson Saturday Morning

2007-08-04T08:33:00.000-04:00

Well...it's Saturday morning. That means one more week is in the record books, and I am one week closer to going home...although home is a place I have never lived before (because my family got moved to Fort Riley earlier this week).

When my wife and kids got to the place we leased, even though we put the deposit down last May, they did not have it ready yet. It needed an inspection by the city. When my wife went into the office to get the key and they told her there would be a delay, she said "...okay...I'll be right back." She went out to the car got the kids...and the cat...and came back in and took up residence in the office.

Amazingly enough, it wasn't long before she had the key to our apartment. (Way to go, honey!!! - - I tell you what...she is still not quite convinced yet...but I married me one tough Army wife!!)

Back to Ft. Jackson...

I just got back from a nice run. I went out at 0700 but the humidity was still about 300%. It was a good run, though, and now I am starting my day.

I get to go help lead worship for the 120th Receiving BN again this Sunday. It is awesome to help lead those kids who are literally just days off the street and out of civilian clothes in worship. There is just such a genuine hunger for it in them. I will try to get a pic this time.

Services in the Field

2007-08-01T17:10:00.000-04:00

For the past couple of weeks we have been going out to the field three times per week to conduct field services. We are given scenarios that describe various conditions we might encounter while deployed, and we must prepare a field worship service that will meet the needs of our soldiers.

The date of my field service does not roll around until late August, but one of my classmates asked me to help him by leading a song in his service that was this morning. Anyway...if you can imagine I am preaching instead of singing here...it is a glimpse into what I will be doing in the not too distant future.

The Chaplain's Ball

2007-07-28T20:02:00.001-04:00

Okay...first of all...let me say that I know that I have been a bad little chaplain because it has been so long since I blogged. You know...I am not even going to offer any excuses. It is what it is.

Last night I went to the Chaplain's Regimental Ball. It commemorated the 232nd anniversary of the Chaplaincy Corps. That means that General George Washington saw the need for his soldiers in his Continental Army to have a chaplain a year before the Declaration of Independence was even signed. The chaplaincy has a long, significant history. Pray that its existence will be protected into the future so the deepest needs of soldiers can continue to be met at the times of most dire need.

Pictured with me are some of the members of my platoon. After me, that is Jenny, Brian, and Rick. Brian and Rick are both fellow Oklahomans. We had a great time, and it was really fun to have a reason to put our dress blues on for an evening.

I will try to be more regular in posting again. I am offering a refund of the subscription for any disgruntled readers.

P.S. ATTN 2LT John Cook, sorry I have not responded. Why don't you send me an email and I can try to answer your question.

Catching up

2007-07-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

This is a catching up blog. I honestly thought I would have more time to keep up with the blog than what I have so that is why you hear about things from me about a week after they happen.

The 4th of July...

The chaplains' school had a "mandatory fun day" at a lake here on Ft. Jackson. It really was pretty fun. We played games, cooked hot dogs and hamburgers and mixed and mingled.

My platoon was asked to provide a 5 minute devotional to start the day, and I volunteered. My roomate shot some video of it. He also got some video of me doing some intense studying during a break in the classroom. Both clips might be good for a laugh. (If you click the link below, the 'intense studying' is on the post titled "Random Video" and the devotional is on a post titled "CH-BOLC Picnic".

Click this link to go there (oh...by the way...spend some time reading other posts because this blog is by my awesome friend 2LT Dave...and it is a pretty good blog).

Pizza Anyone?

2007-07-07T21:13:00.000-04:00

Last week signaled the end of CIMT (the basic military part of our training). To commemorate, we got to switch from wearing our patrol caps to wearing the beret's.

To be honest, before I gained the right to wear one, I didn't know how I felt about them. Now, though, I feel a tremendous amount of pride about wearing it. It links we to all the great, heroic men and women who have served in defense of this great country, and it marks a significant step in my becoming an official Army chaplain.

The berets are made of wool, so first you have to shave it (and shave it and shave it). Then you have to get it completely wet. Then you shape it on your head while it is completely wet and have to wear it for about an hour.

Jonathan told me to wear it in the shower. Now...Jonathan...I have to admit. There is part of me that is wondering if you are snickering somewhere with your EOD buddies saying:

"...yeah...I told my OLD uncle who took this crazy wild hair to become a chaplain to wear his beret in the shower. Let's see if he actually does and takes pictures of it!!"

Well...my family is back home again. It will be a while before I get to see them again. Have I told you how proud I am of my family? They are absolutely the greatest. They have embraced this new calling on our lives with an incredible amount of faith. They are truly storing up rewards for themselves.

Oh yeah...as far as the title (Pizza anyone?). One of the cautions is not to look like a pizza chef when you wear the beret because that is basically what an unformed beret looks like: one of those poofy little hats that a pizza chef wears.

Hopefully...I did okay. Jonathan...tell me what you think.

MRE Picnic

2007-07-02T21:13:00.001-04:00

Well, sorry that it has been a while since I have blogged, but my family has been here.

We had a great time. On Friday, I took the kids to a water park that is here on post. With the military discount, it was only $4.25 per person to get in...not bad. We had a great time.

Then Saturday was the great MRE picnic. Actually, my nephew, Jonathan called them an unholy creation, and a friend of mine, CH Paul, told me that it could possibly be considered child abuse to feed my children MRE's...but they seemed to enjoy it. They do however have that mysterious third arm starting to grow out between their shoulder blades ; )

We hiked on a trail to a playground and then feasted on MRE's.

We then played on the playground equipment. When I pulled the camera out and told them to line up for pictures, my teenager asked incredulously "Me, too?"

He was a good sport about it, though.

It was really good to see my family. It really did me good to see them and see that they are doing okay with the military thing. Oh, I know it is hard for them...but they are a group that is pretty strong in their faith, and that leads them to be pretty strong.

They will be staying with me through the fourth, and then they will make the trip back. It has been great to have them here, and I will hate to see them go.

Coming up later in the week will be my beret post.

Field Training Exercises - - Part 3

2007-06-25T21:14:00.001-04:00

The picture to the left is from Land Navigation day.

We plotted grid coordinates on a map and had to navigate across the terrain to find certain markers.

My group got lost.

And to those who know me....no I was not leading the way. We went through the thickest vegetation I have ever been through, and I grew up stomping through the fields. There were actually four other guys in front of the one who you see there. That is how thick the stuff was.

When we finished, the cadre who was in charge of us said "I ain't never been through anything like that before!"

One of the most impacting moments of the entire exercise was when the chaplain instructors conducted a field service for us to demonstrate what we would soon be doing for our soldiers over in the sand, the sun, and the fun. To the left you see us standing as we sang. Directly below you see one of the chaplains standing sharing God's word with us, and below to the left you see a communion service they conducted for us in the field. It may be a little long, but I am going to type for you something I journaled out in the field just moments after sharing in this time of worship.

20 June 2007
To be honest, communion never held as much meaning to me as it held today. Oh, I knew what it meant; but I never felt the meaning of it...until today. As we sit in the field in the middle of CH-BOLC, the class leaders demonstrated a field service, and we ended the service with communion.

As I filed forward in the line to receive my wafer and dip it in the juice, I was already feeling emotion I had never felt at a communion service before.

Then as I reached for the wafer, the chaplain serving it to me spoke the words: "This is the body and blood of Christ." When those words hit my ears, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said once again: "Take my body and my blood and my good news to the soldiers."

Thank you, Father, for teaching me in new and fresh ways the wonderful truths of your word and for giving me wonderful new insight into the sacrifice Your Son made for us.

Field Training Exercises - - Part 2

2007-06-24T18:06:00.000-04:00

I decided rather than putting a plethora of pictures from the field exercises and have a really long post I would make it easier on you and break it up into a few posts. (Really, that makes me sound more noble than I am. This way... I spread my material for my posts out rather than blowing it all at one time ; )

On Thursday, we went to the Individual Movement Techniques range. Here we learned how to low crawl and high crawl in the event we ever have to maneuver under fire. The sun heated things up to blistering proportions that day, and then we crawled around in the sand in full battle rattle. To tell the truth...I loved it, and was anxious to go again.

Near the end of this course, we flop over from the low crawl where basically our whole bodies drag along the ground and our helmet plows sand to our backs where now our body armor is plowing the sand. The thing about that is when the helmet plows the sand it flows harmlessly to each side of your body. When your body armor plows the sand, it builds up and flows into your flak vest and down your back. It reminded me of my wedding day when I was digging bird seed out of places better left unmentioned!

After the low and high crawl course, we endeavored on a course that taught us to move under duress with our chaplain's assistant. We moved in teams of two (one assuming the role of the assistant and the other the chaplain) from barricade to barricade. We jumped up and ran to the next obstacle and hit our knees at a full run to dodge the the barrage of the would be attackers. And...oh yeah...this course was gravel...not sand. We were issued elbow pads and knee pads, but the palms of my hands still bruised up a little.

When we got back from Night Land Navigation on Wednesday night it was our platoon's turn for guard duty. My buddy, 2LT Dave and I got the shift from 0100 to 0200. That was after getting back from the land nav after midnight. Then to top it all off, since that was they day we were packing up to leave, we had to get up at 0400. So after being up for a very long day the day before, we both got a whopping 2 hours of sleep. That explains the "Major Tom to ground control" look in the eyes of my friend above. I snapped this picture after we had loaded our stuff and were waiting for time to move out. The time in the pic is somewhere around 0500.

I also have to say that yesterday was a very momentous day. It marked the 17th anniversary of the day I married my best friend and one of the most courageous women I know. Even though it brings with it a share of hardship, she has embraced God's calling to this new area of ministry. She is a great woman of faith with a great desire to follow and be used by God. Honey...your faith has made you stronger than you know. I love you. I look forward to the next 60 or 70 years!!

Field Training Exercises - - Part 1

2007-06-23T18:01:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday through Thursday we spent out in the field. To the right you can see half of our campsite. My tent sits in the foreground on the left. 20 of us slept in there. Three more tents sat across the road.

Obviously, staying clean in a field environment is somewhat challenging. Our sergeant suggested to us that we get alcohol wipes instead of baby wipes. Baby wipes, he said, leave a soapy residue that over time will irritate the skin whereas alcohol wipes evaporate completely.

I decided to take his advice and picked up a box of them at the PX. Wednesday morning, our first morning to do hygiene in the field, I woke up and reached in the dark for my wipes. I tore open the little packet and pulled out the wipe inside and started to unfold it. I literally tried for two minutes to unfold the small alcohol wipe so I could take my "shower." The silly thing just would not unfold. I pulled and pulled but could not get a corner of the folds to lift up. I knew I was tired, but this was beginning to border on ridiculous. Finally, I took a closer look.

Instead of alcohol wipes...I picked up alcohol swabs! Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash yourself with a one inch by one inch square piece of flat cotton? I wasn't set up very well for cleansing...but if the whole camp need to check their blood sugar...I was their man!

Then I gathered my shaving kit to whisk off the whiskers. Our main sergeant suggested that we did not need to take a mirror in which to shave...just go find a vehicle and use the side view mirror. I found a nice big SUV that had shaded windows that provided a nice reflection. I get about half way lathered up...and then the chaplain in charge of the school comes walking around the front of the vehicle as I peered into the reflection. You see...it seems I picked HIS car to use as my shaving mirror. Thankfully, he was actually quite gracious about it and got a good laugh out of it.

Above and to the right, you see me sitting down to enjoy my lunch...an MRE. There is no longer such a thing as "C" rations. A lot of the prior service people complained about the MRE's...and I suppose if I had to eat them for months...so would I. But, you know, they really aren't half bad.

To the right I squat to refill my canteen at a "water buffalo." They fill these large containers with ice. As it melts, you have ice cold, fresh water.

Here is the set up to provide hygiene for our hands. Rustic...but it gets the job done.

Here we are lined up to get our chow.

It really was a great three days. I have more to tell you, and more pictures that will follow in the next couple of days.

The Family is Coming!....The Family is Coming!!

2007-06-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

At the end of CIMT, we have a weekend off...so that means my family is coming to see me. I cannot wait!! To the left lies the sign that will greet them as they enter the post announcing their arrival on Ft. Jackson.

Below sits their destination: my apartment...and more importantly...ME!!! (Mine is the lower left unit.)

The next two pictures show the playground equipment located directly behind my apartment. I can see them out my bedroom window. I know my younger two will love playing on them.

There is also a trail just to the side of the playground equipment where we will take a hike and have an MRE picnic.

Below is I am sure what will be the most well received attraction...a water park located right here on post.

Also, we will be going to the field for three days on Tuesday morning so it will be a while before I post again. Hopefully, when I get back I will have some pictures for you.

Gas...Gas...Gas

2007-06-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

Today was that great military tradition known as the NBC chamber (or gas chamber). Really, it wasn't all that bad. Before I took my mask off, it just felt like about 100 fire ants on the skin of my neck. (You walk into the chamber with the mask on, and then while in there you have to take it off to see what it would be like without the mask so you are highly motivated to put it on if ever the case may arise.)

Below are some pictures of me and my classmates as we are coming out of the chamber.

As we came out, we had to wave our arms (kinda like a chicken). This helped the gas dissipate from our clothing.

As you can see, no one comes out of the chamber with any clogged sinus issues.

This is one of the guys in our platoon. He is a rabbi whom we call "Mo". That is short for his first name which I cannot spell, but it is the Hebrew form of Moses.

Here are 2LT Dave and me a few moments after we came out.

Dad...you were right...breathing through my nose inside the chamber helped. Although, I did suck in a breath through my mouth one time and paid the price. Going through the gas chamber wasn't exactly a day in the park, but it wasn't all that bad either. It was an experience that helped me feel more like I was in the Army.

Is this a Man or Mosquito ?

2007-06-13T18:59:00.000-04:00

Today we learned how to properly put on our gas masks. So that means that tomorrow we get to go try them out. This is the day we have heard about for so long...the NBC chamber (or gas chamber).

To be honest...I am looking forward to it. I know it will be unpleasant, but I am not worried about it. Once I have been through it, I will be glad to say I have done it.

We also had a special honor in class today. Major General David Hicks, the Army Chief of Chaplains, addressed our class today in a convocation. He is set to retire in one month after 42 years of serving our country. He truly seemed to be a genuine man of God, whom I am sure God has used mightily throughout the years. God used his message to us to further confirm in my heart my calling to the chaplaincy.

The thing he said that most stuck with me was this. He said that what he finally learned is that it was not about Dave Hicks, but it was about God and subjecting to His will.

Amen.

Talk to you again tomorrow after the gas chamber!

Falling on Victory

2007-06-12T19:45:00.000-04:00

Today started with another road march. We marched about one mile to the confidence course. In the pictures below you can see us lining up for the march and then actually marching down the road.

We marched to the confidence course which has several different elements designed to make you confront fears. It was a lot of fun. We were scheduled to do five elements, but due to the size of our class, my team was only able to complete three and a half of them. The bummer was that the two events I really wanted to do because they were the ones that were going to challenge me the most we did not get to do. One of them was the confidence climb which is straight up and over the really tall ladder. I think I mentioned it in a previous blog.

One of the events that I did get to do was the "Slide to Victory." It is a zip line that starts on a platform about 30 feet off the ground, and then goes down rapidly to a point about 10 feet off the ground. When I was stepping off the platform, I thought I had stepped out far enough to clear it. The left foot went out...then I kicked my right foot out...but instead of zipping forward...I more or less plopped right down on the platform on my "chinch-ee-bo."

My friend, 2LT Dave, who was on the ground at the time said it made a big enough noise that everyone turned and said "Ooooooo...."

Anyway...that is how I "fell on victory."

Hey...at least I distinguished myself somehow.

Thursday we go to the gas mask chamber. I can't wait to show you the pics from that day.

Are We Getting Paid for This?

2007-06-11T20:24:00.000-04:00

We went to the Team Development Course Today. This is a course with different stations where a team is confronted with an obstacle and must work as a team to solve it. I got to be team leader on the the first element and loved it. I looked at one of my battle buddies at one point today and said "Do you realize we are getting paid for this?!"

I have put a couple of pictures here of some of the elements.

We also marched briefly today. After formation at 0630, we marched to the TDC area. (Thank the Lord for that 0630 formation. All but one of our formations last week were at 0430. 0630 seemed like sleeping in!) The march was only a mile or barely more. I actually really enjoyed it.

We march again tomorrow, but I do not know how far it will be. Tomorrow we go to the confidence course. This course centers more on individual activities. It consists of elements that help you conquer fear (thus the name...confidence course). One of the elements that has been described is a 70 foot wooden ladder that we must ascend, climb over the top, and then descend the other side (now I believe the height was exaggerated to me, but I am sure it is at least uncomfortably high). I will try to snap some more pics and post them tomorrow.

Oh yeah...to those of you who have been in the military who find it surprising that we can have cameras...that's really nothing. You should see the 57" TV we have in our apartment.

You know what they say...RHIP...Rank Has Its Privileges!!

Right now I need to try to do a little homework and then get in bed. I am a pretty tired chaplain.

Posts and Pics...at last

2007-06-10T17:19:00.000-04:00

Okay...I know I haven't been posting much since I have been here. I am not the 'hoss' that CH Mark Olson is. With the number of posts he has been putting on I think he only needs two hours of sleep each night.

For those of you who do follow my blog (like especially my family and those back at Aydelotte) I will try to be more regular with my posting now. We are finally done with the in-processing so our schedule should become a little more regular.

The first few days was nothing but filling out paper work, listening to long (and usually not very interesting) briefs, and sitting in long lines. The funniest quote one day was by one of my classmates on a day we had to get up at 3:15 in the morning. The day started with a urinalysis. Then because there are so many of us in this class, we kept getting moved from one line to another. Many of us were moved around without ever getting to go into the office to take care of the matter for which we waited. As we sat on the bus near the end of the day, one class mate said: "I have been up since 3:15...and all I have done is pea in a cup!" (okay...well....maybe you had to be there).

On Thursday, we got to wear our uniforms for the first time. As my youngest would say..."I love it...love it, love it, love it!"

Friday morning we did our first PT test. The dreaded PT test. For those of you who read my Toilet Paper Blog...get this...when I did my push ups they told me I was actually going down farther than I needed. I guess the toilet paper prepared me well.

TP...It's not just for the bathroom anymore!!

By the way...I passed the PT: 35 pushups, 43 situps, and 17:33 on the two mile run. PTL!

Saturday was a fun day. We did our first road march (only one mile total) and we got to go reppelling. You can see in one picture where we are lining up in formation to begin our half mile march to the reppelling area. The temp that day was about 99 degrees. HOOAH!!

Then you can see the reppelling tower as we arrived. I wish I could put more pictures, but they would not let us take our cameras in.

Things are going great. I miss my family terribly, but I am excited to be here because I know more than ever that this is God's place for me.

Hopefully, posts will start coming a little more regularly now.

Here and There

2007-06-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

So much has happened since my last post. For one I have traveled about 1000 miles and am now living at Ft. Jackson for the next three months.

Before I left home, though, my youngest learned to ride his bike. I had been working with him earlier in the summer, but the time was not right. A couple of days before I left, he decided he wanted to do it. He took of like a champ, and in a couple of days he was riding like he had been doing it for years. I was so thankful that I got to see him do it before I left.

I felt like God confirmed to me through getting to see my son ride his bike for the first time that He was going to carry us through our journey of following Him into the military. I know that there will be things I miss getting to see my kids do in the future, but it was just like God was saying that our lives would always be intertwined.

Today was my first official day of military service. It consisted of paper work, instructions, and learning how to line up in formation. I report for formation at 5:30 tomorrow morning so I will need to get up at 4:00.

They told us that we have a record attendance for the recent history of CH-BOLC. We have 138 enrolled and we are supposed to increase to 170+ for the second part of the class.

Well, I am here, but very tired tonight. There will be more coming in the days ahead.

Can Toilet Paper Get You Ready for the Army?

2007-05-25T10:18:00.000-04:00

Today is a benchmark day. I say this for two reasons: because I point the wheels of my truck east toward Ft. Jackson one week from today and because of levels I have reached in physical training (better known in the Army as PT).

Today in my workout I did 34 pushups, 47 situps...and here is something about which I feel a great sense of accomplishment...I did the two mile run in 16:30. (The requirements for my age bracket to pass the Army APFT are PU: 34, SU: 38, and two mile run: 18:18)

Now I know that those numbers are not earth shattering. Really those numbers are quite modest, but when you consider that one year ago I weighed 50 pounds more than I do right now, I could do only 10 pushups (and those were not correct form), I could do less than five situps, and, completely literally, I could not even run one time around the track...as Virginia Slim would say..."I've come a long way baby." To a certain Command Sergeant Major out there...your time invested in me was not in vain.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the grace you give for overcoming even physical obstacles and the strengthening you provide. All praise honor and glory are Yours!!

Okay...about the toilet paper. About a week and a half ago I was watching the military channel, and seeing a program dealing with recruits and physical requirements, I became concerned that I was not coming down far enough in my pushups. I noticed that the cadre on this program were putting their fists on the floor for the recruits to come down and touch with their chest as they did the pushups. So I would not have to rely on anyone to be available when I did my PT, I searched all over the house for something that would be the thickness of my fist, but be soft enough so that if my arms gave out on me I would not impale myself.

You guessed it...I found a roll of toilet paper and unwound some layers until it was the right thickness. As my fears suggested, I was not coming down quite far enough in my push up form. Before, I was doing around 40 pushups. When I corrected my form, the number came down considerably, but it is on its way back up again.

That is how toilet paper is getting me ready for the Army. I call it my PT... TP.

A Family Farewell

2007-05-19T22:02:00.000-04:00

My family held a get together in honor of my impending departure to CHBOLC. Mom and Dad were there; my three brothers and their families were there; my sisters live in New York so they were not. It was a great time. We grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and basically pigged out. We visited a lot and reminisced, too.

There were, of course, some funny things said from (you guessed it) my little girl. For instance: as she sits at the table eating a cupcake, she asks her cousin:

"Do you want this cupcake when I am through with the icing?"

Then she wanted to take Grandma's dog for a walk with the leash, but Grandma was afraid the dog would get away from her and the leash would get hung up in the brush somewhere out in the field. So I tell her to put the leash on her little brother and take him for a walk. She hooked the leash on the belt loop of his pants and proceeded to have him pull her all around the yard. She had great fun. He didn't think too much of the idea!

This get together certainly brought home to me the fact that I am about to embark on this path God has laid out before me. God has been so good. He has not failed to bring confirmation to me that this is His path for me and my family right now. He has faithfully brought assurance that my family will be securely in His hands as I leave.

I am looking forward to what He has in store ahead.

Another Home Sweet Home

2007-05-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

We traveled to Fort Riley earlier this week to secure (yet another) place to live. God truly blessed us again by leading us to a place that is going to be great. It is in a brand new development, and I think we will like it very much. It used to take me a long time to begin to feel at home in a new place. One thing this military journey has taught me is that home has very little to do with the physical surroundings. Home is where you are together with your loved ones. I know that sounds corny and cliche, but it is true.

I had a funny experience while getting onto post. As I pull through the guard shack, an MP was manning the station. He was an SPC...probably about 19 or 20. When I show him my ID, he snaps to attention and snaps off a salute.

I did not know what to do. I just stared at him. I was in civilian clothes and in a vehicle. I thought either of those situations meant you did not salute. So...I just stared at him. I drove away from the guard shack laughing...partly at the situation...mostly at myself. I called my good friend 2LT Dave and told him about the situation. He offered kind, consoling words. I believe his exact words were "...you choked, man!"

We have an official date for the Army to move us to the Fort Riley area. You just don't get any more real than that...except for actually hitting the road...which happens for me now in less than three weeks.

See for Yourself

2007-05-04T10:26:00.000-04:00

I thought you might like to see the "evidence" for yourself. The pictures were taken with my webcam, so the quality isn't that great...but it is enough to get the idea.

Be sure and read the post under this one as well. The pictures go along with that post.

Buzz, Buzz

2007-05-04T10:03:00.000-04:00

I traveled to a military installation yesterday. My oldest son had an orthodontist appointment, and it was close by the installation. I also got another hair cut. Skin on the sides and, this time, blend to a number 1 on top.

There is a lot of skin showin' through! Of course, my kids would be quick to point out that there was a lot of skin showing through before the hair cut as well. I like my new "do", but I must admit...my head does feel a little bit cold ; )

I also bought the remainder of my PT's and ACU's so now I am set except for my dress uniforms. I will get those later at Ft. Jackson.

My oldest, his girlfriend, and her brother (also my oldest's best-friend) accompanied me. They quickly found out that the PX was not necessarily a teenage friendly place...so they resorted to making their own entertainment in the food court. It involved something with the remains of a strawberry smoothy and my son leaving with a sticky leg.

All night I cringed when I heard the phone ring expecting it to be the CG of the installation ; ) Just kidding...they all three are good kids, and I think they had a reasonably good time, but I think the PX has been crossed off of their list for a favorite hang out spot.

Getting Closer

2007-04-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow the last page of the April calendar falls to the floor, and May jumps up.

Why is that significant? It means the leaving time for CHBOLC is rolling closer like one of those giant snow balls. You know...the ones that start small, but then gather momentum and mass and swallow everything in its path? That seems like how the Army thing started. It started almost a year ago and seemed although significant...still yet somewhat innocuous (boy...I sure am liking big words tonight....I hope I am using them correctly). But now that the time is almost here, it seems pretty big.

God showers His grace on us, though. I still know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is God's will for us. I am looking forward to see what God does in and through our lives, too.

Well...happy May everyone.

A Visit to the Old Homestead

2007-04-24T22:50:00.000-04:00

I took my two little ones to go spend the day with my folks today (the oldest was in school, my wife was not feeling well, and the two little ones being home schooled are already done with school for the year because they started earlier than the public schools did). My dad is quite put out with the difference between what it looks like my basic will entail as an officer and what he had to endure.

Dad...this is all I have to say....

Na, na, na, na, na, naaaaaa

We had a great visit. I am looking forward to going back in a couple of weeks when my family is planning a get-together for me before I go

Here is another Branson memory:
We rode go-carts one day we were there. The last time we went to Branson and rode the carts, our oldest was about 10 or 11, about 5'7" and barely over 100 pounds. Now he is 15, stands 6'2", weighs only 20 pounds less than me, and has size 15 feet (yes...you read that's right...his shoe size matches his age....let's just hope that is a trend that stops). Back then, he fit quite nicely in the carts. This time, when he sat down, his knees came up to his ears. He basically looked like a circus bear that they train to ride the tricycle. His legs were up at such an angle, he said he had to drive the cart with his arm resting on his knee. If not, the wind kept blowing his shorts way up on his legs and it started to get obscene.

You know...its those situations that have a way of defining a young man's life. They will either mold character in you...or send you into a fetal position and put you in a persistent vegetative state. But then...he is a teenager...and sometimes it is hard to tell the difference! ; )

I'll let you know how it turns out.

We had a great time, and that situation provided another great laugh.

Last Hurrah Before the Hooah

2007-04-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

Okay...so I am into corny titles ; )

We just got back from a few days of R and R at Branson, MO. We had such a great time. We planned this trip so we could have a last get-a-way as a family before I leave for CHBOLC. God blessed us so greatly with a fantastic trip.

Probably the biggest laugh we got was from my little girl. We went to the Dixie Stampede on Friday night. (For those who do not know, it is an indoor show with an old south theme. It is complete with music, singing, and a horse show...all in-doors and all while you eat a whole (small) roasted chicken (and other fixin's) with your bare hands because they don't give you silverware.

As we pull up to the place, my daughter enthusiastically reads the sign out front.

"Hey..." she exlcaims "we get to see southern bellies at this show." My wife, my 15 year old, and I exchange a puzzled look as we try to figure out what she is talking about. Why in the world would we want to see a southern belly?

Then I realize she has misread the sign that says we will get to see a real "Southern Belle."

Five weeks and counting. Thank you God, for your grace.

2007-04-16T09:24:00.001-04:00

Hello all. Nothing really blog worth has been happening, but I didn't want to go a long time without a post. I don't know why...those of you who know me know I am just anal-retentive that way.

Yesterday was a day that I really missed the folks back at ABC. We really miss you guys and pray for you all the time. The people at the church we are attending are very warm and friendly, but they are just not you all from ABC.

Several of you have been emailing to tell me you are reading the blog. I love the emails. Keep 'em coming.

30:60s...PT...and She Ate Another One

2007-04-13T08:58:00.000-04:00

I started a new phase of training this week. ArmyStudyGuide.com has a recommended training regimen to get ready for basic training. I modified their 12 week prep program to fit in with what I was already doing.

I added interval training to my run. I have been running now for almost a year, but the interval training should help get me over a hump in my time. Once a week you do intervals: sprint for 30 seconds and then walk for 60. Then you do 6 repetitions of that interval. Sounds easy enough until you run with your long-legged, big-footed son whose legs are 22 years younger than yours. It can be quite humbling. (By the way...about the feet...his shoe size matches his age...he just turned 15...no kidding...really).

I also added a calisthenics set to my weekly workout (also from ArmyStudyGuide.com). I was doing push-ups and sit-ups already, but it is good to get this type of workout added, too. My goal is that I want to hit CHOBLC...I do not want CHOBLC to hit me ; ) Wishful thinking...I know. Hopefully I will get there and not be too bad off.

Considering the fact that nine months ago I weighed 50 pounds more than I do right now, and the only time I ran was when someone hollered "Buffet!"...I have come a long way.

Okay...sorry...this has been a pretty boring post. Let me just finish with this...

She ate another one!

This time a whole one. This time she did it in front of my wife's mom and dad. Grandma saw her. As the worm approached her mouth, Grandma said..."Oh, no...don't....Oh, no...don't...Oh, no...she did!"

She Ate a Worm...Really!!

2007-04-09T22:43:00.000-04:00

We were working outside today digging up some flower beds. My little girl (about to be nine) proclaims "I just ate a worm!" Unimpressed and unconvinced my wife and I just "uh-huh"-ed her brushing her off. In a little bit, she approaches again (not to be taken lightly) and announces she intends to repeat her feat.

This time, though, we see dangling from her fingers half (I underscore the word half) of a worm. Open goes the mouth....in goes the worm.

She did it. She actually did it and I saw it with my own eyes. The look on her face betrayed her emotions. I think she shocked herself more than she did us; however, she did keep it down.

What else could a father do at that point....I gave her a high five.

Later, my wife and I agreed. Her stunt both impressed us and scared us to death. Today...a worm...tomorrow???

Surrender

2007-04-07T10:20:00.000-04:00

I just read an awesome post by Amy Maxwell on the topic of surrender. (Read the April 6 post entitled "Note to Readers"...I highly recommend going and reading it). It made me think about the surrender that God asks of me and my family in this journey to the Army.

The surrender for me is not in going into the Army. To be honest, that excites me. I look forward to being a chaplain and wearing my country's uniform. Surrender for me is not going on deployment. Actually serving on foreign soil also holds allure for me. Where does surrender come for me? It comes in surrendering my family.

The call to discipleship is the call to surrender (Luke 9:23, "If anyone should come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.") When God called me to the chaplaincy, He underscored this surrender as it pertained to my family (Matthew ch. 10: anyone who loves father, mother, sister, brother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy to be my disciple).

Wow. This surrender He asks of me hits me where I live.

"God...these are the ones you have called me to serve, protect, and nurture. How can I throw them to the wolves by leaving them like this?"

Then as I read Amy's post mentioned above, this is what God brought to me about surrendering my family.

Imagine a little boy who is bringing home a present that he made at school for his mother. He prizes this possession. His heart treasures this gift he wants to present. As he walks home with his father, rain has been falling all day, and now the streets are flooded. As the boy and his father approach a particularly swollen part of a stream they must cross, the father asks the boy to give him the gift intended for the mother. The boy does not want to let it go. It is his to protect and deliver. Finally, through the little boy's tears, the father insists that the boy give over the prize. The boy feels like he has lost everything, but in reality he has given what is most important to him to his father who is bigger, stronger, and more able to deliver it safely over the danger.

I am not surrendering my family to be left alone. I am delivering them up to a God who loves them even more than I can. I deliver them up to a God who wants to work His perfect plan in their lives, too, to make them what He wants them to be. I deliver them up to a God who is bigger, stronger, and infinitely more able than I to deliver them safely through the torrents that await us.

Snow...In April?

2007-04-07T09:42:00.000-04:00

Hello all. Not much has really been happening, but I just wanted to check in 'cause I hate those blogs where people go for days and days without posting. On the other hand, I hate those blogs where people just ramble on without really having anything to say (oh...I am so conflicted).

Two days ago, on Thursday....it snowed!! Right smack dab in the central US (or Midwest...whichever you prefer) in APRIL....it snowed. It snowed quite a bit, too. I tried to get some pics of it to post, but I am not savvy enough on my new camera yet so sorry.

Today we are going to take the little two to a church in the area that is sponsoring an Easter egg hunt (with a resurrection spin on it no doubt), and then we are going to the mall so our oldest can spend a gift card he got for his birthday. Just pretty much family stuff.

Have a great Easter, and focus upon that wonderful truth and fact that our Lord is risen. His bones are not in a grave somewhere. Our entire existence depends upon that fact.

New Army Slogan Pt. 2

2007-04-03T16:13:00.000-04:00

I typed this originally in a response to CH Kay, and then I thought "Hey...this would make a pretty good post." So here it is.

I have been enjoying the peculiar looks people give me when they ask me what I do and I answer "I am becoming an Army Chaplain." So I thought I could have a little fun with it. The next time I meet someone here is Arkansas and he or she asks me what I do I will respond: "I used to be a pastor for the last 19 years, but now I am going to become the guy that drives around in the big truck and cleans out overflowing septic systems."

Then I will wait...wait...wait...and then I will say "Not really...I am going to become an Army Chaplain." And then I will compare reactions.

Should be fun ; )

A WORD ABOUT COMMENTS:
Many of you are starting to leave comments...AND I LOVE IT!! Please keep 'em coming, and in case you didn't know...I always try to respond to them so check back after you leave one.

Just let me ask one tiny favor PLEASE DON'T PUT NAMES ; ) ... either my family or of the places we live. You never know who might be reading the blog, and you just can't be too careful. You can use initials (using my first name is okay 'cause it's already on the blog) but please don't for my family or where we live (the name of the state is okay). KEEP THOSE COMMENTS ROLLIN' IN...I LOVE 'EM!!!

A New Army Slogan

2007-04-02T21:52:00.000-04:00

First, it was "Be All You Can Be." Next came "Army of One." Now it is "Army Strong." Well...I have a new one: "Army Crazy." Now this slogan does not refer to the way I feel about the Army. As I have said before, I am proud to be wearing our country's uniform. It stems rather from the way people look at me when I tell them what I do.

As I went to church here in Arkansas for the first time yesterday and as I enrolled my oldest son in high school today, I have had to answer the question "What do you do?" a lot. Since I am no longer a pastor, I have no choice but to answer "Well...I am getting ready to go into the Army to become a chaplain." It is at that point that they give you that look....that...."Army Crazy" look. You know what kind of look it is; it is that deer in the headlights look. It is that "Did I really hear what I just think I heard?" look. It's that "I am still waiting for the punch line" look. It's the "Army Crazy" look as in "Boy, you must be crazy, but I will give you a courtesy nod and smile anyway."

So I guess I am "Army Crazy" and the clock is ticking toward June.

Fish Out of Water

2007-04-01T15:50:00.000-04:00

That is what I felt like today: a fish out of water. Today was my first Sunday as a non-pastor (including any kind of pastoral staff member...but especially, most recently, as senior pastor) in 19 years. My wife and I both said we found ourselves thinking quite a bit about those great folks at ABC. (We love and miss you guys!) She said she pulled out an old offering envelope from her bible that had our mission statement on it and her eyes filled with tears. (As I proof read this post, I realized a mistake in that last line. It should read "their" mission statement ; (

We worshipped with a great church today. They run in the mid 200's in Sunday school, and they really welcomed us. As we walked up to the building, they greeted us warmly and helped us find all the appropriate class rooms. The greeters explained to us that we had a choice of three adult classes; all of them were fairly equal in terms of the ages of the class members. As we sat down for class to begin, the teacher told us to open our bibles to Acts 20:28-38. I preached from Acts 20:36-38 my last Sunday last week at ABC. During one of the comments made during class, one lady remarked about her feelings when her daughter told her that she was leaving to be a missionary and taking the three grandkids with her. The similarities were overwhelming. We could have visited any one of several churches in this town today. In the church we visited, we could have attended any one of three adult classes, but God's hand led us to this one where these seemingly coincidental circumstances touched our hearts, ministered to us, and served to remind us that God knows exactly where we are.

Thank you dear, Lord God.

I found it hard not to be feeding the flock back at ABC. The focus of that Sunday school lesson was the characteristics of a good shepherd of the flock. It helped me ponder the fact of how much I loved pastoring that wonderful group of people we just left. It also helped me reaffirm the conviction of the missionary calling God has placed on me and my family's lives for me to go now and shepherd His people who are serving in the Army.

All in all, it has been a roller coaster of a day. Praise God, though, that when I am weak then He is strong!

As we are leaving Sunday school making our way to the auditorium, I hear something that strikes a chord of fear in my heart. On our first Sunday in this church, as I walk down the crowded halls...I hear a Sunday school teacher walking down the hall calling out....

my daughter's name....not once.....not twice....but three times.

My colon tightened as I stepped around the corner not knowing what to expect to see:...maybe my daughter in a combative, argumentative posture....maybe she crumpled to the floor in a fit of tears and rage....maybe others are in the back administering CPR because she has talked someone into a coma....

Oh....thank goodness....the teacher is carrying her Bible! She only left her Bible in class!!....Whew! No major catastrophe after all...

Well....there is always next week ; )

Military Everywhere

2007-03-30T20:31:00.000-04:00

My father-in-law and mother-in-law took us out to eat for lunch yesterday. It was my first time to see them since moving to Arkansas so they had not seen my ID yet. I pulled the ID out of my wallet to show them while we were waiting for the waitress to take our drink orders, and as my father-in-law looked at it, the waitress came up. She immediately recognized it as a military ID. It turns out her husband had just gotten out after being in for 13 years. She asked me about my service and as we were getting ready to leave she said "Thank you for what you are doing for our country."

Her comment humbled me greatly. First of all, I have not done anything yet. Second, there are so many who have done so much. They deserve the thanks. God has blessed me and my family so much with the privilege of serving Him. He has doubly blessed us by calling us into a service that allows me to wear our country's uniform. That also is a great privilege.

I hope I remember the fact that it is a privilege about a year from now when I am cleaning sand out of....well...never mind.

(What??!...my EARS!!!....I was talking about my ears)

Countdown

2007-03-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

Now I feel like the real countdown to going to CHOBLC (CHaplian's Officer Basic Leadership Course) begins. Much needs to be done, and we have only two months to do it. Here are some examples of the things we need to do before June arrives:
* make a "Deployment Guide" for my family (this is a book with important numbers to call in case of emergencies, instructions on how to work things like computers and VCR's, and other things like that)
* financial details need to be put in line at our bank
* I am making a video tape of myself doing devotionals for my kids and transferring them to DVD
* and other things like that

I had a good run this morning. All the details of wrapping things up before leaving the church and finally moving to Arkansas allowed little time to consistently pursue PT. The town where we live has an awesome running trail that is paved and winds its way through a good portion of the town. Since Spring has arrived, the scenery is gorgeous. I ran for a total of 31 minutes this morning: good for 3 plus miles I figure. It is the third day this week I have run.

Arkansas at Last

2007-03-26T22:50:00.000-04:00

Our last Sunday at the best local church with the best people around was yesterday. Several people sang songs in appreciation of our service at this church over the last seven and a half years, and the church had a pot luck dinner in honor of me and my family. They gave me some going away gifts (one of which was a hard shell case for my guitar that I can take on deployment with me...badly needed...and a nice digital camera for the same purpose - - going on deployment that is...I do not think a digital camera could hold my guitar) and one of the teenage girls even wrote and performed a song for us on her guitar. It was all very touching.

Another of the teenage girls put messages on the windows of our van with shoe polish (the scuttlebutt says she received the shoe polish from her aunt). It was really cool. We still have not washed the windows yet and will not until we get a picture of it. There is just one thing I cannot figure out about the message she put on the driver's side window...why does she think I am a pedestrian?

So now we live in Arkansas at last. The change feels strange. I know we are still getting used to it, and it is still waiting to sink in. It really does not seem like we have left. It seems like Sunday will roll around and I will be stepping back into the pulpit to try to deliver God's word to those wonderful people. We miss them a great deal and will always, always hold them close in our hearts.

We love you guys. Good-bye.

Real Tough Army Guy Hair Cuts

2007-03-23T23:08:00.000-04:00

As I said at the end my last post, we went earlier in the week to a local military installation to try out that new military ID. As we were walking around the PX, we saw the barber shop: military hair cuts only $4.75. I just couldn't resist.

What was really cute, though, was my little boy (age 5) climbed into a chair a few down from me to get his hair cut, too. He actually has a hair line (unlike his father) that enabled him to get a flat top. He sat in the barber chair with a smile as big as Dallas because he was getting a "real tough army guy haircut" (what he calls the military style cut) like his daddy.

So now we are both high and tight and looking fine (well...at least he is...I kinda look like a guy in his late 30's with the side of his head shaved and who is balding to beat the band).

The Next to the Last Good-bye

2007-03-21T23:29:00.000-04:00

The good-byes and the lasts (things that we do and afterward say "That is the last time we will do that) are starting to roll around more quickly. Last Sunday, I preached my Sunday morning sermon for the next to the last time. I did a look back at our seven and a half years of ministry here. It was an emotional time. Sunday night I did a mini concert. It was our last Sunday night with these great people.

Last night we went out to eat with our good friends David and Dacia. It was the last time we would go out to eat with them before we move away for good.

Tonight was our last Wednesday Bible Study with our congregation. But the big one is a few days away: our last Sunday with this wonderful group of people period.

On the lighter side: we went to a local military installation yesterday. We were looking at some outside displays of some Howitzers. One of the guns had a peculiar bracing at a point where the parts of the structure came together: it was metal plate with a circular hole right in the middle of it. There were two such braces - one on each side of the structure. My youngest runs up to it and says "Wow...Dad...look...this one has a cup holder!"

Hey...leave it to the Army to think of everything ;)

Campout

2007-03-18T23:02:00.000-04:00

We camped out, and a great time was had by all. But can you say cold? The overnight low was forecast for 38 degrees, and the mercury fell to every bit of that. We had one lady get up and drive home at about 0300 (she took considerable ribbing for that the next day). We had another lady who stands about 5'5'' borrow some coveralls from a man who stands about 6'4". She also took a considerable amount of ribbing (but she didn't care...she was warm). We had a hot dog roast and a marshmallow fight. We froze, but I would go do it again in a heartbeat. It was a great way to spend some special time with a group of people who have become very special to us before we leave. I already knew these people pretty well, but you get to know someone so much better when you get into an environment like that with them. Going on a church wide camp out was something I had intended to do for about 7 years. I could kick myself that we had not done it sooner. It is events like that which really build fellowship. These are some great, great people, and I am glad I have this memory of them as I go out from them on the new mission God has for me and my family.

The Last Hurrah

2007-03-16T08:54:00.000-04:00

Two momentous things occur today: I take my wife to get her military ID, and we are having a camp out with our church family - our last big hurrah.

Going to get the ID brings mixed feelings. We look forward to it on the one hand because it holds a certain allure and excitement. Then on the other hand it strikes us that we are one step closer to this gargantuan (now...it is not every day you get to use that word) life change.

Then the camp out. We have really come to love this dear group of people. Leaving is not an easy thing. We are having a church wide camp out, and about 40 to 50 folks have signed up to come. This is about half of our average Sunday attendance so it is a pretty good turnout. It will be the last big thing I do with these people. We have designated it a camp out and prayer retreat. I will teach a couple of lessons on prayer. Then I have only two more Sundays with them and only one more week in the office.

Even though leaving hurts, I choose to look expectantly toward the future. Jesus left His home for me. Then after making another home here and developing close relationships, He left here to go back to his rightful home. He has not asked me to do anything for Him that He has not already done many times over for me. So I will look to the future expectantly and enjoy this last hurrah with some of the greatest people I have ever known.

ID

2007-03-14T22:46:00.000-04:00

I went today and got my military ID. For some reason, it makes everything feel more official. Before I had it in my wallet, I could not have been more in, but it just seems more real now. I had to wait for two hours because the office was so busy. A really great guy from my church who is a CSM in the OKARNG got me onto the installation so I could get the ID, and he patiently waited for the two hours. He even got run over by a wheelchair. It was one of those "HoverRound" kinds. An elderly gentleman was trying to navigate his craft through a narrow doorway and his chair became lodged against the door casing by the arm rest. My friend, the CSM, jumped up to help by swinging the door open wider. Just about that time, the powered chair suddenly sprang loose and cut the CSM down by the shin. The CSM was probably thinking "I know I swore to stand in harm's way when necessary...but this is ridiculous!"

Anyway...I got my ID. The CSM will need orthotic surgery...but I got my ID. I am still having trouble registering for my AKO account, though. When I enter my PEBD, it tells me that I have entered invalid information. The PEBD listed on my orders reads one date. Someone else suggested I try my commissioning date which is a different date. Neither worked. If anyone has some words of wisdom...I am all ears.

Commissioning

2007-03-12T09:36:00.000-04:00

I took my oath of office last night. I could really go on and on about my different emotions and reflections...but in regards to you still finding my blog interesting to read I won't. I will just say that it was as close to perfect as I think it could have been:
- my mom and dad were able to attend
- my wife and kids were able to attend
- the man who was my pastor through most of my formative years was there to speak
- my church family was able to witness it
- I presented each of my kids with a Military BRAT coin
- I presented my wife with a nice presentation of "The Military Wife Crest"
- my good, good friend, 2LT Dave was able to administer my oath

It really was a great night. Today I am faxing the commissioning papers to Arlington so later in the week I should be able to get my ID. Pics were taken so as soon as I get them I will post a couple.

2007-03-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

We have been having a garage sale for the last two days and we are worn out. The sale actually started itself. We did not intend to start the sale until Friday morning, but as we were setting things out Thursday morning to organize and price them, people just started showing up and buying. We could not even sit down from 0900 till 1500 it was so busy. God really blessed our sale: PTL!

An interesting person showed up this morning. He was our first customer, and he was interested in my books. He offered me one price for all of them (this was so many books, it covered three-fourths of the bed of my pickup). As we were loading them he told me about how he started hearing voices a few years ago. I took the bait and we talked about his "interesting circumstance." I was able to share my faith with him, and tell him how the God of all creation does talk to me. He told me how I would probably start hearing the voices, too, soon, and that when I did I would know I was not the only one.

Oooookaaaaayy.

I am going to be sworn in this coming Sunday night. I am really looking forward to it. I will write you and tell you all about it.

A Little Bit Miffed

2007-03-05T20:53:00.000-05:00

For the first time ever I watched an episode of "Without a Trace" last night. It caught my attention because it told the story of a woman who had bombed an abortion clinic in her early 20's and was increasingly inflicted with guilt. Now in her late 30's she decided to turn herself in. That was when the mastermind behind the bombing abducted her. This mastermind just happened to be the pastor of Community Bible Church where this woman and her husband were members.

Now what I am miffed about is not that the show did not have a balancing Christian, pro-life character (one who was as clearly Christian as this woman but disagreed with clinic bombing) so it painted all Christians as crazed abortion clinic bombers. I am not even miffed because the episode clearly painted a parallel between religious activism and vigilantism. No...I am not miffed about either of those things although they are good points for discussion in their own right.

What miffs me is that there was no media outcry about the way Christianity was clearly maligned and profiled. The show was anti-Christian bigotry clear, plain, and simple. Where were the headlines? Did I just miss them?? If the same story had been written but a religion other than Christianity had been portrayed as the antagonist, the show would have immediately been pulled and civil law suits would have been filed. If it had featured a racial minority being painted in the light that Christians were, the ACLU would have set up camp across the street from the production studio and Jerry Bruckheimer would have been forced to undergo psychiatric treatment for his bigoted intolerance. I guess I just missed all that. I must have been asleep in 2004 (that was when this episode show originally aired).

Now I believe in free speech so much I am willing to put on my country's uniform. I believe religious freedom is important enough to send our brightest and best into harm's way to protect. It would just be nice to see fairness in the media and not the current double standard we currently have. I am just a little miffed...that's all.

Another Little Boy Conversation

2007-03-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

Last night after I reunited with my family:

(Little girl comes out of the bedroom)
LG: Daddy, would you tell (Little Boy) to settle down? He is still jumping on the bed.
LB: (quickly interjecting) Daddy, sister is being naughty!
Dad: What did sister do?
LB: She told me to stop!

Great Birthday Present and Conversations with a Little Boy

2007-03-01T08:26:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday. I am 37. All of you (like me) who know the APFT charts as well as you know John 3:16 by now know what that means: today is the day I have less push-ups and sit-ups to do and I get more time on the run! Now THAT is a great birthday present.

Seriously, the best present I get today is that I am about ready to hit the road to Arkansas to spend a couple of days with my family.

One quick word about my little boy. I told you a couple of posts ago about my little girl being the "glass half full" kind of gal. Well, my little boy is a slightly different story. After my kids' experience of attending the Wednesday night children's program at the new church where my little girl (almost 9) came home so excited you had to peel her off the wall, it went a little differently with my little boy (who is 5).

Mom: (to the little girl) Did you have fun?
Little Girl: We played games, I got a book to work on, I made friends, blah, blah, blah

Mom: (to little boy): So did you have fun, too?
Little Boy: I didn't know one person there.

So the following Sunday, Mom tells the little boy that it is time to go to church. Now he babbles with excitement: "I can't wait to get to church...I can't wait to see my friends....blah, blah, blah." Mom didn't have the heart to tell him they were going to church with grandma and papa, not his church. This is how it went when they pulled into the parking lot:

Little Boy: (heading dipping low as they pull in) Oh maaan...I don't know anybody here either!

This is the same little boy who has trouble verbalizing his thoughts (because he is only 5) but was able to verbalize to me that he is sad that I will have to go away when I go into the Army

Dad: (to the little boy) How do you feel about daddy going into the Army?
Little Boy: Sad.
Dad: Why are you sad?
Little Boy: Becasue you will go away and not come back.
Dad: (with a lump in his throat) Honey, I will go away but I will be back.
Little Boy: You'll be back for lunch?!!
(Isn't it hilarious how they frame things in their minds?)

But then this is the same little boy who when asked what he wants to do when he grows up will often say "I want to be a chaplain like my daddy."

Now that is a little boy who will grow up to have a giant slaying faith...despite seeing the glass as half empty.

Going...Going...Gone

2007-02-28T16:52:00.000-05:00

Well, we closed on our house yesterday, so that part of our lives is now going...going...gone. It was strange to drive out of that driveway knowing it was for the last time. But as the song says "Where He leads me I will follow."

It is insane how little time there has been these last couple of weeks. Now with the sale of the house behind us, I am really beginning to set my mind toward CH-BOLC. It becomes more real every day.

I spoke with one of the leaders of the church I pastor yesterday. He was discussing details of my last Sunday with me. It was almost surreal. I have heard at least two people from my church say that they do not look at me as if I am leaving, but they look at me as if they are sending me out as a missionary.

I like that.

Still Waiting to Close

2007-02-24T23:59:00.000-05:00

Just an update on selling our house: we thought we would get to close Thursday or Friday, but it didn't happen. It will probably be Monday or Tuesday. We are not concerned; it would just be nice to have it over with.

I went to Arkansas for the last couple of days to spend time with my family. When I found out we would not close on the house I high tailed it. It was great to spend some time with them. I know we had only been apart for a week, but I tell you...when I walked out of that house last week to head back to Oklahoma, everyone of us felt like I had just stepped onto the tarmac to board a plane for the Middle East.

I telephoned my wife before going over. At first I wanted to surprise all of them, but then I was afraid of her deciding the same thing, and then we would pass each other on the interstate. I called her, but we decided to surprise the kids. She called me on my cell phone just as I pulled into the driveway and let me talk to my little girl. I hammed it up making it sound like it would be several more days before we would get to see each other and then walked through the door while still talking to her. She just stared at me for a few seconds and then screamed "Daddy!!" and ran over to me.

Then I took turns hugging all of them...two or three times.

It just doesn't get any better than that!

Something New

2007-02-22T08:22:00.000-05:00

You will notice a new page element on my blog just over to the right. I am starting a running list of names of chaplains and chaplain candidates who will be attending CH-BOLC (ugh...I still hate typing that) in the upcoming class in June.

For those of you who read my blog, this will remind you to pray for these soldiers and their families each time you read.

For those of us going, it will be a way to start to at least recognize some names before we get there. Feel free to use the comment feature of my blog to establish contact with each other, too. Just remember to be sensitive about putting personal information (last names, locations, any identifying remarks) in the comments.

To add a name, just leave me a message in a comment (it would be best to leave the comment in the most recent blog...once a blog goes off the page, I do not check its comments anymore).

Hey everybody...it is barely over three months and counting!!!

The Last Box

2007-02-21T22:20:00.000-05:00

Earlier tonight I picked up the last box out of our house and threw it into the back of my truck. All the floors are swept. All the cabinets are empty. The house sits silently. As I took my last stroll through the rooms before shutting and locking the door, what I didn't see hit me harder than what I saw. When I opened up my little girl's room, her eyes were not glancing up at me from where her bed used to be. I was not chasing my son as he ran to play hide and seek with me as I came through the door. My wife was not in the kitchen preparing supper.

Oh, but God is good. By the time I left church tonight, my outlook was completely different. He knows just how to lift my heart. My wife and the kids also had a great night at a new church in Arkansas. The kids both came back having had a really good time. That lifted their spirits as well as mine and my wife's. God just gave a little reassurance that He is going to take care of us all when I am deployed.

My little girl should be up for the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" award. My wife was very nervous dropping her off at a brand new church tonight for their Wednesday children's program. As they drove into the parking lot, my wife said hurriedly to her "You are going to be alright...here...I will pray for you." To which my little girl (who will be 9 soon) replies "Uhhh....okay mom....I think I had better pray for you, too. I'm gonna be alright mom...I make friends in only 30 minutes playing at McDonalds . This will be an hour and a half!!"

Like I said...God is good!

The Chapstor

2007-02-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

Well...the move went okay. We experienced no major problems except for it being bitterly cold. When we loaded Thursday night, the temp was around 20 degrees with a good wind. Unloading Friday was not much better, but we survived. I am extremely grateful to the guys who came and helped me, and I am especially grateful to Dave who also followed me over the next day and helped me unload the whole thing. When God made Dave, He broke the mold. (and I have to mention Dacia who drove the whole way, too, so we did not have to drive Dave home - - thanks Dacia) Now I am in Oklahoma, and my family is in Arkansas, and we talk a lot on the cell phone. More than ever I see the hand of God in the timing of circumstances that caused us to spend this time apart. I know He is using is to prepare us for the shock of deployment.

A few days ago my wife and I were talking. We remarked about the fact that I am somewhat in between roles right now: not quite a pastor but not quite a chaplain. She quips "That means you are a Chapstor!" (Okay... now let me explain...she is going to be mad at me for putting that in the blog. Right now I am safe...because internet is not due to be hooked up in our new house for another week...after that...don't worry honey...it was cute ; ) As I unloaded in our new neighborhood in Arkansas, though, it hit me: when I introduce myself to the neighbors, what will I tell them I do? Realization hit pretty hard that I will tell them I am a chaplain in the Army because by the time I am over there, I will officially no longer be a (civilian) pastor.

Wow.

Until next time,
Chaplain Ken

Commo Blackout

2007-02-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

I load a big moving van today, and then tomorrow morning I move my family to Arkansas. All the events of our life are really picking up a head of steam now. Realization that we are actually doing this thing is hitting hard. We start our crazy schedule this week that will last till the end of March. I will be here from Sunday through Wednesday and go to Arkansas for the last part of the week. We will all then come back over here for services on Sunday. My family will go back on Monday morning, and I will stay through Wednesday when we start the whole thing over again. Pray for us. Actually, I look at it like a way to ease us into the deployment mindset. You know...they way you ease down into a tub of hot water not getting completely submerged the first time. God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.

Anyway, I will be out of touch for a couple of days till we can get things set up and running again. Pray for us and I will blog again in two or three days to let you now how things have gone.

Fear This!

2007-02-13T23:37:00.000-05:00

The last seven months have been an amazing roller coaster ride. Sometimes I sit on top of the world ready to charge Hell with a water pistol. HOOAH! Then to be perfectly honest there are waves of reality that hit that scare me just a bit...okay, a whole lot.

God drew me to a couple of verses for the times of fear. I bet they are favorites of a lot of you:
2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of love and power and discipline." - and -
1 John 4:16,18 - "God is love. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear."

God assured me from these verses that any time I feel afraid the feelings did not come from Him. He gives feelings of power, love, and discipline, but He does not hand out fear. Therefore, when I feel afraid, I recognize the source of the fear, reject it, and focus on reality. What is the reality? The reality is that I am following God's leading for me, and His grace is sufficient, and His power is perfected in my weakness.

That is what God has told me about my fear.

Would You Like Fries with those Orders?

2007-02-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

Okay...I know...the blog title is corny, but then...it did grab your attention and make you read it!

As you may have guessed, I received my orders today. My wife called me at the office and said "Is there anything I could say that showed up at the house today that would make you come home early?" Then she told me my orders had arrived. I didn't even wait to hear her reply; I hung up the phone and went home. I was pretty excited to get them. After CHOBC (I still just can't bring myself to type...much less say...CH-BOLC), I report to Ft. Riley: Go Big Red 1...Go Army...HOOAH!

While typing this blog entry, I just had to run my youngest son back to bed. You see, he climbed back down out of his bunk bed to play with his cars on his floor. He was being unusually quiet; he would have gotten away with quite a bit of playing time if it weren't for the fact that he kept opening his door. Recently, he has actually said that he wants to be in the Army like daddy. My advice to him is this: son, don't go into anything that requires a covert night op.

Hand to Hand Combat...with a Cat

2007-02-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

Okay...so my wife chides me all the time about the amount of time I take to get ready in the morning. One of her favorite areas to point out is my shaving. "You are going to have to learn to shave faster than that when you got to CHOBC." Well, that does not take into account that when I get ready I have to deal with my cat: Mittens. When I get up to the sink to lather up, she prances back and forth in front of me seriously hampering my progress. It is like I am doing a hand to hand combat drill. I thought this morning "This will be a lot easier when I am in CHOBC!"

We planned to have a garage sale yesterday before moving. Weather prevented us so we hauled three truck and trailer loads to the garage of a house a church member offered to let us stay in until the end of March. The garage sale will proceed in a couple of weeks pending more a more temperate climate.

I just finished reading an awesome book: Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. A few months ago, I read a biography of Nate Saint to my little girl, and we watched the documentary of the five missionary men who died reaching out to the Aucas (Waodonis) in Ecuador back in the 1950's. The movie "The End of the Spear" brought the story to the lime light a couple of years ago. The last chapter of the book captured my attention the most. Elliot gave her musings about all that happened in a very honest way. Certainly she attested to the fact that the sacrifice of those men opened the doors for an amazing work for God. She honestly shared however that not everything wrapped up nicely, neatly, and tidily. She pointed out many of the problems that arose from that situation as well. She made a statement that really hit me. She said that when we try to make everything fit together perfectly we knock God off of His throne.

Elisabeth Elliot showed the most amazing faith of all in that story. She looked with faith's eyes to continue to see God's hand at work while still observing the serious pot holes in the road the death of her husband and the four others caused. I know I have struggled with thinking that all details must flow together perfectly in order for me to have assurance that a particular circumstance is God's will. The problem is that rarely (if ever) does anything happen without difficultly of some kind. If you read earlier blogs of mine, then you know that God acted amazingly bringing many details together in our journey toward the chaplaincy. However, I know that great difficulty lies ahead. We have already been through great emotional difficulty in coming to terms with God's leading for our lives. I remark at the amazing faith with which my family approached this. We experienced shock, dismay, fear, reluctance, and even anger. They looked at it with faith, though, and chose to say to God "Not our wills, but thine be done." As I have said, I have really struggled with the thought that if I am in God's will then I will not struggle. On this road to the Army, He has been teaching me that is not the truth. When I get ready to leave for three months to CHOBC and shortly after that when I get ready to leave for a year for deployment, it will not be easy. I expect that we will all experience a new range of emotions...but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is God's will to use me and my family in this way to touch soldiers' lives with His love. I just pray that I have the faith that Elisabeth Elliot had to hold onto God's will even when the very fact of being in His will has caused great difficulty.

He's Starting to Look Like a Chaplain

2007-02-10T08:27:00.000-05:00

I bought my first set of ACU's and combat boots last night. I know it probably seems like a small thing, but we were all pretty excited about it. Wearing that uniform, though, makes it all become quite a bit more real. After I put them on and stood looking at myself in the mirror, Andrea asked me "So how does it feel?" I answered "Wierd." She replies "It makes you realize you are not just playing soldier, doesn't it?" I said "Yeah, pretty much." Anyway...we reached a milestone. It does feel pretty cool to have the uniform.

We move in less than a week. Excuse me, I think I need to go take a bottle of Rolaids.

Cardboard Boxes and Combat Boots

2007-02-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

I discovered we have done a pretty good job of down-sizing because packing is going a bit easier than I thought. Before we moved into our current house, we made a conscious effort to down size. We can now see how God's hand led us in that decision because it makes getting ready for Army life a bit easier. We still have a lot of packing to do, but we have a lot done. We load up the moving truck next Thursday and hit the road for Arkansas next Friday.

We are going with our good friends David and Dacia tomorrow to look around the BX at a local military base. The trip will provide a nice distraction. David and I will try on some combat boots. HOOAH!!

Everything on the sale of the house seems to be going great, and it does look like we will be able to close by the 22nd of this month.

Just a final word about my amazing wife. She approaches our impending life change and God's new direction in ministry with such an attitude of faith. Her faith shined through like a beacon in some recent conversations. The way she is putting herself in the Potter's hands through this ordeal amazes me. I also see in her just in the way she stopped and expressed concern for a member of our home school group that we bumped into at Wal-Mart tonight that her heart really cares for people. God really gave me a perfect helpmate in her.

Lasts and Firsts

2007-02-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

"Lasts" are starting to roll in quite frequently now. I shared probably what will be my "last" good conversations with one of my church members, a former secretary of mine, today. My little girl and I attended our last Tae Kwon Do class tonight. We took TKD together for about the last 6 months. We loved it. It helped me immensely get ready for what lies ahead. We intend to pick it up again once we settle.

As far as "Firsts,"....well...I don't really have any except for the fact that my incurable optimism that drives my wife nuts sometimes will not allow me to only put "Lasts" on the title. I guess I am preparing to move to Arkansas for the "first" time...so there you go.

I am becoming quite ready to get my orders. Still waiting. As far as I know, I still need my appointment orders to get my request for orders to get my assignment orders...blah, blaaaahhhh, blah, blaaaaahhhhh, blah, blaaaaahhhh. Oh well, it will all happen soon enough.

We have started packing, though. We want to do a few boxes each night so that way it doesn't all hit us at one time. I'll keep you posted.

Operation House Hunt

2007-02-03T09:29:00.000-05:00

Well...the weather ended up not presenting as much of an obstacle as we first thought, so we made the trip to Arkansas this weekend after all. Isn't God amazing?!

We anticipated this weekend to be grueling to say the least. The task of finding a suitable dwelling place for my family in only one weekend seem daunting. A few specific things made us particularly pensive about this adventure: we needed a landlord who would allow us to sign less than a year's lease; we needed someplace that would allow pets (we have a cat named Mittens); we needed a neighborhood I would not fear leaving my family in; we were concerned about homeschooling support in the area (we homeschool our two younger kids); and we wanted to find the right church family for the six plus months we (mostly my family) will live there.

We set out first thing Friday morning expecting the adventure to take all day and even possibly take us into Saturday. By 10:30, we had signed a contract and put down a deposit on a lovely brick home in a great neighborhood. The landlord allows pets without requiring a ridiculous deposit (and the house doesn't look like it was a kennel). After hearing of our situation, she told us she would rent to us whatever the length of time we needed. After we signed that contract, we randomly stopped at a Christian bookstore because we needed to pick up a gift. The lady who runs this store formerly homeschooled her kids so she was well acquainted with the homeschooling groups and resources in the area, and she attends the church we felt led to attend first upon arriving finally in Arkansas. All I can say is "Wow...God is truly amazing."

The fact of the matter is this: God does not always move so decisively. Paul points out this fact in Philippians 4 when he says he learned how to get along with a lot and also with a little learning to be content in whatever his circumstances. Paul's says that Christ's strength gives him the ability to handle situations regardless of the amount of physical provision. (So many people misquote and misapply Phil. 4:13.) I write this to say to anyone who may read this for whom God may not be moving so decisively that just because you may not experience a bulk of provision does not mean God is not working for you. Paul himself told us that he did not always have EVERYTHING he needed, but he always had enough to get by. Sometimes God blesses by providing for every need beyond imagination. Sometimes God blesses us with the wisdom, maturity, and knowledge of Him that He gives only through times of difficulty. Either way...God blesses. As far as our current situation, God is choosing to bless us with the bounty in this move we are making (just like many of you, we have experienced plenty of the times of learning the difficult lessons...but we have always had enough.) So this provision gives wonderful confirmation that we are indeed following His path, and I will say again: Thank you, Father.

Okay...one humorous story and then I will end this blog. We went out to eat last night, but my father-in-law stayed home because he did not feel like getting out, so we ordered a meal to bring back to him: teriyaki chicken. On the way home, my wife and her mother had to stop at the grocery store for a few things, and I waited in the car with the kids. When Andrea and her mom got back into the van, a rather bad smell wafted in as well. Arkansas is pretty famous for its chicken farms, and they emit quite an odor. My five year old son perked his nose into the air and blurts out "What's that smell?" I chuckled and said "It's just the chickens." He looks thoughtful for a moment and then taps Paw-paw's meal and says "This chicken?" I can only imagine what he visualized that we brought home for Paw-paw to eat!

No Business Like Snow Business

2007-02-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to go today to find an apartment in Arkansas because we have to be moving out of this house in 20 days. However, I sit in my chair watching a very steady snow fall. The snow paints a beautiful picture, and I really love it. The timing of the snow leaves a little to be desired. The weather really shuts us down on the preparations: the temp is too cold to get things ready for the garage sale we need to have in less than two weeks, and the roads are too bad to drive to Arkansas, and we cannot go dumpster diving for moving boxes. Oh well, God knows what He is doing.

Heavenly Father, the snow really looks great. Thank You for the beauty of Your creation.

Each day there seems to be less and less chance of a snafu popping up in the proceedings of the sale of the house. It truly looks like the sale will be going through and quickly, too. Praise the Lord. I am not anxious to leave all of the great people here and what has really become our home, but I am getting ready to get on with things.

Bed Time

2007-01-31T22:07:00.000-05:00

My five year old's eyes drooped with tiredness as I put him to bed a moment ago. When I think of my children and how my upcoming departure affects them, my thoughts most often fall on my eight year old daughter. You daddy's out there know what I am saying; little girls need their daddy's in a special way. Tonight, however, my little boy filled my thoughts.

He skipped his nap today so he was a little extra groggy at bed time. He wanted to stay up to play, but bed time arrived. Tears still flowed from his eyes and sobs came muffled as he climbed into bed. I wanted him to quite crying before I left the room; I don't like to leave them that way just before going to sleep so I stroked his hair while he calmed down. As I looked at his precious face, thoughts overcame me of what that face would look like when I returned from my first deployment.

So why in the world do I go off on this depressive direction in my blog tonight? Just on the outside chance that God uses this blog to speak to someone else who is getting ready to walk a similar path as mine, that person will know that someone else struggled with those feelings, too.

It says in Scripture "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." Western mindset infiltrates our thinking too much. We think everything should be easy. Well, the fact of the matter is the Bible promises us just the opposite. If we are really serious about following Him, it will mean sacrifice on our parts. So where is the pay off? I believe with all my heart that my following God on this journey will afford me a special closeness with that little boy I would not have found any other way (as well as with the rest of my family). I also believe that one day when my little boy and I stand before the Bema Seat, he will see the faces of all the souls God touched because he willingly shared his daddy.

On the Road Again....One Last Time

2007-01-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

A big yellow school bus pulls out of the bus barn with me behind its wheel for the last time tomorrow morning. For those of you who do not know, I drove school buses off and on for the last sixteen years. I actually found myself a bit sad as I drove the afternoon route for the last time today. Even though they drive me nuts, I think of the students on that bus as my kids. So closes another chapter of my life, and so I roll one step closer to the new destination God lays before me.

At least I ended with a bang. We have not even driven half way through the route when a student comes forward and says "Bus Driver, Isaac has finger nail polish in his eye." FINGER NAIL WHAT IN HIS EYE?!? I asked who did it. The hand of this angelic little first grader rises in the air. As she passes me to get off the bus she says "I only meant to put it on his cheek." You know...what do you say to logic like that?? We were only a mile away from the boy's house, but when we got there his mom was not home. I turned around and took him back to the school where the principal administered first aid until the boy's parents arrived. When I got home a phone message awaited me telling me that one of my church members went to the emergency room. When I walked through the doors of the ER there sat the boy from my bus with his mother. He was alright. They brought him to have him checked just for precaution. It did give me a chance to talk to his mother. She was very appreciative.

Everything seems to be proceeding well on the sale of the house. It looks like we will be able to close by the 21st. That means we have a lot of details to wrap up between now and then. We appreciate the prayers.

Our House Contract

2007-01-29T22:12:00.000-05:00

We decided to sell our house ourselves. We placed an add in the local paper. It appeared in the paper for the first time Saturday morning. By 5:00 Saturday night, we had a signed contract and earnest money to go along with it, and the buyers gave us our asking price for the house. What an incredible provision from God.

The buyers have a contract on their house that is due to close on the 21 of February. Their buyer is already approved for her loan, and she paid 25% down. Our buyers are also already approved for a loan. In fact, the definite possibility exists that we will be without a house before our time at the church comes to an end. If that happens, we know God already figured out the details and will show us.

I packed some books from my office today. I decided to limit myself to two Rubbermaid type tubs. All of the books that fit into those I keep; all the others I sell. Much to my own surprise, all of the books I deemed as absolutely essential fit into one tub. It hurts me, but several books sit on the shelf destined for the garage sale. Oh well, I just get to start a new collection now ; )

It's a God Thing

2007-01-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

What is a God thing? It is something that only God can accomplish. After our house only being listed for sale for half of a day, we now hold a signed contract to sell our house!! Praise the Lord!! We should close on the sale by the end of February. That means we will have to get Andrea and the kids moved to Arkansas a month earlier than expected, but I will not argue. The couple who agreed to buy our house also took our asking price, and they are already approved for financing. I still can hardly believe it, and my head is spinning just a bit. I guess God really does want me in the Army.

Beginning to Transition

2007-01-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a men's prayer breakfast at church. The men of our church formerly gathered regularly for fellowship and prayer over breakfast, but it had been some time since we scheduled such a meeting. With my departure rapidly approaching, I wanted to enjoy this meeting with the men of our church again before leaving. I shared a devotion with them from the transition in leadership of Israel from Moses to Joshua. I emphasized the point that transition means that everyone will step up to new responsibilities, and that the enemy loves to attack during that time so everyone must be on his guard.

After breakfast, the deacons stayed behind to talk about administrative and leadership matters concerning the impending interim. One might question whether I felt awkward sitting at the discussion concerning my eventual absence. I felt no awkwardness at all. The good fellowship continued through that meeting. We laughed and joked and encouraged each other while dealing with necessary future details. I will miss the people at this church so much, but the fact that we can sit together and discuss my leaving speaks volumes about their spiritual strength.

I have to mention my breakfast schedule. I arrived early before the entourage who comes to help cook the breakfast, and I worked out a schedule (e.g. start cooking eggs and sausage now, start biscuits at 7:35, start gravy at 7:30, etc.) Of course, I endured a lot of teasing about my list, but my answer to that is...we sat down to eat precisely on time so.....na, na, na, na, na, naaaahhh.

Our house listed for sale in the paper for the first time today, and the add stays in the paper for a month. One person already called asking about it, but it started snowing about an hour ago. I do not expect much today. If you would please, say a quick prayer that God would bring the right buyer along soon who will pay what we need to get out of the house so we can go on with the path upon which He has put before us. I will keep you updated on the sale of the house.

Do You have the Keys??

2007-01-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

Okay...so we head out of the house to go list our house for sale in the local paper. Our good friends David and Dacia also called to meet us for lunch. So we anticipate a good lunch with friends listing the house and then back to clean, clean, clean. I stepped out the door first and bent over to tie a sack of trash. Andrea follows next, locks the door and - bang - shuts it.

"Do you have the keys?", I ask. "No...don't you?" Why is it that even though you have two spare keys sitting around, you never give one to your neighbor until after you have locked yourself out? I chose to look at it positively. We got to meet a very nice man from the locksmith shop.

So we put an add in the paper today to sell our house. Reality check number 113 that we really are doing this thing. It is not just a dream. We will hit that end of March deadline quicker than we realize. We plan to move to be by Andrea's parents then so she can be close to them (and only an hour from mine) while I go to CHOBC. So for the rest of today and tonight we will clean, clean, clean. Anybody want to come over and help? ; )

Of course, listing the house for sale means we are one step closer to actually leaving, and that means we are one step closer to having to say goodbye to all of the dear people in the church I pastor. I spoke with one of these members today: Sue. She expressed lovely sentiments of sorrow at our leaving and appreciation of our ministry here over the last seven years. She got teary eyed; I got teary eyed. It is hard. I know, however, that God is leading. The thing she said that touched me the most was this: "We are not sending you away. We are sending you out as a missionary from us. You will always be part of us."

I say: "Amen."

A Little Bit of News Today...Very Little

2007-01-23T22:27:00.000-05:00

The only news I received about the Army today really doesn't qualify as news. My accessions officer in the Office of the Chief of Chaplains is Chaplain Goode. He had sent no communications in a little over a month so I emailed today to check in. He told me I have been officially accepted on the Army Officer's Roll (yay!!!). Now I am waiting for my appointment orders so I can get my Request for Orders so I can get my Permanent Orders....blah, blaaahhhh....blah, blahhhhh...blah, blaaahhhhh....

In other words....hurry up and wait!

However, I nearly seriously injured myself at work today. Well....okay....er....I am not sure how serious it would have been, but it made my adrenaline flow. I had been studying at my desk for some time, and while a commentary lay open on my lap, my eyes began to feel heavy. When I sit at my desk to read, I tip my chair back on its back legs so I am in a semi-reclined position. Let's just say this: if you ever decide to rest you eyes for just a moment, put ALL of the chair legs back on the floor. I guess I sat a little too still for a little too long with my eyes shut. First, my head began to flop back which shifted my weight in the chair which then threw the balance off. I felt myself starting to tip over so I came to with a start and had enough presence of mind to forcefully throw myself forward. It was close and it wasn't pretty, but I made a four point landing. Next time if my eyes get heavy, I will walk down to the water fountain ; )

One other detail

2007-01-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

You need to go read the post below this one if you have not yet.

The night approached that was set aside to tell the church. It just happened to be the weekend that the Command Sergeant Major was do to drill with his National Guard unit. I really wanted him to be there because he supported me so much through this ordeal, but it was not to be.

When I stood to speak to the congregation, though, there was a man wearing ACU's with a smile on his face and a "go get 'em" look in his eyes sitting out there looking back at me. I think he had to stretch the speed limit a little to make it, but he was there.

I cannot say how much it meant.

The Present

2007-01-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

Although I could include a hundred other details, that pretty much brings us up to date. Two weeks ago tonight, the youth minister and I finally dropped the bombshell on our church. Of course, with David, since he is going into the Reserve, he will not be going anywhere. He will stay right here ministering for the foreseen future. I however will be ending my seven plus year ministry with these wonderful people. The last Sunday of March 2007 will be my last to serve as their pastor.

The night that I told people, of course, many faces wore sad expressions. It was shocking and out of the blue to people. The hardest part for me about going into the Army will be the time I must spend away from my family: first the three months for CHOBC and then the inevitable deployment. The next hardest thing lies in knowing the hurt I caused these dear people whom God called me to pastor by telling them I am leaving. I know that God calling me from this place means that He has someone already picked out to come in and carry out a vibrant ministry. I pray that in God's time, that man and this church will meet. Until then I pray that the hurt in my heart and theirs will be healed by Jehovah Rapha (My Lord the Healer).

It makes me feel like Paul's experience in Acts 20:38

oops

2007-01-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

I thought I would beat the system by typing several blogs at one time, and then publishing them one at a time over the next several days. Well...when I do it that way, it posts by the date of when I originally authored the post. So that is why some blog entries seem to be kind of out of whack (although...I must confess...I do not really know what it means to be in whack. I do know that there was a murder committed in a rice Paddie in China where the alleged perpetrator took a knick-knack from his house and took it to the rice field to carry out his deed. It was the first recorded incident of a knick-knack Paddie whack...sorry ; )

Any way...if you read my blog...which right now I think there are only possibly two others besides me who do...you might look down through the posts and see if you have read them all.

I am not the man I used to be

2007-01-17T23:21:00.000-05:00

Okay, so now we are back to last July. I weighed about 250 pounds (give or take a couple). An enlistee who stands six feet even can at the most weigh 200 pounds to make it into the Army. If you measure six feet one inch, you get up to 205. Any way you slice it, I had about 50 pounds to lose. I started walking. Then little by little I started running. When my family went to a children's camp in northern Illinois where I was asked to be camp pastor for the week, I even went running down dirt roads between corn fields and put up with the dogs of the camp caretaker "running" with me and almost tripping me several times. I also started doing push-ups and sit-ups.

Well, my date to go to MEPS (the place where I had to pass the physical to get into the Army...MEPS stands for Military Entrance Processing Station) was getting closer and closer. My paranoia about my weight increased at a rate directly proportional to my approaching that date. The problem was, I did not know exactly at what weight I had to arrive. Standing as straight as I could, I measured six feet and one-half inch. Will they round up or will they round down? Hey man...five pounds is a lot to someone who before all this started was considering going pro as a late night snacker! I am not kidding...for two weeks before I had to go to my physical I practiced walking around with my posture as erect as I could make it. I was GOING to get that number rounded up!! I put so much gusto into standing straight for those two weeks, I gave myself a charley horse in my upper back that took the next two months to get rid of (I am so pathetic...I know).

At MEPS...I weighed in at 197 pounds. In three months I lost over 50 pounds. God gave me the strength to do it. There was one person who was a constant source of encouragement to me during that time of getting into shape. This person never failed to ask me daily what my time on the run was, or how much I weighed, was that weight up or down from last time, how many push-ups are you doing now, and this person continued to ask these things even when I am sure it got very tiring hearing me go on and on about it. That encouragement meant so much to me. It often pulled me up from the brink of discouragement, and I really depended on it.

That person who gave me that encouragement was my wife. What a helpmate! What a blessing from God!!

In My Calling to the Chaplaincy...I do not Stand Alone

2007-01-17T23:04:00.000-05:00

Andrea, my wife, definitely started picking up on our destiny lying in the chaplaincy fairly early. Although she was the one who bought me the "Band of Brothers" DVD set for Christmas 2005, she was also the one who banned me from watching it when I started mentioning the word chaplain too many times ; ) I can remember many times her asking me "Do you think God is calling you to be a chaplain?" All of those times, of course, are prior to that February when our neighbor stopped both of us in the foyer of the church building. I always muttered some lame theologically correct sounding cow manure like "Well, nobody knows for sure what God will do...I don't feel anything definite, but I will be willing to do whatever He asks....yada, yada...blah, blah, blah." Looking back at it now, and knowing her like I do, she never bought those answers for a minute.

When the time finally came, though, and God brought this calling out wide into the open, her immediate response was something like this: "God has called me to support you. My calling is to go with you in whatever He calls you to do." That is not to say that she wasn't scared. That is not to say that she didn't have a hundred questions. That is not to say that she didn't become familiar with the taste of Rolaids for a while, but she met the challenge head on with more faith than she realized. Her trust and love and devotion are in God. She is an amazing woman.

I have been reading the biographies of famous missionaries to our daughter for several months now. I know no one will ever right my biography, but if they did, history would see that Andrea's name would fit right next to names like Mary Muller, Marj Saint, Mary Livingstone, and others.

2LT David

2007-01-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

Above is an extremely good friend of mine. He is the one from whom I got the July 7 phone call that God used to push me over the edge into the chaplaincy. He has been a colleague in the ministry to me for the last seven years, and he has been much more than that...he has been a good friend. God worked in His life at the same time as mine leading us into the chaplaincy. He is going reserve and is finishing his seminary right now. Behind my wife, he is my biggest confidant. I am so thankful that I had him to go through all of the Army paper work and the weight loss getting ready for MEPS. When my wife was sick to death of hearing about Army and needed a break from it, David was there. In this pic, he is taking his officer's loyalty oath. He rubs it in because he is officially in before me. I won't swear in until CHOBC. That's okay though, because there you will have to salute me !! ; )

Dont' Discount those Summer Camp Experiences

2007-01-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

As this new calling began to unfold, I began to look back through my life. The summer before my senior year in high school, I responded to an altar call at church camp saying that God was calling me to missions. I said at the time that I did not know whether it was to serve in missions here in America or in a foreign country, but I felt that God had something beyond local church ministry for me some day (several years earlier I had answered a calling to serve God vocationally on church staff).

Honestly, though, as the years went on, this calling to missions seemed to wane. I had even begun to think that my response that summer evening of 1987 was just an emotional camp experience. It had just seemed to go way so I reasoned that my sensing a call to missions was not genuine.

As God began to unfold His calling for me into the chaplaincy, that summer night came back to me. I can still see myself sitting up in the choir loft at Falls Creek camp. I can still hear the camp preacher giving an illustration about climbing up the mast of a ship and getting scared, stuck half way up. The preacher said we needed to stop being afraid and climb the rest of the way so I walked down out of the choir loft and surrendered to this call. (Actually, when I went to tell my in-laws about what I was doing, my mother-in-law immediately remembered this and mentioned it, and I think when I told my own parents, by mom remembered it as well.)

What do you know? Don't discount those summer camp experiences.

Here I Am - part 3

2007-01-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gotten a totally random phone call that altered the course of your life? July 7, 2006, my youth minister and good friend, David, called me. He said "You'll never guess who I just go off the phone with." You're right...so don't keep me in suspense, Dave. He says "I just got a call from a chaplain recruiter. I had put my name" he continues "on an information list two years ago, but I never heard anything from it. I had actually forgotten about it, and he didn't even try to give me a hard sell. He said he inherited this call list from another recruiter and was just trying to clear it off."

I barely heard anything after David said "chaplain recruiter." For me, that phone call was the heavenly throne room scene in Isaiah 6. The still small voice of the Holy Spirit blew across my heart, and at that precise moment I knew I was going to become an Army chaplain. Not because it was a lifelong dream...because it wasn't. Not because of my infatuation with the military...because infatuation will not sustain a new life direction. It was simply because my heart was finally bent to what God was clearly saying was His new direction for me.

I went home and told Andrea. We stayed up that night till 2:00 in the morning talking about it. We stayed up the next night again till 2:00 talking about it through tears, laughter, fears, and a thousand "what-ifs." I woke up the next morning, Sunday, July 9, to get ready to go preach. I woke up with the discussion of last night as clearly and presently on my mind as if I had not gone to sleep. There on my bed propped up on my elbows not even having gotten out of bed yet with Andrea still asleep beside me I said..."Okay, Lord...I will do it."

The next day I placed a call to Chaplain(CPT) Mark Perkins of the 5th Recruiting Brigade, and thus began the journey of Army red tape and hoops through which to jump.

Here Am I - part two

2007-01-15T10:25:00.000-05:00

February. We finally moved into our house a couple of weeks before, and we were still wading through boxes as we stepped in the front door. Our new next door neighbor had been attending the church I pastor, and she was also the sister to one of our newest and most active members so we knew each other fairly well.

As she leaves the building after the morning worship service she stops and says "Hey, there is something I want to talk to you about especially with your wife right here." Now, Andrea being in the foyer with me as I greeted people on their way out was not an ordinary thing. Actually, in the seven and a half years I have pastored here, I cannot remember another time she was out there during that time. She is usually chasing our kids trying to keep them from swinging from the balcony. When our neighbor says she wants to talk to us, both of our colons immediately tie into a knot. We both just knew she was going to tell us our kids had wandered over into her yard and did something. "Oh, great," we were thinking "we haven't even lived here a full month yet and we are already making enemies." While these thoughts rage through our minds, my neighbor blurts out "Have you ever thought about becoming a chaplain?" (There goes another knot in the ol' colon.) You see, she works full time with the Army Reserve office, and I had used yet another military illustration in my sermon that morning. The truly remarkable part of this is that Andrea just happened to be standing there with me that day. What do you think....does that sound like a God thing?

Well, of course, I muttered some kind of brush off reply to my neighbor. Andrea, however, was not as easily redirected. This question touched off a conversation that lasted off and on over a week. Come to find out, sometime around last October, God in fact had started speaking to her heart about us and the chaplaincy. (Uh-oh...third knot)

At the end of about a week of talking, we decided that we would pray about it for a while and see what God would do.

Again, it seemed to go away.

That was February...now it is July.

Here Am I Lord, Send Me....but exactly WHERE did You say to go?!?

2007-01-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

As I have said before, one of my motivations for blogging is to open a window for all of those wonderful people at the church I pastor so they can see the events transpired that have also affected their lives. So I think before going any further forward, I will go back to where this all started.

We had just started building a house. It was something we had always talked about wanting to do, and God moved in some amazing ways to open the opportunity or us to finally do it (one of those amazing ways was to sell the house we lived in at the time in only six days!). We were far enough into the building project that there was no turning back, but we were still months from completing the project. After a full day of pastoring and then a full night of carpentry (we did a majority of the work on the house ourselves) I lay down to go to sleep. With all of this going on in our lives, I should have been asleep before my head hit the pillow. Right? Well, that is not how it happened.

It was October of 2005. I cannot explain what brought it on (except for the Holy Spirit, of course), but literally, out of the blue as I lay down that night I could so clearly hear God saying He wanted me in the Army chaplaincy. "But God...I just started building a house that YOU led me to build!!" My heart pounded out of my chest, and I lay awake for at least a couple of hours before I drifted off to a not very restful sleep. The next night the same thing happened, and then it happened the third night (I am kind of thick headed...but I was starting to get the hint here). Finally, I prayed "Okay, God...if you want me to be a chaplain, I will do it...but You have to convince my wife."

Honestly, with that prayer I was finally able to relax and go to sleep for the first time in three days. "Whew!" I thought. "He didn't really want me to become a chaplain. He just wanted to see if I would be willing to do whatever He asked." "Oh...(chuckle, chuckle) that was a good one Father...You really had me there."

After that night, this burden for the Army chaplaincy just more or less waned. It basically went away and I went on living my life: pastoring, parenting, and pounding nails.

At least for a while...

Operation Calorie Burn

2007-01-13T09:35:00.000-05:00

So the treadmill finally got uncovered and put into use...just walking at first. Something the manufacturers don't tell you about the treadmill is that they have an incredibly high bore factor. I had to start getting outside to walk. A Command Sergeant Major who is a member of my church got wind of my exercising and started asking me if I wanted to go with him. Now, this guy runs all the time, and even though he is about 15 years older than me, he can run me into the ground. I know I am big and out of shape, but that does not mean my pride wants to be pummelled...but what do you say? "No...I don't want to start exercising with you because you will embarrass me and make me feel really bad about myself and then I will have to buy two candy bars and a Dr. Pepper on the way home and negate everything we accomplished by walking anyway!" (Oh yeah... when I first started going to the track with the CSM, I couldn't even run a quarter mile...so we had to just walk...this really increases the humiliation factor.)

So after the obligatory "...oh...I wouldn't want to slow you down..." and after his insistence I said sure. Then I ask him what time he is going to pick me up. 0445!! or in other words...4:45 AM.

The CSM was (and is) a great friend to me through this ordeal of going into the Army(as well as just a friend in general), especially early on. When I finally reached my weight goal, he bought me my first set of official Army PT's as a reward. That is a memory I will always treasure. He really provided a lot of encouragement through a tough hurdle.

We had better start slow

2007-01-12T23:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, God, so you want me to become an Army chaplain. Well, I guess the first thing I had better do is get in shape. I know I will have to lose...what...probably about 10 or 15 pounds to meet the entrance requirement. I guess I will check the Army height/weight charts to see exactly where I need to be.

THEY WANT ME TO LOSE HOW MUCH!?!

Alright, if I stand really straight, I can pass for six feet one inch. That means the most I can weigh is 205 pounds to make it in the Army. Dieting and exercise gives a whole new meaing to suffering for Jesus. Okay...right now I tip the scales at about 250. Good-bye cheesecake...Hello celery. And exercise...if I start running, my joints may take out a class action lawsuit against me. Oh well...you've got to start somewhere. If memory serves me right, I think that under those clothes in the corner of the bedroom is a treadmill. Maybe it will come in handy for something other than a clothestand after all.

What in the world am I about to do?

2007-01-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

I am not talking about this blog, but I am talking about going into the Army. I am about to turn 37 years old. That is not very old in the grand scheme of things, but it is somewhat old to be joining the Army with no prior military experience. At least it seems that is what everyone tells me. (After telling people of my plans I have heard so many times..."How old are you??") Well, there is only one reason a person would do such a thing: God has clearly shown me it is His plan for me and my family.

I am starting this blog because in less than six months I will be reporting to Ft. Jackson, SC for CHOBC (for you non-military people out there...of which I was also one until recently...that is basic training for Army chaplains). When I go, there may be some friends and family who want to keep up with my adventures. Blogging provides a quick easy way to accomplish this. I am also blogging because for months now my wife and I have followed the blogs of other chaplains and chaplain candidates, and we have been strengthened, encouraged, and even entertained by keeping up with our "friends." If (and I know this is a big if) others who are about to embark on this journey into the chaplaincy happen to stumble onto this blog, and if (again a big if) God so chooses to use us to give encouragement to others like we have received, then sobeit.

I will be posting more in the days to come. As I await my time to head to South Carolina, I will try to go back and fill in some of the details of how God has gotten me and my family this far. Maybe as some of my friends go back and read these, it will help fill in the blanks from the past five months.