One Step at a Time...

BOS-HOU 26FEB10

2010-03-01T05:00:00.001+03:00

America the Beautiful - truer words are rarely spoken! As I write, I'm watching town after town pass by, lit up like sprawling sheets of Christmas lights, connected by strings of illuminated highway and tiny streams of headlights flowing along. As I stare out my little window thousands of feet above, I'm feeling a bit sentimental; perhaps it's due to our upcoming 3 year stint in Japan or maybe the lingering relief that I'm back from Iraq. Either, both or neither, my sense of patriotism is pretty amped at the moment.

I'm also reading a book about George Washington which is inspiring as all get out. Here's a guy who did the right thing, who exemplified integrity and honor and self-sacrifice in the face of innumerable challenges in every area of his life. And the result? He became the most venerable founding father of our beloved country. And while his actions were bounded by his character, he was driven by a motivation to do everything in his power for the advancement of his fellow statesmen and countrymen and for the furtherance of a right and fair system of governance which has continued to do so. I pray that our leaders in government do not forget his legacy nor the legacies of the many other founding fathers and statesmen since who have selflessly shared the same purpose. This country is too wonderful to have dismantled by those charged with taking care of it.

Camp Taji New Year's "Camel Drop"

2010-01-01T01:11:00.005+03:00

A Marine SGT from my command and I went to the Camp Taji New Year's celebration and got to witness our first "Camel Drop." Fun times!

41 Days(ish)

2009-12-04T20:40:00.002+03:00

Just over 6 weeks to go before I finish my work here at Camp Taji. And fortunately there is still plenty to do to help the time pass quickly. Not much new is going on. I'm enjoying updates from Sarah on the kids and the fun things they're doing and learning.

Congrats to Jen and Landon on their recent announcement - baby in June!

I have also started voluntarily listening to Christmas music. It's December now, which in my opinon is the perfect time to begin. That way the thrill doesn't wear off before Christmas day!

Bad Guys Beware!

2009-12-04T20:36:00.004+03:00

Time is passing

2009-11-19T13:09:00.001+03:00

Haha, time is passing quickly now. I'm busy enough to stay occupied but not so overwhelmed as to be stressed all the time. My proof of this (both time passing quickly and my reasonable stress level) came today when I realized that I'm 4 days behind on my daily Dilbert desk calendar. I used to look at it multiple times every day and wish I could tear another day off!

By the way, we just received my next set of orders. Looks like it will be Yokosuka, Japan from this winter through February, 2013. Anyone want to climb Mount Fuji with me?!

Phones in Church? (from a fellow Oklahoman in Iraq)

2009-10-28T22:35:00.004+03:00

A man in Topeka , Kansas decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and started working east from there.

Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign, which read "Calls: $10,000 a minute."
Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to GOD.

The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he continued to visit churches in Seattle , Dallas , St. Louis , Chicago , Milwaukee , and many cities and towns all around the United States , he found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each pastor.

Finally, he arrived in Oklahoma , upon entering a church in the beautiful Ouachita National Forest region of Oklahoma , behold - he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time, the sign read "Calls: 35 cents"

Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, "Reverend, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven and that I could talk to God, but in the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?"

The pastor, smiling broadly, replied, "Son, you're in Oklahoma now ...You're in God's Country... It's a local call!"

War is not the ugliest thing (a quote)

2009-10-16T14:18:00.001+03:00

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

- John Stuart Mill

My humble office, mug, and flag :)

2009-10-03T00:01:00.003+03:00

Laura and Josh!

2009-09-30T00:18:00.001+03:00

Observation of the day

2009-09-18T21:29:00.001+03:00

Bravado is like ketchup (or catsup, if you prefer).

People who use a lot of it tend to be hiding something they don't like.

Differing Opinions (devotional quote)

2009-09-09T21:34:00.001+03:00

Today's Scripture: Romans 14:1

The issue of differing opinions about certain practices has been around at least since the days of the apostle Paul. He devoted an entire chapter of the book Romans to this brand of legalism.

The crux of the problem is stated well by Paul in Romans 14:5: "one person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." People simply have different opinions about various issues. One person sees no problem in a certain practice; another person considers that practice to be sinful.

As Christians we can't seem to accept the clear biblical teaching in Romans 14 that God allows equally godly people to have differing opinions on certain matters. We universalize what we think is God's particular leading in our lives and apply it to everyone else.

When we think like that we are putting God in a box, so to speak. We're insisting that he must surely lead everyone as we believe he has led us. We refuse to allow God the freedom to deal with each of us as individuals. When we think like that, we are legalists.

We must not seek to bind the consciences of other believers with the private convictions that arise out of our personal walk with God. Even if you believe God has led you in developing those convictions, you still must not elevate them to the level of spiritual principles for everyone else to follow. The respected Puritan theologian John Owen taught that "only what God has commanded in his Word should be regarded as binding; in all else there may be liberty of actions." (Excerpt taken from Transforming Grace)

Mr. President

2009-09-08T21:23:00.001+03:00

Sir, I think your speech to America's students was excellent. I wish our sociopolitical environment would have opened the door for more discussion about how much difference a personal faith can make in a young person's life. Regardless of whether you would have 'gone there,' I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and stick to what you did say. Again, I think what you said was very, very good.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the detractors, all I can say to some of you is grow up. Some of the accusations you've made are simply ridiculous. I've worked with kids in schools like the ones he is trying to reach. I did my best, when reading the text (and I read every word) to see it from the perspective of one of those kids. To have the President of the United States, our first minority President nonetheless, address them as a unique group cannot help but make them feel special. It cannot help but make them think twice about the decisions they are making and the goals they have for themselves. Even if just for a few minutes, those may be the first few minutes they actually consider those things. Of course their parents and teachers are saying it, but in a kid's mind, what do they know?!

If you haven't read the text, please do. And read it as I did, from the kid's perspective. I think you'll change your tone a bit, even if you don't completely agree with me.

Blessing

2009-08-17T15:59:00.001+03:00

I got talking with a couple of Indian men who work for the dining facility here. They come and use our computers to order food, and we got talking about family when I showed them a picture of Josh. When they heard that Sarah's due again in a month, they congratulated me and the elder one said, in the sincerest spirit, these exact words:

"God bless you, and your family, and your new one to come"

I have no idea what his exact religious beliefs are, but that didn't matter. It made my day :)

Only in Iraq!

2009-08-17T15:43:00.001+03:00

Weather today at 8:55am: 95 degrees and "Widespread Dust"

Great Pictures

2009-08-13T23:28:00.002+03:00

HUGE thanks to Sarah's cousing Katie for these amazing pictures she took during a recent visit to FL. Thanks Katie!!

Well said!

2009-08-10T23:16:00.002+03:00

The Aug 1 issue of WORLD magazine quotes Eric Metaxas as saying, about reaching out to people, "If you come across as morally superior, that's unbiblical, that's wrong, it's a lie, so you're confused. But also you'll push the person away. You've got to find a point of connection, otherwise they won't hear you. If you walk around New York you might see someone, semi-homeless, almost always from out of town, with a hat and a Bible 'preaching the word' on the street. Nine times out of 10 they are not preaching the Word any more than Satan was when he was quoting the Bible to Jesus in the wilderness. The words are not magic. Some people will respond, 'The word of God will not return void,' and yes, the capital-w Word of God, the Logos, will not return void-but the words of the Bible can certainly return void unless they're annointed by the Holy Spirit. Many people think that if they just spew out Scripture or something that people are hearing them, but it's not true. Jesus never did that. He always connected with everyone around him."

Amen!

Grasp this, your friends may like you more.

2009-08-05T21:52:00.004+03:00

Not to mention co-workers!

To all of you who love to complain about your job, here is a simple thought from a wise old sage...

For the record though, my job is keeping me busy but I wouldn't have it any other way. Once again I am blessed to have good people to work for, and good people working for me. With that kind of formula, there's hardly any chance for anything but success. The people help keep the stress down while the pace makes the time fly. I can tell already that this is going to be a very rewarding tour, and I'm learning a ton to take with me in the future.

I also got a package from Sarah today that had, among some things I had requested, a fun "I (heart) DADDY!" painting and a nicely laminated 'Joshua original' bookmark, which is awesome because I'm reading more here than I have been for a while. And it will be much nicer than the scraps of paper I have been using!

A Local Touch

2009-07-30T00:00:00.005+03:00

A few nights after I got here I went out to an Iraqi restaurant with several of my coworkers and an Iraqi man who often goes along when they go out. The place was obviously accustomed to having US soldiers around because no one batted an eye when we arrived. While we were waiting for the rest of the group to show up we had what they call Chai, which is in fact tea - but is nothing like what I remember Starbucks (or was it B&N? I don't remember) selling as Chai Tea. It's way more flavored in the US. Here in Iraq it's just a double shot of strong hot tea with a LOT of sugar in it. I like it!

Once everyone arrived, we ordered kabobs. Here, a kabob is not the same as you're thinking, but it was served alongside of what I sould call kabobs (meat cooked on a stick). The meat served is sheep. I would say lamb because it sounds fancier, but I really think it was adult lamb. The kabob was some rolled out hamburger-ground meat, cooked over the grill. I think.

All of it was good though. Served with the meat were several platters of sides/condiments. Included were diced cucumber in a yogurt sauce, a mixture of sliced pickled vegetables, some other diced vegetables with garbonzo beans, a plate of hummus, some fresh onions and last but not least roasted tomatoes. Oh, and freshly made wraps too (like tortillas, but thicker). Then we followed it with more tea!

After dinner we wandered through a couple of small shops next door and picked up some local sodas. Here's what I got.

Believe it or not, it was pretty good! A new flavor, that's for sure. We plan to go back soon and I'll try to remember to get a picture of the whole dinner spread.

Peace

2009-07-27T19:51:00.004+03:00

A few days ago I needed to get some things from another part of the base, and no one else was interested in going, so I drove myself. It's only about a 10 minute drive, but I felt uncomfortable the whole way. I don't think I was ever actually in danger, but being out by myself (albeit on base the whole time) wasn't at all peaceful. It got me thinking about how many people live in very real fear, all the time.

A local civilian who works at the base has a life story similar to many here in Iraq. His parents were killed by Saddam Hussein's regime, and his fiancee was killed also. He was captured at one point - I don't remember by whom - and beaten badly.

God really has blessed America. We should be very, very grateful for the peace that we enjoy on a day to day basis.

Good quote

2009-07-24T18:21:00.001+03:00

I get a daily devotional via email from the Navigators that had a particularly strong statement today. I like it. I see it. And sometimes I find myself being it. A good thing to pray against, and take action on.

"One of the banes of present-day evangelical Christianity is the way we sit every week under the teaching of God's Word, or even have private devotions and perhaps participate in a Bible study group, without a serious intent to obey the truth we learn. The indictment of the Jewish people God made to Ezekiel could well be said of us today: "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice" (Ezekiel 33:31, NIV)."

Holiness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges.

Another Day

2009-07-20T21:19:00.001+03:00

Another day down in the long strech of this deployment. Yes, I still have somewhere near 190 days left (give or take 30) but it still feels good when I get into my CHU and can say "Another day down!"

I have almost completed turnover with the individuals I am replacing. I have a few days worth of inventories to do, and then I'll go through about 4 months of 'baptism by fire' as they call it, just in time to start to prepare to turn over to the next person :)

Taji at Last

2009-07-16T18:27:00.001+03:00

Just wanted to let eveyone know that I've finally made it to my destination at Camp Taji, a handful of miles north of Baghdad, Iraq.

The people here have been very friendly and helpful so far, and I think the upcoming months will be rewarding and go by quickly.

Miss you guys!

Delayed

2009-07-13T00:44:00.002+03:00

Not sure when we'll head to Baghdad at this point. Our trip was delayed by at least a day or two. I'll keep you posted!

Describing Camp Virginia

2009-07-10T18:55:00.003+03:00

Now, I know I'm about to go to Iraq which is running about 5 degrees HOTTER than it has been in Kuwait, so it's only going to get worse, but I'm going to try to describe this "experience" - I don't know what else to call it!

The time in Fort Jackson helped break us of the irritability that naturally comes with heat, sweat, etc. We have evolved as a team to a point where everything is just "what it is." We share in the "wow, it is HOT!" moments, and the "air conditioning never felt so good!" times too. Even I, the biggest whiner and grump when it comes to being 'too warm' have stopped caring so much, and just planning my trips outside very carefully, lol.

The Showers. The difference between the "C" water and the "H" water is the difference between hot water and heated hot water. The first shower I chose this morning was the first in the series of piping, with it's "C" water coming in from the outside tank just feet away. Now remember, the tanks are outside. And it's over 110 degrees in the shade! And the "C" water was TOO HOT for me to use! So I had to switch showers to find one whose piping ran the longest distance inside the trailer (the showers are in mobile-home sorts of buildings) so I would have cool water for the longest time possible, and so that when the "C" water reached the shower from the tank outside, it would have traveled all the way around the air conditioned room and hopefully cooled off some during it's trip. Yeah, that was crazy. But I got clean, laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, and went my way. I'm learning :)

One of our classmates from Fort Jackson stayed in the US for more training before he comes here to Kuwait. Another classmate and I were trying to explain to him by email what he had to look forward to upon his arrival. Here's what I wrote, followed by amplification by the other guy.

"...if you want to start acclimating to the conditions here, just take a blowdryer with a long extension cord to the beach on a really hot day. Then roll around in the sand while directing the dryer straight into your eyes as often as possible. That will be pretty much what you should expect."

" I couldn't agree more with Luke's description. However, I would also add that you should dip your underwear in warm water and ring them out every few hours, so they'll be nice and swampy all of the time."

Yep, that about describes it. On a definitely positive note, the MREs are a lot better here than they were at Ft Jackson. I've had chicken with pasta, the rib patty thing, and the meatloaf, and all have been satisfying. That said, I have never looked forward to Sarah's cooking more! :)

I would post pictures, but now I can't find the cable to connect my camera to my laptop. It's in my stuff somewhere, but with 4 seabags worth of gear it's getting tough to stay organized. I'll post them when I can though.

The USO here is really great. I wish it were bigger, because it is very busy all of the time. But that's because it is so cool. The entire place was redone by the DIY Network's Man Caves TV program. To read about this project, click here or here. Most of the pictures are exactly what is there now - though now the entire ceiling is now black, not white. The second link shows a picture of the reading room set up for the United Through Reading program which is amazing.

And did I mention that there's a STARBUCKS?! I finally found a picture of it online here. May not look like much, but it's the inside is just like home. Except that the bathroom is outside, a good 100 yards away.

That brings up something I forgot to discuss. Sweat. If that intro grosses you out, just skip this paragraph. The weird thing is that as dry as it is here, most sweat evaporates (as it is designed to do) before you even notice that you're sweating. However, it is the weirdest sensation to wear body armor, or carry something in your hand, or even fold your arms while outside, because you can feel sweat just in the places that are not directly exposed to the air. I was holding something the other day and realized that there was sweat dripping from my elbow, even though I felt none anywhere else. I was confused until I realized that the sweat from the inside portion of my elbow wasn't evaporating because my elbow was bent, and the sweat was building up so fast that it created drips within minutes. So weird! What's worse (and really, if you don't want to be grossed out, skip this!) imagine that you're living in a place that is hot. Like 110 in the day, upper 80's at night if you're lucky. Then imagine restrooms that are really glorified outhouses with real toilets. Then imagine having to go #2 in the afternoon. Enough said. Thank God I'm a guy!

The sun is down now, so the current temp of 109 won't feel quite so hot. So, I think I'll move on and get dinner. I'll post again in a few days once I get settled into my place at Camp Taji. Take care, thanks for your prayers, and God bless!

Camp Virginia, Kuwait

2009-07-06T12:18:00.009+03:00

Hello from Camp Virginia! Here are a couple of borrowed photos from the WWW that show exactly what I'm seeing here.

This is what our tents look like:

This is the glorious mall area:

I'll try to get a picture of the Starbucks I'm currently sitting in - which is like an oasis in the desert... literally :)

Hello from my short layover in Gander, Newfoundland!

2009-07-03T22:36:00.001+03:00

One more thing...

2009-07-02T17:35:00.001+03:00

Be mindful that my cell phone service will be inactive after I take off on the plane tomorrow and until I return from the deployment. I will also have probably zero access to the internet for up to 10 days. After that, email will be the best way to contact me.

Time to move, again

2009-07-02T17:24:00.001+03:00

So, I've been here at Ft Jackson for three weeks. The longest I've lived in one place since April, and I'm on the move again. Tomorrow we (me and over 150 or my fellow sailors) begin our travel and transition from the US to our respective deployed locations. I don't know of anyone who is going to the same base as I am, but several will be close and all will be in touch via some kind of email. The training here has been a lot of fun. The Army personnel are very professional and taught us many things we would never otherwise have learned or had reason to learn.

On the other hand, I'm not disappointed to leave! It has been hot and slow going much of the time, and while I know I'm going somewhere even hotter, I also know that I'm supposed to be working inside in the AC for the vast majority of the time :)

If you want my mailing address for any reason, email me and I'll send it to you. That's not something I really want to just post on the web.

In case anyone is interested, I plan to start reading through The Daily Message Bible with a couple other people while I'm deployed. If you want in on the action, you can buy a copy here in softback or hardback. Or a local bookstore may have it, but I don't think they will where I'm going!

FYI

2009-06-18T04:39:00.001+03:00

I realized that some may not know why exactly I'm going to Iraq. The US Navy trains Supply Officers in a very broad set of skills which are needed all over the place. The latest info on what I'll be doing in Iraq is basically contracting support for the reconstruction effort. We have been given some good info on the culture, key words and phrases, and a big map so I can start to get a feel for "where I am in the world" when I get there. So, that said, the training we're receiving here at Ft Jackson has been entirely defensive in nature. There's no suggestion that I will be asked to lead any convoys or raids or anything. That is far from my job training or description! Hopefully that won't change...

Days 2-4

2009-06-18T01:28:00.001+03:00

Well, the last two days have been almost entirely classroom training. We have our training weapons now too, which are a pain for various reasons. Soon enough we will be on the range and training to use them properly, which should make the annoyance a bit easier to bear. Overall though, Monday was terrible - tons of time in the sun, and just waiting around for things to happen (gear issue is a SLOW process). Tuesday started out in armor too, but then turned into mostly a class day which wasn't too bad. Today was ALL classroom training, and the only hard part was staying awake :) Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday promise to be LONG and HOT - in full armor, and with predicted temperatures at 97, 102 and 101 respectively, not admusting for humidity. However, for all my doom-and-gloom, I must say that I am far from the oldest (avg 36yrs) or least fit person in the class. So... I won't be hurting the worst!

Please pray for safety and good atitudes for me and the rest of the class. We need both!

Ft Jackson - Day 1

2009-06-15T05:09:00.001+03:00

It was a nice quiet Sunday after a long day yesterday. The Army staff has been very positive and NOT given us the boot camp treatment many of us were dreading.

Tomorrow begins early and we'll spend the day in training and gear issue/familiarization. It sounds like being fitted and figuring out the body armor is quite a chore. Fortunately, all of the personnel who are teaching us have actually worn this same gear in theater (Iraq, Afganistan, etc) so they really know what they're talking about. We'll spend the next 18 days running around in this gear and sweating our butts off. It's supposed to be 99 degrees on Thursday, not even considering humidity. Like I've said before, I don't like to be hot!!

One cool thing is that two of my buddies from Navy Supply School are here too. One I've talked to already, and one I just got a Facebook message from saying he's here too. Haha, it's crazy that I find out he's here, when he's within a thousand yards of me, through Facebook!

That's all for now. Early morning means early evening before! So, I'm crashing. More later...

Health Care for the Masses

2009-06-12T21:36:00.003+03:00

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18

What would happen if the Church would mobilize to take care of the health care needs of it's people? Why don't we? I would think that we collectively have the ability to do so. And how could this attitude affect the need for government welfare programs?

What if we started preaching on physical fitness too; to remind people that their bodies are gifts from God with a very important purpose. That destroying them both presents God in a bad light and makes taking care of our own a more daunting proposition than it should be.

Everyone complains about what the party across the aisle is doing. Why not just put that energy to work in doing what we are supposed to do?

Update

2009-06-12T09:28:00.003+03:00

I have almost completed the in-processing required before I can begin training for my Iraq deployment. It's a lot of hurry up and wait, but the staff has been very helpful and positive, so overall a good experience. I leave Saturday on a military flight to go to Ft Jackson in SC for 3 weeks of NARMY (Navy/Army) training. From what I hear, it will involve shooting lots of guns, sweating a lot being outside all day in full body armor in SC in June (booo!) and probably having a really good time overall.

There are no pictures worth taking here, or I would post some. If you want to see the pictures I promised earlier of my visit with Josh and Sarah, check Facebook. If you don't have a Facebook account, I suggest you consider the fact that everyone's doing it!

Random

2009-06-12T09:14:00.002+03:00

Things that bug me:

- Anyone tried to buy just one, or even three recordable CDs lately? Just went to the store and was going to have to buy a full spool or nothing. I went with the 10 pack of mini DVDs (the cheapest thing there) only to remember later, after I had torn apart the cardboard, that my laptop only burns CDs...

- The personal pan pizza meal deal at Pizza Hut came with bread sticks which amounted to over twice the amount of bread in the pizza itself. I'm not complaining about the big breadsticks, but the fact that I could have lost the pizza under my cup if I had put it down in the wrong place!

- A man at the medical clinic took down some information about a health evaluation regarding my deployment, and then said to stand by (aka wait!) to see a doctor to complete it. The next day, after stalling my in-processing progress for over 24 hours, the SAME GUY calls me in and signs the thing off. So, what the heck was I waiting for that whole time? Really I don't care now that it is in the past, but seriously!!

- That's all. Just didn't have anyone here to compain too ;)

Vacation!

2009-06-06T07:17:00.002+03:00

I met up with Sarah, Josh and Mom-in-law in San Diego 8 days ago and we spent a week exploring and enjoying many of the things the town has to offer. Mostly great food! Sarah had planned out our dining escapades with the help of a couple "Top 10" lists and all turned out to be excellent.

One of the more memorable moments of the trip was seeing 6-months-pregnant Sarah all dressed up for dinner chase down a city bus!! We needed to catch it in order to make our dinner reservation on time, but hadn't quite gotten to the bus stop when it drove up and showed no signs of stopping (because no one was actually AT the stop). Sarah was walking ahead of us when she realized that the bus wasn't going to stop, so she started running alongside the bus hollering "Stop, Stop!!" and waving her arms and... it stopped :) And dinner was great!

Another momorable and proud moment was when Josh ate the entire shrimp cocktail kids' meal (well, we helped him with the fries) at the Fish Market Restaurant. Great taste Little Man! And he said his cute little "hi!" to more people in that one week than I could count :)

Wednesday (two days ago) we flew to Ft. Myers Beach, FL where Sarah and Josh are staying with her mom during my time in Iraq. We've had tons of fun - mostly laughing at Josh and enjoying the nice weather and opportunity to relax a bit before our upcoming time apart. I leave in less than 48 hours...

I will post pictures here or on Facebook when I get a chance.

Farewell SSN724, hello Family!

2009-05-29T07:45:00.004+03:00

On May 26 I formally turned over my duties as Supply Officer of USS LOUISVILLE (SSN 724). It was weird. It was a relief (no pun intended). It was hard to leave. The men on board are masters of what they do, and I have the utmost admiration for them as a warfighting team. I am proud to have been their "Chop" (traditional nickname for the Supply Officer) and wish them the very best.

For now, I'm enjoying a little bit of leave before heading to training for a 6-month tour in Iraq. I don't know much about the job yet. All I know is that I have a week of training in San Diego, 3 weeks in South Carolina, and then I fly East! So, probably more on that later.

In about an hour Sarah, Josh and Sarah's mom will be landing to meet me here in San Diego. WOOHOO! I haven't seen them since March... unless Skype qualifies, which I suppose it does to some extent. Sarah's got a great plan for our next 6 days including the SD Zoo, a bunch of awesome restaurants, and some down time as well. I'm stoked!

Super sleeper

2008-06-22T16:47:00.007+03:00

A couple of Josh's favorite sleeping positions...

Yeah, he's hilarious :)

Now I get it! (Romans 4:18-25)

2008-06-22T15:35:00.002+03:00

I was reading this passage this morning in the Phillips version, and saw a side of it I hadn't before. Most of you have probably seen this or had it pointed out, but I either haven't heard it or have forgotten about it. So, it's news to me. Here's how the Phillip's version reads:

"Abraham, when hope was dead within him, went on hoping in faith, believing that he would become 'the father of many nations'. He relied on the word of God which definitely referred to 'thy seed'. With undaunted faith he looked at the facts - his own impotence (he was practically a hundred years old at the time) and his wife Sarah's apparent barrenness. Yet he refused to allow any distrust of a definite pronouncement of God to make him waver. He drew strength from his faith, and, wile giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement his own promise. This was the 'faith' which was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now this counting of faith for righteousness was not recorded simply for Abraham's credit, but as a divine principle which should apply to us as well. Faith is to be reckoned as righteousness to us also, who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered to death for our sins and raised again to secure our justification."

The Amplified version, verses 18-19:

"[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb."

What stood out to me was that Abraham's faith was that God would and could fulfil His promise to bring life (numerous decendents) from death (bodies whose ability to procreate was "dead"). This, of course, is the same promise we hold to today - that He can and will fulfill His promise to bring new life to we who are/were dead in sin.

Amazing how it all fits together, isn't it?!

"aholic"

2007-05-27T21:15:00.000+03:00

A snippet from a message I sent a friend today, in response to his question about the Christian fellowship here:

"Fellowship is not what it could be. Frankly, it's probably my fault. I think I've determined (as of last night) that I'm a workaholic. Seriously, I'm not kidding at all! I am hoping that recognition of the problem will be enough to resolve it, but we'll see. All I do is work, at home or the office, and it's not healthy. I'm not spending time with the Christian guys that are around. Why? Because I'm too busy and tired. It's ridiculous. But I seriously have felt like I'm not ABLE to stop doing things this way (working all the time). Crazy."

So, yeah. Not sure what else to say. I work all the time because I feel like I have to, and I get some sense of satisfaction from the accomplishment. I have all kinds of reasons for being this way - a sense of responsibility for work, love for my wife and baby-on-the-way, etc. All good things, but the real outcome is that I'm not giving God much time. And I'm not fellowshipping with other Christian men. And my attitude overall is degrading - and I feel like Christ can't possibly be visible through like I want Him to be.

Philippians 4:6-7

2007-04-12T06:07:00.000+03:00

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(Amen!)

Big News; and Please Pray!

2007-04-10T03:13:00.000+03:00

The big news? We just found out that we are expecting! I am SO happy!! Sarah 'told' me by giving me a tiny little t-shirt as she picked me up from work that reads "MY DAD IS THE MAN!" Too cool :)

And now we need your prayers even more and in so many new ways. For our tiny little baby in this early season of growth, and also our jobs and living arrangements. For nearly two months now, Sarah has been able to live here with me in Kittery, ME and it has been wonderful. Just this morning, she flew out to meet her ship in Guam (she is still in transit as of the time of this post) where she will remain for up to three months. With her current assignment, the typical place for her to be relocated to as a result of the pregnancy would be San Diego, CA. Of course, that is not what we want. There is a chance though, given some unique factors in our situation, that she will be moved to New England. Our hope and prayer is that she will be sent to a job that is near enough for us to live together. Perhaps even (though the liklihood is 'impossible') to be stationed on the same shipyard as I am. Please pray that the people making this decision would have a desire to put us together, and that they would find a perfect way to do so.

I entrust this to God's Hands, and my soul believes it is His will to put Sarah and I together again soon. Thank you all very much for your prayers, care and concern.

In Christ,
Luke

This one's for Dad

2007-04-04T00:21:00.000+03:00

Hey Dad!

Of course, hello to everyone else too. It's just Dad who finally ordered me to blog again... :)

There's too much to say right now though, in my noisy barge office bobbing up and down by the pier while the sub rests in drydock nearby, slowly being dismantled by swarms of 'shipyahd' (spelling appropriate to the NE accents...) workers in the beginning stages of it's overhaul. So, I promise to blog soon. Quick things:

I'M MARRIED!! (see Mi Sarita Bonita below :)
OTHER NEWS!! (more later... muhahah!!)

I'm alive!

2007-02-10T02:57:00.000+03:00

Contrary to popular belief, I am alive!

Right now I'm sitting in my bachelor quarters room at the New London Sub Base in Groton, CT waiting on my laundry to finish it's wash cycle so I can throw it in the dryer and go visit Mike, a guy I got to know in Athens, GA. He let me crash at his house a few times since we pulled in here, and we always have a nice relaxing time. Which I need!

Boat life is nuts. Especially underway, while we're tooling around several hundred feet (no, sorry, not 20 thousand leagues!) below the surface. Every day is long and work-work-work every waking moment. In port is has settled down to about 11 hours/day, so at least I have a little time to take care of personal things and call my family - and Sarah!

I guess for explaining what sub life is like, if you want to ask questions I'll do my best to answer them. Some of the details are forgotten to me because they're 'old news' and I have become accustomed to them. Others I might not know you would find interesting. If you have questions though, just ask! I'm sure everyone will enjoy the info.

Sarah and I have been planning hard for our wedding which is next Saturday (Feb. 17). YAY! Actually, I must say that Sarah and her Mom have really been the ones doing the planning, I've just been trying to make decisions and often forgetting to do what little I am asked to do. DOH! Oh well, I think she still likes me. She's still wearing the ring!! (See Below)

The other cool thing that happened recently, though it doesn't compare with being engaged to Sarah at all, was my sub's transit of the Panama Canal. I made sure to take some pictures, and got one specifically in honor of Colin (see his June Blogs). Here it is.

I'm really not sure what else to report !

My news is pretty simple: Sarah, and USS Louisville. My friends and family are doing great, and I get to see a bunch of them next weekend. So cool! The church and reception location look SO perfect, and I am speechlessly excited about being married to my perfect girl Sarah. Mi Sarita Bonita!

That's all for now. More later if I can!

It's quite sad...

2006-11-26T21:12:00.000+03:00

When even the most consistent of my blogging friends is 10 days behind. What's the deal? A rash of Blogger's block? Haha. Life is good here. I'm extravagantly infatuated and it's awesome! About to leave Tuesday morning for HI - a 23 hour, 4 leg trip. Fun. Not. I'm looking forward to getting started with my real job finally. Sub School in CT ended successfully the Friday before Thanksgiving. I realized that I've been in school since I was 4 - so that's 22 years straight. AGH. It's not completely over, but as for formal education it'll be a while. Thanksgiving was wonderful, as was Nana's 80th birthday party. I am SO blessed to have wonderful extended family! So hospitable, fun and genuine. I like to think it 'runs in the families'. I hope! I know this is a short blog - there are a couple of other things I might post later. Off to run a few errands now. Just wanted to let you all know I'm alive and kickin'...

Chapter closing... sort of

2006-11-03T17:38:00.000+03:00

Hello All!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I just didn't seem to have words to say. I dunno - prehaps because of all the emailing, reading and thinking that has been going into on particular relationship of mine... :)

Anyway, I finally have some thoughts. I think. Well, I guess that proves it, huh? Haha! Another chapter, that would be the one titled Sub School, is nearly closed and the next, USS Louisville, is about to begin. Exciting times.

I'm back in Portsmouth, NH today. Yesterday I met with some of the people I will be working alongside when my sub is up here to be overhauled. As far as their priorities are concerned, I'm a pretty pivotal guy in the process. What's a bit scary about that fact is that I will be brand new to the boat - a situation they seemed not to be real excited about. An overhaul that is considered to be successful by our respective superiors will require both sides to work hard and communicate well. I just hope I figure out what I'm doing quickly enough for my hard work and communication to actually be helpful. Yikes.

I've also been looking for a place to live. Can I just say that it is not as easy a process as it was in Norman or Athens? Those were college towns with lots of nice apartments and market competition. Yeah, some of the apartments here are nice, but there is a serious lack of competition. You do the math. All things considered (including all things, meaning lots of things) it may end up being a good idea to buy something... we'll see.

I got to see Kevin (Sarah's brother) again last night and should be doing brunch with he and maybe his roommates in a bit. Haha, I called him yesterday approximately 9 hours before I was going to need a bed to see if I could crash on the couch in his apartment. Fortunately, being the cool guy he is, he said it would be awesome. His roommates are cool too, just in case you were wondering.

Sub school is done. I thought I was going to end up with the lowest overall passing score in the class without having failed any exams. Buuut, some other guy ended up with that distinction. I had the second lowest grade without a failure. Some may call that slacking. I call it efficiency. Seriously! I got way more done during the last two months than any of those guys who studied the whole time. I mean, I bought a house, saw Boston and NYC, Visited with Dad, Matt, Mark and Clint, Visited Kevin and got a good look at my soon-to-be new hometown, read a couple of good books and have been spendng some time with a couple of Christian guys I've met here. So, I think God will forgive the grade :)

Ummmm, let's see... what else. Oh, if you haven't seen Clint's photo slideshow of his trip up here, check it out. We had a great time!

Thanksgiving with my family! I can't wait! Home cooking - wow, what a thought :P

Well, that's all I can think of. If I've forgotten anything, just remind me and I'll write about it.

Sweetness.

Missing Romance (other people's that is!)

2006-10-10T03:42:00.000+03:00

So here I am in Groton, CT - over a thousand miles from my family and only God knows how far from Sarah. Romance is happening, for sure, but I feel like I'm missing out on so much!

I got to wish Shannon a happy birthday today, and I hung up with a bit of a sinking sensation as I realized how much is happening with both Matt and her that I'm not there for. And I don't like it :( I am so excited for them both, and have watched with joy the way God has blessed them with wonderful 'others'. They're getting good direction and counsel, having fun nights out, talking all the time and enjoying the family home together on a regular basis. I wish I could be there.

Fortunately God keeps blessing me though my faithful girlfriend Sarah, with whom romance is still budding daily - even across the seas! Someone call Guinness and see if 2,596 emails in three months is a record :) Yep, we email a lot. And I love it. So, not all romance is lacking here by any means, but I just want to tell Shannon and Matt...

I wish I could be there!

Blessed!

2006-10-01T06:37:00.000+03:00

For some reason as I sat down to enjoy my quiet time on this lazy Saturday morning, I was simply overcome with gratefulness to the Lord for what He has blessed me with. I've been on another thought line recently, seeing how alone it seems up here away from family, friends, Christian coworkers... and Sarah. But I was reminded today of so many things I am blessed by that I simply couldn't feel sorry for myself at all :)

First off, God has granted me the prayers of many of His people which has held me high and strong in what seem to be dark and dangerous circumstances (from a spiritual perspective). For example, my TV has no appeal except for monitoring the weather and the occasional football game while I'm ironing or knocking out to-do list items. None! Imagine that! He has been so near for me, and is growing in me the reliance on Him that enables me to receive from Him what I need in the midst of tough circumstances, rather than having to go hash it out in my heart before Him at another time.

Also, I have great friends who are near and dear to my heart, some of whom I get to communicate with often. God is still letting me be involved in the lives of guys from home He has allowed me to be involved in for a while, and see them grow strongly toward Him. My family cares about me deeply and goes out of their way to involve me in home and even come see me now and then. Dad and Matt, NYC was great!

Sarah. Well, she's awesome. God has blessed us so much in communication and friendship! I am daily encouraged by our 'conversations' over email and - every once in a while - phone. She has been a wonderful girlfriend to me even from across the world! ;)

School is going well (albeit just barely, as far as grades are concerned!) The material is mostly interesting, and I have enough time to study what I need to. THAT is a blessing!

I have free time to work on things that are important to me. I've recently bought a house, realigned my finances and fixed some issues with my military stuff. I'm getting to play flag football!!! That is SO cool for me. We're not that good yet, but improving!

My car is running great - isn't that an underappreciated blessing!?

And the list goes on. That's the gist though. Regardless of anything else, my Heavenly Father is looking out for me and has given me SO many blessings. Thank you Lord!

Coffee Shop Conundrum

2006-09-27T02:22:00.000+03:00

So, I printed off a map with all of the locations, addresses and phone numbers of the local coffee shops in the vicinity and set out last Saturday afternoon to find the area's best. What an exciting adventure!

Well, after removing the 2 Dunkin Doughnuts, and 2 Tom Horton's (think Panera crossed with Dunkin Doughnuts) from the list, I was left with 4 local joints and one Starbucks. I set out to the east, having decided to make a big loop and drive by all the locations in search of the perfect spot, and found... trees. Yep, lots of them. Two of the locations I couldn't find so much as a building at the claimed address, a third was hopelessly abandoned, and the Starbucks - well, the address was exactly the side of a giant Pfizer research lab building. Not exactly a cozy hideaway, and no familiar green logos in sight.

Finally, I ventured across the bridge into New London and found my journey's end. A good thing too, all other options exhausted. It's called the Muddy Water's cafe - with a view of the water and a fairly unique and comfortable feel. Yay! I won't be over there too often, but it's nice to know the option is there :)

Not too inviting, eh?

Muddy Waters - Yay!

Note: While these pictures were loading I thought "Gosh, there are luxury car dealerships around for cryin' out loud; there has to be a Starbucks!" Yep - the town next to the town next to Groton. Which here, unlinke Oklahoma, means that it's about 4 miles away :)

Driving photojournal - sort of

2006-09-11T07:03:00.000+03:00

Images from the road...

Notice anything strange (look closely at the license plate...)

Shopping carts gone wild in the West Memphis Wal-Mart parking lot - weird!

Mountains! In VA I think...

A buggy on a bridge in PA - Amish I presume.

Getting close!

How beautiful is that?

Construction, of course.

Welcome to NY...

Hey Dad, can you read that? Haha.

Finally 'home' (for the next 10 weeks...) at the Groton Chalet :)

Travelin' stories

2006-09-08T18:58:00.000+03:00

So I put nearly a thousand more miles on my car today. It was a good drive, and left me with a few interesting thoughts.

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First of all, what kind of inborn skill does it take to get that stupid wrapper off of a CD?! I bought a few at Wal-Mart to help delay the inevitable driving boredom, and in the amount of time it took the pump to funnel 14.7 gallons of gas (incidentally equivalent in value to about 5 hours at minimum wage) into my car I only managed to unleash ONE disc! Sigh. Mabe I'll just blame sleep-deprivation and forget the whole thing...

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Driving at night rocks. The air cools, the glare of the sun subsides, and pictures turn out great! Yes, I was taking pictures on the road. I figured out that I can open my sunroof, rest my hand on the wind guard, carefully brace my camera against the wind, and take pictures and or movies of the road while driving. Cool huh? I'll try to post some of my 'work' later :)

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Payer works. Seriously. I don't know who all has been praying for me these last weeks, or if anyone struck a new chord with the Lord about me, but I have been SO blessed. Despite the busyness of visiting everyone at home, and having more limited time in the Word than I prefer, I have had such peace and an uncanny constant awareness of God's activity in and around me. Wow! Thanks!

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Sarah is awesome. News? No. However it is still true, and I was thinking about it a lot on the drive. How is it that God would give me such a great girlfriend that cares so much about me and 'us' - yet can live day by day only in the presence of the Lord and be content? I am so blessed!

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Thanks fam! I always feel so at home when I'm... at home :) As usual you loved me, served me, and helped me accomplish what was important to me to do while I was at home. I'm sorry it wasn't a longer time, but I'll see you again soon!

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Well folks, please keep up the prayers for me and the work God desires to do through me in these various places I'm headed to. It's kind of intimidating, but I expected that and am looking forward to the challenge of taking it all on and making the most of it. May Christ be glorified!

Sorry Pluto :'(

2006-08-25T04:10:00.000+03:00

How bad must it be to be a planet, and wake up one day to find that you've lost that acclaimed status in the universe? Sorry Pluto, now you're just a hunk of dirt 'dwarf-planet'. Bummer dude.

For the story click here.

Permission to be YOU

2006-08-25T03:52:00.000+03:00

I was reminded recently about a Truth that makes it clear that God supports His people being exactly who He made them to be. It got me thinking that way, and I noticed something yesterday morning that I was so excited to share.

In Exodus God gives Moses and Aaron instructions about making the tabernacle and priest's clothing etc. In 28:3 God completely validates the 'artsy guys' by calling them out to use their talents for His kingdom. So, artsy guys (whom I am miserably behind in all things creative) if anyone tries to 'take your man card' for being who you are, this verse is for you!

And thanks. Thanks for being who you are. Architects, musicians, painters, designers of all sorts - thank you for contributing your talents to the rest of the all-to-unappreciative world around you for everyone to enjoy!

Family Showcase part 2!

2006-07-28T00:04:00.000+03:00

Dad Memories

Three favorite things about Dad:

He unquestionably loves his family.
He has integrity.
He loves and trusts God, even when it's hard.

Traits inherited from Dad:

Orderliness!
Valuing the 'little guy' and people less fortunate.
A well balanced work ethic.

Favorite Dad memories:

The many times he would teach me how things work and how to do cool manly stuff.
When he on many occasions lead us all over the world on carefree, spontaneous family vacations!

Thanks Dad!

Think

2006-07-24T05:25:00.000+03:00

"Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that
you fit into it without even thinking."

Romans 12:2 MSG

What to do!?

2006-07-20T23:08:00.000+03:00

I wanted to share a quote - like, two pages long - from a book Dick Jaques gave me called The Insider by Jim Peterson and Mike Shamy. It's great material and I'd highly recommend the book. I'll comment on the quote at the end...

"So what does God want of us by way of lifestyle? The Scriptures identify three types of behavior. There are behaviors that are always right. There are some that are always wrong, and there are "disputable matters" - matters that are right or wrong depending on the context.

Paul gives a summary of behaviors that are always wrong. He writes, "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." He follows this with a description of behaviors that are always right; behaviors that fit everywhere, in whatever culture. These are "love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things," he says, "there is no law."

Well, you ask, haven't we been talking about avoiding lists of behaviors so people won't fall into legalism? What is this if it isn't just that - a list of approved and unapproved behaviors?

It is true, we could pin this list on our wall like a revised version of the Ten Commandments. Then we could set out to keep them. The results would be just as disastrous as they were with the first set of laws. We would utterly fail. That is the point of the gospel!

We need to look at the context of these paragraphs. Paul is not giving us a list to keep at all. He is describing what we can expect the Holy Spirit to do in us. He begins the paragraph with these words: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Then as he gets into the "right" behaviors, he prefaces his description by calling them the "fruit of the Spirit."

[Paragraph skipped]

Some behaviors are always right. Others are always wrong. That's clear. Now, what about "disputable matters"?

Paul used the term "disputable matters" to refer to questions of behavior not specifically addressed in Scripture. One of these in Paul's day was going into the pagan temple and eating food that had been offered to idols. The list of disputable matters shifts constantly as our culture changes. Over the centuries everything from wearing colored clothing to sleeping on a soft bed has had its turn on the list. When we look back, yesterday's list of disputable matters always seems so quaint, such as those I grew up with fifty years ago. It also seems people defend their lists with exaggerated zeal. It's as if they were defending the faith itself!

How easy it is to fall into heated arguments over questions of conduct! Why do we do that? I think it is because it is human nature to train one’s conscience to respond according to one’s beliefs. Matters of conscience, by definition, run deep. We get emotional about them. So, in these doubtful matters we not only have our own consciences to deal with, we have the other person’s conscience to worry about as well! The Bible says, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God.” People stumble when they are prompted to act in a way that violates their consciences.

In this case, you say, we’re stuck! I’m told not to violate my own conscience. And I am told to care about other people’s consciences as well. Certainly someone, somewhere, is going to have a conscience against whatever I do. I know if I join my unbelieving friends on their turf, I will offend some of my Christian friends. But I also know that if I let their consciences determine my behavior, I won’t even have nonChristian friends."

I totally Identify with the inner conflict this describes. Yet I think that for now I've learned from God what is the right way to handle it. Some people may not approve, but that is not the important thing to me. The important thing is that I am following God, learning the clear Scriptural boundaries for living, and doing everything I can in said "disputable matters" to honor and reach out to those whom I am around. Were I to behave, dress, and converse exactly the same in a bar full of Navy guys as I do in church at home, I would lose all ministry with them.

Does that mean I violate my conscience in any way? By no means. Is it hypocrisy? God forbid. They see me reading the Word. They know the challenges I present to their systems of belief (delicately, albeit - insincere Bible-banging has driven many of them far from the Truth already). They know that I've got their back and am glad to do anything to help when they need me. They know a real Christan when they see one, and they also know who's a weirdo - and they want no part of whatever he's got. Leaving me with the challenge of not being a weirdo, but still being a Christian.

This is a point on which I must disagree with some Christian teachers. In America, in 2006, people don't care what you have to say unless they can 1) Identify with you somehow and 2) Enjoy being around you. Unsaved people today need relationships with real Christians that show Christ to them in their own language. In the Navy, I certainly don't adopt the literal language, but I can be as much like them as Christianly possible so that they understand the message I desire for my life to convey. I must 'live in their language.'

Enough said for this entry. The book is great, you should buy it. If you have qestions or challenges about the quote, read the book. Or you can just comment, but beware I might quote the book again :) It has a lot more in it that probably addresses what's bugging you.

Guys, check this out!

2006-07-19T21:25:00.000+03:00

I just came across the CIA World Factbook. It is so cool!!! Check it out!

It would be a great resource to learn about countries where missionaries you know are working...

And also on that note, download Google Earth. You will be amazed!

Quotable

2006-07-18T17:42:00.000+03:00

"You give glory to what you talk about."

That's my favorite pick from a list of thoughts on Holly's latest post. I'd encourage you to check it out! I like this quote a lot because it verbalizes what my heart knows to be true. Prompting the question: what am I glorifying day-to-day with my words?

Hmmm....

Family Showcase!

2006-07-16T00:04:00.000+03:00

Sometime in May, Sarah put together a questionnaire of sorts for me which included all kinds of questions about my life and I am now finally getting around to working on it! The first section is all about my family, and as I've been answering the questions I have been reminded of how very blessed I am to have the family that I do. So, I'm going to do my own 'Family Showcase' over the next handful of days and tell the world what's so wonderful about my family!

We begin today with Mom.

Mom Memories

Three favorite things about Mom:

She always looks out for me, she really cares.
She loves Dad and guards both his authority and reputation within and outside our home.
She respects my adulthood/manhood.

Traits inherited from Mom:

Grandpa's looks
Compassion for people
Good taste in food!

Favorite Mom memory:

Just talkin'. Especially when I was young and she would sit or lay on my bed and chat at bedtime. And on long drives too!

Paradox

2006-07-13T21:00:00.000+03:00

A Commander passed this on to our class today...

Paradox of Money
~ It's not what you earn; it's what you save.
Paradox of Cheap Products
~ Only the rich can afford to buy them.
Paradox of Learning
~ Sometimes in order to learn, you must first unlearn.
Paradox of Change
~ In order to have successful change, you must have stability.

Rough Seas

2006-07-13T06:03:00.000+03:00

Hey everyone, Sarah emailed that the seas are really rough, and I know it's hard to be on a ship when the weather's that way. She said "OH...the difficult night was just because of the seas. Stuff flying everywhere in my room...ME flying everywhere! I eventually got some sleep though"

Please pray that the storm would pass quickly for them. If you can, too, just post a comment saying that you're praying - that would be awesome.

Here's a current picture of the region Sarah's ship is in...

Hilarious

2006-07-13T02:33:00.000+03:00

Got this from a Navy buddy the other day... I couldn't resist!

Professional editing by yours truly :)

Leadership

2006-07-11T17:50:00.000+03:00

One of the main things I've been impressed with at the Navy Supply School is how often illustrations are given which - by design or not - include great lessons on leadership.

Yesterday our Food Service Instructor, CWO3 Lukeivic, told a story about 'guarding' the wastebaskets in the cafeteria to make sure sailors weren't wasting unreasonable amounts of food. One sailor walked up with two untouched t-bone steaks on his plate! Lukeivic stopped him and asked why in the world he was throwing away two perfectly good steaks. He replied that he didn't end up being as hungry as he felt when he went through the food line. Lukeivic took the plate, saran-wrapped it, and told the sailor to meet him 'downstairs' and to bring his Chief and Division Officer too. In other words, he made a big deal of it.

Lukeivic told the story to illustrate the process of protecting the food inventory. What it revealed to me though was true leadership. See, at the end of the story he commented that the steaks themselves really weren't a big deal - but he could see that the sailor was young and new to the ship, and really needed a lesson in reponsibility. That's what stood out to me!

In the midst of performing his duties, he was also looking out for the junior sailors. Very, very good lesson; and I see that quality all the time in the instructors here. Makes me proud to be a member of the US Navy Supply Corps.

Grace

2006-07-06T17:28:00.000+03:00

Thanks all for praying. It's not been the easiest 24 hours, but God is proving faithful and helping me really be glad for what I do have - not getting stuck on that which I don't. My emotions still tease me now and then, and it's not a walk in the park by any means, but God is so good. Dad is in town and I'll be having lunch with him in a bit. It was realy good timing for him to be coming through town! And I already got my first email from Sarah and things seem to be going well with her. So, God's got it under control. No surprises here :-)

Keep praying, please! And know that God is answering as usual. What a great Friend and Father He is!

Prayers please!

2006-07-05T20:16:00.000+03:00

Ok, a couple of developments I beg you to pray about. First, I found out last Thursday that while yes, my sub is based out of Hawaii - it is also scheduled to have it's engine overhauled starting in March in Portsmouth, NH. So, I'll be in Hawaii for 1-2 months, Portsmouth for the next 18, then back to Hawaii for 9 or so months to finish my tour. Not exactly what I was shooting for, but not the end of the world either.

The other thing is... Sigh. I dropped Sarah off at the airport this morning for her flight to Tokyo to meet her ship. And it was very, very hard. Not sure what all to ask you to pray, but that's what's going on. The absolute best of my few friends here in GA is gone, and everything I've done since has reminded me of her absence. Class, driving, etc - all of which are shared memories. It could be a long month remaining here. I don't think it has to be, but today has been rough. Thanks for your prayers and concern.

About Time!

2006-06-29T18:42:00.000+03:00

Well, it's about time. "About time for what?" you ask. Well, about time for me to give you the real reason why I've not been blogging much.

Her name is Sarah. And she's awesome :-)

Sarah is also in the Navy, and flying out to meet her ship in Japan next Wednesday. It's been our primary concern for the last couple of months to spend as much time together as possible, get to know each other, and seek God's will regarding the future. So far we believe pressing forward is His will, and I am thrilled! I believe we're headed in the same direction in life, and her love for people and desire for family seem to match mine perfectly.

We are now in the middle of courtship, and waiting on God for the next step in His plan - whatever that is. I have my hopes, but most definitely want His will first. So, we continue to practice patience. Now doesn't it make sense that you haven't heard from me much?!

And thanks to Aunt Jody for the great picture!

I want one!

2006-06-29T15:25:00.000+03:00

CNN.com had a really cool article this morning about a newly discovered poisonous chameleon snake in Indonesia. The amazing thing is this quote:

"The ability to change skin color is known in some reptiles, such as the chameleon, but scientists have seen it rarely with snakes and have not yet understood this phenomenon..." (WWF)

Permit me to add "...which is our admission that we really don't know how all this cool stuff got here in the first place!"

Heb. 1:10 thoughts

2006-06-21T21:17:00.000+03:00

Hebrews 1:10 - How is this? I mean, it's amazing. Jesus was there and took part in the creation of the world and of humanity. He was there when Adam and Eve spit in His face and began the deterioration of every part of His creation. He watched as sin entered the world and destroyed bit by bit the signature of His likeness on mankind. He saw it fester into a violent, lustful, pride and hate filled place. And then, He jumped in. Dove in, is perhaps a better term. He contained Himself in the soul and body of a man - a chunk of flesh He himself designed. His was the first heart of man to be perfect in spite of sin. I do not want to be Adam. I want to "be" Christ. It's not right to dream about sin not existing - well, maybe the thought is just neutral. It's not logical though. And I don't see what the point is. Christ came and granted us the power to live righteously in the midst of sin.
Just as He did.

Taxes at work

2006-06-12T22:55:00.000+03:00

I wrote this to a friend earlier, and thought it would be good to post for everyone since I haven't really given much detail on Navy stuff lately. Plus, you're funding it all, so you deserve to know!

So, the Navy stuff. My job (that I just finished school for) is basically to be accountable for all the supplies, money, post office, kitchen... etc. that involves stuff that comes on and off the ship. There is a lot of tracking information, keeping records, budgeting for and purchasing supplies. It's basically a business position, if you look at what we do. The thing is, we don't actually do all the work that is done, we supervise it, make sure everyone is doing their respective jobs correctly, and sign the paper at the end of the day that is our affirmation that everything was done correctly. In other words, our signature, if we don't actually do our job, is what could land us in jail if things are not actually in order. There's a lot of money involved, plus people's health and the overall functionality of the ship. A little scary, I admit.

This summer and fall I'm going to schools that deal specifically with the job of being the only Supply Officer onboard a submarine. They'll include topics on leadership, integrating with the rest of the Officers on the boat, some physics and general sumbarine knowledge, damage control, communicating with other ships, and I don't know what all else. Simply, everyone on a submarine needs to know a lot so they can contribute to the boat's day to day operations, and especially during an emergency situation. That is why I have more schools to attend, while 2/3rds of the class are already on their way to their respective ships. It's good though - I requested this job and am looking forward to it. Yay!

Any questions?

Quick Post

2006-06-09T22:53:00.000+03:00

Howdy! I just got back from a trip up the east coast - more on that later.

For now, I wanted to post something I read in an email from the CBMC. It's a few 'tests' to evaluate whether you're living a life of integrity. They're solid.

TEST OF SCRUTINY:
Submit your thoughts and actions and attitudes etc. to the test of scrutiny. Can they be brought out into the open? Can they withstand public observation? Can they stand up under scrutiny?

TEST OF UNIVERSALITY:
Are my thoughts and actions and attitudes such that I would like to see everyone thinking or doing or believing the same?

TEST OF PRAYER:
Can I genuinely go to God in prayer and ask him to bless my thought or action or attitude?

TEST OF CHOICE:
Would Jesus Christ choose the choice I am making?

Athens' Finest

2006-06-01T06:04:00.000+03:00

Haha - I'm sitting outside at a coffee shop here in Athens (Clint and Landon, it's the Jittery Joe's I took you to) and something funny just happened.

There were 5 policemen, fresh coffee in hand, taking a break by one of the squadcars in the parking lot right beside me. All was normal, until they were distracted by the scanner and one of them let out a whoop. And this was an excited 'thrill of the ride' kind of whoop!

All five literally ran to their cars and peeled out of the parking lot in unison. So funny! They were like kids on Christmas. Everyone out here was laughing. The assumption is that they got a really important call about someone on America's Most Wanted or something; but I think headquarters just discovered a doughnut happy hour!

Horrib...ly funny

2006-05-30T07:37:00.000+03:00

My friend Todd from church here in Athens spotted this sign on a trip this weekend. Yes people, I'm sorry to say, this sign is real. BTW I checked the website and it's safe - if not the stupidist thing ever.
Not worth the keyboard wear and tear ...

So, the inference begs, would they rent out a PRE-husband?

Letting go

2006-05-29T16:01:00.000+03:00

Once I finally place my trust in God, at that very moment, I can physically feel the burden lifting. Every time.

I'm going through quite the crazy couple of weeks here. Most of you are enjoying family picnics today I hope, but here in my little corner of the world all is quiet. Most of my friends nominal and significant have scurried out of town to enjoy post-BQC relaxation or report for duty near and abroad.

It's leaving me with time to think. And lots of it! It's been good and bad I suppose. Time to think can turn into time to fret and time to question and time to ponder things usually left alone. I'll admit that it has been hard to keep my head on straight. I'm learning a new side of myself that is very confusing and not the predictable, understandable me I've gotten to know over the past several years. This side is impulsive, emotional, and posessive. It is also selfless, strong, and yielded to God.

Where is the balance? Well, I don't know. Yet. He is teaching me and guiding me though. Today He has taken from my heart a burden it couldn't bear. One it wasn't designed to bear. A weight only He can carry for me. I pray I leave it there, in His capable loving hands. Please pray for me too. I know He is glad to hold it - I just pray for the grace to let Him.

On another note, I read I Timothy 1 this morning, and verse 15 struck me.

"It is a tustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all."

Amen.

So it's true.

2006-05-26T21:03:00.000+03:00

This is a different kind of post I guess. I was just looking at online profiles of some of the people I've known over the years, and it's so sad. I can already see several sliding away from what they once claimed to be their passion. Many I never knew well enough to be sure if Christ really had their hearts, and now I really wonder if He ever did. Once He gets ahold, there's not much a person can do but let go and enjoy the ride! Why did the preachers and teachers have to be right, and their warnings to the uncertain so true?

It's just sad. And kinda hurts. People settling for less who I know want more. Why? Oh God, why?

On the flipside though, I also know people going through real, gritty life who are hanging on. Their faith is real. Passion oft challenged but never shaken. Hope near clouded from view, but still shining through. I love to see deeply Christ-changed people, don't you?!

I speak ...American

2006-05-18T22:04:00.000+03:00

So this is why people can never tell where I'm from...!

Your Linguistic Profile::

55% General American English

20% Dixie

15% Yankee

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Interesting, huh?

Great article

2006-05-18T18:08:00.000+03:00

Coffee lovers unite!

Here's a link to an awesome Washington Post column which Kirsten referenced on Clint's recent post (which, incidentally, has 33 comments - a fun read!) about a good coffee experience he recently had. Fun stuff!

Happy Day!!

2006-05-15T14:32:00.000+03:00

Well folks, I CAN!
And today the grass is definitely greener on my side of the fence!
You may commence envying me... :-)

Home sweet home!

2006-05-08T01:18:00.000+03:00

So, I was looking at houses in Hawaii, and I think I found the one I want...

"Diamond Head/Waikiki/OceanViews- Stake your claim to Paradise w/this exceptional DH estate on 68,000 sq.ft w/372 ft of frontage w/multi wing island style plantation residence. Lose yourself to the romantic embrace of the glorious master suite of over 2000 sq. ft. w/pvt. Balcony. Grand entertaining areas, 2 story library, 2 offices, 3 guest suites, staff/au-pair quarters. Stunning! 6 Bedrooms, 7 Full/5 Partial Bath(s) 12,799 Estimated Sq. Ft."

"At the reasonable price of only $16,900,000"

Donations anyone?

I'll offer free lodging if you can make it out for a visit!

Another awesome quote

2006-05-08T00:13:00.000+03:00

C.S. Lewis and I have a lot in common apparently. Though his analogies seem to have stood the test of time, here's what he has to say about them, and I totally concur regarding my attempts at making sense of God through mere analogy.

"The precision can, of course, be only that of a model or a symbol, certain to fail us in the long run and, even while we use it, requiring correction from other models. The humblest of us, in a state of Grace, can have some 'knowledge-by-acquaintance,' some 'tasting,' of Love Himself; but man even at his highest sanctity and intelligence has no direct 'knowledge about' the ultimate Being - only analogies. We cannot see light, though by light we can see things. Statements about God are only extrapolations from the knowledge of other things which the divine illumination emables us to know. I labor these depreciations because, in [my anologies] my best efforts to be clear (and not intolerably lengthy) may suggest a confidence which I by no means feel. I should be mad if I did." - The Four Loves

I share this because it rings so true. I love analogies, but most can, in a short conversation, be dissected and found riddled with untruth. I suppose I just wanted you to hear even so great an author as Mr. Lewis disavow the perfection of his efforts to describe God - so maybe you can have mercy on mine!

Friends

2006-05-06T03:51:00.000+03:00

Reading a book by C.S. Lewis given me by a friend, I've run across many great quotes. Here's one I couldn't not share with you:

"We may never perhaps become Titans or plain cads; we might - which is in some ways worse - become 'Souls.' The common vision which first brought us together may fade quite away. We shall be a coterie that exists for the sake of being a coterie; a little self-elected (and therefore absurd) aristocracy, basking in the moonshine of our collective self-approval." - from The Four Loves

Who are your friends? What brought you together? How did your social circles - the comfortable 'hang-out' buddies - earn that place? Is that precious commonality still the bond that ties you, or have you lost it only to be found companions of cynicism and folly?

Consider your companions well. What was once good may not always be. God-centered friendship resides within the carefree confines of His loving hands. Are you still together there?

Grandma

2006-04-29T00:51:00.000+03:00

Well Grandma, this isn't actually just to or about you. That is probably a relief, huh?

Actually, there was a lady at Kinko's today where I was dropping off a FedEx package who reminded of my Grandma. She was so nice and said "You can go ahead" and, motioning toward the veritable mountain on the counter, "They have to box up all my things."

What caught me off guard was a word I left out of her quote. See, I was in my Navy summer whites uniform, and what she actually said was "You can go ahead sir." I froze for a second. I didn't know what to do, except say "Thank you Ma'am" and comply.

Why is it that SHE was calling ME SIR? I mean, I actually do understand why, but I'm asking anyway. That's how I felt in that moment. What? Why? Why is this kind lady calling me sir? Isn't it I who should be calling her Ma'am? I suppose we were both right. It just didn't feel that way.

On a side note, I don't think my Grandma would ever take a pile of stuff to FedEx and make them box it up. Would you G'ma?

Cool!

2006-04-26T17:41:00.000+03:00

Clint posted something on his site that was a lot of fun. It requires very little thought. Yea!

Here's what I came up with:
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: Sam Kingsville
2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: Dale Peanut MM (the MM must be my licensure or something)
3. YOUR “FLY GIRL/GUY” NAME: L HODGE
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: Dog Blue
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: James Epps
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: Hod Ich Sam
7. JEDI NAME: Semaj Hcirekceb
8. SUPERHERO NAME: The Blue Accord

See Clint's blog for the name deriviation methodology...

Darn Grass!

2006-04-26T16:20:00.000+03:00

It's amazing how true it is that the grass always seems greener on 'the other side'. Don't get me wrong, I'm sheepishly grinning as I write. It's just that a couple of months ago I had nothing to think about but passing some classes, and now I've got so much going on. I found myself last night thinking 'I just wish things would settle down' - when at the begining of February I was thinking 'Can life get more boring?!'

Oh well, it's all good. Just different kinds of good, right?

Marketing majors welcome

2006-04-24T02:04:00.000+03:00

Yeah, so, Nielsen called and my ratings are at rock bottom. I guess erratic output can do that to any production effort. I'm considering a media blitz - maybe a few billboards, 15 seconds or so during the NBA Final Four... and I wonder what the Little Caesars mascot fellow who waves to drivers-by at the Robinson and 24th store does when he's not working for them? Maybe I could put him in a cool gecko suit with a sandwich board emblazoned 'lukejhodges.blogspot.com'!

No, wait, the gecko thing is taken. Hmm...

At last

2006-04-23T01:59:00.000+03:00

At last I post!

Americans
Is it just me or are Americans simply an awesome slice of humanity? On four flights over last weekend I met and very much enjoyed visiting with several people. A lady losing her sight, and I think dealing with depression over the fact, was on her way to visit with her husband who was doing consulting work at the Sheraton downtown OKC. An older gentleman pondering a book about our administration's 'blundering' in Iraq - but whose son is a Marine and on his way to that very combat zone. A homeschool dad from Iowa going to a conference for Volvo tractor-trailer dealers in hopes of taking over the dealership he works at when the owner retires. And of course there was the guy who slept... he wasn't all that interesting. We are a people of amazing diversity in every way. Such an awesome thing.

How did Jesus love Judas?
This one gets this month's Amazing Things About Jesus award! I have to believe that right now, I probably wouldn't be able to perfectly love a man I knew was going to backstab me in exchange for a few pieces of silver. Its hard enough to be nice to a rude classmate, let alone someone who's selling you out! Sigh. -Lord, help me to love like You do!

Fence riders
Why in the world do people ride the fence? Why do they dabble in the gray, hoping the stains won't show? Look people, if you're a Christian, just BE A CHRISTIAN. Love. Serve. Know God, and bare yourself to Him - He already knows, by the way, and He already decided it's ok - He loves you anyway. I guess I am tired of seeing people claim Christ's lordship and then not prove it in real life. If 'Christians' would be Christlike, everyone else would stand in awe of Christ. Sigh.

Oklahomans Rule!
No offense to my non-Okie readers, but I really have to give props to my Christian family in OK. You guys really care, and I'm so impressed to know who you are letting God create you to be. Keep it up - the world needs you badly and God is immensely glorified by your lives! So far I've not found such a group of likeminded people - thanks for following Him! Keep it up!

~Rest~

2006-04-23T01:50:00.000+03:00

How hard is it supposed to be to rest? If patience is defined as intently, gladly and actively awaiting God's next thing, why does that not necessarily produce the internal rest that I yearn for? I have what seem to be very good desires, but no "go this way" from God - ministry things, relationship things, basic daily life things... and that makes me feel restless. I don't know if this is one of those things that God allows - even instills - to keep me headed in the right direction; or if its something in me that is confused and missing the proverbial boat.

It's about time!

2006-04-19T23:00:00.000+03:00

They're Engaged!!!

Huge congrats and kudos to Kathryn and Chris! I don't really know Chris, but I do know Kathryn and that says a lot... for Chris. I'm going to risk getting in trouble, but I think this is worth mentioning. I had asked Kathryn 'How things were going' earlier this year and here was her response, dated Feb 6, 2006:

"I love Chris. I haven’t told him yet though! Last I checked, I think we’re supposed to save that mutual knowledge for engagement. I’m so so thankful for him Luke, God’s totally blown my dreams out of the water. He graduates in May…we’ll see what happens!"

Pretty cool, huh?

Preview, etc.

2006-04-18T04:49:00.000+03:00

I just got back to GA from a great trip to OKC - I wish the weekend held more hours! I got to spend some good time with my family though, and talked with many friends at church on Sunday. So good!

During my 12 or so hours travelling back and forth, I thought of several things I want to blog on, and here's a preview of the topics:

Americans
How did Jesus love Judas?
Fence riders
Oklahomans Rule!

For now though, I've gotta just say something, and it's fairly likely I won't want to discuss it further either, just so you know...

I really hate the word can't. It embodies much of what I live against. I believe God can and people can and very little in the world can't. However, I'm at a place where I feel like I've found something I can't. Yes, I know the previous isn't a complete sentence, but I left it that way on purpose. Unlucky for you, I've decided that you don't need to know what I can't.

I say can't based on the evidence at hand. Through years of wanting and trying and hoping and yeilding and wishing and working and giving and living, every evidence I can see says I can't. Why not? I don't know. Bill Gothard would extrapolate a message from God. Larry Crabb may find a root of self protection. Piper surely would proclaim God's glorification in it. C.S Lewis, I imagine, would say "Well, let me tell you a story..." Dick Jaques would just remind me, God is sovereign and good!

Those are all excellent thoughts, but none seem to hit the spot on this one. Please simply pray that I may see God's perspective on why I can't; and that I'll know it when I see it. Thanks.

3rd post today!

2006-04-07T20:11:00.000+03:00

Mom copied me on an email today, and I thought the story in it was blogworthy.

"We had a little 'party' here today! While I was sitting reading my bible, it started to rain a tiny bit- then the wind really picked up and I heard a LOUD clap - I thought- that was close! About 45 minutes later, I was rushing around the house trying to get ready to leave to run some errands. Jim was on his way to Peoria, Shannon at work and Matt at school. For some reason, I don't remember why, I looked out the back window- and saw a fire in our tree!! You know how high a fire danger we're in. And the wind was blowing really hard toward our house! I called 911 right away, then I ran out to see if I could get the hose to reach the fire- it was a little ways away- in a small stand of trees that we don't mow around, so it is full of leaves and dried brush and little dead trees. I called Jim, and he told me to call the neighbor. I did, and then I ran and got a few photo albums and threw them in the car and came back to work on the hose. It wouldn't reach, but w/in about 15 minutes, the fire trucks were there- followed closely by the Qualls, the Renos, the Tuters (all from church and relatively close by) and also my neightbor. They all had hoses- I guess Jim had called around. Anyway- the fire department put it out and showed me where the tree had been struck and split by lightning and was smoldering before the fire actually started. What a morning!"

Lotta $$

2006-04-07T18:14:00.000+03:00

Did you know that a brand new US Navy Disbursing Officer is authorized to issue US Treasury Checks up to the amount of $99,999,999.99? Yep, that is a pair of commas and a period. Wow.

Fortunately, we are in the midst of a months-long class entitled "Disbursing Management" during which we learn all the rules and procedures as to how money is to be spent. Maybe that will settle your blood pressure a bit!

Unfortunately, on a sub there is no disbursing or ship's store sales division - which are the two topics remaining or us here at the BQC. So... I'm desperately trying to learn for the future, since none of this has any current application or me.

Feel free to interpret 'desperately trying to learn' as 'desperately trying to care enough to stay awake' :-)

But of course!

2006-04-07T17:25:00.000+03:00

A guy from church told me a story the other day about his friend who requested to be reassigned to the continental US from Hawaii after a 9 month stint working there. Everyone was surprised that he wanted to come back, but his explanation was simple: He was out there all by himself and it was, well, lonely.

So I was thinking about that and feeling a bit less excited about the next couple of years. BUT, then I realized something that was tremendously encouraging: God is the one assigning me to Hawaii. Yes folks, it's true. It really seemed unlikely for me to get that billet, but things worked out. Somehow though, it didn't occur to me that I was being sent by God, not really the Navy.

Needless to say, that perspective has been really encouraging. I've heard tell of a couple of good churches out there already, and just knowing that God is the one moving me there brings so much peace. Thanks for all your prayers!

Curious?

2006-04-04T23:33:00.000+03:00

If you're wondering what the other side is thinking, you should check out the recent blog posts by Clint (make sure you read both lists) and Colin (you'll have to scroll down a bit).

Now please don't take this as a complete endorsement or a guarantee that you'll like what you read. So, if you don't want to risk it, don't visit the blogs!

Quote of the Day

2006-04-04T19:31:00.000+03:00

Here's a quote I read today that just made me smile.

"Your truest self thrives on holiness the way a child thrives on peanut butter."
- Dr. Larry Crabb, Inside Out

Isn't that cool?

Still Waiting...

2006-04-02T10:06:00.000+03:00

for the fact that I'm going to be living in Hawaii this time next year to sink in! I'm being assigned to the USS Louisville (SSN 704) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. From everything I've heard, I really believe this is the best billet I could have hoped for considering my hopes, goals and temperament. Now, I'll have to wait and see how the command climate is ~ that is, how things 'work' aboard the Louisville ~ but up to this point the news is all good. Yea!

Thank you Lord!

Billet / 2

2006-03-29T16:39:00.000+03:00

Yeah, I have half the info on my upcoming billet: I will be assigned to a submarine.

Most likely it will be a SSN rather than a SSBN. I'll let you know the location when I find out on Friday!

Hooray Matt!

2006-03-28T21:15:00.000+03:00

Great news!

My brother Matt was just notified that he has been awarded a scholarship that will pay all tuition and fees, plus a stipend for books and expenses, for the next four years of college (2 at RSC, 2 at OU)!
Congratulations Matt!

Oh, and I'll bet my Dad is thrilled as well... Let somebody else pay those college bills!

THE LIST

2006-03-26T06:08:00.000+03:00

Last week was awesome. We left Sunday morning and arrived very late at the USS Bataan in port at Naval Station Norfolk, VA which served as 'home' for the rest of the week. Starting early Monday morning, we began a series of tours and some lectures (yawn) that helped us ~ well, me at least ~ get a much better idea of what life as a Supply Officer really is.

We didn't all visit the same ships, but the ones I was able to see included the USS Bulkley, USS Cole, USS Nashville and I'm almost sure the submarine we toured was the USS Asheville. We also got to know the USS Bataan fairly well, since that's where we slept, ate and had most of our meetings.

Oh yeah, THE LIST. When we arrived home yesterday we finally received the billet list of available home ports and ship types that we as a class will be going on. It is called a 'billet list' because the Navy term for a specific job assignment is a billet.

The challenge now is putting together a 'dream sheet' of my top 6 choices for where I want to go. Strangely, the top job I thought I might have a shot at isn't even available, so that's a little bit of a bummer. Most of the jobs will be very similar though, so it really doesn't matter that much. Most likely, I'll end up on a sumbarine. Hopefully, I'll be somewhere in the Pacific region. Impossibly, I'll end up in Prearl Harbor. But why not hope, eh?

Overall, there are billets in San Diego (CA), Norfolk and Newport News (VA), Mayport (FL), Everett and Bangor (both WA), Yokosuka and Sasebo (both Japan), Pearl Harbor (HI), Gulfport (MS), Guam (the country, duh), Souda Bay (Crete), Portsmouth (NH) and lastly Groton (CT). That's all. Ship types available include an AFS (A CLF ship), Cruisers, Carriers, Destroyers, Frigates, LCCs, LHDs, an MCM, SSBNs, SSNs and 4 ships that are still being built. So I really can't be sure where in the world (literally) I'll end up!

Yeeha Tim!

2006-03-19T04:58:00.000+03:00

And Rebecca soon-to-be-Crawford too!

Congratulations to Tim Crawford, my buddy for many a year, on his engagement this afternoon. He finally got exactly what he was waiting for: A wonderful, sweet, beautiful, Christ-focused gal who has just as much of a passion for reaching the world for Christ as he does. It couldn't be better!

Tim, thanks for keeping the faith and trusting that when God has His way, His people are immeasurably blessed. You are an excellent example to us all. God bless you at Wycliffe and with joyous times throughout your engagement with your wonderful your bride-to-be!

Bit-O-Humor

2006-03-16T17:27:00.000+03:00

So we have a Warrant Officer in our class who's first language isn't English. Smart guy, been in the Navy forever. What's funny is the way he says some phrases. A couple of examples:

The Phrase: 'Saltwater Trip' (we're going to go see ships in port at Norfolk, VA)
His statement: "Next week we are going on the salt and water trip..."

The Phrase: 'Talk to the hand'
His statement: Do not be demanding with a Chief, or he will say "Talk to this hand right here" (as he holds his hand up...)

It's probably a "had to be there" thing, but I thought it was funny. Next time someone is being rude to you, just say "Talk to this hand right here" and see what happens... :-)

Hope

2006-03-15T04:29:00.000+03:00

I am so grateful for hope. What would I have without it? Faith itself is the substance of things hoped for. Without hope, there is no faith. Without faith, what is there? Nothing but a thirsty soul.

It's been a very dry couple of weeks. And I'm not talking about the weather. I've been doing fun things, but the experience of it all has just seemed muted. Living, but lacking vibrancy. Hope however has been my faithful bastion. Possibly because I've practiced it before; perhaps because I really believe.

Hope is what drives me to keep doing what I know I should, and to not do what I know I shouldn't. Hope that the Truth is True. Hope that the rewards are worth the cost, that planting well leads to a rich harvest.

Have hope friends. God is God, and He both loves perfectly and has complete control.

Anger?

2006-03-10T03:28:00.001+03:00

So, does it have to be anger when I feel so full of energy and frustration that I want to chop a hundred ricks of firewood? I mean, is that feeling always anger?

We lost (sad I know) our volleyball game tonight. But it is really not that big a deal. However, the way I feel on the court when the match is over and I've still got 95% of my energy left drives me nuts! It felt like 20 seconds had gone by and poof the game is over. Something inside me tells me that I should be tired after any athletic competition, especially a defeat! But when I'm not... I'm just left with disappointment x's a gallon of adrenaline. Not a fun thing, and not fun for whoever's around either. I know that, and yet I can't seem to shake it.

I just don't like the way it looks. It looks like I really care, and that I'm downright mad. Sometimes I am. But most of the time its a bit more complex than that.

Oh, I also realized that there is someone I do not love here. I genuine don't like them. Not right now at least. I feel very justified in my dislike too. I really ought to deal with it. It's not a teammate, fortunately, so it would be easier to just ignore. I shouldn't though. Argh.

 One Step at a Time...

BOS-HOU 26FEB10

Camp Taji New Year's "Camel Drop"

41 Days(ish)

Bad Guys Beware!

Time is passing

Phones in Church? (from a fellow Oklahoman in Iraq)

War is not the ugliest thing (a quote)

My humble office, mug, and flag :)

Laura and Josh!

Observation of the day

Differing Opinions (devotional quote)

Mr. President

Blessing

Only in Iraq!

Great Pictures

Well said!

Grasp this, your friends may like you more.

A Local Touch

Peace

Good quote

Another Day

Taji at Last

Delayed

Describing Camp Virginia

Camp Virginia, Kuwait

Hello from my short layover in Gander, Newfoundland!

One more thing...

Time to move, again

FYI

Days 2-4

Ft Jackson - Day 1

Health Care for the Masses

Update

Random

Vacation!

Farewell SSN724, hello Family!

Super sleeper

Now I get it! (Romans 4:18-25)

"aholic"

Philippians 4:6-7

Big News; and Please Pray!

This one's for Dad

I'm alive!

It's quite sad...

Chapter closing... sort of

Missing Romance (other people's that is!)

Blessed!

Coffee Shop Conundrum

Driving photojournal - sort of

Travelin' stories

Sorry Pluto :'(

Permission to be YOU

Family Showcase part 2!

Think

What to do!?

Guys, check this out!

Quotable

Family Showcase!

Paradox

Rough Seas

Hilarious

Leadership

Grace

Prayers please!

About Time!

I want one!

Heb. 1:10 thoughts

Taxes at work

Quick Post

Athens' Finest

Horrib...ly funny

Letting go

So it's true.

I speak ...American

Great article

Happy Day!!

Home sweet home!

Another awesome quote

Friends

One Step at a Time...