This is mom and I at the retirment ceremony. It was a sad happy time. Mom received an award for her accomplishments. In fact it was a medal. It was all very nice. You can also see that i am addressing the troops with my classic hand pose. It was nice. We had root beer, pizza, ice cream and apple pie. The root beer was in glass bottles, very classy.

My assistant made me a beautiful stain glass cross in a mahogany frame. He also made mom a stained glass turtle. Mom was impressed with the artwork. It was all quite nice. It was an exhausting day. Saying goodbye is not easy. After almost 25 years, it all came back to perspective as I stood there and tried to talk. I must have stood there for about 15 seconds before I said anything. I was trying to control my emotions. I said things like its the assignments that help you grow and its the people that lets you serve. I was grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve God and Country.

Today was my birthday. It was a good day._.

Just a thought. I have not blogged for a while. Tonight I spent the evening with a Soldier who was having difficulty in his life. It's interesting to see how people manage stress or how they try to help. Over the years, I have noticed that most people do not like to be told how to fix their problems. Most people like to talk and in the talking they come up with solutions. I sit and listen, adding a few comments to keep the conversation going or asking a question so that I can get more information. The key to good listening is to listen, of course, and to respond with the right question. Usually, in an hour of listening, I might respond with a minute or two of questions.

I am always amazed how people want to help. However, after a week or a month or two, most tire of the helping process and just want to get on with their own lives because it is more interesting. Most of us spend our time thinking about ourselves, our dreams, our life, or what and where we want to be. It can be our careers, money matters, or our personal relations. Perhaps, that is the purpose of the gospel to keep us others oriented instead of self oriented.

Well, I am tired - to bed.

The other day, I heard someone say, why would anyone want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. It makes sense. There have been times in my life when I have thought the same, and I hear similar questions. Why do I get up so early in the morning? Is this all there is to life? Why doesn’t the Army make different MREs (meals ready to eat)? I am tired of sleeping on the ground. When will this deployment be over? When will I be going home? Why is it always raining when we are training? Do we have to go to the range today? That looks a bit scary (rappelling), who is on belay? When is the PT (physical training) test? Let’s see, I have been gone the last three years out of five, you say that the unit I am transferring to is deploying in June.

We all who have trained and been in the Army for a few years have many stories to tell about war, deployment, units where we have served, what we have done and what we have experienced in serving. Hopefully, our service has been rewarding and that we have all felt a sense of accomplishment.

In serving, what I have been most impressed about is the quality of those individuals with whom I have served. There is nothing better than a good jumpmaster who will check out your equipment before existing from a perfectly good airplane. Or, the great NCO (non-commissioned officer) who has your back covered and is always there to advise, support, and to let you know how it might be done a little bit better or differently. We all have experienced those great leaders whom we would go to combat with. And, we all have had the opportunity to trust in others.

One of the most comforting leaders that I know is the Lord. He has always been there for me. He always has my back covered and has listened when I have been scared, alone, away from home, in danger or not quite sure what I should do. He has been there to check my equipment, to lift me up when I am tired and to be on belay as a safety to catch me when I fall. He is my refuge in the storm, and my comfort in times of peace.

As it says in Psalms 121:3-8 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Just a thought

Christine visit taught the young woman seated in the Black Hawk helicopter.

The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about himself. At the end of the post, the player stabs tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their homes blogs and leaves them each a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged.

10 years ago
I was teaching at the school of the americas- a joint teaching position at Fort Benning, Georgia. I was teaching democratic sustainment, human rights and just war theory. It was a challenging job in that the course work was at the college level and all the instruction to include lesson plans were written and taught in Spanish. Probably, one of the most difficult things that I have done in that my native language is English. I enjoyed the officers from central and south America. They would bring their families with them, their children and spouses. Many of the spouses were well educated - doctors, lawyers, dentists. However, all the women were deeply invested in their families. They treated me like a Catholic priest. They all called me Padre, and I was an integral part of their lives, i.e., visiting their homes, taking them to church and blessing their families (literally).
5 things on my to do list today

Church
Interview with Christine
Attend Fireside on B of M
Schedule out the week
Prepare talk on Tithing and Fast Offerings for HC

5 snacks I enjoy
Cracker Jacks - What do you got when you have to have something
String cheese
Almonds
Popcorn - Carmel
Wheat thins
Tortilla chips

What I would do if I was given a billion dollars
I thing I would invest it, and give a majority of it away. I don't believe too much money is good for the soul
3 bad habits

Leaving my wet towel on the bed after a shower
Leaving the refrigerator door open
Not exercising daily

5 places I have lived

Honolulu, HI
Fairbanks, AK
Fayetteville, NC
Fort Benning, Georgia
Schweinfurt, Germany

5 jobs I have had

Zimi Man BYU
Steel Worker
Teacher
Ground Crew
Working with migrants


5 things people don't know about me

I love to cross country ski
I am a bungalow ficionado
I played in the symphony at BYU
I use to go to the formula 500 race ca events - watching parneli jones, and AJ foyt.
I love louis Lamoir novels

Commitment

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

The other day I was thinking about a young Army black hawk pilot who lost her life while flying in Iraq. She was a young woman in the prime of her life. She had dreams and goals. She wanted children, and she could hardly wait until her time was done in the service so that she could become a mother. She was married to a wonderful husband who was also serving in Iraq at the time of her death. They were both serving their country, and they both were excited about life. She would often comment to me how important her family was to her, and that when this conflict was over how excited she was to get on with life.

However, she had a commitment to fulfill. She did, indeed, fulfill that commitment. Sometimes things do not turn out the way we want them. Sometimes our commitments in life seem unjust. We don’t like the way things turn out and many times we can not see another solution. My father would always tell me that there will be another day, and that there will be another time. For this young pilot, there will not be another day. However, I know that one’s life is not done with this mortal existence.

So, what caused me to think of this young Soldier? We all need to fulfill our commitments whatever they might be. There is honor in persevering. Usually, the easy road is not the best road. And, the cup that we drink from though it be bitter, at times, can also be sweet.

Just a thought