I read an article today regarding the so-called "Kill Team" of the United States Army. This team was put on trail after several of their platoons stationed in Afghanistan where accused of murdering unarmed civilians.
In this article, the "Kill Team" was found guilty of at least three innocent deaths. And one of the main coordinators for this killing spree was only given 26 years in prison for his crimes.
Only 26 years? For three people?
Talk about misusing your position in the Armed Forces.
The article, which was originally published by Rolling Stone magazine is pretty long. And I admit that I read the entire text.
I was left with
1) write a blog discussing my feelings of this, and
2) change the way I pray for our armed soldiers in "danger" oversees.
Now, first I wish to disclose that this article only speaks of a few platoons out of thousands. So should the entire Army go down for these crimes? No. But do the American people have the right to look at our entire Armed Forces a little differently now? I am sorry to say it. But. Yes.
When we think, okay, let me take ownership here, when I think of our armed forces I think of red blooded, Christian men and women, with tons of patriotism for our country, fighting for the better good, with their loving families all back home awaiting their return.
But I often forget that they are trained killers too. And they are good at it.
And, true, sitting here away from the war zone, I think that killing is terrible and scary and dangerous, but necessary for, there's that phrase again, "the better good."
I wish to think that soldiers use their weapons ONLY after being fired upon from the enemy. But that is far from the truth.
And look at the statics here. Most of the men who were put to trail had three or even four tours under their belts. What kind of mindset does that put on our soldiers? I think a one, year tour is bad enough. I couldn't imagine going back again, and then again, and well, again!
It was mentioned that the soldiers felt that the natives were savages and one dead savage wasn't a bad thing.
But unfortunately just as we now have a different stigma on our armed forces, they have that too for the people of Afghanistan. Some are savages. But not all.
I am sadden by this news of our soldiers framing attacks on their platoons only for the purpose of recreational killing.
That truth is ugly and wrong in so many ways.
And to read line after line how the Afghan people demanded answers from the Army camps and were simply turned away makes me sick. That is not how America operates. I would have a billion dollar law suit in my hands if I witnessed a police officer kill my son and after I went to the station to seek help was turned away...that wouldn't happen here, and it shouldn't happen over there.
No wonder why Afghanistan is such a dangerous place. More and more native people are arming themselves against the terrorists - and by terrorist, I mean us.
If our military's reputation is known in the foreign lands where they were sent to protect the natives is a different one than that, then we have a major problem.
I remember reading another article on the genocide in Darfur and one native was quoted in saying, "I will not feel at peace about this land until the white man comes." Meaning until our troops come protect him and his people.
I left that article uplifted. Our military is seen as a force for good not evil.
But then I read this article and my thoughts have changed. Maybe now that quote may sound like, "I will not feel at peace about this land until the white man leaves."
Every day I pray for the protection of our armed forces. And after reading this article, and learning that the crimes are true and really did happen, my prayers for them now also include using their right state of mind and not harming those who don't harm them first.
To read this article in full visit, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42304341/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/?GT1=43001
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Slow For The Cone Zone
Having recently friended a lady who survived being homeless and living in her car for three months - my spoiled eyes have been brightened to some new outlooks, I wish to share...
1. In my town, there really is no place to park a car overnight to sleep in. I was told that almost every night the police were called regarding her and her car. (People are so suspicious these days!) She wasn't allowed to park on streets that touched city parks, not in parking lots to restaurants or stores, and not even in the desert.
2. Communication is limited. The radio was her only source of news...and her car radio barely worked. So when she could tune into a channel it was for brief moments. Like for instance, she asked me what happened in Japan, because she heard about an earthquake but didn't hear the rest. And one night, she said that she heard an emergency broad cast regarding flash flooding, but didn't hear where. Now, that would be scary! Out in the middle of the desert somewhere at night, not knowing where exactly, and no one knowing you are out there and a flash flood is on its way!
3. Your car isn't equipped with a shower. So either you have to rely on friends to take you in to bathe at their homes, or you have to do a half-job in a public restroom with their hand soap and paper towels.
4. Also to the effect, cars don't have washers and dryers. Again, public restrooms were used to hand wash clothing, then clothing was slipped in a bag to take out to the car without people noticing, and then used the air dry method to dry from the windows.
5. Food is more expensive when you have to buy it daily. In a car there is no refrigerator, no where to place leftovers. So everyday you have to seek out food for the day.
6. A car is just a car. You can only carry so much stuff around with you. What do you bring? What do you leave behind? In my friend's instance she had only two pairs of jeans and three pairs of t-shirts.
7. Employment becomes difficult. How do you show up to work on time, cleanly dressed and bathed? She had secretarial skills, but had a difficult time finding work in a professional office because of her lack of attire and inability to properly bathe and get ready. And, how do you dress or when? Privacy becomes an issue.
8. I invited my friend to a church event and sat across the table from her and another lady, not knowing her situation sat next to her. We were having conversation and got onto the topic of homemade pasta noodles (there I go, always bringing the conversation to food!). And the church lady mentioned how she needed to go out and buy a $150 attachment for a kitchen machine in order to make these noodles. What I learned here is what really matters. God bless this church lady, she didn't know the situation, and she is a generous giver, but what I learned is that of giving. Here, just right in the seat next to this "big" spender was a lady who had nothing. And do you know how far that $150 would go if placed in her hands?
9. Living out of your car alone, is lonely. When I took my friend out to lunch recently she said that this was the first time in several months she actually had a conversation with another human being.
10. In this case, homelessness affected the person but not her spirit - but this is not always the case. My friend knew that she had to go through being homeless for a short period of time to get her life back on track. But more often then none, the situation takes a toll on people's spirits and they start to blame God.
1. In my town, there really is no place to park a car overnight to sleep in. I was told that almost every night the police were called regarding her and her car. (People are so suspicious these days!) She wasn't allowed to park on streets that touched city parks, not in parking lots to restaurants or stores, and not even in the desert.
2. Communication is limited. The radio was her only source of news...and her car radio barely worked. So when she could tune into a channel it was for brief moments. Like for instance, she asked me what happened in Japan, because she heard about an earthquake but didn't hear the rest. And one night, she said that she heard an emergency broad cast regarding flash flooding, but didn't hear where. Now, that would be scary! Out in the middle of the desert somewhere at night, not knowing where exactly, and no one knowing you are out there and a flash flood is on its way!
3. Your car isn't equipped with a shower. So either you have to rely on friends to take you in to bathe at their homes, or you have to do a half-job in a public restroom with their hand soap and paper towels.
4. Also to the effect, cars don't have washers and dryers. Again, public restrooms were used to hand wash clothing, then clothing was slipped in a bag to take out to the car without people noticing, and then used the air dry method to dry from the windows.
5. Food is more expensive when you have to buy it daily. In a car there is no refrigerator, no where to place leftovers. So everyday you have to seek out food for the day.
6. A car is just a car. You can only carry so much stuff around with you. What do you bring? What do you leave behind? In my friend's instance she had only two pairs of jeans and three pairs of t-shirts.
7. Employment becomes difficult. How do you show up to work on time, cleanly dressed and bathed? She had secretarial skills, but had a difficult time finding work in a professional office because of her lack of attire and inability to properly bathe and get ready. And, how do you dress or when? Privacy becomes an issue.
8. I invited my friend to a church event and sat across the table from her and another lady, not knowing her situation sat next to her. We were having conversation and got onto the topic of homemade pasta noodles (there I go, always bringing the conversation to food!). And the church lady mentioned how she needed to go out and buy a $150 attachment for a kitchen machine in order to make these noodles. What I learned here is what really matters. God bless this church lady, she didn't know the situation, and she is a generous giver, but what I learned is that of giving. Here, just right in the seat next to this "big" spender was a lady who had nothing. And do you know how far that $150 would go if placed in her hands?
9. Living out of your car alone, is lonely. When I took my friend out to lunch recently she said that this was the first time in several months she actually had a conversation with another human being.
10. In this case, homelessness affected the person but not her spirit - but this is not always the case. My friend knew that she had to go through being homeless for a short period of time to get her life back on track. But more often then none, the situation takes a toll on people's spirits and they start to blame God.
Hope on Wheels
God is awesome.
Every time I think that he doesn't love me or has forgotten about me or is ignoring me, he puts me in my place. And that's a welcomed thing!
My husband and I hit the three week unemployment mark. And I won't lie, a sense of panic came over me when I deposited my last paycheck into our account and saw the balance.
Yes, we do have savings to supplement. But, seeing that number hit me like a ton of bricks. And to add fuel to the fire, his unemployment benefits still haven't kicked in. The reason? The entire state of California seems to be unemployed and there's not enough hours in a day to process each claim. So, we are waiting. Last check-in with the unemployment office was that it would take at least another 10 days for his first check to be mailed.
The next day I went to the market to buy groceries for the week and I felt poor. I know that we have savings to buy our "normal" food but I would rather not. So instead I purchased on sale soups, noodles, and boxed dinners. Our regular bill is usually around $75, this week, it was $45. We are in the poor house ladies and gentlemen.
And then, God bless him, God put me in my place....
I went out of the main church building to go back to my office and noticed a lady walking slowly toward me. It was a very cold windy day and I was walking fast back to my room and really didn't even want to stop because the secretary could easily take care of her.
But something inside me told me to stop.
So I approached the lady, introduced myself, and told her to come back with me to the main office to get out of the cold.
Once there she told us that she was looking for some financial assistance. Now usually at this point, I pull out a referral sheet to the Salvation Army and tell the person that we partner with them, and all of our resources to help are over there.
But again something inside me told me to stop and not to say that.
She continued to tell her requests and we wrote them all down. We instructed her to come back in two days, since she didn't have a phone, and we would update her on if we were able to help at all or not.
She walked out and I once again felt the nudge of the holy spirit telling me to offer her some food we have yet to send to the Salvation Army.
I quickly bagged the items and ran outside to stop her in the parking lot.
And well, my attitude of being poor changed.
She shared with me her past struggles and that for three months, she has been homeless, living in her old car. I asked her why she hadn't seeked help sooner and at that point I had to throw up my hands and say, "Ok, God, I am sorry for my pity party the last few days." "This is the true need not my need to eat fancy meals every day."
Her reason for not coming to seek churches help? She felt she wasn't worthy enough because she turned away from God in her past and didn't know how to return.
YES! This is the reason that I am in ministry folks. I am richly blessed to be apart of this venture and share in this story with this lady.
And what disgusts me beyond belief is that we weren't the first church that she seeked help from. Well, that doesn't digust me, but hold on. The first four churches that she tried, all turned her away. Two said that they didn't have the funds to help, one said that since she had an out-of-state license she couldn't receive help, and one said that since she wasn't a member, she couldn't receive anything...and this was even before hearing her request. For all they knew, she could of been just asking for $50.
Disgusting.
I am disgusted.
This is not what the body of Christ is all about. Who are we to turn people away? And even if there was no possible way to give her funds, why couldn't we just hear what she has to say? Pray with her? Offer her emotional support?
The lady later told me that she told herself after being rejected four times, and seeing that it took her the good part of three months to ask churches for help in the first place, that she would only go to one more church to try for help.
God made that fifth church us.
And I also found out that the reason she was walking so slowly from the parking lot to the office when I first saw her - was because she was talking herself into being strong enough to actually walk through our church doors.
God knew that she wouldn't be strong enough for that and that's why I was there outside with her and heard a call to bring her in with me.
Here I was feeling badly about myself because I was the one that needed the help, needed the crutch.
And God lifted me out of my depression and showed me that he still needs me to give and uphold people in need.
This lady and I have quickly developed a friendship over the last week.
And you know. Even though she has nothing, she has been living in her car the last three months, she has given me so much.
I am so thankful that God put this wonderful lady in my life at this time and that I heard his call to pay special attention to her.
I no longer feel poor.
And I am ashamed to say that I even did feel that way.
My bank account doesn't decide my fate.
My faith and my good works through Christ do.
Every time I think that he doesn't love me or has forgotten about me or is ignoring me, he puts me in my place. And that's a welcomed thing!
My husband and I hit the three week unemployment mark. And I won't lie, a sense of panic came over me when I deposited my last paycheck into our account and saw the balance.
Yes, we do have savings to supplement. But, seeing that number hit me like a ton of bricks. And to add fuel to the fire, his unemployment benefits still haven't kicked in. The reason? The entire state of California seems to be unemployed and there's not enough hours in a day to process each claim. So, we are waiting. Last check-in with the unemployment office was that it would take at least another 10 days for his first check to be mailed.
The next day I went to the market to buy groceries for the week and I felt poor. I know that we have savings to buy our "normal" food but I would rather not. So instead I purchased on sale soups, noodles, and boxed dinners. Our regular bill is usually around $75, this week, it was $45. We are in the poor house ladies and gentlemen.
And then, God bless him, God put me in my place....
I went out of the main church building to go back to my office and noticed a lady walking slowly toward me. It was a very cold windy day and I was walking fast back to my room and really didn't even want to stop because the secretary could easily take care of her.
But something inside me told me to stop.
So I approached the lady, introduced myself, and told her to come back with me to the main office to get out of the cold.
Once there she told us that she was looking for some financial assistance. Now usually at this point, I pull out a referral sheet to the Salvation Army and tell the person that we partner with them, and all of our resources to help are over there.
But again something inside me told me to stop and not to say that.
She continued to tell her requests and we wrote them all down. We instructed her to come back in two days, since she didn't have a phone, and we would update her on if we were able to help at all or not.
She walked out and I once again felt the nudge of the holy spirit telling me to offer her some food we have yet to send to the Salvation Army.
I quickly bagged the items and ran outside to stop her in the parking lot.
And well, my attitude of being poor changed.
She shared with me her past struggles and that for three months, she has been homeless, living in her old car. I asked her why she hadn't seeked help sooner and at that point I had to throw up my hands and say, "Ok, God, I am sorry for my pity party the last few days." "This is the true need not my need to eat fancy meals every day."
Her reason for not coming to seek churches help? She felt she wasn't worthy enough because she turned away from God in her past and didn't know how to return.
YES! This is the reason that I am in ministry folks. I am richly blessed to be apart of this venture and share in this story with this lady.
And what disgusts me beyond belief is that we weren't the first church that she seeked help from. Well, that doesn't digust me, but hold on. The first four churches that she tried, all turned her away. Two said that they didn't have the funds to help, one said that since she had an out-of-state license she couldn't receive help, and one said that since she wasn't a member, she couldn't receive anything...and this was even before hearing her request. For all they knew, she could of been just asking for $50.
Disgusting.
I am disgusted.
This is not what the body of Christ is all about. Who are we to turn people away? And even if there was no possible way to give her funds, why couldn't we just hear what she has to say? Pray with her? Offer her emotional support?
The lady later told me that she told herself after being rejected four times, and seeing that it took her the good part of three months to ask churches for help in the first place, that she would only go to one more church to try for help.
God made that fifth church us.
And I also found out that the reason she was walking so slowly from the parking lot to the office when I first saw her - was because she was talking herself into being strong enough to actually walk through our church doors.
God knew that she wouldn't be strong enough for that and that's why I was there outside with her and heard a call to bring her in with me.
Here I was feeling badly about myself because I was the one that needed the help, needed the crutch.
And God lifted me out of my depression and showed me that he still needs me to give and uphold people in need.
This lady and I have quickly developed a friendship over the last week.
And you know. Even though she has nothing, she has been living in her car the last three months, she has given me so much.
I am so thankful that God put this wonderful lady in my life at this time and that I heard his call to pay special attention to her.
I no longer feel poor.
And I am ashamed to say that I even did feel that way.
My bank account doesn't decide my fate.
My faith and my good works through Christ do.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Coming Home, Coming A Part
A few months ago we opened our doors to an extended family member to live in our guest bedroom until she was able to get back on her feet financially.
I was happy to do this, and seeing that this person belongs on my husband's side of the family, I thought I would also get some kuddos points seeing that they aren't that fond of me in the first place.
So in moves our house guest. Room and board free.
A week into her stay and things are going well. Well. I thought. You see, at the time, my husband and I decided to not have cable in our household. True. We had three tv sets. But none were hooked up.
You see, we thought that if we had enough time to watch TV that we had enough time to go for a walk, or clean the backyard, or something more productive than, well, tv.
But. This theory didn't sit well with our guest. And before I knew it, a DirecTV van was parked outside my house and holes were being drilled into my walls for cable lines.
Ugh.
I knew what this meant!
My obsession with tv was going to rear its ugly face and my good theory of no tv was going to fly right out those drilled holes.
And, I was right!
Who was I kidding?! I lOvE TV. If I wasn't already married, I might consider marrying it.
And not only did we get cable. But we also got DVR, which made me even more obsessed since I could record and watch later.
Oh, this is bad!
The last few weeks I have been trying out some new shows because the ones I have been watching have come to an end. Some of the ones I am trying out are Chopped All-Stars on FoodNetwork, Army Wives on LifeTime, and Wipeout on ABC. Wipeout is hilarious. It is a "game" show and actually I just signed-up my husband for the next wave of casting calls in the next few weeks (hey, the way I see it, if he wins the $50,000 prize, I can lay off his back a little about the job hunt).
Anyway, after Army Wives last night was a new show called, Coming Home. It's a reality show that captures the arrival of deployed military personnel returning back safely to their loved ones.
And I came a part.
This is such a touching show and really puts the heart of all military families in the spot light.
I think I even caught my husband with a tear on his cheek by the end.
Praise God for our military troops, and praise God especially for their families back here at home.
And I truly mean that. If you know of a military family, please find it in your heart to reach out to them and let them know that you care.
If only this show was able to bring all the troops back home and broadcast those reunions.
Now, then, I would truly fall a part.
I was happy to do this, and seeing that this person belongs on my husband's side of the family, I thought I would also get some kuddos points seeing that they aren't that fond of me in the first place.
So in moves our house guest. Room and board free.
A week into her stay and things are going well. Well. I thought. You see, at the time, my husband and I decided to not have cable in our household. True. We had three tv sets. But none were hooked up.
You see, we thought that if we had enough time to watch TV that we had enough time to go for a walk, or clean the backyard, or something more productive than, well, tv.
But. This theory didn't sit well with our guest. And before I knew it, a DirecTV van was parked outside my house and holes were being drilled into my walls for cable lines.
Ugh.
I knew what this meant!
My obsession with tv was going to rear its ugly face and my good theory of no tv was going to fly right out those drilled holes.
And, I was right!
Who was I kidding?! I lOvE TV. If I wasn't already married, I might consider marrying it.
And not only did we get cable. But we also got DVR, which made me even more obsessed since I could record and watch later.
Oh, this is bad!
The last few weeks I have been trying out some new shows because the ones I have been watching have come to an end. Some of the ones I am trying out are Chopped All-Stars on FoodNetwork, Army Wives on LifeTime, and Wipeout on ABC. Wipeout is hilarious. It is a "game" show and actually I just signed-up my husband for the next wave of casting calls in the next few weeks (hey, the way I see it, if he wins the $50,000 prize, I can lay off his back a little about the job hunt).
Anyway, after Army Wives last night was a new show called, Coming Home. It's a reality show that captures the arrival of deployed military personnel returning back safely to their loved ones.
And I came a part.
This is such a touching show and really puts the heart of all military families in the spot light.
I think I even caught my husband with a tear on his cheek by the end.
Praise God for our military troops, and praise God especially for their families back here at home.
And I truly mean that. If you know of a military family, please find it in your heart to reach out to them and let them know that you care.
If only this show was able to bring all the troops back home and broadcast those reunions.
Now, then, I would truly fall a part.
When The Ground Shakes
Well, it happened again. Another terrible earthquake has hit our planet and thousands of people are displaced, dying, or already dead.
I was reading reports that the initial 8.5 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last weekend shook the ground for five whole minutes. FIVE MINUTES!?
Living in Southern California I have had the not so pleasant experience of earthquakes. But one thing is for sure. The ones I have experienced never lasted more than a few seconds. I could only imagine the terror of five minutes.
I am reminded once again of Psalm 46 that I spoke about in a previous blog. In Psalm 46 it says that earthquakes will shake our lands to the point of regions being separated, but nothing is more powerful than God's power. And when faced with disasters we are to remain calm and know that God is God and he still is the Almighty King.
We adults think we have it all figured out when it comes to emergencies. I mean, we got our supply of back-up water, we have cans and cans of spam just waiting to be opened, we know that we should recite Psalm 46 in times of ciaos, we always are aware of our emergency exits.
But, what I was reminded of yesterday at work, is that children, teenagers even, don't have it all figured out yet. They see the pictures on the news, and they hear the emergency sirens on the radio, and they are scared. Yesterday during worship I held a boy as tightly as I could, rubbing his back, reassuring him that he was going to be okay, because he was terrified of an earthquake happening right then and there.
I don't have any children of my own, but for my sake, please talk to your children, no matter their ages, about emergencies. There are emergency drills at schools that take place, but those drills always end with children returning to their classrooms. What if there were no classrooms to return to? What should kids do then? Remain at school until a parent comes to pick them up? What if your kids aren't even at school? I encourage you to help answer your childrens' what ifs.
My heart goes out to the people of Japan and the aid workers that are rushing over there to help with the recovery. May God bless your broken lands and repair your broken hearts.
I was reading reports that the initial 8.5 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last weekend shook the ground for five whole minutes. FIVE MINUTES!?
Living in Southern California I have had the not so pleasant experience of earthquakes. But one thing is for sure. The ones I have experienced never lasted more than a few seconds. I could only imagine the terror of five minutes.
I am reminded once again of Psalm 46 that I spoke about in a previous blog. In Psalm 46 it says that earthquakes will shake our lands to the point of regions being separated, but nothing is more powerful than God's power. And when faced with disasters we are to remain calm and know that God is God and he still is the Almighty King.
We adults think we have it all figured out when it comes to emergencies. I mean, we got our supply of back-up water, we have cans and cans of spam just waiting to be opened, we know that we should recite Psalm 46 in times of ciaos, we always are aware of our emergency exits.
But, what I was reminded of yesterday at work, is that children, teenagers even, don't have it all figured out yet. They see the pictures on the news, and they hear the emergency sirens on the radio, and they are scared. Yesterday during worship I held a boy as tightly as I could, rubbing his back, reassuring him that he was going to be okay, because he was terrified of an earthquake happening right then and there.
I don't have any children of my own, but for my sake, please talk to your children, no matter their ages, about emergencies. There are emergency drills at schools that take place, but those drills always end with children returning to their classrooms. What if there were no classrooms to return to? What should kids do then? Remain at school until a parent comes to pick them up? What if your kids aren't even at school? I encourage you to help answer your childrens' what ifs.
My heart goes out to the people of Japan and the aid workers that are rushing over there to help with the recovery. May God bless your broken lands and repair your broken hearts.
Unexpected Resolution
Having lost his job at the early part of last week, my husband and I unintentionally went into the Lenten season with unemployment as our "sacrifice" for Christ. Usually I just give up soda.
Huh.
So, Amy, what do you decide to give up for Lent?
Half our income.
(What a GREAT Christian I am! Really taking this "giving-up" stuff to heart!)
Now, I'm not too great at making New Year's resolutions, but I did make one this year that I have kept, and here it is almost April. Every day, when I arrive work, the first thing I do is read a short daily devotional from Our Daily Bread, a freebie pamphlet that the church gives out.
The daily devotionals are not always thought provoking, I admit. But for the last week, the chosen daily scriptures have really spoken to me and have kept my mind and heart on Christ not only during this time of Lent, but also on this time of unemployment.
Here's an example, last Thursday's post, Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God (Isaiah 41:10).
January 1, 2011 I had no clue that making such a resolution as I did would aide me down the line like it has. Nor did I fully understand the importance of reading scripture daily.
Isn't it amazing of God's amazing grace?
Huh.
So, Amy, what do you decide to give up for Lent?
Half our income.
(What a GREAT Christian I am! Really taking this "giving-up" stuff to heart!)
Now, I'm not too great at making New Year's resolutions, but I did make one this year that I have kept, and here it is almost April. Every day, when I arrive work, the first thing I do is read a short daily devotional from Our Daily Bread, a freebie pamphlet that the church gives out.
The daily devotionals are not always thought provoking, I admit. But for the last week, the chosen daily scriptures have really spoken to me and have kept my mind and heart on Christ not only during this time of Lent, but also on this time of unemployment.
Here's an example, last Thursday's post, Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God (Isaiah 41:10).
January 1, 2011 I had no clue that making such a resolution as I did would aide me down the line like it has. Nor did I fully understand the importance of reading scripture daily.
Isn't it amazing of God's amazing grace?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Shoes on the Pavement
Well, here it is. Day four of my husband being out of work. We both have been super busy the past week in dealing with unemployment paperwork, looking for new work, and exploring our options.
It seems as if my husband really wants to go and finish his degree. Which is great! But we have to figure out now how we are going to afford that.
One option is of course student loans. But I already have student loans out for my schooling, and if we tack his on to mine, we will probably have our last loan payment when we are in our eighties!
Another option of course is him joining the military. There are great benefits right now for completing your degree with the GI Bill and such. So, is the military in our future?
He did go and speak to a navy recruiter the other day. I guess he tested so high on the application test that the recruiter was pushing him into joining as a nuclear power engineer.
Wow.
Nuclear power? Those dudes are crazy! They enter the military for basic training, then go to a three-year program to learn about nuclear power and then serve three to five more years on a nuclear submarine.
A submarine?
I don't think I am ready for that type of life! But, the recruiter was doing his job well, because my husband came home all ready to be one. So, I took a big gulp. And told him that we will read through the material together that the recruiter sent home.
And thank goodness! He decided that nuclear power wasn't for him. Whew!
So now we are looking into other military options. One of course is to join as a reservist. In the reserves you go and complete your basic training and then also go to military schooling to complete the training for your individual job. After graduating from "A" school you then return home and maintain a schedule of attending on a near by base a weekend a month, every month, and two full weeks once a year. Possibilities for deployment and extended stays are also in the cards, but you have the option to pick and choose those as they come.
This might be the better option for us, and at the perfect timing too. Since my husband is out of a job, he could easily be shipped off to boot camp and "A" school for up to eight months, and then return home and start looking for work once again (and hopefully by that time the job market will be so much better!).
But only time will tell what comes of this.
Of course first he has to lose some weight and take a physical exam to see if he is healthy enough for service.
In my daily devotion this morning it read, "We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance." (Romans 5:3)
How true that is!
It seems as if my husband really wants to go and finish his degree. Which is great! But we have to figure out now how we are going to afford that.
One option is of course student loans. But I already have student loans out for my schooling, and if we tack his on to mine, we will probably have our last loan payment when we are in our eighties!
Another option of course is him joining the military. There are great benefits right now for completing your degree with the GI Bill and such. So, is the military in our future?
He did go and speak to a navy recruiter the other day. I guess he tested so high on the application test that the recruiter was pushing him into joining as a nuclear power engineer.
Wow.
Nuclear power? Those dudes are crazy! They enter the military for basic training, then go to a three-year program to learn about nuclear power and then serve three to five more years on a nuclear submarine.
A submarine?
I don't think I am ready for that type of life! But, the recruiter was doing his job well, because my husband came home all ready to be one. So, I took a big gulp. And told him that we will read through the material together that the recruiter sent home.
And thank goodness! He decided that nuclear power wasn't for him. Whew!
So now we are looking into other military options. One of course is to join as a reservist. In the reserves you go and complete your basic training and then also go to military schooling to complete the training for your individual job. After graduating from "A" school you then return home and maintain a schedule of attending on a near by base a weekend a month, every month, and two full weeks once a year. Possibilities for deployment and extended stays are also in the cards, but you have the option to pick and choose those as they come.
This might be the better option for us, and at the perfect timing too. Since my husband is out of a job, he could easily be shipped off to boot camp and "A" school for up to eight months, and then return home and start looking for work once again (and hopefully by that time the job market will be so much better!).
But only time will tell what comes of this.
Of course first he has to lose some weight and take a physical exam to see if he is healthy enough for service.
In my daily devotion this morning it read, "We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance." (Romans 5:3)
How true that is!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Refuel Ahead
The last four days have been the weirdest four days of my life. Ok. Exaggeration. The weirdest four days of my married life.
Saturday I took my honey to the pinnacles which is close to our hometown. We brought along our two dogs and a bunch of water (this is the desert!). We finally got out there and hiked up and down all the pinnacles, walked around the caves, saw all the lizards, and started home.
It was wonderful weather, and really a great experience all around. Our marriage "love" tanks were both on full after that day as we sailed into Sunday where my husband actually did some home improvements without me even asking! (My love tank was now OVER full.)
Then Monday morning hit.
Where we learned that my husband's position was being terminated after four years of working for the same company, effective, immediately.
...
...
Ya. I didn't believe it was happening at first either.
And learning that he got fired for something so stupid, something that should have been just written-up in his permanent record and forgotten about, made it just that much more worse.
I really wanted my mean face to come out and lash out against my husband. How could he put his job in such jeopardy like that? How could he have acted so unprofessionally? We have a mortgage to pay!
I wanted to slam doors in his face, over-salt his dinner, and stain his favorite shirt.
But the truth of the matter is. That would be toxic of me. Harmful. Terrible! I mean, the poor dude was already beat up enough and for me to add fuel to the fire would have put him over the edge.
So, only by God's amazing grace, I was reminded of God's promise to always provide and I put my worries and concerns and fears and tears all on God's shoulders. I had God take all of the anxiety away from me.
And then I was able to focus on recovery. Yes, this horrible thing has happened to us. Yes, it shouldn't have happened. Yes, God is always in control.
This is the first hour of the rest of our lives.
So, we celebrated.
I cooked us a great dinner, we clinked our wine glasses to the road ahead, and sealed it with a kiss.
And you know, that was a lot better reaction than the alternative.
God knew what he was doing when he created those two perfect days before this storm hit. My husband and I are so lucky to have had our "love" tanks full for each other before the unexpected happened to us.
I am pretty sure that if our tanks weren't full when Monday came around, that I wouldn't have thought twice about causing my husband harm. I would want nothing more than to hurt him because he unintentionally hurt me.
It's pretty funny how God works, huh?
We didn't see unemployment in our future. But you know. God did. God knew this was coming and he didn't let us down. He prepared us for it.
And now we are onto a new chapter in our lives with God by our sides. I know God will provide my husband with a career that he is excited to go to everyday unlike his old one.
Honestly, this was the push he truly needed.
I am excited for the road ahead! And I am grateful that our tanks are still full.
Saturday I took my honey to the pinnacles which is close to our hometown. We brought along our two dogs and a bunch of water (this is the desert!). We finally got out there and hiked up and down all the pinnacles, walked around the caves, saw all the lizards, and started home.
It was wonderful weather, and really a great experience all around. Our marriage "love" tanks were both on full after that day as we sailed into Sunday where my husband actually did some home improvements without me even asking! (My love tank was now OVER full.)
Then Monday morning hit.
Where we learned that my husband's position was being terminated after four years of working for the same company, effective, immediately.
...
...
Ya. I didn't believe it was happening at first either.
And learning that he got fired for something so stupid, something that should have been just written-up in his permanent record and forgotten about, made it just that much more worse.
I really wanted my mean face to come out and lash out against my husband. How could he put his job in such jeopardy like that? How could he have acted so unprofessionally? We have a mortgage to pay!
I wanted to slam doors in his face, over-salt his dinner, and stain his favorite shirt.
But the truth of the matter is. That would be toxic of me. Harmful. Terrible! I mean, the poor dude was already beat up enough and for me to add fuel to the fire would have put him over the edge.
So, only by God's amazing grace, I was reminded of God's promise to always provide and I put my worries and concerns and fears and tears all on God's shoulders. I had God take all of the anxiety away from me.
And then I was able to focus on recovery. Yes, this horrible thing has happened to us. Yes, it shouldn't have happened. Yes, God is always in control.
This is the first hour of the rest of our lives.
So, we celebrated.
I cooked us a great dinner, we clinked our wine glasses to the road ahead, and sealed it with a kiss.
And you know, that was a lot better reaction than the alternative.
God knew what he was doing when he created those two perfect days before this storm hit. My husband and I are so lucky to have had our "love" tanks full for each other before the unexpected happened to us.
I am pretty sure that if our tanks weren't full when Monday came around, that I wouldn't have thought twice about causing my husband harm. I would want nothing more than to hurt him because he unintentionally hurt me.
It's pretty funny how God works, huh?
We didn't see unemployment in our future. But you know. God did. God knew this was coming and he didn't let us down. He prepared us for it.
And now we are onto a new chapter in our lives with God by our sides. I know God will provide my husband with a career that he is excited to go to everyday unlike his old one.
Honestly, this was the push he truly needed.
I am excited for the road ahead! And I am grateful that our tanks are still full.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
5 Pieces of Fruit
A fellow church member gave me a book that was written by a Bishop within the United Methodist Conference entitled, 5 Practices of Fruitful Congregations. I was intrigued because Bishops usually have really interesting ideas for UM growth.
The book focuses on the new UM philosophy of "opened hearts, opened minds, opened doors."
This slogan is to mean that the people of the United Methodist Church are opened to all peoples, all races, both genders, and more specially, all sexual preferences.
My take on this? Well. I am all for it! Of course a church should be a welcoming place where EVERYONE feels welcomed and at home.
The debate over homosexuality and the like, in my opinion, does not belong in church.
Now, before you stone me, let me explain...
I learned from the very start of my faith walk that a sin, is a sin, is a sin, is a, you guessed it, sin.
No one sin is worse than another to God.
John Wesley, the founder of the United Methodist movement, came out and said that he believes that a sin is anything that does not directly affect God and His kingdom. So, if you are reading a textbook for a class (ok, maybe if your a religion scholar you get a pass) - you are sinning. If you are shopping for yourself and not for the needy, you are sinning. If you sing secular songs, you are sinning!
So, by that standard, I sin ALL the time! Needless to count all the times I think I am actually sinning.
So for people to come out and say that homosexuals have no place in the church, then I say to them, then neither do you!
I can't stand those "Christians" who think that they can pick and choose areas of the Bible to follow. You know, Jesus openly condemned divorce, and yet, people who have gotten divorced, and, gasp, even remarried, are openly welcomed to worship.
Ugh! This frustrates me.
But I digress...back to the book...
The five practices that every congregation should, well, practice to welcome new people into their congregations are (1) show radical hospitality (2) Offer passionate worship (3) Provide intentional faith development (4) Host risk taking mission and service and (5) Be extravagant givers.
What a list, huh?
Ok, first fruit, let's call it the apple.
The apple of any eye is radical hospitality. Hospitality meaning of course to serve others. Radical meaning of course to go all out when serving others. In the book this refers to showing radical hospitality to first-time/new worshippers. How do you make them feel especially welcomed? Good question.
Second fruit.
Offering passionate worship for any church should be a top priority. Worship hour should be like a roller coaster of emotions. You get on the roller coaster ride kind of tired because you have been standing in line for hours, then you get excited because the release bell rings, the ride starts off really fast, then goes through a tunnel, down a curve, up to the highest drop, and then down the shoot, back to the loading zone. Worship should be an experience, something you want to always come back and do. And offering passionate worship will achieve just that.
Third fruit.
A church that has intentional faith development is a healthy church. Understanding that church is suppose to act more like a community instead of a place to go once a week is key. By offering lots Bible studies, faith groups, small groups, play groups, date groups, whatever groups, ensures that your congregation will develop strong relationships outside of Sunday worship and will grow deeper in faith through this process. The most important thing to remember about a healthy church is that is offers relationships, not just programs. And I would argue that relationships cannot be built just on quietly sitting in a pew for an hour a week.
Fourth fruit.
Risk taking mission and service. Well. This stumped me at first. What is this? Going to Iraq to smuggle Bibles to the natives? Is that risky enough? Thankfully, I learned that it isn't just that. Risk taking mission and service in this regard means putting all your faith in Christ Jesus to achieve a goal. For instance, say a church wishes to help build a local Habitat for Humanity house. It costs $80,000 to build a house. They set a goal to raise $3,000. Well, according to this fruit. $3,000 isn't enough. That's a safe number. At my church at RUMC we could easily raise that in just one Sunday if we really tried. So, if we are a risk taking church in mission, then we will set our goal to $80,000 and trust in the Lord that he will supply. (And, actually, this worked! My church set a "God sized" goal to fully fund a Habitat house and only by God's amazing grace did we accomplish it, and ahead of schedule!)
Fifth and final fruit.
Extravagant Generosity. Similar to the fourth fruit, but only if you achieve your fundraising goals! You see, RUMC extravagantly gave to Habitat by donating the funds to build one whole house. Giving one piece of pie is nothing compared to giving the whole pie.
I was pleased by reading this book. Because I knew that yes, indeed, these are the practices that healthy churches need to be doing in order to grow and raise awareness for God's kingdom.
And I can confidently say that my church is currently practicing all five of these fruits. Maybe we could do more, but that's a good thing! More is always a good goal to have.
But, after I closed the book and was proud at my church for our accomplishments, I thought...sure my church is doing this, but am I practicing these in my personal life?
No, I'm not.
But, this wake up call has helped me to start!
The book focuses on the new UM philosophy of "opened hearts, opened minds, opened doors."
This slogan is to mean that the people of the United Methodist Church are opened to all peoples, all races, both genders, and more specially, all sexual preferences.
My take on this? Well. I am all for it! Of course a church should be a welcoming place where EVERYONE feels welcomed and at home.
The debate over homosexuality and the like, in my opinion, does not belong in church.
Now, before you stone me, let me explain...
I learned from the very start of my faith walk that a sin, is a sin, is a sin, is a, you guessed it, sin.
No one sin is worse than another to God.
John Wesley, the founder of the United Methodist movement, came out and said that he believes that a sin is anything that does not directly affect God and His kingdom. So, if you are reading a textbook for a class (ok, maybe if your a religion scholar you get a pass) - you are sinning. If you are shopping for yourself and not for the needy, you are sinning. If you sing secular songs, you are sinning!
So, by that standard, I sin ALL the time! Needless to count all the times I think I am actually sinning.
So for people to come out and say that homosexuals have no place in the church, then I say to them, then neither do you!
I can't stand those "Christians" who think that they can pick and choose areas of the Bible to follow. You know, Jesus openly condemned divorce, and yet, people who have gotten divorced, and, gasp, even remarried, are openly welcomed to worship.
Ugh! This frustrates me.
But I digress...back to the book...
The five practices that every congregation should, well, practice to welcome new people into their congregations are (1) show radical hospitality (2) Offer passionate worship (3) Provide intentional faith development (4) Host risk taking mission and service and (5) Be extravagant givers.
What a list, huh?
Ok, first fruit, let's call it the apple.
The apple of any eye is radical hospitality. Hospitality meaning of course to serve others. Radical meaning of course to go all out when serving others. In the book this refers to showing radical hospitality to first-time/new worshippers. How do you make them feel especially welcomed? Good question.
Second fruit.
Offering passionate worship for any church should be a top priority. Worship hour should be like a roller coaster of emotions. You get on the roller coaster ride kind of tired because you have been standing in line for hours, then you get excited because the release bell rings, the ride starts off really fast, then goes through a tunnel, down a curve, up to the highest drop, and then down the shoot, back to the loading zone. Worship should be an experience, something you want to always come back and do. And offering passionate worship will achieve just that.
Third fruit.
A church that has intentional faith development is a healthy church. Understanding that church is suppose to act more like a community instead of a place to go once a week is key. By offering lots Bible studies, faith groups, small groups, play groups, date groups, whatever groups, ensures that your congregation will develop strong relationships outside of Sunday worship and will grow deeper in faith through this process. The most important thing to remember about a healthy church is that is offers relationships, not just programs. And I would argue that relationships cannot be built just on quietly sitting in a pew for an hour a week.
Fourth fruit.
Risk taking mission and service. Well. This stumped me at first. What is this? Going to Iraq to smuggle Bibles to the natives? Is that risky enough? Thankfully, I learned that it isn't just that. Risk taking mission and service in this regard means putting all your faith in Christ Jesus to achieve a goal. For instance, say a church wishes to help build a local Habitat for Humanity house. It costs $80,000 to build a house. They set a goal to raise $3,000. Well, according to this fruit. $3,000 isn't enough. That's a safe number. At my church at RUMC we could easily raise that in just one Sunday if we really tried. So, if we are a risk taking church in mission, then we will set our goal to $80,000 and trust in the Lord that he will supply. (And, actually, this worked! My church set a "God sized" goal to fully fund a Habitat house and only by God's amazing grace did we accomplish it, and ahead of schedule!)
Fifth and final fruit.
Extravagant Generosity. Similar to the fourth fruit, but only if you achieve your fundraising goals! You see, RUMC extravagantly gave to Habitat by donating the funds to build one whole house. Giving one piece of pie is nothing compared to giving the whole pie.
I was pleased by reading this book. Because I knew that yes, indeed, these are the practices that healthy churches need to be doing in order to grow and raise awareness for God's kingdom.
And I can confidently say that my church is currently practicing all five of these fruits. Maybe we could do more, but that's a good thing! More is always a good goal to have.
But, after I closed the book and was proud at my church for our accomplishments, I thought...sure my church is doing this, but am I practicing these in my personal life?
No, I'm not.
But, this wake up call has helped me to start!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Only When Online
Something has been bothering me for a while now and I think I just need to exercise my God-given blogging right and blog it out!
I understand that more and more people these days refer to the internet for social networking, fast communication, and so on. But this is just getting ridiculous!
I seem to find myself in the middle of arguments between friends. And I don't know why, but all of these arguments are occuring online!
I was forwarded an email that says, "Can you believe this girl!?" and it's a nasty email from someone regarding, what I think to be, a very simple issue.
And this happens so many times!
Finally I asked one person to instead of typing their anger to actually go old-school and speak their anger in person.
No such luck.
I mean, yes, I am a sucker for written communication. If my husband and I are in a huge disagreement, I write out my complaints, use specific examples, insert crafty language, hint of threats to come, hand it to him, and run away.
Not a fair fight if you know my husband. The only thing he seems to write down are his work hours.
But, nonetheless, I come out the winner! At least I like to think so.
But, I think that fighting with a spouse is far more different than fighting with a friend.
We shouldn't misuse our technology by implementing hurt. So often the language in an email can be misunderstood and taken completely wrong, whereas it would not be that way talking in person. And it is so much easier getting all worked up when facing a computer screen than actually facing the person.
Friendships don't just happen.
And in most cases they don't start online. So why end them online?
We should all take a stand against arguing online. Let's commit to fight fair ladies. And that starts with taking our fingers off the key board.
I understand that more and more people these days refer to the internet for social networking, fast communication, and so on. But this is just getting ridiculous!
I seem to find myself in the middle of arguments between friends. And I don't know why, but all of these arguments are occuring online!
I was forwarded an email that says, "Can you believe this girl!?" and it's a nasty email from someone regarding, what I think to be, a very simple issue.
And this happens so many times!
Finally I asked one person to instead of typing their anger to actually go old-school and speak their anger in person.
No such luck.
I mean, yes, I am a sucker for written communication. If my husband and I are in a huge disagreement, I write out my complaints, use specific examples, insert crafty language, hint of threats to come, hand it to him, and run away.
Not a fair fight if you know my husband. The only thing he seems to write down are his work hours.
But, nonetheless, I come out the winner! At least I like to think so.
But, I think that fighting with a spouse is far more different than fighting with a friend.
We shouldn't misuse our technology by implementing hurt. So often the language in an email can be misunderstood and taken completely wrong, whereas it would not be that way talking in person. And it is so much easier getting all worked up when facing a computer screen than actually facing the person.
Friendships don't just happen.
And in most cases they don't start online. So why end them online?
We should all take a stand against arguing online. Let's commit to fight fair ladies. And that starts with taking our fingers off the key board.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)