Gone Fishin!

The guys at my church had a great little event for the little guys this week. They helped all the boys build cedar rabbit boxes. A rabbit box is a wooden trap to catch anything that that will crawl into it and try eat whatever bait you have in there. The door stays open until there is a critter caught. I'm in an Army school at FT Bragg until February so I couldn't be there to help but my buddy Jeremy sent these great photos. They used the traps to teach the boys a lesson from proverbs. I talked to my son, Jack, last night and asked him about the trap. He said he was going to catch some squirrels and some rabbits. When asked what he would do with his prey he said, "Well, if I catch some squirrels I'll let them go, but if I catch some rabbits I'll kill them and skin them and make a hat and some stew." I can't wait for that one! I'd like to thank all the men at Cornerstone Baptist church. You have all been instrumental in helping father my son while I a...

When I was a teenager I swore up and down that I would never ever go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I have kept that solemn vow until this year. My wife on the other hand has never met a sale she didn't like. She'll be shopping when Jesus returns I'm sure. Now she doesn't spend a lot of money she just enjoys the experience of shopping. I enjoy deer hunting. This year I volunteered to go "hunting" with her very early in the morning on "Black Friday" as they call it. She prepped me by announcing that we'd need to get up a 3:00 am! "Do what!??" Yep, 330 in the morning, 0-darkthrity, up before the chickens. I don't get up near that early to deer hunt and I like to be in the stand way before day break. Tammy has been wanting an upright mixer for about 10 years. I want her to get one, because unlike exercise equipment that doubles for a clothes hanger, this bad boy will get used. It'll get used for cakes and breads and pies and...

The following article was written by my buddy Jeremy Harrill. He's a wildlife officer and founder of Heart of a Sportsman ministries. Enjoy! Stinky Boy and the Scent Rule I was sitting in my hunting blind when I heard what I thought was that familiar sound. The crunch of leaves and twigs under the hoof of a deer. I readied my bow and prepared myself to draw. I sat there for several minutes and finally decided that because it was still very early in the season my ears had not yet been fully calibrated to detect the sounds of woodland critters. The curiosity killed me, so I quietly leaned forward to take a peek out the side window of the blind. BUSTED!!! There she was, a big, fat doe peering into the blind where I sat. I don’t know who was more surprised, she or I. I could almost see my reflection in her big, brown glossy eyes. She nearly tripped over her own hooves as she ran away. The last thing I saw was her long white tail waving back and forth. As she faded into the f...

The mythic hero is a character that humans have drawn inspiration, courage, determination and hope from for eons. The mythic hero in all great stories engages life in a cyclical process that reveals all those heroic qualities. We get our heroes in stories, our narratives. It is story that gives context to our lives. It is story in which we all live. Heroes all go through a process of transformation . They begin in an initiation stage where courage is revealed and they are challenged in some type of testing, usually in a training environment. They take this initiation out away in sometimes distant lands where their heroic qualities are not just trained up but put into practice. They face harsh difficulties, confronting death and tragedy. Finally the hero returns to his home or loved ones to retell the story of his triumph and his journey. It has been said we don't have heroes anymore. I disagree. I met one this week. I have recently transferred to Civil Affairs and this week I was ...

Below is a link to an article about my father-n-law. He's just a good man and hard working in NASCAR for 28 years behind the scenes. NASCAR (MOORESVILLE, NC) - U.S. Army/Dale Earnhardt Inc. Transport Driver Honored

The article below was in the FT Jackson newspaper. I found it inspiring. Hope you do as well. It's JPEG file so just click on it to enlarge

It won't be on ESPN or on FOXSports. It won't be written about in Sports Illustrated but something great happened in a small town in NC. For the last 5 years my Alma Mater, Statesville High School has been the butt of jokes and the patsy on everyones schedule. I have been involved with the football team as a volunteer coach and chaplain for the last 6 years, but the last three I've been away on active duty. Now I'm home and I'm getting to see something great happen. Our head coach and one of my closest friends is Randal Gusler. He's a quiet leader but a guy who loves high school kids. He is in just his 2nd year as head coach for Statesville, but he served at least 11 years here as an assistant. He loves Jesus too. His faith is evident by the way he talks to the kids. He's never harsh or degrading. He always tells the truth and he lifts them up when they do well. His attitude carries over to the rest of the coaching staff as well. Last night we played Moorese...

Iraq insurgency: People rise against al-Qa'eda - Telegraph

Just a reminder that in many places throughout the world, its dangerous just to be a Christian. The problem with murdering Christians for mission work is that it rarely has the desired effect of the perpetrator. Intimidation and threats of violence meant to silence believers many times only fuels our devotion to God and thus fuels His work in and around us. As history has proven the blood of the saints is the seeds of new churches. Keep an eye on Gaza. We pray today and give thanks for this brave follower of Jesus who in the face of numerical superiority chose to follow His God and took the path of most resistance . We pray for his family who at this moment grieve and we pray for the Gospel to spread in Gaza and that many Arabs would find peace in the name of Jesus. My Way News - Christian Activist Killed in Gaza

The link below (Stories) includes a blurb about the new unit that I am with. It is the 422nd Civil Affairs BN "Centurions". Today we held our first Chapel service there with about 40 in attendance. I was amazed at the turnout. I preached one of my favorite passages from Matthew entitled "Jesus is amazed at soldiers!" That passage is about a Roman Centurion who needs the help of Jesus with a sick servant. He demonstrates two qualities, his understanding that he was powerless over his situation and his recognition of Jesus' total authority. Jesus was astonished at his faith. 1SG Winchester told me that our Battalion was named Centurions with that passage in mind, because the soldiers of that unit showed great faithfulness to their mission. Civil Affairs is a small unit mission that are boots on the ground warriors winning the peace in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world by reaching out to the community by coordinating and supplying needs. I'm proud to b...

Little League Football! Gotta love it. My son is the one in the blue jersey with the white helmet. They lost 33-12. We'll get em next week!

Dove Hunting is a great Southern tradition. It’s a good hunting experience for kids too. You don’t have to be still like in a deer stand. The kids can pretty much run around and play to their hearts content. Then when the birds are flying they get to be “bird dogs” and retrieve them. Jack got to retrieve his first dove yesterday. We had a great time and I shot a lot of shells and there were very few birds that were in danger. My shooting skills have diminished; it is indeed a perishable skill. We had Dads and sons and daughters on our hunt. Special thanks to Scott Isley and Jeremy Harrell for setting it up. The weather was perfect and the birds were numerous. All in all a great day!

FOXNews.com - Kathy Griffin's Emmy Remarks About Jesus to Be Censored - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment Kathy Griffin was one of my favorite cameo characters on Seinfeld in her role as the obnoxious bar-b-que sauce lady. It was hilarious. She continues to be hilarious. Now I'm not one of those bloggers who rants and raves about what celebrities say or do. I don't really care. But she said something that grabbed my attention. Upon receiving her Emmy she said the following, "a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus." She went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Christ and proclaim, "This award is my god now!" She's right, a lot of celebrities do thank God or Jesus or whatever when they accept awards. I thought about her comment. She's probably right, that Jesus didn't have anything to do wi...

Barring an involuntary order from the Army I will be joining about 7 other guys to go back to Nepal. I was last there in 2002 and we had a remarkable trip. This view is from Poon Hill just to the southeast (probably 70 miles!) from Annapurna South. It is the 10 th highest peak in the world and standing above 8000 meters high, it is impressive to say the least. We are going to bring some good news to out of the way places, doing some medical mission work and building new and some older relationships with some good friends over there. We would appreciate your prayers as we prepare to go and if the Lord prompts you to support us as we go please let me know.

The New York Times > Magazine > Interactive Feature > Turning the Tribes in Iraq This is an audio production from the realities of the war in Iraq, its successes and its challenges.

FOX Sports on MSN - COLLEGE FOOTBALL - Michigan-App. St. among worst-ever losses

Its that most wonderful time of the year....Football season. Today I get to smile really big. Last night my high school Alma Mater and today my college Alma Mater both won last minute games. For Appalachian State, I'm not sure there is a bigger win. They have won the national championship at thier level the last two years, but to beat Michigan at Michigan with 100,000 people watching on a last second field gaol block.....whew!....I'm not sure you get bigger. I am currently in Boone NC and I suppose the scene here tonight might just be a bit rowdy. Even though I'm 41 and far removed from the university, I just might go over there and see what all the fuss is about. Last night, my beloved Greyhounds of Statesville High won their first game of the season. No it wasn't against a ranked opponent, no it wasn't before 100,000 people, but it was huge for the kids on that team. I've been volunteering with that program off and on for about 5 years. Randall Gussler is thei...

I've always been intrigued by explorers. As a kid I used to love to go to places where I thought no one had been. I'd read about people who explored the New World, Daniel Boone and Davey Crockett. I also often thought about guys like Lewis and Clark who took off into uncharted lands back in the 1800's. This past week I went with a group of men from my church to Lewsitown MT. Yes its named after Lewis of the explorer duo. Its the geographic center of MT. Its in the vastness of Big Sky country and oh my how big that country is. We saw literally 1000's of deer. I saw a herd of Elk 300 strong coming down out of the mountains to graze on prairie grass. I saw rainbow trout that weighed 6 lbs. I met amazingly kind people that love the creation that God has so generously given us. Our journey was purposeful. We went out to help int eh construction of a church out there. Central Baptist Church is building a new place of gathering and as you might imagine funds are a bit tight. S...

It has been almost 2.5 years since I strapped on my tool belt and headed off to work in a truck early in the morning. Its mid summer here, its humid and its hot. The morning air is really thick and sticky. The dew is so heavy on the grass like it rained. I've been working this week with my friends Eric and Hank. We've been building a deck and doing some remodeling for some folks. The one thing I've noticed is that with all the training I did in the Army, the running, the road marching, the push ups and the sit ups, I have found that those exercises do not translate very well with doing carpentry labor. My back is screaming! It could be that I'm getting old too. I've noticed that my legs fatigue faster than they used to as well. Climbing up ladders all day takes the spring out of my step. I remember learning how to work from my dad and grandfather. I hated splitting wood and mowing grass and cleaning up job sites when I was a kid. But one thing I have rediscovered...

My Buddy Tommy Cheatham pastors a small church for Cowboys in Love Valley NC. You've probably never heard of it. Its a little out of the way place in the foothills. The neat thing about Love Valley is that it is for Cowboys. Now don't go thinking its a tourist place it isn't. There are real cowboys there. There are no cars allowed in downtown Love Valley. Only horses! There are hitching posts, a saloon and a general store. There used to be a jail, but now the jail is the church where Tommy pastors. He asked me to come preach today and I did. And people rode their horses to church. I met Willie there. He's the bearded guy pictured above. He's about 5' tall but as you can see he wears a .45 revolver on his side. He takes it off before coming into worship. Its loaded too. He wears a Bowie knife thats about a foot and half long. He has a .444 lever action in a scabbard strapped to his horse. I had lunch with Tommy and Willie today. I asked Willie where he lived. He ...

Congratulations to COL George Cone who made the rank of 06 on Monday July 2 nd , 2007. To make COL in the Army is no small feat. You must be a quality leader and have demonstrated that the Army can entrust you with the responsibility of commanding large numbers of people. COL Cone was my boss at 1-61. We spent a lot of time together, mostly late in the evenings after the days work was supposed to have been done. We developed a good and close relationship during those times. I could always tell when he had had a difficult day. He'd have his face buried in his computer screen and look up as I rapped lightly on his door frame, "Come on in and sit down Chaplain". He'd rub both hands into his forehead, put his feet up on the desk and begin to tell me all of the days issues. He's a good man and a good leader and I miss working for him. He's relinquished command and to be honest I think it was a difficult day for him. He's heading to an overseas post. He...

I’ve been in ministry in one form or another for over 12 years now. In that time I’ve met some amazing people. One of the most precious gifts that anyone can do for you is a commitment to prayer. I know that I pray for people and I also know that I need prayer. I need people to pray for me. The Bible is full of this encouragement. Paul states in Philippians 1 this: 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in a my every prayer for you all, in view of your 1 a participation in the b gospel c from the first day until now. Paul on several occasions announces to his readers that he has been praying for them. Jesus also talks of praying for Peter. Peter gets prayed out of jail in the book of Acts. There is just something that in God’s economy that make prayer special. No matter your theological bent no Christian can argue that prayer is of little value. That brings me to Angel. Last year I spoke at a church in Cherryville NC for a Spor...

Its been more than a week since I’ve been on here. Since then I’ve come off active duty and am back home with the family, jobless and restless in a lot of ways. Had a wonderful blessing in my life over the past two weeks. My dad, Jack SR, got a new vehicle and needed to get rid of his Ford Sport-track. He new I needed a new car and offered me his. It’s exactly what I need. Last weekend we went to Sunset Beach , NC where he lives, ate some fish, played some golf and picked up the car. About 50 miles out of town the thing just died… no power. I had no idea what was wrong. It was hot and we were stuck in Sparky’s Truck stop on the way to Myrtle Beach SC. We waited on the tow truck for three hours…we were miserable, the kids were hot and whiny…so was Tammy and maybe me too. My military experience of hurry up and wait became a distinct advantage. We prayed, for the tow truck to get there, for help with the truck and for us to get our attitudes right. Eddie, the tow truck drive finally ...

Today was my final graduation ceremony. I guess after 11 nine week cycles I finally got it right and they let me go. I have seen over 7000 of these kids come through over the last 27 months. It seems like a long time. It has been. It has been good though. I've included my final prayer for these soldiers. It was a bitter sweet moment. But then I thought about being able to come home every day to my wife and my children and thought about the last 800+ days being away from them and the moment just turned sweet. Closing another chapter and beginning a new one. You are magnificent God! You have made all that we see here. The world around us, the sky above us, the ground under our feet. You set the stars in motion, built up the mountains high and gave breath to every living thing. Lord God you have made us too. We didn’t do it. All we have has come from you, our children, our wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, our friends; our very existence we owe to You and You alone. You have...

In the last few days things have ratcheted up in Iraq. We've seen another 3 of our brothers kidnapped by insurgents. The political fight is on here and the coffins keep coming home. The 24 hour news cycle keeps ramming the news down our throats non-stop. Everybody has an idea about what to do. I'm a Chaplain, not exactly a tactical genius. But one thing that have heard precious little about is prayer concerning this war. In the Army we pray constantly about it and for it, but I hear very little coming from the pulpits of America. I turn on the TV and read the web pages hear pastors teaching how we can have more meaningful lives, better relationships, a deeper walk with God, but I hear very little commentary coming out about prayer and this conflict. Our history is littered with wars that demanded the prayer of the people of this nation. And yet where is the outcry from God's people to God Himself to intervene and bring resolution? Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't s...

Encarta's dictionary defines serendipity as this: a natural gift for making useful discoveries by accident. I sort of disagree with that definition but to that in a moment. We just never know what each day holds. I was at my desk working away and at trying organize my messy world when a gentleman appeared at my door. He asked, "Is there a Chaplain around?" I said, "Right in front of you!" He asked if I had a moment and I agreed. He sat down on my couch and immediately began to cry. He was in his late 40's I suspect. Turns out he was retired from the Army and on this day had no where else to go. He's a carpenter and just drove onto Ft Jackson looking for some help. He looked me square in the eye and said, "I'm feeling like killing myself" He shared his story with me, one of betrayal and pain and loss. Turns out he tried to kill himself three years ago and was in a coma for 10 days, but lived. His story was heartbreaking. I prayed to God, ...

Had to add this picture, too precious to leave out!

After 2 years of promising I finally came through for my son. Thanks to my boss LTC George Cone for some days off in the middle of a cycle and one of my brothers in Christ and hunting buddy Jeremy Harrell it finally happened! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, the weather was awesome. It is turkey season in NC. The population of wild turkeys in the south has skyrocketed in the last few years. As a boy I never even saw one, but thanks to wildlife management these magnificent birds are once again thriving in our area. Jack and I have been talking about it for while. We got up early yesterday morning and Jeremy picked us up at home. We made our way over to eastern Iredell county to a piece of beautiful land that a friend lets us hunt. We were running a little late but we just quickened our pace down to the wood line where Jeremy suspected the turkeys would roost. It was about a ½ mile down in there. It was a bit cool and Jack had his winter coveralls on that I noticed we...

I rode in a large group of motorcycles one time about 20 years ago, but I was 21 and stupid and we almost got killed going too fast. I did it again today, older and wiser and less young and somewhat less stupid. There is a group of soldiers that gets together to ride once a month, all from FT Jackson. It’s a wide variety of folks, some officers, retirees, Drill Sgts, NCO’s and even a SGT Major or two. We met this morning in memory of our fiend Bob, who died on his bike last spring. He loved to ride wo we celebrated his life by riding as friends. Most of the time I ride alone, just me and the road and a destination in mind. Today was different, we just rode to ride. It was a blessing. We took a lap around lake Murray (I couldn’t finish the whole thing had to get back to work) but it was truly glorious. The weather was perfect. We had a mix of Harleys and assorted cruisers. There were amped up super bikes and even one Big Dog Chopper and it was unbelievably loud. We rode tight and stagge...

We had a death in our Battalion this week. It has been hard. Death is never easy. I've been so busy with ministry that I haven't had time to put things in perspective. The following was written by my friend and colleague CPT Ken Quimby and has a great ring to it. Hope you enjoy it. Change of Mission. This has been a difficult week. We lost a Soldier suddenly and unexpectedly. 1 SG Gerry Spivey suffered a deep brain aneurysm and essentially dropped dead. It is interesting that this happened on the weekend and even the day that we were honoring our regimental veterans that had been assigned to 1/61 in years past. Many of the veterans were Vietnam Veterans who witnessed a great deal of death. Many of the current cadre have seen far too much death in their tours in Iraq in recent years. We are dealing with a Drill SGT and his severe struggle with PTSD and delusional visions and flashbacks and trauma from his experiences in Iraq. Currently he is in the hospital where th...

It was Army day today. May friends Robbie and Kelly were here visiting this week with their three kids. My family was also here so that means 9 people in my apartment. We are getting close! Today we spent all day at Ft Jackson. It began with Victory Tower. I hooked up with the range NCO and arranged for Robbie and Bekah (their oldest) to go down the rappelling tower. We got there along with about 180 soldiers in training. We tied up our harnesses and hooked up our D rings and made our way to the top. The Drill SGTs from Echo 1-34 hung out for a few minutes extra to make sure we got down the wall safely. Bekah jumped off and flew down the rope like a pro, except for the part where her hair got caught in the figure 8 ring! It was traumatic for a moment, no need for scissors though, she got herself undone! Robbie went down like an Airborne Ranger and his belay man held him tight in the air to get some good photos. Tammy and Kelly stood safely away from any danger while Jack, Tori, Daniel ...

Read an article today in Time Magazine about the Army being broken. I agree. I agree that there are soldiers hearts being broken becasue God is bringing them back to Himself. And when He brings a warrior back the strength of God is revealed. The following link is way too cool. Hope you enjoy it! http://www.benningnavs.com/Navideo/armynavs.wmv

I just got off the phone with a parent of one of my soldiers. She’ll be referred to as PVT S. PVT S came to us back in January in our first cycle of the year. We get so many soldiers with so many stories. Many times I just get brief snippets of their lives, other times I get more information than I want! PVT S is older, probably in her 30’s. I met her through a request she put in through her Drill SGT. My first meeting with her I remembered thinking “Man!; What is this person doing in the Army?” She was struggling both physically and emotionally. One Sunday at church she came forward at the invitation to receive the grace and mercy we all so desperately need. She was overcome emotionally at the thought of God’s forgiveness. I knew she had been on the rough side of things, but I never pried. Her physical difficulties continued. She missed some crucial training and did not graduate with her company. This was a heart breaker for her. But to her credit she pressed on. She refused to give u...

All groups that try to be exclusive have them. Fraternities have secret handshakes. Gangs have the signs of twisted contorted fingers that display who they are. When we know each other we wave. In the south if you are in the country there is the hand on the steering wheel finger raise. Not the middle finger, but either the index finger or a combination of two or three as you pass another. You don’t even have to know the other guy, its just considered common courtesy in the country. In the past few months I’ve purchased a BMW motorcycle. I rode years ago when I was 19 or 20, I went too fast, wrecked and sold my bike. I bought that bike for cool guy points. But latest purchase was for a number of reasons, good gas mileage with stupid high fuel prices, an outlet for forgetting whiny soldiers, and just kind of longing to be a part of a community of riders. One of my first days riding I noticed another bike approaching and the oddest thing happened. As he drove by, and I had no idea who he ...