Whiteboards and Pulpits

There are a few things that make me laugh out loud. A couple of TV shows, Heidi's antics, Jessica's story-telling...etc. But there is nothing better than having one of those belly laughing moments when you are really needing to just laugh. Laughing is a lot like crying, everyone needs a good one every now and then. So, in light of this thought, I will dedicate my MONDAY EDITIONS to LOL. Things that make me laugh. It might be a joke or two or just a goofy YouTube video, but either way, enjoy. ***************** Things That Make Me LOL. THIS WEEK: Charlie the Unicorn While we have been in the field training, I have had the strong desire to be serious about my work. Going to ranges and seeing soldiers takes up a majority of my time. Later in the evenings, as I have mentioned earlier I space out for just a few minutes and watch a couple of goofy YouTube videos between the meetings.  I stumbled across this, which is quite senseless and stupid...but after 30 days w/o your w...

(Above Clip, comes from Stars and Stripes Wednesday April 20, 2010.) There is a lot of speculation floating around regarding the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy" (DADT) on how it will effect the military. Obviously, I have great concerns regarding this. I love the Army. I love being so close to a people group that desperately needs to hear more of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is far from easy. The strain on families during a war on two fronts leaves a ministering Chaplain with not the problem of 'who' do I minister to, but more of a ' Out of the multitudes I can minister to, God please direct me." There is a desperate need for a Evangelical presence in the military, if we are truly about reaching ALL people with the Great Commission. The advancing repeal of the policy could possibly prompt an "exodus of many conservative Chaplains". So, as I look ahead at some of the possible ramifications of the repeal of this DADT policy, thes...

I remember when I was in basic training our Drill Sergeants told us to save our 'Sanka-Instant Coffee' in order for us to eat on it as we did our final 12 mile road march at Fort Jackson. I thought it was silly, but as we went into our 72 hours of barely sleeping days, it was almost a necessity to stay awake. 12 years later,...I have seen Mountain Dew, Jolt, Red Bull, Rip-Its, Tiger, and now Monster become a staple for the Joe and the Officers. No longer is the coffee pot the only meeting ground for discussion about upcoming missions but 50 ft from a public building where you will see a gaggle of cigarettes and the latest ridiculously over-sized Monster drinks. It doesn't matter what time,...0800 to 2330...it really doesn't matter. I do drink my share of caffeine. I have my several cups of coffee before lunch, but that's where it stops. I tried a couple of Red Bulls, and at 35 I could feel my heart race and I couldn't even read because my eyes were jumping s...

In the Army we have a standard uniform for just about everything. On the typical post you will see most soldiers in ACU's (the digital looking uniform), boots, a beret,...etc.  When you are in a deployed or training environment we have the ACU's plus knee pads, elbow pads, a protective vest with various attachments, helmet and eye-protection. In a massive formation its pretty difficult to see people as individuals in such 'uniformity'. Everyone seems to blend in with each other. Even within a unit that you know people on a first name basis its very easy to just simple walk by 100's of soldiers and never truly notice them as people who have lives and families. Even as a Chaplain walking around to see soldiers I have to consciously make efforts to take off my eye-protection (sun-glasses) and gloves so that I look at people eye to eye and get a real hand shake. I know that seems very odd, but it seems that we are so used to being 'pass over' that this touch o...

Just recently the Army has lifted its ban from government computers for visiting sites like Youtube and Facebook. Now, after about 36 hours of this being lifted I have noticed quite the phenomenon. The scenario looks as follows. A computer savvy individual is surfing through the latest Youtube post. As you approach or pass him by, he looks up from his computer and notices you. Politely he asks, "Hey, wanna see something cool?" Of course, its rude to continue walking because he has simply asked for a moment of your time. You slow your pace, stand behind his shoulder and watch as he loads or reloads a video he has just watched. Little do you know that this is just the beginning. Just as soon as the 2:32 min clip ends, he says, "Oh, have you seen this...". This pattern continues as the individual effortless sifts through an endless queue of clips. Your personal interest in 'the biggest Zit' or 'world's stupidest game show contestant', has been com...

I am reading a new book this week. I love to read things that makes me rethink what I have forged in my head or is putting together some of the bizarre questions that I have often had, but refused to try to answer because I was nervous the answer. For many Christians, the question regarding where the Bible came from is almost non-existent. But think about it! Where did this collection come? Did it just 'POOF!', here it is? Did Moses receive the 66 book collection? You may have heard of the Canon of Scripture, but what group of guys put this collection together that constituted the 'Bible'? Were these guys infallible in their decision making process? Do we have all the books necessary? A lot of these questions should keep us all humble and eager to worship the God revealed in Scriptures and not the Bible by itself? It is God's Word. But, I understand it to be the revelation of God, not God himself. Before I create more questions, let me give you TWO STATEMENTS TO...

I think it would be safe to say that when you join the Army that if you are a touch OCD, you might find yourself better off than seen as abnormal. Checking and Rechecking your daily task is completely normal. What does this look like? Here is just a list of some of the daily questions tasks: How many alarm clocks have you set before you go to bed? I have 3. Before you pack to go on a trips, do you check tire pressure, oil, your safety/emergency kit,...make sure water and snacks are in reach, and a blanket is packed?  Maps, two routes, 1 extra oil qt, ...shall I continue? Do you have 3 daily planners (phone numbers, calendars, and to do task that are updated each morning simultaneously at 0600.) When you have an event, is arriving 25-30 minutes early completely normal? while arriving 5 minutes early is late? Do you have a routine for everything? Do you honk the horn just a little every time you back up? Do you check and recheck your wallet to make sure your wallet has your ...

Ok, I am sitting down at a Sushi Bar in Crystal City (Metro Stop, in Washington DC).  It was about 700pm, and I was finishing up a delicious Spider Roll and some green tea. I pulled out the Itouch in my fleece front pocket, tapped shuffle and grabbed a couple of bucks to buy a day pass on the metro to grab the blue train downtown. 6 mins later, I am enjoying one of my favorite parts of public transportation. (People watching). Listen to Derek Webb, I zone out and watch the stops go by, as I await for my stop, Smithsonian. I purposefully stand at the announcement and walk to the door, ...within in another 2-3 minutes I am standing directly dead center of the Mall in DC. (not a shopping mall, but the center 'lawn area' between the Capitol/Washington Monument/Lincoln Memorial. The sky was a nice cloudy day with a red reflection from the setting sun, which truly made the moment surreal as the lit white marble stood in contrast to the backdrop. Nice. Yet somewhere in my soul I ...