Firsts

The last couple of weeks have had a couple of firsts with my son.  While visiting my family last week he got to go fishing for the first time.  As you can see that one was somewhat successful.  Those who have fished with me know it has nothing to do with my insight on what attracts fish.  That part goes to my father and uncle.  I mention this because we ate the fish tonight.  

The other first this week was Isaac's first soccer game.  That one became a sermon illustration this morning.  I have the kid picking flowers and wandering around the field holding hands with a little girl.  

Palm Sunday

Waiting for my second worship service to start this morning (The first was Airborne Chapel on Ft Benning), I thought for a while about Palm Sunday.  There is a darkness to the day that I don’t think we discuss.  We arm our children with bright green branches and parade them through the aisles.  We present out choral “hallelujahs” with neatly pressed robes or by jumping up and down and swinging our arms around.  We present a contrast to the angry mobs shouting for blood on Thursday night and Friday morning.

           

The shouting crowds in Jerusalem (and the doxology we sing on Sunday) are not in contrast of the crucifixion of Friday.  It is a few yards down the same fiver.  We cheer God when God fits what we want.  We turn to a murderous mob when God’s will no longer fits what we find comfortable. 

Luke explicitly tells us that the multitude of his disciples cheered the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  At best, these people abandoned Christ.  No doubt many also called for his death before a Roman governor. 

There is a darkness to Palm Sunday, but it is not just the darkness of a crowd that turned on Jesus.  It is the darkness of our own hearts.

This morning, when Emily sat beside me in church she told me Isaac was with the kids for the palm procession.  Please do not misunderstand my reflection.  The procession and focus Dr. Elder took was a spiritually deep, biblically focused, thought-proving sermon.  Basically, it was the type of sermon we’ve come to expect at FBC Columbus.  His was a far more profound reflection than what has preceded my “disclaimer.”

Ethics & the End of the Cold War

Disclaimer:  All of this is purely my opinion.  I am aware that I am oversimplifying some of the moral positions of the Cold War and War on Terror.  Let’s be honest, most people function from oversimplifications and generalities.  Because that’s how people function, I think my questions are legitimate.

"We have men of science, too few men of God. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner." – Omar Bradley

I have recently spent a great deal of time with the newest lieutenants in the Army.  They are in their final training before beginning their military careers.  Most are in their early twenties.  The Soviet Union broke apart the year many of our current students were born.  I can’t help but wonder what this might mean for how they understand ethics and geopolitics.  I was a child at the end of the cold war, and missed most of the bomb drills in schools and the fear of nuclear holocaust that those who grew up in the 50s & 60s might have seen.  I saw fallout shelter signs on the YMCA building.  When my friends and I played army, we were always fighting WWIII against the Soviet Union.  I saw all of the 80s movies where good defeated evil embodied by the US and USSR. As a child we knew that that both nations had the capacity to destroy life as the world knew it.  I was too young to find it frightening, but there always felt like the conflict was one with a clear, moral right and wrong.

I point this out because General Bradley’s comment called for people to step back and ask ethical questions.  He saw a society losing contact with his moral foundations with possibly disastrous consequences for all of mankind.  The new officers entering today’s military have no memory of this period in history.  They don’t remember having a clearly defined enemy that is “evil.”  What they are intimately acquainted with is the war on “terror.”  Terror is not a clearly defined enemy.  It’s fighting a concept.  It requires adaptability and flexibility by our armed forces, which they excel in performing. 

My question is what impact does this have on the ethical development of our future leaders?  We fight an enemy that requires different tactics in different settings.  My fear is that because the enemy is a broader concept instead of a specific nation-state our moral engagement becomes clouded.  We view our ethical foundations as situational instead of how we carry out the mission.  It makes instilling a professional ethic in 18-22 year olds entering the military very different.

This week's thought

This week, I’ve been reading in the gospel of Matthew.  Again and again through the gospel we see people challenge Jesus with religious questions.  In chapters 21-22, Matthew presents a series of questions specifically from religious leaders seeking to trip Jesus up and discredit him.  Theoretical questions seeking to create nuanced theological argument that had little to do with daily life were pitched(16.1ff; 22.15ff; 21.23ff)  He was baited with questions on morality (19.3ff; 22.34).

Then comes Matthew 22.46.  “And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.”  Jesus’ critics were silenced because he spoke with authority, which is another theme in Matthew.  The point I think is important for modern Christians is that Jesus provided reasoned discussion on the true issue behind the questions.  He didn’t get caught up quibbling about money, marriage, or ritual.  He focused on divided loyalties.  He pushed the Pharisees to examine the purpose of ritual and the impact of sin on humanity.  Instead of dismissing the questions, he pushed them past the surface level discussion.

This skill is one I fear we are not developing in evangelical Christianity.  I frequently get to listen to how people respond when their beliefs are challenged.  What I hear Christians do is take a hard stand and simply defend it by proclaiming, “This is what God says.  You’re wrong.”  OK, they may not be quite that blunt, but it’s what is communicated clearly to whoever they’re addressing.  The conversation quickly slides into two people talking past one another without truly addressing the underlying beliefs.  I’ve watched this on any number of the popular culture wars (which I’ll spare everyone from rehashing).  I see this in discussions about the exclusivity of the gospel.  Christians are getting the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion, but we get sidetracked by the desire to be right.

               

This is the point where I’d normally begin inserting my list of steps to take.  I have neither the time nor space to flesh out the implications, and such is not my goal.  I think the Church needs something more foundational than a list of skills or tasks.  We need to change how we think in order to change how we interact with our society.  Having said this, I offer the list of changes with very little explanation or support.

1.        Learn to think deeply.  People are tired of the church presenting answers that seem inconsistent or shallow.  While “The Bible says so” might be an answer that is perfectly true and legitimate answer in a discussion, but people want to understand why the Bible says so, and we should strive to understand the why, not just the what.

2.       Be humble.  This one is biblical, but many outside of the Church have legitimate criticism of Christians for sounding (and often being) arrogant and dismissive of others.  This is truly a spiritual crisis that is important not only for how we relate to others but how we relate to God.

3.       Learn to listen.  This one is actually associated with thinking deeply.  Listen to what people say.  Look for the motives, fears, or desires that are motivating them.  Doing so helps us understand the person and their beliefs.

4.       Learn to communicate.  You won’t be a perfect communicator.  You simply have to know how to communicate genuine concern and compassion.

Not even trying to catch up

After the Labor Day Dove Shoot
at the Farm.

OK, so I've now gone five months without updating this thing.  I'll try to begin being a little more consistent, but no real promises.  We've gotten settled into a routine at Ft Benning.  Em is working.  I've enjoyed the ministry opportunities with my battalion.  I currently am working with the Infantry Basic Officers Leadership Course.  It's actually a great opportunity.  Since getting back to the States, we've visited family, visited the beach, and gotten kids enrolled in daycare.

I'll probably start posting more about the ministry because the travel stories obviously won't be as frequent.

Flanders Field Trenches

On Friday, we took a day trip over to Ypres,  Belgium to the museum and a couple of sites from the Flanders Fields battlefields of World War I.  Most of my knowledge of World War I is limited.  I knew trench warfare and chemical warfare were rampant.  I understood the basics, but most of what I've read and heard in history classes focuses more on the impact the Treaty of Versailles has on the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, and the eventual start of World War II.  I honestly had forgotten that the invasion of Belgium was one of the rallying points for the US entrance into the war.  The town of Ypres sat within artillery range of the front lines for years.  Pictures of the Cloth Building (now the Flanders Field Museum) show rubble of what had once been the town's bell tower.  Everything was destroyed.  The other draw was that a friend of mine told me about a privately-owned museum that is basically one family's collection of military memorabilia.  The real draw is that this museum also contains part of the original trenches that were part of the British lines.  Most other trenches were filled in and returned to farmland after the war.  Some have been rebuilt to provide

memorials or educational centers.  The trenches you see the kids and I in were never filled in.  Realizing how many men would have lived, fought, and died in those trenches gives you pause.

Today, we took a trip to Paria Dazia.  I still think its the best zoo I've visited.  Others I've been to have more animals.  The playground at this one is Isaac's favorite part.  Walking through the one of the monkey areas, one of the monkeys jumps onto my shoulders and lets Isaac pet it.  Plus while Emily and I are drinking coffee and watching the kids play when one of the employees wanders by riding an elephant.  Not exactly what you'd get it in the States.  I definitely think we loose something in such a litigious society.

Next Location...back to the southeast

OK, this is old news to most people at this point, but we're now getting ready to move back to the States.  My next assignment is Ft Benning, GA.  I'm supposed to be with an armor battalion that does training for new soldiers (among some others).  We've known it was an assignment at Ft Benning for about a month, but I received my request for orders (RFO) a few days ago.  My formal, written orders should be cut tomorrow.  We're looking at about 90 days before we move back to the States.

The last few months have not been a lot of fun as we've wrestled with the question of whether or not God was allowing us to move back into civilian ministry.  It has actually been the main reason we didn't blog much for a while.  We didn't really want that discussion and that process out in this particular medium.  We decided to set out the "fleece" of asking God for a particular assignment.  We asked for Ft Rucker or Ft Benning.  I honestly didn't expect either.  My resume had been completed.  I had already begun talking to friends about church openings.  It's taken me a few weeks to get comfortable with staying in this type of ministry. 

Personally, I'm just glad to be heading back to the southeast.  We'll be back in SEC country for football season.  Isaac may get to experience his first Ole Miss game (I haven't decided if he's ready for that one).  We'll actually get to experience summer temperatures, which is exciting.  If you don't know, those of you who live in south MS are currently experiencing temperatures Belgium will be getting in June.

Claire's Turn

I realized a few minutes ago that this evening was a replay of about two years ago.  Em & I had friends over for a late lunch after chapel today.  They brought homemade banana pudding for dessert.  (By the way, banana pudding is a spectacular way to finish up pulled pork sandwiches).  After the Quiggs left, I began picking up glasses, unloading the dishwasher, etc.  Basically, it was the normal post-company routine.  When I noticed Claire was no longer playing with Isaac, I walked back into the kitchen.  She was using a serving spoon to finish eating her fill of dessert.  She continued to do this long after the picture.  Being tired, I wasn't up to fighting with her about it.  Plus, Isaac did the exact same thing a couple of years ago with a minor difference.  He ate the cherry pie while the adults were still eating dinner.  I suppose I prefer that I at least got a large bowl of pudding.

 



Snow Day

Obviously from the title, I'm at home today.  Belgium managed to be unprepared for snow this morning.  Weather.com predicted 1-3 inches yesterday and 2-4 inches today.  It amazes me that this information was available yesterday morning and the snow plows and salt trucks still weren't rolling.  At least it lets me play with the kids some today.  

Otherwise, we ran The Hague Half Marathon this weekend.  The whole trip was great.  We went up with another couple from the battalion Saturday morning.  We had one of the best meals I've had in months at lunch.  Dinner wasn't bad either.  (Almost half of how I judge any trip is food).

For the race, there really wasn't any type of Expo beforehand, which is unusual for such a large race.  It had rained for several days, so the park the tens and packet pickup were in was a field of cold mud.  The race itself was great.  The course ran through nice residential and business areas before looping back out to the shore of the North Sea.  Crowds were always there cheering you on, and while the race was full it wasn't as packed trying to run as some races I've been in.

Emily was trying to finish the race in under two hours, so I paced her.  She finished in 1:56, beating me by more than a minute.  (I had to make a pit stop at mile 12 and couldn't quite catch up).  There are a few pictures from the race that should be in  my online albums later today.

Now I know not to trust my body

I started running around 15 years ago.  Over that time, I've been reasonably consistent.  The only major gaps in were periods where I was recovering from some type of injury.  Generally, I've always followed the advice of listening to my body.  The only significant injury I've had was due to pushing past pain in my ankle. (No one tell Emily I'm admitting that.)

Yesterday I learned that my body isn't all that trustworthy.  I did a twelve miler along the canals in Mons.  It's a nice, flat route.  The weather was perfect.  (And I mean perfect by normal standards, not the ridiculously low standards I have for weather in Belgium).  Emily & I are running a half marathon in The Hague next month.  I can finish a half without training, but I'm throwing a few long runs in to get my pacing set.  I held an easy pace for the first 8 miles.  Somewhere between 8-9, my pace began creeping up.  By mile 9, I was 30-45 seconds faster per mile than I had planned to run.  My legs felt good.  My heart rate was good.  I decided to go with it because I was feeling good and only had 3 miles to go.

Then comes the last mile.  The heart rate is still ok.  The legs hurt.  They aren't fatigued.  They hurt.  The pace drops back to the original, easy pace.  My legs still hurt.  I finish the last half mile at a walk.  Had I been running the half, I would have pushed through.  Since it was a training run, I know i have to get my mileage back up.  (The last month really has been limited to treadmills or cross training.)

Back Up and Going (Sort of)

One of my brother's asked me the other day if I had completely discontinued the blog.  I suppose I had temporarily.  It's one of those things that just didn't happen over the holidays.  Between Emily, myself, and the kids someone was always sick or out of town.  I got back from the States on Tuesday morning.  My father had a stroke and I went back to see the family.  Emily, typically, responded by taking care of all of the household, budgeting, and parenting for 8-9 days.  Dad is doing well and will eventually recover all use of his right side.

Right now is a little hectic and I'll try to put up a longer update this week.

MY WIFE

I realize something as I sit next to this beautiful woman foolish enough to marry me...she's mean.  I also was just struck.  Not stricken.  I was punched.  She's now mocking my grammar.  She does not seem to think I would post this, so now I have no option.

Christmas Card Pictures

Claire had been screaming for about 20 pictures.  This is the
closest I got to getting her smiling all afternoon.
Obviously, this won't be on our Christmas card.

Yesterday afternoon, we made an attempt to take pictures for our Christmas card.  (Yes, Emily has chosen this years Christmas cards already.)  We took the kids over to the ruins of a nearby abbey.  It's one of my favorite places in Belgium.  The setting was great.  Emily had chosen coordinating outfits.  (Yes, Isaac and I were both embarassed about that).  First, I realized that part of the tripod had been left attached to my video camera, so I had to position my camera on a rock.  Then, Claire decided that she wasn't interested in any part of the process.  In over 300 photos, only two were even worth considering. Isaac actually did ok.  Claire would screem and get up.  Without fail, as she walked off she would look at me and smile.  I physically felt my blood pressure going up.

Guys Weekend

 

This weekend, I'm in Dover & Canterbury with a friend of mine.  I have a few minutes to kill before anywhere opens up where we can eat breakfast, so I thought I'd post a couple of pictures.  Obviously, I'm standing on the White Cliff's of Dover on the right.  Joe & I hiked about five miles along the cliffs.  If time (and weather) allowed, I would have kept going.  The cliffs where pretty.  The constant flow of ferries across the English Channel didn't really add to the picturesque seen, but it was a nice hike.  It did rain on us for the last mile, but that seems to have made the experience complete.  Some of you are now questioning my common sense, which is a perfectly sensible response.  Dover Castle was also interesting.  I've toured enough castles that it really wasn't that different from others.  However, there are a series of tunnels under the Castle that were begun during the Napoleonic Wars as barracks for soldiers positioned to repell a French invasion.  During WWII, this became an underground hospital as well as a command post for Operation Dynamo (evacuation of the British and French armies after the Battle for France was won by Germany in WWII).

 

Not a bad first day.  Today I'll get to see Canterbury Cathedral, which rounds out the last major European church I had on my list.  I'd still like to see the Hagia Sophia, but it hasn't been a church since 1453, so I don't have to technically include it in my list of churches.

 

Balls, Inpections, and Broken Bones

The picture is from the Air Force & Navy Ball for SHAPE.  A friend of mine was on the planning committee and had me do the invocation.  I have to admit, they did a great party.
Otherwise, let me retrace the last couple of weeks.  Since my last post, I'm still doing physical therapy.  My ankle is improving, but it's getting old and tedious.  We completed our Command Inspection Program.  For those not in the army, it just means our higher headquarters comes down to inspect our records, supplies, and whatever other random thing they decide to examine.  We passed with 100% (by that, I mean my assistant and I).  He did 90% of the work.  Considering that this is his first unit and he's been here less than a year, He did an amazing job.

Turns out Isaac's arm is not only broken, but he'll have to have a pin put into his wrist for a few weeks so the bone sets straight.  I found that little gem out this afternoon.

I don't guess I should really complain.  Em ran the Paris to Versailles Road Race this weekend, which left me with the kids.  It's always fun to have a couple of days of playing with them.  (It's easy for me to say since I also have several trips each year without them). 

 

Speaking of the kids, Isaac is at the table imitating the noises of random bodily functions.  I guess I should get up to be a good father and explain that it's a little disgusting.  I still owe him ice cream from when they had to draw blood this afternoon anyway.

 

Hectic Week

The last week has been hectic, to say the least.  Let's start with last Saturday.  Emily was out running errands when I hear Isaac crying.  He had fallen while trying to carry a large toy truck up to the top bunk (I have no idea why).  I checked the arm and didn't think it was broken.  On Sunday morning, Emily has a minor car accident.  No one was hurt, but it has had us down to one vehicle.  By Monday, Isaac still isn't using his arm.  The earliest appointment we can get him is for Thursday.

Throughout this, I am trying to catch up from being gone to Garmisch the week before.  (I'm still not caught up, if you're wondering).  A Europe-wide suicide stand down absorbed most of my week through Thursday.

 

On Thursday, Emily calls when I'm in a meeting and Isaac's arm is broken.  (I win "father of the year" for that one, I'm sure.). 

 

Friday, was a good day.  I had three soldiers and myself helping a soup kitchen in Mons tear out some old ceiling and plaster so they can expand their ministry.  You see us sitting with the debris we pulled out of the building in the picture.  I haven't been that physically exhausted in a long, long time.

 

On top of it, I had 1-1.5 hours of physical therapy on my ankle three days this week.  Apparently, I wasn't supposed to just run through the pain for the last year and a half.  The physical therapist all but called me stupid during the initial consulation.  She was less than thrilled when I told her I didn't have time to come to the clinic on Thursday or Friday.

 

OK, there's my massive dump of information.  Hopefully, this week will be better.  When Em and I looked at schedules, I'm not sure this one will move any slower.  If we can just avoid any extra conversations with hospitals or police officers, it'll be an improvement.

Birthdays

I think these two pictures sum up a lot of what you see at children's birthdays at a certain age.  There are moments where everything is unbelievably exciting and here is a happiness that is almost beyond expression. 

However, the sugar buzz, excitement and  constant stimulation of the crowd and new toys in the house at least a few times create a huge crash.  All of a sudden, the tears are pouring.  There's no clear understanding of what is wrong (at least that's my perspective).  Since it was Isaac's birthday, I put the smiling picture of him.  I actually do have pictures of either child in either phase.



CAST-E

2nd Signal Battalion, 5th Signal Command UMTs

So, the past few days have been spent in Garmisch, Germany at Chaplain's Annual Sustainment Training (CAST-E).  If you're wondering, a week of briefings aren't exactly exciting.  There were some interesting briefings, but it's mostly stuff they could have given us in writing just as effectively.  It's always nice to see some old friends and the other chaplains in our brigade.  That's the real benefit to this training.  I remember almost none of the training because my retention disappears quickly after 4 hours sitting in a conference room.  This is especially true when the sessions focus on army field manuals and doctrine.  I understand that it matters and is necessary for chaplains to understand.  It's just not exactly something most of us get excited to hear about.  I'm utterly exhausted after a week of being around people constantly.  Yesterday, the drive back took 11 hours thanks to road repairs throughout Germany. 





SHAPE Fest 2012

I’ve always been told that having a third child is a game-changer.  This weekend, we’re keeping some friends’ little girl (Claire’s age).  Their junior-high daughter is also staying with us, so she has been amazingly helpful at the house.  However, we spent this afternoon at SHAPE Fest.  The big sister hung out with her friends (as she should have) and Emily and I had three kids to watch.  Even with the double stroller we were outnumbered.  There’s definitely a huge difference between two and three children. 

Em actually reminded me once that she was the one that had wanted to stop at two.

 

This week is one of those that I dread each year.  I have to go to Germany for a few days for Chaplain's Annual Sustainment Training.  I'm sure once I get there, I'll enjoy getting to see some friends again.  I just hate being away from work and family for a week.  It's not a workaholic thing.  I'm good with being on vacation with my family instead of at work.  I just will spend the majority of the next week sitting through briefings that provide minimal new information.  The scenery will be amazing (Garmisch, Germany).  The lodging will be nice enough.  It'll just be a long, long drive to start and end a long, tedious week.

 







Greatest Race Ever

So, yesterday I ran the "Troll Extreme Run" here in Belgium.  Troll is the sponser.  The run is a 12k run through the woods with a couple of dozen obstacles.  I notice another huge difference between the States and Europe about a mile into the race.  We were climbing over a pill of tires with wires hanging down over the pile. One of the guys on my team (to the right) bumped a wire.  It was had electric current running through it.  No race in the States would have actually electric shocks as one of the obstacles.  It took over 2 hours to go 7+ miles.  Running on the streets, 7 miles would take about half that long.  I realized how dirty I was the first time we swam across a canal.  I got out, looked down, and realized that I still had mud down my shins.  By the third time across the canal, I was relatively clean.  I like this type of race far more than a marathon.