Sunday afternoon ramblings

8 Feb 09

The dorky picture of me in my dorm room is in full "battle rattle" gear. It consists of a helmet, protective body armor vest, and backpack with water hydration system (or "camelback" is it is called). I weighed myself with and without it all, and found that it adds 57 lbs to my total weight when I have it all on. And I'm told the Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan (or "down range" as they call it in the Army), carry much more. Some of those guys carry upwards of 80 to 100 lbs total in their gear, depending on their weapon and/or radio, etc... That's crazy!

Speaking of weighing myself... I'm down again a few lbs. I noticed this morning that I needed to use a new hole in my belt loop to keep the slacks up for church. That's a good feeling. All the exercise begins to pay off. I no longer worry about making weight in my upcoming physical fitness (PT) test. Not only do you have to pass the required minimal amount of push ups and sit ups, as well as run 2 miles in under a certain time (based on your gender and age), but you also have to maintain weight and height requirements. When I started all of this almost 2 years ago I was 20 lbs heavier. It has taken all of that time, but I have finally reached my goal weight of 98 lbs. (just kidding).

We had to write an essay on the "Ethic of the Army Chaplaincy" this weekend, and they required us to read a dozen articles about Chaplains in times of war to prepare for the essay. I was moved by the sacrifices some of these men made for their troops over the last several hundred years. Did you know that the Army Chaplaincy is the 2nd oldest branch of the military (after only the Infantry)? Yessir, General George Washington appealed to Congress himself to have Chaplains with his troops, and he was granted his wish early on in the Revolutionary War. So Chaplains have been serving (and fighting) alongside the troops since our country began. I was affected by a quote from Soldier during the Civil War regarding a chaplain in his ranks. He said,

"the Unit morale had hit rock bottom until one day I saw the chaplain on his knees in the mud in prayer. It did something to me and it pulled me through. When the going gets rough, remember to pray and read the Bible to the Troops. We'll not survive unless you do."

That really hit me hard as God is giving me a heart for our Soldiers through all of this, so please don't forget about them. Our troops still need your prayers and support.

If you want to read a modern account of a Chaplain, pick up a copy of "A Table in the Presence" by Lt. Carey Cash. It is outstanding and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about military Chaplaincy. This Chaplain served in the Marines during the 1st Desert War campaign. His unit was the first into Baghdad during that war, and he writes about some harrowing experiences and how God was with them every step of the way. I'm about 1/2 way through it and think it's a great book.

Gotta go. I'll write more later this week. Looking forward to the upcoming break and a chance to see family next weekend.