The other day I looked at when my last Blog Entry was and I was a bit shocked. I knew that I had not made an entry for a while, but I hadn't realized that it's been almost three whole months!
Things have been extremely hectic for me lately. The biggest thing is that the prison that I work at is so understaffed right now that we are getting hit for mandatory overtime at least once, if not twice, per week. That’s on top of working our 4x 12 hour shifts. That has been making things extremely difficult for all of us there.
On top of this job, I have a wife and two kids, I usually do a weekly Adult Bible Study, and I am the Adjutant (Secretary) for our local VFW. That’s a lot going on, huh? For some of you out there, that is the norm for you. For others, doing this much work might be a totally foreign concept. I tell you what, it is very difficult to balance all of this.
In fact, that’s the biggest thing. It has been an on-going challenge to get an appropriate balance between work, being there for my family, taking care of things around the house, look for a new job that better utilizes my skills and interests (and is a lot less stressful and dangerous), do my daily devotions, attend church, do a good preparation for my weekly Bible Study, etc. It seems like I have to ‘rob Peter to pay either Paul or Mary.’ And, that is not really including taking time just for myself.
Asides from daily devotions, I admit that I have often shortchanged myself with good, quality self-care time. Whether it’s reading a good book, doing some creative writing (for this blog, for example), watching a favorite TV show, etc., my self-care often goes onto the chopping blog first. Or, when I do take time to rest, relax, and recharge, I feel guilty because I am not addressing any of the other priorities in my life. I honestly feel like I have been burning the candles at both end, and in the middle. Getting very little sleep during my work days because of the insane hours that I have to work, doesn’t help either.
From time-to-time, I have checked the stats for my blog and have often been surprised to see that people have visited it on occasion. This has been encouraging since that means people enjoy what I write and check back once-in-a-while. It is also sometimes a source of frustration. I see that people are coming back, hoping to see more, and are probably disappointed; and, I feel guilty for not adjusting my time more so that I could write more entries.
I am hoping that things will get better soon. Although we are getting new staff, things are still really difficult. However, I still have to deal with all that I have. Since my Bible Study won’t meet again until next year, that will help a little with time.
Each of us have to wrestle with priorities. My wife knows very well how frustrated I often feel with all my current obligations. The Bible Study and helping with VFW are a much needed source of self-expression that I need, something that I thoroughly love doing. So is this blog. It is my hope that things will improve such that I can do more blogging. Not just because it is a creative release for me, but because many of you out there really enjoy reading it. May God help each of us with our priorities.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
A Glimpse of Hope
This past week, I got a glimpse of hope for two families who were visiting the prison that I work at. For privacy reasons, I will not be sharing many details. However, I will share some basic things because I believe others need to see this glimpse.
Recently, there was the initial trial for an Inmate concerning a serious crime he had committed against another while in prison. The two families, the one of the accused and the one of the victim, were at the proceedings. From what I understand from my conversations with others, their interactions with each other in the courtroom was anything but cordial. In fact, the impression that I got was that it was pretty hostile.
Not long after the Inmate who had been arraigned returned, it was time to start processing the second session of visitors. As we were doing so, in walk two ladies who said something about being followed. I looked up perplexed, but then in walked two Sherriff’s Deputies, who immediately started talking with one the two ladies. A few moments later, another group of adults came in and I felt the tension rise very, very quickly. As the two groups talked, one Deputy stayed between the two groups, the other moved away to the side
the two groups were obviously struggling to keep things civil. And, I think I was not the only prison who thought things were going to "come to blows." Both Deputies were obviously tense, and I think most other visitors were getting nervous.
But then, something amazing happened. One woman said that she understands that the other woman was feeling deep loss and pain because... Then, the other woman acknowledged the pain that the other woman must be feeling. Though I sensed that these words were a little forced, I still got the sense that they were trying to be genuine and sincere. After this, my coworker started directing each group with what they could do as far as visiting went. The two groups then began to go their separate ways and the tension started to slowly ease.
From my experiences in ministry and with corrections, I know that both families will have a long, difficult journey ahead. Especially since the trial is just getting started. But, the impression that I got was that the two families were taking baby steps towards healing. In such an environment in which it happened, I definitely do feel that it was a miracle of God in progress, that He was slowly helping them with the healing process.
When a loved one is seriously hurt, betrayed, or even killed by someone else, often feels shock, confusion, and even rage. It is very easy for us to allow the pain, anger, loss, etc., to become bitterness. It is much harder to give the pain and anger to God and allow Him to help us forgive.
We cannot confuse forgiving others from allowing a Court of Law to hold other accountable for their actions. Forgiving them means that we allow God to take care of things, and that we let go of our need for revenge.
All of us have suffered pain from others. At times, we hold onto our own anger against ourselves because of things that we either did or failed to do. That is a part of life. The Good News is that Christ can bring healing and forgiveness into our lives. It might be a long and rocky road. But, I believe that it is worth it.
Recently, there was the initial trial for an Inmate concerning a serious crime he had committed against another while in prison. The two families, the one of the accused and the one of the victim, were at the proceedings. From what I understand from my conversations with others, their interactions with each other in the courtroom was anything but cordial. In fact, the impression that I got was that it was pretty hostile.
Not long after the Inmate who had been arraigned returned, it was time to start processing the second session of visitors. As we were doing so, in walk two ladies who said something about being followed. I looked up perplexed, but then in walked two Sherriff’s Deputies, who immediately started talking with one the two ladies. A few moments later, another group of adults came in and I felt the tension rise very, very quickly. As the two groups talked, one Deputy stayed between the two groups, the other moved away to the side
the two groups were obviously struggling to keep things civil. And, I think I was not the only prison who thought things were going to "come to blows." Both Deputies were obviously tense, and I think most other visitors were getting nervous.
But then, something amazing happened. One woman said that she understands that the other woman was feeling deep loss and pain because... Then, the other woman acknowledged the pain that the other woman must be feeling. Though I sensed that these words were a little forced, I still got the sense that they were trying to be genuine and sincere. After this, my coworker started directing each group with what they could do as far as visiting went. The two groups then began to go their separate ways and the tension started to slowly ease.
From my experiences in ministry and with corrections, I know that both families will have a long, difficult journey ahead. Especially since the trial is just getting started. But, the impression that I got was that the two families were taking baby steps towards healing. In such an environment in which it happened, I definitely do feel that it was a miracle of God in progress, that He was slowly helping them with the healing process.
When a loved one is seriously hurt, betrayed, or even killed by someone else, often feels shock, confusion, and even rage. It is very easy for us to allow the pain, anger, loss, etc., to become bitterness. It is much harder to give the pain and anger to God and allow Him to help us forgive.
We cannot confuse forgiving others from allowing a Court of Law to hold other accountable for their actions. Forgiving them means that we allow God to take care of things, and that we let go of our need for revenge.
All of us have suffered pain from others. At times, we hold onto our own anger against ourselves because of things that we either did or failed to do. That is a part of life. The Good News is that Christ can bring healing and forgiveness into our lives. It might be a long and rocky road. But, I believe that it is worth it.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Looking at the Psalms
In a couple of weeks, I will re-start the Bible Study that I do. I am excited about it, because it gives me a creative outlet and something to look forward to each week. Honestly, I love teaching theology! At least for now, we will be looking at The Psalms. "Why?" you may ask. Well, several reasons.
The primary reason is because of the role that Psalms plays in worship. The Psalms were an integral part of the ancient Hebrew worship, and often is major part of ours. I am sure that you have noticed this. However, have you taken time to sit down and read through each of these Psalms that were used in a worship service and examined them in detail? If your church uses a Psalm as a ‘call’ and ‘response,’ have you really thought about what you were saying? Have you thought about what kind of events might have inspired a specific Psalm, or what the original words might convey in meaning?
Many of the Psalms are short, but full of vivid imagery and deep in theology. This will give us a lot to think about, pray about, and discuss. Another important thing is that most of these were someone's prayer that they wrote down. It was their way of putting words to what was on their heart and on their mind. Therefore, they can help us put our thoughts and feelings into prayer.
On a related note, the Psalms cover a very, very diverse range of emotions. From joy, to sadness, to loss, to being deeply confused, to absolute range, and many emotions in between. According to Paul in Romans 8:26-27, we see that the Holy Spirit aids us in our prayers, and searches our hearts. From the readings of the Psalms that I have done over the years, they have helped me put to words what I might be feeling and/or thinking.
While I am not fluent in Hebrew, I can work with that language much more easily than I can Greek. This will help me a lot with researching the history and original text. Believe it or not, this can be very important. For example, in Psalms 23, the original words used in verse 4 actually indicate a ‘staff’ and a ‘club?’ Which indicates to me that God will protect me from dangers that are ‘at a distance’ and those that are ‘right up close.’ That is pretty significant to me, don’t you think?
While most Psalms are a complete thought/prayer in and of themselves, several of the longer ones contain multiple parts. This means that we can either cover one of the longer Psalms in one session, or look at each of its parts over a period of two or more sessions. One Psalm that will take many weeks to look at is Psalm 119, which has over 170 verses! Though they cover a similar theme, they are very diverse in how they express it.
To be honest, it is very easy to look at Psalms and not really think about what they mean. They are very poetic and have wonderful (though sometimes scary) imagery. But, do we really think about them, or do we just quickly read through them? What about our hymns of today? When we sing them, do we really think much about what the words mean? Did you know, Psalms were often chanted during a Jewish worship service, playing a similar role as our hymns. For me, this is yet another reason to look at them in depth.
Something that I am hoping to do, is to post some of the things that we are looking at with the Psalms. Now, there is no guarantee that I will be able to do so every week. Some weeks are more challenging than others. And, I am sure that each of you out there know that. But, not only am I wanting to post things that I discovered, but I also hope to share some of the observations that others share in the class.
As I have talked about before in prior blog entries, each of us is on a journey. What God does with me in my journey will be very different than someone else. Each of us have our own particular joys, sorrows, struggles, expectations, etc. It is my hope, though, that the things that we discuss and learn about the Psalms will be a blessing onto at least some of you each week. That’s not to say that I won’t blog about other things that I experience. As time and life allow it, I want to do so. But, one step at a time. Ready to start a journey together through the Psalms?
The primary reason is because of the role that Psalms plays in worship. The Psalms were an integral part of the ancient Hebrew worship, and often is major part of ours. I am sure that you have noticed this. However, have you taken time to sit down and read through each of these Psalms that were used in a worship service and examined them in detail? If your church uses a Psalm as a ‘call’ and ‘response,’ have you really thought about what you were saying? Have you thought about what kind of events might have inspired a specific Psalm, or what the original words might convey in meaning?
Many of the Psalms are short, but full of vivid imagery and deep in theology. This will give us a lot to think about, pray about, and discuss. Another important thing is that most of these were someone's prayer that they wrote down. It was their way of putting words to what was on their heart and on their mind. Therefore, they can help us put our thoughts and feelings into prayer.
On a related note, the Psalms cover a very, very diverse range of emotions. From joy, to sadness, to loss, to being deeply confused, to absolute range, and many emotions in between. According to Paul in Romans 8:26-27, we see that the Holy Spirit aids us in our prayers, and searches our hearts. From the readings of the Psalms that I have done over the years, they have helped me put to words what I might be feeling and/or thinking.
While I am not fluent in Hebrew, I can work with that language much more easily than I can Greek. This will help me a lot with researching the history and original text. Believe it or not, this can be very important. For example, in Psalms 23, the original words used in verse 4 actually indicate a ‘staff’ and a ‘club?’ Which indicates to me that God will protect me from dangers that are ‘at a distance’ and those that are ‘right up close.’ That is pretty significant to me, don’t you think?
While most Psalms are a complete thought/prayer in and of themselves, several of the longer ones contain multiple parts. This means that we can either cover one of the longer Psalms in one session, or look at each of its parts over a period of two or more sessions. One Psalm that will take many weeks to look at is Psalm 119, which has over 170 verses! Though they cover a similar theme, they are very diverse in how they express it.
To be honest, it is very easy to look at Psalms and not really think about what they mean. They are very poetic and have wonderful (though sometimes scary) imagery. But, do we really think about them, or do we just quickly read through them? What about our hymns of today? When we sing them, do we really think much about what the words mean? Did you know, Psalms were often chanted during a Jewish worship service, playing a similar role as our hymns. For me, this is yet another reason to look at them in depth.
Something that I am hoping to do, is to post some of the things that we are looking at with the Psalms. Now, there is no guarantee that I will be able to do so every week. Some weeks are more challenging than others. And, I am sure that each of you out there know that. But, not only am I wanting to post things that I discovered, but I also hope to share some of the observations that others share in the class.
As I have talked about before in prior blog entries, each of us is on a journey. What God does with me in my journey will be very different than someone else. Each of us have our own particular joys, sorrows, struggles, expectations, etc. It is my hope, though, that the things that we discuss and learn about the Psalms will be a blessing onto at least some of you each week. That’s not to say that I won’t blog about other things that I experience. As time and life allow it, I want to do so. But, one step at a time. Ready to start a journey together through the Psalms?
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Different Thoughts
I know that I have not been posting very much lately. Other priorities have taken precedence most of the time. There were times where I was contemplating something to write. But, unfortunately, I was not able to write them down. The good thing, though, is that I still have some floating around in my mind. I just have to work on 'flushing them out.'
One of the things that has occurred to me is to be thankful that I do have a job. A close friend of mine from seminary has found himself in a difficult position due to unemployment. For those of you out there who have been unemployed, especially while trying to support a family, you understand how painful and stressful it can be.
A few years ago, my wife and I found ourselves is such a situation. It was a very difficult time for all of us. Although we receive some financial help from the state, it was barely enough to cover food, gas, and a few of our bills. We were in a difficult situation financially, and it only got worse. God provided, but it seemed to be not nearly enough for us.
Eventually, God reopened the door to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) for me. Once again, I found myself working as Custody Staff at the same prison that I worked at a few years prior. Because of the length of time since leaving for a deployment and returning to work with NDCS, I was required to attend the Staff Training Academy (STA) again. I had done well going through it the first time, and it was even easier the second time through. Although I was not excited about doing this kind of work again, I already very family with the things that I would be doing. Needless to say, I was very popular with the other students!
Now, as many of you know from prior blog entries, the Department of Corrections is not what I would prefer to do. It is sometimes (often really) very taxing on my mentally and spiritually. I have to deal with some very evil people, and with professionalism and tact. It is very hard!
But, in spite of challenging this job is, it does have very good job security. And, that is also very unfortunate. It is such a necessary job that I don’t have to work about being laid off. And, the pay is fairly good. I earn a living wage to support a family of 4, with enough left over to do things like vacations, spontaneous road trips, etc.
I will admit, it is sometimes very hard to be thankful for this job. After working 4x 12 hour shifts with very demanding Inmates, I feel exceptionally drained. Being a high sensing introvert, such things have a high impact on me. It often takes at least 1 full day of ‘recharging’ and ‘introverting’ for me to do a lot of things with the family, do on-line courses, etc. I often find myself needing to choose to be thankful, to make that conscious choice. And, there are days where I ‘fake it until I make it.’ That’s just the nature of my life. I do not like it, but I prayerfully seek to do it.
There are many outlets that I have to help deal with such things. On many a long day, I will come up, grab something to eat, and then watch various YouTube videos so that I can relax and recharge. I will sometimes read, go for a walk, or do some art work. Writing on this blog is another way that I decompress and relax.
All of us have to deal with stress in our lives. All of us have to deal with difficult situations, sometimes on a daily basis. Whether we like it or not, stress and difficult situations are a natural part of life. So, we might as well plan on dealing with them.
All of us develop ‘coping methods,’ or ways that we deal with situations. Some turn to drugs, some turn to pornography, some turn to playing computer or on-line games, or something else so as to avoid dealing with problems. These are examples of negative coping skills. While they may feel good at the time and help you to (at least temporarily) avoid dealing with something, the problems do not go away. And, when one uses these poor coping skills, you heap on more problems, often causing things to start spiraling totally out of control. Eventually, whether each of us wants to or not, we have to confront these problems.
Whether you feel like you are on top of the work, feel like you are in the worst place of hell, or some place in between, God is still there to help you. Though you may not like the direction that God is leading you, there is a reason behind it. Sometimes we suffer simply as a direct consequence of our bad choices. Sometimes it’s because of someone else’s negative choices. Sometimes, God may want us to go through times of testing in order to prepare us for something else. I often hate going through it at the time. But, I have often been able to look back and see how God has prepared me for something else because of what I had endured prior.
We all of the accept the consequences of our choices, be it positive or negative. We all have to choose how we deal with situations that are out of our control. Many times we find ourselves, or a loved in, in a very bad place with little or no warning. And, it may be of no consequence of our own (or their) choices. However, we can choose the attitude that we will have while enduring them.
Life is full of many different experiences. I often wonder why God has me where I am at. It is often very painful, or at the very least, very uncomfortable. But, it is where God has brought me. Each of you are where you are at, and God has a plan for you. I wrestle with God regularly with where I am and what is going on. And, I prayerfully try to be obedient. How about you? May God’s grace and love help you through.
One of the things that has occurred to me is to be thankful that I do have a job. A close friend of mine from seminary has found himself in a difficult position due to unemployment. For those of you out there who have been unemployed, especially while trying to support a family, you understand how painful and stressful it can be.
A few years ago, my wife and I found ourselves is such a situation. It was a very difficult time for all of us. Although we receive some financial help from the state, it was barely enough to cover food, gas, and a few of our bills. We were in a difficult situation financially, and it only got worse. God provided, but it seemed to be not nearly enough for us.
Eventually, God reopened the door to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) for me. Once again, I found myself working as Custody Staff at the same prison that I worked at a few years prior. Because of the length of time since leaving for a deployment and returning to work with NDCS, I was required to attend the Staff Training Academy (STA) again. I had done well going through it the first time, and it was even easier the second time through. Although I was not excited about doing this kind of work again, I already very family with the things that I would be doing. Needless to say, I was very popular with the other students!
Now, as many of you know from prior blog entries, the Department of Corrections is not what I would prefer to do. It is sometimes (often really) very taxing on my mentally and spiritually. I have to deal with some very evil people, and with professionalism and tact. It is very hard!
But, in spite of challenging this job is, it does have very good job security. And, that is also very unfortunate. It is such a necessary job that I don’t have to work about being laid off. And, the pay is fairly good. I earn a living wage to support a family of 4, with enough left over to do things like vacations, spontaneous road trips, etc.
I will admit, it is sometimes very hard to be thankful for this job. After working 4x 12 hour shifts with very demanding Inmates, I feel exceptionally drained. Being a high sensing introvert, such things have a high impact on me. It often takes at least 1 full day of ‘recharging’ and ‘introverting’ for me to do a lot of things with the family, do on-line courses, etc. I often find myself needing to choose to be thankful, to make that conscious choice. And, there are days where I ‘fake it until I make it.’ That’s just the nature of my life. I do not like it, but I prayerfully seek to do it.
There are many outlets that I have to help deal with such things. On many a long day, I will come up, grab something to eat, and then watch various YouTube videos so that I can relax and recharge. I will sometimes read, go for a walk, or do some art work. Writing on this blog is another way that I decompress and relax.
All of us have to deal with stress in our lives. All of us have to deal with difficult situations, sometimes on a daily basis. Whether we like it or not, stress and difficult situations are a natural part of life. So, we might as well plan on dealing with them.
All of us develop ‘coping methods,’ or ways that we deal with situations. Some turn to drugs, some turn to pornography, some turn to playing computer or on-line games, or something else so as to avoid dealing with problems. These are examples of negative coping skills. While they may feel good at the time and help you to (at least temporarily) avoid dealing with something, the problems do not go away. And, when one uses these poor coping skills, you heap on more problems, often causing things to start spiraling totally out of control. Eventually, whether each of us wants to or not, we have to confront these problems.
Whether you feel like you are on top of the work, feel like you are in the worst place of hell, or some place in between, God is still there to help you. Though you may not like the direction that God is leading you, there is a reason behind it. Sometimes we suffer simply as a direct consequence of our bad choices. Sometimes it’s because of someone else’s negative choices. Sometimes, God may want us to go through times of testing in order to prepare us for something else. I often hate going through it at the time. But, I have often been able to look back and see how God has prepared me for something else because of what I had endured prior.
We all of the accept the consequences of our choices, be it positive or negative. We all have to choose how we deal with situations that are out of our control. Many times we find ourselves, or a loved in, in a very bad place with little or no warning. And, it may be of no consequence of our own (or their) choices. However, we can choose the attitude that we will have while enduring them.
Life is full of many different experiences. I often wonder why God has me where I am at. It is often very painful, or at the very least, very uncomfortable. But, it is where God has brought me. Each of you are where you are at, and God has a plan for you. I wrestle with God regularly with where I am and what is going on. And, I prayerfully try to be obedient. How about you? May God’s grace and love help you through.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Dealing with Evil Hearts
References:
• June 23 article on Wis. Youth facility
• June 24 article on Wis. Youth facility
I read the first article concerning the Wisconsin youth facility, writing on June 23, 2017, a few days ago. Having worked in corrections for almost 10 years now, I was both concerned about how the Inmates were being treated and alarmed about how others who have no clue what our job is like (like the lawyers of the ACLU) want to make our job more dangerous. While looking the first article up, I found the second one, which was written on the next day (written on June 24, 2017). That make me a bit more upset.
I started working for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) in January of 2006. I briefly left in 2011 in order to pursue a ministry career. When that fell through, God reopened the same position (custody staff) with the NDCS. I have been with them ever since.
To be honest, it is a very difficult job, fraught with great risks. There can be great rewards as one sees lives changed. But, many choose to not change, in spite of all of the opportunities and programs that they are given. While I have only worked at a men’s facility, I have talked with several co-workers who work in the youth facility here in Nebraska. From the conversations that I have had with them over the years, they face many of the same challenges that we do. That is, they deal with Inmates that are often just as manipulative and physically dangerous as those that I deal with. And, being teenagers, they have a higher tendency to lash out than adults because of the fact that they do not have the same impulse control as some adult Inmates do. Though some of the youth may not be as physically strong as an adult, they are often in better shape due to their age. This is especially so with those of us who are over 40 years old and work in corrections.
Some people go to prison because they made one mistake and they were caught. Other have made living out of committing crimes. For those who have made it a lifestyle out of committing crime, who have anger issues, have had drug and/or alcohol abuse issues, etc., those of us who represent law and order become their targets. As anyone who has spent time working in a jail or prison, we have to be constantly aware of our surroundings, because of the dangerous people that we deal with.
Most of us who work in corrections genuinely care about others and want to help them make good changes in their lives. That is our goal. Those who want to work in Corrections (or any other Law Enforcement position) because of having power over others usually do not last very long. Such people either get fired from their job, get shunned by those of us who do care enough that they choose to leave (I personally have no tolerance for such people), or they become the focus of the Inmates’ ire and are assaulted. In the case of the latter, when such staff member realizes that they no longer have the power over others that they crave, they leave for ‘greener pastures.’
Don’t get me wrong, there are staff who are cruel and vindictive people who stay within Corrections. However, they are a very small minority. Just like in the military, Law Enforcement, working in the health care system, such people rarely last very long before they are forced out, choose to leave, or are seriously injured or killed.
One of the things that I am proud about with my training with NDCS is how it has adapted over the years concerning Inmate control that is safe and humane. Our primary always has been and always will be our interpersonal skills. The better training Corrections Professionals (including Custody Staff, Unit Staff, administration and support staff, etc.) have in de-escalation, the safer everyone is. However, de-escalation does not always work. For Inmates who have either lost control of their ability to reason (due to anger issues, currently being under the influence of a drug or alcohol, a vindictive/anti-social attitude, etc.), other means of maintaining control have to be used. That is how life is for us.
The wonderful thing about using pepper spray (or similar item) is that it does not cause long-term medical problems, are temporary, and usually cause the Inmate to surrender so that little to no physical force has to be used. When little to no physical force has to be used, it is a win-win situation. Why is that? Because neither staff nor the Inmate receive physical injuries.
In the training that I have received with the Nebraska National Guard as a MP, as well as with NDCS, I had to be exposed to the same chemical agents that we use. That way, not only do we know that we can work, in spite of the agents, but we also know how it affects the Inmate. Any time we have to use chemicals in order to gain control of an aggressive Inmate, we get exposed too. It sucks for them, and it sucks for us.
As I have contemplated the articles that I read, I have to wonder… Is the issue with the staff with how they use force, or is it with the Inmates trying to use the legal system to remove effective tools from the staff? Think of it this way… If two Inmates are fighting are determined to cause serious bodily injury to the other, do you think that they will stop fighting with three, four, or more staff show up? Youth or adult it doesn’t matter. Such Inmates who genuinely want to cause serious bodily injury to the other won’t just stop fighting when staff show up. Physical force will have to be used. Now, do you want to try and restrain a person who is very angry and wants to injure others with just physical strength? I don’t if I absolutely do not have to. If I can use chemical agents so that they decide to stop fighting, then it becomes much safer to intervene.
Restraints, restrictive housing, and chemicals are all tools that we in Corrections use to maintain control and keep ourselves and other Inmates safe. Having good training with the proper use of such things, good training with verbal de-escalation skills, clear guidance with how they should be applied, good programs available to give Inmates tools to more effectively deal with life, stress, anger, etc., those are things that keep all of us safe. Taking such tools away from us so that we are more likely to have to use physical force to stop dangerous behavior (to us, to other Inmates, to the public, and to the Inmate him/herself), that puts all of us in a more dangerous situation.
There is something else that I have often wondered… Those who are trying to champion Inmates by taking away effective tools from staff, do they have any clue as to how dangerous of a job that we have? I very seriously doubt it. All that they know is what the Inmate tells them. And, whenever a lawyer from the ACLU talks with an Inmate, it is always from the perspective as a lawyer for brief periods of time. Just like with the clergy that visit Inmates, their friends and family when they visit, lawyers and the media, they only see the mask that most of them put on for them. They do not see the day-to-day decisions, attitudes, etc., that we see on a daily basis.
I am all for programming to help those who are incarcerated to gain tools to change their lives. However, they will want to have to change. Just because they are given tools does not mean that it will make them make better choices. It may take time for the change to come, or it may never come. But, when good programming is available, then access to the tools for positive changes are there. But, there will always be those who will not change. For those who take a long time to change, if at all, staff have to have the tools necessary to keep everyone safer. Not all tools will work. There is always a high risk for injury or death at a prison, for staff and other Inmates. It will always be that way. But, the betters that staff have, and better programming for Inmates, the less the change for danger and the better the chances for everyone staying healthy and alive.
One last thought… For those who like to champion the “poor and abused” Inmates, here’s a radical thought. Why don’t you actually spend a few years working in Corrections. Not on the premise of, “oh, I am a lawyer but I want to see how things are for a little while.” If you take such an approach, you will see the façade that they give to the public and not see the darkness in their hearts. Have the mindset that you will ‘set the lawyer’ aside and ONLY work as a Corrections Professional. Go through our training, deal with the angry outburst (over legitimate things, and ridiculous ones), be on our uses of force, see them without their masks as they interact with other Inmates and with staff. If you want me to take your advice seriously, then you need to understand just how dangerous my job is.
In the almost ten years, I have seen many Inmates seek to make positive changes in their lives. For some, it took many years for the seeds of change to take root and to grow. For some others, the change came more quickly. For many others, it has not come at all. When you have all three mixed together, you have the high potential for great danger. To them and to staff. That is the nature of our job as Corrections Professionals. Enable us to do our job better, not make it harder. There are some staff that I enjoy working with more than others. No matter what, I want all of us to be able to go home to our friends and family safely each night (or morning if you work the night shift). We all have loved ones that want us to come home safely each night. Helps us to do our jobs better and more safely, not make it more dangerous.
• June 23 article on Wis. Youth facility
• June 24 article on Wis. Youth facility
I read the first article concerning the Wisconsin youth facility, writing on June 23, 2017, a few days ago. Having worked in corrections for almost 10 years now, I was both concerned about how the Inmates were being treated and alarmed about how others who have no clue what our job is like (like the lawyers of the ACLU) want to make our job more dangerous. While looking the first article up, I found the second one, which was written on the next day (written on June 24, 2017). That make me a bit more upset.
I started working for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) in January of 2006. I briefly left in 2011 in order to pursue a ministry career. When that fell through, God reopened the same position (custody staff) with the NDCS. I have been with them ever since.
To be honest, it is a very difficult job, fraught with great risks. There can be great rewards as one sees lives changed. But, many choose to not change, in spite of all of the opportunities and programs that they are given. While I have only worked at a men’s facility, I have talked with several co-workers who work in the youth facility here in Nebraska. From the conversations that I have had with them over the years, they face many of the same challenges that we do. That is, they deal with Inmates that are often just as manipulative and physically dangerous as those that I deal with. And, being teenagers, they have a higher tendency to lash out than adults because of the fact that they do not have the same impulse control as some adult Inmates do. Though some of the youth may not be as physically strong as an adult, they are often in better shape due to their age. This is especially so with those of us who are over 40 years old and work in corrections.
Some people go to prison because they made one mistake and they were caught. Other have made living out of committing crimes. For those who have made it a lifestyle out of committing crime, who have anger issues, have had drug and/or alcohol abuse issues, etc., those of us who represent law and order become their targets. As anyone who has spent time working in a jail or prison, we have to be constantly aware of our surroundings, because of the dangerous people that we deal with.
Most of us who work in corrections genuinely care about others and want to help them make good changes in their lives. That is our goal. Those who want to work in Corrections (or any other Law Enforcement position) because of having power over others usually do not last very long. Such people either get fired from their job, get shunned by those of us who do care enough that they choose to leave (I personally have no tolerance for such people), or they become the focus of the Inmates’ ire and are assaulted. In the case of the latter, when such staff member realizes that they no longer have the power over others that they crave, they leave for ‘greener pastures.’
Don’t get me wrong, there are staff who are cruel and vindictive people who stay within Corrections. However, they are a very small minority. Just like in the military, Law Enforcement, working in the health care system, such people rarely last very long before they are forced out, choose to leave, or are seriously injured or killed.
One of the things that I am proud about with my training with NDCS is how it has adapted over the years concerning Inmate control that is safe and humane. Our primary always has been and always will be our interpersonal skills. The better training Corrections Professionals (including Custody Staff, Unit Staff, administration and support staff, etc.) have in de-escalation, the safer everyone is. However, de-escalation does not always work. For Inmates who have either lost control of their ability to reason (due to anger issues, currently being under the influence of a drug or alcohol, a vindictive/anti-social attitude, etc.), other means of maintaining control have to be used. That is how life is for us.
The wonderful thing about using pepper spray (or similar item) is that it does not cause long-term medical problems, are temporary, and usually cause the Inmate to surrender so that little to no physical force has to be used. When little to no physical force has to be used, it is a win-win situation. Why is that? Because neither staff nor the Inmate receive physical injuries.
In the training that I have received with the Nebraska National Guard as a MP, as well as with NDCS, I had to be exposed to the same chemical agents that we use. That way, not only do we know that we can work, in spite of the agents, but we also know how it affects the Inmate. Any time we have to use chemicals in order to gain control of an aggressive Inmate, we get exposed too. It sucks for them, and it sucks for us.
As I have contemplated the articles that I read, I have to wonder… Is the issue with the staff with how they use force, or is it with the Inmates trying to use the legal system to remove effective tools from the staff? Think of it this way… If two Inmates are fighting are determined to cause serious bodily injury to the other, do you think that they will stop fighting with three, four, or more staff show up? Youth or adult it doesn’t matter. Such Inmates who genuinely want to cause serious bodily injury to the other won’t just stop fighting when staff show up. Physical force will have to be used. Now, do you want to try and restrain a person who is very angry and wants to injure others with just physical strength? I don’t if I absolutely do not have to. If I can use chemical agents so that they decide to stop fighting, then it becomes much safer to intervene.
Restraints, restrictive housing, and chemicals are all tools that we in Corrections use to maintain control and keep ourselves and other Inmates safe. Having good training with the proper use of such things, good training with verbal de-escalation skills, clear guidance with how they should be applied, good programs available to give Inmates tools to more effectively deal with life, stress, anger, etc., those are things that keep all of us safe. Taking such tools away from us so that we are more likely to have to use physical force to stop dangerous behavior (to us, to other Inmates, to the public, and to the Inmate him/herself), that puts all of us in a more dangerous situation.
There is something else that I have often wondered… Those who are trying to champion Inmates by taking away effective tools from staff, do they have any clue as to how dangerous of a job that we have? I very seriously doubt it. All that they know is what the Inmate tells them. And, whenever a lawyer from the ACLU talks with an Inmate, it is always from the perspective as a lawyer for brief periods of time. Just like with the clergy that visit Inmates, their friends and family when they visit, lawyers and the media, they only see the mask that most of them put on for them. They do not see the day-to-day decisions, attitudes, etc., that we see on a daily basis.
I am all for programming to help those who are incarcerated to gain tools to change their lives. However, they will want to have to change. Just because they are given tools does not mean that it will make them make better choices. It may take time for the change to come, or it may never come. But, when good programming is available, then access to the tools for positive changes are there. But, there will always be those who will not change. For those who take a long time to change, if at all, staff have to have the tools necessary to keep everyone safer. Not all tools will work. There is always a high risk for injury or death at a prison, for staff and other Inmates. It will always be that way. But, the betters that staff have, and better programming for Inmates, the less the change for danger and the better the chances for everyone staying healthy and alive.
One last thought… For those who like to champion the “poor and abused” Inmates, here’s a radical thought. Why don’t you actually spend a few years working in Corrections. Not on the premise of, “oh, I am a lawyer but I want to see how things are for a little while.” If you take such an approach, you will see the façade that they give to the public and not see the darkness in their hearts. Have the mindset that you will ‘set the lawyer’ aside and ONLY work as a Corrections Professional. Go through our training, deal with the angry outburst (over legitimate things, and ridiculous ones), be on our uses of force, see them without their masks as they interact with other Inmates and with staff. If you want me to take your advice seriously, then you need to understand just how dangerous my job is.
In the almost ten years, I have seen many Inmates seek to make positive changes in their lives. For some, it took many years for the seeds of change to take root and to grow. For some others, the change came more quickly. For many others, it has not come at all. When you have all three mixed together, you have the high potential for great danger. To them and to staff. That is the nature of our job as Corrections Professionals. Enable us to do our job better, not make it harder. There are some staff that I enjoy working with more than others. No matter what, I want all of us to be able to go home to our friends and family safely each night (or morning if you work the night shift). We all have loved ones that want us to come home safely each night. Helps us to do our jobs better and more safely, not make it more dangerous.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Responses
References:
• Our Daily Bread for May 23, 2017
• Safe Places for Sensitive Students
• General Information on “Lawful use of Force”
• Ways to deescalate a situation
I admit, I am way behind in doing my devotions with Our Daily Bread. I will be consistent for a while, but then slack off for several days. Then I might catch up a few days, then get busy with life and not do any for several weeks. Work 12 hour shifts at a prison four days a week often make it that much harder. I am sure many of you can relate to how easy it is to get distracted by life.
But, when I read this ODB (Our Daily Bread) entry, it stirred many different thoughts in me. The first had to do with my experiences at the prison. Secondly, I was reminded of the numerous news articles I have read or seen on the news about 'safe zones' on many of our college campuses. Especially since I have been going through our books, including many of my college and seminary books, I am reminded of many contrasting experiences that I had there. I also thought about the many experiences I have had while working in a prison.
It is my experience that almost all of the time, a gentle response will calm things down. But, this is not always the case. At the prison that I work at, this usually is effective. If an Inmate is having a bad day and I respond to him in a calm and respectful manner, usually this will help them to calm down. Even if it is not something that I can take care of, if I treat the Inmate with dignity and respect and attempt to help him, it often works.
There have been times, though, when an Inmate purposefully gets themselves as upset as they can in order to cause problems. Or, there are times that, no matter what I do, they stay angry and/or uncooperative. If they have anger issues, are on some kind of intoxicant, having a mental health crisis, etc., their ability to cooperate and calm down are significantly reduced. And, there are some Inmates who love to cause problems on purpose. It’s their entertainment, or their way at lashing out at those who represent law and order.
I gave my life to Christ during my sophomore year in college. Although I had grown up a pastor’s kid, I had not cared about applying God’s Word to my life and living for Him as a child. As a young adult, I was now prayerfully doing so. And part of that was explaining my faith perspective in papers as was appropriate. This was especially the case in the introduction to philosophy class and an applied psychology class that I was taking. The professor of the philosophy class was a staunch atheist and the woman who taught my psychology class was very liberal in her views. Though our world and moral views different on many points, they respected my opinions. Both of them also took time outside of class to talk with me about how I shared my beliefs. They not only challenged me in what I said, but they also helped me with how to express my thoughts and beliefs in a clear manner. Most of the time in the classroom, all students were free to express their views, and all views would be challenged with, “Okay, why do you believe this?”
I admit, I was so excited about sharing my faith as a young Christian that I often did not express myself as well as I could. This was with in class participation and with written assignments. Many professors and quite a few classmates worked with me on this. They helped me to learn how to better express my beliefs in ways that others would be more willing to listen to.
There were some classes in college and several in seminary where this was not the case. If my moral and/or theological beliefs were not the similar or exactly like those who ‘were in power,’ then I was looked down upon, sometimes mocked. It seemed that no matter how respectful I tried to be with them and ‘agree to disagree,’ some were not interested. It was either ‘my way or the highway’ with them. Needless to say, that made life very difficult at times for me and other students who shared similar beliefs with me.
Even though those were trying times, and even though it was not right to put us through that kind of harassment, it did help me to learn how to persevere, handle conflict in a Christ-like manner, how to refine and improve stating my beliefs, etc. They meant it for evil, but God used it for good.
In this fallen world, we will encounter difficulties, conflict, hatred, etc. There are times were a ‘soft answer’ will turn wrath aside. There will be times where you will be able to reason with someone and resolve conflict peacefully. But, though it’s important to try, it is just as important to remember that there are people who will be determined to cause problems, who want to injure or kill others. Being ready for that is critical, I believe. I do not ascribe to the idea that, “there is a demon behind every rock.” I do believe that there is always the potential of a demon being there. As an INFJ and as a Christian, I seek to live peacefully with others. This is something God calls each of us to do. As often as possible, I seek God’s wisdom in resolving things peacefully. However, I have spent years training so that if things cannot be resolved peacefully, I hope that those of you out there will seek God’s wisdom with how to live peacefully with others, and how to protect yourself, your loved ones, or the stranger amongst you.
Whether it’s conflict with your spouse, your child, a co-worker, your neighbor, taking time to listen and talk calmly can greatly help the situation. It has been my experience that sometimes, all it takes is someone taking the time to listen to their pain and anger and responding respectfully is all that it takes to resolve things. Or, at the very least, to open the door to peaceful resolution. I also recommend you talk with your religious/clergy, someone in law enforcement, or similar vocation for tips to use. I also encourage you to take self-defense lessons and/or fire-arms training, so that you can learn how to respond with other means do not work or are not an option because of that particular situation. How you choose to respond is always your responsibility. Each of us must accept responsibly for the chooses we make. All of us also have the responsibility to learn what we can so that we can deal with life in constructive and wise ways.
• Our Daily Bread for May 23, 2017
• Safe Places for Sensitive Students
• General Information on “Lawful use of Force”
• Ways to deescalate a situation
I admit, I am way behind in doing my devotions with Our Daily Bread. I will be consistent for a while, but then slack off for several days. Then I might catch up a few days, then get busy with life and not do any for several weeks. Work 12 hour shifts at a prison four days a week often make it that much harder. I am sure many of you can relate to how easy it is to get distracted by life.
But, when I read this ODB (Our Daily Bread) entry, it stirred many different thoughts in me. The first had to do with my experiences at the prison. Secondly, I was reminded of the numerous news articles I have read or seen on the news about 'safe zones' on many of our college campuses. Especially since I have been going through our books, including many of my college and seminary books, I am reminded of many contrasting experiences that I had there. I also thought about the many experiences I have had while working in a prison.
It is my experience that almost all of the time, a gentle response will calm things down. But, this is not always the case. At the prison that I work at, this usually is effective. If an Inmate is having a bad day and I respond to him in a calm and respectful manner, usually this will help them to calm down. Even if it is not something that I can take care of, if I treat the Inmate with dignity and respect and attempt to help him, it often works.
There have been times, though, when an Inmate purposefully gets themselves as upset as they can in order to cause problems. Or, there are times that, no matter what I do, they stay angry and/or uncooperative. If they have anger issues, are on some kind of intoxicant, having a mental health crisis, etc., their ability to cooperate and calm down are significantly reduced. And, there are some Inmates who love to cause problems on purpose. It’s their entertainment, or their way at lashing out at those who represent law and order.
I gave my life to Christ during my sophomore year in college. Although I had grown up a pastor’s kid, I had not cared about applying God’s Word to my life and living for Him as a child. As a young adult, I was now prayerfully doing so. And part of that was explaining my faith perspective in papers as was appropriate. This was especially the case in the introduction to philosophy class and an applied psychology class that I was taking. The professor of the philosophy class was a staunch atheist and the woman who taught my psychology class was very liberal in her views. Though our world and moral views different on many points, they respected my opinions. Both of them also took time outside of class to talk with me about how I shared my beliefs. They not only challenged me in what I said, but they also helped me with how to express my thoughts and beliefs in a clear manner. Most of the time in the classroom, all students were free to express their views, and all views would be challenged with, “Okay, why do you believe this?”
I admit, I was so excited about sharing my faith as a young Christian that I often did not express myself as well as I could. This was with in class participation and with written assignments. Many professors and quite a few classmates worked with me on this. They helped me to learn how to better express my beliefs in ways that others would be more willing to listen to.
There were some classes in college and several in seminary where this was not the case. If my moral and/or theological beliefs were not the similar or exactly like those who ‘were in power,’ then I was looked down upon, sometimes mocked. It seemed that no matter how respectful I tried to be with them and ‘agree to disagree,’ some were not interested. It was either ‘my way or the highway’ with them. Needless to say, that made life very difficult at times for me and other students who shared similar beliefs with me.
Even though those were trying times, and even though it was not right to put us through that kind of harassment, it did help me to learn how to persevere, handle conflict in a Christ-like manner, how to refine and improve stating my beliefs, etc. They meant it for evil, but God used it for good.
In this fallen world, we will encounter difficulties, conflict, hatred, etc. There are times were a ‘soft answer’ will turn wrath aside. There will be times where you will be able to reason with someone and resolve conflict peacefully. But, though it’s important to try, it is just as important to remember that there are people who will be determined to cause problems, who want to injure or kill others. Being ready for that is critical, I believe. I do not ascribe to the idea that, “there is a demon behind every rock.” I do believe that there is always the potential of a demon being there. As an INFJ and as a Christian, I seek to live peacefully with others. This is something God calls each of us to do. As often as possible, I seek God’s wisdom in resolving things peacefully. However, I have spent years training so that if things cannot be resolved peacefully, I hope that those of you out there will seek God’s wisdom with how to live peacefully with others, and how to protect yourself, your loved ones, or the stranger amongst you.
Whether it’s conflict with your spouse, your child, a co-worker, your neighbor, taking time to listen and talk calmly can greatly help the situation. It has been my experience that sometimes, all it takes is someone taking the time to listen to their pain and anger and responding respectfully is all that it takes to resolve things. Or, at the very least, to open the door to peaceful resolution. I also recommend you talk with your religious/clergy, someone in law enforcement, or similar vocation for tips to use. I also encourage you to take self-defense lessons and/or fire-arms training, so that you can learn how to respond with other means do not work or are not an option because of that particular situation. How you choose to respond is always your responsibility. Each of us must accept responsibly for the chooses we make. All of us also have the responsibility to learn what we can so that we can deal with life in constructive and wise ways.
Monday, May 29, 2017
For Those Who Are Now Finished
References:
• Memorial Day meaning
• Use of ‘memorial’ in Scripture (NKJV)
• Ebenezer meaning
• Trace Adkins “Arlington”
• Documentary on a friend, Kyu Chay
If you look up the word ‘memorial’ in the Bible (I used the New King James version), you will see that it occurs 25 different times. That is a pretty significant word. In one particular case, ‘Ebenezer’ is used in 1 Samuel 7:12 concerning a site that was dedicated to God for when He had helped them during a time of great need. Sometimes a memorial was made (either worn) or as a specific place to remind the Hebrew people of what God had done for them in the past. Many of the feasts, especially the Passover, was exactly just that. It was a solemn remembrance of how God had delivered the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.
Here in America, we have several days set aside for remembrance of the military. We have Armed Forces Day (http://afd.defense.gov/) to celebrate those who are currently serving in the Armed Forces, whether they have deployed to a combat zone or not. We also have Veteran’s Day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day), which is when we recognize those who have served in a Combat Zone. We also have a specific day, Memorial Day, set aside to pay our respects to those who have died in defense of our freedom, in defense of this country.
About a week or so ago, I reached 16 years of service in the US Army, whether Active Duty or National Guard. I am over 40 years old, so that is about 1/3 of my life. Quite a long time, huh? And, considering the fact that I am writing this blog entry, that means that only two of those holidays are about me and what I have done. Those are Armed Forces Day and Veteran’s Day. Today, Memorial Day, is not about me and what I have done. Though I have served in three combat tours, all of them in Iraq, this day is not about me.
Let me introduce you to a friend of mine, Staff Sergeant Kyu H. Chay (http://arlingtoncemetery.net/khchay.htm). He was a friend of mine while I served with Bravo Company 313 Military Intelligence Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. Though I wasn’t as close to Kyu as some of the others in my unit were, I did know him and I did spend some time with him, I did deploy with him at one point, and I am proud to have known him.
Kyu always strove to be a positive person, joking around when we it was appropriate. But, he was also a very hard worker and was very good at what he did. Kyu and I were just two of B CO 313 MI who deployed together to Iraq in 2003 and 2004. We first stayed at a base in Kuwait while we got ready to ‘go north’ into Iraq. Because we were in different sections, Kyu and I did not do a lot of things together. But, we all experienced some of the same things. We all learned how to give each other an IV, just in case… We all learned to put our NBC masks on very, very quickly. It’s one thing to train to put them on. It is something else entirely to hear the siren go off, indicating that a SCUD missile was heading towards our location and could potentially have chemical/biological agents in it.
We all endured some very hot temperatures, we all experienced some insane sandstorms, we all experienced some heavy down pours. Though we were in different sections, we still traveled north into Iraq together. We all had to pull some very long hours doing our respective jobs, pulling security, driving vehicles, etc. It was a very, very challenging time for all of us.
I left active duty in April of 2005. The following year, while a member of the Nebraska National Guard, I found out about a deployment opportunity to Iraq. That summer I deployed to Iraq with the 867th Quartermaster Battalion, and stationed at Camp Taji, which is just north of Baghdad. It was not an easy deployment for several reasons. But, I prayerfully did the best that I could.
Because those of us in B CO 313 MI were a close-nit group, we kept in contact via an E-mail group. (Remember, this is before Facebook and other social network things that we have today.) It was nice exchanging information about major (and sometimes minor) life events with those who had ‘been through hell and back with you.’ Not only did we serve together, but we also deployed together. Even if we didn’t really like or associated with everyone in the group, we were still a family. It was through this family E-mail group that I first learned of Chay’s passing.
I can still picture many of the events in my mind of that day. I was checking my E-mail before going to my ‘night shift’ when I got the notice. I must have reread that E-mail four or five times, trying to get it to sink in. For most of that evening/night, I just felt numb. I probably shot my girlfriend (wife now for almost 9 years) a quick message about it before I left for work, though I don’t remember for sure. It was quite the blur for me.
There is not a whole lot about that shift that I remember well, because I was numb. Here was someone that I knew, had served with, had laughed with, etc. I had met his wife and children at least once during a celebratory cookout in celebration of us returning from deployment together. I can’t remember if I could recall his face or voice that day. (Being an INFJ, I am gifted with such vivid memories.) Probably not. That was probably one of the hardest shifts I had ever worked.
Some time later, one of the Blacksheep family members let all of us know that the Special Forces Group that Chay had been attached to had been part of a documentary on the SF. Of course, I let the family know that I wanted a copy. I received it some time later. But, I couldn’t watch it for some time. Several years later, really. After Sharon and I were married and had moved to our new house, I came across the DVD. We watched that night, I think. It was a very solemn occasion for me. I had hoped to see Kyu actually interact with the other soldiers. But, they did not. They just showed a recent picture of him from during that deployment. I guess they decided that, since Kyu gave his life during that deployment, that was the best way to do it. They did show how his death impacted the lives of those with whom he had served.
It was very touching to see how each of these incredible ‘hard core’ men dealt with this loss. Each had their own way of mourning their loss, just like each of us in the Blacksheep family did. Many of them knew Kyu for much less time than those of us in the 313th MI. But, Kyu’s love for life, sense of humor, dedication to duty, etc., had touched each of these men deeply, and their loss was very evident.
Many of us today have served with wonderful and honorable people, risking our health, even our very lives, in service to this country. Though we often don’t agree, we often step on each others’ toes, and we can passionately dislike each other. But yet, because of our shared training, shared deployment, shared service, and potential shared sacrifice, we are a family. Some we love, some we like/tolerate, some we don’t like much at all. But, we are family indeed.
For those who have never experienced this yourselves, be thankful. Even if you have lost a loved one during a deployment, it is different with how you experience it compared to those of us who actually served with them. The loss is no less painful, it’s just different. Just trust me with this.
As we observe Memorial Day now and in the future, please do not thank me for my service. Save that for Armed Forces Day, Veteran’s Day, or the Army Birthday. Memorial Day is when we take time to remember those who laid down their lives to protect our freedoms. It is not a ‘happy day.’ to any of use who have lost a loved one. It can be a sad day, or an extremely painful one. Sure, we have our happy memories of the individual(s). But, that chair is now empty in our lives. For some of us, being ‘thanked for our service’ or being wished ‘Happy Memorial Day’ can be painful, even insulting.
Each of us mourn our losses in our own ways. Tonight I will introduce my kids to my good friend and brother, Kyu Chay. Like myself and many, many others, we signed up to serve our country up to and including our very lives. We all gave some. Like many others over the decades, centuries even, Kyu Chay gave his very all. Today, Memorial Day, as all about them. Kyu, feet and knees together brother. Feet and knees together.
• Memorial Day meaning
• Use of ‘memorial’ in Scripture (NKJV)
• Ebenezer meaning
• Trace Adkins “Arlington”
• Documentary on a friend, Kyu Chay
If you look up the word ‘memorial’ in the Bible (I used the New King James version), you will see that it occurs 25 different times. That is a pretty significant word. In one particular case, ‘Ebenezer’ is used in 1 Samuel 7:12 concerning a site that was dedicated to God for when He had helped them during a time of great need. Sometimes a memorial was made (either worn) or as a specific place to remind the Hebrew people of what God had done for them in the past. Many of the feasts, especially the Passover, was exactly just that. It was a solemn remembrance of how God had delivered the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.
Here in America, we have several days set aside for remembrance of the military. We have Armed Forces Day (http://afd.defense.gov/) to celebrate those who are currently serving in the Armed Forces, whether they have deployed to a combat zone or not. We also have Veteran’s Day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day), which is when we recognize those who have served in a Combat Zone. We also have a specific day, Memorial Day, set aside to pay our respects to those who have died in defense of our freedom, in defense of this country.
About a week or so ago, I reached 16 years of service in the US Army, whether Active Duty or National Guard. I am over 40 years old, so that is about 1/3 of my life. Quite a long time, huh? And, considering the fact that I am writing this blog entry, that means that only two of those holidays are about me and what I have done. Those are Armed Forces Day and Veteran’s Day. Today, Memorial Day, is not about me and what I have done. Though I have served in three combat tours, all of them in Iraq, this day is not about me.
Let me introduce you to a friend of mine, Staff Sergeant Kyu H. Chay (http://arlingtoncemetery.net/khchay.htm). He was a friend of mine while I served with Bravo Company 313 Military Intelligence Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. Though I wasn’t as close to Kyu as some of the others in my unit were, I did know him and I did spend some time with him, I did deploy with him at one point, and I am proud to have known him.
Kyu always strove to be a positive person, joking around when we it was appropriate. But, he was also a very hard worker and was very good at what he did. Kyu and I were just two of B CO 313 MI who deployed together to Iraq in 2003 and 2004. We first stayed at a base in Kuwait while we got ready to ‘go north’ into Iraq. Because we were in different sections, Kyu and I did not do a lot of things together. But, we all experienced some of the same things. We all learned how to give each other an IV, just in case… We all learned to put our NBC masks on very, very quickly. It’s one thing to train to put them on. It is something else entirely to hear the siren go off, indicating that a SCUD missile was heading towards our location and could potentially have chemical/biological agents in it.
We all endured some very hot temperatures, we all experienced some insane sandstorms, we all experienced some heavy down pours. Though we were in different sections, we still traveled north into Iraq together. We all had to pull some very long hours doing our respective jobs, pulling security, driving vehicles, etc. It was a very, very challenging time for all of us.
I left active duty in April of 2005. The following year, while a member of the Nebraska National Guard, I found out about a deployment opportunity to Iraq. That summer I deployed to Iraq with the 867th Quartermaster Battalion, and stationed at Camp Taji, which is just north of Baghdad. It was not an easy deployment for several reasons. But, I prayerfully did the best that I could.
Because those of us in B CO 313 MI were a close-nit group, we kept in contact via an E-mail group. (Remember, this is before Facebook and other social network things that we have today.) It was nice exchanging information about major (and sometimes minor) life events with those who had ‘been through hell and back with you.’ Not only did we serve together, but we also deployed together. Even if we didn’t really like or associated with everyone in the group, we were still a family. It was through this family E-mail group that I first learned of Chay’s passing.
I can still picture many of the events in my mind of that day. I was checking my E-mail before going to my ‘night shift’ when I got the notice. I must have reread that E-mail four or five times, trying to get it to sink in. For most of that evening/night, I just felt numb. I probably shot my girlfriend (wife now for almost 9 years) a quick message about it before I left for work, though I don’t remember for sure. It was quite the blur for me.
There is not a whole lot about that shift that I remember well, because I was numb. Here was someone that I knew, had served with, had laughed with, etc. I had met his wife and children at least once during a celebratory cookout in celebration of us returning from deployment together. I can’t remember if I could recall his face or voice that day. (Being an INFJ, I am gifted with such vivid memories.) Probably not. That was probably one of the hardest shifts I had ever worked.
Some time later, one of the Blacksheep family members let all of us know that the Special Forces Group that Chay had been attached to had been part of a documentary on the SF. Of course, I let the family know that I wanted a copy. I received it some time later. But, I couldn’t watch it for some time. Several years later, really. After Sharon and I were married and had moved to our new house, I came across the DVD. We watched that night, I think. It was a very solemn occasion for me. I had hoped to see Kyu actually interact with the other soldiers. But, they did not. They just showed a recent picture of him from during that deployment. I guess they decided that, since Kyu gave his life during that deployment, that was the best way to do it. They did show how his death impacted the lives of those with whom he had served.
It was very touching to see how each of these incredible ‘hard core’ men dealt with this loss. Each had their own way of mourning their loss, just like each of us in the Blacksheep family did. Many of them knew Kyu for much less time than those of us in the 313th MI. But, Kyu’s love for life, sense of humor, dedication to duty, etc., had touched each of these men deeply, and their loss was very evident.
Many of us today have served with wonderful and honorable people, risking our health, even our very lives, in service to this country. Though we often don’t agree, we often step on each others’ toes, and we can passionately dislike each other. But yet, because of our shared training, shared deployment, shared service, and potential shared sacrifice, we are a family. Some we love, some we like/tolerate, some we don’t like much at all. But, we are family indeed.
For those who have never experienced this yourselves, be thankful. Even if you have lost a loved one during a deployment, it is different with how you experience it compared to those of us who actually served with them. The loss is no less painful, it’s just different. Just trust me with this.
As we observe Memorial Day now and in the future, please do not thank me for my service. Save that for Armed Forces Day, Veteran’s Day, or the Army Birthday. Memorial Day is when we take time to remember those who laid down their lives to protect our freedoms. It is not a ‘happy day.’ to any of use who have lost a loved one. It can be a sad day, or an extremely painful one. Sure, we have our happy memories of the individual(s). But, that chair is now empty in our lives. For some of us, being ‘thanked for our service’ or being wished ‘Happy Memorial Day’ can be painful, even insulting.
Each of us mourn our losses in our own ways. Tonight I will introduce my kids to my good friend and brother, Kyu Chay. Like myself and many, many others, we signed up to serve our country up to and including our very lives. We all gave some. Like many others over the decades, centuries even, Kyu Chay gave his very all. Today, Memorial Day, as all about them. Kyu, feet and knees together brother. Feet and knees together.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Decisions in Life
Not that long ago, my wife pulled out a box of books that I had growing up. In the box was 20 plus books and numerous Ranger Rick magazines. My kids love being read to and my oldest is starting to read on his own. It is awesome to see.
The books that were in the box are the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. In a nut shells, they are books with multiple endings and you had to make decisions throughout the book. It was a series that my 4th Grade teacher intodced me to. Although I had always loved to read, this book series helped me to read even more on my own. Having always been a high sensing introvert, this book fed my imagination and helped me to stop and think. And, yes,I would sometimes read through all of the endings, then try to figure out how to get to them.
Later this year, I will be celebrating 10 years with working for the State of Nebraska. And, all of those years have been with the Department of Corrections. At the end of this month, I will celebrate 16 years with the US Army (Active Duty and the Nebraska National Guard). It has not been an easy 16 years, but I have had a lot of good times. There has been pain and sorrow during those times, but also times of joy and celebration. Those jobs, my two marriages, my four deployments, helping my wife raise our two kids, etc., have all contributed to who I am today.
What I loved about those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books was that the stories would change, depending on what choices I made. If I didn't like how the story ended, I could start over. Or, I could find the endings that I liked and then try to figure out how to get there. But, those books were not like real life. If I did not like the consequences of my actions, I could not 'go back to the begining of the story' and start over. I had to choose to accept the consequences of my decisions.
This is something that I am trying to help my young kids learn. That each choice that we make will have consequences. Some will be more pleasant than others. Others will be more painful. Many of our choices will cause many regrets. But, that is life.
In my (almost) 10 years in Corrections, I have met many people, both staff and inmates, who made bad decisions, but did not want to accept the consequences. Even though their decisions brought temporary joy, pleasure, benefits, etc., the long term consequences were extremely painful. And, these people did not want to have to endure their consequences. It would sadden me, especially when it was staff who had made the bad decisions. But, it would aggravate me to no end to see adults wine about the painful consequences that they had made.
It is some that I really try to instill into my kids. That with what ever decision we make, we accept the consequences of that decision. Whether it is something minor, like staying up late to watch a good movie or have dessert with a meal. Or, something more significant like walking away from a fight, choosing to drive without using a seatbelt, choosing a college major, etc. Big or small, good or bad, each of these decisions will cause consequences. Many will be clear, many will not be clear. Sometimes we or others will experiece unexpected consequences of our choices. Sadder still, we many unfortunately experience the unforeseen consequences of the actions of others. Or yet, even the "un-actions" of others. That is, when people either choose to to act in a situation out of fear or embarrassment, or because they do not want to help because of anger towards someone or out of selfishness.
Probably the last set of situations, the unfortunate cpnsequences due to others' inaction, are the most difficult to accept. We want to have control over our lives and we want to have good experiences/consequences. It is difficult enough to endure the negative cpnsequences of our choices. It is even more difficult when spmeone else makes a bad choice and you experience severe consequences. But, it is something that he or she will have to accept.
Unlike the books or movies, or video games for that matter, we cannot go about and change things once thay have happened. That is not real life. Though they can be good in teaching us how to make good decisions in the future, we can delude ourselves into thinking that we can avoid the negative consequences of our own bad decisions, or the bad decisions of others. It is a trap that is very easy to fall into, and one we always need to be mindful of.
The books that were in the box are the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. In a nut shells, they are books with multiple endings and you had to make decisions throughout the book. It was a series that my 4th Grade teacher intodced me to. Although I had always loved to read, this book series helped me to read even more on my own. Having always been a high sensing introvert, this book fed my imagination and helped me to stop and think. And, yes,I would sometimes read through all of the endings, then try to figure out how to get to them.
Later this year, I will be celebrating 10 years with working for the State of Nebraska. And, all of those years have been with the Department of Corrections. At the end of this month, I will celebrate 16 years with the US Army (Active Duty and the Nebraska National Guard). It has not been an easy 16 years, but I have had a lot of good times. There has been pain and sorrow during those times, but also times of joy and celebration. Those jobs, my two marriages, my four deployments, helping my wife raise our two kids, etc., have all contributed to who I am today.
What I loved about those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books was that the stories would change, depending on what choices I made. If I didn't like how the story ended, I could start over. Or, I could find the endings that I liked and then try to figure out how to get there. But, those books were not like real life. If I did not like the consequences of my actions, I could not 'go back to the begining of the story' and start over. I had to choose to accept the consequences of my decisions.
This is something that I am trying to help my young kids learn. That each choice that we make will have consequences. Some will be more pleasant than others. Others will be more painful. Many of our choices will cause many regrets. But, that is life.
In my (almost) 10 years in Corrections, I have met many people, both staff and inmates, who made bad decisions, but did not want to accept the consequences. Even though their decisions brought temporary joy, pleasure, benefits, etc., the long term consequences were extremely painful. And, these people did not want to have to endure their consequences. It would sadden me, especially when it was staff who had made the bad decisions. But, it would aggravate me to no end to see adults wine about the painful consequences that they had made.
It is some that I really try to instill into my kids. That with what ever decision we make, we accept the consequences of that decision. Whether it is something minor, like staying up late to watch a good movie or have dessert with a meal. Or, something more significant like walking away from a fight, choosing to drive without using a seatbelt, choosing a college major, etc. Big or small, good or bad, each of these decisions will cause consequences. Many will be clear, many will not be clear. Sometimes we or others will experiece unexpected consequences of our choices. Sadder still, we many unfortunately experience the unforeseen consequences of the actions of others. Or yet, even the "un-actions" of others. That is, when people either choose to to act in a situation out of fear or embarrassment, or because they do not want to help because of anger towards someone or out of selfishness.
Probably the last set of situations, the unfortunate cpnsequences due to others' inaction, are the most difficult to accept. We want to have control over our lives and we want to have good experiences/consequences. It is difficult enough to endure the negative cpnsequences of our choices. It is even more difficult when spmeone else makes a bad choice and you experience severe consequences. But, it is something that he or she will have to accept.
Unlike the books or movies, or video games for that matter, we cannot go about and change things once thay have happened. That is not real life. Though they can be good in teaching us how to make good decisions in the future, we can delude ourselves into thinking that we can avoid the negative consequences of our own bad decisions, or the bad decisions of others. It is a trap that is very easy to fall into, and one we always need to be mindful of.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
A Dark and Stormy Night
References:
• Matthew 27:33-54 NAS
• Mark 15:22-39 NAS
• Luke 23:33-49 NAS
For those who don’t know me, there are some things that I really enjoy that others may not like at all. For example, I enjoy a good thunderstorm. Having grown up in northeastern Kansas (almost 10 whole years), I came to enjoy ‘God’s light show,’ the patter of rain on the windows, looking for rainbows, etc. No, I have not met Dorothy or Toto.
Something else that I really enjoy is a good suspense thriller or horror movie. Now, I do not care for the ‘slasher films’ that are so popular. For me to enjoy the movie, there has to be an intelligent plot, good character development, and unexpected plot twists are always a plus. One example would be the Showtime series “Penny Dreadful” that is on Netflix. I found the series to be a very interesting and unique retelling of various horror stories like Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, etc. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure.
I do know that some Christians believe that it is evil to watch horror movies because of their portrayal of witchcraft, promotion of evil deeds, etc. There have been a number of movies that I stopped watching because of reasons similar to these. But, for the most part, just like science fiction, I know that they are fictitious, not real, and that they are not (normally) based on Scripture but on myths, pagan beliefs, etc. And, having experience real spiritual warfare myself over the years, I find myself often laughing at how things are portrayed.
Quite frankly, my wife and I will sometimes watch a poorly based horror movie and entertain ourselves with making fun of it. Her experiences are very different than mine when it comes to spiritual warfare. Because of this, there are times where I will seek her thoughts on something, or she will ask me for my input. Our different experiences, personalities (I am an INFJ and she is the polar opposite, an ESTP), training, etc., help us to become better together.
The thunderstorms that we have been experiencing the last few days, including today, helped inspire this blog entry. That, and the fact that I have been watching a number of pretty good horror/thriller movies lately. That, and it’s the night before Easter.
Why am I making these connections? It’s something that I, as an INFJ, do very easily. It’s how my mind works. But, there is a real logic to all of this, if you will just bare with me a little more. Spiritual warfare is essentially the legions of Satan fighting against God and trying to keep each of us away from God’s love and mercy. Whether it is more subtle attacks against our faith in God through friends and family concerning our faith in Christ and belief in Scripture, or they are made manifest in attacks on our character or even our bodies. It all has roots in the spiritual world. It is not something that we see (unless God grants us the ability to see into the spiritual realm), but it’s something that we feel the effects of.
Think about it. Christ’s crucifixion was greatest battle in the eternal war between God and Lucifer (now known as Satan). Up until Jesus’ death and resurrection, we were all spiritually dead, eternally separated from God because of our sinful nature. We belonged to Satan, the ruler of this world. On Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified, Satan genuinely believed that he had won the battle, and the war. It wasn’t until Sunday morning, when Jesus rose again from the dead, that Satan realized that he not only lost that battle, but he also lost the war.
I work for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, have been there for almost 10 whole years now. Because of the evil within a lot of the Inmates, every day is intense emotionally and spiritually for me. Not every Inmate is ‘evil-incarnate,’ but quite a few are. Also, because of the sin that many have lived in, demonic forces dwell around, and sometimes within. It’s an environment that I walk within almost daily. Because I have spent about half of my career working within the segregation unit, dealing with people who tend to do evil things on a regular basis, often ‘just of kicks’ or for pure enjoyment, it is sometimes very, very intense.
Although this job can be very dark and morbid, a lot, God does touch lives through me, both staff and inmates. God has used me to encourage those who do follow Him in their individual walks, and He has used me to point others to Him. Both staff and Inmates. God’s love, grace, and peace do indeed shine in the life of several staff members and a number of Inmates. Though they may be just as guilty as the two thieves that hung on either side of Jesus (just as all of us are), some have turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:42)
Scripture testifies to the evil within our hearts. Scripture testifies to the incredible holiness of God. Scripture also testifies to God’s ‘steadfast love’ for each of us. On that dark, dark day, when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the Temple (a very thick and heavy curtain) was torn in two from top to bottom, the eternal separation between a holy God and sinful human race, was torn open. Two thieves died along with that Glorious Savior. One mocking Him, when acknowledging his sinfulness and seeking His mercy. Which are you?
• Matthew 27:33-54 NAS
• Mark 15:22-39 NAS
• Luke 23:33-49 NAS
For those who don’t know me, there are some things that I really enjoy that others may not like at all. For example, I enjoy a good thunderstorm. Having grown up in northeastern Kansas (almost 10 whole years), I came to enjoy ‘God’s light show,’ the patter of rain on the windows, looking for rainbows, etc. No, I have not met Dorothy or Toto.
Something else that I really enjoy is a good suspense thriller or horror movie. Now, I do not care for the ‘slasher films’ that are so popular. For me to enjoy the movie, there has to be an intelligent plot, good character development, and unexpected plot twists are always a plus. One example would be the Showtime series “Penny Dreadful” that is on Netflix. I found the series to be a very interesting and unique retelling of various horror stories like Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, etc. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure.
I do know that some Christians believe that it is evil to watch horror movies because of their portrayal of witchcraft, promotion of evil deeds, etc. There have been a number of movies that I stopped watching because of reasons similar to these. But, for the most part, just like science fiction, I know that they are fictitious, not real, and that they are not (normally) based on Scripture but on myths, pagan beliefs, etc. And, having experience real spiritual warfare myself over the years, I find myself often laughing at how things are portrayed.
Quite frankly, my wife and I will sometimes watch a poorly based horror movie and entertain ourselves with making fun of it. Her experiences are very different than mine when it comes to spiritual warfare. Because of this, there are times where I will seek her thoughts on something, or she will ask me for my input. Our different experiences, personalities (I am an INFJ and she is the polar opposite, an ESTP), training, etc., help us to become better together.
The thunderstorms that we have been experiencing the last few days, including today, helped inspire this blog entry. That, and the fact that I have been watching a number of pretty good horror/thriller movies lately. That, and it’s the night before Easter.
Why am I making these connections? It’s something that I, as an INFJ, do very easily. It’s how my mind works. But, there is a real logic to all of this, if you will just bare with me a little more. Spiritual warfare is essentially the legions of Satan fighting against God and trying to keep each of us away from God’s love and mercy. Whether it is more subtle attacks against our faith in God through friends and family concerning our faith in Christ and belief in Scripture, or they are made manifest in attacks on our character or even our bodies. It all has roots in the spiritual world. It is not something that we see (unless God grants us the ability to see into the spiritual realm), but it’s something that we feel the effects of.
Think about it. Christ’s crucifixion was greatest battle in the eternal war between God and Lucifer (now known as Satan). Up until Jesus’ death and resurrection, we were all spiritually dead, eternally separated from God because of our sinful nature. We belonged to Satan, the ruler of this world. On Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified, Satan genuinely believed that he had won the battle, and the war. It wasn’t until Sunday morning, when Jesus rose again from the dead, that Satan realized that he not only lost that battle, but he also lost the war.
I work for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, have been there for almost 10 whole years now. Because of the evil within a lot of the Inmates, every day is intense emotionally and spiritually for me. Not every Inmate is ‘evil-incarnate,’ but quite a few are. Also, because of the sin that many have lived in, demonic forces dwell around, and sometimes within. It’s an environment that I walk within almost daily. Because I have spent about half of my career working within the segregation unit, dealing with people who tend to do evil things on a regular basis, often ‘just of kicks’ or for pure enjoyment, it is sometimes very, very intense.
Although this job can be very dark and morbid, a lot, God does touch lives through me, both staff and inmates. God has used me to encourage those who do follow Him in their individual walks, and He has used me to point others to Him. Both staff and Inmates. God’s love, grace, and peace do indeed shine in the life of several staff members and a number of Inmates. Though they may be just as guilty as the two thieves that hung on either side of Jesus (just as all of us are), some have turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:42)
Scripture testifies to the evil within our hearts. Scripture testifies to the incredible holiness of God. Scripture also testifies to God’s ‘steadfast love’ for each of us. On that dark, dark day, when Jesus was crucified, the veil in the Temple (a very thick and heavy curtain) was torn in two from top to bottom, the eternal separation between a holy God and sinful human race, was torn open. Two thieves died along with that Glorious Savior. One mocking Him, when acknowledging his sinfulness and seeking His mercy. Which are you?
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Spring Thoughts
References:
• 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 NAS
• Galatians 6:10-18 NAS
The other day, my wife went outside to work in our yard. It is something that she really loves to do. In fact, if the weather is decent and there are not other pressing things to do, she will often work outside when given the chance. Although I enjoy being outside and enjoying nature, doing yard work, gardening, etc., are things that I do not enjoy at all. It is something that I really appreciate about my wife.
It is interesting to me that Easter is in the Spring. Interesting and awesome, in my opinion. Think about it. In Spring, we celebrate plants seemingly ‘come back to life.’ Grass becomes green again, deciduous trees start budding and new leaves come out, the days become warmer, the days become longer, flowers start to appear and bloom, etc. It can almost be like the world is ‘coming back to life!’
During Easter, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who was fully Man and fully Divine, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have a new life. As Christians, we believe that so that a sinful person could have a personal relationship with a holy and righteous God, something had to atone for our sins. Because of God’s great and unfathomable love for us, He chose to take our place on that cross.
Think about it… A holy and righteous God cared so much for a fallen and rebellious people that He took our place! Here is a way to put it into context. Imagine a person who lives an abundant life, caring and loving others, lives with integrity, is always honest and speaks in a compassionate manner. Does this not sound like someone who you would want to emulate?
Now, say an evil man or woman, who has tortured and killed many people is finally arrested. This particular person is accused of torturing and killing more than 30 people who did noting wrong. In fact, this evil person went out of their way to find people who sought to live a good life to murder in very painful, even excruciating ways, making it last days if possible. This person is tried and found guilty and has earned the death penalty because of the horrendous crimes that he/she has committed. And, let’s assume that there is absolutely no question of his/her guilt because this person was so evil at heart that he/she videotaped many of their ‘sessions,’ DNA evidence clearly links this person to the numerous crimes, etc. You probably expect, even hope, that such a person would be “thrown in prison and that they throw away the key” at the very least, if not publicly execute him/her for all of the evil that he/she did.
Now, let’s say that the ‘righteous man,’ the outstanding citizen mentioned above, chooses to have compassion on this evil person, who is now pleading for mercy and swearing that he/she will totally change their ways. This ‘righteous person’ not only pleads with the judge for clemency for the wicked person, but voluntarily will take their place with the death sentence. If you were the judge, would you accept this man’s offer? If you were one of the victims of this ‘monster,’ would you be willing to accept the ‘righteous man’s offer’ to take place of the man or woman who was, without question, found guilty of torturing and killing your loved one?!
If this sounds to horrendous to consider, that’s the point. Because, whether or not we want to believe it, we are all like that ‘horrendous and evil killer.’ Why? Because in thought, word, and deed, we rebel against God’s authority in our lives and ‘murder’ others in our hearts by hating others. We all break each and every one of God’s 10 Commandments in thought, word, and deed, each and every day of our lives. Each of us.
As a holy and righteous God, when Adam and Eve first sinned, God would have been justified in permanently ending our existence right then and there. Or God could have chosen to have done nothing and allow us to perpetually live separated from Him in this life and in eternity. Instead, God allowed us to endure the consequences of our sins by being physically alive and spiritual dead until He could, at the right time, remove the consequences of our sins for those who trust in Him and His forgiving love. There is a cost for us, though. In exchange for receiving His free grace, God expects us to repent of our sins and to turn away from them. We are not alone in doing this, though. Upon repenting of our wickedness and receiving God’s love and grace, He in turn dwells within us via His Holy Spirit. In living through us, God helps us to change, learn and grow in faith and become more like Him.
Imagine that… Though we are broken, have wicked hearts with evil intentions, and by nature do not want to obey God, He wants to change us. That is what we celebrate this Easter. It’s not about colorfully decorated eggs, it’s not about a bunny delivering baskets (Hasenpfeffer, anyone?!), it’s about God taking our sins upon Himself so that we could live with Him for eternity.
• 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 NAS
• Galatians 6:10-18 NAS
The other day, my wife went outside to work in our yard. It is something that she really loves to do. In fact, if the weather is decent and there are not other pressing things to do, she will often work outside when given the chance. Although I enjoy being outside and enjoying nature, doing yard work, gardening, etc., are things that I do not enjoy at all. It is something that I really appreciate about my wife.
It is interesting to me that Easter is in the Spring. Interesting and awesome, in my opinion. Think about it. In Spring, we celebrate plants seemingly ‘come back to life.’ Grass becomes green again, deciduous trees start budding and new leaves come out, the days become warmer, the days become longer, flowers start to appear and bloom, etc. It can almost be like the world is ‘coming back to life!’
During Easter, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who was fully Man and fully Divine, so that our sins could be forgiven and we could have a new life. As Christians, we believe that so that a sinful person could have a personal relationship with a holy and righteous God, something had to atone for our sins. Because of God’s great and unfathomable love for us, He chose to take our place on that cross.
Think about it… A holy and righteous God cared so much for a fallen and rebellious people that He took our place! Here is a way to put it into context. Imagine a person who lives an abundant life, caring and loving others, lives with integrity, is always honest and speaks in a compassionate manner. Does this not sound like someone who you would want to emulate?
Now, say an evil man or woman, who has tortured and killed many people is finally arrested. This particular person is accused of torturing and killing more than 30 people who did noting wrong. In fact, this evil person went out of their way to find people who sought to live a good life to murder in very painful, even excruciating ways, making it last days if possible. This person is tried and found guilty and has earned the death penalty because of the horrendous crimes that he/she has committed. And, let’s assume that there is absolutely no question of his/her guilt because this person was so evil at heart that he/she videotaped many of their ‘sessions,’ DNA evidence clearly links this person to the numerous crimes, etc. You probably expect, even hope, that such a person would be “thrown in prison and that they throw away the key” at the very least, if not publicly execute him/her for all of the evil that he/she did.
Now, let’s say that the ‘righteous man,’ the outstanding citizen mentioned above, chooses to have compassion on this evil person, who is now pleading for mercy and swearing that he/she will totally change their ways. This ‘righteous person’ not only pleads with the judge for clemency for the wicked person, but voluntarily will take their place with the death sentence. If you were the judge, would you accept this man’s offer? If you were one of the victims of this ‘monster,’ would you be willing to accept the ‘righteous man’s offer’ to take place of the man or woman who was, without question, found guilty of torturing and killing your loved one?!
If this sounds to horrendous to consider, that’s the point. Because, whether or not we want to believe it, we are all like that ‘horrendous and evil killer.’ Why? Because in thought, word, and deed, we rebel against God’s authority in our lives and ‘murder’ others in our hearts by hating others. We all break each and every one of God’s 10 Commandments in thought, word, and deed, each and every day of our lives. Each of us.
As a holy and righteous God, when Adam and Eve first sinned, God would have been justified in permanently ending our existence right then and there. Or God could have chosen to have done nothing and allow us to perpetually live separated from Him in this life and in eternity. Instead, God allowed us to endure the consequences of our sins by being physically alive and spiritual dead until He could, at the right time, remove the consequences of our sins for those who trust in Him and His forgiving love. There is a cost for us, though. In exchange for receiving His free grace, God expects us to repent of our sins and to turn away from them. We are not alone in doing this, though. Upon repenting of our wickedness and receiving God’s love and grace, He in turn dwells within us via His Holy Spirit. In living through us, God helps us to change, learn and grow in faith and become more like Him.
Imagine that… Though we are broken, have wicked hearts with evil intentions, and by nature do not want to obey God, He wants to change us. That is what we celebrate this Easter. It’s not about colorfully decorated eggs, it’s not about a bunny delivering baskets (Hasenpfeffer, anyone?!), it’s about God taking our sins upon Himself so that we could live with Him for eternity.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Lenten and Easter Thoughts
References:
• Psalm 102:8-28
• Isaiah 55:1-13
• John 15:1-17
I can’t remember if I have mentioned this or not, but the Bible Study that I have been leading has been going through the Heidelberg Catechism for the last several months. It has been a very interesting journey together, studying this catechism in order to better understand our own faith. Not only do these questions and answers, with their Scripture references, challenge us with our own relationship with Christ, they also give us tools to better articulate what we believe and why.
While we were going through the several pages of Scripture references for Question and Answer #31, I was struck with how appropriate three of them were for this Season of Lent. One is a Psalm, one is a passage from Isaiah, and the third is from the Gospel of John. Let’s take a short look at each of them.
Psalm 102 is a psalm of distress where everything feels helpless. It is almost like that author has hit rock bottom in his/her life, that he/she has to “look up to see the bottom of the well.” Not only does the author feel like his/her enemies have surrounded them and closing in, but the author also feels like God Himself has “lifted me up and cast me away.” Deeply troubling, wouldn’t you say?
In all honesty, how often do we feel like evil people are closing in on us and that we have no hope? How often does it feel like no amount of praying is solving the problem? How often does the darkness that we are currently walking through feel like it is all consuming? Once in a while? Often? Daily?
We all go through seasons like this, where there seems like there is absolutely no home left. We often wonder why God is so ‘quiet’ in our lives, all the while we go through darkness and pain. There are, unfortunately, no easy answer. Although we all endure times like this in our lives, we often don’t understand why. For me, it is so very frustrating to be experiencing these things, know that God loves me and will take care of me, but yet the “valley of the shadow of death” is all too consuming.
All we can prayerfully do is keep our focus on Christ and remind ourselves that He has a purpose for us. In the Psalm 102:12-28, the author reminds him/herself of this. That since God has founded the heavens and the earth, that though they all will perish, He will still endure. And, since God is a loving and faithful to those who call on Him.
Along this line of thought, let’s turn to the Isaiah passage. Here Isaiah dictates as God speaks, come to Him for free grace. God contrasts our need for physical food and drink, that is only temporary, to the free spiritual nourishment that He gives those who will receive it.
When Isaiah writes, “everlasting covenant,” he is referring to the kind of one-sided covenant that God made with Abram in Genesis. During ancient times, people would make a blood covenant with each other by walking through the blood of animals much like what Abram (later Abraham). The idea was, whom ever would break the covenant (like a peace treaty) with the other, then the person who broke the covenant should be killed like the beasts that they walked between. Both people making the covenant would walk through after agreeing what each had to do in order to uphold their part of the bargain. However, in verses 12-21, God makes the covenant with Abram, as a ‘flaming torch (v. 17) and God alone walks through the blood covenant. It is understood that the ‘flaming torch’ then consumes everything as He goes through it so that Abram cannot go through. The meaning? It is all dependent on God, not us. All we are required is to ‘trust and obey’ within our ability. God will take care of everything else.
One other thing that really stood out to me are verses 8-11. For me, these are very comforting in that, though I do not understand all that God calls me to do or why I experience all that I do, God has a plan. God calls me to obedience and to trust Him with the results. Since I do not have the “eternal perspective” that He has, I do not understand all that He is doing through me. But, God’s promise to me is that what I do in faith, He will honor and bless. If He calls me to do something, there is a reason and that God will accomplish something through it.
Fast forward several hundred years from Isaiah to when John wrote his Gospel…. Starting in John 13, we see that Jesus is celebrating the Last Supper with His Disciples. In John 13:31-38, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial. Then in John 14:1-15, Jesus states that He is the only way to come onto God (receive salvation). After this, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to all believers in verses 16-31. Then in John 15:1-17, Jesus teaches them about Him being the Vine and everyone else being the branches. When we are connected/grafted into Him, we receive our spiritual nourishment and grow, even thrive. Cut off from Him, we wither and die.
But, what I want to focus on most is John 15:15-16. During this last, intimate meal between Jesus and His Disciples, Jesus now calls the Disciples (and us as well) His friends. Though Jesus is Lord of all creation, He calls each and everyone of us who believe in Him and His grace, His friend. Not only are we chosen by God to be His friend, but we are also chosen by Him to “bear fruit.”
This Season of Lent and Easter, let us choose to remember that God has called each of us out of our deepest pain and despair to receive His free grace. Not just that, but even more! Through the finished work of Jesus Christ, God calls us to be His friend and to ‘bear much fruit!’ Though we may understand little of what we go through, God has a purpose for each and everyone of us. Though Jesus is our Lord and Savior, our Holy and Righteous Creator, He also wants to be our close and trusted friend. How awesome is that?!
• Psalm 102:8-28
• Isaiah 55:1-13
• John 15:1-17
I can’t remember if I have mentioned this or not, but the Bible Study that I have been leading has been going through the Heidelberg Catechism for the last several months. It has been a very interesting journey together, studying this catechism in order to better understand our own faith. Not only do these questions and answers, with their Scripture references, challenge us with our own relationship with Christ, they also give us tools to better articulate what we believe and why.
While we were going through the several pages of Scripture references for Question and Answer #31, I was struck with how appropriate three of them were for this Season of Lent. One is a Psalm, one is a passage from Isaiah, and the third is from the Gospel of John. Let’s take a short look at each of them.
Psalm 102 is a psalm of distress where everything feels helpless. It is almost like that author has hit rock bottom in his/her life, that he/she has to “look up to see the bottom of the well.” Not only does the author feel like his/her enemies have surrounded them and closing in, but the author also feels like God Himself has “lifted me up and cast me away.” Deeply troubling, wouldn’t you say?
In all honesty, how often do we feel like evil people are closing in on us and that we have no hope? How often does it feel like no amount of praying is solving the problem? How often does the darkness that we are currently walking through feel like it is all consuming? Once in a while? Often? Daily?
We all go through seasons like this, where there seems like there is absolutely no home left. We often wonder why God is so ‘quiet’ in our lives, all the while we go through darkness and pain. There are, unfortunately, no easy answer. Although we all endure times like this in our lives, we often don’t understand why. For me, it is so very frustrating to be experiencing these things, know that God loves me and will take care of me, but yet the “valley of the shadow of death” is all too consuming.
All we can prayerfully do is keep our focus on Christ and remind ourselves that He has a purpose for us. In the Psalm 102:12-28, the author reminds him/herself of this. That since God has founded the heavens and the earth, that though they all will perish, He will still endure. And, since God is a loving and faithful to those who call on Him.
Along this line of thought, let’s turn to the Isaiah passage. Here Isaiah dictates as God speaks, come to Him for free grace. God contrasts our need for physical food and drink, that is only temporary, to the free spiritual nourishment that He gives those who will receive it.
When Isaiah writes, “everlasting covenant,” he is referring to the kind of one-sided covenant that God made with Abram in Genesis. During ancient times, people would make a blood covenant with each other by walking through the blood of animals much like what Abram (later Abraham). The idea was, whom ever would break the covenant (like a peace treaty) with the other, then the person who broke the covenant should be killed like the beasts that they walked between. Both people making the covenant would walk through after agreeing what each had to do in order to uphold their part of the bargain. However, in verses 12-21, God makes the covenant with Abram, as a ‘flaming torch (v. 17) and God alone walks through the blood covenant. It is understood that the ‘flaming torch’ then consumes everything as He goes through it so that Abram cannot go through. The meaning? It is all dependent on God, not us. All we are required is to ‘trust and obey’ within our ability. God will take care of everything else.
One other thing that really stood out to me are verses 8-11. For me, these are very comforting in that, though I do not understand all that God calls me to do or why I experience all that I do, God has a plan. God calls me to obedience and to trust Him with the results. Since I do not have the “eternal perspective” that He has, I do not understand all that He is doing through me. But, God’s promise to me is that what I do in faith, He will honor and bless. If He calls me to do something, there is a reason and that God will accomplish something through it.
Fast forward several hundred years from Isaiah to when John wrote his Gospel…. Starting in John 13, we see that Jesus is celebrating the Last Supper with His Disciples. In John 13:31-38, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial. Then in John 14:1-15, Jesus states that He is the only way to come onto God (receive salvation). After this, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to all believers in verses 16-31. Then in John 15:1-17, Jesus teaches them about Him being the Vine and everyone else being the branches. When we are connected/grafted into Him, we receive our spiritual nourishment and grow, even thrive. Cut off from Him, we wither and die.
But, what I want to focus on most is John 15:15-16. During this last, intimate meal between Jesus and His Disciples, Jesus now calls the Disciples (and us as well) His friends. Though Jesus is Lord of all creation, He calls each and everyone of us who believe in Him and His grace, His friend. Not only are we chosen by God to be His friend, but we are also chosen by Him to “bear fruit.”
This Season of Lent and Easter, let us choose to remember that God has called each of us out of our deepest pain and despair to receive His free grace. Not just that, but even more! Through the finished work of Jesus Christ, God calls us to be His friend and to ‘bear much fruit!’ Though we may understand little of what we go through, God has a purpose for each and everyone of us. Though Jesus is our Lord and Savior, our Holy and Righteous Creator, He also wants to be our close and trusted friend. How awesome is that?!
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Love Waiting
Well, I am trying to do some on-line training. However, the site that I am trying to do my training does not want to cooperate. So, I am doing a quick blog entry while I am waiting for tech support.
I don't know about you, but there are some things that I am very good at waiting for. It drives my wife bananas that I can patiently wait for Christmas or my birthday and not need to know what I am getting. She will occasionally ask me if I want any 'hints,' and I politely tell her, "nah... No thanks." Believe it or not, this sometimes starts over a month out. Needless to say, she isn't very patient when it comes to wanting to know what her gifts are.
I believe that all of us can be very patient with some things and very impatient with other things. Some people can exercise great patience in almost every area of their life, while others are very impulsive with most areas of their lives. Don't you wish you could have "the patience of Job" in all areas of your life? I know that I do, sometimes. The thing is, patience is a learned skill, and one that is very perishable (can be easily lost), in my opinion.
The thing is, if you ask a large number of people how they became patient, many of them (dare I say almost all of them) would confess that they learned patience out of necessity with dealing with adversity. Instead of God just 'granting them patience' in a miraculous way, God challenged them to learn patience through trial. I know, not fun, huh?
One of the ancient words used in the Old Testament for God's love is 'hassad.' It means 'steadfast or long-suffering love.' It means that God's love endures, is exceptionally patient with us as we mess up and rebel against Him. He continues to call to us, in spite of the fact that we willfully walk away. In fact, God's 'hassad' is so great, not only did He stoop to our level, He also took our sins upon Himself so that we could be redeemed. I encourage you to reflect on that this Lent.
I don't know about you, but there are some things that I am very good at waiting for. It drives my wife bananas that I can patiently wait for Christmas or my birthday and not need to know what I am getting. She will occasionally ask me if I want any 'hints,' and I politely tell her, "nah... No thanks." Believe it or not, this sometimes starts over a month out. Needless to say, she isn't very patient when it comes to wanting to know what her gifts are.
I believe that all of us can be very patient with some things and very impatient with other things. Some people can exercise great patience in almost every area of their life, while others are very impulsive with most areas of their lives. Don't you wish you could have "the patience of Job" in all areas of your life? I know that I do, sometimes. The thing is, patience is a learned skill, and one that is very perishable (can be easily lost), in my opinion.
The thing is, if you ask a large number of people how they became patient, many of them (dare I say almost all of them) would confess that they learned patience out of necessity with dealing with adversity. Instead of God just 'granting them patience' in a miraculous way, God challenged them to learn patience through trial. I know, not fun, huh?
One of the ancient words used in the Old Testament for God's love is 'hassad.' It means 'steadfast or long-suffering love.' It means that God's love endures, is exceptionally patient with us as we mess up and rebel against Him. He continues to call to us, in spite of the fact that we willfully walk away. In fact, God's 'hassad' is so great, not only did He stoop to our level, He also took our sins upon Himself so that we could be redeemed. I encourage you to reflect on that this Lent.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Spring Cleaning and Memories
Over the last several months, my wife and I have been going through some of our many boxes and crates of things that we have collected over the years. We have been slowly going through things, trying to figure out what we still need and what we can get rid off. It's amazing how much 'stuff' can accumulate in just a few years time!
For some things, it is easy to determine if we want to keep it or not. Other things require a bit of thought. We often have to ask ourselves, "Do I really want to keep this? How important is it to me?"
As I have been going through things, many memories have been triggered. I came across some correspondence between my ex-wife and her family several weeks ago. A bit of a painful time in my life, so I did not keep it. I also have come across several different sets of things from when I was going through the ordination process with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Methodist Church. Some of the things were important documents of schooling and evaluations that definitely needed to be kept. Some other things were not nearly that important. But all had to be evaluated.
I have also come across quite at bit from the different vacations that our family has been on together. Some of the brochures no longer needed to be kept. But, some of them did for when we can put a scrapbook together. Again, many different memories came to my mind.
Isn't it interesting how seeing something will trigger one or many different memories? An old letter from a close friend, a special gift from someone who has passed away, a certificate from something that was a major achievement, or an evaluation that was not very positive but still a growing experience? I have had many such experiences these last few months as I have been doing this. There have been a few times where I took a short break to contemplate the memories that an item brought back, even if they were not very pleasant.
One of the more pleasant memories surrounded a couple pages of a note that my "church grandma" had written me many years ago. Because my dad was a pastor and my mom sang in the choir, I had to sit with other people in the congregation during worship. I probably sat with three or four different couples or families on a regular basis, but one couple, the McCleods, were the ones that I sat with the most. In fact, Charles and Ethel McCleod became my 'church grandparents.' On many different occasions I would spend time with them while I was growing up in Kansas. Needless to say, a real flood of memories came back to me when I came across just one letter from them!
We all have memories that we deeply cherish, as well as ones that we would rather forget. But, all of those memories help to create who we are today. It has been my experience that God can use each of those memories in His plan for us. I know that this may come as a shock to some of you. But, God can, and often does, bring beauty out of our ashes. In fact, we may never know how He may use the different experiences that we have had. Nor may we fully realize what God does through us on this side of heaven.
At different points of our lives, we will have to go through the things that have accumulated in our lives. they are physical things or just emotions and memories themselves. How will we sort through them? What kind of criteria will we sue for what we want to keep and what we want to get rid of? At least with the physical things we can get rid of. The emotions and memories, especially the negative ones, not so easy. It is a challenge, is it not? For me, the hope is that God will take all of my experiences, from the wonderful to the extremely painful, and use them for His glory. As we prepare for Easter this Lenten season, perhaps that is something we all should prayerfully considering, how God might made beauty out of our ashes.
For some things, it is easy to determine if we want to keep it or not. Other things require a bit of thought. We often have to ask ourselves, "Do I really want to keep this? How important is it to me?"
As I have been going through things, many memories have been triggered. I came across some correspondence between my ex-wife and her family several weeks ago. A bit of a painful time in my life, so I did not keep it. I also have come across several different sets of things from when I was going through the ordination process with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Methodist Church. Some of the things were important documents of schooling and evaluations that definitely needed to be kept. Some other things were not nearly that important. But all had to be evaluated.
I have also come across quite at bit from the different vacations that our family has been on together. Some of the brochures no longer needed to be kept. But, some of them did for when we can put a scrapbook together. Again, many different memories came to my mind.
Isn't it interesting how seeing something will trigger one or many different memories? An old letter from a close friend, a special gift from someone who has passed away, a certificate from something that was a major achievement, or an evaluation that was not very positive but still a growing experience? I have had many such experiences these last few months as I have been doing this. There have been a few times where I took a short break to contemplate the memories that an item brought back, even if they were not very pleasant.
One of the more pleasant memories surrounded a couple pages of a note that my "church grandma" had written me many years ago. Because my dad was a pastor and my mom sang in the choir, I had to sit with other people in the congregation during worship. I probably sat with three or four different couples or families on a regular basis, but one couple, the McCleods, were the ones that I sat with the most. In fact, Charles and Ethel McCleod became my 'church grandparents.' On many different occasions I would spend time with them while I was growing up in Kansas. Needless to say, a real flood of memories came back to me when I came across just one letter from them!
We all have memories that we deeply cherish, as well as ones that we would rather forget. But, all of those memories help to create who we are today. It has been my experience that God can use each of those memories in His plan for us. I know that this may come as a shock to some of you. But, God can, and often does, bring beauty out of our ashes. In fact, we may never know how He may use the different experiences that we have had. Nor may we fully realize what God does through us on this side of heaven.
At different points of our lives, we will have to go through the things that have accumulated in our lives. they are physical things or just emotions and memories themselves. How will we sort through them? What kind of criteria will we sue for what we want to keep and what we want to get rid of? At least with the physical things we can get rid of. The emotions and memories, especially the negative ones, not so easy. It is a challenge, is it not? For me, the hope is that God will take all of my experiences, from the wonderful to the extremely painful, and use them for His glory. As we prepare for Easter this Lenten season, perhaps that is something we all should prayerfully considering, how God might made beauty out of our ashes.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Just Some Thoughts
Yes, I know that it has been quite a while since I've written an entry. Most days have been fairly busy. Eben though I started this blog entry several weeks ago, I wanted to try and fish it.
For those who know me, I have been dealling with lower back and knee pain for the last year plus. Although some issues with my back seem to be improving, other things have been staying the same or getting worse. Some days I do well. Other days are much more difficult. I praise God for mow much my National Guard unit and the prison have worked with me so much. That has helped during the more painful days. Because all of my issues are related to my last deployment (service related), I have been working on VA Disability claim and getting a permanent profile with the Army. One thing after another seemed to get in the way. However, as of a week ago, things seem to now be moving forward with both. Your prayers for these things would be greatly appreciated.
A meme was shared by someone I know concerning pastors, the poor, and taxing churches. The top picture was of a 'mega church' with the phrase "If a church looks like this...;" the second picture was of a huge mansion, with the text of "And the pastor lives in this...;" and the third picture was of a woman (crying) with a sad looking girl, and the caption was "And we still have homeless families..." The last sentence in the meme had to do with 'Maybe we should tax churches.'
I have to admit, I was pretty angry when I saw that meme. I grew up a pastor's kid and have worked as a pastor on several occasions. I also have several close friends who are pastors. The fact of the matter is, very few pastors have a high income. We are both employed and self-employed, so we have to save money every month for paying taxes. For a 'full-time' pastor, one typically works 60+ hours each week because of all the planning, meetings, visitations, emergencies, etc. Most pastors are 'middle income.' Only a very small percentage make extreme amounts of money.
Such a meme is tasteless, or even down right insulting. I am saddened that people post such non-sense. Especially when you consider the fact that people like Osteen, who 'claims' to be Christian, is more of a 'touchie-feelie" self-help guru. His 'positive thinking' is only loosely based on Scripture and mostly 'feel-good' pop-psychology. Please, think about things before posting them.
Life goes on for me. I will try to post more later. May God bless you richly!
For those who know me, I have been dealling with lower back and knee pain for the last year plus. Although some issues with my back seem to be improving, other things have been staying the same or getting worse. Some days I do well. Other days are much more difficult. I praise God for mow much my National Guard unit and the prison have worked with me so much. That has helped during the more painful days. Because all of my issues are related to my last deployment (service related), I have been working on VA Disability claim and getting a permanent profile with the Army. One thing after another seemed to get in the way. However, as of a week ago, things seem to now be moving forward with both. Your prayers for these things would be greatly appreciated.
A meme was shared by someone I know concerning pastors, the poor, and taxing churches. The top picture was of a 'mega church' with the phrase "If a church looks like this...;" the second picture was of a huge mansion, with the text of "And the pastor lives in this...;" and the third picture was of a woman (crying) with a sad looking girl, and the caption was "And we still have homeless families..." The last sentence in the meme had to do with 'Maybe we should tax churches.'
I have to admit, I was pretty angry when I saw that meme. I grew up a pastor's kid and have worked as a pastor on several occasions. I also have several close friends who are pastors. The fact of the matter is, very few pastors have a high income. We are both employed and self-employed, so we have to save money every month for paying taxes. For a 'full-time' pastor, one typically works 60+ hours each week because of all the planning, meetings, visitations, emergencies, etc. Most pastors are 'middle income.' Only a very small percentage make extreme amounts of money.
Such a meme is tasteless, or even down right insulting. I am saddened that people post such non-sense. Especially when you consider the fact that people like Osteen, who 'claims' to be Christian, is more of a 'touchie-feelie" self-help guru. His 'positive thinking' is only loosely based on Scripture and mostly 'feel-good' pop-psychology. Please, think about things before posting them.
Life goes on for me. I will try to post more later. May God bless you richly!
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
When God Speaks
References:
• Blog Entry written by Josh Buice
• Mark 13:11 NKJV
• John 14:26 NKJV
• Philippians 3:15 NKJV
• James 4:14-17 NKJV
Someone I know on Facebook asked what other thought about the above article, so I read it. Well, honestly, I tried to read it. It’s not very often that I come across articles that I cannot finish reading. This was one of them.
I am sure that Josh Buice meant well. However, I read the article with more than a little discomfort. This is because a young Christian could easily come away after reading the article and think, “God does not speak to me, so therefore God does not care about me.” Nothing can be further from the truth!
Now, there is a difference between people saying, “God told me..” because He inspired him or her to do something and someone saying, “God told me…” because they are trying to justify their own agenda. If what a person is saying or writing clearly clearly contradicts God’s Word, then they are teaching/speaking from their own human (sinful) spirit or it is demonically inspired. However, if it is something that is not clearly contradict Scripture but honors it, is edifying, points people back to God, etc., then it is probably Divinely inspired.
Now, there will be no more ‘inspiration’ of Scripture. What we have as Scripture is complete, from Genesis through Revelation. That much is very, very true. However, God will still ‘speak to us’ via the Holy Spirit. We are given God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) for our guidance, encouragement, correct, etc. If God gives us to encourage and guide us and ‘instruct us,’ this it is a given that God will ‘speak to us.’
Although I grew up a pastor’s kid, it wasn’t until I was 20 that I gave my life to Christ. That was back in January of 1994. Over the decades, God has spoken to me on numerous occasions. Very rarely has it been an ‘audible voice.’ More often than not, it will be a nudge in my spirit, my conscience, highlight something in my thoughts (so that it really stands out), etc. Very rarely has it been in ‘distinct words.’
On many occasions while being a pastor in a church (while going through an ordination process), doing a Bible study, or something else, where I will clearly feel God directing me to do something, focus on something, etc. This is especially the case when God is directing me to confront something that is wrong (like a wrong belief that a local church wants to believe). On several occasions I have felt God directing me to confront something and will not let me ‘have peace’ until I obey.
One example that comes to mind… Many years ago, I had the opportunity to give a sermon at the church that my dad had once pastored and that I had grown up in. When my dad first shared this opportunity with me, I felt a very, very unusual sense of excitement to doing it, as if God was not just giving me ‘permission’ to do so, but very much wanted me to do so. Along with this, I felt ‘inspired’ to preach about my conversion. It wasn’t a ‘got knocked off my horse’ kind of conversation like Saul had, but more of a ‘quiet one.’ When I shared this with my dad, he ‘reminded me’ that the church used the liturgy and I was expected to follow it. Ironically (and hilariously to me), the passage was Luke 24:13-33, which perfectly described how I went from ‘just head knowledge’ to ‘saving heart knowledge.’
If Josh Buice’s goal was to speak against people saying, “God told me…” so that they could ‘add to Scripture’ or support their own agenda, I would whole heartily agree. However, the tone and words of the article spoke very differently to me. It spoke of a cold god who did not care about how we lived our lives. Think of it this way… Because of our sinful nature, there is no way we could live in obedience to God based on the Bible. We are absolutely incapable of doing so. It is when God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us that God can guide us. If God guides us to live according to His Will (and His Word), then He is, in fact, ‘speaking to us.’ And, there will be times where God will very clearly instruct us to talk with a certain person, go to a certain place, maybe even some of the courses or college major to focus on. How God does that will be just as varied as there are people on this earth. But, because our God is a loving God who cares about how we live and what we do, He will ‘speak to us.’
Final thought… Prayer is how we communicate with God, is it not? What is communication, but the sharing of ideas, right? Because God calls us to cast all of our cares unto Him, does that not imply that there is going to be a response from Him? Again, how God will respond to us about different things will vary greatly on the person and the situation. God will never add to or take away from Scripture. But, how God wants you to apply things in your life, that He will let you know. Are you willing to listen?
• Blog Entry written by Josh Buice
• Mark 13:11 NKJV
• John 14:26 NKJV
• Philippians 3:15 NKJV
• James 4:14-17 NKJV
Someone I know on Facebook asked what other thought about the above article, so I read it. Well, honestly, I tried to read it. It’s not very often that I come across articles that I cannot finish reading. This was one of them.
I am sure that Josh Buice meant well. However, I read the article with more than a little discomfort. This is because a young Christian could easily come away after reading the article and think, “God does not speak to me, so therefore God does not care about me.” Nothing can be further from the truth!
Now, there is a difference between people saying, “God told me..” because He inspired him or her to do something and someone saying, “God told me…” because they are trying to justify their own agenda. If what a person is saying or writing clearly clearly contradicts God’s Word, then they are teaching/speaking from their own human (sinful) spirit or it is demonically inspired. However, if it is something that is not clearly contradict Scripture but honors it, is edifying, points people back to God, etc., then it is probably Divinely inspired.
Now, there will be no more ‘inspiration’ of Scripture. What we have as Scripture is complete, from Genesis through Revelation. That much is very, very true. However, God will still ‘speak to us’ via the Holy Spirit. We are given God’s Spirit (Holy Spirit) for our guidance, encouragement, correct, etc. If God gives us to encourage and guide us and ‘instruct us,’ this it is a given that God will ‘speak to us.’
Although I grew up a pastor’s kid, it wasn’t until I was 20 that I gave my life to Christ. That was back in January of 1994. Over the decades, God has spoken to me on numerous occasions. Very rarely has it been an ‘audible voice.’ More often than not, it will be a nudge in my spirit, my conscience, highlight something in my thoughts (so that it really stands out), etc. Very rarely has it been in ‘distinct words.’
On many occasions while being a pastor in a church (while going through an ordination process), doing a Bible study, or something else, where I will clearly feel God directing me to do something, focus on something, etc. This is especially the case when God is directing me to confront something that is wrong (like a wrong belief that a local church wants to believe). On several occasions I have felt God directing me to confront something and will not let me ‘have peace’ until I obey.
One example that comes to mind… Many years ago, I had the opportunity to give a sermon at the church that my dad had once pastored and that I had grown up in. When my dad first shared this opportunity with me, I felt a very, very unusual sense of excitement to doing it, as if God was not just giving me ‘permission’ to do so, but very much wanted me to do so. Along with this, I felt ‘inspired’ to preach about my conversion. It wasn’t a ‘got knocked off my horse’ kind of conversation like Saul had, but more of a ‘quiet one.’ When I shared this with my dad, he ‘reminded me’ that the church used the liturgy and I was expected to follow it. Ironically (and hilariously to me), the passage was Luke 24:13-33, which perfectly described how I went from ‘just head knowledge’ to ‘saving heart knowledge.’
If Josh Buice’s goal was to speak against people saying, “God told me…” so that they could ‘add to Scripture’ or support their own agenda, I would whole heartily agree. However, the tone and words of the article spoke very differently to me. It spoke of a cold god who did not care about how we lived our lives. Think of it this way… Because of our sinful nature, there is no way we could live in obedience to God based on the Bible. We are absolutely incapable of doing so. It is when God gives us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us that God can guide us. If God guides us to live according to His Will (and His Word), then He is, in fact, ‘speaking to us.’ And, there will be times where God will very clearly instruct us to talk with a certain person, go to a certain place, maybe even some of the courses or college major to focus on. How God does that will be just as varied as there are people on this earth. But, because our God is a loving God who cares about how we live and what we do, He will ‘speak to us.’
Final thought… Prayer is how we communicate with God, is it not? What is communication, but the sharing of ideas, right? Because God calls us to cast all of our cares unto Him, does that not imply that there is going to be a response from Him? Again, how God will respond to us about different things will vary greatly on the person and the situation. God will never add to or take away from Scripture. But, how God wants you to apply things in your life, that He will let you know. Are you willing to listen?
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Never Stop Learning
I have to admit, I love watching movies and documentaries on Netflix. Depending on my mood, I will watching anything from a foreign suspense or foreign action movie to a documentary on the Middle East, to documentaries on different types of animals. And, of course, I will watch various cartoons with my kids.
I am the kind of person who loves to learn new things. Whether it is reading a book, watching a movie based on actual events, reading articles about something on the Internet, etc., I seek to learn more about the world that I live in. And, as I learn more, I seek to pass it on to others.
I have found some fascinating programs on Netflix over the last few years to learn more about the world in which we live. In the last year, I have watched several documentaries on ancient Egypt and WWII Europe, just to name a couple. Each of these programs have brought to me different pieces to the puzzles of "what really happened" at that time. Some of the 'pieces' were familiar, some not so much. And there were some that I seriously questioned as to whether they were true or not. But, they were still an interesting piece to examine.
I can't remember if I have share this in a previous blog or not. But, my ancestors on my biological mother's side were ethnic Germans who had originally emigrated to what was Southern Russia (now the Ukraine) in the 1700-1800's. This mass migration of (mostly Polish and Germans) was initiated under Catherine the Great (One map can be found here, and my ancestors came from the Odessa region), but was ended during the 're-Russification' during the late 1800's. (Another brief article, in English, can be found here and another one can be found here.) This particular documentary was called 'Empire of the Tzars' and done in three parts. I was a little disappointed in the fact that there was not more mentioned about Czarina Catherine the Great inviting Germans to settle in southern Russia. But, at least it was mentioned, though in passing. The series did give me a better understanding as to all of the issues going on at the time.
Growing up, I was an avid reader. Though I would often prefer fiction action/adventure or Sci-Fi, I would also spend lots of time reading encyclopedias and various books to learn more about things. These easily ranged from biology, ancient history, information on various religious, to the supernatural, etc. Because of the different things that I learned over the years, my friends would jokingly saw that "I had memorized the who encyclopedia!" While that wasn't quite the fact, the broad knowledge that I had, people would often come to me with questions. Yes, I considered all of that a compliment.
Thankfully, I have not lost that love for learning. In the last few years, I have extended my interest from theology, ancient history, WW II era, etc., to also include genealogy. Although I am interested in both sides of my biological family, so far I have focused most on my biological mother's side. Unfortunately, though, I have not had much time this past year in order to work on this. Working long hours at the prison, having work on the side for the Guard, and taking care of a family definitely does eat up a lot of my time. Oh, well, as some things settle down, I hope to do some more.
I encourage each of you out there to develop and nurture a love for learning. It helps you to grow as a person. Even if it's something that you don't agree with, learning more from another person's perspective can help you in many ways. And, the more you learn about other beliefs and histories, the better you can understand your person beliefs and experiences. The more you learn, the healthier you will keep your brain.
I am the kind of person who loves to learn new things. Whether it is reading a book, watching a movie based on actual events, reading articles about something on the Internet, etc., I seek to learn more about the world that I live in. And, as I learn more, I seek to pass it on to others.
I have found some fascinating programs on Netflix over the last few years to learn more about the world in which we live. In the last year, I have watched several documentaries on ancient Egypt and WWII Europe, just to name a couple. Each of these programs have brought to me different pieces to the puzzles of "what really happened" at that time. Some of the 'pieces' were familiar, some not so much. And there were some that I seriously questioned as to whether they were true or not. But, they were still an interesting piece to examine.
I can't remember if I have share this in a previous blog or not. But, my ancestors on my biological mother's side were ethnic Germans who had originally emigrated to what was Southern Russia (now the Ukraine) in the 1700-1800's. This mass migration of (mostly Polish and Germans) was initiated under Catherine the Great (One map can be found here, and my ancestors came from the Odessa region), but was ended during the 're-Russification' during the late 1800's. (Another brief article, in English, can be found here and another one can be found here.) This particular documentary was called 'Empire of the Tzars' and done in three parts. I was a little disappointed in the fact that there was not more mentioned about Czarina Catherine the Great inviting Germans to settle in southern Russia. But, at least it was mentioned, though in passing. The series did give me a better understanding as to all of the issues going on at the time.
Growing up, I was an avid reader. Though I would often prefer fiction action/adventure or Sci-Fi, I would also spend lots of time reading encyclopedias and various books to learn more about things. These easily ranged from biology, ancient history, information on various religious, to the supernatural, etc. Because of the different things that I learned over the years, my friends would jokingly saw that "I had memorized the who encyclopedia!" While that wasn't quite the fact, the broad knowledge that I had, people would often come to me with questions. Yes, I considered all of that a compliment.
Thankfully, I have not lost that love for learning. In the last few years, I have extended my interest from theology, ancient history, WW II era, etc., to also include genealogy. Although I am interested in both sides of my biological family, so far I have focused most on my biological mother's side. Unfortunately, though, I have not had much time this past year in order to work on this. Working long hours at the prison, having work on the side for the Guard, and taking care of a family definitely does eat up a lot of my time. Oh, well, as some things settle down, I hope to do some more.
I encourage each of you out there to develop and nurture a love for learning. It helps you to grow as a person. Even if it's something that you don't agree with, learning more from another person's perspective can help you in many ways. And, the more you learn about other beliefs and histories, the better you can understand your person beliefs and experiences. The more you learn, the healthier you will keep your brain.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Just Some Thoughts
Well, it has bwen a while sine I have been able to sit down and write something. Actually, that isn't totally tru. There have been several occassions where I felt like writing something. But, either did not have the time or the energy to do so. Been frustrating, really.
life goes on, though. I noticed that over the last few weeks, several people have checked out my blog. That was definitely encouraging. Helped to inspire me to sit down and write some thoughts during my weekend.
Christmas with the family was very enjoyable. My Mother-in-Law stayed with us for a few weeks. The kids got lots of interesting toys. My wife, who is Irish, got several Irish themed gifts from me. I got a NCIS t-shirt and mug with Gibb's rules, a lot of coffee, and a compass that one can wear on your wrist that had been my Grandfather's when he was in Germany during World War II.
Life goes on... For those who don't know, our church building (Syracuse United Methodist Church) burned down several years ago. This past Sunday, they voted to approve the plans for a new church and to move forward with its construction. I am not convinced that it is the wisest thing to do right now, for a variety of reasons. But, it is their choice so I will prayerfully help them as much as I can.
Work goes on. Recently, they had an opening as Religious Coordinator at the prison that I work at. Needless to say, I applied for it. Although I did pretty good in the interview, I did not get it. Yeah, I am disappointed. Being a Religious Coordinator is a much better fit for me then being Custody Staff. But, evidently I am where God wants me to be. At least for now.
Because of the weather, I will not be leading a Bible Study tonight. A little disappointing to me because it is something that I really look forward to each week. But, because the rain/freezing rain has made driving dangerous, it is the right decision. In case I forgot to mention, we have switch from studying the 'Minor Letters' (shorter letters in the New Testament), to studying the Heidelberg Catechism (You can look at it here, here, or here.) One of the marked differences between the Methodist Church and many of the Reformed denominations (like Presbyterian) is that Methodists rarely use church historical documents like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, Bremen Declaration, etc. Where as, growing up Presbyterian and having go to seminary, I am familiar with them. Like many people, I am more familiar with some church historical documents than others. But, they are all important.
From a Christian standpoint, Scripture alone tells us who God is, what His requirements are for us, etc. (Sola Scriptura). However, things like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, etc., show us how to apply Scripture to our lives. Such church documents (written to address an issue of some sort in history) explains not just what a Christian believes, but explains why it is important, how Scripture supports it, and how to challenge other (unbiblical/heretical) beliefs. It is always to be tempered with love and gentleness. But, such church documents help us to better understand our beliefs. That, in turn, helps us to explain what we believe and why.
Well, I will try to write more either later today or tomorrow. Like usual, I do have a lot of things that I need to do. While writing blog entries are important to me, it is not as high of a priority as other things.
life goes on, though. I noticed that over the last few weeks, several people have checked out my blog. That was definitely encouraging. Helped to inspire me to sit down and write some thoughts during my weekend.
Christmas with the family was very enjoyable. My Mother-in-Law stayed with us for a few weeks. The kids got lots of interesting toys. My wife, who is Irish, got several Irish themed gifts from me. I got a NCIS t-shirt and mug with Gibb's rules, a lot of coffee, and a compass that one can wear on your wrist that had been my Grandfather's when he was in Germany during World War II.
Life goes on... For those who don't know, our church building (Syracuse United Methodist Church) burned down several years ago. This past Sunday, they voted to approve the plans for a new church and to move forward with its construction. I am not convinced that it is the wisest thing to do right now, for a variety of reasons. But, it is their choice so I will prayerfully help them as much as I can.
Work goes on. Recently, they had an opening as Religious Coordinator at the prison that I work at. Needless to say, I applied for it. Although I did pretty good in the interview, I did not get it. Yeah, I am disappointed. Being a Religious Coordinator is a much better fit for me then being Custody Staff. But, evidently I am where God wants me to be. At least for now.
Because of the weather, I will not be leading a Bible Study tonight. A little disappointing to me because it is something that I really look forward to each week. But, because the rain/freezing rain has made driving dangerous, it is the right decision. In case I forgot to mention, we have switch from studying the 'Minor Letters' (shorter letters in the New Testament), to studying the Heidelberg Catechism (You can look at it here, here, or here.) One of the marked differences between the Methodist Church and many of the Reformed denominations (like Presbyterian) is that Methodists rarely use church historical documents like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, Bremen Declaration, etc. Where as, growing up Presbyterian and having go to seminary, I am familiar with them. Like many people, I am more familiar with some church historical documents than others. But, they are all important.
From a Christian standpoint, Scripture alone tells us who God is, what His requirements are for us, etc. (Sola Scriptura). However, things like the Westminster Catechism, Heidelberg Catechism, etc., show us how to apply Scripture to our lives. Such church documents (written to address an issue of some sort in history) explains not just what a Christian believes, but explains why it is important, how Scripture supports it, and how to challenge other (unbiblical/heretical) beliefs. It is always to be tempered with love and gentleness. But, such church documents help us to better understand our beliefs. That, in turn, helps us to explain what we believe and why.
Well, I will try to write more either later today or tomorrow. Like usual, I do have a lot of things that I need to do. While writing blog entries are important to me, it is not as high of a priority as other things.
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