A Chaplain's Journey

2008-12-28T14:22:00.001-05:00

Previous Entry to new Blog address was WRONG...

http://tomcropper.wordpress.com IS correct.

See you there!

Tom

Moving to new Blog site

2008-12-21T07:51:00.003-05:00

In prep for my return to the Michael Job Centre, I am moving to a new LinkedIn/Wordpress Blog
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/32a/578
http://tomcropper.wordpress.com
See ya there!
Tom

Video View of Situation

2008-12-04T07:58:00.002-05:00

Dispatch From Coimbatore - Marbles

2008-10-11T21:15:00.001-04:00

MARBLES

In a place where the simplest things, like good drinking water, electricity and the basic foods needed for life are highly valued, you wouldn’t normally think of marbles. But to the daughters of martyrs here at the Michael Job Centre they are the ‘currency’ of the place. I’ve yet to see a television. Movies are some one else’s privilege. Books are at a premium and a radio here is considered a luxury. So whatever entertainment the girls have – they must create for themselves. For the little ones, the younger ones, that means marbles. They are HIGHLY prized. Marble games spring up at a moment’s notice anytime they have a spare minute and a patch of level ground. These girls are Pros when it comes to marbles.

A good friend of mine asked me to bring back something from India. She was thinking maybe some small rocks or pebbles from this place. I asked the girls for some of their marbles. For them, it was like asking for your diamond rings. Five of them gladly gave theirs up. I’ve shipped them back to the US. Back in the States, where we have so much, they must think I’ve lost my marbles ;-) But for these girls, where owning more than 3 dresses is the ultimate luxury, giving away their marbles is a shocking thing to do. What sacrifice, what love they demonstrate to do that for some strange foreigner here for a short time.

With global markets crashing everywhere. With money running scared, looking for a safe place. With retirement nest eggs, broken and scattered on the ground. It’s a wonderful lesson to see Christian girls, with so very little, giving up their most valued possessions, knowing that their God will take very good care of them. It’s not printed on any currency they own, but They trust in Him, not their things for their future.

Dispatch From Coimbatore - Copyrights

2008-09-24T23:42:00.002-04:00

So are you ready for another answer to prayer story? No? Too Late! You’re reading it… ;-)

Even before I came to Coimbatore to help build the digital library here at the MJC, folks have been asking me about the Copyright issue. This is a BIG issue. How can we digitize (scan) and provide books in our digital library that are still under copyright? Isn’t there a legal issue with doing such a thing? Doesn’t that violate the copyright laws – to copy a book or other work and then provide it to others?

Well the answer is yes and no. The library falls under the ‘fair use’ laws that allow for such a thing as sharing (loaning out a book) with members of the library or for research or other library functions. Now that does not mean we can setup copy machines, make duplicates of a book and then hand them or even worse – sell them for a profit to any and all. So how does this work in the new digital world where once a book is scanned and in digital format it can be easily pirated. That’s the nagging issue that I brought over with me and I was asked the same thing by lots of people working here at the Colleges. What about the copyrights….

So we prayed. Lord please give us the answer. If this is your library (AND IT IS) we’re sure you want us to do the right thing. What’s the answer to the copyright issue?

What to know how He answered me? ;-) Yesterday I was unexpectedly invited to a conference on Intellectual Property Rights that was put on by the local Chamber of Commerce. The First Secretary from the US Embassy in New Delhi flew down and spoke on the issues of copyright violations, software piracy and patent infringement. These are all big issues here in India and the rest of Asia. Many countries in this hemisphere are considered by software producers as ‘One-Copy-Countries.’ This means software piracy is so rampant that they expect to sell only ONE copy in that country and then it will be pirated and distributed to everyone else in the country with no profit to them. ;-) It is not as bad here in India but with the costs of most software (Microsoft Office is a prime example) so high in comparison to income, Indians can’t even consider the possibility of buying these things legally.

While at the conference they provided a nice lunch for us and while looking for a good table, two gentlemen graciously allowed me to join them. After introductions I found I was sitting with the man who is responsible for ALL copyrights in the entire country of India. He is the man in charge of the copyright office for India. The MAN. Who better to ask the question? I of course took the opportunity the Lord presented and was assured by Mr G.R. Raghevendra, Registrar of Copyrights for India, that we can setup the digital library, fair use applies to us and we can do what we want. This is straight from the man who should know. The one individual responsible for ensureing the copyright protections for all artists, producers and programmers in India, gave us the green light to move forward!

Wow does He answer prayer or what!

Disptach From Coimbatore - Run!

2008-09-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

So for those of you who really know me, I mean really know me, you’ll appreciate just how much a miracle what I’m going to say is… Today, I ran 400 meters with the kids. I RAN 400 meters. THEN I walked 2.8K (2800 meters) THEN I did exercise for 30 minutes. And who said miracles don’t happen in today’s world ;-) I’m tired and out of breath BUT it’s been under the direction of the College PE director who has forgotten more from his Master level Phys Ed degrees then I’ll ever know ;-) They are taking very good care of me here.. This place makes me better.

Dispatch From Coimbatore - Rustling Leaves

2008-09-23T01:11:00.002-04:00

Rustling Leaves

He's got to love the sound
With Fall air coolness
Rustling leaves
Whispering leaves
Flipping Flopping turning leaves
Sliding together, sliding apart.

The Pastor says turn to...
And I with eyes closed Listen
As the rustling leaves whisper
Turning to the truth.
God must love that sound.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Can you tell me what kind of leaves these are?

One of my fav birthday gifts

2008-09-22T15:29:00.003-04:00

A little birthday gift for me.

Dispatch From Coimbatore - Pray NOW

2008-09-21T23:21:00.003-04:00

One of the things I’m getting tired of hearing is the, “We should pray about this or that.” Or the “Remember to pray for this person or that one.” Not that there is anything wrong with intercessory prayer during your private devotions. But what we should also do is pray immediately upon the thought coming to mind. Don’t say, “Let’s remember to pray about this,” say, “Let’s pray NOW about this.” We need more prayer action and less prayer planning. In so many prayer meetings going on, there’s more meeting then praying. We need to pray NOW, and after that, continuously!

"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." Jesus
Matthew 18:18-20 (The Message)

Dispatch from Coimbatore - Mom's Warning

2008-09-18T08:37:00.000-04:00

Spoke with my Mom yesterday. She read the Game with Minutes instructions at the bottom of this website and had a warning for me. In the instructions (written in the early 1930’s by Frank Lauback) he mentions keeping pictures of Jesus and Crosses around and using them to TOG (think of God) whenever you see them. Although thinking of God is the goal in our game, my Mom warns about the tendency to start worshiping the object (the picture or cross) rather than the Creator they represent. Doing that is IDOL Worship. She said, “Worship God, not the symbol or picture.”

THANKS MOM! Good advice and I thought it best to pass it along to everyone.

DISPATCH FROM COIMBATORE – JOIN OUR CLUB?

2008-09-17T01:31:00.000-04:00

A certain few Ladies of the MJC (Michael Job Center) have started a new Club. It’s called the Club Game with Minutes (CGWM) and I thought you’d like to hear about it. However before I tell you more, please be forewarned, it is a very dangerous game. People who have played the game have told us it’s the most difficult, the most challenging contest they have ever played. The ultimate eXtremeGame, the effort can be so demanding, friends and colleagues have reported seeing dramatic personality changes in the participants.

OK so now I’ve warned you. Don’t blame me if you start to play this game and ultimately lose total control over your life. Scroll down towards the bottom of this blog to read more about the Club Game with Minutes.

After reading about the Game, the Ladies of MJC are offering you membership in their club if you’d like to take part. Email me if you’d like to join them in the effort. There’s no cost for joining except the very real potential for losing your life to it. tom@cropper.info

Dispatch From Coimbatore - 05:52 Chapel

2008-09-15T03:10:00.002-04:00

Click here for YouTube Video
Acceptable bandwidth promised tomorrow but I wanted to share at least this short video with you today. This is my arrival at Chapel this morning. Pls excuse the amateur camera jitters. It’s totally raw and unedited. I hope with this clip you can get at least a small amount of the Spirit of this place.

All My Love!

Tom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReE2NTC9gUQ

Dispatch From Coimbatore - The Joy Tears

2008-09-06T03:31:00.002-04:00

DISPATCH FROM COIMBATORE
The Joy Tears
Saturday Morning, Sept 6th 2008
The day starts early here at the Michael Job Center for Orphan Girls. The wakeup alarm sounds at 05:00 every morning. Now for those of you who know me, that’s not an issue – I’m usually up before 5 but for others – WOW that’s early. These girls are up, dressed and have run to be at the Chapel for morning services by 5:45.

Then the singing starts and oh what singing it is. From the youngest to the oldest I hear hymns of true praise to our Lord. Worship starts early here at MJC. Yesterday morning I witnessed something truly amazing. Let me share it with you.

It was just before 6 in the morning, the girls were probably in their 3rd or 4th song. There were lights on in the Chapel (it was still very dark outside). They use a good sound system as amplification for the musical instruments and the leader’s microphones. They project the lyrics on the wall so they know what to sing. They were just starting the 3rd verse of “How Great Thou Art” and it was awe inspiring. Then suddenly the electricity went off. The keyboards went silent. The percussion equipment was mute. All the microphones died as the projector went dark.

A cavernous darkness enveloped us all as the Church went totally pitch black. I couldn’t see my hand in front of me. Then I heard them. I heard them singing “That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died, to take away my sin” And they were twice as loud; their sound was twice as beautiful, they were twice as wonderful as when I could see those angles just moments before. I listened, amazed and spellbound in the darkness as they sang. What singing it was! Then I realized, as they sang the words by heart, the projector was for me, not them. They knew every word.

Can you image being 3 years old, your father and mother killed for their being Christ-followers, living in a strange land with a language you don’t know, standing in a choir at 6 in the morning and suddenly you’re in total darkness. What would you have done – cowered back in fear?
They sang! They sang “And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!”

When I first started as Chaplain for the American Legion I asked Tina to buy me some plain men’s handkerchiefs. I knew I’d be going to funerals. She asked why I needed them. I told her, “For the crying times ahead.” I was right. I should have brought some with me for these joy tears.

As the most blessed man I know.

Signing off from Coimbatore

Tom

The Doubting Thomas Reports

2008-09-05T11:13:00.002-04:00

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” Those are the words of my namesake, recorded forever in John 20:24-25.

I have to confess that I live up to my name by doubting just about everything. When I first heard about the Michael Job Center for Orphan Girls (MJC) I set it aside as just another “children’s sponsorship” program. You know the kind… where you pay $25 a month (feel good about yourself money), receive a picture of your child and a short bio; half the money goes in the pockets of some promoter and after all expenses maybe $1.50 goes towards digging a well in some village. I’ve always had my doubts about these kinds of charities.

Then I read about the Michael Job Center from Billy Graham’s organization, Samaritans Purse. They had checked it out and endorsed it. Then I read about the MJC from the Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) organization. VOM is responsible for supporting and reporting on the Persecuted Church today. When you think of martyred Christians you normally think of Roman times, Christians thrown to the lions in the coliseum type of stuff. Today more Christians are being murdered for their faith than any other time in history. In India alone, over 8,000 have been killed in the past 10 years. As I type this, thousands of Christians are hiding in the jungles of the Orissa Province of India as radical Hindus burn their homes, burn their churches and if they can catch them, kill them too. Christians are dying RIGHT NOW because they profess to be followers of Christ.

The children at the MJC are the daughters of these Martyrs. There are currently 357 and I’m very sad to say, more are coming every day.

After doing the research and determining that this might be a good charity, I contacted the local US organization that provides a conduit for support to MJC and spoke at length with Ginny Cleary. She and her husband run the Jordan Foundation. When you give money to their foundation for the MJC – it goes directly (without any expenses taken out) to the MJC to support the orphans. She told me a lot about the Center, the kids there and Dr. P.P. Job, the founder of the orphanage. It certainly seemed more real to me but I still had lots of doubts. I started thinking about going over to India and checking this place out for myself – the original doubting Thomas view of, gotta see it and touch it in order to believe it…

Then I heard that the founder, Dr. Job was coming to the US, that he would be in Maine (a nice drive from Maryland) and had a free morning. So, I drove to Maine, met with Dr. Job and learned more. By talking with him, the mission of the Michael Job Center became a little more real to me. Dr. Job spoke with sincerity and purpose about supporting the girls living at the MJC in Coimbatore. It became a little more real to me but I still wasn’t convinced.

After returning to Maryland I found out that Dr. Job was going to be speaking at a small church in Kensington, MD. My wife, Tina, kids, Thomas and Shannon, and I went there to meet and hear him. I wanted my wife to let me know what she thought about it. To use her ability of discernment to see if she thought this was real. She did.

But that still wasn’t enough for me. So, I applied for an India visa, got lots of shots for all kinds of nasty bugs, bought the plane tickets and flew to Coimbatore.

This is the end of my second day at the orphanage. It’s 7:17pm now as I am typing this from the communications center at the top of the auditorium at the Michael Job Center for Orphan Girls. The children have finished their supper and gone for study time in their rooms. The electricity is off for the moment so there are generators humming in the distance. It is VERY dark here at the Comm Center but I have a good battery on this laptop so I’m typing from the light of the screen.
And now this doubting Thomas can honestly report to you, it’s real. I have seen them. I have touched them and they have touched me to the very core of my soul as I have been hugged and loved by these precious girls.

Blood comes from a circumcised body
Tears from a circumcised heart.

It’s hard for this silly old man to type right now through my tears. But I’ll wipe my eyes and try. There are 357 ORPHANS here right now and they are given the very best that God can provide. Dr Job doesn’t ask for money, it just comes. Proof enough to me that it’s a God thing he’s doing here.

I have so much more to tell you about the Michael Job Center but now is not the time. I just wanted to get this much of the message to you as soon as I could.

PLEASE PRAY for us here. I believe it’s the most important thing you can do.

Reporting from Coimbatore, India. . .

No-longer-doubting Thomas S. Cropper, Jr.

Departure to Coimbatore

2008-09-01T05:22:00.003-04:00

Like a little child on their first day back at school, I’m dressed and packing and repacking my book bag in anxious anticipation, long before the rest of the house is up. :-) I’m excited about this. My conversation with the Boss is more urgent, more restless. But he’s patient with me like any parent would be at a time like this. I think he’s smiling as we begin this new adventure together.

I’ll tell you a new thing today. I haven’t told many. A couple years ago, on a whim and out of simple curiosity, I asked my mom what my first spoken word was. I was thinking of kidding her about it if she said, “Oh, it as DaDa,” or something like that – meaning my first word was my baby word for my dad. Or making her feel good about it if she said, “Your first word was Momma.” She looked at me with an interesting expression and said, “Tom, the first word you ever said was, pretty.”

When we were looking for a child to sponsor at the Michael Job Center (MJC) we had a lot to choose from – well over 300 orphan girls. Here’s who we picked:

PREETI comes from Tibet where Christians are persecuted by Buddhists as well as communists. Her father became a TB patient and hence was bed ridden. Father lost his job.

I’m looking forward to meeting her soon. Can I give her a hug for you too?

Late Bloomers Can

2008-08-31T22:25:00.002-04:00

31 Aug 2008

Tina has a great garden this year. Lots of good stuff, well planned. But we planted our sunflowers extremely late in the season. Too late I thought. They were forever sprouting and were very slow to grow through the high heat of the summer. Now it’s Labor Day and all of the other sunflowers I’ve seen in the local area are long gone. But today – ours bloomed! I’m heading on mission tomorrow, what a wonderful send off Lord. They’re gorgeous!!

I turn 52 in 12 days. Here I am in seminary, going on mission 1/2 way around the world. It's as if He's saying, "Hey, I can use late bloomers too." :-)

Gettin' Real

2008-08-26T20:46:00.001-04:00

Drove up to 21st and R Street in DC and picked up my Indian Visa late this afternoon. As of now, I’m cleared Hot for travel to Indian country ;-) Everyone seems so concerned about my safety while over there. I was probably in much greater danger driving through areas of DC today than I ever will be in Coimbatore.

Well, it’s getting real. Visa in hand, multi-vaccination shot soreness wearing off and airline tickets purchased. Got the In-country security brief check-in-the-box and appointment lined up with lawyer for will update and power of attorney sign off. Yup, getting real.

More good news. I started my next Seminary course today!

The Theology and Practice of Ministry.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An introduction to the purpose of ministry through the study of the biblical and theological basis for "every member ministry," the rise of clericalism in church history, the equipping church model vs. the dependency model, and the permission-giving church vs. the controlling church. Students will examine approaches to gift discovery and ministry matching.
The course is taught during an eight-week term that includes a course introduction week, six Learning Units, and a learning evaluation week. All units are designed to help the learner fulfill the learning objectives of the course. Learning units may include lecture and research materials, outside reading, learning community discussion, and church-based assignments. The professor serves as a ministry learning mentor, providing almost daily interaction and facilitation among the learners.

Looks like my practical portion of this course will be carried forward during my India mission – Fun fun!!

Dispatch To Coimbatore

2008-08-26T04:36:00.004-04:00

Today starts a new section of this blog. I have been called to India for a mission trip. I’m off to Coimbatore, India in less than 7 days - Lord willing. My destination is the Michael Job Center for Orphan Girls. In the following submissions to this blog I hope to be able to ‘keep you in the loop’ on what God is doing through me, how I’m doing with that ;-) and general observations of mine along the way.

So don’t sit back and just read this – PLEASE PRAY FOR ME NOW! Really…. I need the Boss’s judgment, His wisdom, His strength and most important of all HIS LOVE – as I go to minister to 351 children of martyred Christians. Via your comments here in this blog (see comment button below) pls let me know you’re supporting me in this. I’m excited about this journey and anxious too. I’m stepping out into a whole new area here – way out. I really can’t explain why, other than I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is what He wants from me, right now, right where I am, just as I am in Him today – to go.

In trying to dissuade me from going, a few good natured people have said to me, ‘Why India? If you want to help others so much, there are plenty of poor folks in the mountains, or Indian reservations right here in the US who can use your help.” I normally get these kinds of statements from well meaning folks who aren’t helping anyone themselves – regardless of the location. I’m sure if I ask those who are in the trenches, working in our mountains or reservations they’ll tell me, “God calling you to India? – GO!”

Here starts the journey. Pls excuse the poor grammar, the bad sentence structure and jumbled up thoughts. That’s me – and it’s real at least ;-) I pray that you’ll bear with me as I stumble along the path He’s laid before me and that you’ll join me on this journey as we learn what our Lord has to teach along the way.

Looking Forward!

Tom

2008-08-18T07:18:00.002-04:00

It's ALL His Anyway!

2008-08-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

Wow - I can't believe it's been so long since my last submission. Lots to catch up on.

Since mid July, I've started my second year as Chaplain for Post 64. I suppose I didn't screw up too much since they wanted me back again. ;-)
I've just completed my second Seminary semester. The Theology and Practice of Discipleship was great. I’ve lots to share on what the Lord’s been teaching, more on that later. Semesters run every 8 weeks, year round. I’m off for a week then we start The Theology and Practice of Ministry. Hopefully this new semester will have direct application to my Chaplaincy.

The family is doing well. We’ve had a busy summer. We are all moving into the ‘getting ready for school’ mode now. Today we are staying at the Q-Town townhouse. Tina and the kids are taking the VRE and Metro to the D.C. Zoo – Yeah! I think Thomas is more excited about the Train part (the getting there and back) than the destination ;-)

Work is busy. Tina and I turned all of our business over to the Lord last year. It’s ALL His anyway, we’re just stewards of those things He’s placed in our temporary charge. (See Business By the Book, Burkett) It’s amazing what He’s done. Since my last submission Nsite has more than doubled in size. The work is exploding with growth. Two more employees start today with more (Lord willing) on the way. We’re up to 20 employees now I think with more business coming in from different government entities.

Lots more to come. I’ll do my best to keep this blog updated at least weekly from now on.

It’s ALL His anyway!

Performance Trap

2007-11-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

My 8 year old daughter and I were driving home today. Just the two of us. We turned the radio off, the MP3 player off, the cell phone off, the CD/DVD player off -- and we talked ;-) We are doing the Samaritans Purse Christmas Child Shoe box thing. We were returning from the store after getting (using her money too ;-) the stuff for her Christmas Child.

She turned to me in all seriousness and asked, “Hey Daddy, would you like it if you could be in more than one place at one time?” I thought she was talking about being Omnipresent – you know God's ability to be everywhere at the same time. I wasn't sure how to answer her - I was wondering how I could relate this hard-for-adults-to-understand concept to an 8 year old.... So I stalled by simply saying, “Sure Honey, I think that would be way cool. Why?”

She said, 'Well if you had a clone, they could work and you could spend more time with me and Thomas (her brother).”

“Really”, I said, “How would that work?”

She replied, “Your clone could put your phone-thingy headset on and spend all day talking on the phone. Then he could be on the computer all night working like you do now. That way you could spend your time with Momma and me and Thomas. Good idea right?”

As I type this, it's hard to see the keyboard for the tears. What a putz I am.

For most American men, if we did have a clone, I wonder where we would send him – to our job site or to our house?

A Love Letter from your Dad

2007-09-13T22:59:00.000-04:00

I found a letter for you. Click Here To Receive it

With All My Love,

Tom

Sept 4 2007 - Funerals

2007-09-04T05:28:00.000-04:00

For the last few days there’s been a ‘spike’ on funerals. Friends will ask me, “Hey, how’s it going.” With a downcast face I’d say, “Three funerals this week.” or “Four funerals in the last few days.” Etc… It’s been a sad time.. Then this morning I read something from the smartest, wisest man who ever lived.. (Not a bad person to learn from right?) He said,

Better to send your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies – so the living should take this to heart.. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

Before I started here, Russell Franklin (the American Legion District Chaplain) had been doing this job for over 10 years. Over a decade of funerals, he must be one of the most refined people I know.

Yesterday I read in Ecclesiastes 6:11

The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. (The Message)

So…. I’ve said enough… ;-)

Helpmate

2007-09-03T06:12:00.000-04:00

Thought you'd enjoy this one. Take a look at my August 25 Blog to see why I like it so much. ;-)

Criticism - 28 August 2007

2007-08-28T21:30:00.000-04:00

Gave the benediction at Laura Hamilton’s funeral tonight. I started my service to the American Legion just a few days ago. She started serving the Legion in 1957 – 50 years ago this year. What a track record. What a journey she had. What a legacy she has.

I didn’t know Miss Laura but there were tons of friends at the service who were greatly effected by her life. I listened to the tributes and learned you never had to wonder how you were doing around her. She’d let you know, straight up without embellishment, if you were on or off track. And everyone agreed it was best to listen – ‘cause she was right! But she wasn’t a caustic critic. She gave you her what’s what because she wanted it done right and wanted you to get it right, because she cared.

You know my Grandfather taught me something about this criticism thing…
He told me, “Rooster (his nickname for me… ;-) , Rooster there’s two groups of folks who will criticize you. The first group does it because they want to hurt you, the second group because they want to help you. Well, for those who want to hurt you, they’ll have to find at least a grain of truth in their criticism to make it effective. FIND THAT GRAIN OF TRUTH and learn from it.. If you’ll do that, they’ll actually end up helping you even if their plan was to hurt.. As for the second group, if they are trying to help you then By God LISTEN TO ’EM! There few enough people in the world who care about you anyway. Listen to them, find the truth and make the change needed.”

It sounds like Miss Laura would have been in that second group of folks my Granddad talked about – caring enough to give you the truth in love, so you can get it right.

There’s probably a few more Angels flying right tonight…. Keep’em straight Miss Laura!

25 August - Anchors

2007-08-25T06:59:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a story.

The other day I was sitting at a restaurant overlooking a whole bunch of boats anchored out over the bay. I could look out past them and see the inlet where the bay opened into the ocean. It was a gorgeous day, a beautiful view, great meal, it was just a great day. I like being on the water. It was nice. I was sitting close to a couple of guys eating at the next table. Being notoriously nosey, I was listening in on their conversation.

I realized not only were they eating lunch but this was also a de-brief between a student pilot and his instructor. They were going over their last training flight. Being a nosey old pilot myself, this peaked my curiosity. The instructor turned to the student pilot and said "Let's go over emergency procedures. If you're at cruise altitude and you have a power failure what do you do?" The student pilot looked at him and said "Well, first I would turn into the wind." The instructor interrupted him and said, "OK, look outside and give me three indicators of where the wind is coming from."

Of course, I did the same. I saw some flags fluttering in the distance. Then I noticed the waves and the ripples in the water… I was searching for a third indicator when I heard the student pilot say, "The boats!". I turned my attention to the 30 or 40 boats that were anchored in the bay and he was right. It looked like they were all pointing into the wind. Since they were all anchored from their bow, (the front of the boat for you 'lubbers') the wind was pushing them around so they were all pointing into the wind.

However that wasn't totally true, the instructor said, "Look closer at the boats." Not all of the boats were pointed into the wind. I thought that was kind of strange. Most of the larger boats, the sailboats and yachts all appeared to be pointing toward the inlet where the bay opens into the ocean. I noticed a couple of other boats that were pointed off in a totally different direction towards the harbor master station. Based upon their position, these few had direct access to the harbor master. Most of the boats were pointed to the wind, but the big ones were pointed to the ocean and a couple were pointed to the harbor master. I thought that was strange. The instructor pilot said obviously in most cases looking at anchored boats will give you an indicator of where the wind is coming from but you certainly can't be dependant on it.

Can you tell me why the big yachts were pointed towards the ocean? If anyone is a mariner it's not too hard a question. They were pointed in that direction because of the tide. When the tide comes in, the force on the bottom of the boat (the keel), if it is deep enough, will move the boat around and point it in the direction of the tide. The power of the tide, for these big boats, was stronger than the power of the wind and that's why they were pointed in the direction of the tide.

Can you tell me what would cause the couple other boats to be pointed away from the tide, away from the wind? Once I looked closer I realized they were using more than one anchor … ;-) By using multiple anchors they had complete control over their direction.

I got to thinking as I looked at those boats how much my Christian life has been like them. Many folks, when they become Christians, anchor their lives by a saving faith in Jesus Christ. That is the beginning of their Christianity, their anchor to the rock of Christ. Christians have that assurance of salvation, that they are going to heaven, but that is the only anchor they've got and they are tossed and turned by every breeze of trouble that comes along.

Don't get me wrong, the tide isn't pushing them down the bay and there is no fear of them losing the anchor of their salvation. But for these single anchor Christians, the winds of trouble, the normal winds of living in this world of problems, blows them around easily.

Then I thought about the big boats. The ones that have the deep keels that go deep below the surface. It reminded me of this new success gospel, this new abundant life prosperity scheme that says, if you are a Christian you should be rich. This gospel of consumerism is not the gospel, it's a lie. I see many Christians that, (based upon changes in their lifestyle because they became a Christian) end up becoming successful in the eyes of the world. They have tithed, they have dropped many if not all of their destructive behavior after becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ and because of that, they have come to have success in the world. That tide of success, (even though they have that Salvation anchor in Jesus), is such a strong and powerful force, it has turned their attention from the Lord to all of the riches in the world. Their success (because of their trust and obedience to God) has turned them away from God.

Then I thought of those couple of boats that were anchored in such a way they pointed to, and had easy access to the harbor master. I was thinking that in my spiritual life that relates to more than one anchor. In other words, yes we have the anchor of salvation but we also hunger for the anchor of real fellowship with other Christians. We require the anchor of studying the word, the anchor of a deep and meaningful prayer life and the anchors of a purposeful mission and ministry. These multi-anchored boats are the true servants of the Lord pointing their whole life towards their Harbor Master.

I know that throughout my Christian life I have been every one of these three boat types. As a young man, I had so totally screwed up my life, the only thing that saved me from being lost forever was anchoring my life to Christ. He truly saved and changed me. Those changes resulted in success. As he remade me into something new, success came. And that success took my eyes off the Lord and back onto myself and the riches of the world. What a mistake.. Now as I'm using these essential anchors of worship, fellowship, bible study, a mission and ministry, my little boat is once again pointing in the right direction - the only truly important direction for me - being a Christ-follower.

Where is your boat pointing? I don't know how it is in your life but I need a lot of anchors. If ya need'em too, go get'em.

Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming...

22 August - End of Summer

2007-08-22T12:33:00.001-04:00

Saw this pic and it reminded me Ocean City will be empty soon - save for the 'locals' among us. With school opening earlier each year (it seems) the back to school frenzy is in full swing..

Keep an eye out for School Buses! Precious cargo on the roads soon..

Guess Who

2007-08-19T21:36:00.000-04:00

A famous United States General wrote a small manuscript called ‘Daily Sacrifice.’

Here is a small portion:

“Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate Blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit . . . Daily frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ.

Thou gavest Thy Son to die for me; and has given me assurance of salvation, upon my repentance and sincerely endeavoring to conform my life to His holy precepts and example.”

Can you guess who wrote it?

Hearing Test

2007-08-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

You know, my neighbor's dog is SO strange. By that I mean, all of a sudden I will be in my house and I will hear my neighbors dog start barking. There is nothing going on and nobody around. There is nothing that I can discern that would indicate why he should be barking. Then a few minutes later, it seems like minutes but it's not that long, but a little after I realize what is going on, my neighbor pulls up in his car. The point I'm trying to make is that dog can hear his master long before I have any ability to make that determination. He can hear his car, and can discern the sound of his master's particular car long before I can pick up on the fact that my neighbor is coming home. Wouldn't it be great if we could hear GOD speaking to us the same way?

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

7 August

2007-08-08T06:55:00.000-04:00

Russell called me. He mentioned that Jim Boston had back surgery and could I send him a fruit basket. I called Joann and set that in motion. Joann mentioned that Jim Collins is doing pretty well..

The Commander handed me a letter last night. It was a plea to help a disabled Vet whose electric had been disconnected. The Post isn't responsible for, nor can it pay Vet's utility bills. It sounded like a matter for the Chaplain. There was no phone number - only a name and address so I drove over to investigate.

As I drove by the address I couldn't tell if the electric was on or not. All the blinds and shades were pulled down tightly. No vehicles in the driveway and a big NO TRESPASSING sign was in the front window. I turned around and drove by again without success. I got to the end of the development thinking, 'Well I've done the best I can.. I can't tell if the electric is on or not, but with no vehicles there, the middle of the day and No Trespassing signs easily read and no phone number to call... I think I've done the best I can do...' I started to turn onto the highway but stopped. My WWJD bracelet turned me around. I drove up to the house, ignored the empty driveway and the big NO TRESPASSING sign and knocked on the door.

It took a while, but after a couple of minutes, Ken opened his door. After a brief introduction, he welcomed me into his home. Lights were on and it was cool inside. In his late 60's, he's a Vietnam Vet with over 270 jumps to his credit. Partially paralyzed on his left side, he gets around pretty well with a cane. His service is Army and Merchant Marine and we had a good talk about some of his ports of call. While I was there we decided to go for a ride. I put my top down on the little convertible and off we went. We drove over to the Upper Ferry and before he knew it he was going for a boat ride too! We crossed the Wicomico River - hot, steamy day - reminded him of Vietnam.... I told him that I had heard they charge twice as much to cross back the other way ;-) After returning we had a time of prayer and I was off.

Ken's electric was fine. Lessons Learned: I had made the right decision to turn around. Go the extra mile especially when it's hard, because there just might be a lonely Vet on the other side of those tightly closed window blinds and No Trespassing sign. What a wonderful job I have.

6 August

2007-08-08T06:53:00.000-04:00

Executive Committee Meeting

At 19:55 I was nominated and elected Chaplain of American Legion Post 64, Salisbury, Maryland.

Work to be done....

29 July

2007-07-30T05:44:00.001-04:00

7/29/2007 4:40:00 PM Called Allen Hermann - Not doing well. Problems with his surgery. Heading over there to check on him.

7/29/2007 4:45:24 PM Called Harry Fisher - He sounded great. Just back from Red Lobster - good meal. He said thanks for the fruit - it came just in time for him.

7/29/2007 4:50:19 PM Called Fred Hill - Spoke with Carol (daughter) and he says he's doing well. Said it was ok to stop by.

7/29/2007 4:58:04 PM Called George Morgan - Spoke with Mrs. Morgan - Said it was ok to stop by

Stopped by and visited Al Hermann, Fred Hill and George Morgan this evening. Will call Fred tomorrow at noon to ask about taking him to Shrimp Night.

First Funeral

2007-07-29T06:34:00.000-04:00

I went to my first funeral as Chaplain of Post 64 Friday. Irv Larson, 97 was transferred to Post Everlasting. My Dad always told me, under normal circumstances, the number of people attending a funeral is inversely proportional to their age when they died. In other words the older you get, the fewer you get. Since I’ve little experience with funerals, I’ll hold off on the validity of the theory. I did notice this however.

It was a wonderful service and I don’t mean this irreverently. The group in attendance was very diversified from the very old to the very young. The American Legion should be proud of it’s level of attendance as there were quite a few of us there. The thing that struck me with such power was the message.

It was given by Rev Jerry Larson, Irv’s son. First that he could give a message standing over the coffin of his father with such composure. Even though he mentioned he has presided over thousands of funerals, to do it for you Dad… It was awe inspiring. His message was simple. He told of his own personal spiritual journey.

As a young, dedicated church attendee with many, many years of Sunday services never missed – he still was missing something. He felt in his heart a yearning, a hunger for an unmet spiritual need in his life. Then one day, while crossing his college campus, he finally understood, not just in his head, but in his heart that what he needed was a personal relationship with Christ. Not just a head knowledge – ‘yeah I believe this or that’ – but a moment in time when he had to:

Turn from and ask God for forgiveness from his mistakes in the past,

understand that Jesus paid his debt for those mistakes by going to the cross and dieing in his place,

that his promise of everlasting life in heaven with God is assured by Jesus’ coming back to life after being dead for three days,

that he needed to ask Jesus to save him personally, by faith – it’s a free gift from God, not by what we do, but by what He as already done for us.

And so, Jerry Larson, quite out of character there on his knees on the lawn of his college campus, became a Christian. Not by all the good stuff he (Jerry) had done, but by faith in Christ for what He has already done for all of us.

Jerry mentioned that before his dad died, his father too came to know Jesus as his Savior. What a wonderful thing to know. That after this very brief time on earth, he knows he’ll be seeing his dad again, in heaven. What a great treasure.

I could tell Irv was much loved by the folks there last Friday. The next day I was reading about evil King Jehoram’s funeral found in 2 Chronicles 21:1-21 Where it says,

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. No one was sorry when he died.

What an incredible contrast between these two men. I could tell, Irv was much loved by his friends and family there last Friday and although they were certainly sad to see him go, they know they’d be together again. Not even his mother was sorry for Jehoram when he died.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS - RTM

2007-07-27T17:16:00.000-04:00

I was Instant Messaging with an employee of mine the other day. He was having problems with software he had just installed, it didn’t seem to do what he wanted it to do. He was very frustrated as he had been messing around with it for quite a while. He eventually turned to me for some help.

We communicated using a program called Instant Messaging. This allows two people to chat using a computer via the Internet. What he typed on his computer, I could see on my computer screen and vice-versa. Instant Messaging is kind of like the Texting you see young folks do on cell phones these days. You kind of develop your own language while texting and instant messaging. Everything seems to be abbreviated, such as “Laugh out Loud” is typed LOL. Instead of See You Later, you type CYA. As he was describing his problems with the software, I realized this was a new program that he wasn’t trained on so he really didn’t know what he was doing. After awhile I sent him a message that read,

“IF ALL ELSE FAILS, RTM”

Can you guess what RTM stands for? ;-) RTM means read the manual. That young employee of mine was a lot like myself 20 years ago.

The very last thing I wanted to do (because of my pride) was read a manual! I wanted to just stick the software in a computer and go to town on it - just figure it out kinda like flying from the seat of my pants…. I haven’t changed much. LOL

Last month my family and I were going to Lancaster, PA for a little vacation. As I was driving North towards Pennsylvania I realized I didn’t have a clue how I was going to get to Lancaster. I had an idea but didn’t know for sure. I didn’t bring any maps, my GPS wasn’t working right and I was too proud to stop and get directions. So we floundered around for a while at the top of Delaware until I stopped and bought a map. Once I had a map, I could figure out where I was. Once I knew where I was and knew where I wanted to go, it wasn’t too hard from that point, to figure out how to get there.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately, how much life for all of us is kind of like that. As an inventor/author who creates things (primarily software), after I get done writing it and testing it, but before I can release it, the next step is to write the documentation so that other people can take what I have created and make use of it. I think if you are a conscientious creator, author, inventor then you want to make it as easy as possible for the users of your creation.

As I was reading the newspaper the other day, looking at all the troubles that folks are having, I was thinking, wouldn’t it be great if there was a user manual for people. Wouldn’t it be great if there was one place that folks could go that would be an instruction manual to solve their problems. I think most of the problems people have are self induced. I know in my life that’s true. Wouldn’t it be neat if the greatest inventor in the world, the greatest programmer ever, were to have provided a user manual for us? And then I realized that he did and I had a copy. Seemed a little dusty when I pulled it off the shelf and maybe that’s why I have the problems that I do have. Maybe I shouldn’t wait until…

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, RTM

You might have a copy of this manual too, somewhere.....

27 July

2007-07-27T05:31:00.000-04:00

Was reading about King Jehosaphat this morning.. He allied with an evil peer to do business and the endeavor was destroyed... This, after a lifetime of repeated similar cycles.. You'd think he would have learned... I pulled this from Sarina Wesleyan Methodist Church's web site, a pretty good read on the topic...

Doing Things God's Way
A secular song had the words, "I did it my way." The song promoted the idea that we should take pride in doing things our own way. As we read God's Word we see, over and over, that when people do things their own way - it is dangerous! We need to take warning from the Bible that we, as His people must do things His way.

What can we learn from the life of King Jehosaphat? Let's look at his life.

He followed God
2 Chronicles 16-20 relates the life of this King of Judah. In the beginning of his reign, "...the Lord was with Jehosaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel" (2 Chron. 17:3-4).

"His heart took delight in the ways of the Lord..." (2 Chron. 17:6a)

He shared God's Word
In the third year of his reign he sent out 16 leaders (5 leaders, 9 Levites and 2 priests) to teach throughout the land of Judah. They had the Book of the Law with them and taught the people (2 Chron. 17:7-9).

What was the result? "The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the land, that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehosaphat."

The Philistines and Arabians brought tribute (2 Chron. 17:11-12)

Even our enemies will recognize God at work if we follow God and honour His Word! (2 Chron. 17:10)

He made some bad decisions
We read about some of Jehoshaphat's bad decisions following his prosperity.
He married pagan King Ahab's daughter. He had "riches and honor in abundance, and by marriage he allied himself with Ahab" (2 Chron. 18:1).

He made alliances with pagan countries. When we read about King Ahab and Queen Jezebel we see how their evil influence affected so many people. And, for Jehosaphat to align himself with this pagan king was incredible. Did the "riches and honor" he was receiving affect his judgment?
King Ahab invited King Jehosaphat to visit him in Samaria, and while there persuaded him to join armies to fight against the people of Ramoth Gilead. Jehosaphat was treading on dangerous ground. He must have realized that when he asked Ahab "Please inquire for the word of the Lord today" (Read 2 Chron. 18:4-34).

Jehosaphat had this warning from God's prophet Micaiah, yet he did not listen.

He learned that God is merciful
When Jehosaphat returned safely to his house in Jerusalem, the prophet Jehu came to him and said, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you. Nevertheless, good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God."
Jehosaphat had started out well, but let bad decisions turn him aside. He now had to decide what to do about it. As we read on in the chapter we see that he came back to God and set out to put things right in his country again. He "brought them back to the Lord God of their fathers" (2 Chron. 19:4). He set judges in the land and told them not to judge for man but for the Lord. He told them to "act in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart." (2 Chron. 19:9) and "Behave courageously, and the Lord will be with the good." (2 Chron. 19:11)

He called on God during disaster
The armies of Moab and Ammon and other countries with them, came to battle against Jehosaphat. A messenger came and told them that a multitude was coming and were - in fact within their borders in En Gedi.
What did Jehosaphat do? Like any of us would react - "He feared" (2 Chron. 20:3).

But, then he set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."
The result? So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."
We can read Jehosaphat's prayer, which ends with these words: "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chron. 20:6-12).

God sent Jahaziel to the King to assure him of the Lord's help. "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehosaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.'" and then he said: "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you" (2 Chron. 20:15).
The King and the people were singing and praising - before they won the victory!
Then, we read how the enemies turned on each other and destroyed each other and King Jehosaphat and his army did not have to touch them! The result? "The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel" (2 Chron. 20:29).
"Then the realm of Jehosaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around" (2 Chron. 20:30).

He needed to learn to keep on getting God's directions!
After all the experiences that Jehosaphat had, you would think that he would have learned to ask God for His directions. It seems that whenever life became peaceful and prosperous, he kept going back to working things out himself! When the wicked king of Israel asked Jehosaphat to join with him in building a fleet of ships, he agreed! The Prophet Eliezer warned him about this alliance, and the fleet of ships he built in alliance with the King of Israel of were wrecked before they could reach their destination.

"Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish" (2 Chron. 20:37b).

What can we learn from Jehosaphat?

Put God first.

Study God's Word and teach it.

Be careful of your decisions - do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers in marriage, in business, in property, in alliances.

Remember - God is merciful. He hears our cries for help.

Listen to God's warnings and convictions. God used prophets Micaiah, Jehu, Jahaziel, and Eliezer to warn him.

Watch out when life is going "smooth!" (We can be distracted by being comfortable, by money, by wrong alliances, by being caught "off guard."

Fast, pray, praise and trust God with the results.

If we take a stand for God, our lives will be a witness for Him.

Are you, am I "doing things my way" or doing things God's way?

26 July

2007-07-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

I drove in to the Post this morning and talked to Eddie (new Adjutant) he was very, VERY helpful. He has a Garrison Hat ordered for me.

7/26/2007 1:19:13 PM Picked up the grave marker for Larson and dropped off at Bounds FH. They said they would place at the grave site.

7/26/2007 2:52:42 PM Talked to Al Hermann. Success on his surgery. Coming home tomorrow. Mailing Get Well to him.

7/26/2007 3:19:26 PM Called Harry Fisher - He is feeling better. Got about 1 hour nap today and was up watching the game on TV. I thanked us for the Fruit Basket and Get Well Card he got today.

25 July

2007-07-26T15:49:00.000-04:00

Talked to John - He is continuing to update (Prayer, Deceased, Post Everlasting) the boards.
I sent him sick call updates for Al Hermann.

Worked on a new Newsletter Article called -

"If ALL Else Fails - RTM"

Will record, have transcribed and then edit for publishing. I probably will have to greatly reduce the article size (I like to 'talk'...) Will get with Russell on this.

24 July

2007-07-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

7/24/2007 9:39:40 PM Called Joann and asked her to send Fruit Basket to Harry Fisher. We talked a bit about Jim's condition. He's going to have the stiches removed tomorrow morning. She mentioned it was Bounds for Irv's viewing. Will get more details...

7/24/2007 2:41:58 PM Called Balt VA Hospital Allen L Hermann - Not back from surgery yet.

23 July

2007-07-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

7/23/2007 11:53:31 AM Called PRMC - Harry Fisher has been released from the hospital! Sent get well card. I'll give him a day and call tomorrow.

7/23/2007 5:54:40 PM Called Jim Collins - no answer. He said he was 'Having some work done today' so I'll call again in the morning to see how he did.

7/23/2007 5:55:13 PM Called George Morgan - He sounded good. I asked if it's OK to stop by sometime this week - late afternoon - He said sure.. I'll call on Thursday.

7/23/2007 5:58:19 PM Called Ralph Baker - He is about the same. Weds they are going to work on pacemaker isseus. Will call again on Thursaday and see if best to visit.

7/23/2007 6:04:18 PM Heading over for Shrimp!

22 July

2007-07-26T15:40:00.000-04:00

10:25
Visited Irv Larson
Found him sleeping soundly in Room 509 of Salisbury Nursing Home (Geninses). Give a quick silent prayer while there so as not to distrub him. Will come back later

10:38
Drove by Jim Collin's house (to verify I could find it) and then called on cell phone from around the block. Checked to see if he was ready for some company. He was not; we talked on the phone for a bit. He told me I'd some very big shoes to fill if Russell's stepped out of them ;-) I agreed. He mentioned going in for some 'work' Monday. I told him I'd call Monday night to check on him.

10:45
I called Fred Hill. He said to, "Come on over - he's not going anywhere!" I stopped in and visited for a few minutes. We talked about his recent stroke and eye problems. He's sad to have to give up his car. He seems to be moving around pretty well after losing so much movement on his right side. We talked about his Navy career - how he actaully spent 1/2 of his 20 years on only 2 ships - 5 years on one and 5 on another. He had about 1/2 dozen tomatoes on the food shelf from his 2 plants in front of his apartment. He mentioned how he hasn't been up to weeding the beds but still he's getting tomatoes. We talked about his wife a bit - how she passed about a year ago now. We also talked about this sons and daughters - all in the local area who come help him out - how fourtunate he is. We had a time of prayer together and I was off to see the neighbors.

11:03
I knocked on the apartment next door and visited with Mrs Morgan for a while. I introduced myself and she mentioned how much Russell has meant to her and George. He was still sleeping so I didn't go in but gave her my phone number and took hers so I can call again to find the best time to visit.

As I was driving home - I thought - what a wonderful job this is Russell. What a wonderful blessing it is to do it. Thank you so much for entrusting it to me. It's difficult not getting emotional about it... As I write this, it's getting harder to read what I type through my tears.. I guess it's just my heart growing....

18:41
Visited Harry Fisher Rm 3530 PRMC 9810 Sharptown Road , Mardella Springs - 410-742-5092
Daughter - Martha Yates - Widow - lives near Ward Museum - takes care of him
Son and Grandson were there when I came in the room. His wife of 67 years (Louise Fisher nee Beech of Cambridge) is at Salisbury Nursing Home - Alz.
He likes going to Shorebirds games. Likes the Redskins. He has 2 grandsons with high clerances - lots of overseas work - civilians now - ones live in Killeen, TX.

He was a Merchant Marine - sunk once in 42 during worst of the Wolf (Nazi Subs) Pack - lost most of his friends - happend to be on the Stern and got blown overboard - picked up by a destroyer. He mentioned Shrimp Night