Last Week Away!

Well, this is it. The last week I will be in Germany. Not only Germany, but it’s the last time I’ll ever be international with the Army. And, depending on God’s path for my life, it may be the last time I’m ever overseas period. I cannot tell you how glad I am to finally be reunited with my wife and kids. When I get back it will be nine days shy of a complete two years that I have been separated from my family. It’s rough on a guy, and it’s definitely rough on the family. Ashley told me the other day that Leila woke up early one morning crying and saying she missed her daddy. It was heart breaking to hear that, but at the same time I was glad to know that this time apart is almost over. Granted it won’t be a complete reunion. I still have about 9-12 months left in the Army being stationed two hours away from my house, but it’s a heck of a lot better than 24 hours worth of traveling (including a combination of taxis, trains, planes, and cars). I love to travel, and I love seeing things, but the sweetest flights I have ever experienced were those coming home. And now I get to do it possibly for the last time. I cannot wait for this flight. It could be turbulent the whole way and I will still call it the best flight of my life.

Now I’m off to the next stage of my life. With these last several months in the military I will be gearing up for the next stage of my life; which in all honest should have been the primary stage of my life. I've finally come to the point in my life where I have fully decided to follow God’s true path for my life. It’s not that it took me these past seven years in the military to get to this point, but due to the nature of a military contract I couldn't completely do what I felt I need to do; what I am called to do. I have been preparing myself for this next stage though. I just completed my Bachelor’s of Science in Religion through Liberty University. Now, with me going back stateside I can work with my great friend and mentor, Rob, on possibly going through the ordination process with the Assemblies of God. It will be a three year process which I will be doing on the side of everything else going on in my life: or should I say that everything else will be going on along the side of that? Either way, life happens. The point is to love God, love others, and not let the enemy get in your way of any of that. (That last sentence pretty much sums up a book I just read called The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. This book is a must read for any Christian.)

The next steps in life are a little fuzzy, but what I would like to see come out of the next “process” in life would be possible preaching, discipling, a possible paintball group (no, that dream hasn't died), and I would like to one day write and publish a book…or two…or more. Do I know what the future has in store for me? Not exactly, but I cannot tell you how relieved I am to finally be able to get started on the next part of life. I can’t wait to be able to see my family almost anytime I want. These last couple years have taught me how much I value family, and I've seen a great need for families today to refocus on the importance of family and for parents to teach their kids, rather than have society teach their kids. It puzzles me how everyone knows that there’s something wrong with the world today and yet they are leaving the well being and proper thought to be instilled by the very people who are causing the trouble. I’m looking forward to being able to actually be able to instill principles in my kids. I must reiterate: Distance sucks!