I've started a daily email devotion that I send out to about 30 of my soldiers and thought I would share with you today's devotion.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14; 19-20
Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. . . . This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.
 

Life is full of choices, of decisions - some are more important than others yet they all have consequences attached to them.  As we come to the end of 2010 and look to welcome the New Year, let us think about what we hope for this year.  We always talk about New Year's resolutions - a new start - a new beginning - we set goals to do something we feel we should and yet how many of us have ever seen our New Year's resolutions through till the end of the year?  I know I haven't - I'm usually lucky if I make it till 2 January!! So I decided to give up on them and yet what if it would be a choice to live a different way; though relying on God's strength not my own to see them through.  I realized that the reason I failed is I failed to see the One who will give me the strength to receive the blessing of a life lived for God.
 
In the passage above the people are being given the opportunity to start anew - Too often we say that we can't know what God wants of us . . . I know I've always told Him if He would just skywrite what He wants me to do it would make life so much easier.  I think God needs to learn to text us His desires and yet in many ways He has; He's made it plain if we are willing to listen, to see what He's shown us - through other people, through scripture, through our own conscious - He then leaves the choice up to us.  He asks: What kind of person do you want to be?   How do you want your life to be remembered?  And so each day He sets before us a choice of how we are going to live.  He has set before us "life and death, blessing and curses" which do we choose?  Moses is talking to the Israelites who struggled over and over with choosing the blessing and yet still God returned to say again - choose life, choose the blessing because that is what He ultimately desires for His children.
 
Songs especially the lyrics have a strong impact on me as I often get tunes stuck in my head.   I have the tune "The Blessing" by John Waller as my ringtone (in my other life that is) and I do because it reminds me to choose again the blessing & life God has to offer so I might in some small way be a blessing to someone else.  The lyrics point out the reality of the Deuteronomy passage that the choice is ours.

Let it be said of us, while we walked among the living,
Let it be said of us, by the ones we leave behind,
Let it be said of us, that we lived to be a blessing for life.
And let it be said of us, that we gave to reach the dying,
Let it be said of us, by the fruit we leave behind,
Let it be said of us, that our legacy is blessing for life.

Chorus
This day, you set life, you set death right before us,
This day, every blessing and curse is a choice now,
And we will choose to be a blessing for life.

Let it be said of us, that our hearts belonged to Jesus,
Let it be said of us, that we spoke the words of life,
Let it be said of us, that our heritage is blessing for life.
 
'Cause our blessings and curses are choices
'Cause our blessings and curses are choices
Will we build up, tear down, the moment of truth
 
So as we come to the dawn of a new year (the year we go home!!) let our resolution be to see the choices that God has placed before us and to choose life - to choose Him and then allow Him to show you how that will play out in your life.
 
God bless and Happy New Year

Martha+

Too often we forget the history behind events and as a culture tend to have very short memories, to our discredit.  I would say many people, Christians especially, do not understand the connection we have with Halloween.  Since it has become a secular celebration the signification is lost.  All Hallow's Eve [Halloween] actually is closely connected with the Christian church's All Saint's Day (November 1st) and All Soul's Day (November 2nd)  As Wikipedia points out, "The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even ("evening"), that is, the night before All Hallows Day [or All Saint's Day]"  It is also believed that "Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas [aka All Saints Day] receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day."

So this year as we take our kids out on beggar's night (whenever that is scheduled for in your community) remember that there is significance behind what is going on.  We stand as a Christian community, especially on All Saint's day, on the legacy that has been left by the faithful saint's who have gone before us.  The church remembers and celebrates the many dedicated believers that often gave up their lives so that we would know the truth of the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus which is offered to us through his death and resurrection.  Yet the sad state is many times we forget that foundation passed down to us and focus only on our own experience, to our own spiritual detriment.  God desires us to stand solidly on sound scriptural teaching, seeking His truth not our own desires; so that when we come face to face with Him, we can hear the words 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' (Matthew 25:23)

In the book of Hebrew the writer tells us: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1) In my mind that is what All Souls Day helps us to remember; that we are surrounded by those that have gone before.  They are a witness to us in 2010 as to the desire of God for us, to know Him, to follow Him, to serve Him.  Don't let our minds be so shortsighted that we are unable to throw off the deceptions of our secular society that we miss the mark and lose our way.

In the same way you all are being that cloud of witnesses to myself and to my soldiers.  I've attached a picture of my office that shows what I mean.  All the cards, emails, phone calls and care packages continually remind us that we are not in this alone.  There is a community that is faithfully uplifting us in prayer and standing behind us that we might not be hindered but able to run this race that God has called us to at this time. 

God bless you all.

Many of you have heard my encounter with case management in terms of my injury to my ankle.  After being good and using the crutches for two weeks I went back to the Doctor in Hattiesburg who said that I no longer needed the crutches but would need to slowly over the next 6 weeks rehab the ankle to where I could begin to run again.  He did not need to see me again and wished me luck on my deployment. (side note: It's cool who God places in your life as this guy was a believer and an Army brat himself.  He was heading to Israel on a two week mission trip and we were able to pray for each other's ministry)

Well I went to Camp Shelby's case management that next Monday to get myself closed out and back in a deployable state; however, was told since the doctor did not write the word closed or cleared I needed to continue to come in.  They called the clinic to ask for the notes from the doctor and until they got them my case would remain open.  So I went back three days later and they did get the note from the doctor that I needed to re-acclimate myself over the next 6 weeks to normal activity.  However, I still needed to come into case management.  Of course being the logical person I asked why?  She had no answer and said but you need to re-acclimate over the next 6 weeks.  Exactly and I'm on a temporary profile saying I cannot run or do anything high impact for the next 6 weeks so why do I need to come in?  Again she went back to the 'man behind the curtain' came back and said but you need to re-acclimate that's what the doctor said.  Again I asked why? since that is what the temporary profile is for . . . She left - came back and said but can you do your normal activities my reply was yes because I'm on a temporary profile. . . She left - came back but you need to re-acclimate over the next 6 weeks.  Finally, I told her - look if I have an open case with you I cannot deploy with my unit who will be gone within the next 6 weeks.  Unless you can tell me why I need to come in here to see you when I am on a temporary profile and how that is any different from getting a profile from the TMC (where I would never have even been in their system) you need to close my case.  She left - when she came back this time she stated - we've decided to close your case. 

Persistence pays off!!  So now I have been cleared and am again in a deployable status.  Much to the delight of my soldiers, who came back yesterday.  Again the question . . .what would have happened if I hadn't been persistent, if I had stopped?  How often do we miss what God is desiring to do in our lives because we don't persevere - How long is too long?  We cannot know the mind of God - and what we have been called to do is to come before him day and night - to be persistent in season and out.  Will you have the faith to be persistent before God in whatever is going on in your life? Because that is the only way we can remain in a deployable state so God can use us for his mission.

This verse from Isaiah the prophet comes in the chapter where God is inviting everyone to enter into his promised blessings.  And yet often even with the universality of God's offer - even with the simpleness of merely seeking God to receive His mercy He is rejected.  Again and again the people were turning instead to the things of the world, to seeking that which they felt was in their best interest.  So Isaiah once more appeals to them; to turn and seek God and receive his salvation, his pardon, his abundance.  Pointing out what we all need to see as well that as the commentator from the ESV Study Bible states "that God, the incomparable Creator, is far above his finite creatures . . . But because God is perfectly wise in all his thoughts and ways, his people can take great comfort amid hardship and when inevitably they are unable to understand the mysteries and tragedies of life." (Kindle version location 90506-12)

As many of you might know by now my plans have been adjusted a bit so to speak.  Last Wednesday I was doing PT with my company when I landed wrong on my ankle and popped it.  Didn't think it wasn't too bad but went to the TMC (troop medical clinic) to get it checked out and to make a long story short . . . I now am in the care of an Orthopedic doctor in Hattiesburg and I have an avulsion fracture in my ankle.  Now that might sound really bad while in fact it's the best case in a bad scenario.  What it means is a small bit of bone chipped off my ankle when I rolled it and I need to stay off the ankle and rehab it. 

What it means for my time here - well I am not in California and will miss the rotation my Battalion is going through at NTC (National Training Center) so I give up NTC but am able to still go in country when we leave sometime in November.  As one of my soldiers said to me before they all left "Well Chaplain, we're willing to give you up for a month as long as you are there in country when it truly matters."  To make sure that happens I am being good - actually using the crutches and following my doctor's advice.

But it means a month here at Camp Shelby while the entire Battalion is in California.  There are 6 of us that were unable to go so we are truly rattling around wondering what to do with our days.  As I've told many of you it's like from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer when he comes across the land of misfit toys.  Yet the image there is that while we are all broken in some ways we are still all lovable and useful!  Even when we don't understand why!

 I've been in touch with my assistant each day getting updates about the training they are doing and how he is fairing.  Unfortunately come Friday I will be completely out of touch when they enter their two weeks of technology black out.  It's been great talking with Ohloff as I see this as a wonderful opportunity for him to really grow into his role as my assistant, even in his own ministry that God has planned for him outside my shadow.  The neat thing is the care and concern I've received from soldiers not only in my Battalion but within the Brigade as well.  As Ohloff says "see Ma'am you have a ministry and are touching people you don't even realize!" So I sit and wait and try to remember that God is in control in ways I don't see or understand.

Besides it's giving me time to catch up on some movies I've wanted to watch so I'll have new movie quotes for my sermons when I get back next year!!

God bless - Martha+

Our weekly bible study is looking at the book of Joshua since we thought it would be a good book to study as we plan to move into a war zone and need the reminder of God's presence.  It's encouraging that in the first chapter Joshua is told by God to be strong and courageous a number of times.  Even to a man that sought God his whole life, who didn't waiver in his faith even as he wandered with Moses and the Israelites - he needed encouragement when faced with the unknown - when faced with what seems too big an assignment.  Yet God continued to be with him, to encourage him and to direct him.

The other thing we noticed was in Chapter 3 - the decision had been made to cross over the Jordan, everyone is there and on the same page and then the scriptures says "After three days . . "  Why the wait?  Why not go right away?  I think this shows the military has always practiced the 'hurry up and wait"! We are told that the Israelites needed to consecrate themselves - this was not something to just jump into but that there was something they needed to remember  - they were being set apart not for themselves but for the work of God.

So as we wait - not three days but three months before crossing over to go to Afghanistan I seek to see how I can consecrate myself and my soldiers to prepare for what is to come.  To remember I've been called to this place and that it's not for myself but for what God desires.  I imagine those three days must have been hard after waiting so long just as these three months seem long after preparing all year for this deployment.

So we seek to learn in the waiting and hold onto the little things that make each day meaningful.  It's hard especially on those soldiers who do not have a greater sense or a relationship with God; so I seek to find ways to make the time bearable. As many of you know last weekend was the Iowa/Iowa State game - to boost morale and just to give a bit of a change of pace of the monotony that life at Shelby has become we were able to arrange a battalion wide cookout.  Talk about such a small thing that affected people in a large way.  Often I feel how am I sharing the gospel - hospitality is a sign of God's presence and helping the soldiers know that we care not just about them being good soldiers but that they as individuals matter as well. 

It was effective in breaking up the waiting - and now we get a change of scenery even if it means living in tents on cots in the desert for a month :-) I will be out of contact for the next month as we are not allowed electronics yet when I come back to Shelby mid-October I will be excited to share how God moved and displayed himself in the waiting.

God bless - Martha+

With the Iowa/Iowa State game coming up this weekend I find soldiers using it as a lifeline to our other reality (that which has nothing to do with saluting or having a uniform looking right)  As you can see by the attached picture - some go to extremes to make sure their allegiance is made known!! We are trying to get the game shown here with some success and some failures so please pray our efforts become fruitful.

While a month (or as my XO states the end of our second consecutive Annual Training) is a long time when we are facing 2 more months before we go overseas it can seem like time has begun to stand still and morale is drained.  I have come to the conclusion that 'they' make pre-mob station so bad that you actually look forward to going to Afghanistan!

My 'official' counseling have been averaging 15 a week and can get draining as I hear about some sad situations - see marriages failing - watch people lose sight of why we are here and I begin to feel helpless to do anything.  As I tell my soldiers I have requisitioned a magic wand but because I can't find a NSN number (National Stock number used to order supplies) the supply SGT can get it!

When I get frustrated at my inability to solve these soldiers problems I remember that it's not my place to save them that's God's job! And to remember also He has stated that what's impossible for man is possible for God. Then the other day as I was feeling particularly ineffective I had the opportunity to pray with two different soldiers that came in for various reasons and I was reminded that He continues to use me.  The Sunday night chapel services I've been holding have been going well and we've started a Thursday night bible study looking at the book of Joshua. In fact a new crew came to one of my chapel's and filmed the whole thing which some of you might have seen on the news so at this point I am so over my 15mins!! http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Military-Women-Serve-Side-by-Side-with-Men-101435419.html

SPC Ohloff and I also have begun to do prayer walks - where we walk around the blocks that surround our AO (area of operation) praying for situations, for soldiers and for each other. We feel too the prayers that you all continue to lift up. 

I must say the soldiers appreciate the care packages as my office has become the place that care packages go to get eaten!!

God bless!

One full week is gone and the send off ceremony seems like a distant memory.  The outpouring of support that I received from St. Luke's means so much to me as I continue to pray for you all in this year of unknown.  The good thing we can all hang onto is that God is in control of all things: from this deployment to who the Interim will be.

I'm settling in though with the different training that is happening so far it has been difficult to get a schedule in place.  The past three days SPC Ohloff and myself have been in UMT/RST training [Unit Ministry Team/Religious Support Team]  Today is the last day and we will be doing Ramp Ceremony's, Memorial Services and the like. Yesterday was survivability teaching basic hand to hand defensive moves.  The fun in that was I was able to throw SPC Ohloff to the ground!! Of course he had his opportunity to throw me as well.

As many of you know my much awaited promotion to Captain finally came through.  During the formation for the promotion the heaven's decided to open up.  As I stood in front of the Commander it was a torrential downpour and they were trying to read the promotion as quickly as possible.  My Commander said it reminded him of Noah - I say it was just holy water and God was blessing us mightily!!  It certainly is a promotion NO ONE in my company will forget. I've attached a picture but I don't think it depicts just how hard it was raining. 

I've also had a few more minutes added to my claim to fame.  I've attached a link to an IPR interview I did along with COL Corell the Brigade Commander.  Also, the Cedar Rapids reporter did a follow up to the Camp Ripley story from earlier and I get another sound bite.  And finally if you were unable to attend the send off ceremony the Des Moines Register has the video of the entire thing and you too can listen to the campaign speeches :-) 

I enjoy getting your emails and cards - if I don't respond it's not because I do not appreciate them because I do immensely - it's because I do not have the opportunity or the time to do so.  You remain in my prayers and I appreciate all the prayers that you say for me.

God bless.

The IPR interview: http://iowapublicradio.org/single_story.php?storyid=1061

KGAN piece from Cedar Rapids: http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kgan_vid_3156.shtml

Send off ceremony: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid36249172001?bclid=0&bctid=490928709001

Today is the commemoration of John Mason Neale who was a Priest in the Church of England in the mid-1800.  As Wikipedia tells us:

Neale was strongly high church in his sympathies, and had to endure a good deal of opposition, including a fourteen years' inhibition by his bishop. Neale translated the Eastern liturgies into English, and wrote a mystical and devotional commentary on the Psalms. However, he is best known as a hymn writer and, especially, translator, having enriched English hymnody with many ancient and medieval hymns translated from Latin and Greek. More than anyone else, he made English-speaking congregations aware of the centuries-old tradition of Latin, Greek, Russian, and Syrian hymns. His translations include:

• All Glory, Laud, and Honour
• Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle
• To Thee Before the Close of Day
• O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
• Of the Father's Heart Begotten

The prayer in honor of Fr. Neale goes as follows:

Grant unto us, O God, that in all time of our testing we may know your presence and obey your will; that, following the example of your servant John Mason Neale, we may with integrity and courage accomplish what you give us to do, and endure what you give us to bear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

This would be my prayer not only for myself but for all the soldiers that have been and are being deployed and facing many different types of testing. 

I've attached a picture of my latest stained glass creation - a copy of the Army Chaplain Seal which includes the motto "Pro Deo et Patria" For God and Country.  Perhaps I have more of a creative side then I'd like to admit!!

This seal is now hanging in my office at St. Luke's awaiting my return to take on the challenge of being the next Rector.  Yet for now it represents the mission God currently has me on.  Serving both Him and my country for Him.  My hope is that every time one of you is passing the office and see's this stained glass you might say a prayer for my ministry and for my soldiers (hey you can say one for me too while your at it lol)

While being away from home for 12 months would not be my choice - I am excited about how God will use this time both in the life of my soldiers and in growing me in relationship with Him.  The support I have received both near and far has warmed my heart and strengthened my resolve as I leave to encounter the unknown.  It doesn't matter what your political views are in terms of this war or even in terms of the military - what does matter is that each person whether a soldier or not and no matter the situation they face is able to be shown that there is a God who desires to walk along side them and to draw them to Himself.  So that in this world and especially the next they can know the truth of Salvation through Him. That is my calling, to be a light in the midst of darkness to point others to the one who is hope.  And your support enables me to do just that.  It's also nice to know that I have a place to come back to and I look forward to the years ahead ministering within Des Moines through St. Luke's.

Many of you have been able to see my 2 more minutes of fame thanks to KCCI yet in case you missed it I'm including the link below. 

http://www.kcci.com/news/24500103/detail.html

The next 3 days will consist of more goodbyes, finishing up packing, closing up my house and ultimately getting on a bus to head to the next step.  I'll continue to blog as I am able but do not yet know what my internet connectivity will be like.

The time is getting closer - the reality of the next year is dawning and yet . . . what about the next three weeks.  Am I just to 'get through' them till I enter the next phase? Or is there something that God desires I learn, I do while I wait. The song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller comes to mind.  Part of the lyrics state "While I'm waiting - I will serve You - While I'm waiting - I will worship - While I'm waiting - I will not faint - I'll be running the race - Even while I wait"

So often we live in the future that we miss what God is doing in the present - we miss the opportunities or the encounters He desires us to have because we just want to get to the next step.  I think of the passage in Matthew's gospel where Jesus is preaching what's become known as the Sermon on the Mount.  It said Jesus saw the crowds so He went up the mountainside where His disciples came to Him and that is when the discourse of teaching begins.  In the middle of the teaching He talks about our mindset - what we are focusing on and how we so easily get distracted by the world that we miss His presence.  Yet not only His presence but the riches He desires us to have.  We spin our wheels while all the time all God desires us to seek Him and allow Him to be at work.

Matthew 6:19-20;24-25;32-33

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. . . No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? . . .For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

So instead of being anxious and worrying about what my time at Camp Shelby will be like - instead of looking to when we will actually get into Afghanistan.  I need to focus on what He is calling me to do & to be right now - today - in this moment.  Yet how hard that is to do!!

I was always told to be careful what I pray for because God just might answer your prayers!  I guess at some point I prayed for patience lol 

In the movie Evan Almighty (I know you are missing my movie quotes so here you go) There is a scene where Evan's wife has packed up and taken the kids because she can't handle the strange erratic behavior anymore.  She's in a restaurant and God disguised as the waiter (name tag Al Mighty) asks if she needs anything.  They begin talking and he asks her "If someone asks God for patience do you think He makes them patient? or does he put them in situations that they be patient.  If someone asks God for courage, do you think He makes them courageous or puts them in situation where they can be courageous. . . ."

How often do we want God to miraculously zap us with what we want instead of putting us in places where He can teach us and grow us in those areas.  These past few months have been teaching me to wait on His timing - to be available to what He desires and not my set agenda.

Like many of my soldiers I am getting antsy to go - we've trained . . . we've told our employers we are going . . . we've told our family and friends we are going . . . in fact I've even packed my duffel's and am living out of my ruck . . . so let's go already.  And yet now is the time to wait.  For the next four weeks or so it's that limbo time of being here but yet transitioning to being away.  A lot of emotions are involved some that I don't even realize until I wonder why I'm in a funk.

So my prayer is to live each day that I have in the here and now - to keep my eyes open to what God might what to do in me or even through me as I prepare to face the unknown.  He has begun to use me in a number of soldiers lives as they walk through and deal with the same issues that deployment is forcing them to face.  I've talked to soldiers about their relationships, about fears, depression - if nothing else God is teaching me how to listen.  I don't have the answers but I do know the one who does - Jesus!  That is the hope I can bring.

While at Ripley I had the opportunity to be interviewed by a reporter for KGAN-TV out of Cedar Rapids.  I wasn't the main focus of the story but did get a three second blip near the end.  Here's the link if you want to see it. http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kfxa_vid_2882.shtml?sms_ss=email

Well the last two weeks up here in Minnesota have been good even as they have been tiring.  Long days and short nights have been the order for the days yet in spite of it the moral of the soldiers seems to be fairly good.  There are always frustrations no matter where you are however, it seems a soldier has the ability to rise above better than others.

My days have been filled with counseling’s and going out on lanes with various companies.  Yet don't worry I haven't gotten out of doing Sunday services! The lanes have been realistic convoy lanes testing each of us on our battle drills on how to react and cope with an IED explosion, VBIED (Vehicle Borne IED's) and even how to interact with Afghani locals.  It has been very realistic even to having actual translators playing alone. 

Today I was able to get out to the ranges where some of the companies are qualifying at the range on their weapon.  Again while I'm not firing a weapon it's great time to talk and interact with the soldiers - I find that I do most of my ministry when I'm 'hanging' out and a soldier comes up and says "Hey Chaplain since you're here can I talk to you for a minute?"  Ministry of presence is key to bringing God to these awesome men and women.

Since I just found out that our evening briefing with the Commander has been cancelled I am going to finish this up and hit my rack for a bit before chow.  This has been a long day already as I didn't get to bed till almost midnight and then we had a 'fun' company run at 0500 this morning!  I say anything that is mandatory and has the word run in it by definition can't be fun :-)  But I made it and now don't have to worry about PT for the rest of the day.

I'm attaching a picture of my assistant - he's a great guy and am looking forward to seeing how God will use us in the lives of the soldiers in this Battalion.  We covet your prayers as always!

What a humbling experience - he said he was just so grateful for all we did and thanked me.  When I got to the table and told my friends they too were grateful for his attitude - - though they wondered why I didn't tell him I had three friends LOL I told them that's what they got for ordering first! 

I often struggle with receiving as I see my life and my purpose as giving to others - to helping others not only spiritually but also physically when I can.  Yet here was a man who I have no idea what his faith beliefs are; that was willing to give in a small way to support someone else.  In a way I believe he saw an opportunity to do his part for his grandson where he was otherwise powerless to do anything.

How often do we miss those opportunities to bless another person because we are too consumed in our own worlds - our own problems and issues.  Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive - how true! 

Take the time as you are standing in line - instead of getting frustrated or irritated because it's taking so long and you are on a tight schedule - instead of thinking about all the problems, stresses in your life - LOOK UP - LISTEN.  Perhaps God has placed someone in your path he wants you to bless in some way.  It might not be monetarily - perhaps it could just be a smile - or to strike up a conversation. 

As we come to Trinity Sunday this week allow the Spirit of God to work and to nudge you into the situations where you can be of use to Him.  Or as we said last Sunday - Let the Wild Goose Loose and you might be amazed.

This rosary was for me to take with me as I head to a place where prayer will be even more imperative than it is right now.  And the colors & stones each have meaning that will continue to remind me not only of God's presence but the spiritual presence of all the amazing individuals from St. Luke's. They also got me a pouch with the ACU pattern that I will attach to my body armor so that the rosary will be in constant reach.

One website when talking about the Anglican practice of Rosary states:

The use of the rosary or prayer beads helps to bring us into contemplative prayer, really thinking about and being mindful of praying, of being in the presence of God by use of mind, body, and spirit. The touching of the fingers on each successive bead is an aid in keeping our mind from wandering, and the rhythm of the prayers leads us more readily into stillness.

Next year in Afghanistan will force me to draw on the strength Jesus has given me through prayer and I am deeply grateful for this special gift!  It will give me a tangible reminder even when times are tough that there is a God bigger than whatever situation I am facing.  Prayer is vital when facing the dangers of going into battle yet it is even more important to develop the practice of prayer in the mundane moments of life.  Because if prayer is your habit - when you need God the most your natural inclination will be to call upon the One who is always there.

So as you pray for me - I will pray for you. God bless.

While I know that this is most definitely God's calling and to be honest His timing; I do feel a bit at a loss to make sure everything is covered.  I think change is two-fold - a letting go and an embracing.

A letting go of my desires, my fears, my thoughts of how things should be done and embracing the excitement of what might be in store.  So much can happen in a year - who knows all the amazing things God has in store to draw each of you and St. Luke's as a whole into a deeper more meaningful relationship with Himself - who knows all the amazing things God has in store for me to grow me into a more effective minister of His gospel.

I will attempt to write something on a regular basis though I have no idea what kind of access I will have once we are in country.  Know that as these next 15 months go on that you are in my thoughts and prayers.  The comments, the cards, the small & large ways that you support me and the call that God has is placed on me is appreciated beyond measure. 

You are in the Lord's care! 

In the book of Isaiah 43:1-2 God is talking to His people reassuring them that no matter what they face He will be there to watch over and protect them.

"But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob,he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

Remember that you are called - and that this is an opportunity to step up in more ways than one and find where and how God is leading you into ministry at St. Luke's and beyond.

 An interesting article from this morning NYTimes.

Once Stigmatized Food Stamps Find Acceptance

By JASON DEPARLE and ROBERT GEBELOFF

A decade ago, New York City officials were so reluctant to give out food stamps, they made people register one day and return the next just to get an application. The welfare commissioner said the program caused dependency and the poor were "better off" without it.

Now the city urges the needy to seek aid (in languages from Albanian to Yiddish). Neighborhood groups recruit clients at churches and grocery stores, with materials that all but proclaim a civic duty to apply — to "help New York farmers, grocers, and businesses." There is even a program on Rikers Island to enroll inmates leaving the jail.

"Applying for food stamps is easier than ever," city posters say.

The same is true nationwide. After a U-turn in the politics of poverty, food stamps, a program once scorned as "welfare," enjoys broad new support. Following deep cuts in the 1990s, Congress reversed course to expand eligibility, cut red tape and burnish the program’s image, with a special effort to enroll the working poor. These changes, combined with soaring unemployment, have pushed enrollment to record highs, with one in eight Americans now getting aid.

"I’ve seen a remarkable shift," said Senator Richard G. Lugar, an Indiana Republican and prominent food stamp supporter. "People now see that it’s necessary to have a strong food stamp program."

The revival began a decade ago, after tough welfare laws chased millions of people from the cash rolls, many into low-wage jobs as fast-food workers, maids, and nursing aides. Newly sympathetic officials saw food stamps as a way to help them. For states, the program had another appeal: the benefits are federally paid.

But support also turned on chance developments, including natural disasters (which showed the program’s value in emergencies) and the rise of plastic benefit cards (which eased stigma and fraud). The program has commercial allies, in farmers and grocery stores, and it got an unexpected boost from President George W. Bush, whose food stamp administrator, Eric Bost, proved an ardent supporter.

"I assure you, food stamps is not welfare," Mr. Bost said in a recent interview.

Still, some critics see it as welfare in disguise and advocate more restraints.

So far their voices have been muted, unlike in the 1990s when members of Congress likened permissive welfare laws to feeding alligators and wolves. But last month, a Republican candidate for governor in South Carolina, Andre Bauer, criticized food stamps by saying his grandmother "told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed."

Mr. Bauer, the lieutenant governor, apologized for his phrasing but said, "somebody has to have the gumption to talk about the cycle of dependency."

The drive to enroll the needy can be seen in the case of Monica Bostick-Thomas, 45, a Harlem widow who works part-time as a school crossing guard. Since her husband died three years ago, she has scraped by on an annual income of about $15,000.

But she did not seek help until she got a call from the Food Bank of New York City, one of the city’s outreach partners. Last year, she balked, doubting she qualified. This year, when the group called again, she agreed to apply. A big woman with a broad smile, Ms. Bostick-Thomas swept into the group’s office a few days later, talking up her daughters’ college degrees and bemoaning the cost of oxtail meat.

"I’m not saying I go hungry," Ms. Bostick-Thomas said. "But I can’t always eat what I want."

The worker projected a benefit of $147 a month. "That’s going to help!" she said. "I wouldn’t have gone and applied on my own."

Since its founding in 1964, the food stamp program has swung between seasons of bipartisan support and conservative attack. George McGovern, a Democrat, and Bob Dole, a Republican, were prominent Senate backers. But Ronald Reagan told stories about the "strapping young buck" who used food stamps to buy a "T-bone steak."

By the 1990s, the program was swept up in President Bill Clinton’s pledge to "end welfare." While he meant cash aid, Congressional Republicans labeled food stamps welfare, too. The 1996 law that restricted cash benefits included major cuts in food stamps benefits and eligibility. Some states went further and pushed eligible people away.

But as attention shifted to poor workers, food stamps won new support. Wisconsin’s former governor, Tommy G. Thompson, a Republican, boasted of cutting the cash rolls, but advertised the food stamp rise. "Leading the Way to Make Work Pay," a 2000 news release said.

States eased limits on people with cars and required fewer office visits from people with jobs. The federal government now gives bonuses to states that enroll the most eligible people.

A self-reinforcing cycle kicked in: outreach attracted more workers, and workers built support for outreach. In a given month, nearly 90 percent of food stamp recipients still have incomes below the federal poverty line, according to the Department of Agriculture. But among families with children, the share working rose to 47 percent in 2008, from 26 percent in the mid-1990s, and the share getting cash welfare fell by two-thirds.

In 2008, the program got an upbeat new name: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — SNAP. By contrast, cash welfare remains stigmatized, and the rolls have scarcely budged.

Nowhere have attitudes swung as far as in New York City, where Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and his welfare commissioner, Jason A. Turner, laid siege in the late 1990s to what they called the welfare capital of the world. After bitter fights, a federal judge made the city end delays in handing out food stamp applications. But attitudes remained stern.

"I count food stamps as being part of welfare," Mr. Turner said at the time. "You’re better off without either one."

Since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took office eight years ago, the rolls have doubled, to 1.6 million people, with most of the increase coming in his second term after critics accused him of neglecting the poor.

He intensified outreach. He reduced paperwork. He hired a new welfare commissioner, Robert Doar, with orders to improve service for the working poor.

"If you’re working, I want to help you, and that’s how the mayor feels," Mr. Doar said.

Albany made a parallel push to enroll the working poor, setting an explicit goal for caseload growth. "This is all federal money — it drives dollars to local economies," said Russell Sykes, a senior program official.

But Mr. Turner, now a consultant in Milwaukee, warns that the aid encourages the poor to work less and therefore remain in need. "It’s going to be very difficult with large swaths of the lower middle class tasting the fruits of dependency to be weaned from this," he said.

The tension between self-reliance and relief can be seen at the food bank’s office in Harlem, where the city lets outreach workers file applications.

Juan Diego Castro, 24, is a college graduate and Americorps volunteer whose immigrant parents warned him "not to be a burden on this country." He has a monthly stipend of about $2,500 and initially thought food stamps should go to needier people, like the tenants he organizes. "My concern was if I’m taking food stamps and I have a job, is it morally correct?" he said.

But federal law eases eligibility for Americorps members, and a food bank worker urged him and fellow volunteers to apply, arguing that there was enough aid to go around and that use would demonstrate continuing need. "That meeting definitely turned us around," Mr. Castro said.

While Mr. Castro seemed contemplative, Alba Catano, 44, appeared dejected. A Colombian immigrant, she has spent a dozen years on a night janitorial crew but fell and missed three months of work after knee surgery.

Last November, she limped into a storefront church in Queens, where a food bank worker was taking applications beside the pews.

About her lost wages, she struck a stoic pose, saying her san cocho — Colombian soup — had less meat and more plantains. But her composure cracked when she talked of the effect on her 10-year-old daughter.

"My refrigerator is empty," Ms. Catano said.

Last month, Ms. Catano was back at work, with a benefit of $170 a month and no qualms about joining 38 million Americans eating with government aid. "I had the feeling that working people were not eligible," she said. "But then they told me, ‘No, no, the program has improved.’ "

Published: January 26, 2010

WASHINGTON — Nearly one in five Americans said they lacked the money to buy the food they needed at some point in the last year, according to a survey co-sponsored by the Gallup organization and released Tuesday by an anti-hunger group.

The numbers soared at the start of the recession, but dipped in 2009 despite the continuing rise in unemployment. The anti-hunger group, the Food Research and Action Center, attributed that trend to falling food prices, an increasing use of food stamps and a rise in the amount of the food stamps benefit.

More than 38 million Americans — one in eight — now receive food stamps, a record high.

The unusually large survey, which covered more than a half-million people, offers the most recent snapshot of hunger-related problems. And it is the first survey big enough to provide data on each of the nation’s 435 Congressional districts and Washington, D.C.

Indeed, its most interesting finding may be just how broad a problem food affordability has become. In 45 states and 311 Congressional districts, 15 percent or more of those surveyed said they had recently lacked money to buy enough food.

"While there is certainly more hardship in some areas than in others, the data also show that this is a nearly universal problem," said James D. Weill, the hunger group’s president.

Efforts to measure hunger-related problems often spawn political disputes, and this one may do so as well. Some conservative critics have accused liberals of exaggerating the problems to justify increased government spending. Others have accused the conservative critics of ignoring the problem’s depth.

Avoiding the word "hunger," the Agriculture Department releases an annual survey of what it now calls "food insecurity." Its interviewers ask up to 18 nuanced questions about how often people skipped meals, cut portions or worried about running out of food.

Its most recent data, for 2008, found that 14.6 percent of Americans lacked consistent access to sufficient food, the highest in the survey’s 14-year history.

The Gallup survey asked just one question: "Have there been times in the last month when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?" But it has been asking 1,000 people nearly every day for the past two years, producing a sample size much larger than the government’s and one that can track monthly trends.

In the fourth quarter of 2009, 18.5 percent of Americans said they had experienced problems in being able to afford food, down from 19.5 percent at the end of 2008. Among families with children, the rates were significantly higher, at 24.1 percent nationally in the most recent quarter.

Mississippi had the largest number of people with what the report called "food hardship" (26.2 percent), while North Dakota had the lowest (10.6 percent).

Despite the variation, the data suggests a problem that few areas of the country escape. Of the 100 largest metropolitan areas, 82 had food hardship rates of 15 percent or more. Likewise, only 23 Congressional districts had a food hardship rate of less than 10 percent, and 139 had rates of more than 20 percent.

The survey found the biggest problems in the South Bronx. In New York’s 16th District, nearly 37 percent of the residents answered yes when asked if they had lacked the money to buy needed food.

Last year’s federal stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, temporarily increased the average food stamps benefit by 18 percent, to about $130 a month for each member of a household.

The hardship data is part of the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, which poses many questions about physical and mental health. (Gallup’s partner in the project, Healthways, is a disease management company.)

The food research group bought the data when it learned that the survey included a question about food-related hardships.

One catalog caught my eye this year, as it is one we wait for, but the title was interesting to me...'The Most Important Gift Catalog in the World'. The catalog is from Heifer International.  Each year the kids and I sit down and shop through this catalog picking out animals to send around the world.  If you are not familiar, Heifer International has been around for 65 years and gives families in need around the world a hand-up through gifts of livestock and training.  There are heifers that give milk...chickens that produce eggs...sheep that provide wool...and much more.  The animals are considered living loans because in exchange for receiving their animal and training, each family agrees to give one of it's animals offspring to another family in need. So, each gift actually multiplies many times with every new generation. www.heifer.org/catalog

Of course Heifer International is not the only catalog of it's kind...World Vision www.worldvisiongifts.org also provides gifts of animals and training.  Added to that gifts of sewing machines, fruit trees and seeds, emergency food and therapeutic foods and so much more. World Vision is the leading distributor of food for the World Food Programme. You can even give a Ger to a family in Mongolia, my 11 year old knew what that was!

And, Samaritan's Purse, the sponsors of Operation Christmas Child, also has a gift catalog, 'gifts that can bring the love of Christ to a hurting world'. www.samaritanspurse.org Samaritan's Purse offers sports gear for children, clothing, housing, schools, hospitals (yes, you can buy a hospital), food, blankets & bedding, animals and so much more.

For only a few dollars, a gift through one of these catalogs can make a life changing difference in a family's life. Many companies will even match your donation dollar for dollar. 

It is an amazing way to make a difference this holiday season. An amazing way to share the Gospel and tell the lost that forgiveness and eternal life are found only in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

May the Lord richly bless you, your family and those all around the world in this special season. Merry Christmas!

Already this year we have collected mittens, hats and coats for Garton Elementary School on Des Moines' east side.  We continue to sell bricks for the Memory Walk.  St. Margaret's has sold more than 60 wreaths.  The All Saints annual pie auction raised almost $1200.  And, the best part is that we're only a quarter of the way through our year!

We're also coordinating the coffee host schedule, each guild and the ECW board alternates months to ensure there are yummy treats and coffee following the 10 a.m. service.  If you're interested in hosting a Sunday, check the sign up sheet in the guild room or talk to a member of the ECW board.

As we look forward into December and early 2010, we have a full calendar.  The ECW will host a cookie exchange, as well as the annual Gingerbread House extravaganza on Sunday, December 20 immediately following the 10 a.m. service.  There will be a little something for everyone.  Watch the bulletin and the blog for more information.

We'll also be hosting the annual women's retreat on Saturday, January 30.  Save the date cards will be sent soon, but be sure to make time for this wonderful chance to explore your faith.

Finally, we'll be gathering blankets in February for our "Gift of Warmth Blanket" drive.

So there's a lot happening with ECW!  We invite you to join us in the fun.  No experience necessary!

The new, revised numbers are troubling.  Here’s the deal: there is a new measure out of just how many Americans are right now living in poverty.  And the number is vastly higher than we thought.  7 million more than we thought.

According to a new measure by the National Academy of Science 1 in 6 Americans are now in poverty.  They put the overall number at 47.4 million Americans.  That is 7 million more than the Census Bureau’s calculation.  According to the Associated Press the Census number  “does not factor in rising medical care, transportation, child care or geographical variations in living costs.”

An eye opening aspect of the new measure says that 18.7 percent of Americans over the age of 65 are in poverty.  As for children – they find that 17.9 percent are living in poverty.

Those numbers are staggering.  We can look at this story and think, wow, that's so sad, or we can get up and do something. 

Poverty is everywhere.  Trouble is everywhere. Even in our backyard.

Angel Food works each and every month to help people get the food that they need and want at prices that fit into their budgets.

Thanksgiving Boxes are available now through Oct 28th.  A box of food to feed 6-8 people for only $36. What a deal!  St. Luke's has been given a challenge to help Military families through Camp Dodge have a good meal this Thanksgiving.

Can you help?  You can make a donation for 1 or more boxes now through next Wed.  Drop your check (made out to St. Luke's) by the church anytime before next Wed. or go on-line to www.angelfoodministries.com and place your order there. Make sure to note 'donation' in the notes section.

One person can make the difference in the lives of so many.  How do I know this...becasue I see it each and every month as we volunteer at Angel Food.  You have and continue to make a difference right here in our own backyard!

Thank you and may God's peace be always with you!

As life moves forward with an increasing speed, we are committed to keeping current everyone up to date with the ministries and events that happen each day at St. Luke's.  The website will work in conjunction with the newsletter and the weekly e-mail update so you can mark your calendars for church activities that appeal to you.

Truly, the most exciting addition is the blog.  We will be able to communicate in a way we have lost during the past few years.  Not only will the blog will feature news from the vestry and the various groups within our church family, but there will be regular posting from our priest about a variety of topics.

So what do you think?  Let us know.  We're still trying to iron out the kinks as we ensure that we are meeting the communications needs of the congregation.