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Fear of The Unknown

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:28:00 +0000

I have had several people ask me several questions. The one that I haven't really been able to give a good answer to is:
ARE YOU READY?
This is my first child. Do you really expect me to be able to prepare for this? There are 1,000's of baby books out there claiming to have the answer to all your baby questions. But I can't imagine that anyone knows what I'M about to go through.
There are two bags captured in this picture above. One of which represents the baby that is soon to come, and the other one representing the other memory that I have of not knowing what to expect.
I remember riding into Iraq for the very first time. It was the worst feeling in my life. You might expect me to say I had a fear of dying, being injured, being shot at, seeing other people die, or even killing someone else!
But, no my biggest fear was the "Fear of The Unknown". I had seen the war movies, we had trained tirelessly, learned the language, and even had the deck of cards of the main targets in Iraq. I was still scared to death of what I didn't know. Where are we going, what are we going to be doing, where will we sleep, is it dangerous where we are going, or what does dangerous mean. So many unknowns???
So next time someone ask me if I'm ready. I will be able to say: Absolutely not, but just like in my deployment to Iraq I know God is with me no matter what. No matter what I face I will have the strength and wisdom to handle the situation in the best way I know.

Lake Land College Student Representative to Board of Trustees

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:16:00 +0000

Every Spring a student is elected by the student body to serve as its representative on the College Board of Trustees. The Student Trustee is the voice of the students to the Board and thus, has an important role in conveying student concerns. March 23 and 24th you will have the opportunity to show your support for me to represent all students at Lake Land College. If you are a Lake Land student then make sure you log onto IRIS on either March 23rd or 24th and vote for a new voice for Veterans, non-tradiotional students, and students who just want to be heard! Also don't forget to join in on the discussion on my facebook page.

Have they finally found a Weapon of Mass Destruction in Iraq

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:28:00 +0000

They have been searching in Iraq for the past nine years, 10 months and 15 days.
Today, the hard work finally paid off as soldiers found one of those elusive ‘weapons of mass destruction’ that Saddam Hussein was supposed to have been hiding.
But from the looks of the rocket, it would appear unlikely it could be deployed anywhere in 45 minutes, let alone be fired at the UK, as a certain dossier led us to believe.
The bomb is thought to have been buried by Saddam Hussein's regime before the UK and U.S. invasion of Iraq started in 2003.
Iraqi guards were as surprised as the rest of us to discover the 'missile' during an operation in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib suburb.
It is not yet known whether the seven-metre rocket is armed with a warhead.

What to get her for Valentine's Day!

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:47:00 +0000

I couldn't figure out what to get my wife for Valentine's Day until I ran into this site. I then quickly realized that for $20 I would be doing good for sure. What woman doesn't like Chocolate Covered Strawberries? If by chance yours doesn't then they also have well priced Cookies, Flowers, and Bears. So check it out and tell me what you think.

Acoustic Rock for Haiti

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:19:00 +0000

Local artists are all coming together for one night of music to support Haiti.
All proceeds from this event will go to Convoy of Hope: Haiti Disaster Relief.
Click here for more info.

Quaker Oats CAP'N CRUNCH'S "OOPS ALL BERRIES" IS BACK

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:03:00 +0000

....and I am announcing it! I have been in communication with Quaker Oats for over a year now and they have been nothing but helpful. As some of my regular readers may know I have been closely following the OOPS ALL BERRIES cereal for over a year now. So the details! The product started shipping from Quaker Oats distribution centers to retailers warehouses this week and is scheduled to be on shelf starting after the first of the year. Wal-Mart and Target will be caring it nationally (Target will get full distribution in February) and in select grocery chains. This is once again a Limited Edition Special Pack and will be in stock until it runs out. For some retailers that could be within a few weeks, for others that will be a few months.

After talking with Quaker's Breakfast Marketing team they mentioned that they will determine if they continue this cereal by the response of this release. So I encourage you to leave comments here and on the Facebook Group I have created and by going out and buying this cereal. Who knows if the response is overwhelming maybe it will become a seasonal thing.

Here is the Facebook Group for you to join and show your support of Oops All Berries. I have also created a Twitter account. So for now on when you mention this cereal put @oopsallberries

Veterans With A Future

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:04:00 +0000

In my recent trip to Springfield, Mo I meet with Scott McChrystal and a few other great guys and we have decided to officially launch Veterans With A Future!
This is our Mission Statement: To build a network of prayer and support that empowers our veterans, military people and their families through the local church.
What does that mean you might ask?
Well are building a VFW for the church if you will. Our desire is to have all AG churches,at first, have a Veterans With A Future in their church. For more info keep a close eye on our Facebook Veterans With A Future page.

How to help your veterans.

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:56:00 +0000

I recently attended a conference at Valley Forge Christian College with hopes of discovering more ways to help our nations heros. I returned with this list of ideas:

1. Don't give hand outs to the veterans. Give a hand up! The most compassionate thing you can do is to help them use their God-given abilities to work and to take care of their own needs.

2. Reach out to the Veterans families.

3. Give them a Mission. (something to accomplish) Veterans like to have a mission to accomplish. Find something either in the church or community for them to do in their skill set.

4. Get Veterans together and have a roundtable discussion. Give them opportunities to share their experiences, to include those in combat.

5. Get your children and youth involved. One example would be to have your youth students interview a veteran to get to know him/her more.

6. Just be there for the Veteran and their family. Make yourself open to your veterans as much as possible, whether it be babysit for the family or offer to mow there yard while the soldier is deployed.

7. Thank them!

What would happen if we spent some time doing just one of these.

I'm going to be a Dad!

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:52:00 +0000

About 6 months ago I struggled with the idea of bringing a child into this world. I asked myself am I ready financially, academically, and healthy enough. I wondered if I could raise a child, go to school, work, and battle my PTSD. So I just handed it all over to God and let him take charge. Jackie and I went to our first Dr.'s appointment last week and I am happy to announce that they are saying everything seems to be going as it should be. Please pray for Jackie as she has been sick alot lately and needs strength. I will be updating my blog with news on the baby as soon as it comes in. I am contemplating starting a baby blog but not for sure if it would have enough views to be worth my time, but rest assured to know I will keep everyone up to date.

What Would Blake the Combat Veteran Do?

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:23:00 +0000

O.K. so i was in the Lake Land College Cafe this morning doing my daily routine, drinking coffee and eating fresh Subway cookies. I found myself overhearing a conversation from the table next to me. It was a punk 18 year old just going off on this little freshman girl. Telling her that she was a stupid @%^$&#%^ $&%$(&^$. It took all I had to not go over to this immature teenager and tell him that I have seen a whole lot in my life but never have I heard someone verbally abuse some one so bad. I wanted to warn him, I wanted to deck him if he didn't shut up and leave, there was several things I wanted to do. I honestly didn't know what the best thing to do was. So after about five minutes of him belittling her, he finally left. So I decided to go up to her after he left and let her know that nothing he said was true and never talk to that jerk again. She thanked me several times and that was that. What should I have done.

What happen to my face?

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:03:00 +0000

With me being new student and meeting alot of new people I know alot of people wonder what happen to my face. Well I was hit by an IED in Iraq. The first picture is one taken right after I was injured. Then the second is a picture of the shrapnel that was removed from my face three years later. If you have not read my testimony from being in Iraq I encourage you to read this article.

Cinnamon Roll Anyone?

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:13:00 +0000

As a veteran of the Iraq War and a blogger I think I am obligated to give my view on this 11th day of September. While watching CNN coverage of all the 9/11 memorials this morning I was trying to come up with a way of reminding you the reader to thank a Veteran and/or a public service member. I will take you back to June 30th, 2005. I was in the Atlanta International Airport waiting for my connection flight to St. Louis where my wife that I had not seen in 6 months, due to me being deployed, was awaiting my arrival. There I was, sitting at concourse D2 wearing the best uniform I could pull together, that didn't have some kind of blood stain. I was just trying to soak in the fact that for the first time in 6 months I didn't have to worry about mortars, roadside bombs, or rockets being shot at our compound, well at least for the next 13 days. Then here comes three little boys with there dad and out of all the empty seats they sit right across form me. They are so focused on the white paper sack that there dad is holding. Then the moment has arrived and out comes the cinnamon rolls. Each of the 3 kids ranging from 3-7 years old get there own. Then out comes the noise of a crying 5 year old. This little boy is murmuring because he has raisins on his cinnamon roll. Daddy daddy you know I hate raisins, cry's the boy. I can't help to start picturing all of the Iraqi children chasing our HUMVEE'S begging us for any sort of food we will give them. At first I tell myself welcome home Blake, but then I lose it. I just broke down in tears. I asked God why are us Americans like this. The father then leaned over to me and asked if everything was alright and all I could tell him is "You wouldn't understand." So I just ask that next time you see a veteran, soldier, police officer, or a firefighter tell them thanks for the cinnamon roll.

This blog post is dedicated to Spc. Villanueva and Sgt. Dones these two answered the noble calling of military service and bravely assumed the risks of protecting our freedoms.

Veterans benefits a form of socialism?

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:44:00 +0000

I know I am breaking the rules of blogging by posting this but I saw this and had to get your thoughts. This is a Letter to the Editor from the New Mexico Daily Lobo. Here is a link to the article. Veterans benefits a form of socialism, should be ended

Editor,

Veterans benefits are a form of socialism. No other employer besides the government is either obligated or able to pay lifetime pensions, subsistence and health care benefits to all of its present and former employees, much less entitled to tax everyone else to pay whatever it costs.

A system of hospitals on the federal budget that offer free medical care only to a group of present or former employees of the government in certain capacities is a form of socialism. I’m not saying that as an indictment, but as a fact. The active socialists in America want something just like that — a system of hospitals exactly like the VA, but where any citizen can go. The loss of profit to our medical industry, pharmaceutical industry and insurance industry, and the lenders to whom their companies are mortgaged, would surely destroy our free-market economy.

So why should paying veterans benefits be tolerated? Why are veterans selected for what are, after all, socialist entitlements? What is there about being a veteran that should justify a person’s being placed for life in a certain category of beneficiary of federal funds?

Whether drafted or volunteered, this is presumably a reward for placing one’s life at risk for the flag, notwithstanding the fact that many veterans’ jobs did not place them at risk at all. Likewise, many in other state and private jobs must risk their lives every day, and they are not being given those benefits. What makes being a veteran so special? Is it merely a propaganda gesture, a show of “honor” so as to motivate the next generation of sacrifices?

You who would like to put an end to “socialism in America,” and an end to the socialist practice of exclusive medical entitlements given only to congressmen and certain other government ex-employees, should begin by demanding that the term “veteran” be discontinued, and that no federal funds or other benefits or advantages be given to a person merely because of that qualification.

Wearing any government uniform is a job, risky or not, armed or not, and as in the private sector, no employer should be obligated (much less entitled) to pay anything to its ex-employees. You should insist that the VA hospitals in America are a form of socialized medicine, which give exclusive favor to certain ex-employees of the government, at the expense of the private-sector businessman and taxpaying employee, and the program should immediately be discontinued, and the assets sold to the private sector for honest competition in the free market.

James N. Post
Daily Lobo reader

#AmIAChristian

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:09:00 +0000

While sitting in church today I was challenged to define Christianity. I began pondering this and thought of an idea. Have YOU help me with the definition. For the next week I will be tweeting questions that will hopefully make you wonder and question what you would do. The Tweet will be followed by #amiachristian I challenge you to do the same and in a week I will do a follow up blog on my tweets and there comments. For you without a twitter account my Facebook will have the tweets posted on it.

My next chapter in this journey called life.

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:31:00 +0000

As many of you know I am now a student at Lake Land Community College. About a year ago now, Jackie and I decided to step out in faith and move back to Illinois so that I could pursue a degree. If you follow my Facebook then you would know it has been a fun and challenging first week here at Lake Land. I am very impressed by the support that I am getting by the faculty. I would like to give a shout out to the two people that are dedicated to helping all veterans with there transition into college. First of all, Danielle Downs has been an amazing asset to me and the other 300 veterans that attend Lake Land. Second, to Eric Mueller for your heart for the veterans of Lake Land. I would highly encourage all veterans to get enrolled to college if you have a chance it will no doubt be the best decision you will ever make.

Who will follow you to your bed?

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:34:00 +0000

The other day I found myself stopped on the side of the road watching about 100 cars follow a black Herse. With the precession taking about five minutes to pass I was given time to think about the occasion. I thought to myself who will follow me when I'm in the casket hidden behind the curtain covered windows. Why are they following me? Are they there because I made an impact in there lives? How many people will make the trip to the grave yard tucked away in middle of rural Mattoon, Il. Will any of them come visit my remains after that day of celebration. How many people will be inspired by my carefully thought out epitaph. Just a couple of things to think about.

More then a name.

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:12:00 +0000

As some of my readers know I work at Home Depot. Since I started there in April I have had over 10 people know that I was a Leitch. What do you mean by that, you might ask? Well I have 4 uncles and I look just like all of them. I am from a small town of 15,000 and I would venture to guess that if you ask 8,000 of those people if they know a Leitch there response would be yeah which one. My whole life I have always been very proud to say that I am a Leitch. My grandpa was in the Army and then he helped start a well known company called Howell Paving, Inc. Two of my uncles still work for Howell, ones a plumber and the other a electrician. All of my uncles have built a great name for themselves and well for all Leitch's.

I say all of that to mention that I have spent several hours at work just talking to people who say it was an honor to talk to me and that I had a great Grandpa. So when your doing, well anything, remember you are building a name that will last generations.

Thank you Grandpa for being a stand-up guy who had a desire to help people and provide for his family it has made a lasting impression for generations to come.

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Relatives of Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Decry Lack of Coverage Amid Jackson Spectacle - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

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U.S. Army uses Facebook page, tweets to declare war on Ashton Kutcher's top Twitter spot.

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:14:00 +0000

The U.S. Army wants you to be its friend on Facebook.

You can also follow the Army on Twitter. Or post a comment on its new blog. They're all part of the Army's new mission: social networking.

"If Ashton Kutcher can do it, the U.S. Army can do it," said Lindy Kyzer, who posts the Army's "status updates" on Facebook and "tweets" on Twitter.

Kyzer issued a public challenge - to get more followers on Twitter than Kutcher, an actor and social networking fiend who recently won a bet with CNN that he could reach 1 million followers first.

"We know that our ability to share the Army story is shaped by how we tell it and where we tell it," said Lt. Col. Kevin Arata, who heads the Army's new Online and Social Media Division. "Using social media platforms allows us to tell our story where we know people are at and are listening."

Even Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is on Facebook. With nearly 5,000 "friends," the four-star general is updating his status straight from the battlefield - something unheard of in past conflicts.

Gen. Michael Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, N.Y., has been blogging from Iraq for months.

"Six soldiers honored for bravery in Afghanistan; are reminded, 'of those who didn't come back,'" reads one Army "tweet."

"Drill Sergeants work hard to debunk Hollywood stereotypes about their role," reads another.

The Facebook and Twitter messages are really an extension of the press releases and stories that Army officials put out through the Division of Public Affairs. But it's also a place for soldiers and their families to connect.

"Most [wall posts] are shout-outs," Arata said. "They're people saying, 'My son's in the Army, my granddaughter's in Iraq.'"

The Army's not alone. The Air Force is on Twitter and the Coast Guard is on Facebook.

"It's an instant support network," Kyzer said. "We've seen a ton of parents on there."

Officially launched on Thursday, the Army's Facebook page already has more than 3,000 "friends."

The page is an "open forum," but there are rules of engagement: keep it clean and courteous.

"There have been very few negative comments," Kyzer said. "It's self-regulating - that's the beauty of social networking."

With more than 4,000 followers on Twitter, Army officials said they hope to gain a worldwide following.

"We'll see where it goes," Arata said. "We're not fearful of what's out there. We really want to see what the world has to say."

This story is from NYDailyNews.

Happy Birthday America!!

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Happy Birthday America! Thank you to all the soldiers who have fought for this country. A special prayer will be said for all the families of those who died fighting for Old Glory.

God gives you the desires of your heart!

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:35:00 +0000

About 5 months ago Scott McChrystal approached me about speaking to a church which would have about 300 soldiers in the congregation. How could I turn something like that down.

On thursday my wife and I were able to do one of our favorite things together which is flying. After arriving in Atlanta, Ga. we found ourselves checking into an amazing Hyatt in Buckhead. We spent our first two days sightseeing the city which included World of Coca-Cola, The Bodies Exhibit, and the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, GA.

We then found ourselves greeting 300 basic training soldiers at Evangel Temple Assemblies of God. I shared my testimony with the soldiers and about 500 other congregants and had a response of around 100 soldiers say they wanted God to help them with their walk by finding an accountability partner and another 60 make a decision to accept Jesus into their lives. PRAISE GOD!!! After the service the soldiers were served a steak meal and an amazing dessert buffet. The dessert buffet might not be a big deal to the average person but trust me to a basic training soldier who hasn't had a dessert in 9 weeks that's huge. During the dinner I had several soldiers approach me to say how much their life had been changed by the message they had heard. One soldier in particular asked me to pray for him and his family he joined the Army at the age of 39 to support his family. Please continue with me in prayer for the very soldiers that received this message, for 25% of the deaths in the current war are infantry soldiers and that is who these guys are.

I want to say a special thanks to the following people for making this trip possible: God for being so faithful in giving me the desires of my heart which is to minister to soldiers; my amazing wife for the encouragement; @thefields church, @tspencer, @philipkousma, @allisonaaronb, @mattpolites, and @evancourtney for the prayer; www.etcolumbus.org for inviting my wife and I; Scott McChrystal for being my booking agent, mentor, and amazing friend; and all my other friends and family not mentioned above.

All I want for my birthday is......

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Well my birthday is coming up and I will be 27. I can't believe it. Well as many of you know I am getting ready to take my next step in life and start college in the fall. So in order for me to be ready for this I have to have some school clothes. That leads me to answer the question "All I want for my birthday is....." MONEY for some new school clothes. All the students at college are wearing the hip, in style clothes and I am wearing my t-shirts from the youth camps and army. So if I could get 50 of my readers to send me a birthday wish of $5 that would put me on the path of being the coolest kid on the campus. Well not kid but you know what I mean.

You can get my contact information from my facebook profile. http://www.facebook.com/blakeleitch

Taylor Swift Rap

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:30:00 +0000

So much discussion was made over what Taylor Swift and T-Pain would be doing at tonight’s (June 16) CMT Music Awards that I was almost worried the moment would be anticlimactic. But Swift and T-Pain did not disappoint. In a fast-moving video sequence with awards show host Bill Engvall, we saw Swift as a Vulcan in the new Star Trek movie, as a grossly undersized NFL player and then finally as a slightly less-than gansta rapper with T-Pain in the music video for “Thug Story.” Swift rapped original lyrics and poked fun at herself while T-Pain contributed his signature auto-tuned hooks. Her self-deprecating humor was hilarious.

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:24:00 +0000

How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

Dallas Cowboys' World's Largest HD Video Screen Debuts

blakeandjackie@gmail.com (Blake Leitch) — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:30:00 +0000

The 25,000+ square feet display just debuted today at the Dallas Cowboys stadium. It's the world's largest video screen. The massive display weighs 600 tons, is 180 feet long and 72 feet tall. It's made of 10.5 million LEDs. When replays are shown, they are automatically made into slow motion. More than ten minutes of direct exposure will render a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader sterile. Every fan featured on the screen will get a million dollars deposited into an account of their choice. You can see it in motion here.