Welcome to Afghanistan

This certainly is a deployment; the conditions are more rustic than what I experienced in Iraq. It has taken about three days to recover/adjust to the new time zone, which is minus 11.5 hours from PST. I don't know why this country has a 0.5 mark... it just does. Then again the best part about deployments thus far have not disappointed. The food is great, my base has a number of different cafeterias, and I am greatly enjoying the European style ones. When I was in Germany there was an orange-carrot type juice generically called throughout Europe "multivitamin" juice. It was wonderful and they have it here! I am being reminded to appreciate the little things each day. Getting a couple cups of juice helps offset variables like the tight living space, cold "navy showers”, and the connection speed that ebbs and flows; I think it coincides with the number of people awake and logging on, although yesterday it was especially slow.

In keeping with the "signs you are a contractor" I am working on a "deployment beard/goatee/facial hair growth experiment", I am about a week into it and I think it is slightly more than most men's five O' Clock shadow. This will be a slight source of entertainment for now. I'll post pictures in the event I actually grow enough to be detected by pictures. I managed to make it to the gym yesterday. Needless to say I am not looking forward to the pains of getting back into my lifting regiment. The mere discomfort of getting used to the burn and daily muscle soreness that I should be expecting for the next couple of months alone should be enough motivation that I had never stopped lifting. Then again life in CA was a bit busy often to the point to allot for more than six hours of sleep was a luxury. One of the main reasons I decided to come out here was to remember the simple lifestyle, and it is.

Among the other niceties I've been trying to appreciate were the flights here. Flying a real commercial flight to Kuwait was huge; I even got economy plus seating! This is compared to the lowest bidding "commercial" aircraft we fly as active duty in which we were packed in so tight sardines would complain. That is unless you volunteer to load the baggage and then you might get to pick your seats in the event the flight is not packed to capacity. So I got to Kuwait and after some minor headaches, to the hotel. Wow, would be a short description. If that hotel wasn't a five star, I cannot fathom what is. The beachfront view from the lobby, the multiple fountains and swimming pools in what I thought was a desert country, I was in awe. I think the icing on the cake was the fresh plate of fruit waiting for me in my room. Granted it wasn't exotic fruits like dates, pistachios and other more indigenous products but fresh fruit nonetheless. My experience in Kuwait was culminated with dinner at their in house seafood restaurant. The last several months I've been eating seafood at almost every opportunity, I continued that night. I was most impressed with their "salad bar" which amongst other things I dined on: hummus, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, oyster salad, jumbo shrimp cocktail, and assorted veggies. I think a lot of American salad bars should take notes from this place.

On one of the legs of flight I happened to sit next to a brother in Christ from New York, I think his name was Mark. It was a great opportunity to encourage one another. An especially encouraging story about what God has been doing in this place. A man from India or Nepal, I can't remember exactly where but it was an unreached area, whom Mark helped get a job. By God's providence he was sent to a location which another brother, Robert, was located, it was there that he received the Gospel and became a Christ Follower. Sometime after that work location, he was transferred to the base where Mark was located. Upon seeing one another again, Mark started discipling the new believer. They have been going strong for a month now. The probability that they would see one another again, let alone be given the time and opportunity to disciple is the kind that can only be accomplished by God's plan.

I can't help but wonder what opportunities I might have. I will not have much if any contact with non-Americans. From what I have gathered thus far, no one on my team appear to be active Christ followers. I've been in this spiritual atmosphere before, that was two years in Germany, but I question how much I properly assessed this as a real possibility. So often I reminisce about the almost constant fellowship I enjoyed in Iraq, not fully considering what it would be like here. Only God knows and time will tell. I pray that this will be a beneficial time of learning both through my studies and the life lessons I learn.

Epilogue: This was the most difficult period of my life. There were several rotations of active duty and contractor team members, no one exhibited more than nominal faith at best. There was also one crew that was hostile to any kind of discussion that was in the least bit philosophical or existential. I should probably write about the reintegration after this, that was an important life chapter...

This is a Hard Teaching - 1 Timothy 2:9-14

Needless to say after returning home, my blogging has been greatly diminished. This is mostly due to being back in community and much of the thoughts that roll around have been able to be discussed. Then again, while basking in perhaps one of the most enjoyable Sundays I've had in many years, this thought hit me and I wanted to see if I can grapple with it.

1 Timothy 2:9-14 probably ranks up there at the top of many people's minds when it comes to difficult passages to understand and even more apply. I think Peter said it well in 2 Peter 3:14-16, with "there are some things hard to understand" being ever so clear. The response to this passage usually varies somewhere between justified chauvinism and ignoring the passage altogether. Perhaps the unique factor about this difficult passage isn't so much its clarity but just the opposite. Plainly read it has some serious guidelines that are difficult to apply and to justify; both to the non-Christians who view God's Word as a sexist book which seeks to subjugate women; and to those earnestly seeking to follow God's Word but are at a bit of a loss on this passage's application.

This commentary tends to focus on the cultural aspect and focus on the physical adornment and exclusion occurring in the church than this as an impendent issue. The problem with this is it doesn't address if the practice of flaunting wealth and style are still applicable things to avoid in orderly worship, worse still it often tends to resign this passage to being cultural and thus outdated and we can justifiably ignore it. The primary problem with this as with other difficult passages is the inevitable slippery slope we establish within Scripture while fully ignoring clear teachings to satisfy our own wills or misunderstanding. Or as Peter through the Holy Spirit says, "ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." If we believe the Bible is God's Word and that God is perfect without error, then we must deduce the Bible is God's inerrant Word. This also happens to be a primary doctrine for you two other doctrine nerds who might read this.

On to the meat, within the context the most biting part I would think is verse 12, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." While there is plenty of meat to deal with verse 11, for the sake of brevity (like I am good at that anyways...) I would rather refer to Ephesians 5:22-33 which it explicitly describes the relationship a husband and wife ought to have. A piece I have heard and fully agree with about the Ephesians passage, if a husband loves his wife as Christ loved the Church, why wouldn't she want to submit to him? Enough said.

I suppose the difficulty I have by attempting to tackle this passage is much in the practice (or lack of practice) of church discipline. The best way I could describe church discipline is the maintenance and accountability of our own. Paul speaks of this most clearly throughout 1 Corinthians (5:9-13, 6:1-8, 11:27-32). Peter also explains the concept in 1 Peter 2:13 - 3:22. In Church we ought to submit ourselves to one another, everyone ought to be submissive to someone; many of us are submissive to the pastor/elders, deacons, older men and women, and so on. There are checks in balances in the Church as well. We call him Jesus. Once we grasp the idea of submission to one another, the judgment we are to cast upon one another as a Shepherd protects his flock; in love, and the purity of Christ's Church the passage in Timothy doesn't irk as much.

It is important to remember one of the primary duties of pastors/elders in scripture is to practice authority (Shepherd in fluffier terms) over the members of the church. I might be isogeting my youth ministry experience on this, but when Paul restricts women from practicing authority over men is it really that outlandish? Consider this; within the family are mothers not the most appropriate to deal with certain issues of their daughters and likewise fathers with their sons? Likewise I directly consider this in light of my work with the high schoolers. If there is an issue with a girl, I would not attempt to address the issue at large. Women handle women's issues and men handle men's issues. I think many of us would find it odd if women sought to offer guidance on being a man when men are present to give such guidance. This is in no way saying mothers cannot teach their sons as some naysayers would attempt to imply. Children are to submit to their parents, and likewise parents are to practice authority over their children.

Whether you want to get into the issue if women can teach men, I think that is a less clear issue. The most profound example I would point to in scripture is the instruction Priscilla and Aquila gave to Apollos in Acts 18 Priscilla and Aquila are addressed 6 times in scripture. Of those 5 of those times Priscilla is addressed first, considering the writing style it is believed she had the stronger relationship with Paul in faith. In the personal setting, such as home church/bible study in which the couple instructed Apollos, it is reasonable to say Priscilla did more teaching, yet she did so without practicing authority over Apollos. I think it is also important to specify that Paul says a woman is not to have authority over a man, not boy, man. Leading up to a man, I would say it is more than permissible to practice authority on non-adult males. Then the can of beans opened "What is a man?" That is a separate blog unto itself. The short answer, a man is a male who takes responsibility for himself and those around him.

Does this expand to women in the pulpit? Yes, I think it does. I will make it clear though, based on what I have seen and read showing that women are more numerous in ministry, I believe this to be the result of males not being men. If males would be men, much of this controversy and frustration would disappear. The confusion and misunderstanding of what Paul wrote through the Holy Spirit will clear up and we can practice Church as it was meant to be done.

Re: 20/20 "If I Only Had a Gun"

Jonathan informed me while I was on Tour that 20/20 ran a special on Concealed Carry (CCW), so what did I do? First chance at high speed internet I get I sat down to watch it. I have generally been pleased with the "Special Reports" and whatnot conducted by 20/20 and their stories... generally. At the same time, on Tour I was able to read tid bits of John Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime", a truly boring yet informative read. I would liken the engaging prose of this work only to that of the same joy as measuring continental drift... but alas just as I ate cans of tuna for years for the protein, I can read the most boring of books they are informative.

Usually with such a simplistic title you'd think it would be a myriad of factual conclusions and rhetoric, instead it is a tedious analysis by an economist on crime statistics provided by various sources, among the most frequently cited are the exit polls from 1988, 1992,1996 and the FBI's annual crime reports. All of which simply provide raw data with no interpretation of the data offered. Although I am less than 1/4 through the book thus far, I have certainly grown a greater understanding of basic criminology. Simply comparing one state's violent crimes against another to show which is more or less safe is hardly useful. A few of the variables necessary to consider when examining crime at the state, county and local levels include: population density, population demographics, income level, police force size, arrest/conviction rate, rate of conceal carry holders, and availability of concealed carry permits. Remember these variables are just a small sample of things we ought to consider when measuring the change in crime and in hopes of finding a cause.

Back to the meat of this blog, I watched all the clips and nearly sat at my desk with my jaw dropped in awe of the stupidity of the "study". I also want to point out that the title of the Special Report seems to be an implicit reply to a headline which plastered international news directly following the Mumbai attacks. Quick summary, Sebastian D'Souza, a photo editor, witnessed the law enforcement hiding from the assailants in cowardice. The editor exclaimed "I wish I'd had a gun, not a camera". Then again after more in depth studies of the training, or lack thereof, for the Mumbai officers, I wouldn't blame them for their poor response. Many of the officers had not fired their weapons since initial academy training, including a number of detectives and officers with greater than 10 years on the force...

Enough of the segue; so the scenario set out to show average people ranging in experience to see if they could be effective in a mass shooting scenario. The six volunteers were given basic safety instruction by police instructors on proper pistol handling and then sent into a classroom with a Glock (I would bet it was a Glock 17), which is also a standard issue pistol for many police departments throughout the US. The pistol was tucked into the pants of a oversized white long sleeve shirt and loaded with training paint rounds. One armed volunteer was placed in a small lecture hall with ABC staff and police officers for a class on safety equipment. Upon donning the helmet in the class a armed assailant walked into the class, shot the teacher first, then proceeded to shoot the "students" in the class. Multiple hidden cameras were present to catch the immediate reaction of the armed volunteer to see how they could react. I have to give ABC credit, to a less discerning individual it would look pretty convincing that being armed in a mass shooting scenario would be pointless.

Now my fine toothed comb of analysis takes a crack at the given scenario. Being that one of the volunteers actually owned and regularly used his firearms I can't complain that they did not choose a good cross section of volunteers. Beyond that I have trouble giving an kind of credibility to the scenario. So let’s start the list:

1) Oversized long sleeve T-shirt - while I understand the safety factor necessary for the exercise on about half of the examples the shirt was a major hindrance to effectively drawing of their pistol. It was worn completely over the volunteers’ waist in such a way that about a foot of t-shirt had to be lifted to gain access to the weapon. In addition the weapon was placed in the pants without a holster in a rather thuggish manner. There are about as many different holsters and methods of carry as there are weapons to pick from. This move seemed like a deliberate spokes in the wheel. I had to wonder if any of the participant brought up this point?

2) Headgear - The individuals were wearing headgear (full wrap around helmets) when the attack took place. None had been conditioned on how to shoot with such hindrance and a typical situation would not involve the extra gear, although it is understood for safety reasons it is a factor which must be considered for "real world" application.

3) Weapon choice - The Glock 17 is a fine pistol however it is a full-sized pistol, not a very good choice for a concealed carry pistol. A proper concealed carry pistol for an averaged sized person would be a compact or sub-compact pistol with either a 4" or 3" barrel reducing the draw distance and thus increasing reaction time. Talking to retired law enforcement friends in Iraq (called LEPs) they explained to me the vast majority of shooting instances will be a such close range a full size pistol is unnecessary. This apparently is difficult to statistically verify. Then again, one of my sources spoke from multiple personal experiences, I'm glad he won. Regardless of range, the vast majority of concealed carry practitioners do not use full size firearms. Concerns include but are not limited, weight (carry around a 2lb weight everywhere you go, ounces make a difference), concealability (it is easier to conceal smaller items than bigger items), comfort (back to size and weight).

4) Controlled Environment - The volunteer was the only one who was unaware of what was happening, in addition none of the volunteers were previous CCW holders and thus some made spectacles of themselves about being armed. The entire point of concealed carry is that no one else knows you are armed and one should act low profile so as to not draw attention to oneself. Not everyone should carry a concealed weapon, several of the volunteers were such people.

5) Room Layout - the mini auditorium provided perfect field of fire for the shooter versus a conventional room. The shooter could enter and from the vantage point easily target anyone in the room.

6) Shooter - The shooter was an Emergency Response Team Instructor, the equivalent to the local SWAT instructor. Thus the physical responses the shooter would experience (as 20/20 pointed out the responder would experience) was greatly diminished in addition to being a highly trained shooter. Under such circumstances I would be surprised if any individual trained or untrained could effectively respond. The shooter also being tactically trained was not hindered by the protective equipment. The shooter was also mentally prepared for an armed individual to be present. This wholly undermined the value of the CCW experiment. Once again, the whole point is that the assailant does not know if there is or is not someone who can shoot back.

7) Short Time Span - Part of the tragedy of mass shooting events which statistically occur in "gun free zones" is that the initial victims are helpless due to the surprise and close quarters of the shooter. Sadly if the situation was real I would be surprised if any people in the initial room could effectively respond. The situation replicated attempted to address the Active Shooter scenario, but what of the other rooms. Upon hearing gunfire armed individuals could choose to confront or flee from the gun fire. For example in the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings the shooters strolled the halls and attacked rooms which were easily accessible. The textbook doctrine to Active Shooter events is the sooner resistance occurs the fewer the casualties will result. This is why many police departments across the nation have patrol cars carry tactical weapons and armor for the fastest response to an active shooter situation. Prior to Columbine, the doctrine was to secure the area and wait for SWAT to arrive. When the issue became victims per minute, training and procedure adapted.

These are all points I noticed from watching the videos once... each individual point could cause significant change in the event a similar event actually occurred. Among the other points to note, CCW holders willing to put themselves in harm’s way should remain proficient with regular practice and maintain their weapon, in general be a responsible gun owner/user. Oh, and for those of you who would like to rely on police protection for your personal safety I wonder if you are aware of Castle Rock v. Gonzales, in which the US Supreme Court pointed out that private citizens do not have any right to police protection.

Epilogue: Not long ago a local news station ran a more realistic Active Shooter test. This was much more useful and not deliberately staged to get a certain political opinion. Of course it would be in Texas...

Christmas in Iraq… Again

I write this more as a marker to annotate what has been going on lately and how my Christmas was this year. Had I written this on the 24th I am sure it would have been a rather depressing blog that didn’t go anywhere… good thing I slept on it. Starting today I am on a free 3-day off, it was granted by my section to everyone, I was the last to call upon it and it came just in time. I look forward to doing nothing for the next two days as well. Take that back, I’ll be online I little bit more…

It was appropriate to take a look at the first Christmas out here and I can only dream of such optimism I had then. Perhaps in the next couple days I will be refreshed... perhaps. I suppose the greatest thing I have to learn from this day is my mental breaking point. I don’t think I have experienced such a mentally fatigued state as I have been leading through this month. Go figure, working almost 90-hours a week with no days off are bound to eventually fatigue anyone. I think about the Sabbath and God’s original intent, part of his plan was to give us time to relax. Throughout this year I have had those moments when I wondered if it would be better, be it to be scriptural or not, if I switched to a single full day off instead of two days short days. In the short run the two half nights are much better, they come twice as often… and working nights there isn’t a whole lot to do even if I had a full day off. I need to maintain the night sleep schedule. In the midst of maintaining our work schedule even our relaxation time is hindered for the sake of the work.

Before you pull out a violin to play as you read this uplifting blog, this is not intended for sympathy or tell about all the hardships I endure… hardly, I live in one of the most comfortable areas in all the country. I can get a hot shower, hot meal, and sleep on a bed every night. I have an AC/Heater and constant power for whatever luxuries I decided to bring out here. I am constantly thankful of all I have around me. One does not need to go far to get to areas where others live in tents, get maybe a hot meal a day, and showers are a long desired luxury… When I keep the proper perspective, the fatigue and breaking point I mentioned is about my capacity at this point. It has been about 10 months since I have had a full day to relax, a Sabbath if you will. This is one of those times as I am refreshed I have to ponder what life is like for those who don’t ever take time off. Be it an inability because of the demands of work or an unwillingness for the sake of productivity/success, I have to seriously question a person’s motive for continuing a rigorous work schedule for earthly gain.

Among the things I wish to leave with the Army as I depart in the coming months is a lifestyle job based on earthly work. To say I think about the future would be an understatement. Be it the constant thoughts of “when I get back” or “I can’t wait until” one of those is not a life spent chasing after money, power, or luxury. The life which revolves around work, I never wish to return to. It is not that I want to avoid all other lifestyle jobs; nor do I want to spend a life sitting on a couch doing nothing, but I will pursue the heavenly. Especially in the midst of the Recession, in which I have no worries, I can watch the news and people are scrambling to recover all the material loss they have experienced. What has become of so many millions who spent their lives chasing after the temporary things of this life and have seen it vaporize in the recent months? My heart goes out to them because they have spent so much of their life not knowing how to chase anything permanent.

The first Christmas was spent hoping for a swift year, this Christmas is spent in reflection of that year. I am Thankful for getting through it all, thankful for the things I learned, and thankful for my friends I have made this year. I can start counting the days until I am homeward bound, I’d tell you but I am not allowed… it isn’t long.

By Request: Surge in Firearm Sales

It has got to be more than a year since I have done a blog based on topical request. I am pretty sure when I first started writing I had an open invitation to topical requests so here it goes. Jonathan requested this, I am an NRA Life member, so you can guess the tone/approach that this will be written. Given the two topics to choose from “healthcare reform” or “the surge in firearm sales since the Presidential election”, I thought I’d take a whack at the topic I have the most knowledge about. I will try to contextualize this as best I can in terms of relevance to Californians, as most of you that have access to read this are bound by California law; and also to Christians because I try to link every outlook from a Biblical perspective first.

For those of you that don’t surf the news on an overly anxious basis, reports of firearm sales and Federal background checks (required where necessary to purchase firearms) have been through the roof. I suppose we can credit the NRA and our President Elect for this surge. The NRA ought to be credited due to the massive negative campaigns, for good reason, against our soon to be President and his record on firearms. Being an NRA member and keeping up with recent news, amongst 2nd Amendment enthusiasts there has been a fair amount of fear of the impending legislation on route, despite the claims of the future administration’s support for the 2nd Amendment.

The shotgun blast of topics to be covered, which I find most relevant and probably likely to happen are: overturn Heller Decision, ban certain types of ammunition, reintroduction of a permanent version of the 1994 Assault Weapons law. There are many more issues at hand which might possibly be passed simply because of the strong majority the Democratic party has over congress, but I doubt there will be too much gun control legislation because it has been shown to be hazardous to Democratic political offices. These issues include: banning handguns, federal firearm registration, increased taxes for firearms and ammunition, overturning right-to-carry and concealed carry, rezoning gun stores out of business, opposing self-defense, and using federal courts for lawsuits to bankrupt manufacturers with legal fees.

I mentioned some thoughts before. To add to those previous arguments also consider this,when gun control is established in the name of public safety it communicates to the general public that we are either untrustworthy or incompetent to own a firearm lawfully or safely. The number of accidental deaths caused by guns pales in comparison to the number of lives saved by lawful gun owners being able to defend themselves. In my mind, to advocate a disarmed society is to setup a disillusioned paradise as though sin is not in the world. Instead of making a more peaceful society, as studies show resoundingly, in areas where guns are prohibited, more violence occurs. The United Kingdom is a poster child of this claim. Since they have banned handguns, there have been huge increases in gun violence and stabbings. It has been such a dramatic increase British legislators have considered banning knives…

In June of 2008 the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dick Heller v. District of Columbia, in which it was affirmed that the 2nd Amendment was an individual right to bear arms. This was the opening of a floodgate, for the better part of the last 100 years there have been debates claiming the 2nd Amendment applied only to militia members and not the general public, I found it especially convenient that attached to the militia claim was the fact that militias all fall under the National Guard since 1903. The fear 2nd Amendment advocates have will be the new judges which President Elect (PE) Obama will nominate. It was noted during the Saddleback Forum PE Obama stated that he would not have nominated 4 of the 5 justices which ruled in favor of Heller. PE Obama’s stance towards handguns was established in 1996 during the Illinois Senate race. During that race a questionnaire showed that he supported to “ban the manufacture, sale, and possession of handguns”. His stance was reaffirmed by refusing to be a friend of the court for Dick Heller in the Supreme Court. On 15 February 2008, PE Obama stated that he supported the D.C. ban. However, upon the court’s decision PE Obama claimed he had strong support for the 2nd Amendment.

I think ammunition has a high probability to be banned due to the wording which can be used and the utter damage it will do to the law-abiding gun owner category. In 2005, Sen. Kennedy proposed an amendment to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which protects the gun industry from lawsuits. The amendment also sought to ban centerfire ammunition under the guise as “armor piercing” which would be based upon a bullet’s velocity and energy. Allow me to give some background information of basic ballistics and body armor. The National Institute of Justice rates body armor according to its level of protection. Manufacturers use the standards of protection established by the NIJ to rate their body armor. Generally, most body armor is in the level II or III range because higher protection requires unconcealable armor and/or ballistic plates.Lighter body armor also called flak vests are used to protect people from small caliber handguns and shrapnel. To stop an AK-47 cartridge requires a Level III or higher. The vast majority of hunting cartridges can piece body armor. To get to the levels of body armor which would stop the many common cartridges used for hunting would require body armor that is more protective than what the military fields. It is not because they are full metal jacket rounds designed to pierce armor, it is because they are larger bullets meant to kill large animals with thick skin. To ban ammunition based on velocity and energy is A) extremely effective to banning mass amounts of ammo, B) has such a wide scope because a gun is little use without ammunition, C) it can be roused under “Protection” and possibly pass legislation.

The most likely of gun laws to be passed is a permanent version of the “Assault Weapons” ban and possibly banning all semi-automatic weapons. PE Obama said on 21 October 2004, “I think it is a scandal [President Bush] did not authorize a renewal” of the 1994 ban which banned many firearms defined as assault weapons. This is no big deal to Californians because there are state laws more stringent in place. The primary disqualifier for rifles in California is pistol grips. Having shot a weapon greater than semi-automatic I find it to be a waste of ammunition. There are other no-go’s than pistol grips but that is the single most effective feature preventing popular rifles. Akin to the assault weapon ban is the 10-round limit on rifle and pistol magazines. No big deal that is also already present in California law… yay… the scary possibility, banning all semi-automatic weapons as claimed in a 1998 political survey PE Obama stated as “principle” he supported “ban[ning] the sale, or transfer of all semi-automatic weapons”. A semi-automatic by word definition is a weapon which fires a single round for each depression of the trigger. It is automatic in that the casing is extracted and weapon reloaded as part of the firing action. To ban all semi-automatic weapons would include the 1911 Colt which was the weapon of issue for Dick Heller, and any firearm that is not a revolver or bolt-action. This is a strong majority of firearms throughout the United States. I hope when such a claim was made to ban semi-automatic weapons they confused automatic with semi-automatic, otherwise it can only show contempt for gun owners.

This was 3 issues which are possible of being changed not in favor of law abiding citizens. The NRA believes there are 14 issues which can go awry for 2nd Amendment practitioners. Each claim with strong support of past claims and votes made by PE Obama, check out www.gunbanobama.com to fact check, they do their homework. Could the surge be a bunch of paranoid people stocking up while the weapons they want are legal? Probably… At the same time, just as it is good to prepare for an incoming storm perhaps there is a legal storefront on route. When I drive home I’ll have my share of firearms to bring home with me, thank you Lonestar state. I fear the government that doesn’t want me to be able to protect myself. If nothing else, maybe this is part of the plan to re-stimulate the economy.

“Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India, history will look upon the Act of depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” – Mohandas Gandhi, An Autobiography

Epilogue: Well, President Obama forced the Affordable Healthcare Act instead of gun control. Minus tales about doctors talking about gun safety, President Obama’s first term was rather harmless to gun owners. His second term… well he can try, but to do so requires a liberal super majority in the House and Senate. There has been a lot that has happened on this front. I probably won’t blog about it.

The High Places

I mentioned before about the Sunday night Bible study I’ve been involved with for several months. I want to say for the last 6 weeks or so we have been doing a survey of the Old Testament. To be honest I never knew there were so many quirky details and stories in the Old Testament. I hope I remember to return to the Old Testament more frequently in my studies. Combine the Old Testament studies with several of the sermons I have been listening to from Mars Hill Church, and I pondering the high places and how they are relevant to us.

With my limited resources I found the High Places were altar-like places scattered throughout the lands in the Old Testament. It was common among indigenous cultures to find hilltops and other high elevation locations and setup obelisks, altars, and other small structures to worship their gods. The gods to which the high places were dedicated varied; amongst the unnamed gods are Baal, Asheroth, Asherah, and Molech. To the best of my understanding Baal was the god of economic success. It was everything from blessings harvests and business, Baal worship was a means to bless earthly success and wealth. In Leviticus 20, Molech was known for child sacrifice, through other historical references altars to Molech were statues with arms perpendicular so as to place an object on the arms. For worship the arms were heated to color changing temperatures and children were placed on the arms to be burned to death.

The first mention I have found of the high places was in the settling of the Promised Land. Continuing through the Old Testament I counted high places mentioned in the connotation of foreign god worship site appears 68 times. It was most apparent to me going through 1 & 2 Kings in which many leaders of Judah and Israel were given several paragraphs summarizing their rule and frequently mentioned was “the high places were not taken away” or worse yet “made offerings at the high places”. Saul was found hanging out at the high places where Samuel found him. Solomon built high places for his foreign wives and eventually made sacrifices to them. Hezekiah, who has been called by many the most righteous King in Jewish history destroyed the high places, only to have his son Manasseh rebuild them.

Yes, this was one of the more research intensive blogs, but here is the relevance. What are our high places? The Jews set the example of false idols and gods, upon hearing I often questioned the application. In California I never came across an idol or temple devoted to Baal. Wandering the streets of London I observed countless memorials and statues to honor their history, yet I never saw an altar to Molech for people to offer their babies. For far too long I held the teachings of false gods to be rather outdated and irrelevant because I had never experienced or even heard of such behavior. What if the worship still continues, we just changed high places and how we offer our worship? Mark Driscoll keenly points out that abortion is modern child sacrifice for sex. People desiring to worship sex more than life sacrifice their babies to continue their worship. What of the worship of money and success? Take your pick, be it magazines like “The Best Life”, TV shows such as “Cribs”, or America’s infatuation with celebrities concerning any and everything they wear and say, because they are rich. Ensuring I point the finger to myself I have to consider where I spend my time and for what purpose. Earlier today, I was busy playing Hitman while listening to a Mars Hill sermon in which Mark pointed out that the average single man plays two hours and forty six minutes of video games, ugh.

I do not intend this to be a legalist calling in which we must monitor our time consumption of activities, cease watching TV, and take no interest in popular culture; far from it. I just wanted to share with you all (I will not say y’all) I have been made more aware of the idols present throughout our society and more importantly the greater application of the Old Testament. Remember, for effective evangelism we must meet them where they are. If I know nothing of the culture I am attempting to reach common sense tells me I will not be effective.

The Prayer I Am Afraid to Pray

Before I dive into my semi-rant/ melancholy diatribe which is what prompted me to start writing; I think it is best to start with the good news. The last two months have been among the best I have had in the last 4 years. Never in my military career have I had such a strong, regular fellowship with a body of Believers. About two months ago, I learned of a small bible study composed of several guys in my unit. After myself and another passionate brother joined the study has exploded. I am in constant awe of the people that continue to join, the progress we can see God works each week, and the constant phileo we share.

The blessings continue in more than just the Sunday night Bible study. Since most of us work nearby I see many of my brothers on a daily basis. We speak often of how we can teach something new or what has been on our hearts. The explosion is not limited to just the Sunday attendance, outreach and the aura of the Spirit has filled the building when we are nearby. The Holy Spirit’s presence is nearby and constantly blessing us. Out of my heart’s response to such stimulation I think that is why I have been on a frenzy of reading, studying, and abstaining from video games for going on 3 months. Few of you can appreciate how big of an accomplishment it is to willingly abstain from games for so long.

We continue to bless each other, be it a Christian Song of the Day email and our discussions of kingdom things via email. I have also gotten the idea to bring my archives of North Coast Sermons, which I have been archiving for the past 3 years, to work. All of a sudden 140 messages looks kind of small when I am going through 3-5 per day. I didn’t want to scare anyone that I am in an overall mode of distress/frustration with such a piercingly honest title. In fact, it is just the opposite; I am cradled in the spirit and surrounded by God’s presence.

From my better approximations I am about 6 months away from being a civilian again. The Light at the End of the Tunnel brightens each week as we get closer to returning home. I look forward to my return back to the States as just a prelude to grander celebration. There are still many prayers to be done concerning the exact transition and dates which are needed to allow me to return to Hume for summer ’09 and the rest of my civilian transition. There are not many ways to compare the anticipation to leave the Army. I am proud of the service I have given. I also await anxiously to practice the liberties I have served to protect. I will forever be grateful of the things I have experienced, the lessons I learned, and people I have met while serving my country.

I guess to truly see where my angst is rooted I must return to Sept of '05, when I was contemplating my enlistment. I knew what I wanted to accomplish in life with almost the same clarity as I do now. The means to accomplish those goals were what I needed the Army to assist me. I was 20 years old, at a bit of a crossroads in my life, one which offered me a new start at a local seminary with little to no means of financing those goals and the realistic notion that a 22 year old seminary trained individual would not find a serious ministry to lead in a properly discerning church. My singleness was a major factor of my personal identity. I wanted to be the “Nice Guy”, I didn’t fear the “Friends Zone.” I knew at that time, just as I did in high school, I wanted a wife, not a girlfriend.

As part of my personal conditions for enlisting I knew I would remain single throughout my Army career. I viewed the soon to be Army life as a spiritual battleground which I needed to use to sharpen my faith, knowledge, and life experience. I suppose that was one of the reasons I refused to enlist for more than 4 years. Within my first year I was reassured of my decision and rather certain the type of woman I seek to be my wife would not be found in the Army. Throughout the training period, there were many high school sweethearts and long time girlfriends which either sent a Dear John Letter or got a ring when they and their soldier faced re-location or long term geographic separation.

While my financial status is substantially better than most people of my age, I see it just the opposite for the married enlisted soldier. There have been few couples I know of who do not have to live month-to-month to get by. The finances of most soldiers puts a significant stranglehold on many families. I saw it better to delay my own family then put them through such potential hardship. Even more, I expect, as most soldiers are instructed to expect, upon our transition back to civilian life, we should have several months worth of expenses saved because it will take time to get a job. I have no problem living off of my savings, but when others depend upon me, I cannot afford such a risk. I think the obligation to family, uncertainty of the jobs on the outside, and short leash of financial balance is what prompts many mid-grade individuals into going the full 20 years for retirement.

So here I am, 24 years old and months away from rejoining the civilian populace. I don’t know if it is envy, impatience or a combination of both which have been stirring in me more noticeably in the recent years, but I am tired of being single. To say been there and done that would be an understatement. The frustration started to peek its head through when I wrote the Joy of Being Single Pt I & II. Those were written at a time when I knew there were still years of singleness left and I ought to find valid lessons from that season. On many levels I wish time could have frozen while I have been in Iraq, Germany and everywhere else. I estimate I’ve missed somewhere in the neighborhood of 30+ weddings of friends since I left. I suppose that is one of the sacrifices I should’ve paid greater attention.

What are the proper answers to my frustrations? Pray for patience. Pray for Strength. Rely on Christ’s strength to get me through; all the while not being too anxious to dive headlong into a relationship which I would not have done while I served. But that is just it; I don’t want to pray for more patience. Not because I don’t want to be patient anymore, but because such a prayer might be granted. One of my favorite sayings and a true lesson for me is “Pray for patience and God will send you a jerk.” It is through the jerk, the opportunity to learn patience on a deeper level is more apparent. The answers to those prayers are exactly the answers I don’t want. I know I ought to persevere, for the sake of my marriage I hope I do. The anticipation is frustratingly close. Am I not satisfied from Christ? I think I am. It is also difficult because as I look to Genesis, if God was all man needed why was Eve created? Creation was good, Man was good; but Man and Woman in Creation were ma'od. I long to know that goodness.

I don’t know if I want any words of encouragement from this, I just wanted to let you inside my head.

Epilogue: Reading this 8 years later I have had a sensible chuckle. Oh grasshopper little did you know the places God would take you. I’m still single, Jesus is still enough. Some days I recognize that better than others.