Day 128

Mondays are now my favorite day of the week...temporarily, of course. Back in "Kansas," it marks the beginning of the work week which doesn't exist out here because every day is a work day. Why Monday? Landmarks. A not-to-be-mentioned number of weeks from today, I'll check in to the Navy where they will begin their attempts to put me back on the "Yellow Brick Road." The next Monday, I'll land on U.S. soil and continue on the "Yellow Brick Road" to process off of active duty. Days later, I'll arrive home and this blog will be at its very near end. So, Mondays have significance in my life because they represent a countdown towards home.

This morning, the first thing I did was Skype with Dorothy back home. Sunday night for her, Monday morning for me. It was good to see her again and talk about things back home. Afterwards, we took the boss to the flight line so he could travel as expected. :-) Commence a quiet few days... It was a quiet day in the office which included a trip to the post office where I waited 1/2 hour to ship Dorothy our laptop back home with a few other goodies. I also hit up Green Beans Coffee after lunch where I redeemed another $2.00 credit that I received anonymously from a lady named "Judi" who lives near Cincinnati. Her son is an Army Reservist who is about to deploy to Afghanistan after two prior deployments to Iraq...and she continues to donate free coffee to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Pretty cool, eh? I enjoyed my Mocha Frappe as I played the computer a round of Scrabble on my iPad. I lost. :-( Afterwards, I had a video-teleconference and actually had some kudos thrown my way from leadership in the northern part of the country! That was pretty cool! Remember when I traveled last time and briefed those combat engineers? That has really paid off and today was a confirmation that what I'm doing really is serving the warfighter. It was certainly a "feel good" moment. Later on this afternoon, Dorothy and I spoke for awhile, I spoke to my youngest brother's wife for a bit who often watches Tin Man and Scarecrow for us, and then finally to Tin Man and Scarecrow themselves. A few weeks back, I custom-designed two pairs of Converse shoes for them. Well, they finally arrived and I wanted to hear if they liked them....they LOVED them!! You're able to choose every panel of fabric on the shoe including the inside liner, laces, eyelets, and even put their initials on the heel. I'll post a picture of them on a future post once I get some photos. They have a patriotic twist to them, too. :-)

Tonight, it was Mongolian BBQ near my room so of course, I enjoyed it. Capped it off with only 1 scoop of praline ice cream. No run tonight...unlike last night, the wind is ferocious tonight. Sitting here typing tonight, it is rattling the walls of my room. On TV tonight? NASCAR! There is a very good benefit to a rained out race on Sunday...a very early race on Monday which is my evening here and its on LIVE. Often, it comes on LIVE here but not until 10 or 11pm.

The last few days before Sunday were a bit rough. As Dorothy and I have our rough spots yet support each other through them, my pastor sent this out, not knowing anything about that. It was perfectly timed...for both of us in a time when we both equally need it. Thanks, Pastor Bill! With this, I say "Goodnight, everyone."

But if things go hard with us, and trials darken all our sky, are we still to give thanks, and bless our God? Most surely.

“Trials make the promise sweet;

Trials give new life to prayer;

Trials bring me to His feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there.”

Let us thank God for our trials. We dwell, perhaps, in a land of narrowness. But, like Immanuel Kant’s garden, it is “endlessly high.” The air is fresh, and the sun is clear. The winter is frosty, but kindly. With the springtime comes the singing of birds, and the bloom and fragrance of flowers. And if, even in the summer, there breathes “a nipping and an eager air,” there is always the health-giving smile of God.

On the other hand, how true is the sentence of Augustine, “Earthly riches are full of poverty.” Rich stores of corn and wine will never satisfy a hungry soul. Purple and fine linen may only mask a threadbare life. The shrill blare of fame’s trumpet cannot subdue the discords of the spirit. The best night that Jacob ever spent was that in which a stone was his pillow, and the skies the curtains of his tent. When Job was held in derision by youths whose fathers he would have disdained to set with the dogs of his flock, he was made a spectacle to angels, and became the theme of their wonder and joy. The defeat which Adam sustained in Paradise, the Redeemer retrieved in the desolation of the desert and the anguish of His passion.

The cross we are called to bear may be heavy, but we have not to carry it far. And when God bids us lay it down, heaven begins. (David MacIntyre, "The Hidden Life of Prayer")