In The Army Officially

Today, I was sworn into the Army as a Chaplain. Wow! Here is a picture of me being sworn in. Retired Naval Reserve Chaplain (Captain) Michael Payne swore me in.

Today in my daily Bible reading I came across something that stood out to me. John 8:42 (selection):

for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He (God) sent Me. (New American Standard Version)

Why am I leaving Menokin for the Army? Maybe I can answer the question by following the example from John 8:42. I go into the Army not on my own initiative, but because God has sent me. This is helping me as I work through the bitter sweetness of God's calling. To God be the glory!

1st Cavalry Division

Well, it is official. I have gotten my official orders to report to basic in June, and upon the completion of basic we head to Ft. Hood, TX.
I will be attached to a battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division. We are really excited to see God continue to work as we follow Him in obedience.

I would like to take a moment to testify to the goodness if our God. From the beginning of this process we felt like we were supposed to be at Ft. Hood. We really have no explanation as to why we felt this way, we just did.

Our certainty in this matter would waver during the long period of waiting. However, God confirmed to us that Ft. Hood was where we are supposed to be. God has continued to confirm His calling and plan.

Our hearts desire is to follow God. Thankfully God has worked in our hearts preparing us for what He has before us.

Thank you for your prayers! They make a difference.

CHARGE!!

Drumroll Please!

This has been a very good week! I am sorry that I have not written before now; I really do not have any excuse. Anyway, we did get a call letting us know where our "projected" first duty station will be.

We had to go to Richmond on Tuesday to pick up Laura's car from the shop. We had just picked up the car and gotten to BJ's when the phone rang. Standing in the paper products aisle with CH Goode on speaker phone he told us our base will be...Ft. Hood, TX!

God is so faithful. From the very beginning I thought that God wanted us at Ft. Hood and this week God confirmed that is the case.

Now, it is time to wait for our official paperwork so I can be sworn in.

Just Around The Corner

I received correspondence this week from CH Goode at DACH (Department of the Army, Chief of Chaplains), "I will begin contacting you all beginning early next week to discuss your initial “projected” assignment." Laura and I are hoping that we will get that call on Monday. Of course, we have no way of knowing how many people he has to contact, but maybe he will go alphabetically, since our last name starts with a D! :-)

CH Goode also stated, "For some, it will be no surprise, for some it will be a great adventure, and for others it will be a disappointment. And yet, for ALL of you it will be the best place to begin serving in the military ministry that the Almighty God could ever imagine...even if it is a place that you personally had never imagined!" Of our three options for placement two are places that are considered "hot spots." If we get any of our three choices we will be happy.

What are our three choices? Ft. Hood, TX; Ft. Carson, CO; Ft. Lewis, WA. Actually, we are pretty flexible wherever we end up, however, I am not sure I would want to end up at Ft. Riley, KS. We will see.

Latest News

You guessed it; hurry up and wait! I got an email this week informing me that I should have my papers to be sworn in, my orders for basic and my orders for my first duty post by the end of the month. That is exciting! So when my wait is over, I will let you know.

From what I have read and from what others have told me, hurry up and wait is the way of the Army. God is working in my garden, helping me to produce greater fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23a.

Reality Check

Well, I have a lot of work to do. I went running with a career Army man this week. (In my defense, I had not run in about a month or more and had the wild hair to go for a run with him.) It all started off fine until I reached 500 yards, LOL! Fortunately a hunting dog was in the middle of the that field we were running around and we stopped and walked home to his owners. After our delivery, we were "running" again. I finally limped to our turn around point. Oh my, I still had two more miles to go. When I was running on a regular basis, I would only run two miles. Things are not looking too good for the Chaplain. What was I thinking when I said I wanted to go running with him on a four mile course?

Well, needless to say, it was the slowest run the soldier had ever had. Most of the way back he was pulling me. Man, do I have a lot of work to do! However, he gave me a good piece of advice that I will remember:

"If you let your body tell your mind what to do, you will not make it. If your mind tells your body what to do, your body will follow." Okay!

I must say that it does work. The next day, I went for a run that was about 2.5 miles long, and I was hurting, especially after the run from the day before. My body kept crying for rest, but I had made up my mind, and I was going to "run" the whole way. I did it! I may not have been moving fast, but I was not walking.

It feels really good to do something when your body says you can't, but your mind says you can. Well, I am off for a run. I have to get in better shape before basic.

Ring...

Ring...(Caller ID 301-677-XXXX)

Last month I received a call from my recruiter telling me my application had been approved but for Reserves not Active Duty. I decided to send my packet before the December Accessioning Board for consideration for Active Duty. The Board was meeting yesterday and today.

Ring...Ring...
Okay, here is the call I have been waiting for. Take a deep breath...Hello...

I must confess it was as though I was dreaming. I do not remember the name of the man I was talking to or exactly what he said, but his reason for calling was to welcome me to the Chaplaincy. Yes, I was approved for Active Duty. Phew! Thank you God! Today, God not only confirmed His call into the Army but a call to Active Duty.

What was the best Christmas present of 2007? A phone call confirming and affirming God's plan for the Dawson family.

Good News/Bad News

Well, I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you want to hear first? Okay, good news it is. My file went before the Army Chaplaincy Board on November 7-8, and I was approved!

Okay, now for the bad news. I was approved for Army Reserves not the Active Duty Army. OOF! So what does this mean? Well, it means that my file will be resubmitted and go before the Army Chaplaincy Board in December. When my file goes before them again I could be approved for Active Duty.

My recruiter is trying to figure out why I was not approved for Active Duty since I have a strong file. Anyway, we are back to the hurry up and wait game.

If we are still only approved for Reserves I could accept that appointment. We feel like we are supposed to be Active Duty, so we will keep praying.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

File Is Complete

I got a message at the end of last week from CH (Col) James Walker, my interviewer. He has finished reviewing all my information, and he has given me his blessing for Active Duty Chaplaincy. He wrote up his recommendation and has forwarded that on to the Chief of Chaplain's office. My file is finally ready for the November board. The board will meet on November 7-8.

So, now it is back to hurry up and wait.

The Good, Bad & Ugly

The Good: Paperwork done, again; my face to face interview is done.
The Bad: I had to do most of my Army Application again!
The Ugly: I was in a small accident.
Well that is the summation of my week.

I got a call this week from my recruiter and I had to redo a big portion of my application. The Army application process is in transition. Since I am on the cusp of the changes I had to submit my application under the new format. OOF! Oh Well. I Fed-Exed the paperwork today. So, what now? Hurry up and wait!

Yesterday, I had my interview with a Colonel Chaplain at Fort Lee, VA. I was with Chaplain James Walker (different from my recruiter who is Chaplain Dallas Walker) for about an hour and a half. We talked about things from why I wanted to be an Army Chaplain to what if I am not accepted as a Chaplain. He has been a Chaplain for 22 years and he gave me an opportunity to ask him questions. I asked him his advise for a new Chaplain. He said, "Be true to thyself." He went on to explain how important it is to stick to your beliefs and convictions. He indicated that most ministers are people pleasers and it is important to remember who we are to be pleasing, our Lord. Great interview. I do have something to do while I wait. Colonel James Walker asked me to submit a resume, a mini-bio and a written sermon. I will work on that while I wait.

Once I left the interview I went to the on base Uniform and Sales store to price all the clothing and equipment that I will be needing. I am trying to find some of the stuff on EBay and wanted to know prices before purchasing anything. I was trying on sizes etc. I have found some things on EBay that I will probably end up getting because they are cheaper. Buying it a little at a time is easier than having to buy it all when I get to basic. I hope to have all I need when I arrive at basic and to save a little money along the way. We will see.

Well, no need to prolong the ugly of the day/week. After I left the Uniform and Sales store I went looking for off base sales of Army equipment. Usually around the bases are stores that sell the same things and I wanted to price things there. I pulled through one strip mall and did not find anything. I was going to look at another strip mall, but before I could get there I was in an accident. I had stopped at a stop sign. To my right was an Army bus that was turning into a gas station. I looked and did not see anyone coming so I started through the intersection. Before I knew it there was a truck coming from my right and they hit me. It did little damage to either of the vehicles. It dented the bumper and knocked out the headlight on my car. They were in an old truck and it barely bent the bumper. What was crazy was they were both saying their backs were hurting. Before the police and rescue squad got there they were carrying on like nothing was wrong. As soon as the police and squad got there they said they needed to go to the hospital. GOOD GRIEF!!!! As you can tell from the pictures there was not a lot of damage to either vehicle.

The policeman and EMT's did not believe their little act. You can imagine how I felt about it. I did find out last night that they did not have any injuries and were released from the hospital. I am glad to know they were alright. I also found out that the passenger of the truck had a warrant out for his arrest. The policeman indicated that he was no stranger to the law. Not exactly how I wanted to help the police out, but...

My prayer is that they do not try to take me to court etc. Based on their actions yesterday, I bet that they have already contacted a lawyer. Time will tell.

Hurry Up and Wait

September was a month in which some more things came together.

I finally was able to schedule my MEPS examination for September 6 at Fort Lee, VA. I had to be there at 06:00. Good Grief! I left the house at 04:00. I got there early and had to wait. A little after 06:00 someone came out to instruct us on how the process would work. I had a vision test, blood pressure check, hearing test, blood test, urine test, physical, body joints check and body measurements (height and weight). I got the passing grade! I did not think MEPS would take as long as it did. I did not leave there until 11:30. As soon as I left the base I called my recruiter and set up an appointment with him for September 14.

When I got together with my recruiter, Chaplain Walker, we put my Army application together. He told us that the fastest he had gotten through this process was about four hours. So when he got to our house at 10:00 we quickly got started. We got him set up in the dining room where he could spread out and we could knock out the application. There were many parts to the application. Slowly but surely we moved from one section to another. Within four hours we had finished the application except for the the FBI Security Clearance Application. By the way, I think we set a new record for finishing the application because we had lunch in that time also. Laura was a great help. Thanks Laura!

Wow! I did not realize there was so much to do for the FBI Security Clearance Application. I had to list all my jobs back to the age of 16. I also had to list all the places that I have lived for the last ten years with names of people who could verify that I had lived there when I did...and so much more. CRAZY! I do not know why they needed all the information, but I got it all together and sent in the application. YAY!

So, am I ready to go before the Army Chaplaincy Board yet? NO! I have to have an interview with a Colonel Chaplain. I was able to schedule that interview for October 4. I look forward to getting that done and having completed everything possible before going before the Army Chaplaincy Board.

Now it is a matter of hurrying up and waiting. The hurdles before us are less than they were!

So while I wait I will continue to work hard preparing myself for the PT test at basic.

Time For Some R&R

August was busy and restful. Laura drove our daughter Victoria to a Children's Theatre Camp in Montana. Yes, it was a long drive, but Laura did it. They were both troopers. After dropping Victoria off Laura drove back to Minnesota to stay with a friend for two weeks. On August 15 I flew to Minnesota to meet up with Laura. The next day we began our track back out to Montana.

Before this trip none of us had been to this part of the country. It was nice to visit but so different from the East. We missed seeing all the trees. We did most of our sight seeing on the way home. We went to Yellowstone in WY, Mount Rushmore in SD, Crazyhorse in SD, Wall Drugs in SD, Walnut Grove in MN, Kalamazoo in MI, Niagara Falls in Canada and finally home sweet home.

From the time the car left until it returned we covered 8290.5 miles! It was a lot of driving, but we created great memories together.

Fortunately, even though I ate out a lot on the trip I lost weight. When I knew God was calling me into the Military I was 250lbs. To meet the the height weight chart I need to get below 206. I still need to loose some weight so I continue to eat salad, run, do sit ups and push ups. This regiment will help me get ready for MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) and PT (Physical Training).

Some Financial Hurdles Crossed

It seemed that every door we came to was open. I told in one of the previous posts that my father-in-law had been accepted for Medicaid. As the months went by I did not receive a bill for his stay in the nursing facility. I would call them about it and they would tell me we would get a bill once he got moved off the skilled nursing wing. So we waited. Now he was moved to a different facility and I still had not gotten a bill. When I finally contacted the facility I was told that the bill had been paid by Medicare and Medicaid. Therefore, the money that would have been his copay was his. The money was enough to pay back all the debt that he owed us. I could not believe it. God will take care of things if we allow him too.

When Dad moved back to Alabama they needed thousands of dollars to take him. We were not sure where that money was going to come from but we soon found out. The one month he was in Richmond finished off his 90 days of benefits where Medicare paid 80% and Medicaid paid 20%. The amount of his copay was enough to cover the money he needed for the facility in Alabama. In a matter of a week God had provided close to $10,000. To God be the glory for the great things He has done.

Big Strides

In July we would make some major strides in our journey into the Army. We awaited news about Dad's application,we shared our journey with the church and with my parents .

On July 1, I told Laura that we had gotten so much confirmation in the beginning that it would be nice to have a little more, as if we needed more confirmation. Victoria was gone to Youth Camp and Laura and I were camping out in the back yard. Laura went into the house and I asked her to bring back the latest edition of the Religious Herald. We had gotten it in the mail a few days before, but I had not looked at it. I always read from the back to the front. I had made it all most all the way through the paper before stumbling upon this article. http://www.religiousherald.org/1433.article

On July 3, we got a call from the nursing facility in Alabama. They had received Dad's application and we were told that they were moving Dad to the top of the waiting list. From what I understood the waiting list was a year long. WOW! We were shocked. This was further confirmation that we would be going into the Army. It is not by human hands that all these things came about but instead by the hands of God. Thank you God! Time to wait again.

On July 8, we shared out journey with our church. I was excited to share and also nervous. Of sorts it was a load off my shoulders. I struggled with God's call, on Sunday's following church, since things were going so well at the church. Why now God? Yet, once I told the church it seemed like the pressure valve was released. I think it is safe to say that there were mixed feelings in reaction to our news. One of the comforts was that they knew me well enough to know I was following God's call and I was not leaving because of other reasons. So many in the church have continued to be supportive of us and our ministry in light of the impending changing of the guard. I am so blessed to be the pastor to some of the greatest people in the world.

On July 10, we were supposed to meet with Chaplain Walker, my Chaplain Recruiter. However, on July 9, the Army came in and told him that he was being moved. We finally got to meet Chaplain Walker in September.

I waited until July 13, to call my parents. I was not looking forward to telling them. I could only image their reaction to my news. Rarely do parents want their child(ren) to join the Armed Forces with the reality or war. Note to self: Take a deep breath! When I called my folks, mom was not home from work yet. I told my dad first and he was shocked! If my dad took the news this way how would my mother react? Finally, my mother got home from work and it was time to tell her. As I shared she attentively listened. After I had told her she said, "Okay." Okay? Wow! I wondered if she was sick. She took the news better than my dad did. She was supportive and assured me of her knowledge that I was in God's hands. I know that God will help us all as we go through this process together. Thanks for being supportive Mom!

July 23, we got an unanticipated call. The nursing facility in Alabama called to ask when we could have Dad there. In less than a month God had done what was humanly impossible. It reminds me of Revelation 3:7 from the Contemporary English Version: "When I open a door, no one can close it. And when I close a door, no one can open it." Without a doubt God had worked all this out. We had Dad back in Alabama on July 25.

God gave confirmation on top of confirmation. There are hurdles behind us and before us. I thank God for His faithfulness through this process.

GOD IS GREAT!

A Look Back

I actually need to tell a little back story to continue showing God's graciousness and moving during our process of joining the Army.

My father-in-law has had mini strokes for years. He had one in the summer of 2006 but it really only affected his math skills. Otherwise he seemed to do fine. As you may or may not know back in December of 2006 my father-in-law had a stroke that made him unable to live by himself. Just days before the stroke he had been teaching at Troy Dothan and driving around town. Oh at the difference of a few days. He was very fortunate that the stroke did not cause more damage than it did. With the news that he would not be able to live by himself Laura and I made the decision to move him to live with us. We had to clean out his home and get it sold, we had to divide his belonging into five different categories: Dad's, Della's, Laura's, yard sale and eBay. Laura stayed in Alabama to get Dad's affairs in order and she worked tirelessly while Dad was in rehab. Victoria and I had returned to Virginia with a U-Haul trailer full of stuff for Dad, us and eBay.

At the very end of January we moved Dad and another trailer full of stuff from Alabama to Virginia. It was a difficult transition for the whole family, but we made it. Dad was walking around the house slowly with his walker and feeding himself. We were grateful for these little steps of progress. I remember riding down the road and feeling like God was telling me that he was taking us to the next level in our faith journey. I remember thinking that I was happy right where I was.

Within the first six weeks at our house Dad went to the hospital six times and he was admitted five. The last time he was admitted to the hospital the doctor's told us that we would not be able to take care of all his needs at home. They suggested he go to a nursing facility to get rehab and after rehab he might be able to come back and live with us. Not long after he got into the nursing facility we realized that he was not progressing as we had hoped he would.

Back at the end of summer 2006 we had taken on some of Dad's debts. We had two credit cards that had nothing on them and offered a better interest rate than the accounts that he had. While he was living with us he had enough money to pay his bills and to pay us back as well. Once he went into the nursing home, however, we were left with the remainder of that debt. We knew from the beginning that this outcome was a possibility, but we knew that we had done the right thing.

Since Dad could not afford the nursing facility with his retirement and Social Security he applied for Medicaid. God is so good, he was accepted for Medicaid. He only got $30 per month for any person expenses etc. We were so excited for dad even though he would not be able to repay the debt to us.

Just before Memorial Day Weekend Dad was sent to the hospital from the nursing facility. He had gotten dehydrated and he just needed some fluids. Once they got him hydrated they were ready to send him back to the nursing facility. They would not accept him! We could not believe it. They tried to put it off on us saying it was because we did not pay to hold the room for him. They ended up telling us that they would not have taken him back even if we had of held the room. Great what now? As if our plates were not full enough with the impending upheaval now this situation with Dad. So, even though Dad was well enough to leave the hospital, he couldn't. It took close to two weeks to find a place for him but he ended up in Richmond. At first we did not like him being that far away from us, but in the end it was a blessing in more than one way.

At the new facility they really worked with Dad to get him mobile. WOW! They had given up on him at the facility in Warsaw. Dad really liked the place and we were thankful that the situation had worked out the way that it did.

We were now headed toward the end of June and we were certain God wanted us in the Army so we began to look for a place back in Alabama for Dad. At the end of June we submitted an application to the same facility he had been at before coming to Virginia. Then we waited.

A Long Journey

To get into the Army as a Chaplain is not necessarily an easy task. As a Chaplain I have to be endorsed by a denominational body. Since our church is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) I knew that I would go with one of the two agencies. I had a feeling that we would go thorough the CBF since Laura had been divorced and since I did not attend and graduate from a Southern Baptist Seminary. I contacted the CBF and was waiting to hear back from them. I talked to a missionary friend of ours and he told me I should at least check with the the North American Mission Board (NAMB is the SBC endorsement agency). I called the NAMB and the stated issues would not keep me from being endorsed through the NAMB. I still waited to hear something from the CBF. I sent an email to the CBF, no response. I called and left a message, no response. I finally talked to the coordinator and he told me that he would call me back the next day. He finally responded, three months later. After waiting for more than a week I took this as a sign that God had closed the door to the endorsement through the CBF. I prayed that God would shut doors that he wanted shut and I saw this as a door that He had shut. We began the process of being endorsed by the NAMB.

There was a lot of work that had to be put into the application to be endorsed. One of the things that worried me the most was when it asked for references. These references would have to be from people within the church. I had only shared our story with the Mace and Thompson families. Take a deep breath. One by one I sat down and told those that I needed references from. All were very supportive. I asked that they would keep this to themselves until I shared it with the church. I wanted the news to come from me and no one else. They respected my wishes. Now I had to wait for the complete application to be assembled and presented to the NAMB Chaplaincy Board.

We also officially began the application process for the Army. There was not a real big hurry since it was only June, I needed to loose weight and the first opportunity for me to go to basic would not be until January 2008.

Confirmation continued to come.



















Maxine Shockley, who is a member of our church and a good friend, bought this card for us. She felt as though God had guided her to get it for us. After she purchased the card it was misplaced. Later, she found it and then sent it on to us. I am amazed at the words of the card and its timing. At another time it would not have had the meaning that it did. I had prayed for confirmation and this is another confirmation of God's calling in our lives. Maxine sent this to us not knowing what God was doing in our lives. She was not one of the few who knew.

As from the beginning, Laura, Victoria and I were all on the same page. We knew God was calling us and we were responding. I had struggled with the issue of the possibility of death while deployed but God had put me at ease. I knew that no matter what I was in God's hands. If I was supposed to die there I would and if not I would not. God is in control.

However, my concern for Laura and Victoria was present. Who would help them while I am gone? It did not take long to get the answer to that question. We were headed to the Home School Convention in Richmond and I felt God urging me to take the current edition of On Mission to read. The main topic of the issue was for come back churches. I wondered what God had for me in the edition. We had some free time that afternoon and I got out my reading material and turned to the table of contents. Then I realized that before me was the answer to my prayers and concerns. If you would like to read the complete article click on the following link. http://www.onmission.com/site/c.cnKHIPNuEoG/b.2896815/k.8380/Left_Behind.htm

God heard my prayers and concerns for Laura and Victoria. I knew that God was assuring me by letting me know that there are churches that have ministries specifically for those left behind. I believe we will be close to such a church while I am deployed.


We have come so far, yet, we have so far to go.

Wind Blowing in Storm of Confirmation

As I stated in my last blog, the winds of change were blowing. Through the homeschooling group and the local Baptist Association we met the Mace family. The Maces had come to our area of Virginia when Katrina ran them out of Louisiana, where Chance was getting his seminary education. Chance is a United States Army Reserve Chaplain. I remember a couple of conversations that Chance and I had about his ministry in the military. He told me about the ministry and I thought it was a wonderful ministry. On another occasion he asked if I wanted to become a Chaplain and I laughed, it may have been nervous laughter, and told him that I was not interested. If I had to be in the Armed Services I told him I would want to be on a ship. That way I could send missiles into combat zones from many miles away. It was these conversations "seeds" that God used to change my heart and steer us toward the military.

It is hard to explain how God began to transform our hearts and minds. It becomes even more difficult if you try to explain it to someone who has not experienced God moving mountains in their own lives. I will do my best to explain it and hope that the Spirit of God will help you to understand.

Resonating in my mind was the fact that in the military about 80% of our time is spent in counseling. I love the counseling setting. Then a crazy thought passed through my mind. It sounded to me that the military was a perfect fit for who I am as a person. But, I have a family and I do not want to die young and leave my family. For at least a few days there was an internal struggle...the battle was being waged in me. How would I tell Laura? How would I tell my mother? What about my daughter? So many questions and so few answers.

Laura being my best friend, I had to find a way to tell her. I do not really remember the initial conversation, but I do remember it's outcome. Surprisingly she was not shocked by what I told her. She agreed that the military ministry sounds like me. God was working in her life just as he was working in mine. After we had this conversation I told her and God that I needed confirmation. We were not ready to leave Menokin. We still have five more years here, right?

The next day Laura picked up the mail from the post office and I got a copy of the Religious Herald. Splashed across the front page was this picture entitled Front Line Ministry. Remember to be careful when asking God for something. I had asked for confirmation and here it was in my hands. I have attached links to a number of articles from the paper.
http://www.religiousherald.org/1361.article http://www.religiousherald.org/1362.article http://www.religiousherald.org/1363.article http://www.religiousherald.org/1364.article http://www.religiousherald.org/1365.article http://www.religiousherald.org/1366.article
http://www.religiousherald.org/1367.article
http://www.religiousherald.org/1368.article

The winds of change had blown in a storm of confirmations. All of the above articles God used to confirm His calling upon our lives. About two days later we got our copy of the Northern Neck Electric Cooperative magazine. Here is a picture of the cover. I did not take these things as a coincidence. I had asked for confirmation and here it was, again. I know that many got and read these publications and they did not decipher anything from them. Yet, God had prepared us to receive these articles. Amazingly the confirmations are not over yet.

Now began the difficult task of figuring out what branch to serve in. We did not feel like God cared what branch we were to go into. Our first option was the Navy. That should not be a surprise based on previous statements. Laura went to school with someone who has been in the Navy for years and we communicated with him and his wife. After talking to them we did not think that was what we wanted. I was sure that I did not want to be a Marine. That left the Army and the Air Force. We first looked into the Army and felt like that may be the right branch but we were not certain. I got in touch with the Air Force and the deployments were easier for the family. The Air Force has 4 month deployments while the Army has 15 month deployments. Okay, lets go Air Force, yes? No. When I looked at the differences in the ministry I knew that it was the Army but how do I tell Laura? I asked God to help me and He did.

About a day or so later I asked her what she was thinking and she said her gut feeling was Army. Phew, thank you God, we were on the same page. Now was the question of Active Duty or Reserves.

Laura in here daily Bible reading read Luke 14:26-27; 33 and shared it with me.
Luke 14:26-27; 33 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-- yes, even his own life-- he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

We were now both certain that we were to join the Active Duty Army. Why is that? Because our hearts greatest desire is to be Christ's disciples. From the text we discerned that if we loved anything or anyone more than we love Christ we cannot be his disciple. Were we willing to give up life as we knew it to follow Christ in obedience? Yes Lord, here we go! What now?

From the Beginning

"God called you into the Army," rolled off their lips before they had time to process my story. I know that it may sound odd or like I am psychotic, but God did call me into the Army. I am blogging this story so that family and friends can take the journey with us as we set out on the adventures God has before us.

I am a 34 year old Baptist Minister serving in a rural church in Eastern Virginia. Right before graduating from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, May 2002, I accepted the pastorate position at Menokin Baptist Church, Warsaw, Virginia. From the time we arrived at Menokin we had wanted to stay ten years. Part of our desire to stay that long was to be able to give our daughter stability throughout her years in school. One of the other reasons was our church had a decades old pattern of retaining a minister for five years and then going through the months long process to secure another one. I wanted to break the pattern. I wanted to make the most of the ministry God had given me and I felt like things would not really start happening until we passed the five year mark. Throughout my ministry there had been times that it would have been nice to leave because we were going through difficult times. However, I never felt like God had released me from the ministry at Menokin. May 1, 2007 marked five years of ministry at Menokin. In the beginning of May my wife said, "The winds of change are blowing." I laughed and said, "Yeah, right!" I had underestimated the power of a woman's intuition. By the end of May we were aware that the winds of change were gaining momentum.