the basis for my values

It is the end of the day, I have been in class for nearly nine hours, and my mouth is dry from the vitamin pills I am currently taking. Due to my exhaustion, I will be writing from the top of my head, rather than sitting and constructing sentences that make sense. As a leader, my day has been somewhat frustrating. I won't go into the details, but if I can write out some of what I'm thinking it might help me stay in check.

Here at the DLI (Defense Language Institute) I have been assigned two primary leadership positions: Squad Leader for ten IET soldiers and Section Leader for a class of ten. During my time in the Army, I have learned a lot about leadership. And while it is true that I base some of my decisions on past experiences, it isn't what drives me, nor is it the foundation for my values. This is one reason why I don't enjoy sharing "war stories" or even the things I have done or been witness to.

The Army is big on values. So much in fact that they post their "values" all over the place: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage have become one of my mantras during my career. But if one really thinks about it, these aren't really values. Let's say a situation comes up where a soldier must decide on being a good friend to his buddy (loyalty) or between turning him in (duty). What does he do? Thus, the Army Values aren't really values, rather virtues. They're great to have, but don't help a soldier come to a definite conclusion in their decision.

I guess what I needed to remind myself of was this: If there is one thing I've learned during the span of my career, one aspect of life that I have been blessed to see, it would be that throughout everything Yahweh is present. He is here in Monterey, He was with me jumping out of planes, He was with me in Iraq and the other twelve countries I've been to, and He is here with me now. One of my favorite things about Him is that He never changes. No matter where I go, He's there, ready to accept me for who I am and where I'm at. Because of this, His holy Word has become the light for my dark path. It has become the basis for my values.

Lord, help me today. Help me become the leader and man you want me to become. Allow me to see the world through Your eyes, rather than my own, and help me to remain strong through difficult times, keeping my eyes fixed on You. I rest in Your arms.

put down the Big Mac

This past week has been intense, both in class and out. Class has been going by at blazing speeds. It is only by the grace of God that I have: a. not fallen asleep during a lecture, b. been able to understand most of what the teachers are talking about, and c. not thrown myself out of the second story window due to insanity. This course consumes me. There is not much else I think about during the day other than Arabic and how can I learn more Arabic?

As most of you know, I run as a pastime. In fact, I have been putting in at least four miles a day, the latter part of the run usually being straight uphill. This past Saturday I was running through downtown Monterey, past the quaint shops smelling of fresh coffee, to the top of a few parking garages, and then past the flock of swans in El Estero Park; all this while I dodge old people strolling along the boardwalk. My usual routine when running through town is that when I get stopped by a traffic light, I get down and do push-ups until the light changes. On this particular day I was doing push-ups when I heard this loud *CRASH* behind me. I turned around to see that a small car accident had occured about four feet from where I was exercising. The person who was rear-ended (a woman of large proportions, not to be trifled with) decided that the accident was cause enough to put down the Big Mac she was consuming, and get out of her car to see what had happened. She steps out, holding in her other hand a large vanilla ice cream cone. The man who rear-ended her was an elderly Korean man, who by the sounds of things, couldn't speak a word of English. I haven't seen a funnier sight than these two strangers try to talk out their new problem together!

Every morning I ask the LORD to use me. To let me be a light to a dark world. To let my life count for something. With that prayer, I ask that He allow me to encounter who He wants me to during that particular day. Just as those two strangers in the intersection met, that's how I want the LORD to arrange my meetings with people. I'm not saying I want to get in accidents with people! But it has been amazing to see the people God brings across my path, if I'm willing to see them.

This evening someone on my floor, someone that I barely knew, asked if I wanted to go to the chow hall with him. It wasn't my usual routine, but I agreed. At chow, I asked how his language was going, what his plans were for the Army, and where he saw himself in a few years. We laughed and joked as we shared life stories. I then asked how his family was. He became silent, the smile gone. He put his fork down and looked away for a moment. Then he looked at me and said, "Well, one of my closest relatives was just released from prison. Unfortunately he got involved with his old life-style and this past weekend someone shot him in the back. He's paralyzed from the waist down." Wow. I sat back and sighed heavily at this ubrupt change in conversational tone. I let him continue talking about the great times they had when they were younger, all the while praying that the LORD would give me the words to say.

When he had finished, I started speaking, realizing that it was the Holy Spirit speaking, not myself. "So do you ever wonder what causes two people, with the same type of upbringing, to travel down completely different paths in life?" He had never thought of this before. His belief is that it's all random chance. That people don't have much control over their choices and that most of life is plotted out circumstancially. Our time was then cut short because he had to leave.

It is true that, as A.W. Tozer said, "God created the world in such a way that in the end, everyone gets exactly what he or she wanted."

It is also true that there is a hurting world out there in desperate need of someone to share the truth with them. I admit, I must be more bold in my faith, not backing down when the time comes, rather, standing firm on the Chief Cornerstone, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

The LORD is good and His mercies endure forever.

And for those of you wondering: Yes, when the light changed, I jumped to my feet and continued on my run, laughing all the way back to base.

Make Your ways known to me, LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long.
~Psalm 25:4-5 (HCSB)

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sipping on coffee

This past week has been very interesting. Our class finally finished our Sound and Script portion of our curriculum with the culmination of our test this past Friday. So it is official: I can read and write Arabic. I don't know what the words are, but I can read it and write it. One of the many hurdles I must cross while here has finally been completed.

I had an interesting encounter at the Del Monte Shopping Center a couple of days ago. I was there with my friend Randy and for some reason I turned around in the middle of the store and started to stare at these three men. I wasn't even sure why I was staring. One of them came up and asked me why I was staring at them and I told him I wasn't sure. I then asked them where they were from, to which they replied, "Saudi Arabia". So that was it! I was staring at them because they were speaking Arabic to each other. My mind must have subconsiously picked it up. We quickly became friends once they found out Randy and I were students of Arabic. Each of them are Colonels in the Saudi Army, one of which is an F-16 pilot. All of them are studying at the Naval Post-Graduate School, located just down the street from the DLI. Before we departed, they gave us an open invitation to visit them at the NPS for some Arabic speaking practice. They told us their room number and building and we parted ways.

The next morning (Saturday) Randy and I were driving around doing errands when he suggested we visit our Arabic friends at NPS. I agreed, although neither of us remembered the building or room number. All we could remember was that it was on the third floor. We went to the front gate and asked where they put the foreign students and the guard told us the building. However, when we got to the building, we realized that it would be impossible to find them because there were too many rooms on the third floor. We searched, but no one was around to ask for help. As we were about to give up, we noticed the door to one room propped open. So we knocked and peaked inside. And wouldn't you guess? It was our friends we met the night before! We had a great time talking Arabic with them while sipping on coffee and munching on snacks. It almost reminded me of when my team would meet with the Mayor of Tikrit in Iraq. Well, except for the part where we had to wear body armor, things would explode, or people would shoot at you.

Wow, that was a long story for what it was worth. I just thought it was an interesting encounter.

Some of us went out to an Afghanistan Restaurant tonight in Pacific Grove (picture above). The food was great, but it was much more enjoyable getting to know my fellow servicemen. They are all professionals and motivated to accomplishing the mission of learning Arabic.

I don't really have a lot of energy right now. I can see that my writing is getting worse by the minute, so I'm going to have to write more at another time!

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or it he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
~Luke 11:11-13

smacked in the face with a 2x4

I think there are only two constants in life. Two things that never change no matter what comes their way. The first is the love and grace of Yahweh, and the second is the beautiful weather in Monterey. Wow. What a gorgeous day (view insert of our parade field on base).

I have finally broken down and bought a cell phone. I am back in the loop (view insert).

I visited a new church today called Shoreline Community Church. It's located within Monterey, about ten minutes from base, and it reminds me a lot of GCC. They have core classes 101 through 401, they have parking lot ministry, a great children's ministry, a praise band that rocks, and the message presented by the pastor is amazing. I feel extremely blessed to have found this church because there were no ads for it in the yellow pages (weird huh?). Someone told me about it on Friday night and I researched it online.

Class has been going very well, considering I study all the time just to get by. I have never (literally, NEVER) studied this hard for anything in my life. That includes when I came through DLI four years ago for Serbian-Croatian. The Lord has been faithful though. I have an increased energy during class and I find that I can concentrate at night when I need to study.

Speaking of class, I have also been blessed to have a great section. There are ten of us in the same class from all areas of the military (Navy, Air Force, etc) and we have grown close just over these past few weeks. Eight of the ten went with me to the Joneses house last night for some dinner and a study session (surprised?). It was a blast. They are great to have in class and bounce Arabic off of.

Happy Birthday Laurakaga.

I had a mandatory APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) this past week. The way it's set up on this base is, if you score high enough you are exempt from the mandatory company PT (which is every Mon, Wed, and Fri). Well, the mandatory company PT was getting really old because it wasn't really working me and it was taking up a lot of my time. This only motivated me more to get a good score on the APFT. And YES! I achieved a high enough score to be exempt from company PT and do my own physical training during the week. I figure it will save me about four to five hours a week.

I have been praying, for over a month, for someone who I can consistantly pray with. About a week and a half ago one of the guys in my class just walked up and asked me if I wanted to pray with him three times a week before school. Have you ever been smacked in the face with a 2x4 from God? I am excited just writing about it! What an answer to prayer!

I don't think I will be able to keep my five a month Starbucks commitment. I'm sorry to those of you who will now take me off of your top 8. I'm at four and it's only Feb 5th.

Tomorrow on base there is a DIA briefing. I think I'll go just to see what they offer. I'll let you know what I find out.

I was running through downtown Monterey (view insert if you forgot how beautiful it looks) and listening to Blessed Be Your Name. What an awesome song. It gets me pumped up everytime I hear it. Especially on warm beautiful days. "Blessed be Your name, when the sun's shining down on me..." Oh, and it's cool that I can amaze the Lord with my faith.

When Jesus heard this, He was amazed...
~Matthew 8:10a

the sweet factor

So here I am, drinking tea. It doesn't have any caffeine in it because I don't want to be up late tonight, so I added a heaping spoonful of honey to bring up the sweet factor. I am also extremely sore right now. I ran again on the beach today with three friends from my barracks, and it is still very difficult. Granted, we went further than last time, and I think we ran harder, but I am not accustomed to running partially sideways and on a soft surface.

We officially began classes today as well. I was able to meet my MLI (Military Language Instructor) and become accustomed with the thirty pounds of books, audio cd's, and computer software that is going to be my life for the next 63 weeks. I did get the bonus of receiving a free MP3 player, courtesy of our tax dollars. They said they might give us an iPod (strictly for studying).

Oh, and just so you all know, I am in the process of searching for a cell phone. That's right, a cell phone. There I said it. It's out there for all to see.

I have been keeping up with all of my New Year's Resolutions. My least favorite and most difficult to do is the Starbucks limit. Not only do we have around seven Starbucks on this peninsula, but I just heard yesterday that they will be opening not one, but TWO Starbucks on base! Being able to see it everyday will make it more difficult, however I will remain steadfast!

My favorite resolution to keep has been reading through the Bible in a year. It has been just about a year since I've read through Genesis and I forgot how much I enjoyed it. The other day I read through an interesting passage. In chapter 12 verse 7, Abraham is building an altar to the Lord to commemorate His visit. Whenever I read passages like this I always thought that the people who built them worshiped God just that one time. However, chapter 13 verse 4 says, "[Bethel] was the place where Abram had built the altar, and there he again worshiped the LORD."

I often have been caught in the trap of praising God for things that happen to me right here right now and then, a few weeks later, forgetting about them never again worshiping God for His great works. This next year, especially since I've been back at my old stomping grounds, I will pray for God to remind me of the great things He brought me through here so that I may write them down and praise Him all over again.

it was natural for her

So I have finally made it to beautiful Monterey, CA. I decided to travel along I-80 through the exciting states of Iowa and Nebraska. I thought, "I don't want to miss any remarkable sites that these parts of the Union have to offer". Yeah, I drove through at night and I must say it was more exciting than during the day.

I arrived Thursday night and stayed with my long-time friends Dennis and Susan Jones. It was good getting caught up with them. Interestingly enough, it felt as though I had never left. They remodeled their Carmel Valley home, but other than that, not much has changed.

My inprocessing doesn't officially begin until Tuesday morning, however, since I've been stationed here before and know the ropes, I was able to do a lot of my inprocessing on Friday. I just walked around informally introducing myself to people and getting all of my checkmarks in the appropriate boxes.

I did meet a very interesting lady while I was doing all this. Her name is Ms. Costello, she works in the personnel office as a civilian contractor, and she was here when I left three years ago. Well, she's still here, only with a cane and a slight limp (she's old). I said hi to her and she said, "Hang on, I have something for you". She left for a moment, and returned with a piece of paper in her hand. "Do you have any friends who are from the Vietnam Era? Do they have any diseases? Here is a list of diseases the VA will cover if your friend claims it." I didn't know what to say to her. Sure, I have quite a few friends who fought in Vietnam, but she didn't even know who I was and she was already talking to me like we were friends. Then I remembered that this woman ALWAYS talked about ways to help soldiers. She had been helping soldiers for so many years that that was all she could think about....all the time. So it was natural for her to approach a soldier she didn't know and tell them about all the wonderful opportunities within their grasp.

I want to have that same passion about Christ and his precious Book. I want to approach complete strangers and tell them about Him, the one who saves their soul. I want that to be the first thought I have in the morning and the last thought I have at night.

Anyway, I spent a lot of time running around town doing odds and ends. I reached my 5 a month Starbucks limit on Saturday (doh!). I also moved all of my things into the barracks which conveniently is located on the third floor. The personnel office asked if I wanted to live off post since I'm high enough in rank to do so. I told them I wasn't interested. I figure it will cause more grief going on and off post every day. Plus, I can meet so many more people living on post and I have everything I need right at my fingertips.

Speaking of people, my roommate is a Russian. Yep, full-blooded. Moved to the USA when he was seven. I invited him to church yesterday and he accepted! We both went to church this morning at Lighthouse Baptist. My experience there is going to have to be another story. I wasn't sure if I would still attend there because it is a smaller church and I'm used to GCC and meeting hundreds of people at a time with numerous service opportunities. However, I prayed for an answer and I believe the Lord provided me with that. I'll explain tomorrow.

Anyway, that's my life right now. I went for my first run on the beach yesterday and it was beautifully difficult. I forgot how hard running on sand is. The last time I ran on sand was when I dunked Jeanna at Lake Michigan and she was chasing me with a knife made out of sea shells. She's crazy.

For those who have read this far, I miss you and look forward to when we can all be in paradise celebrating our Lord every day, never having to worry about saying goodbye again.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
~1st Corinthians 9:25

my "spiritual shopping list"

This past year has been an amazing time of growth for me. The Lord has brought me through many things. The year started off well, as I was involved with my former church doing youth ministry and assisting with Sunday Morning Worship. I was involved in a serious relationship, which I was convinced would culminate into marriage by summer. The Lord had other plans though. It was revealed to me that my ex-fiance and I were never meant to be together. We were wired much differently, sharing opposing views on too many "big things" of life. The engagement ended in May, at which time I stopped attending my former church and began attending Granger Community Church. My first Sunday there I learned of a HOUSE PARTY that would be coming to my neighborhood, so naturally I signed up. At the party the following Saturday, I sat across from a young couple who informed me that there was this group of fired up single Christians who meet at the Beanery every Sunday night for fellowship and Bible study. I followed up on this wonderful opportunity, and as we all know, the rest is history

This year has been filled with many new friendships, putting my past behind me, and moving on with a revitalized passion for life and ministry. The Lord has placed me exactly where he wants. I feel it, deep down inside. Before I attended GCC my view of how churches should operate was so tiny. Over the past seven months, my eyes have been opened to the amazing possibility that church can be fun, exciting, and worshipful all at the same time! Church isn't a ritual I need to do every week so I can check off my "spiritual shopping list".

Speaking of checking things off, have any of you made New Year's Resolutions? I have eight this year and I would like to share them with you:

2005 RESOLUTIONS:
1. Before I see an R rated movie, I will go to a Christian website with movie analysis and decide if it is something I want to fill my head with. I will not attend any movies with explicit sexual content.
2. I will set aside time each day to read my One Year Bible passages. I will not get more than one week behind in readings.
3. I will read through all of the Gospels once a month.
4. I will not be a "garbage can" for other people's gossip.
5. I will say "NO!" to five social events every month.
6. I will limit myself to five Starbucks coffees every month.
7. I will bring twenty friends from school to church; with five of those friends becoming permanently integrated into the group.
8. I will give all the glory of my success to God.

With the help of the Holy Spirit I can look back in one year and say that each of these goals were accomplished. Happy New Year to you all!

no land in sight

I have had one busy week. Packing, closing down my pending obligations, and trying to fit as much time in with family and friends that is humanly possible. I have not been entirely successful at the latter, however, that will change over the next few days. I am just about finished with my packing, and now I can begin to focus on the people that I cherish and love.

I have still been able to maintain my strict routine, despite all of the life changes I'm going through. Every morning I arise to make breakfast, watch the headlines, and then off to the gym for a couple of hours. As most of you know, I exercise at a retirement community, which has been such a wonderful experience for me. I chat with the old people while I bike, I "help them" with some of their weight lifting techniques (I think they want to have someone to talk with more than anything else), and afterwards us old guys go down and play volleyball or share war stories. The knowledge base that the elderly have is simply amazing! I gain such insight just by listening and laughing with them.

I first walked in to that gym thinking, "Okay, I'm the young guy here and I feel good being able to run circles around these crippled people". It's true, I can lift ten times as much, run eight miles faster, and do more crunches in one sitting then they'll do in the rest of their lives. But over the course of time, the opposite has occurred: I have learned from them. Crazy how that happens, isn't it? I thought I was better, only to be given a quick reminder of a valuable lesson.

I don't know if it's because I have California constantly on my mind, but all I can hear from God right now are lessons on trusting in Him. One of my favorite authors, Oswald Chambers, put it this way: When we have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not.

I never understood what he meant by that until the other day when I read through the passage of Christ walking on the water. Jesus was out there, through the chaos, through the storm, and with the disciples who had no land in sight. God was not working toward a particular finish; His end was the process. I realized that I must look past my obstacles in life and be able to see Christ walking on the waves, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. If I have a further end in view, I am not paying sufficient attention to the immediate present. It is the process, not the end which is glorifying to God.

Lord, I pray that I can focus on you, watching your calm eyes even though the waves of life are overpowering my little boat. I love you Father. I will depend on you and your power right now.

"And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side..."
~Mark 6:45

Sunday School

I know that around this time of year we are concentrating on the birth of our Lord, His sacrifice for us, and the redemptive plan He has for our lives. Here in America we are free to do as we wish, worship God in the streets, even singing Christian music out loud in the middle of a supermarket (as I often do).

Oversees missionaries often do not have such opportunities. There are many parts of the world where things we take for granted such as Sunday School are outlawed. Keep them in your prayers. For many, their Christmas will be spent in the confines of a cold, damp jail cell.

Read this story to find out more.

the one con

This past week has been quite amazing for me. Have you ever had a time in your life when you thought you knew where you were going, what you were supposed to do, and why you were in a particular place? I thought I had it all figured out. I thought that God had allowed me to remain in the Michiana area while I continue my education and ministry opportunities at GCC.

However, this proved to be an incorrect assumption. While I was working in Kalamazoo this past week, I received an email from the highest levels of my command, informing me that I was to attend language school out in Monterey, CA. "How could this be?", I thought. I was sure that God had answered my prayers the week before when my school was cancelled. It wasn't until I called my command that things started to make sense.

I spoke to the woman in charge of handling the schools. She said, "I don't know why, but you are getting through the system. You shouldn't be going, but you are. There must be some reason for you to go." That last sentence made me think. Do I truly believe there is a divine purpose to everything? Is my life being formed by God even as I type this post?

I would find out later that my acceptance to this school for a second time is extremely rare, almost unheard of. You see, the regulations state that SOCOM will only pay for one language per soldier. Since I've already studied and graduated from a language, it should be impossible for me to get another. Yet I'm going. How is this possible?

So here I am. Ready to go, but hesitant to leave. I will truly miss my friends at GCC. They have become like siblings to me. I will miss our dinners after church, the laughter as we share our crazy life stories together, our intimate moments of worship and Bible studies, the enthusiasm of participating in Oasis and Sun City Kids, long hilarious days at the beach, Friday night movies, roadtrips, laughter, fun, enjoyment, fellowship.

When I discovered I was to attend DLI (Defense Language Institute), I made a list of pro's and con's for going. On the list, the pro's far outnumbered the con's. Almost two to one. I thought, "Well, this proves it's better for me to go, I shouldn't complain". Then my aunt told me, "Jonathan, it doesn't matter how many pro's you have. The one con of 'homesickness' can defeat all the pro's on that list." And she is right. I know that there is a grand purpose for me to go. But it will not diminish the fact that I am going to be homesick for my dearest friends while I'm out there. I am sure that Paul missed his family and friends while he was on his missionary journeys. I'm sure he despised creating those close friendships, only to depart months later. The one thing I can learn from Paul is that he had his eyes on the endstate. He knew that he was fulfilling a heavenly purpose despite his feelings.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, you love is eternal; do not abandon the work of your hands.
~Psalm 138:8

a new ab machine

I think one of the things I enjoy doing most in life, besides attending GCC, helping out with it's ministries or reading through Ephesians, is exercising. I enjoy it so much because I have so much built up energy that I just need to release. Maybe it's that time of life I'm going through, not quite sure, but it just feels good to vent all of the energy I have on my weight machines. My favorite part of my exercise routine has become my abdominals. I don't know why, but over the past two months, I have become obsessed with toning and mastering the art of ab workouts. I have seen many parallels between my exercise life and my spiritual life. I saw one yesterday that was so blatant that I just have to write about it today.

My gymnasium received a new ab machine last week. It's awesome, you sit in this chair and bounce all over the place while your abs are being stretched . . . trust me, it's cool. When I approached the machine, I thought, "Okay, I'm a professional at abs, have been for years, this machine . . . it is nothing to me". I sat in it, it seemed easy, however, by the same time the following day I realized that I had jumped to an unfortunate conclusion. Yep, my abs were hurting, so bad that I was hardly able to sit down straight (you know how you kind of bend to the side as you sit, yeah that was me).

The point that was presented to me is this: Sometimes I think I am an expert in a particular field, only to realize that I'm not, that it has become a painful process, and God is intent on growing me in that area.

In the past I would sometimes think, "Well, the going's getting tough, so it must not be God's will that I'm here". I have since learned that this is completely unscriptural. Now I believe that Christians should live above life's circumstances, not be guided by them. I once heard a motivational speaker say, "You may have to set sail by the tide, but you'd better be guided by the stars." It's true that circumstances may have an effect on my plans, but I have a far greater accountability to God. I must follow Him, not the tide of circumstance.

Each time I go back to that gym, I face off with that machine, as if it's my arch-nemesis. I have now put that painful machine in my exercise routine three times a week. Hopefully, given a little time, the pain will turn to strength!

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am
~Phillipians 4:11

our struggle

Well, I spent last night almost in tears reading some of the hateful words written about GCC and its ministry. I found this website through a friend's blog and after reading it for over a half-an-hour, I came to the realization that there is definitely a battle going on. And it's happening right under our noses.

I have been attending GCC for 8 months, and in that short amount of time my spiritual life has grown by leaps and bounds. I have been warmly welcomed into a small group, been to Core Class 101 (enrolled in 201), listened to sermons that have stirred my heart in ways I never thought, and participated in various church ministries such as Oasis and Sun City Kids.

I still find it hard to believe that there are people, Christian brothers and sisters, who despise GCC. Why? I'm not quite sure. But it's a scary thing to read their hateful words. I actually found myself angry at them. I wanted to give them a piece of my mind. I had to stop, breath deeply, and forgive them, confessing that it was wrong to think such ways (I actually had to say Galatians 5:22-23 and Eph 6:12 a few times). I had to remind myself that our battle is not against our fellow man, but against the dark rulers of this world.

I had considered not including the website in this posting, because I was unsure of its effects to those who read it. But after I finished reading it for myself, I realized that it is important to understand that we must be vigilant and aware that the Evil One is out to destroy the ministry of GCC. If you haven't begun praying for our church leadership, now is the time to start. As my friend Dr. Hovind says, "if you don't want to shoot, you can at least carry bullets".

THE ANTI-GCC SITE

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
~Ephesians 6:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
~Galatians 5:22-23

guide my steps

Have any of you ever been so excited about God and doing His work that you don't want to do anything else? I have been experiencing that a lot lately, just by being at GCC. Being involved with nevaeH on Sunday's, Oasis on Wednesday's, and helping out with Sun City Kids have really been a blessing in my life. I have also begun the try-out process for the drama team. Things are really beginning to cement in my life, and it feels good. It feels right. I know that God is beginning to use me in the areas He has gifted me in.

I was driving back from church last night, thrilled after working with the middle-schoolers and seeing their excitement for God. I turned off my radio and I prayed, "God, I know that it probably isn't possible, because I have a course reservation to go to California in January and study Arabic with the military, but you know my heart, and you know that I enjoy working for you here at GCC. Please God, if it be your will, let me stay. Let me find a good job here, and keep me where you have begun to plant me."

Then it happened. I opened my email today and found a letter from my military liason telling me that it was a mistake that I was scheduled to go to Monterey. WHAT?! Could this be a sign from God? The night before I had prayed that if it be His will for me to stay, then the door would be closed. And here I am, not 12 hours later, staring at an email telling me to stay.

If it ends up that I don't go, I still have a lot of things I need to work out, like finding a job, a place to live, etc. But one thing's for sure: I will allow God to guide my steps, being sensitive to His leading, not my own. I am going to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, even though I don't know where He is leading me.

One of my favorite authors, Oswald Chambers, put it best when he said, "The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not understand what He was after."

I covet your prayers during this period of transition; when I am leaning on the Lord, not understanding exactly what He has in store for me.

driving around Tikrit (Iraq letter)

Iraq Correspondence: 18 June 2004

Well, another week has passed. It seems to be going by so quickly. You know what they say. "Time flies when you're in an Arabic country far from home". I think that's how the saying goes.

Each Friday is my team's maintenance day, a chance to work on our vehicles. Chan and I take our vehicles down to the motorpool and then the mechanics tell us what new and interesting things are wrong with it this week. We've both been taking an active role in the repairing of the vehicle. So much, in fact, that the mechanics are letting us do most, if not all, of the work. I can repair fly-wheels, starters, alternators, oil filters, air filters, etc. It's actually become some what of a hobby for me. Anyway, so yesterday I take my vehicle down and they tell me that the half-shaft was popped out of socket. I had never worked on a half-shaft yet, so I said, "that doesn't sound too good". The mechanic, understanding I wasn't mechanically inclined, said, "No, it isn't. I'm surprised you didn't lose control and drive off the road. You're really lucky." I said that it wasn't luck, but God's providentialism. I'm always amazed at how God takes care of us. This was an example when I should have crashed while driving around Tikrit, but God is always at work around me, and wouldn't allow that to happen. We had Bible study last night and the topic was miracles, and God's provision. Interesting how God brings circumstances to coincide on the same day you read about them in the scriptures.

Happy Father's Day dad. Tomorrow, in celebration of father's everywhere, my battalion is going to have a cookout. It should be a good time. The personnel/records sergeant for my battalion, had 3,000 waterballoons mailed to her. Also on the schedule are many games of volleyball. It looks to be a very relaxing, enjoyable day.

The picture I've included is one of myself and Boyd out in Tikrit, cooling down by eating some of the local's ice cream. Some of the 1st Infantry Division soldiers that go out with us refuse to eat anything on the economy. They claim that they will get extremely sick. I've been eating everything from ice cream, to what I believe were lamb intestines, and nothing has happened to me. Maybe I've just been lucky.

One of the main nuisances here are the power outages. We have about fifteen a day. Sometimes they last for a few seconds, other times they last for hours. I have compiled a "top ten list" of worst times power can go out. And number ten . . . .

10. While you're running around base and suddenly all the street lights go out, so you have to cautiously walk back to your barracks (which could be a couple miles away).

9. During chow, when you can't see what you're eating (or how big it is) until it's in your mouth.

8. When you are watching the news and the power shuts off right during one of President Bush's speeches.

7. When you're on the phone to someone at home, and the line suddenly goes dead.

6. When you're in the middle of a briefing to your commander, and suddenly you lose your power point presentation (I knew I should have printed those out, as a backup!)

5. After five minutes of running on the treadmill, and it goes dead. You worked up a sweat, but you didn't get an exercise.

4. When you're in the middle of watching a Kent Hovind DVD.

3. When you're in the shower and the water stops, while you're lathered up.

2. When it's hot and you really need the air conditioner to work.

And the #1 Worst time power can go out . . . . .

1. When you're taking a dump. "Did I get it all?"

Thank you all for your prayers. God is at work. It is very evident. I am definately being "pruned" by God right now. Things to pray for: That I can grow closer to my major. That an opportunity will present itself to speak with Chan about Christ. He needs to hear it from a different angle, then what I've been approaching him with. Please pray for wisdom in this area.

Love in Christ,
Jonathan

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

~John 15:2

submitted for approval (Iraq letter)

I have decided to close out my Yahoo account. I know, it's crazy, but I'm beginning to enjoy this blogging thing. It has allowed me to connect with people on a level that I never thought possible. I can read people's daily activities, understand who they are, and actually talk with them about topics that they are concerned with! Amazing.

I have had a lot of experiences in my life. Some exciting, some dangerous, and some just plain boring. Over the next few days, I would like to share some of these with you. Most of these I found on my yahoo account, in my saved file, and I wanted to permanately keep them, and I thought that putting them on the blog was the best way to do that. I'll start with some of my Iraq correspondence:

Things have been going well over on this side of the world. Tikrit, thankfully, is a very quite place right now. Attacks have been minimal, and casualties have been few and far between. We credit most of the improvements to the fact that we are pumping a ton of money into the Iraqi economy. Now, I don't know about you, but most people I know have never held two million US$ in their palms. We are approving projects here in the 1/4 million to 1/2 million dollar price range. New schools, new roads, new hospitals. Each day I am astounded at how much money is being contributed to the reconstruction effort.

What is the Civil Affairs role in all of this you may ask? (Some of you are asking what civil affairs is, that's my job.) We go out each day and meet with the locals to ensure that the commanders mission is being accomplished (reconstruction efforts), and that projects are being proposed and submitted for approval. It's amazing to think that the work of forces in Iraq today will have a drastic effect on foreign policy between America and Iraq in ten years. The way that we impact these children and young adults here will determine if they grow up to become "bad guys" or democratic, free thinking adults.

To get a bit more personal, I find much enjoyment in what is being accomplished here. My dad has informed me that the news back home is filled with anti-war sentiment. I've seen some of that, in what little news I get here, and it saddens me. The other day I heard Al Bore, I mean Gore, talk about how "American forces have no idea what their mission is over there, and commanders are not instructing them on proper procedures". He was referring to the prison abuse. Well let me say that we have a very good idea of what our mission is and I for one feel very well trained in my profession. We are here to win the war on terror and free an oppressed people. What better mission can there be than that?

All in all, things are going well. My faith in the Lord has brought me through many difficult times here. He is very good, and blesses me richly each day. I look forward to seeing you all soon, and will maintain contact through this newsletter.

Love in Christ,
Jonathan Anderstrom

"I will be strong and courageous,
I will not be terrified, or discouraged.
For the LORD my GOD is with me
Wherever I go."

-Joshua 1:9

one million people

I have mentioned this man to some of you before, but without knowing his name. Well, it's Reinhard Bonnke, and I know his name now because he spoke at my cousin's church in Tampa, FL not too long ago.

What this man is doing is absolutely amazing. His ministry is seeing the salvation of Africa. If you don't believe me, just look at the picture above. In one gathering, he has seen over one million people accept Christ. That's right, I said one million people, in just one night of preaching the gospel. I checked out his web site and this week he's kind of low on the numbers, only having 400,000 people accept Christ!

And here I am, trying to bring one or two a year. . .

HUFU: The Healthy Flesh Alternative

I wasn't able to believe this article myself, until I read it. But it's true. Someone has actually created a food that tastes like human flesh. I first became aware of this interesting food item when I saw it on the Daily Show. WARNING: If your stomachs are weak, do not read this article.

actively plotting (part 3 of 3)

This is my last post on predestination and the free-will of man. Some of the following information is my own, and the rest from various authors (Charles C. Ryrie and Neil T. Anderson).

From my own research, I have found that the Bible seems to say more about the will of God than man's will, and what it does say is unsystematic. But the bottom line is that a believer can will to do what is right or what is wrong. His decisions are not made for him already (Rom 7:15-25, 1st Tim 6:9-10, James 4:4).

As Christians, we are no longer in the flesh; we are in Christ. We are no longer independent of God; we have declared our dependence upon Him by placing our faith in Christ. But even though we are not in the flesh, we may still choose to walk according to the flesh (Romans 8:12,13). Whether we continue to live according to Christ or our flesh, the result is the same: we will reap what we sow (Gal 6:7).

THINK: The idea that man doesn't have a free will is centered around one major deception. We all know that our adversary is Satan, the god of this world. We must remember that it is not God who hardens the hearts of unbelievers, but Satan himself (2nd Cor 3:14, 4:4). Paul states that Satan is actively plotting to defeat and divide believers as well (2nd Cor 11:3, 2:11).

If Satan can place his thought in your mind-and he can- it isn't much more of a trick for him to make you think it's your thought. That's the deception.

Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh
~Galatians 5:16

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
~Romans 12:2

the concept of responsibility (part 2 of 3)

This is my second day of discussion concerning the topic of free-will. Below is an excerpt from an article discussing how a person's environment affects who they are and the decisions they make. I have pulled out the juicy, fun-to-read parts for you:

You will often hear arguments that we can't hold people responsible for what they do if what they do is determined by their heredity or environment. This is the basis for a lot of the criticism directed against predestination. If God knows that someone is going to sin, and in fact if God has overall responsibility for the history of which this action is a part, then it's God's fault. The person is being forced to sin, so he is not responsible.

There is a growing tendency not to hold people responsible if we can see how their environment affected them. People can almost always find some way of blaming what they are on something else. Thus the concept of responsibility is quickly vanishing altogether, or being applied in incoherent ways.

Indeed because the person's character, motivations, and situation is under God's control, there's a sense in which we can say that God determined the action. But his plan is carried out by the working out of human decisions and other historical causes.

The balance of responsibility is somewhat different with those who are God's children and those who are not. With those who are saved, God operates in a personal way, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and our union with Christ. While we make responsible choices, the basic decision to save us is God's. There is no equivalent for those who reject God. While their rejection is part of an overall history for which God is responsible, God does not take specific actions to make them reject him, as he takes actions to redeem his children.

Here are some articles that may be of interest for those of you concerned with the topic of free will:

• Dr. Henry Morris: Coming or Given?
• Eric Landstrom: Predestination and Free Will, do they go together?
• For the entire article listed above click here