From Despair to Delight

I am a HUGE National Public Radio fan. One of the reasons is that I get to hear things that I can't hear anywhere else while driving in my car. 

One of those programs is "On Being" with Krista Tippett. The recent episode of "Tending Joy and Practicing Delight" was outstanding. It can be found here: https://onbeing.org/

That program inspired me to begin a "Delight Journal" on Wednesday. April 1st will mark the beginning of my 2nd 6 months of my year long deployment so I thought that would be an excellent time to improve my "delight muscle" (as it is called in the program).

The idea is simple, find one moment of delight per day and write about it on this blog! I endeavor to do my best to hold to that schedule.

Grandma always said, "you find what you look for." I have had enough of finding despair these past few weeks, so I am formally declaring that I beginning a delight quest and in so doing I intend to find all the delightful moments of life that get so easily overlooked by despair. 

Stay tuned...

I miss my gym

Our base gym is closed. I really miss my gym. There is a part of me that can't believe I just typed that. I grew up a pasty, lumpy (that was one of nicknames from Middle School!) out of shape kid and never did anything related to exercise.

How did I get from hating exercising to missing it so much? Baby steps. The older I get the more I realize how powerful small things are that build into big things. A few more minutes on the treadmill today leads to more miles tomorrow. Saying no to an extra snack today leads to weight loss tomorrow.

I can't control tomorrow, but I can set myself up for future success by making wise and healthy little decisions today. There is a power in the little choices I make in this moment.

What are your choices right now saying about your tomorrow self?

It's always windy on the flight line

If I ever write a book, it will be entitled: "It is Always Windy on the Flight Line." Throughout my military career I have spent a lot of time on many different flight lines. So believe me that it is always windy on the flight line.

As you can imagine with no trees and wide open flat spaces there is nothing to block the wind. It is amazing how a couple of blocks away from the flight line there would be absolutely no wind and then heading over to the flight line reveals a very windy situation!

I am still working on all the life lessons that this encompasses, but here are a few:

• It does no good to complain about the wind...the wind doesn't matter what you think of it
• Take off your cover (hat) before getting out on the flight line or you will lose it
• Lean into the wind or your will fall over
• Visual communication is important because you can't hear all that well (there is a story of the Apostles healing post Ascension and they told the person to "let at me" not "listen to me.")
• Running on the flight line and taking a PT means you better be prepared to run against the wind
• Seeing the horizon in the distance because of the wide open spaces is a gift (wide open horizons are one of the things I really miss about KS...you can see forever out there!)
• The same wind that slows me down when I run, gives lift to the aircraft in air
• I love flying kites and I can't do this without good wind

Fee free to comment to let me know what think but don't look for this book on sale any time soon!

2 Enemies

We are now fighting 2 enemies at the 181st. The first, global terrorism, is not new. COVID-19 is. Although there are no current confirmed cases on base, we are "adjusting fire" as they say moment by moment to make sure we are ready when/if that happens. "Change" is the word of the day around here!

Here is what has not changed...I am still called to be in this place for such a time as this to be a representation of the Holy. I do that by workplace visitation, praying with Airmen, counseling and leading a couple of different Bible Studies (we stay 6 feet a part in the room!).

I am confident in our leadership and the plans they have in place to get the mission done, no matter what! I am honored I get to show up each day and wear the uniform of the World's finest Air Force. I am humbled that I can be a potential instrument of salt and light to my Airmen in these anxious and interesting times.

Out of control

Just like you, there is much out of my control right now...but not everything! I figure one way to combat the anxiety of what I can't control is redouble my efforts in what I can control.

Some things that I am intentionally working on that I TOTALLY control:

• My attitude! No one is allowed in my head but me!
• My Faith in Christ Jesus...I live in an Easter world and I am going to continue to lean towards Easter at all times.
• My personal responsibility. I decide how I spend my free time (I am doing a lot more reading!). I decide how I am preparing for different contingencies. The successes of tomorrow begin with my personal responsibility today. 
• Taking an extra step to stay connected to family and friends to let them know I am here for them.
• Participating virtually with Evangelical UMC by regularly worshiping with them and doing whatever I am asked by their Senior Pastor!
• Eating more healthy...nuff said!
• More exercise...I am down several pounds from when I started this deployment because of being intentional with physical exercise. 
• Being patient with others. I don't help others around me through their anxiety if I am short with them.
• Thinking creatively in how to be a good citizen in the 21st century. One of my early predictions was (and still it), that we are going to find out some amazing new ways to be the church, be in community, do good for the world around us, etc. by being forced to think outside the box. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think there will be organizations and companies that will find out really soon that they could have been more efficient and effective had they be doing new things well (like they are doing because of COVID-19).  One example is the residential college experience...do all those colleges really need all those students living in all those dorms??
• Being more grateful...there is a lot that stinks right now in the world, but there is WAY more good right now as well. My hunch is that this pandemic will make many of us not take so much for granted. At the top of my grateful list is health care professionals! When this is all said and done I say they get an immediate 52 weeks of paid vacation!! 

What about you? What are you intentionally controlling in the midst of all that is out of control? 

One final thought that has been on my heart lately is that my life is not my own. I strive to say and live with Paul each day..."not me, but Christ who lives within me."

Tele-commute

As you can imagine, doing top secret work can't be done at home. So there will be no tele-commuting at the 181st. The mission must get done and is getting done by some amazingly committed Airmen.

Times like this, I find it best to think of my good friend Jill and her gardening mantra..."head down, butt up." Meaning, it may not be fun to pull all those weeds, but pull we will...so head down and butt up to get it done!

And it has been a very enriching time to be in the business of the ministry of presence.

Stay close to the ones you love.

Stay close to your community of Faith (online participation, give, pray)

Stay close to the call we have from God to be people that follows in the Way of the Prince of Peace.

It is well...

This song got me through more than one dark time during my last deployment in KSA. I have found myself coming back to it in the last few days.

Have a listen for yourself and tell me that this is not THE best hybrid traditional/newer hymn????

Friends...this is not the Lent we were expecting, but it is the Lent we got...may this be your prayer too for such a time as this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0dIWJ4t4Jg

Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
It is well with me

Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well

[Bridge x3]
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name [repeat last line during 3rd run]

It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul [x3]

It is well it is well with my soul [x3]
Ahhhhhhh

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You Lord
Through it all [2-x3]

Easter in Prison

I attended another prison worship service recently in a section of the Federal prison that I had not been before. The section I was in was probably built in the 1930-50s. The Chapel was an amazing space with lovely custom woodworking that the inmates had done.

There were also amazing stained glass windows that caught the setting sun in an outstanding way. I was very impressed.

I was also impressed with how much the inmates participated in the service and went out of their way to thank me for being there.

But I have to talk about the Easter banner hanging up front...

I can be somewhat of a Liturgically snob. The seasons of the Church year are very important to me. They remind me that I am marching to a different rhythm from the popular culture. It bothers me when worship spaces display out of season colors and banners.

It is Lent, not Easter so it is too early to be hanging an Easter banner (complete with the empty tomb and the stone rolled away) in a prison worship space. Or so I thought.

But then it hit me. These guys probably don't need any more reminders of the wilderness of Lent that is their 24/7/365 prison life. They need reminders of the transforming power of Easter 24/7/365.

So I am ok with an out of season Easter banner in a prison Chapel during Lent.

And another thing...the stone being rolled away on the banner, is the same manner that all barred prison doors open. They slide (roll?) right to left. No one goes anywhere without the prison doors "rolled" away.  As you can imagine, there are lots of doors inside a prison.

I am grateful for the lesson that God can roll stones/doors even, and especially, out of season! 

You Looking at Me??

I had a conversation recently with a young Airmen that I regularly see in the gym lifting weights. He can pump iron! Wow is he strong.

I told him that his workout was impressive and then he said, "Chaplain, you inspire me; I hate running and you are always in the gym running." I told him I was a "streaker" (see other post) and that I just trying to be wholly healthy as a Airmen.

This got me thinking about the role models of physical health that I looked up to when I was younger. There were the obese UMC pastors that made being a pastor synonymous with not caring one bite about physical health. Believe me, they inspired me...NOT to be like them!

Then I got to thinking about all the "old" guys that I looked too that inspired me. I amuse these "old" guys where in their 50s like me! But I remember thinking, wow, I want to be like them...old and fit!

It is possible, but it does take effort. I am not saying I am a perfect example of fitness, but apparently I am now old and thus am a reluctant inspiration to some younger folk trying to be fit. 

Life is cyclical...