Thanksgiving Travels

We've had a wonderful time traversing I-85 and some of I-95 for the last week! We've seen the capital of our great country, seen Mt. Vernon, the amazing home of our first president, eaten lots of yummy food, and best of all spent time with dear friends! Some other highlights included long walks, warm fires on cold nights. (However, I will lightheartedly comment that GT losing to Georgia was NOT a highlight! Neither was getting green crayon marks off of our white laundry and my friend's dryer until 2am!) Yet, in every outing and through every mile, we God has kept us safe. We have about 4-5 hours of driving left until we get home. I feel tired, but renewed, in spending 5 days with my dear friend Bonnie and her family. Here's just a few pictures to share our thanksgiving week with you! We are certainly thankful for you and all the prayers said for us on this trip and always!

A prayer for the last mile. . .

"Flood" by Jars of Clay was first recorded on their self-titled debut album in 1995.  I've been listening to this song for years but it wasn't until today that the lyrics hit me like a ton of bricks.  They penetrated my heart and they have become a prayer for my final mile in this marathon of a deployment. 

Flood
Jars of Clay

Rain, rain on my face
It hasn't stopped raining for days
My world is a flood
Slowly I become one with the mud
Chorus:
But if I can't swim after forty days
And my mind is crushed by the thrashing waves
Lift me up so high that I cannot fall
Lift me up
Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Downpour on my soul
Splashing in the ocean, I'm losing control
Dark sky all around
I can't feel my feet touching the ground
[Chorus]

Calm the storms that drench my eyes
Dry the streams still flowing
Cast down all the waves of sin
And guilt that overthrow me
[Chorus]

Lift me up - when I'm falling
Lift me up - I'm weak and I'm dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Tech is dropped 30-24; fall to 10-2

UPDATE: Amazingly Coach Richt made the very difficult personal and professional decision to fire Willie Martinez (UGA Defensive Coord.) and two other Defensive staff members.  This really surprised me due to the terrific performance the UGA Defense put on against Tech.  In other news, Coach Paul Johnson received ACC Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row; this was of course, no surprise.

You can see it on his face - Paul Johnson had an idea of what was about to happen at the beginning of the second half. (of course the score was a little telling as well)

1:22 from the continuation of a true rivalry.  It was a true in-state showdown.  Unfortunately, UGA left more on the field than Tech did.  I won't blame Demarius Thomas for the dropped 1st down pass.  I won't blame Coach Johnson for calling three passes in a row when we really needed to keep the game on the ground and run the clock down.  I also won't blame the defense.

In the end, I think that I will blame noone.  It's just a game.  A game that I hate to lose, but a loss this year to UGA does something that a loss any other year would not have done.  Nothing.

From the beginning, Tech's goal was to win the ACC Championship.  That's the second item on the list - last year the first item on the list was to beat Georgia (check - they came from behind to win 45-42).  Next year I imagine Johnson will place an even loftier goal on the top of the list. . .

It was not a fun game to watch at all but my hat's off to Josh Nesbitt who came back in after what could have been a devastating hit and subsequent injury.  Yet the real winner in my mind is Willie Martinez.  This win might have been just enough to keep his job as Defensive Coordinator at UGA.  I will admit that I, too, chided Mark Richt for keeping him aboard - and it still may not be the best decision - but tonight he rallied his team together to take down the second-best rushing offense in the country.  Not bad - especially when most were expecting a blow-out.

Revenge may be a whole year away, but the Yellow Jackets have much bigger fish to fry - first Clemson for the ACC title; then the Orange Bowl.

This dude in the middle of these UGA fans knows how I feel right about now . . .

The only thing I really am not looking forward to is the "good 'ole fashioned hate" and gloating that is sure to come from all of Georgia's 48th Brigade who are stationed with me.  Yes, Georgia Tech is in Georgia, but most of the GA Army Guard don't recognize anything inside the perimiter as part of the state.

Go Yellow Jackets!

Wouldn't it be great?

The Psalmist proclaims in Psalm 46:9 that the Lord "makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire."

It may put me out of a job, but wouldn't that be a nice?

Happy Thanksgiving!

           God Bless America and God Bless the American taxpayer who made sure we had an awesome Thanksgiving, 7,000 miles away from Plymouth Rock. The spread was awesome! Every table had sparkling grape juice and carved food items for decorations was all over the dining facility. We had a great time as a team enjoying this welcome slice of home in the middle of Afghanistan. For dinner I had turkey (of course), prime rib, sweet potatoes, potato salad, green beans, shrimp cocktail, Coke, water, and sparkling grape juice. It was a "kingly" fare and I am very thankful. Here are a couple pics from the festivities.

PIGTAILS!

Look at that hair! Hannah Joy is definitely living up to her name. I can't believe that when I left home for training Hannah was barely crawling! Now she's got pigtails! His wonders never cease. I can't wait to get home, see Rachel and the kids, and "squeeze their guts out!"

Flashback!

Here is Andrew, age 2, chowing down at our kitchen table in Alaska!
(Yes, the picture was "staged" but it was fun nonetheless.)

Making life interesting

My life here in Afghanistan is pretty good considering I am in the middle of a war-torn country thousands of miles away from Rachel and the kids.  However, it can get awfully monotinous.  In an effort to break the monotony, we'll do just about anything!  Here are some examples with some respective remedies:

1. The meals are served on a 21-day menu; we have the same meals offered exactly every 21 days.
- Add pineapple to my cheeseburger at lunch every now and then; a little BBQ sauce and it's something totally new!
2. A typical workday is from 8:00 to 5:00 (of course we'll go back to the office after dinner to check on issues, but not to spend much time); this is our workday six days of the week (when we are on camp).
- Sleep-in without warning, miss the showers before they start getting cleaned at 9:30, and amble into the office 30 minutes before lunch starts!  End the day by working 'til 10:00.
3. Armed Forces Network (AFN) plays the same commercials over and over again.  We have four T.V.s in our dining facility and it's completely feasible to see the same commercial on two T.V.s turned to two different channels at the same time.
- Stop watching T.V. and bring up a completely untouched subject with friends at the table.
4. Mission briefs, convoy movements, and radio calls follow a specific pattern - every time.
- Use different voices over the radio, mimicking other team members or famous actors.
5. Phone calls to home can even become like a broken record sometimes asking a lot of the same questions and giving the same responses.
- Call at odd hours and ask to speak with the kids - they always have something new to talk about!

Well, that's just a flavor of the monotony that we face over here.   Thankfully God provides breaks for us as well with seasonal changes, occasional rain, and the few earthquakes we've had! 

In Him,

Welcome to hoffs' Soul

Mediocre Alaska may show its face again someday, but I'll leave you to speculate how, when, and where.  Anyway, it may seem like a lot has changed, but it really hasn't.  All of the content is the same, just a little more streamlined.  Instead of navigating to separate pages for Reviews, Fifty States, etc, you can just filter all comments by their appropriate categories. 

There is no more "His Side" and "Her Side" but Rachel and I will both be posting and you will know who by the name at the bottom of each post.

You are free to go back to Mediocre Alaska anytime you want until September 2010, just know that the content will not be changing between now and then.

Thanks for visiting!  We hope you come back frequently and share with us how your family is doing as well!

Nahum

(MP) - I just started reading this Old Testament book and I can't help but feel the prophet is talking directly to America! I just wonder if a dude is going to be spat out of a large fish to tell us to repent any time soon. . . .

Weapons Training

Kids, do not try this at home. Really - don't.

Ephesians 6:15

The New International Version says, "and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace."

I really honed in on this verse today and thought more about what it says. Verse 15 is tucked in the middle of a well-known passage describing the "armor" necessary in spiritual warfare. Interestingly enough, only one element (the Word) is represented by a tool that is both defensive and offensive in nature (all other references are defensive).

Anyway, I digress. So, the Gospel of peace gives us readiness? Of course it does! See, Christ claimed that persecution was inevitable for believers. He told us that the road is hard and that the door is narrow. This, being a tough road, is not one for the leary. He understood the trials well-enough that He and the Father saw fit to send us a great comforter - the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reminds us of Christ's gospel (his birth, life, death, and resurrection) and guarantees our peace in all circumstances.

These shoes that Paul wants us to wear are a product of the Gospel, when we embrace it. The Gospel will prepare us for the road ahead, regardless of what may come. This readiness, or preparedness, is indicative that the work of ensuring our peace is already complete - we are prepared! He has made us ready because of the Gospel, nothing more, nothing less. So, since the work is already complete, there is nothing more we can do to make it more complete! We can be at peace knowing full well that Christ, paying the full price for our salvation through His gospel, offers us the ultimate boots - His gospel. We are now at peace. We are now ready! Let our light shine of His love and be a constant reminder of this readiness and peace by allowing our lives to be an outpouring of His Gospel.

In Him,
David S.

Blessed

I know that Mary, the dear mother of our Lord, is "most blessed among women" but I just want to share that I feel amazingly blessed myself! With David deployed, it has opened a lot of doors for people to step in and bless us. And they have walked through and blessed us tremendously over and over again! There's so much I want to say, but I have no clue where to begin! Let me just say that the Lord has used so many of you to "fill in" spaces in my life left vacant where David would usually fill them with his spontanaeity, his time, his labor and love in fixing things broken and maintaining the yard.
You know, I have realized, in my desire for perfection, that life is never going to be perfect. Cars will always break down. Children will always disobey (and try to get out of going to bed). Somedays you're really tired. Often, the to do list is left incompleted. But, you know, all that stuff is just life. And, God asks us to love Him and rejoice in the day He has given us, even with all the imperfections of it. You know why? Because He made it and it is perfect because God is perfect! We are blessed just to be alive and living in His love each Day! I am so thankful, so thankful! And, I will myself to remember this at 6am tomorrow when I am subjected to all the imperfection all over again--that He is perfect and I am blessed because I am loved by Him and part of His Day that He made! (Psalm 118:24)

The GAP

Yes, The GAP. Has anybody shopped at The GAP in recent years? I normally do my shopping at quite a bit thriftier locales, but I did make a purchase there this evening. Now, 15 years ago, I used to shop at the GAPs in Atlanta much more often. I loved when I could hit a sale and buy their regularly priced $30 jeans for $20. (Unfortunately, their jeans are twice the regular price now!) However, though prices have changed dramatically, some things have stayed the same. Namely, the bag. I walked out of the store with the same bag I walked out with 15 years ago! Exactly the same bag. I asked if those navy plastic bags that say "GAP" in big white letters with the fabric drawstrings had just "come back". They didn't really understand what I was attempting to ask. I wondered because I haven't seen a bag like that in years and years. Back then, everybody who was anybody at school recycled their GAP bag into their gym bag, because carrying a bag like that from the GAP showed you were cool. Wow. Why bring it up? Because seeing that navy GAP bag on my bed again tonight brought all those memories of bygone days rushing back. Kinda funny.

Great Quote

(MP) - Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, states that, "There is a dignity and an honor to being a human." I think that is a pretty profound thought!

Finally, Hannah says "Elizabeth"!!!

(MP) -Hannah pointed to Elizabeth's cup and said "Yebby". I pointed to Elizabeth and asked Hannah who that was and she said, "Yebby". If "Betty" and "Bibby" and "Lizzy" can be nick-names for Elizabeth, I don't see why "Yebby" would not also be acceptable. Just now I asked her again who's cup she was holding and she said, "Yebby." It's official, folks! Elizabeth's new name is "Yebby".