David's Telling of the Trip

Our recent tour of America's heartland is over and we racked up some serious miles and lasting memories. I am continually in awe of the great land that we inhabit and of the Americans who keep it great. Some facts from the trip:

States traveled through: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana.

Friends/Family visited in: Sedalia, MO; Rapid City, SD; Albuequerque, NM; Clovis, NM; and Bossier City, LA.

Interesting detours: Bellevue Bridge over the Missouri River in Nebraska (my Grandfather's A/E firm designed/built that bridge over sixty years ago); Minuteman Missile National Historic Site (my AF Squadron forged the path to turn these facilities over to the National Park Service during my time at Ellsworth in the early 2000s); New Orleans, LA (we followed a driving tour of the significant Katrina event locations - a very sobering glimpse of a very devastating time)

The route we took was 4,000 miles even (by Google standards) and we actually covered a little over 4,700.



Seen throughout New Mexico and Texas, these wind generators dominated many of the horizons during several long drives.



The South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth AFB replaced a previously displayed 1/3rd scale B-2 Stealth Bomber model with this full-scale B-1B Bomber, retired when the B-1B consolidation took place.

One of our huge tasks as the cabin was to replace a set of two 12-foot blinds with canvas coverings - the job was a huge one and Rachel was well up to the task to make it happen; we even lugged her sewing machine all the way from Florida specifically for this.

Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument to all Native American tribes still in the making after over fifty years, is an awe-inspiring carving of an entire mountain. The picture doesn't do complete justice to this massive project but to give you an idea of the size - imagine a four-story building fitting inside the hole in the mountain, because it could if they tried it.

The mountains of Southern Wyoming loom high at the end of a long two-lane highway that took us through the quaint town of Lusk.



No, it's not Las Vegas - this is the Memphis Pyramid Arena, aptly designed as a reminder of the town's Egyptian namesake.

Andrew and Hannah rake up leaves at their Great-Grandmother's house in Sedalia, MO.

The massive door, adorned with the art from previous crews, would seal off the missileers during the Cold War alert days at this Launch Control Facility for the Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile outisde Rapid City, SD.

I loved the contrast from this picture take on the interior loop of Bandlands National Monument.

Distance signs from Wall Drug have adorned wooden signposts all over the world and here the kids are, riding a Jackelope at the infamous watering hole on I-90.

I took several pictures in the Badlands, but none were as seemingly "set up" as this one - the Bighorn Sheep is framed perfectly by the Badlands and the horizon - all I had to do was take the picture.

The Shrine of Democracy (known as Mount Rushmore) is one of my favorite attractions in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I've been visiting my whole life and it's a wonderful thing to share now with my own children.

Of course, nothing worth sharing is worth sharing without my favorite travel companion of all-time - Rachel. She has put up with my "detours" and crazy mileage days beyond my understanding.

Interestingly enough, it's not over yet - though we are back in Florida, we will leave in one week again to drive to San Antonio where we'll spend a month while I'm on temporary duty at Randolph. The fun never stops!

Where we sit tonight

Well, there is a sewage leak near where we live and they are planning to shut off the water and David, being the civil engineer that he is, is responsible for making sure the repairing of the leak and the clean-up goes according to code. We are super thankful for Papa John's delivery and Air Conditioning and for the wonderful weekend we've had!

We had the awesome opportunity to watch five boys for a sweet couple who went on a marriage retreat this weekend! Aside from a couple of them still being awake at midnight Friday night, the weekend was a great success! It was really fun and a blessing to us to be able to give a little bit to a couple in need. So many people have blessed us in so many ways over the last 3 years of deployments and other hard times. I asked God to let us bless someone in need and He brought this family to us just a few days after I asked! Moral of that story: don't ask for something unless you really want it! We did.

David has been a huge help in the kitchen and in every way. We were a great team this weekend. I can't put into words the joy and amazement I am experiencing being David's wife in person! As we both grow and change, so does our relationship and our roles. Living together is new and exciting, and so rewarding.

So, where do we sit tonight exactly? We sit high upon such a pile of blessings of which His grace and love sent in His Son is the greatest, but so many wonderful little things as well--laughter, a messy house that everyone worked together to clean up, pizza, a family secure in Christ. We have more than we could ever ask or dream.

Home

It is a difficult thing for folks to understand just how blessed we are as a country without spending 6.5 months away. I can say that I even become complacent and forget during the times I'm not overseas. Now that I'm back from my second Afghan tour I have a renewed sense of just how much I love this country.

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Happy Birthday, Rachel

On June 9th, 1993 I attended the birthday party of my brother’s girlfriend’s best friend at Mt. Paran Church of God.  My brother and my brother’s girlfriend agreed that we would get along pretty well.  They were right!

Eighteen years later we are well into our eleventh year of marriage with the three most fantastic children in the world.  Since that blessed Wednesday night, when Rachel wrote down her number on a torn off sheet of wide-ruled notebook paper, I was hooked.

Besides mesmerizing me from day one, she has been a light to me and others in what is now our circle of friends and she has provided a firm foundation of love and support when all else seems awry.

I am humbled to be her husband and I am richly blessed to have her as my wife.  Today is her birthday and it grieves me to be 7,000 miles away though I know she is proud of my efforts.  There is no doubt that I stand tall at the gates when recognized as her husband.

I love her with every fiber of my being and I miss being with her, certainly today, not only her birthday, but the anniversary of the evening when she took a chance and gave me her number.

Birds of the Gulf Coast

The first two pictures are of a Little Blue Heron. It's a lovely bird, as you can see. A Little Blue Heron couple have been enjoying breakfasts in the ponds behind my house and across the street. I was pretty happy to get these shots. The third bird was pretty elusive, as it kept diving only moments after it would surface. It is either a Clarke's Grebe (which would be pretty significant to find it this far east as it's range is not well known) or a female Anhinga. Maybe I'll get another chance to get some better shots of it!
Other birds we see or have seen include Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron (have seen only once), lots of Ospreys, Hooded Merganser, Double Crested Cormorant, Male Anhinga, Black Vulture, several varieties of Turkey, and we do see Bald Eagles fairly often. I think there must be a couple with a nest nearby. It is both neat and scary to live in a place teeming with so much life! I clap my hands and yell, "Better watch out! I'm comin'!" every time I have to go to turn the sprinkler off on the side of the house after dark, for fear a bear or racoon or deer (mostly a bear!) will be ambling up in between mine and my neighbor's house!

"I'm a natural on the stage," Elizabeth seems to say.
Andrew looks skeptically at his certificate of promotion.
Elizabeth is very tickled to have all eyes on her to listen to her as she plays "The Wishing Well" in which the first seven notes are exactly the same as the notes beginning the phrase in the song from Les Miserables "Do you hear the people sing?"
"I see you taking my picture, Mom! And I'm gonna getcha for it! But not right now. I have to settle down and play "The Zoo"."

Promotion Ceremony and Talent Show

Our Andrew has been officially promoted to the third grade, and our Elizabeth has graduated from Kindergarten and been promoted to first grade! First of all, we know they aren't really ours (they're God's), but they are our responsibility for now. Our Homeschool Group (The Fellowship of Christian Teaching Homes or FCTH) had a promotion ceremony and talent show for those students who wished to participate. It was really lovely. Andrew and Elizabeth played a short piece they had learned on the piano--Elizabeth shyly, but confidently; Andrew with gusto, yet great care. This is a picture taken afterward in front of a kumquat tree.

God-less? Introduction

There are only two books of the Bible out of 66 that leave out any mention of God – Esther and Song of Songs.

What is the intent behind their God-lessness?  What theological gains can be had from studying a book that fails to make a single mention of the “Theo” from whom that particular science investigates? 

The answer is: Huge.

The authors of those books, though maybe not fully cognizant of the messages they were about to convey, did not “slip up” by accidentally leaving out the Creator of the universe.  In fact, God used them in this regard to send a message to His children.  The message is simply this – “Through the darkest and brightest moments of your life, I am working through you, and I love you with a passion that rivals that of the greatest of lovers – essentially, I AM when you least expect it!”

This may be THE central theme of the entire canon.

I hope to prepare an exposition of Esther first, and then when the time is right, one on Song of Songs.  Don’t worry, the header will give you plenty of warning in the event your kids read our blog over your shoulder (Song of Songs’ significance is diminished to the immature reader).

Until then, take some time to read through Esther and Job.  Job may be long, but I believe the books are connected such that understanding of one builds greater understanding in the other.  Take a week and I’ll try to convert the Word that has been laid on my heart into digits and we’ll meet again.