Memory Loss

I am beginning to wonder why my computer is smarter than I am. My brain, which used to be able to remember all kinds of information, is now failing me as I forget almost everything. Actually, I think my memory is OK, it just has a bad timer. There have been many instances where I am driving home and suddenly remember, "Oh...I should have done....today"!!! So I use the computer to organize my life because it never forgets. So does that make the computer smarter than me??? Perhaps yes, when it comes to memory or available information, but it does not have the ability to reason or think outside the box. It is the Star Trek principal where Spock was much smarter than Kirk, but did not have the ability to reason or express emotion.

I have recently read where children will soon be expected to spend much more time at school, possibly shortening the summer break to four weeks and/or lengthening school days. The problem is that our children are not progressing academically at the same rate as children from other countries. Now this is not a knock on education as much as an observation about the need for balance in ones life. I need balance - work time, family time, lone time and most importantly, God time. I feel children need even more. Yes, academics is important, but so is social interaction, so is family time, so is Church time. They need time to be children, go to summer camp, learn how to have a best friend, how to think for themselves, how to think about others. An education slanted imbalance might give us smarter people, but they will be less rounded.

At The Salvation Army we deal with children every day who have no time to be children. My fear is that more and more will be expected of them in the way of class work and homework, that our programs will begin to suffer, and perhaps summer camp will disappear altogether. We offer strong programs for children, programs that we want to grow. Programs that will include after school education, sports teams and character building. We all need to invest in our children, and education is a very important part of that...but not at any cost.

Busyness

What a day yesterday was...a full day in the office, with meetings interspersed, picking up 15 children for a music program (for which I was 20 minutes late) then driving to Washington DC for Band practice before returning home at 10:45 to watch the final few minutes of the Jay Leno show and then falling asleep, forgetting to set my alarm and waking up late today...only to start all over again.

In the middle of my yesterday, I wrote a devotional that I presented to The National Capital Band. It was about prayer, and the instructions that Jesus gave in Matthews gospel prior to giving us The Lords Prayer.

Matt 6:5-8 (NIV)
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

How ironic. Here I was reminding the National Capital Band that we must find a quiet place to pray, and that we must offer honest, direct and truthful prayers on a day where I had not slowed down and had only offered a few spur of the moment prayers. The realization I have, however, is that coping with the busyness involves withdrawing from it in order to gain strength and direction. After all, how can I lead a flock if I don't know where I'm going. Thank God for His patience with me.

When will the children just grow up

One of the frustration in dealing with children, especially children who come from difficult homes, is patience!!! Why don't the children get it? Why don't they see what we are trying to do for them and start behaving like grateful children rather than selfish brats!!! What is wrong with them?

Then I reflect and realize that Jesus is saying, look at what I have done for you...but you continue to disobey. I have loved you, despite your actions, and I have been patient with you...and I have called you to do the same. Love these children despite their actions, love these children even when they are rotten, love these children because you might be the only one that does!!!

Damien Horn is a very gifted young Salvationist. Born into a horrible family situation, he watched his older siblings go down a slippery path with drugs and gangs. Thank God that, as a young teenager, he began to attend The Salvation Army. During his teenage years he developed a wonderful talent for music and poetry and decided he should go to Hollywood to ply his trade. He soon found that this selfish use of his talents was a waste, and he came home feeling rejected and dejected. Damien then returned to his teenage roots, and found a great outlet through the ministry of The Salvation Army. This fine young Salvationist now talks to young people about his life, and God is using him to affect so many of them.

How did Damien get to this point in his life? Much of it was the patience of the Salvationists in his life who just loved him. In his testimony he will talk about Majors Earl and Janice Fitzgerald, who hired him on their Camp staff for three consecutive summers...and fired him for three consecutive summers. It was chances like these that gave Damien the opportunity to succeed in life. What if they had given up on him, what if they had said...you are too much trouble, we can't handle you. But they didn't, they were patient.

And so my job is to love our young people, no matter how infuriating they might be. My job is to exercise patience, no matter how tired I might be. My job is to be Jesus to these children, no matter how inadequate I might feel...My job is to follow my calling.

More Blessings!

This has been the most amazing couple of weeks here at the Fredericksburg Corps. We have just been approved to administer a grant of over $700,000 in partnership with two other agencies and, were that not enough, a significant prayer has just been answered.

Anybody who knows me is aware of my desire to see the lives of children changed for the good. An incredible possibility came our way several months ago causing great excitement for my wife and me. That opportunity, however, suddenly disappeared with little hope of resurfacing. Undeterred, many people made it an issue of prayer and...praise God...our prayer was answered. Please know that the programs we will soon be able to offer our children will be greater than we ever dared dream of, and the staff and volunteers will be top notch. God is good.

Just keep praying for a better facility to do these programs!!!

The Joseph Pricipal

One of the most remarkable men in all of the Old Testament was Joseph. Dr. David Jeremiah considers Joseph to be one of only two Old Testament men in whom Scripture reveals no fault (the other is Jonathan). Joseph was hated by his brothers, a slave to Potiphar, wrongly sent to prison only to become one of the most powerful men in the world. Throughout his life, whether in the presence of his jealous brothers, as a slave to Potiphar, an inmate in the royal prison or advising the Pharaoh, scripture tells us that Joseph was blessed. Josephs obedience and faithfulness was always rewarded with these blessings, and Potiphar, the jailer and Pharaoh were all beneficiaries.

Just lately I have been the recipient of some wonderful blessings. As I have worked to be more diligent and faithful in my life and work, so I believe God is rewarding me by blessing my work with The Salvation Army. Now don't get me wrong...I am not suddenly the most perfect man. I am simply stepping forward in faith and am realizing that God does the rest.

Family

This weekend, The Salvation Army's' Family Camp will be taking place at Camp Happyland in Virginia. Our region has not has this event for five years, so it is really quite a new adventure for my children.

The idea of family is a confusing one for my children. At the Corps (The Salvation Army Church) there are a number of children that refer to Christi and me as Mommy & Daddy. On several occasions Michael, my 8 year old son, has asked, "Why does so and so call you Daddy. You're not his Daddy, you're mine" I then try and explain that we are a Church, and our Church is in the family of God. I then get this look of , "that doesn't make any sense to me...but OK". So then I wonder, how far does this spiritual family thing go? Is my Spiritual family my Church? Is it all of Christianity? Is it just The Salvation Army? And if I become inclusive, am I eliminating everybody else? (being The Salvation Army there is no religious restriction on who we serve)

I am reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son. He rebelled against his Father, he did what he wanted to do, and he ended up in a position of complete hopelessness except for the possibility of going back to his Father with his tail between his legs. He expected to go back as a hired hand because he felt he no longer deserved to called "son" but...his Father immediately reinstated him as son, and their reunion was a celebration.

Just because a person is in rebellion, it doesn't mean they are not family. We call God our Father, and that is a privilege of all created men & women. WE might assume a different role or try to separate ourselves from the Father...but he remains our Father so that, when we return from our rebellion, we can assume our God given role as His children.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God!

Its a small world!

The thoughts of Captain Christine.

I had a wonderful day today. I started it right with a Rappahannock Rotary meeting. Our guest speaker this morning was Republican Governor Candidate Bob McDonald. I happened to be walking in at the same time as Mr. McDonald so I was able to say good morning personally.

He stopped to tell me how he had served on the Advisory Board many years ago for the Salvation Army in Hampton Roads, VA. It just so happens that the last Officer he served with there before he left was my sister and her husband, then Captains Steve and Connie Long.

This is just one of the small things I love about my Salvation Army! I love that you can go to almost any Salvation Army and find someone you know, or a mutual acquaintance. As vast as this world is, and with as many "Army's" that can be found, you will always find someone in common.

How wonderful is this! How many of us feel so all alone? How many of us feel that we go unnoticed through our life? How many of us feel we don't have anyone we can really talk to?

Well I know what it is like to ask those questions, and I also have an answer!

Just like I can find most of my family at the Army, and lots of friends, the one person I have found at the Salvation Army that made a big difference in my life is Jesus Christ.

I was blessed to have parents that were not only believers, but also ministers in The Salvation Army. They were the ones that led me to Christ at 7 at the Army in High Point, NC. I would love to say that from that point on my walk with Christ was strong, but I can not. What I can tell you is that when I have felt alone, unnoticed, friendless, unloved....I had not gone to Jesus.

If I were to be honest with myself during those times, I did have family I could have turned to, I did have friends I could have called, I just didn't feel I could. When I did turn to Jesus, no matter what, He loved me. He corrected me, but He loved me just the same.

The next time you meet someone in the Salvation Army - go ahead and ask if they know "so and so"...they just might!

But the more important question to ask... Do you know Jesus?