It's been a while

Ok, the blog has been dormant for several months.  In my defense, I have been in pre-deployment training getting ready for an Afghanistan deployment.  Since I am sure I don't have any readers left, not that I really had any to begin with, I am probably just talking to the wind.  But, this can suffice for the historical record.  I am still pretty busy over here in Afghanistan, but I do have time I can use to write.  Lets just see how this goes.

Battle Wounds

I am in a desperate battle.  Most of the members of my unit are in captivity to the enemy.  Of those who are free, most are too frightened to do anything about it, or just don't think it is important enough to try.  However, there are some few who, with me, are trying to rescue the captives, to bring the great power of our high command against the strongholds of the enemy. 
Things were actually beginning to shape up.  We have been setting the conditions for a future success.  Then, all of a sudden, my right-hand man in this mission was grievously wounded.  What now?  My heart aches for the pain he is feeling.  My skills in first aid are limited but I do what I can.  I call out for help from high command, and I know it is on its way.  But, full healing will take time.  Meanwhile, the battle still rages.  Will he be able to continue in the fight?  He is going on courageously for now but his capabilities will have to be affected.  It is too early, yet, to know exactly to what extent.
So again, what now?  I can't leave him behind.  We don't do that in my outfit.  And, I need his particular skills for this mission.  Besides, he is my friend.  I will carry him myself if I have to.  We will make it work somehow.  We must.  Our commander has assigned us this mission.  We will press on.  We will be provided assistance and reinforcements when they are needed.  It will not be easy.  Further wounds will likely be suffered; though, I hope none so deep as this one.  With the help of our high command, we will succeed.

Various thoughts

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted.  Not that I think anyone missed it, since I have all of one or two readers who show up every once in a while.  Rather, I am trying to stay disciplined and not doing very well.  It isn't that I haven't had thoughts that I could blog about, I just haven't taken the time to sit down and write.  So, a few updates on things recently...
- Started geocaching recently.  Lots of fun for the whole family.  Hikes with a mission.
- Had an earthquake today... 5.4, just south of Palm Springs.  We could feel it pretty strong where we live.  Pretty weird to feel the ground/floor moving under your feet.
- Speaking of the ground shifting, this article from Al Mohler took my breath away (in a bad way)... just amazing how sinful we humans can be.
- When they say leadership involves spending 90% of your time with 10% of your people, they speak truly.  It makes it all the more a joy to sign good conduct medal and promotion certificates.  It reminds me that the majority of my Marines are motivated professionals who want to do the right thing.

Discipline: FAIL

So, one of the main reasons I decided to start this blog was to try to develop some discipline in writing, to make myself sit down and put my thoughts (some of them) in writing.  Obviously I am not doing very well.  I am finding it very difficult to make the time after a full day of work and needing to spend time with my family when I get home.  I have thoughts that seem worthy to put in a blog post fairly frequently, but they are not at a time when I can actually put them in writing.  Most often, it seems, they happen while I am commuting.  And then, when I do finally sit down at the computer I can't think of what seemed so good to blog about.  So, maybe blog posts won't be as frequent here as I was hoping for.  Or, maybe I can develop some discipline to keep writing.  It would help if I got more comments so I would see feedback on what I write.  I guess it takes time, though, to build up enough of a reader base that comments are regular.  I'll just keep taking one day at a time and try to write more often.  We'll see what happens.

I'm back

from vacation and content will continue.  I thought I would blog while on vacation but I didn't.  I am sure that disappointed all 1 or 2 of my readers.  But, now life can go on.  Which, incidentally, is a good theme for Resurrection Morning.  Because He rose, our lives can go on - forever, with Him.

I'll be back soon

I haven't posted in a while because I was out in the field with my battalion.  We were going to try to get a satellite internet connection up, but didn't get it working in time for me to use it.  Overall it was a crazy week.  Now, I am on vacation with my family over my kids' Spring Break.  I have a few posts churning around in my head that I want to put out here.  As soon as I get time I will do that.  So, I haven't abandoned this blog.  Please check back.  There will be new content soon.

Classical Music

So, I have been on a classical music kick lately as I make my 40 min commute to and from work.  It all started when I read "Evening in the Palace of Reason" by James R. Gaines.  It is about an epic showdown between Johann Sebastian Bach and Frederick the Great, which really symbolizes the collision between two worldviews and two eras in world history.  Anyone who is into music or history would love reading it.  Anyway, because I read this book, I had to go out and get a J. S. Bach album to listen to while I drive.  This week, as I was listening to Bach's music I had an interesting experience.  It was the auditory equivalent of staring into the flames of a fire, with its endlessly flickering patterns.  Bach's music is similar.  Many composers write their music in what I call "musical sentences" - a series of notes that end in a "note of resolution" - such that it goes in series of 4 - 8 or 10 notes that culminate in a note held just a little bit longer and then a small pause that seems to close out that series.  I am sure any of you that know musical theory could enlighten me on what that is called.  Anyway, much of Bach's music does not do that.  It just keeps going in endlessly flickering patterns.  Many times you will hear what seems to be a note of resolution, but it won't pause and another thread of melody will take up the lead.  It was quite surreal.  It also seemed to me that listening to Bach was the musical equivalent of reading a deep work of philosophy or theology.  It was dense - as opposed to most other classical music and definitely modern music, which is more like reading a pulp fiction novel.  Any other classical music buffs out there?  What do you like?

Post series coming

I don't have time for a post tonight because I have been spending too much time commenting on other people's blogs.  However, I want to start a series (I guess that is what all the cool bloggers do) in which I look at the leadership styles in the early church.  I have no idea how long it will take.  I may finish it in one post.   But, I want to take a bit deeper look than that, so we'll see.  More later.

One month

Wow.  I have had this blog going for a month.  I have exceeded the posting frequency that I expected.  However, that is probably the rush of a new thing.  We'll see if I can keep it up.  For those few who have come to read what I have posted here, I do hope that you will interact with what I have written.  It is an "iron sharpening iron" opportunity that I would appreciate.  I intend to keep writing whether people read and comment or not though.  I see it as an opportunity to develop more intellectual discipline and organization.

Disposable Beauty

I got a glimpse of God's extravagant wealth this morning. As I was driving to work, God drew a gorgeous sunrise across the eastern sky. It made my heart ache to look at the magnificence of those vivid pinks and oranges, especially since I realized that in a few seconds it would be gone. But then it occurred to me that God is so abundant and overflowing in majesty and splendor that he can casually produce such a display of beauty, then throw it away and do it all again tonight or tomorrow morning. It is more amazing than Michelangelo recreating the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel every morning and evening. It is a foretaste of the streets paved with gold. God is so overflowing with glory, wealth and beauty that it is commonplace, a casual everyday thing - just an expression of who He is. May the inexpressible wonders of God's creation continue to lead me to Him who created them.

Better a shack on a rock...

than a castle in the sand.

This picture, and the Casting Crowns lyrics perfectly capture the mindset I am trying to portray in this blog.

Starting Up

I guess it is good to try new things. So, here we go. I don't know anything about blogging, though I do read several blogs (check the blogroll).
I have been feeling like I need to start developing the discipline of writing. I have been a good consumer of other peoples' thought content, but I have been lax in coming up with my own. This is not to say that I don't have thoughts. It is just that I have not expressed them in an organized fashion and subjected them to outside scrutiny. I think this will force me to organize my thoughts and ensure they hang together.
As a unit commander in the U.S. Military my job right now is pretty busy. However, I am setting the goal of posting about 2-3 times a week. I expect to generally cover topics of theology, leadership, the Christian life and family life; but, other topics may creep in also.
So, that is all the time I have for tonight. More later.