Retirement - well one of them

It's the duty weekend for my Air Force Reserve unit. I slept in. A week ago I retired from the Reserve. Everyon ekept talking about the mixed emotions I would feel. Nope - no mixes here. I'm thrilled and completely excited to be starting a new phase in my life.

I served for 23 years. Before that, I was born into an Air Force family. I still work as a civil service employee for the Air Force. I haven't escaped completely, but there is something new and wonderful happening.

For most of my life I've had 2-4 jobs at a time. Today I have one. That's strange. With all this "free time" I plan to get back into school, finish up the last couple of classes I need for my Bachelors degree and begin my journey toward a Masters in Worship ministry.

So, if I don't see you at work, I'll see you in church.....


Chow!

catch-up and prayer

Wow – been a while since I wrote an entry! OK, so I’m not a professional blogger and I’m totally OK with it. No offense meant to my friends who are faithful with their blog entries, I’m really awed by their ability to be regular with their writing.

A few months ago I made the mistake of writing that there were only a few free moments left in my week. I knew by doing that they would somehow be claimed. Well they are. I’ve joined a Christian band and am playing bass guitar at the church I started attending. So, there goes the rest of my free time – in fact, I need to tighten up my schedule to get more practice time in for both piano and bass – oh and I’m picking up the miles in my running as I aim for my first half marathon this year. 

I did get an incredible God shot this morning right after my first 5.25 mile run after surgery.  I grabbed my phone with fumbling fingers and must have hit the button for my daily bible verse. Now, this run was incredibly tough for me as I've been recovering from a major surgery (though not one caused by anything life-threatening). At my half-way point I was actually yelling out loud at myself to keep moving - the run got better since the first part is pretty much a long, slow uphill pull. Anyway, the verse that popped up was so perfect, it was Isaiah 40: 29-31

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint. 

I just couldn't keep from laughing out loud since I'd been pleading with God to get me over that next hill just about 30 minutes prior.

But sitting here watching what the people of Japan are going through makes my time management worries and efforts to run one more hill look so very small.

Tens of thousands of people are missing after the earthquake and following tsunami. A pair of nuclear power generators is leaking radiation and the Japanese government has declared an atomic emergency and has begun evacuating a 13-mile radius area around the plants.

All I can do is pray for those people and that nation.  This is the same nation that joined us in relief efforts in Haiti, Pakistan and other places around the world. I’m praying for them as they search for loved ones and that they find the giver of all peace in the midst of chaos.