Hope in the Dark

Article published Dec. 30, 2009

Meade County Messenger

Hope in the Dark

by Kevin Hatfield

Radio transmission… (Widowmaker main…Widowmaker main…we are under fire, repeat we are under fire…over) (Understand Sable… under fire… Widowmaker 23 and 26 are patrolling your sector… Move back to adjacent rally point... They are coming in hot…Over)

It was one of the darkest nights I had seen since I’ve been here in Afghanistan.  We breached the compound and had taken up position on the rooftop next to the main building.  Everything was going according to plan.  Intel said the high value target was inside, when it all started.

We threw flash bang grenades in through a window and rounds came out from everywhere.  There was a machine gunner inside a tower just on the far side of the building dug in deep.  We returned fire but the rounds were flying both ways.

We could hear the apache coming when the cannons opened up.  Widowmaker 23 put a hundred rounds through the windows and doors.  Tracer rounds exploded when they hit. I had to look away because it was so bright.  We threw everything we had at the building. Parts of the wall were falling; we could hear the bullets flying by and see the grenades explode. It was so loud… oh, I could hardly think. It looked like the Fourth of July.  I could see everything like a spotlight had lit up the courtyard. I couldn’t believe anybody was left alive inside.  Then I felt the hit…

Radio transmission… (Medivac!!… Medivac!! We have a man down!  Extract from rally point bravo ASAP!!!)  (Negative Sable…LZ (landing zone) to hot, repeat LZ to hot...)

I woke up at Walter Reed hospital.  I was doing better according to the doctors.  I ask my wife what happened.  She told me an officer came to get her and said I had been shot, but was stable.  They flew me back here for treatment.  My squad leader, Sgt. Machmehan, called about a week ago to check on me and share some details. I had taken a direct fire through the chest and fell from the rooftop into the courtyard.  They dragged me out to the rally point but the Medivac couldn’t pick me up because we were still under fire.

Seems one of the Apaches, Widowmaker 23 flew me out to the refueling point to meet the Medivac.  I tried to explain to her that wasn’t right because it only holds two people and it takes two pilots to fly.  Then she told me the rest of the story…

Widowmaker 23, the flight leader, had taken rounds which degraded his aircraft and wouldn’t fire the weapons.  Widowmaker 26, his flight wingman, took over the engagement and 23 moved above to observe and handle radio communications.  He heard the Medivac call… He also heard Sable say you would die if you weren’t evacuated.  Widowmaker 23 landed in the hot LZ and put out his copilot to make room for you.  He flew you back to meet the Medivac at the refueling station without weapons, no copilot, and came back for another person before picking up the other pilot.

I’ve thought that night through a thousand times as I work my way through rehab. The sounds still haunt me in the night but now I’m not alone. We each find ourselves in our own darkness, when we think we have no hope. But I remember a special promise.  Jesus said He would never leave us or never forget us. In my darkness he sent a pilot who against all odds carried me to safety.  He carried me to a new beginning, one with hope. 

When the night falls in around me… I don’t think I’ll make it through… I’ll use your light to guide the way… All I think about is you… 


Dedicated to my dearest friend...
CW3 Marcus Hazel
101st Airborne Division

Coming Home

Article published Dec. 23, 2009
Meade County Messenger

Coming Home

By Kevin Hatfield

The dawning sun sparkled across the frosty grass looking out my kitchen window.  The house was still quiet and peaceful as I reached for the coffee pot and began my day.  The wind was blowing outside and I couldn’t help myself but to crack the door open just enough to feel the cold air.  It was so crisp and clean as it blew winter’s edge through the doorway.  Kind of refreshing it seems, unhindered in some ways, brutal in others.  It’s been three years since I’ve felt this kind of cold.  Three years since that cold chilled me to the bones.  Aw… but what three years will do.  But that’s the story isn’t it?

And when they had done all the things according to the law they (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth to start a new life.  And Jesus grew strong and in the ways of God. (Luke 2)

I lay awake that night, three years ago, about an hour before the shelter opened.  I’ll never forget that feeling, waiting for the sun to rise so I could make my way from the rail yard to the shelter to get warmed up.  Each minute passed slowly, I could hear the wind then too, but then it meant something totally different to me, it meant death.  I couldn’t feel anything, but yet everything hurt in some way, almost frozen to my bed of boxes. My cardboard ‘house’ didn’t slow the wind down much, and many of my kind had lost this battle on nights like this. At dawn I walked best I could into the shelter’s warmth when I was greeted by a child no more than eleven with a smile and “Good morning.”

Good I thought and ignored her as I passed.  “Good morning, sir!” again she insisted.  “Did you see my button?”  I turned to face her almost angrily and there it was, a button proudly proclaiming, “CLEAN the air, use kind words.” In bold green letters.   I couldn’t help myself, I had to laugh, how ridicules a thought this was in my circumstances.  A second ago I just about polluted it with profanity, but somehow this young girl reached into my frozen heart.  You see I was a father once, before tragedy struck my life.  That coupled with bad choices and no will to go on led me here today.  Nothing to cry about, that’s just the way it is.

I moved through the breakfast line, but made my way back towards our door greeter just to hear the brightness in her voice.  It was no problem finding a seat near the door.  The air blew in every time it opened and nobody wanted to be reminded that soon we would all be back outside in the cold again.  I watched her greet each person with the same enthusiasm as they entered.  It didn’t even seem to bother her that we smelled bad. She was filled with so much joy, if she was nervous it didn’t show.  I HAD to know; there had to be a story behind this button.  So as I eat my grits and toast, I ask, “Where did you get that button?”  She smiled the biggest smile and proudly proclaimed “Sunday School.”  She began to tell me about kindness and how our words carry feelings.  She reminded me so much of my little girl so long ago...

I left the shelter that day.  I thought about what she told me about being kind and how our words carry feelings.  Feelings… the more I thought about it the more I realized how long it had been since I had real feelings.  I thought about this for a long time and finally let myself feel again. And when I did, the floodgates of old emotions came pouring out.  I cried for most of the day.  I thought of my little girl, that died so young, and my wife. Oh, how I missed them. At last, I settled in on the thoughts of how I got here.

That night I don’t think I slept at all. My mind raced through the years and times past.  I barely felt the cold.  I felt like I had finally found myself again.  I couldn’t get over that little girl.  Why was she there?  Why was she so happy?  Who was she?  And that button “CLEAN the air, use kind words.”

The next couple of months were a whirlwind of change.  It all began with those kind words from a little girl that encouraged me.  After going through a series of shelters and half way houses, with some help from community programs, I found a place of my own.  I started a job at the grocery store, stocking and cleaning at night.  My world had flipped from homeless to hopeful all because of one little girl and a button.

As time went on I settled into a good position at the grocery store chain, and found myself managing a small store not too far from the shelter. I walked passed one day; I couldn’t believe how far my life had come since that cold winter morning.  Now, when the cold wind blows, I think about how I got a second chance at life.  That cold wind is refreshing now. Looking back, it blew in CLEAN air and one small girl.

Mary and Joseph left for Bethlehem but it was over two years before they made their way back home.  And even though Nazareth was home to them now, their lives had changed more than they could have dreamed.  Many of us make plans and goals that don’t turn out the way we hoped because of life’s circumstances.  But the one thing that remains a constant, Love.  Kindness in the story is an extension of a Love that can only be found in God.  Kind words and actions can make differences in people’s lives.  It creates hope, encouragement, and strength.  As this Christmas season comes to a close and things get back to normal, I hope you find it unusual.  By that I mean, I hope you’ve found Love.  The Christmas gift of Love that God gave us in Jesus is a kindness that is meant for every heart to feel and to share.  It’s my hope, it’s my prayer, that you have found your CLEAN air… in Love.

Disconnected

Article published on Dec. 16, 2009

Meade County Messenger

Disconnected

By Kevin Hatfield

The room was dimly light as he stood as the foot of her bed.  Just a few short years ago she was a baby laying in his arms, and now his little girl of ten lay sleeping.  So many nights he tucked her in with bedtime stories and saying prayers side by side on their knees.  A great relationship these two have, she’s daddy’s little girl.  But tonight all that happiness seems to have faded off in the distance.  Tonight is another night by her hospital bed.

He wonders “why? She’s just a child?”  But sometimes life doesn’t give us these answers.  So the loving hugs and smiles they shared were replaced with just lifeless sleep.  No story time, no butterfly kisses, only the memories of how it used to be, how it was supposed to be.  Now it’s just him watching her, instead of them, together.  He felt as if he had a hole in his life, an absence that he couldn’t fill.  He would do anything to make it like it was, before this.

Wise men from east of Jerusalem had heard the old prophetic stories their whole lives, of how God would send a savior to the world to save all of his people.  The story passed down from family to family, generation to generation.  Much like grandma sitting in her rocking chair sharing wisdom to the grandchildren at her feet… “I remember when I was young…” But when a bright star in the east appeared the wise men knew they had to see for themselves.  They journeyed far, day and night, to find this small child.  They came with the hopes of offering three small gifts and to worship him.  When they found him with Mary they did just that.  They knew, and saw with there very eyes, this king told in the old stories.

God sat at the edge of heaven looking down at the people on the earth, much like the father overlooking his daughter’s bed.  He couldn’t stand to see them suffer.  So he sent a special gift to the earth, a child to born to Mary that would change everything.  Funny thing is a gift that is never opened isn’t much of a gift.  A present must be received to be something special.  This Christmas find your present and open it. It’s filled with a relationship founded in Love.  Like the wise men found out for themselves, it’s worth it.

He was sitting in the chair by her bed when she squeezed his hand, “Daddy?”  “Yes honey!!!”  “I love you.”  “I love you too.  Doctor says we get to go home tomorrow.”  “Okay.  Will you read to me?” “You bet I will.”

Never forget what you have. 

The Innocence

Article Published in the Meade Co. Messenger on December 9, 2009

by Kevin Hatfield

The day had been a long one, filled with the usual pressures, as Karl finished his evening sitting at his desk, staring face to face with his laptop.  The coffee he nursed filled the study with rich aroma as his daughter walked in.  She asked if she could do her homework in here with him if she promised to be quiet.  Karl agreed, knowing she would be hard pressed to keep her promise, but he let her anyway.  In the background he had his usual selection of music faintly playing a soothing sound of worship that drifted through the air.

He was hard focused on his task at hand trying to meet a deadline, when soft humming caught his attention.  He paused, and then looked over his screen to see his youngest girl fully engrossed in her math, but humming to the music just the same.
The song played on and she continued never missing a beat, completely oblivious to her harmonic sounds.  What he saw was a glimpse of pure innocence.  Her face changing as she thought through her homework,
almost angelic in beauty. Daddy’s girl didn’t know the true evils of this world yet, and was completely content sharing the study with her Daddy. He felt a lump swell up in his throat and a tear came to his eye. All he could do was watch and share in song of her heart.

Mary was in the manger when the shepherds came in.  Telling a story about an angel, and how they followed a star just to see this baby. When they had finished she looked down at Jesus in her arms, Joseph by her side, and saw true innocence. A baby born, given to all of mankind for one purpose, to share the perfect gift, Love.  She pondered these things in her heart.

Many years later, she watched the terrible scene of her son being beaten, and then paraded through the streets of town to full fill that gift of love.  As he hung on the cross in open shame before all, she again remembered that night so long ago, and could still see the innocence.

Karl and many of us will spend Christmas with family and friends this year hoping we bought the right presents.  Wondering how we shall recover from all the spending.  But the real Christmas is celebrated in our hearts, sharing in a story of love and kindness, filled with peace and joy.

This year let’s get past the usual and find what Karl found right in front of him. This Christmas besides enjoying family and feast, find the true innocence.  God has pulled up two chairs, sat down, invited you over, and said “Let’s talk.”

We The People

We The People: "Words of Wisdom: Wretchedness and Opression
As we sit on the edge of the greatest power grab in our nation's history, I feel that is important to look to our Founding Fathers for their wisdom. Never before have these words rang more true than in the day and time we live in now.

'We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
We must make our election between economy and liberty
or profusion and servitude.
If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and
in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and
our amusements, for our calling and our creeds...
[we will] have no time to think,
no means of calling our miss-managers to account
but be glad to obtain subsistence by hiring ourselves
to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers...
And this is the tendency of all human governments.
A departure from principle in one instance
becomes a precedent for [another ]...
till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery...
And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt.
Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression.'


Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Samuel Kercheval, Monticello, July 12, 1816"

The Shepherds

Article Published Dec. 2,2009 Meade Co. Messenger

The Shepherds

By Kevin Hatfield

The gentle evening breeze blew out the fading sun as the shepherds’ day came to an end. The sun had been especially hot and they were tired as they put the animals down for the night. With all today’s activities coming to a close they settled down around a small fire, snacking on a small meal, and reminiscing the struggles of their day. As dusk faded into dark and their conversation wound down something happened that would change their lives forever…

As we approach Christmas this year we come face to face with difficult challenges. We find ourselves in precarious times, the worst recession in my adult lifetime, a weakening dollar, record unemployment, foreclosures, and a troubled real estate market, to say the least. Safe to say Christmas couldn’t come at a worse time for many families in our area. But with all these pressures there is still hope.

Times are changing and we must change with them. Our culture of .coms, huge profits, and excessive living have come to a close. We must adapt our lifestyles to fit our budgets; get back to the basics if you will.

Vincent Lombardi, all American football coach began each season with a lecture to veteran players and rookies alike. Holding up a football in one hand and said, “This is a football…” Get back to the fundamental basics.

The basics: In generations past, before the big economic boom, families helped families, neighbors knew each other, and people took care of people. Christmas wasn’t about how big the gift was, or how much we spent. It was about families getting together and sharing. It was about celebrating Christmas a time of joy, not worries, and financial pressures. It was about Love and the first present, the real gift.

The story I started with is a back story of what might have happened to the Shepherds you read about in Luke Chapter 2 of your bible. But my question is this; What would cause these shepherds to leave their flock and begin a journey to Bethlehem? What could possibly be so important to them to walk away from everything they had worked for? The answer…Hope.


The shepherds were also in an economic struggle. They were oppressed by a Roman occupation of their country with no end in sight. Taxation to Caesar taking from their ‘pockets’ at every turn. Which is why Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. The shepherds knew the stories of a leader that would come and deliver them, but not just some leader, a messiah, a deliverer.


…Just as they were about to fall asleep for the night, a bright light surrounded them, and a group of angels were with them around their fire. They were so scared they couldn’t even move. Then one spoke “Fear not, I bring good tidings of great joy…” The angel told them a baby was going to be born in a manger and to follow the star. They immediately left guided only by the star to the manger to see the hope they had prayed would come. The savior, the messiah, the deliverer of all mankind.



This Christmas we still have this hope. Our present given to us back in Bethlehem is love. A love that is much more important than anything we could purchase this year. Better than the toys or electronics that will become old and outdated. It’s something that will last and see us through our struggles. It’s a love that is bigger than just some empty story, it’s a love that will guide you to help a neighbor in hard times. Give you support from a church family as you struggle. It will help you make good decisions, and direct you to be a better person. And it’s already paid for.

It led shepherds to leave all they had to find, and guide you back to find all you left chasing the American dream.

This Christmas let’s find the basics in our homes: Faith, Hope, and Love. The real present is Love. And that’s a Christmas worth celebrating.

New Life International

Found this pretty interesting. My Daughter's class went on a trip here and did some community service work. She really enjoyed the trip. Please watch video.

How much difference we can all make if we only try.

Remember look up, live life, and be thankful.

Kevin

New Life International » Videos and Presentations

UN: Record 1 billion go hungry - Channel One News

UN: Record 1 billion go hungry - Channel One News

(Photo by Amanda Braisted, GO Ministries DR)

Somehow in our world today, all wrapped up in ourselves, we still have tragedy's such as this. Another interesting article that summarizes by saying one out of 6.7 children will die of starvation, or one every 6 seconds. Do I have the solution? No, but nothing is not the answer.


Remember those who can't do for themselves. Let's do something.


Kevin


UN: Record 1 billion go hungry

By TOM MALITI and ARIEL DAVID - 5 hours ago
Parents in some of Africa's poorest countries are cutting back on school, clothes and basic medical care just to give their children a meal once a day, experts say. Still, it is not enough.
A record 1 billion people worldwide are hungry and a new report says the number will increase if governments do not spend more on agriculture. According to the U.N. food agency, which issued the report, 30 countries now require emergency aid, including 20 in Africa.
The trend continues despite a goal set by world leaders nine years ago to cut the number of hungry people in half by 2015.
"It's actually a world emergency that calls for action from both developing and developed countries," said Otive Igbuzor, the head of international campaigns for ActionAid International.
"We know a child dies every six seconds of malnutrition," he said.
Spiraling food prices have added to hardships, especially in the world's most desperate countries where the poor could barely afford a single daily meal to begin with. The inflated prices — which caused riots across the globe last year — have stabilized but remain comparatively high, especially in the developing world, Jacques Diouf, director general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, told AP Television News.
In Somalia, ravaged by violence and anarchy for almost two decades, the monthly expenditure for food and other basic needs for a family of six has risen 85 percent in the past two years, said Grainne Moloney of the Somalia Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit.
On average, such a family spent $171 in September this year, compared with $92 for the same amount of food and other needs in March 2007, said Moloney, a nutrition expert for the Horn of Africa nation.
"Families are cutting out the school, cutting out the clothes. A lot of them are going for cheaper cereals," said Moloney, adding that despite those desperate measures, one in five children in Somalia is acutely malnourished.
Igbuzor said the trend can be seen in impoverished countries across Africa.
In Kenya, herders have seen scores of their animals die and crops have withered because of drought. Today, 3.8 million people in Kenya need food aid, up from 2.5 million earlier in the year.
After worldwide gains in the fight against hunger in the 1980s and early 1990s, the number of undernourished people started climbing in 1995, reaching 1.02 billion this year amid escalating food prices and the global financial meltdown, the FAO said in its Wednesday report.
The long-term trend is due largely to reduced aid and private investments earmarked for agriculture since the mid 1980s, the Rome-based agency said in its State of Food Insecurity report for 2009.
In 1980, 17 percent of aid contributed by donor countries went to agriculture. That share was down to 3.8 percent in 2006 and only slightly improved in the last three years, Diouf said.
"In the fight against hunger the focus should be on increasing food production," Diouf said. "It's common sense ... that agriculture would be given the priority, but the opposite has happened."
The decline may have been caused by low food prices that discouraged private investment in agriculture and competition for public funds from other aid fields, including emergency relief, said FAO economist David Dawe.

Governments and investors may also have chosen to put their money into other economic sectors because agriculture's share of the economy in some developing countries dropped as people moved to cities and found work in industry.
But agriculture still needs sustained investment to feed people in developing countries, Dawe said.
The world's most populous region, Asia and the Pacific, has the largest number of hungry people — 642 million — followed by Sub-Saharan Africa with 265 million.
Diouf said world leaders are starting to understand that investment in agriculture must be increased. He cited the goal set by the Group of Eight summit in L'Aquila, Italy, in July to raise $20 billion to help farmers in poor countries produce more — a shift from previous emphasis on delivering food aid.
However, more investments will be needed to fulfill pledges like the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve the number of those living in hunger and poverty by 2015, the report said.
The FAO says global food output will have to increase by 70 percent to feed a projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050.
To achieve that, poor countries will need $44 billion in annual agricultural aid, compared with the current $7.9 billion, to increase access to irrigation systems and modern machinery as well as build roads and train farmers.
__
Associated Press writer Ariel David reported from Rome.

A day downstream

I spent today relaxing and spending time with the family, or La familia to my Latino friends. We went canoeing with a local outfitter http://www.cavecountrycanoe.com on blue river in Milltown, IN. Funny thing about canoeing, you're never really sure how the day will turn out. I think it went really well, at least it did in my canoe. The other canoe, found it's own problems as the day progressed.



Felicia and I each took a canoe and a daughter and headed down river. The weather was good today for such a trip, a balmy 75 degrees, the water temperature was cool but not cold. Just about perfect, so to speak. We talked, we laughed, we splashed, and we sang.



Shortly after a swim, the day began to turn. It started with a change in the weather from sunny to cloudy, and eventually a light rain. But that even wasn't bad as far as I'm concerned. As we passed through one of the rapids along this journey, my wife encountered a rock about mid way in the canoe. Which led to her demise and another short swim. Only this time it filled her canoe with water and drowned everything she had in it. Even the dog wasn't happy about the circumstances. But that's canoeing on blue river, sometimes you paddle, sometimes you just ride, and sometimes you swim. After righting the canoe and helping another family right their canoe we continued on down stream.


As we paddled we had a chance to reflect on today. To summarize, life is full of choices. Each day brings it's own challenges much like the river. Many days are just a simple smooth ride down stream, but some days bring turmoil and problems. I took today's circumstances to talk to the kids about working through problems, keeping a level head, and making good decisions. We all make mistakes like not avoiding the rock, but we learn from them and try to do better next time. To 'steer' in the right direction.


My life has recently taken one of these turns. As I went downstream I saw an impasse much like the rock that stood in Felicia's way. Although it wasn't something so easy to avoid by turning the paddle. It involved leaving a company I had grown familiar with and starting a new relationship with another one. The impasse I came to was much like the rock sitting in the river, sturdy, unchanging, and easily seen if you know what to look for. As I came to the it I steered. It ended a season with a company I have a long history with, but opened up a new opportunity. An opportunity that I have high hopes for.


Today ended my first week with the new team, and although I'm not settled in yet, I've made up my mind to approach this change like many I've made before. To have a positive attitude, and do my best. To build new relationships and stop crying over those that have ended. To grow and learn, but also to share and teach. All we have is who we are and the time we are given. I decided to make the most of it. Jim Rohn a motivational speaker once said in a speech that "life is like the ocean, the wind is always blowing, there will always be the rise and fall of the waves. Don't ask for better wind, that's naive, set a better sail." So I set a better sail.


The trip ended with the four of us cold and wet (five if you include the dog, which we always do), heading home with the memories of a Saturday afternoon spent canoeing blue river. But deep down I felt it was something more. Today was spent on the river in a canoe, but we each learned our own life's lesson. We invested time in each other and to me that's a good investment.


Through my years as a salesman I kept a philosophy taped to my desk that I read every morning. I think it keeps life in perspective. This will clearify how if feel about my day today, and it's worth sharing.

"This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I’m exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, not loss; good, not evil; success, not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it. May I have sufficient wisdom and courage that this shall be my record for today." ~Og Mandino



Remember Look up, Live life, and Be thankful


Kevin

Family Talk

Since my wife has pointed out to me that I tend to not include my family in some of my posts, it appears the blog seems to be all about me. I assure you this is not the case, or at least not my intention. I only included them indirectly, or only in mentioning, less frequently as to protect my family from those people on the Internet that would want to cause us harm, if you know what I mean.



It has been a long spring and beginning of summer. I've traveled quite a bit across the Midwest and have spent my off time with the family. So let's catch up a little bit....



Felicia and I took the kids to Cumberland Gap and Cumberland Falls for the weekend. We did a bit of hiking and ended up getting rained on some. Miley was soaked (the family pet). But the point is we all had fun. Spending time together makes those family memories that will last a life time. As my girls grow into their teens, I know my time is deminishing quickly, so I try to make the most of it.



I've found that as we progress with technologies, such as twitter, facebook, Blackberries, Iphone, and such... we are spending less time together as a family, unless of course you keep a text count. Now I'm not against technology, surely you know this by now, but it tend to get out of balance. It is ok to turn them off once in a while.

Once upon a time families sat down to dinner and ate together. They had conversations about their daily activities, they were "fully present" to steal a term from the book "Fish!". They built relationships with each other. They were in tune if you will. Families now just pass each other on the way to activities. And an occasional vacation if you're lucky. I wish it wasn't so but this is reality. Life has become fast paced and a long marathon.

My family enjoys time together when we can. Now we get our fair amount of TV time and things, but we make it a point to spend quality time with each other. My wife and I enjoy watching DVD together, and we try to "date night" when we can. Evenings sitting around the fire ring in the back yard, or an afternoon of hiking.

We recently spend the Holiday weekend camping at my good friend Eddie's Lake, which lead to swimming, fishing, a lot of talking, and too much food of course (smoked pork loin, chicken, burgers, dogs, and everything to go with it. Hungry yet?)



Everyone has to figure out what works for their family, but talking is a good start.

Short Story...

In Jan '95 I was deployed to Haiti for Operation Uphold Democracy while I was still in the army. For the next 93 days I told myself that if I ever got back home to my girl, I would never leave her again. Well of course I was a bit naive and life has brought me to a place where I travel as part of my career, but not a day goes by that I don't talk with my family, and make it a point to 'tuck' them in a night, and pray together.



Life is short, and as said well in a song by 33 miles (One life to love) we only get one time around, one shot at this... One life to Love.

Don't miss the opportunity to spend time on something valuable; relationships. There will always be time for work, time for TV, time to waste, but don't let life pass you by. Invest in your family the time you spend has huge paybacks.

Remember Look up, Live life, and be Thankful


Kevin

Hiking in Southern Indiana

Sometimes everyone just needs a break. We need to just get away from life, even if it's for just a few hours.

This photo is from a hiking trip I took recently. I find the quiet outdoors to refreshing. It allows me time to think and plan. It helps me stay in focus and regroup. I hope everyone can find places like this and unwind.

Remember Look Up, Live Life, and Be Thankful

Kevin

Who Am I Casting Crowns

Who am I? or Whose am I? as it should be.

K

Wally and the man

“Time to get up Wally. Time to get up.” The sounds seemed so far in the distance that they didn’t seem real, until he heard the stirring of the other children in the orphanage. “Here we go again.” he thought. The morning felt damp from last nights rain, as it usually did when the weather blew in. The roof had a series of holes and always left puddles on the concrete floor. Nothing out of the ordinary, just another day in the small Haitian orphanage. Wally was one of thirty-three kids that lived there with Joseph and his wife. They too were Haitian and worked as the house parents for them all.

Life was usual for Wally and the others, chores to do, school work, get things ready for lunch, which was almost always rice and beans. But little did they know that today would be different.

Just after lunch a missionary came to visit them. They hadn’t had visitors in a long time. Excitement filled the air as the children played with the missionary and took pictures with him. Wally had a hold of one leg and someone else the other, holding on as if he could never leave as long as they didn’t let go.

Things finally settled down for a short story time. The missionary talked a lot about God and how he loved them, but it just seemed like a story. Not like back when his parents were still alive. He remembered sitting next to his dad and hugging him with all his might. But like so many others in Haiti Wally’s parents died young and left him to the streets. Wally was grateful to live at the orphanage, but there he never felt ‘that’ kind of love.

The missionary brought a small present for them. When he pulled a small stuffed lamb out of his bag the excitement almost over took them. He had one for each of them, and the collar even had their name on it. He could read it plain as day ‘WALLY’. In the orphanage nothing belongs to you, everything is common, including clothes and soap. But this was special, it was His. He jumped into the man’s lap and hugged him with all he had. As the missionary hugged him back, the two shared a moment of mutual caring and love. As the embrace seemed to last forever, all was right in the world for Wally. He felt the love of long ago, and could even feel it with his own arms.

Down deep on the inside we each need approval and affection from others. Love is one of life’s most basic needs. The real Christmas story isn’t what we see this time of year in the stores. It’s really a love story. It’s about God giving you a gift so special it even has your name on it. It’s about a relationship, like Wally had with his Dad. This year instead of just presents, give Love.

Dedicated to Mary Jones and Walinski (Jimenez orphanage, Ouanaminthe Haiti, 2007)


Remember Look Up, Live Life, and Be Thankful


Kevin

Twelve feet

The wind blew cold and brisk as it came down the road. Night had settled in and was at that point of darkness just before the stars begin to really shine. I could hear the traffic driving by as I was working. I was in the construction zone on I-20. I have grown accustom to the constant noise of traffic driving by, this is my office, I’m a construction worker.

I walked towards my service truck to get a set of plans as I do so many times a day, when something caught the attention of my ears; I stopped just inches outside of the live lane of traffic as a Suburban came through. For a moment I stood still, almost frozen, then the adrenaline kicked in and I backed up. I realized I was just inches from what surely would have been my end. Even with all my years, I almost broke the cardinal rule, look before you cross the road.

This put me to thinking… twelve feet. Twelve feet is the width of a driving lane between the lines on the road. Twelve feet is the difference between safety and tragedy. No Christmas with the kids, no playing ball in the yard, no steaks on the grill, no butterfly kisses, no story time. Twelve feet is the difference between being warm inside the house, and freezing outside homeless. Twelve feet is the difference between being on land in Florida and safe from Castro, or caught by immigration still in the ocean and sent back to Cuba. Twelve feet is the difference between inside the gas chambers of Nazi Germany, or separating the clothes and shoes outside of it. Twelve feet… I never had given such a short distance any thought. A car driving 55 mph travels 80 ft a second, twelve feet only takes .15 seconds. It’s the distance for me between life and death.

As Christ hung on the cross he looked down at the soldiers and said “Forgive them, they have no idea what they are doing.” Later he looked up to God at the moment before he died and said “It is finished!” Twelve feet is the difference between dying for all of humanity and just watching. Twelve feet is the distance between the front row of pews and a place to pray at the alter. It’s been said “you don’t have to go to church to go to heaven.” And that is true, but I wouldn’t let twelve feet stand in my way either. Twelve feet for me was the difference in making it to safety, or loosing it all. I hope my words have caught the attention of your ears just as God caught the attention of mine, just before I walked into traffic. God loves you and has a present for you this Christmas. And it’s a good one.

Remember Look up, Live Life, and Be Thankful

Kevin

Sacrifice

His Sacrifice

Two more days, that’s all he had left. His bags were packed and by the door. He would spend the last two days with his wife and kids. Christmas brings many surprises, but this year Christmas came early. By the time Christmas comes he will already be flying combat missions in Afghanistan. His life as an Apache Pilot has brought him another tour of combat in the war on terror, his 4th to be exact.

I saw with my own eyes how the sadness was setting in and the reality of his leaving is like a landslide with no way of moving out of its path. His sacrifice and determination to accomplish the mission, ensures that my Christmas will be one without bombs, IED’s, sniper fire, or tragedy at my door step. My friend will spend his Christmas away from his family while I snuggle up with mine in front of the fireplace. He does it all without complaining, that’s his job. That’s his mission, he’s an officer. There is a job to do, and he’ll see it done.

God looked down from Heaven at the earth he created and the sin that had covered the land. The people were lost in a sea of wrongs with no way of rescue. God’s heart was broken at the thought of his people drowning. He searched all of heaven for a way to save them. Jesus looked him squarely in the eye and said “Let me go.” God knew that without him all was lost. The enemy would win and terror would rip through the earth without a way of escape. Jesus left heaven with one purpose in mind, to fight for and to save all of humanity. To build a “bridge” to safety; a “bridge” built with love, hope, kindness, and the ultimate sacrifice. His mission: to lay down his life so you and I could walk to safety thru a life with God.

This Christmas I pray we look past ourselves, our pettiness, our grudges and arguments. That it wouldn’t be about what we can get, or even what we can give. But that we would honor him with hearts full of gratitude and love. Spend time with your loved ones, there are those who cannot. Cherish the life you have, by sharing it with someone else.

God bless our troops around the world, and may Christmas find you loving your family.

Dedicated to CW3 Marcus Hazel 101st Airborne deployed to Afghanistan. Thanks for all you do.

Remember Look Up, Live Life, and Be Thankful

Kevin

Lawsuit Filed Against Obama about citizenship.

Here's an update article by the Political Inquirer ( http://politicalinquirer.com/2008/10/04/the-philip-berg-lawsuit-against-barack-obama/ ) about this lawsuit: Summary, it has been appealed to the Supreme Court as of Oct 26th, 2008.

Flash Backs

Each day poses it's own challenges and adventures. With the business I'm in I find myself in different cities and states sometimes on a daily basis.



When time allows, or we have a day off in between jobs we try to find something interesting to see and do. Some people find entertainment by shopping or eating out, but neither of these are hobbies of mine. I prefer to cook for myself and find an adventure of some kind instead of shopping for things. I cherish pictures and memories over things.



These are just some of the pictures of the things we have done over the past few months.



Mohican Adventure Slick Track



Mohican State Park. A hawk flying in Clear Fork Gorge.

Big Stone Gap, Virginia



The Point, Pittsburgh PA

Mi Ninos!

I've found that life isn't about how much you have, or how much you spend, but all about the relationships you have. Spending time with your family and friends, collecting memories and good times.

I've recently been on http://www.facebook.com/ finding old friends and schoolmates. It's interesting to find out where life has lead each of us over the years. It's been over 17 years since I graduated high school and life has lead me around the States and a few foreign countries. It's been an exciting adventure and I've collected friends along the way. We each have the unique opportunity to make an impact on those around us by exhibiting a good attitude and a helpful hand. I guess that's why the couple of missions trips that I've been on, have resonated so much with me because it's all about making a difference in people.

If you've ever been on a trip to the third world, you understand what I mean. But to see Children play with things we throw away, like a bicycle rim, or play soccer with a tennis ball. To feed a hungry child rice an beans, and get repaid with a hug. Children are just Children and love is a universal language.

Like Solomon, the sum of it all; life has been good to me! I find myself in a nice home, a great wife, two loving beautiful kids, and peace in my life. Life is an adventure meant to be lived! Og Mandino said it best in The Greatest Salesman in the World:

"This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I’m exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, not loss; good, not evil; success, not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it. May I have sufficient wisdom and courage that this shall be my record for today."

http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino/dp/0883910330/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225133205&sr=8-5

Remember Look Up, Live Life, and Be Thankful

Kevin

Elderly Lady

I found this interesting.

K

Pratt's BBQ in Kingsport TN

I'm not much of a dining critic but I was in Tennessee recently and found this BBQ place in Kingsport (that's near Bristol for all the NASCAR nuts). The food was good, the price was reasonable, and the service was good.

The waitress in the picture was cleaning off the left side so I offered to draw a picture as an advertisement. Surprisingly they let me. So if you are in Kingsport, stop by Pratt's and order the Big Bubba.

Look Up, Live Life, and Be Thankful

Kevin