Marine Corps Ball 2014 - Alpha Company

It is my honor and privilege to open up the Marine Corps Ball with the invocation.
It sets the tone, the intention for the night.
It can empower, motivate and inspire us to reach higher.

Below are the words I shared with my beloved Alpha company.

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If you would join me in prayer:

Source of Strength,

You have given me the gift of a special heart - a warrior's heart.

I see danger and do not turn away.

I hear the sound of gunfire and maintain my composure.

Because you have a special place in Your heart for the devil dog.

Because my scars are sacred, earned defending the defenseless in the desert, in the water and in the air.

I heard Your call to make the world a better place, to stand up for those who can not, to bring peace where chaos rules.

I came running from hometown USA.

I left my family, friends, a different future for You.

Because Your call for freedom and justice and peace are my battle cry.

I know that You are with me every step of the way - from training, to outside the wire, to garrison to the unknown.

I know that you expect me to be my best, every minute of every day - because people rely on me and I can not let them or You down.

Thank you, God, for this heart that beats in my chest and being a part of a 239 year old tradition of honor, courage and commitment.

I am the Marine Corps.

Semper Fidelis,

Amen.

me and my RPs

Seek (inner) Peace and Pursue It

In Jewish prayer books, after studying a piece of Torah, there is liturgy that says that we should be like Aaron the Priest: loving peace, pursue peace, love God's creations, and bringing ourselves closer to God.

Peace can mean many things.

This time, it is about finding inner peace.

Spending time with close friends and hiking through the northern most tip of Okinawa helped me find peace.


Okuma, the Air Force resort on island:

 Daiserizan (mountain with amazing rock formations)

The northern tip of Okinawa

The Okinawa bird, does not fly and protects the island

Suicide Attempts and Taking the Win

This past week, I had my first suicidal ideation as a chaplain.

Without giving too much detail, the Marine barricaded himself in his bathroom, armed. 

A few hours later, he was escorted out, in custody with no injuries and no shots fired. 

It took me all day to process what I was a part of.
As an EMT, my job was to wait until I was called. 

During the Incident, my job WAS to f Ocus on the family and Support Them, even WHEN I knew nothing That WAS going on. Simply Being Present, WHEN there WAS nothing to say. Holding the Spouses hand, as she WAS Questioned by NCIS, or finding people to take care her children. 

After all is said and done, he is safe and getting the care he needs and the family will being to pick up the pieces from this and I will be there - as much or as little as they need me to be.

At the end of the day, as a mentor of mine said when putting all of this into a context I could understand, you take this as a win. Because there are going to be times when you do everything right, and you will lose.

Take the win, get some sleep and start the next day fresh.