2009 - As I See It

It’s 12/31/2009 – and time to do as everyone else (that’s the politically correct thing to do, right – go with the crowd?), and write some sort of review of the year’s highlights.  Let’s see – should I highlight my own life, the news headlines, or something else?  Think I’ll do all three.  I’ll try to keep it short.  Won’t do a “Top 10” or anything, just recap some stuff.

 

MY OWN LIFE

·         January – preparing for deployment (losing weight, handing off responsibilities, etc.)

·         February – MAJOR ice storm hits the community

·         March – cleanup nearly over, left for Ft. Jackson, SC (re-Greening)

·         April – went to Ft. Sam Houston, TX (MOS refresher training – which I didn’t use hardly at all).  Got to take a 4-day pass over Easter weekend.  Preached.  Traveled to Camp Shelby, MS (mobilization station)

·         May – Final preparation for deployment – learned to be a Battle Captain of the Base Defense Operations Center

·         June – Left for Iraq.  Advanced Party to Iraq

·         July – Reassigned from Battle Captain to Iraqi-Based Industrial Zone (IBIZ) Coordinator.  Started working to open a retail shopping center from the ground up.

·         August – SFC Davis assigned to me to help with IBIZ, Engineers finished building a “T-Wall” building (you’d have to see it, but it has concrete walls and wooden ends/roof – pretty neat).

·         September – Temporary Generator to power park is placed by KBR

·         October – Generator removed.  Then the engineers install generator.

·         November – got a generator given (permanent) by KBR.  Contracts for buildings not signed.  Neither were contracts for security, buses, or generator maintenance

·         December – still waiting on contracts, 3^rd Bde, 1^st Cav Div leaves the base, 2^nd Bde, 3^rd In. Div. takes over.  IBIZ probably won’t open at all due to base closure plans.  I was given the  job of supervising the burn pit and scrap metal projects, and oversight of the excess inventory turn in effort called “Operation Clean Sweep,” and given the position as OIC of the Advanced Party going home!  Mom has heart surgery

·         Overall – got plenty of time to work on planning for returning home (church stuff), worked a great deal on seminary (still have a lot to do there, though).  Lost weight, gained some back, lost some of that back.  Started the year at about 230, weigh about 190  now.  Much better shape

 

NATION’S HEADLINES

·         Barak Obama elected president

·         Federal Deficeit tripled since he took office

·         Health Care legislation strips people of their freedoms and spending powers, grows deficeit

·         Taxes raised in every sector

·         Jobless rate exceeds 10%

·         A year into the presidency, he’s still blaming Bush for his woes

·         Democrats vote contrary to constituencies

·         Freedoms of speech and religious liberties lambasted by courts nation-wide

·         Constitution irrelevant to the work Congress does

·         (There’s just so much of this sort of thing, where’s the light at the end of the tunnel?)

 

BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES

·         Liberal denominations falling prey to cultural trends (homosexuality in the pulpit, etc.) – falling away?

·         Israel the center of the world’s attention – return of Christ?

·         Wars and rumors of wars – return of Christ?

·         Natural disasters galore – return of Christ?

·         H1N1, Bird Flu, new strain of TB – return of Christ?

·         Religious persecution grows/increases globally (and locally) – return of Christ?

·         Could there be a more exciting time to be alive?

 

Conclusion:  I could go on and on about this year.  There is just SO much to write about.  I know I have only scratched the surface (even of the MAJOR things that happened), but I have done this off the top of my head (and there’s just not much on the top of my head).  Let me say that the  year has had its share of needless busy-ness, hardships, trials, and difficulties, but there has been plenty of blessings along the way.  I could have been deployed with a unit that was anti-Christian.  I could have had a chaplain who was liberal.  I could have had a very busy job where I could not get all that seminary work done.  I could have had a wife who couldn’t hold up.  I could have had a lot of things that I didn’t have.  I got to see (from a distance) the modern city of Mosul (ancient Ninevah, where Jonah preached).  I’ve met good and bad Iraqi’s.  I’ve been blessed in so many ways.  Now, 2010 offers many great things, too.  I only pray that I will live up to the calling God has placed upon me, and that He will bless me and my family even more with His presence, purpose, peace, and power.  I pray the same for you.  Happy New Year!