A Veterans Day Tribute

As a I thought about veterans day today, it was impossible not to think of my Dad. I truly appreciate the service of our military men and women, and I learned that early from my dad. He served his country proudly and with everything he had to give.

I thought I would share a letter I wrote to him while he was still alive on Veterans day 2005. Please remember our veterans and those currently serving today and say a prayer for them..

Dad,

It's Veterans day, and I thank you for your service to our great country. It's interesting though how sometimes we can allow ourselves to make war a distant, vague, and almost unreal concept. I mean sometimes we fail to acknowledge in our minds the reality of what has really gone on in the wars of our country's past. I've heard all of your stories, and from time to time I've paused to think how terrible and intense some of those moments must have been. But I still think I have fallen into a mode where war is just one of those things that happened. We allow ourselves to talk about war just like we talk about any other historical event. The reality is that the soldiers, sailors, airmen, etc. are real. They faced real pain, they saw horrifying things, they lost real friends, they spent unreal amounts of time away from home and loved ones.

So this morning, on my way to work in the silence of my little mini-van, I tried something different. I began to visualize some of the events of your war experience. I tried my best to put myself in your shoes. Now, I have never been in any situations even close to war, so it was not the easiest thing nor the most realistic I'm sure. However, as I began to think through and actually picture some of the things you have told me about, it began to actually seem real. I saw the massive convoys of ships. I saw the explosions, and gun fire. I saw sailors faces, and their pain. I was able to put myself on that deck when those Kamikaze planes were coming off of that little island. I tried to feel the intensity and the fear that must have been thick enough to cut with a knife. I was pulling for the gunners shooting at the planes, and praying with you for the planes to be downed. I felt the horror of the plane diving right towards your ship. I was able to picture the faces of the men that you pulled away from the fires. I felt the intensity of the flames and the seriousness of the mission to extinguish them.

As men you and your fellow crew-men were no different than me, but you chose to put yourself into a situation where your life was on the line. But there was no second guessing or no thoughts of turning back. I could, for once, see why you and many other veterans don't see yourselves as heroes. You were just doing your job, for YOUR country. It was do or certain death for your way of life and the country you loved. Two countries were threatening our people and our land, and this was not going to stand. The threat was real to everyone in the country. I think this is what our country is missing right now. The images on the TV of war are so frequent, but so watered down. People begin to think that it is "no big deal". It becomes as commonplace and as normal as a football game. It's sad really that several generations are missing the reality and the dedication of the men of World War II. If we could find a way to rekindle that fire in the hearts of the young men and the leaders of this country, there would be no stopping us. Even during the cold war, our country was united against the USSR. Now, we are threatened by one of the most venomous enemies possible in radical Islam. Thousands of men and women have died. Some died in New York, DC, and Pennsylvania in a horrid attack. Some died on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. For some reason, the threat and the loss of life is still not real to some. The soldiers now are the last of a dying breed. They understand your dedication. They get the real meaning of your sacrifice. They know what real fear, real danger is. The American people do not know. I pray that this changes, and we see a REAL resurgence of American Pride and a Resolve that does not depend on the opinions of the "global community".

In the mean time, I choose to make these men and women, these soldiers, real in my mind. I choose to teach my kids the reality of their grandfather's sacrifice. I choose to teach them how great our country really is. I will not be swayed from the reality that is war. It is a necessary evil. It is the reason we are still America. I thank you and every other American Serviceman for your service for me, my family, and the future of our great land.

Thank you!
Your son,
K.C.

Breathe

Life has a way of smacking me right in the face on a quite regular basis. It seems every time things get boring and stable, there is a crisis or major change right around the corner. The key though is not what the change is, but how you handle it. The change will come, and it’s critical that I am able to navigate through the mine field.

So, recently there have been lots of changes and crises to face. These encompass lots of different areas of life. The biggest change for me involved the death father who was also one of the greatest friends ever. He and I were extremely close. I have spent time helping my mom get through the adjustment and grief while dealing with my own. I had said to my wife several times during his two plus year illness that there was no way I would be able to handle loosing dad. But we got through it. Other big changes have involved finances and work. Things have had to tighten up significantly, and now I have additional duties at work. But, I’m getting through it.

The big thing for me, especially for those of you who know me well, is that I have actually been able to stay calm through all of this. I think this hardheaded guy is actually learning something through these trials. Don’t get me wrong I’m still having all the fun stress seems to bring along with it, but, it is different this time around. I’m still able to smile, laugh, and say “Oh well”. I was joking with some friends and asking if that means I’m Bi-polar. In reality it is 100 percent the compassion and comfort of our Heavenly Father.
2 Corinthians 1:3 says: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort”. I thank God regularly for that fact. I am trying harder to read the word and pray with more consistency, and man does that ever help.

The most comforting fact of all is that even though my life in an ever changing roller coaster, my savior Jesus never changes. One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 13:8 which says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Wow, what a great truth. No matter what I am going through his love, comfort, compassion, and mercy is the same every day and every moment. I know that my dad is in heaven and that I will join him there some day as Jesus has promised.

Thank you Jesus for your love for me even when I take my eyes off of you and turn them on to me. Thank you Jesus for your ultimate comfort and compassion. Thank you Jesus for your forgiveness and payment for my sins. Thank you Jesus for your Word and the open line of communication you gave us with prayer. And thank you Jesus that you are with me every moment giving me the strength to carry on.

This stress is short term and from this world. The smile and the eternal comfort come from my Lord and Savior.

That knowledge is worth more than my 2 cents I usually give.

Takin' a break

For those who have wondered, I haven't stopped blogging. I love to write about things that I am passionate about. However, I got so burnt out on politics in the election season, that I have been taking a break from this blog. I also had a tough event happen in my life at the first of the year that truly changed who I am as a person.

I have been working exclusively on my Sports blog. It's more fun right now, and it seems to be read more widely. It is http://sportsfromthedome.blogspot.com .

I will be back to this one shortly though as there are several topics that have been boiling in my head recently. One of the next entries will likely be on gun control. I have also had a spiritual entry eating at me lately.

So, Stay tuned, and that's my 2 cents for now!

Obama Worship is scary!

Look, I'm trying hard not to make a big deal out of this but it is beginning to get scary. The man is cheered like a rock star, or wait maybe a savior or sorts. I get people liking his point of view or his values, but this rampant worship of him borders on blasphemy and is scary. We should never place any man (or woman) on such a pedistal. He is, after all, just a man with all the falts and failures of any man. He will let you down, and it will be soon.

I am trying to give the man a chance and be fair. Thus, not posting about him here for so long. He already did two scary things today. (http://tinyurl.com/ctdugk) He announced plans to shut GTMO in a year, and he overturned some of Mr. Bush's bans on Tax dollars for abortions and abortion counseling. Wow, what a way to start. It will just get more bizarre and radical from here.

Getting back to the Obama worship theme, here is a list I saw someone post on a message board today that is rather disturbing.

1. "... a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come
down upon you, you will experience an epiphany ... and you will suddenly realize
that you must go to the polls and vote for Obama" - Barack Obama Lebanon, New
Hampshire. January 7, 2008. http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-01-15/news/is-obama-s-constitution-strong-enough/
2. "Lord, we have again come to you in prayer, and you have heard our cries from
heaven, and you have sent us again from the state called Illinois, a man called
Barack to heal our land," said [Larry] Younginer, a 62-year-old retired
information systems worker at Coca Cola in Atlanta. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-obama-godsend_glantonnov29,0,7660180.story
3. "Many even see in Obama a messiah-like figure, a great soul, and some
affectionately call him Mahatma Obama." - Dinesh Sharma http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-s-Satyagraha--Or--Di-by-Dinesh-Sharma-080626-187.html
4. "Many spiritually advanced people I know (not coweringly religious, mind you,
but deeply spiritual) identify Obama as a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned
being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or
health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of
being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre
earthly experiment. These kinds of people actually help us evolve. They are
philosophers and peacemakers of a very high order, and they speak not just to
reason or emotion, but to the soul." - Mark Mortford, San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/06/06/notes060608.DTL
5. "Obama be thy name....thy will be done." - Recording Artist Makadem http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PDehlPWsdQ&eurl=http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/
6. "This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet
began to heal." - Barack Obama. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/03/obamas-nomination-victory_n_105028.html
7. "Barack’s appeal is actually messianic, it’s something about his aura, his
spirit, his soul, that exudes enlightenment in the making. Oh, he’s not fully
enlightened, being that enlightenment is a process, not an event. But for
reasons I can’t fully articulate, he is one of those individuals who
communicates God-like energy (metaphorically speaking), in whom you can “feel”
God. Now, I’m using the term “God” to mean the loving, honest, just, and
inspiring part of the force behind it all. You may not believe something’s
behind it all, but I do. And I look for God constantly — that which exudes love,
integrity, humility, depth, kindness, generosity — and more ... supposedly. So,
Geraldine, I’m taking a special look at Barack Obama because he’s a lot closer
to a Jesus-type than the other candidates, by quite a bit. What if God decided
to incarnate as men preaching “hope and change.” And what if we didn’t recognize
them, because we are so dull, and let them slip away, not availing ourselves of
the opportunity to be led by God! Lord knows we’ve elected the anti-Christ often
enough. Excuse me, George." -Mark Davis, Charleston, IL. http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2008/03/31/opinion/letters/doc47f0586a2ff1b441328510.txt
8. "I listened to that endorsement and Barack's speech afterwards and Obama, to
me, must be not just an ordinary human being but indeed an Advanced Soul" - Lynn
Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times. http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/03/sweet_richardson_in_endorsing.html#comments
9. "He's our product out of the all-knowing quantum field of intelligence" - Eve
Konstantine, Washington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-konstantine/the-obama-vibe_b_85143.html
10. "There’s something else going on. I think that Obama, his election to the
Senate, was divinely ordered. . . . I know that that was God’s plan." - Janny
Scott, NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
11. "It will change everything. ... You'll have to measure time by `Before
Obama' and `After Obama'....Everything's going to be affected by this seismic
change in the universe." -Spike Lee 12. "He won’t just heal our city-states and
souls. He won’t just bring the Heavenly Kingdom — dreamt of in both Platonism
and Christianity — to earth. He will heal the earth itself." - Mark Tillman,
Philosophy lecturer, Catholic University of America. http://www.freeliberal.com/archives/003418.html 13. "[Obama's
election} is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible
to chronicle its significance.” - Jesse Jackson, Jr. http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=55D13D94-3048-5C12-00E851454E822F1E
14. " band plays “Obama-alujah” and thousands stand in the chill night ready to
be rapturous. . . ." - NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/us/politics/24obama.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
15. "I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth." -Barack
Obama. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/08/obama.faith/

That is my Frustrated 2.345 cents. Even so Lord Jesus come quickly!

My dad is with Jesus

For obvious reasons, I didn't get around to posting this last week. My dad passed away in the early morning hours of January 12th 2009. He fought valliantly, but is suffering no longer. He is no doubt in heaven now!

Here is part of the text from my statement for his children at his memorial service (I'll post the full text later):

We are here to honor: Our Friend, Our Sergeant, Our Mentor, Our Pal, Our Teacher, Our Guide, Our Favorite Comedian, Our Ally, Our Confidant, Our honest guide, Our encourager, Our Rock, Our life wise sage, Our loving Dad!

Dad never met a stranger, ever. He had a way of disarming even the roughest, hardest person with a smile or funny comment. Drs or nurses would ask how he was feeling and he would always remark “Fingers and toes”. If you ever called the house, you were greeted with “This is me, is that you”. People were just drawn to him as if he was a magnet. You couldn’t resist his personality.

He served his country faithfully and loved it dearly, but he loved his Savior Jesus Christ much more. It was obvious to me even as a young child that God had taken a hold of his life and changed him forever.
I think Phil 3:13 and 14 describe how dad’s focus changed: “..Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

When this long running disease took a hold of him, he set in his mind that he would use it to impact family, friends, and anyone he met for Christ. He was such a positive influence on so many. Most of us would dread the constant Blood transfusions and needles, dad looked at it as an accomplishment. “I made it to 100 units” he would say. He chose to let the joy of Jesus shine through him in a difficult time instead of dwelling on the temporary suffering.

I have no doubt that my earthly father is walking the streets of gold and worshiping at the feet of our heavenly father.

To paraphrase 2 Timothy 4:7 he fought the good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith.

Update on dad 1/6/09

Just a quick update.
After a rough night last night where things were beginning to look quite bleak, things have improved some over night. His lungs look a little better. He is still on the Ventilator. They are encouraged by that. They believe the issue of inflamation in his lungs is his body beginning to fight all of the blood transfusions he has had. Pretty much every infection or virus has been ruled out. The only thing they can do is keep him going, get him to rest, and wait. His heart has shown some things that have concerned the Drs but is settled down for now and doing better.
He has been responsive Today as they ease off some of the drugs. He wants to talk and tell us something, so we have to lay low so he will not get too worked up. He does know we are there and will nod to answer some questions.
I will update more later as I have time.

Prayer for my dad

He is again in the ICU at LGH. He has had more bloodclots break free into his lungs, and has a bad unidentified infection in his lungs as well. He is struggling to breathe and is on oxygen. The clots are beginning to dissolve from the thinners but the infection isn't getting any better even with tons of antibiotics. The drs are having issues identifying what it is and think it may be something from one of the 133 units of blood he has had over the past almost 2 years. Nothing is certain right now. He is wearing out breathing on his own. So they are now switching him to a machine that helps him breathe with a tight mask and forced air. He is very anxious and uptight. He is also sore and tired.Thanks for the prayers.

Update 8am 1/5/09

Things have gone down hill with his breathing and they had to put him on a respirator about an hour ago. They are buying time hoping to find out what is causing these large pockets of inflamation in his lungs. They will now go in and take a sample from the lungs. The good news is he is finally resting after 3 days of zero sleep.Pray that they find what needs to be treated soon.