Army Humor

General's Jeep displayed at the Winona Car Show during Steamboat Days.

A general's jeep, it was rejuvenated and displayed last week at the Winona Car Show. For those of us that were in the Army, it brings back many memories. I remember on one post that I was on, a Sergeant Major went ahead of the post's general staff car to make sure everyone stopped and saluted the general as he drove by.  

I remember another incident on the same post and that was of a private who bought a shirt full of military campaign ribbons downtown at an Army Surplus Store. His aim was to impress the girls off base. Unfortunately for him a Sergeant Major happened to walk by while both were downtown and he noticed all the private's ribbons on his uniform. He addressed the private and told him that he was quite impressed with all his decorations, especially the Spanish American War ribbon that he was wearing. Needless to say, the young man did not get the chance to impress anyone except a pile of unpeeled potatoes.

My son, Will Thurmer standing in front of the Army Jeep.

How We See Ourselves

Rose Breasted Gross Beak    Strange name for such a beautiful bird.   Isn't that odd that in how so many times we are tagged by our looks, or names, or where we came from, etc.  Sometimes for us, starting over means moving to a new location, or changing how we see the world, or changing how we see ourselves and/or how we perceive our appearance.  I know that I get caught up in this trap of looking at myself through other people's eyes, and it is during those moments that I need to sit before God and let HIM tell me what he sees in me.
God helps us to change into the person he wants us to be “. . . Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24  In our pasts, we have made unfortunate choices,  (For myself, I know only too well of this) but we can't let our mistakes dictate to us today our own self perception.  When seeking God's forgiveness and guidance, he helps us to forgive ourselves, and helps us see ourselves as he does.   As a Christian, we need not worry how the world sees us, instead our focus needs to be on how Christ sees us. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)
Like a good earthly father who cares for and loves his children, Christ loved us so much that he gave his life for us.  He sees us as his beautiful children.  
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13  God's hand is in every part of our being, it is he who created us.  I encourage you to open God's word, the Bible, and discover how God sees you.

Grief

Flowers remind me of how delicate life is. Like flowers, it seems that no matter how much care we put into a life, we ultimately have no control over what happens. For some of us, losing a young child or spouse or close friend happened in what seemed like a blink of an eye. Our lives are completely transformed after that day. We look back at the hours, days or perhaps years with them and we want more, feeling that we were not given enough time with them. We lay awake and ask, “Why?” Our hearts feel torn apart and empty. Life, all of a sudden does not have the same feeling anymore. Each day reminds us of the time that we could have had with them, and that time we feel is stolen from us. Again, we ask, “Why?”  

We continually pray and ask for insight, or even some revelation from God, and the heavens seem silent. Friends now offer little solace for that person that is now gone. We lay awake at night and fill our pillow with tears and again ask, “Why?”

Then when we least expect it, God speaks gently to our hearts of how much he loves us. All of a sudden we see newness in his word where each passage seems to shout his love and caring for us. It is then that we realize that God was not absent in all that has happened; he was there by our side all the time. Like Mary did when losing her brother Lazarus, we spill out our hearts to him. (John 11:32) When looking up the verses of how Jesus was affected by Mary's grief, we see the shortest passage about Jesus. It says, “He wept!” (John 11:35) Jesus we now see understands and "feels" our loss. He was just waiting for us to grieve before speaking.

Like a close friend who sits patiently and lovingly by our side, he did not speak during our grieving; he was waiting for us to be ready to reach out to him.
Jesus tells us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5