Memorial Day

Hey Everyone, This is my first "real" post. sorry its a couple days late. This is what I hope that most of my posts look like. I hope to post once a week. Please bare with me as I am sure this blog will evolve over time.
  John 15:13-Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Verses to read:  Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 16:25 Luke 12:33, Genesis22, 1John 3:16, John 3:16


"LOAD UP!" yelled the Truck Commander as we were standing around Chatting. I grabbed my 38 lbs. body armor vest, helmet, M16, backpack filled with 5 days of supplies and $50,000 cash, and pelican case loaded up with computer equipment and climbed in to the MRAP Truck. As we approached the gate the truck commander told us "weapons status red" and we all put in a magazine and put a round in the chamber then checked each other to make sure our safety was on and all we had all of our protective gear on properly. Then we came to a stop and our turret gunner fired a few rounds from his 50 Cal. machine Gun attached to the top of our Truck. This was always when it really hit Home for me. I was leaving the relative safety of the FOB and heading out into the actual war. I knew that from this moment on, for the next 5 days any moment could be last. All it took was the truck I was in running over an IED (roadside Bomb) and I could breathe my last breath. After we exited the gate we crossed the Tigris River then headed in to Mosul, and started our 5 day journey to resupply the soldiers stationed at 12 different checkpoints across northern Iraq. We were bringing them much needed supplies, their mail, and money so they could buy supplies from the truck that followed us around. On top of this we usually took them a tub full of hot food, usually the first hot meal these soldiers had in weeks. As we drove through Mosul my wing-man reminded me that we were on the road nicknamed "death row" or the "green mile" because of the amount of attacks American convoys experienced on this stretch of highway. Then out the right window we saw the charred remnants of what appeared to be where an explosion took place. The Truck commander told us that is where a HMMWV (Humvee) had hit an IED (roadside bomb) the day before and 3 soldiers had died while driving to a checkpoint to take their fellow soldiers a hot meal and some supplies.
 We spent the next five days travelling all over, setting up mobile finance offices in these little checkpoints, were 20-45 soldiers lived in tents with no running water, A/C, or hot food. Our Job was to go there and give these soldiers some money from their paycheck so they could go to the supply truck and buy some basic supplies such as toothpaste and deodorant, and IF they were lucky a magazine or energy drink.

 I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my deployment to Iraq. I could go on for hours about the lessons I learned from the things I saw there. But on this memorial day I want to take time to think about the sacrifices made by our soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coasties. In the verse for today we are told there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends. The Soldiers that died in that HMMWV were simply trying to take a hot meal to their Battle Buddies that were living in very austere locations. They were willing to put their lives on the lines to give their friends a little comfort. Just think of the thousands of service members that laid down their lives, not for their friends, but for people they dont\'t even know, to try and protect their own country, but also to try and give the citizens of another country a better life.

 But even more than the sacrifice of the soldiers, think of the sacrifice of our savior. He died an absolutely brutal death, A death he didn't deserve, A death none of us would ever want to face. and he did it all for a wretched, sinful, hateful, people as us. Really, reflect on John 3:16 and think about what God Gave for us.

Could you give up your Child for someone else? I doubt it, But God Did. In Romans 12:1-2 we are told to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. To surrender ourselves entirely to him and let his will be done in us. Jesus Told us that we must be willing to lose our lives if we want to save them (Matthew 16:25) and even told someone to go sell all his possessions and give to the poor if he wants to inherit eternal life (Luke 12:33). I think that this could be the call of any of us, and we need to be ready to give up anything that God may call us to. We need to be willing to lay everything down on God's Altar as a sacrifice just like Abraham did his son (Genesis 22). Remember that since Christ laid down his life for us we need to be willing to lay down our lives for him, and for each other. (1John3:16).

What in your life would be the hardest for you to give up? Is there anything that, if God called you to, you wouldn't be willing to give up to him? Your house, car, clothes, friends or family? Prayerfully ask God to reveal to you if there is something you couldn't give up, anything that you have begun to Idolize, to love more than you love God. and if he puts something on your heart, ask for his help to repent of that idol, and to turn to him. Remember, seeking after God doesn't end with your salvation, but instead we should constantly be seeking after God, always seeking to learn his will for us, and to follow his plan for our lives.

God loves you more than anything, and he has a will for your life, we may not understand it, we might not like it sometimes. but it is important to remember that "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." -1 Peter 1:6-9.


Prayer Ideas
-Thank God for his Sacrifice at Calvary
-Thank God for sending his Holy Spirit to Guide you
-Ask for Humbleness, that you may submit to his will
-Ask him for Discernment so you may more clearly see his will
-Ask for his will to be done in your life, no matter the cost
-Ask God for him to reveal the Idols in your Life
-Ask God if there is anything he wants you to sacrifice for his glory
-Ask him for strength for you to carry out his will