Chaplain Kay

The hair is gone. Well, at least most of it anyway. On Sunday afternoon, after church, I went out on the back porch with mirror and clippers in hand and had at the head. It really wasn’t that big of a change seeing that I’d already begun the shortening process. I will say, it is easy to upkeep. When washing my hair, I must remind myself that I don’t have much of it to wash. It would be interesting,however, to see how long a bottle of shampoo might last.

Anyway . . . Friday continues to approach rather quickly. Today I spent the morning with my two-year-old and we played golf together for the last time for a long time. It was priceless. I believe the hardest thing about the morning is that he doesn’t realize what’s about to happen. He will want me to be there, but I won’t be able to. I continue to pray that the God that knows all will somehow help my little man understand a little.

Time is a funny thing. Our lives seem centered around time. We depend on time for our sleeping habits and refer to it when it’s time to eat or go to church. We talk about being early, late and punctual and all these things deal with time.

Well, time has become my enemy. Time is no longer my friend. My animosity towards time stems from my lack of it when it comes to my family. One week from today I will leave my home and begin heading towards Ft. Jackson. In one week I will say goodbye to my wife and kids in order to train for the Army Chaplaincy.

I must be honest; I am truly excited about my training. I have anticipated CH-BOLC, once CHOBC, for so long that I am almost itching to go. The past two weeks have helped in my preparing to leave. The “time” with my family has been priceless and has aided in planning for the summer’s events. Last week, the wife and I were walking when she told me she thought she was ready. She wasn’t saying she was excited about my going, at least I don’t think so. Instead, our anticipation and preparation have yielded hearts primed by the Lord to endure our time apart.

The next week will be busy to say the least. I have so much to get ready and finished. Lists need to be completed and some even have yet to be made. I must clean, pack and spend time with my family.

CH Ken, CH Mark, CH Ham, Chaplain Candidate Dave, CH Herb, CH Scott and anyone else I might have missed, I will see you in no “time” at all.

I recently came across a blog post entitled “Soldiers” written by Chaplain (MAJ) Jim Higgins. CH Higgins is currently stationed in Iraq. I will post his article below, but please go to his site and let him know of your appreciation.

I recently attended a showing of “Spiderman 3″ here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorioum we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward.

The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start.

Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Soldiers.

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,

o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

This past weekend, my wife and I attended the Missionary and Chaplains Commissioning conference for North American Mission Board (NAMB) missionaries and Chaplains. I must say the event was incredible. NAMB did a fantastic job of putting on the event and took great care of all those involved. It was especially refreshing to have the coordinator of the weekend come from a Military Chaplain’s family. She never ceased to add us Chaplains in with the other missionaries.

God was in the weekend from the get go. On Thursday morning, as my wife and I ate breakfast, we found ourselves at a table with another military Chaplain. Not just a military Chaplain, but an Army Chaplain. Not just an Army Chaplain, but a Chaplain who will be attending CHBOLC with me in two weeks. Even further fun, this new Chaplain and I received our MDiv from the same seminary, MABTS. Coincidence? I think not. It was nothing but the providence of God. What a Weekend!

Out of the 83 missionaries and Chaplains being commissioned, there were only 3 military Chaplains, all Army, and 1 health care Chaplain. The four of us and our spouses became quick friends with one another and spent the entire weekend loving on one another and growing in the Lord. What a Weekend!

The highlight of the weekend, and there were many, would have to be the time we had to sit down as Chaplains, with our spouses while being joined by 2 men from the Chaplain division of NAMB. Both men are prior service Chaplains and had a wealth of information to share. They were there to teach us and give insight into our future responsibilities, but most importantly they were there to encourage us while letting us know they would be behind us every step of the way. What a Weekend!

When the time came for us to say our goodbyes, there were plenty of tears and hugs to go around. We were able to connect so quickly and made lifelong friends. I will see CH Scott and CH Herb here in 2 weeks and I am excited about the reunion. What a Weekend!

I also can’t wait to finally meet CH Ken, CH Candidate Dave, CH Ham, CH Mark and many others. Wow, it will be some kind of ride. The time is fast approaching when we will say goodbye to our families and descend upon Ft. Jackson. Our time at CHBOLC will be busy, difficult, time consuming, exhausting, fun, spiritually demanding, physically demanding, emotionally demanding, and the list goes on. Until then, however, I continue to enjoy my time with the family. May God bless all of you and I look forward to our meeting and the journey God has called us to walk together.

Dr. Jerry Falwell Dead at 73

The great and controversial Dr. Jerry Falwell passed away this morning, Tuesday, May 15th. He was an incredible man that pushed and preached the need for conservative and biblical values. Dr. Falwell not only loved the Lord, but dedicated his life to the instructing of those called to ministry. He will be sorely missed.

This week, my wife and I will attend the Missionary and Chaplain’s Commission for the North American Mission Board. We are excited about the weekend. It should be a great learning time as well as give us the opportunity to meet some other Military Chaplains. Networking could prove to be helpful in this new ministry the Lord has called us to.

Although the weekend will be neat, the stark realization of the event is like a slap in the face. The time I have with my family is quickly slipping away and I can’t seem to slow things down. If anything, time seems to speed up. To say the next two and half weeks are busy for our family would be an understatement. I have been blessed with the chance to fill in for some of the ministers at the church we have joined. I have already led music once, will lead it again and I am teaching for the pastor this Wednesday. These are all blessings from the Lord, but cause time to fly.

2 Weeks and 6 Days – WOW and Hooah!

As CHBOLC fast approaches, I continue to prepare emotionally, mentally and spiritually. But there is one area that I have least enjoyed preparing for – Physical Preparation. Since beginning this Chaplaincy journey, I have lost around 60 pounds and pushed my body to the limit in the meantime. And to be perfectly honest, I DETEST RUNNING!

I have been asked many questions about joining the Army. The most common deal with my expectations concerning physical matters. “So, are you going to have to go to basic?” Well, yes and no. Chaplains receive a crash course in the Army for the first 4 weeks of training. It is during this time that we learn how to be in the Army. But let me tell you, this is no cake walk. I am not only a Chaplain in the US Army, I am also an officer. I have been commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant and must adhere to those standards.

“So what’s up with title?” you might be asking. APFT stands for the Army Physical Fitness Test. I must both take and pass the APFT to continue in the Army, and I must continue to take and pass the APFT for the rest of my career. The APFT consists of three parts: 2-mile run, sit-ups and push-ups. To pass, I must score a 60% in each of the areas, not 60% as a whole. Therefore, as a 27 year old male the minimum standard is as follows: 2-mile run – 17:00; sit-ups – 45; push-ups – 38. My goal is to reach 90+% in all these categories by the end of CHBOLC, and this will be a mighty task.

On Wednesday, I went and “practiced” the 2 mile run. I ran anywhere between 2.1 and 2.33 miles in about 15 minutes and 32 seconds. This comes out to a 14 min 46 sec or 13 min 25 sec two-mile run. I just hope my distances aren’t off.

I type all this to make this point: Chaplains that serve in the military are not “light weights.” We are held to officer standards and must maintain our physical ability to perform. Where the troops go, so does the Chaplain. When praying for Chaplain, remember their families and spiritual, mental and emotional strength. BUT PLEASE, don’t forget to pray for their physical strength as well.

This morning, as my son and I were playing outside – baseball, tennis and golf – he looked at me and asked if I wanted to watch the birds. Now, this was quite startling since he isn’t known for his strong ability to sit without squirming. However, I thought I would give it a shot. I pulled my lawn chair and then pulled up his and we sat together looking at and listening to the birds.

While listening to the birds (there wasn’t much watching to do) my precious boy’S attention was drawn to the rocks on beneath our feet, and we began to inspect the various shapes and colors of these fine inanimate objects. Consequently, the examining of the rocks led to the throwing of the rocks. All of this was great fun.

Now, to the average reader, these events would not seem that big at all, but let me tell you this morning was priceless. Since leaving the pastorate to prepare for the Chaplaincy and help my family transition to their new home, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend 6 glorious weeks with my wife and kids before “shipping” out (actually, I will be driving). During this period of retirement (ha, ha), I have been able to be apart of every second of their lives.

This morning I was able to spend uninterrupted time with my first born. He has brought me joy every step of his life and I am honored to be known as his daddy. This morning was a great morning because my little boy had my undivided attention and I had his. I thank the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for BIRDS and ROCKS for today we were able to enjoy both.

As we have journeyed toward the Chaplaincy, my wife and I have gone to great lengths to prepare our young boy for the transition. You could even ask him what daddy’s going to be and he would tell you, “Daddy be Chaplain in the Army . . . I be Chaplain.” Well, this past week my uniform began to make its way to the house in stages and I tried it on accordingly. Our son has been wide eyed and skeptical throughout the entire process. Once the entire uniform arrived, I tried it on and had momma take a couple of solo pictures. Needless to say, those pictures pale in comparison to the one she took of my favorite little man and me.

As I look at the picture of me holding this brave boy (and he doesn’t even know it), I am both touched and scared. I see his magnificent “big” smile (the way he will sometimes smile when we say, “Now smile big) and it blesses my heart. So much so, that it sits upon my desktop for my viewing pleasure every time I turn on the computer. I am also scared, or probably more so concerned, because I know the coming transition will be difficult for all, but especially difficult for the young lad.

Despite the angst I feel to leave my family and the love I have for them, I still cannot deny that the Lord has called us to this ministry and I am elated to serve both God and country. I do not doubt that this summer course at CHBOLC will prove impossible at times, but I also do not doubt that it will be incredible.

This great smile worn by my young man, being held by his daddy who is wearing the United States Army ACU, will forever be burned in my mind’s eye. Praise the Lord for the memories He allows us to carry.

I can’t believe that May 1st has finally arrived. I awoke this morning to some strange and sickening feelings. I will leave for CHBOLC one month from today. I will say goodbye to my family one month from today. I will kiss my boy, girl and wife for the final time for a long time one month from today. I will enter into a rigorous and challenging training program a little over one month from today. Our lives will drastically change one month from today.

And as crazy as all these things are, and as hard as they will be to endure, I truly believe we are following the Lord and I am so very excited about the ministry God has called us to participate in!

So, until that day comes, I have many fun things to look forward to. My wife and the kids have some great things on the agenda and our month will be action packed. I have so loved getting to spend these past two weeks with them and am so glad I can focus ALL of my attention on them for the next month. They mean so much to me and I am blessed to have a family like this one.

The reality of the situation is becoming increasingly strong. The wife and I have had some much needed conversations about the road ahead, and although they have been hard, they have been good. Our “TO DO” list seems to grow rather than shrink, but we have been able to make some headway towards the BIG EVENT. I know I have some fellow chaplains who will read this and they are experiencing similar situations and hard things as we are. Chaplains . . . I look forward to seeing you in a month and will be praying for you and your families.

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5