After 34 months, Seth changed command (left his "company command" postion) today. There was a Change of Command ceremony at Fort Lewis. He made an outstanding speech. I couldn't have been more honored and proud of him. He did such an incredible job commanding his company of around 200 people (give or take some throughout the months). He is a great leader. He lead his company to success in their missions. He brought them strength and served them as a strong leader as they prepared for, went and returned from Iraq. So many people have told me that they are going to miss having him as commander. I know one of the many reasons- and perhaps the strongest reason- is that Seth truly cares about people. He cared about his company...but more than that... he cared about each soldier and the soldier's family. When you care about people, you touch their lives. I can tell you that Seth touched many lives throughout his tenure as Company Commander. He honored me during his speech and gave me credit for my work with the company's family support group. His words were heartfelt and touching. He honored me even more by the way he served his company-- with heart and strong passionate leadership.
I cannot end this post without mentionign that right before the Change of Command ceremony, Seth was promoted from Captain to Major.
As soon as I can, I will post some pictures of the ceremony.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
Refrigerator of Life
My son David has an insatiable appetite. This is especially true when it comes to sweets. Not only can he not be satisfied, he wants more than his share. The other night we had ice cream. This is one of the boys favorite treats. They had these Mr. Incredible Drumsticks. David sat there and ate all of his ice cream. The moment he was done, he got up very quickly, threw his trash in the trash can and went straight over to the refrigerator. He said, “Momma, I didn’t like that one.” It was all gone and he had devoured every bite of it. Now he said he didn’t like it at all and that he wanted something else. This wasn’t the first time he tried to use the “I ate it but I didn’t like it” plea. It seems ridiculous and, unbelievably, almost cute.
It reminds me a bit of myself. There was a time when I approached life like that. What was going to make me feel good? I didn’t know it at the time, but ultimately I was searching for contentment. It started in high school and I really sunk in my struggle in college. I tried knowledge and achievements. But, I figured out pretty quickly that an excellent score only felt good as long as you weren’t thinking about the next test. I tried physical pleasure, but the substances and activities were a fleeting euphoria and I came down harder than I went up. I tried relationships: finding validation and purpose through loving others. I found that it was wonderful but it didn’t give me peace. No one was making me completely happy. I could never totally make others happy, either. Every time I tried some pleasure, I was much like my son, thinking in essence, “That was good but I want something better.” My search for meaningful relationships, led me to realize that there wasn’t a person that I could fulfill or that could make me feel satisfied. I struggled with love. Love was so amazing but it could be so fleeting, too. People could endearing but hurtful. What did it mean to love? I struggled to trust people and to be willing to love with my whole heart. I had to realize that love cannot be seen or quantified, it just has to be trusted. It was then that the Bible verse that I learned as a kid, “God is love” became real to me. God cannot be seen unless you believe he is there. Through my own selfishness and ignorance, I hadn’t been able to see Him or much else besides my personal fulfillment. I realized there was truth in faith in God and love. I decide to have faith. I decided to trust there was a God who loved me a sent his son to cover my failures. I took a baby step- a commitment to trust- and I was granted peace and something I didn’t expect: Joy. My relationship with Christ has given me joy. Now instead of coming to that refrigerator of life, looking for the next pleasure so I can be happy, I close my eyes and pray and my soul is full of lasting Joy.
It reminds me a bit of myself. There was a time when I approached life like that. What was going to make me feel good? I didn’t know it at the time, but ultimately I was searching for contentment. It started in high school and I really sunk in my struggle in college. I tried knowledge and achievements. But, I figured out pretty quickly that an excellent score only felt good as long as you weren’t thinking about the next test. I tried physical pleasure, but the substances and activities were a fleeting euphoria and I came down harder than I went up. I tried relationships: finding validation and purpose through loving others. I found that it was wonderful but it didn’t give me peace. No one was making me completely happy. I could never totally make others happy, either. Every time I tried some pleasure, I was much like my son, thinking in essence, “That was good but I want something better.” My search for meaningful relationships, led me to realize that there wasn’t a person that I could fulfill or that could make me feel satisfied. I struggled with love. Love was so amazing but it could be so fleeting, too. People could endearing but hurtful. What did it mean to love? I struggled to trust people and to be willing to love with my whole heart. I had to realize that love cannot be seen or quantified, it just has to be trusted. It was then that the Bible verse that I learned as a kid, “God is love” became real to me. God cannot be seen unless you believe he is there. Through my own selfishness and ignorance, I hadn’t been able to see Him or much else besides my personal fulfillment. I realized there was truth in faith in God and love. I decide to have faith. I decided to trust there was a God who loved me a sent his son to cover my failures. I took a baby step- a commitment to trust- and I was granted peace and something I didn’t expect: Joy. My relationship with Christ has given me joy. Now instead of coming to that refrigerator of life, looking for the next pleasure so I can be happy, I close my eyes and pray and my soul is full of lasting Joy.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
Time Away
This past weekend, I got away for a night with some girls. There was a MOPS planning retreat on Saturday so a few of us had a slumber party on Friday night. I left my house around 7:30 p.m. on Friday and returned home about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Seth had a great time with the boys. They put up a tent in the living room and 'camped in.' I had a wonderful time with the girls. I enjoyed lots of adult conversation, no wrestling or loud children. I got home in time for dinner. (The dinner was cooked, the dishes were mostly done, and I was spoiled.) I also got home during the late afternoon chaotic time for the boys. They were loud, full of afternoon energy, and quite a bit demanding.
Jane Anne: "Wow, it is hard to transition back into this house of craziness after being away for a night."
Seth: "Yea...you should try it after a year away."
Jane Anne: "OKAY! Just tell me when!!"
[Much, much laughter]
Jane Anne: "Wow, it is hard to transition back into this house of craziness after being away for a night."
Seth: "Yea...you should try it after a year away."
Jane Anne: "OKAY! Just tell me when!!"
[Much, much laughter]
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