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Wednesday, September 27, 2006

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
in pastures fresh he makes me feed,
beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
when I forsake his ways,
and leads me, for his mercy's sake,
in paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
his presence is my stay;
one word of his supporting grace
drives all my fears away.
His hand, in sight of all my foes,
doth still my table spread;
my cup with blessings overflows,
his oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
attend me all my days;
O may thy house be my abode,
and all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
while others go and come;
no more a stranger, nor a guest,
but like a child at home.

Isaac Watts, 1719

Monday, September 18, 2006

Another book I need to write

The Dove and the Bayonet: The making of an American warrior

It would explore the psychological/learner orientation of Special Forces soldiers and how these interact with the training they go through to produce the types of warriors who are so adept at balancing the dove (peace-time mission which build relationships of trust) and the bayonet (war-time missions which protect those relationships). Special Forces soldiers are trained to wield both--sometimes at the same time.

Could be good, don't you think?

(Thanks so much for calling me this morning. I have had a smile on my face ever since. Even though I have gabillions of pages of reading to do, I feel like I can manage it because I know you love me and our boys!)

Sunday, September 17, 2006

"Thou anointeth my head with oil, and my cup shall be full."

Luke and I have been quite ill the past couple of days and so we weren't able to make it to church this week. Desperate for spiritual nourishment, I called the Bishop and asked if he could send some Elders over to administer the sacrament and to give Luke a blessing. At about 4:10 p.m., Brother C. and his son and Brother A. were at my door, fully prepared to do this for our family.

After blessing Luke with things he needed (and I needed as well in fact), Brother C. asked if I wanted a blessing myself--I agreed because frankly, I need all the help I can get. Brother C. annointed and then Brother A., a fairly young man, pronounced such a wonderful blessing upon my head, I am still in tears about it now. It being extremely personal, I don't want to share about it on this open blog, but it was exactly what I needed. If I had written a list of concerns/worries/trials that I am currently struggling with and then handed it to Brother A., it could not have been a more direct communication to me.

My heart is full. I am so grateful for righteous men like these that are willing and able to step in at a moments notice to care for our family when you are away. I hope it brings as much peace and comfort to your heart as it does mine, knowing that we are well cared for during times when you are doing what the Lord has asked.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Lest We Forget



"...For each of us who wants to live in happiness and give happiness, there's another different sort of person wanting to take it away.

"Those people always manage to have their say, and Mars is always close at hand. We know how to win wars. We must learn how to win peace. Make the world accept peace whether they damn well like it or not. Here is the dove, and here is the bayonet.

"If we ever have a son, I don't want him to go through this again, but I want him powerful enough that no one will be fool enough to touch him.

"He and America should be strong as hell and kind as Christ."


--Lieutenant Thomas Meehan, 101st Airborne Division, May 26, 1944, in a letter to his wife eleven days before D-Day. He died just after midnight on June 6, when his plane was shot down over Normandy by German antiaircraft fire.