What a day // February 23, 2007

Several weeks ago, I had sent up an email to CH Muller (who is the Officer trainer at USACHS - he was one of the small group leaders when I was at CHOBC) and asked for access to the training material so that we could use up to date material for the training that we are doing here at First Army. Not only did we get that, but he asked me to come and speak! Huge honor!

A word about CH Muller. When I was at school, I started to get a bit depressed and was WAY second guessing myself for making this decision. It all seemed so formal, business and NOT ministry. Everyone seemed stressed out and I started thinking that this was not at all what I thought it was. (I bet everyone goes through that...)

Then I met Ch Muller. He actually seemed happy to be in the Army. It was like the whole thing was some kind of big joke with him. It was awesome. I thought, "that’s it, that’s the chaplain I want to be." So, from that time on, I took my job WAY less seriously (don't get me wrong, its a serious job full of challenges and intense ministry - but its also just that, ministry. You gotta have a sense of humor about it *especially some of the inane rules and regulations* or you will be burnt out so fast you won't know what hit you!), relaxed and started to have a good time in the Army. That’s when it all changed for me.

Ch Muller introduced me as being "a little irreverent" and it more or less made my day. If we can't poke fun at what we do...

Fun note: I put in a shameless plug (to go to my blog) to the guys that had gathered to hear me speak and over half of them had already read through everything I had written! That was WAY cool! I am glad that my notes have been a help to guys that are headed for CHOBC.

The trip there and back was great times, SFC Taylor (my 1st Army Chaplain Assistant) and I walked through the chaplain museum and I found that it meant SO MUCH MORE to me while I walked through it after having been deployed then it did when I was in school. Back then, I projected how I felt on the relics they had gathered - this time, it took me back to my own deployment. I'm a part of that now. We as chaplains, we are all part of that history that goes back to the earliest armies and the priests that lead and followed them into battle. It was moving.

We took some pictures; I'll post them when I get 'em from SFC Taylor.

Next week, Sara and I will be attending my first Endorser Annual Conference with the AGC. I'm sure I'll have some "interesting" comments about that...