Adventure Book

2011-05-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Sony Causes Veterans/Police Officers to be Concerned

I'm spontaneous, compulsive and addicted to these fee based MMO's. But I only play on PC and don't use consoles.

Console and PC users alike had one thing in common, a credit card. It was a required condition that you use to have the ability to access the online only games. Some game developers would allow the user to use a game card that you purchase online via a credit card or buy in retail stores like Walmart, Target, Gamestop, etc.

I've always assumed that these companies protected our credit card and personal information much as any financial institution would. The assumption was wrong!

On April 17th 2011, hackers bypassed Sony's security and stole all their customers personal information. The information included (but not limited to) name, address, date of birth, email address and credit card number. Some users even had their bank account information stolen. This information was required in order to activate a monthly subscription on both the PC and game console.

Sony violated the trust of it's users even further by not disclosing publicly what had transpired. It's in my opinion that people should have been notified immediately regardless of the companies reputation or loss of sales as a direct result of this breech. It has now backfired, and due to not notifying me and other users faster, I have decided to never again purchase anything with the Sony name on it's packaging or a company with any direct affiliation with them. I am furious that they allowed my personal information to get out in the hands of those that can only have malicious intent in mind. Who knows, perhaps their intent was to punch Sony in the nose and nothing more. Only time will tell. It's well known by many gamers that Sony could care less about it's player base anyway. It's all about money and everything else is secondary. Including thier reputation!

On May 3rd I received an email from Sony stating I had in fact been a victim of this breech. They went on to say my credit card info was not likely stolen and is stored in a different location. The letter states we should contact the three credit reporting bureaus and discuss option. They also recommend putting some sort of security block on our credit? I'm not sure how that work but whatever it is, I cant afford it. I have a small fixed monthly income (VA disability) and it doesn't allow for things like this. And I've already used my once a year free credit report so would have to pay for a new report. It's just bad timing financially. My car, this, that and the other prevent me from sinking hundreds of dollars into this... breech problem.

I should not have to do any of this!! I trusted them to keep my information secure.

I'm very upset that I'm being forced into a position where I have to not only worry about my financial security, but my personal security as well. They have my email address. A quick google search will result in the hackers knowing I'm an ex-cop. People like to kill cops. That's just how it is. So I fear for my personal safety as well and I'm considering moving as a direct result of this. If this information gets into the hands of organized crime, a lot of bad things can happen to a lot of people.

We're not talking about a few kids here. We're talking about 125 million professional working adults (very few kids). FBI agents, congressman, professional athletes, police officers and not to mention the thousand upon thousands of veterans. That is of particular concern. Veterans acknowledge serving and do so proudly (I have on many occasions). The SOE forums are FULL of veterans stating they kicked in doors in Iraq or Afghanistan. Vietnam vets included, all veterans now have a new risk. Another worry that we shouldn't have to burden! This information can be sold to the highest bidder. You must not assume the only valuable part of the stolen data is credit card numbers. A hit list could be generated like the world has never seen. With a little bit of effort and searching on line, this list can be easily generated via the stolen data. So it's in my opinion that SOE should erase all forum activity since 1999 and the launch of Everquest.

Terrorist organizations and perhaps foreign governments would pay millions for such a list! It would take 10 guys with minimal knowledge of the internet to find out much more about who you are or use to be. A list could be generated in less than a week. And if they had the ability to access Sony's security, what makes you think they cant access state databases (Dept. of Transportation, Treasury or Dept of Human Services for social security numbers) to support the information the already have? Name and date of birth do wonders when typed into a state computer!

Also, as a direct result of this breech, sites like AKO and other US military sites need to force members who play video games to change their passwords. Many of us use the same passwords on all our websites. It would be difficult for me to have a different password for every site I frequent.

Today something unusual happened in Lansing, Michigan. All the computer systems went down for some undisclosed reason. They said ".... statewide computer problem that has affected not just the SOS branch system, but other state departments including Corrections, Treasury, Community Health and Human Services."

If these hackers had the capability to access these databases with just the information SOE had, they could discover your entire life history and obtain your social security number. Department of Corrections is tied in to federal system used for background checks a.k.a. NCIC. I'm quite familiar with this system. A simple few keywords will give you all possible information on someone that you could ever want to know. Hackers logged into Michigan Department of Corrections would have full access to NCIC without anyone knowing until it's too late.

Sony should not have waited to tell it's customers about this. We should have known immediately and had the option of canceling our credit cards, deleting this or that, changing passwords, etc. Instead, they tried to save face and conceal it until there was no other option than to go public. So even if I had canceled my credit card immediately or not, it would have been too late. I've decided not to cancel it based on Sony's press release that they don't believe this card info got into the hands of the bad guys. But if something goes wrong and their wrong, I'm going to be in bad shape.

I want to clear up some stuff I read about "fault". Sony is to blame here, not the hackers. I trusted Sony, as did many others. They become a financial institution the second their trusted with our private information. There should have been sufficient security in place which would have avoided this from happening in the first place!

To make matters worse I discovered something interesting last night. A couple days ago SOE announced that EQ2 was back up and running and that all users were being granted free game time. So I logged on my account to delete my credit card info. What I discovered is Sony erased my last transactions as to make it appear I wasn't an active user or something. It still shows my entitlements granted by recent purchases, but the purchases themselves were deleted out of that part of their website. I'm not exactly sure why, but I got screen shots and receipts to prove I was an active user of SOE services.

Here are some screenies of one of my two accounts.

No Destiny of Velious or other subscription info for the previous year.

I have contacted an attorney and I have every intention of joining this class action suit filed in California. It's not for personal gain, but I believe they should have to pay for their users to set up some sort of "Life Lock" or security for social security/credit card protection. I also believe they should be held responsible for this breech in our personal security and welfare. I'm furious that we were not notified right away. It was over 3 weeks until I got that letter from Sony explaining I was a victim. THREE WEEKS!!! It's too late to do anything about it now. The list is already out there and the damage is done. We just have to sit back and pray that hackers wont steal what little money I have. Meanwhile, I'm shopping for a new place to live.

Notice "Destiny of Velious". It released February 22, 2011.

Gaming history has been rewritten this month. It will never be the same because of Sony's negligent misconduct while handling our personal information. Other things have changed as well...

This is how I found my account. No credit card number to delete.

Who would have ever thought my that bad and compulsive habits would turn into something like this? Perhaps it was the lesson I needed to think twice before being so quick to drop my debit/credit card on things I don't need. A moth drawn to the flame only gets one chance. I'm lucky to be able to say I have a chance to learn from this and grow as a man. I pray that none of the 125 million victims have any irreparable harm from this breech.

Here is the actual letter I received:

HAVING DIFFICULTY VIEWING IMAGES IN THIS EMAIL? View as a web page.

Customer Service Notification

May 2, 2011

Dear Valued Sony Online Entertainment Customer:

Our ongoing investigation of illegal intrusions into Sony Online Entertainment systems has discovered that hackers may have obtained personal customer information from SOE systems. We are today advising you that the personal information you provided us in connection with your SOE account may have been stolen in a cyber-attack. Stolen information includes, to the extent you provided it to us, the following: name, address (city, state, zip, country), email address, gender, birthdate, phone number, login name and hashed password.

Customers outside the United States should be advised that we further discovered evidence that information from an outdated database from 2007 containing approximately 12,700 non-US customer credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes) and about 10,700 direct debit records listing bank account numbers of certain customers in Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Spain may have also been obtained and we will be notifying each of those customers promptly.

There is no evidence that our main credit card database was compromised. It is in a completely separate and secured environment.

We had previously believed that SOE customer data had not been obtained in the cyber-attacks on the company, but on May 1st we concluded that SOE account information may have been stolen and we are notifying you as soon as possible.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the attack and as a result, we have:

1.	Temporarily turned off all SOE game services;
2.	Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and
3.	Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When SOE™'s services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your Station or SOE game account name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it:

U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228.

We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below.

Experian:	888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

Equifax:	800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

TransUnion:	800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

You may wish to visit the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at (877) 382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us.

We are committed to helping our customers protect their personal data and we will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in regions in which such programs are commonly utilized.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at (866) 436-6698 should you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Sony Online Entertainment LLC

THIS IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTIFICATION.

SOE Privacy Policy | SOE Terms of Service

www.soe.com

Sony Online Entertainment LLC
8928 Terman Court - San Diego, CA 92121

2010-08-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

LOCATION -VS- DESTINATION

So, you enlist in the US military hoping to serve your country, carry on a family tradition, get college benefits, find a job or a number of other reasons. We all had a motivation of some kind. But whats important here is we volunteered. A draft has not been in effect since the Vietnam War. I had my eyes on a career in law enforcement. I knew the Army was a great stepping stone and time spent serving would benefit me when sending out future resumes. I would never have guessed it would steer me on my current path. Sometimes things don't work out the way you planned. You think the life of a soldier is hard? The life of an ex-soldier is 1000 times harder!!!

While carrying out your duty you are attacked. It's something we know can happen but never really think of the reality of it's consequences. It's a scary moment and one that you will never forget. Someone is trying to end your life. It's powerful! Man versus man in a fight to the death. The concept is something that's not new to our society. We watch it on television, on the movie screen or on the Internet. But when it happen s to you and it's real, that's a whole new ball game. It's in moments like this that one thinks about life in general. The small things that we take for granted seem like miracles in moments like that. What was once a heavy burden of a problem all of a sudden seems so simplistic and minute. The problems of yesterday come to light and you think to yourself how easy these obstacles will be to overcome in the future.

That was then. At a moment in time when nothing but survival was on your mind. Do or die! But over time these feelings begin to subside and you start slipping back into our cushy little society and the way of life as an American. Our technology and style of living has made us lazy and forces us to take for granted many things that the rest of the world struggle with on a day to day basis. We have it made! We have cars, good housing, public transportation, water, accessibility to food unlike anywhere else in the world, comfort in a peaceful society and freedom to do pretty much anything we want within the confines of the law.

So today I remember the small things in life. For 10s of thousands of years humans have struggled with things that we take for granted today. Health, FOOD, fresh water and shelter. Not to mention survival was dependant on your ability to hunt and locate fresh water. Then there were times that you were no longer the hunter, but instead became the hunted. It's primitive, but reality.

My chicken has been in the refrigerator for 5 days now. I'm wondering if I should still cook it. Wow, did I just say that? What about a hunter 5000 years ago that was LUCKY enough to find a chicken. Do you think he would throw away that chicken? Is it still good? Ya more than likely. Once baked it will kill most of the bacteria. I need to change a light bulb so I don't have to start a camp fire in my living room. I need to go buy some food so I'll get in my Mustang and drive to the store instead of walking 4 days to reach a trade market or hunt with a bow and arrow for a single portion of food. I need to clean the windows in my house versus living among flies, mosquito's, wild animals and rain showers. My shelter, although modest, all of a sudden takes on a new perspective. Hey wait, I am truly blessed! I have to put 1/100th the amount of effort that my ancestors had to in order to survive.

I wonder how many people out there know how good they have it. I don't own a garden. I don't have to feed my livestock on a daily basis in order to survive the winter. I don't have to tweed leather and make it into foot protection (shoes). I don't have to walk to the lake to get something to drink. I have a faucet, toilet, stove, refrigerator, bed with blankets, eyeglasses, medicine, lights and most importantly, I have food.

The problems of yesterday all of a sudden seem so small again...

I am now a civilian. There is nobody that wants me dead (at least I hope so). I have an income, shelter, transportation and friends. At one point in time I had motivations about where the military was going to take me. I wanted to be a federal police officer and retire a happy man. All my dreams were smashed with my disabilities. And for so long I have sought purpose, reason and motivation to keep living. The answers were so close and yet so far away. I'm actually happy now and realize that perhaps this is exactly where God wanted me to be and exactly how he wanted me to live. I guess in a way, I doubted Him and even blamed Him for taking so much away from me. But thru His mercy I have been blessed in so many ways. I believe that on the road to recovery, one must first determine his location before he can determine his destination.

As of right now I found my location. My destination is something that I believe will come with time. But my motivation and purpose have changed drastically. I know now that everything that was bad or good, has led me to this moment. What God has taught me I am sharing with you. It's perspective into the unknown. Why are bad things happening to you? Perhaps everything is working as intended. Take your hands off the wheel and let God drive for a change. Perhaps the road ahead is much better than you can imagine. One day your location will become evident. Then you can determine your destination from there. Until then, keep looking up and have faith!!

2010-08-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since my last blog update. A lot has happened in my life. I'll use this post as an update and the next to start blogging on a normal basis again.

Shortly after my last post I packed up my truck and started driving to Michigan (was in Dallas, Texas). When I left I heard something that made me get off the freeway and take my truck to a service station. I broke an oxygen line and it would take 2 days for them to get the part. So I booked a room at a local hotel (since I locked my keys in the house I was staying at). My truck was loaded to the hilt with my personal belongings. Well that night my truck was stolen out of the hotel parking lot. Till this day it has not been recovered. It was hard. I lost all my documentation, disaster relief equipment, computers, clothing, etc. The only thing I still had left was in my bag up in the hotel room. I stayed at the hotel for a week to see if the police would recover my truck. They did not so I spent a majority of what funds I had left on a Ford conversion van. I made my way back to Michigan and made it just in time for my cousins wedding.

I chose to not do disaster relief any more. I lost everything in my attempt to help others. There's a point where you have to take care of yourself before you can help others. There's also a point where others don't want your help. Texas was very unfriendly to me. Also very untrusting. They couldn't understand the concept of someone offering to help others without wanting nothing in return. They didn't trust me and suspected I was a thief of some sort. I even had a preacher in the Church of Christ tell me that he didn't trust me. After I helped provide his church with a truckload of appliances, furniture and food. That was really the straw that broker the camels back.

After the 9/11 attacks I hurt both of my feet at the Pentagon. I was called to a suspected package at one of the corridors and while en route, I ripped all the tendons and ligaments in both feet. They never healed. It made things that much harder. So I decided to seek some help after I arrived back in Michigan. It was much worse than I imagined. I actually spent a year in the hospital while dealing with that and other health issues. I lost my hearing in an explosion many years ago while serving in Europe. The VA completely rebuilt my right ear by removing the damaged bones and installing a complete titanium bone structure. So I can hear fantastic now. It's time to get the left ear done but I've been slacking off a bit. I also had problems depression and PTSD. The VA was able to assist me with those also. And while it did help, those are both things that will plague me for a long time. Guilt is a powerful feeling that has been something I've lived with for many years now. So talking with fellow veterans and knowing I'm not the only one with these feeling has greatly helped but understanding you have a problem is always the first step. Treatment for these ailments isn't as easy as one might think. My attitude was to "fix it" but there is no "fix" really. Just understanding and learning to live with it is the only way find solitude for me.

After the hospital I went to the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. I did this to continue to seek help and to properly reintegrate myself back into society. Something I struggled with was how to come from 12 years in the Army and be a civilian again. It's a lifestyle and not a career choice. I discovered many soldiers have this problem. My stay at the Home for Vets was short lived. I didn't like how the veterans were treated. I didn't like how the facility was focused on money and not on the veterans well being. It's a business and should be shut down in my opinion. So I left the Home for vets and moved back up near my parents in Houghton Lake, Michigan. That's currently where I am. I don't do much these days. I have income that comes from the VA to compensate me for my disabilities. I take a ton of pain medication for my feet. They've gotten much worse in the past 5 years. I actually have to make my shopping list before I go to the store. I cant stand on my feet for long periods of time anymore. I will more than likely be in a wheel chair in about 5 years. The VA still wont recognize my injury at the Pentagon. Senator Levin's office could not even get the documents from the Pentagon. It appears to of vanished into thin air. Meanwhile I focus on staying out of a wheelchair. But that wont bring an end to my adventuring. It will just encourage me more. I'm planning on leaving Michigan sometime in the spring and heading to the east coast.

There's a lot more to this story. But for the meantime this will have to suffice. But it has been a busy few years since I last updated this blog. I'm hoping to get back into it and keep posting on a regular basis. I know from past experience that it doesnt always work out as I hope. But I'll try. Thanks for reading.

2010-08-09T11:14:00.001-07:00

2007-09-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Influence: Who, what, when, where, how and why?

Another week, another adventure. That's right. I'm hoping to leave the Dallas area sometime within the next two weeks but I'm shooting for next week. I'm indecisive about where to go next. I wouldn't mind walking down the beach before I head to Michigan for Christmas. With that said I'm thinking coastal. It has been awhile since I've been to Ocean City, Maryland and I know the Sun Festival is coming soon so who knows. I have been wanting to see Charlotte, South Carolina for the longest time so I've considered checking it out for a week or two also. I could drive south to the Gulf in Texas and work my way across I-10 and hit LA, MS, AL and FL then work my way up the eastern seaboard. I dont know. So many things to do and so little money. : D I know one thing for sure though, Casting Crowns is on tour and I am 100% committed to seeing one of their shows. I have not heard their new album yet but their old stuff is all still new to me. I reach a level of bliss when I listen to their music. It completely engulfs me and my spirituality. Although I love music I can honestly say that there are not many bands out there that lift me up like they do. God is working thru their talent in such a way that new christians discover their faith daily while listening to Casting Crowns. I think that's just amazing that one group of people can have as much impact as they do. I aspire to have the same influence one day.

What does it take to influence people? Is there a connection between the right set of words and their desire to hear the right answer? What can I say or do that will help you? Or better yet, what can I say or do that will help you find your way into Gods arms? Do they have to be seeking the truth or are your words and actions powerful enough that they that door? It's hard for me to say. I have personally witnessed selfless actions that in turn have filled congregations with new born christians. The emotional loss of being a storm victim can be influenced in a dangerous way I think. Dangerous because if nobody is there to help them they will blame God for their losses and never consider stepping into a church as long as they live. On the other hand if a complete stranger enters their life and helps them rebuild and asks for nothing in return, it really makes them wonder why. There is a level of sacrifice that is indescribable that goes into selfless service. They see that although we do our best not to show it. But the fact is that the sacrifice was enough to make them wonder about our motivation and why we do the things we do. That's the magic of being a missionary. You can really see God working thru others in a tragic disaster. It's quite refreshing and strangely enough it's why I do what I do.

So if influence thru selfless service contributes to turning an atheist into a believer how come more people don't do it? Many claim to be Christians and claim to be born again but I believe actions speak louder than words. I don't say that to give some impression that I'm not without sin cause believe me.... I sin all the time. It's not always intentional but I'm still growing and I consider myself still a pup of a christian. I cant make decisions for other people, only for myself. While I title this blog "Adventure Book" I share with you my spiritual adventure as well. It's not just about going from one place to the next. Nobody can leave on an adventure and arrive at their destination one minute later. There is a distance to travel in between. There are experiences to be learned. It's the road less traveled that makes the adventure and adventure in the first place. It's a fantastic journey if you slow down and take a look around. Why would you want to be at the end of your journey without having an adventure along the way?

While adventuring around the world might sound appealing, I want to convey a strong message...it come with a lot of hard lessons. It comes with hardships and sorrow. It's not all fun and games as television would make things appear. But that's the best part about it. God walks with us. He tells us things will be alright. He guides us but lets us have hardships because without them we would not learn how to serve him. Without seeing other peoples sorrows how can we learn compassion? Without compassion how can we learn remorse? It's the lessons we learn that make us who we are. So when times get tough remember that. God isn't doing this TO you, he's doing this FOR you!

Do we need to go thru massive hardships to be selfless? Of coarse not! But it's in my opinion that people that have experienced them tend to have more compassion when they see strangers going thru their hardships. So believe me when I say that I have LOTS of compassion!!! LOL : D

Where is your compassion and where do your priorities lie? This week on television they showed Africa in ruins. Flooding has devastated 1000's of miles in Africa. Over 100,000 people are homeless. The story would run for all of 60 seconds and then the next 59 minutes talk about the presidential election and the Iranian President wanting to visit the twin tower site in NYC. Have we lost our minds? Over 100,000 people are HOMELESS!! I'll save my media gripes for another blog entry. But how many of you dropped everything and jumped on the phone to donate 50 bucks to the Red Cross? Fifty dollars is less than I use to spend at Starbucks in a weeks time when I worked at the Pentagon. It's not chump change but if you didn't have it it's not something that would effect you that much. They live in mud huts and drink nasty contaminated water. Do you think your bills are bad? Thank God that you have bills! My point is that we all seem to draw a line at what amount of help we can give. But where does it end? You have to wonder what Jesus would do. I think we all know the answer to that.

Because you saw the story about Africa and didn't donate doesn't make you a bad christian. I use it as one example of opportunity that we have missed. There an old wise mans theory that says "If I gave a million people each one dollar I would be broke, but if a million people each gave me one dollar I would be a millionaire". The reason why this is relevant is because it's the collective that makes the most impact. So if you think that for one second your fifty bucks wont make a difference then you are sadly mistaken. If you think you cashing in on that vacation or sick time to head to the gulf and help tear out moldy drywall for 2 weeks wont make a difference then you are again mistaken. To make a difference is to be the difference!

When you contribute and see first hand how God uses your actions to make a difference in someones life, you will have truly discover who you have to potential to be. The whole point of christianity is to lead by example much as in the way Jesus did. To influence someone thru your actions will be one of the most rewarding things you will experience in this life. And once you've done it the first time, it will change you forever. I'm not talking about giving your spare change to the homeless man standing fifty feet away from your $40,000 SUV either. I'm talking about truly getting your hands dirty. Jesus said "the way to the father is thru me". When you have that conversation with Jesus what do you want him to see? Don't just be a christian, be a good christian! Lead by example and remember influence starts somewhere. Why not let it start with you?

2007-09-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Gingerbread Men

Well here it is September 8th 2007. For the past month I have been in Forth Worth, Texas. Just staying busy doing small roof repairs and handyman work for the time being. I've been working on my book a little lately. Sad to say it's been 6 months since I put a word in it but I hope to rectify that. I've also been knocking out a few drawings. Lets see, I've drawn the face of a woman, a still life with the bible, and empty glass and some fruit and I've also drawn a cartoon of disney characters (for the little girl next door but she dont know yet ). Thats unusual for me to do so many drawings in such a short period of time. I usually only do 2 a year or so. Not sure why, I just felt like drawing. Maybe cause the music. I've been listening to alot lately.

Yesterday marked the anniversary of a really bad day in my life. One that would alter it into what has led me back into church. But I still struggle after years of trying to recover. Guess I'm just not the tough soldier I always thought I was. Everybody has got something right? I think we all have a little chunk taken out of our hearts sometimes. Each person takes it differently. Some are unphased. I'm not sure which I would rather be as I think it's my affection thats one of my best qualities.

Anyway I have both short term and long term plans for myself. They involve me making it thru the short term so I can get to the long term. : D Just kidding its not that bad. I have begun investigating new roads to travel. I think I've found a great opportunity for more adventure. I am refering to the financial means to continue doing what I do. I cant seem to rally up enough strength to ask for help. I did twice during the Gainesville floods but it's an undescribable sense of failure and quite frankly it's one of the worst emotions I have ever felt. I'm a giver and have never been much of a taker. It's a little easier when people offer but almost impossible for me to ask for. And believe me, if I wasnt sleeping in my truck and eating ramen noodles I wouldnt have. I would rather sleep in my truck than ask next time though!

Thanks to Mike and Ed. If you guys read this I cant explain how thankful I am for your understanding and more so with your compassion and faith. Mike is from Ohio and has not only been a spiritual guide for me but he has been a friend to the people of Gainesville, Texas. Without his financial and moral support I would have left much earlier. I take things to heart fairly easily and I shouldnt. I was told when I did my first disaster that there is no room for emotion in this line of work. That statement holds true and I firmly believe that. Someone has to be in control of their emotions regardless of how bad things get. I cry like a 10 year old girl sometimes but the trick is to never let a storm victim see you cry. Your there to help their morale, not break it. Cant be much of a shining light if your bulb is burnt out. Understand? Anyway Mike thank you for changing my "bulb". I needed that and owe ya one.

Well this Texas thing is getting kinda boring. Theres a lot here Im sure but nothinig to do if your broke. It's really nice and it's amazing how low the cost of living is here. I can rent a 3500 sq foot house for $1200 a month!! That was my pet fee in my apartment in Virginia lol. My rent was twice that on a 2 bedroom apartment! So ya, it's cheap to live here and the area has all new homes around Fort Worth. It's a nice area but like I said, no money = boring.

Where to next? Well I have many ideas but think I'm going to try to get a little perspective first. I hated asking for help in my last disaster so I'm trying to plan the next one accordingly. What can I do to minimize my expenses and be more productive during the next big disaster? Wish I had a mobile home! I spent like 75% of my budget on hotel expenses in Gainesville. Normally I would be welcome in a church office or something like that but Gainesville was very unwelcoming to ALL outsiders. Theres no such thing as good people anymore so we must have an angle they think. :D But my point is I cant do that again. I have no issues sleeping in my truck as long as I had a bigger truck hehe. Showering and changing clothes would be the only challenge there. But next time I get a new vehicle the only 3 concerns I'll have is 1) can I sleep in it if it comes to that, 2) will it get me where I'm wanting to go and 3) can it pull a fifth wheel? That would be a God sent but maybe one day in like 2099 or so.

I have asked (yup you heard those three words come from my mouth) for a friends newspaper to help me an ad together so I can get some stationary and other office supplies. Things like business cards and embroidered polo shirt are items I would like to have by the time I go into the next disaster. I need to look a little more organized and professional I think. I dont mind furnishing info for a background check but references are a little hard to come by for someone new in the disaster relief industry. So I dont know, maybe if I look more professional they would welcome my imput a little more. If they dont know and the information I put out helps than thats fantastic. But if they dont know and dont care what I have to teach then the community losses out and we cant have that. This is a really dog eat dog industry and there are some really mean people in it. Even some church leaders can be really ugly at times. You can never be prepared but you can eliminate chances for it to happen. So thats my plan.

After a few more disasters I think I will be ready to put a team together. I wanted to after Katrina but noone took me seriously and thought I was just caught up in the moment or something. But I really do. I'm glad my invitations fell on deaf ears because it would have been a different ballgame if I had more to take care of. Perhaps it would be easier I'm not sure. What I do know is that a leader cant teach what he dont know. So even though I'm gifted in leadership and other areas pertaining to disaster relief, I have alot to learn. Perhaps one day between hurricane seasons I'll register for some disaster relief classes. I am a sponge for knowledge but I'm just not in the mindset or position to do it during or after a disaster.

How do we know what Gods calling is for us? As I peck away at this keyboard I dont know what I'm writing until it kinda flows from my mind into my fingers. Improvisation! Perhaps thats how it's supposed to be. Some in my family disagree with what I do. I have been on the road since 1992 and have traveled all over the world. They look at it as time away from the family but I look at it as opportunity. Hehe not opportunity to get away from my family. but opportunity for experience. What will happen if I do this till the day I die? I will have left nothing behind but when I died I had tons of knowledge. I think the meaning of life is to live free and love everyone and everythinig. No I'm not a hippee and there are not peace signs and flowers all over my truck but I understand their mindset and agree on most of their views. Back to our calling... there is no instruction book. The only thing like that is called the bible and it's meant as a guide. So if it's commonly refered to as the "social norm" why does that mean most Americans must do it? Who ever said 4 years of college, a 9-5 job, 2.5 kids, a mortgage and death? What a waste! Think I got it bad cause I'm broke? We I think you got it bad cause your wealthy! With leverage comes consequence! Money is leverage over personal posessions but in no way does it carry it's weight on a creative mind. An artists talent cannot be bought. It is a gift from God. Education has become more about sustaining personal posessions that it has helping mankind.

See a homeless man and call him a bum? Is he more free because he's not playing by societies rules? The bible says a man must work or he shall not eat. It does not say a man must work or he shall not have a 73 inch plasma tv. We've done it to ourselves and theres nobody we can blame. The real gift is seeing it! See how society is like a bunch of little cookies stamped with a gingerbread cookie cutter. They follow each other like ducks and walk right into the fire. WOW! They dont even realize it! So the man you just though a bum is smarter than you are because he realized it. It's harder once you do. It's like the movie the Matrix. Once you see the truth you cant live your life in the same way. Society is leading you and you should ask why. Every thing you do for the next 24 hours I want you to ask yourself this questions... "Who says I have to do this"? When you ask that you will realize all the things that your doing because the rest of society does it.

Anyway. Gotta go. Might go to hospital tomorrow. Been having problems with my right hand. God bless and thanks for reading.

2007-08-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so around June 14th I drove down to Nashville in hopes of relocating there. I drove almost straight thru from Michigan. I got a cheap hotel room in Ohio but after I layed my head down my dog went nuts. Come to find out the field accross the street was hosting the 2007 police and firemans games for the state of Ohio. There were K-9 everywhere and Baxter wouldnt let me sleep. I finally got up anf loaded the truck and left. The hotel was $40 bucks and a major dump but the owner wouldnt give me my money back hehe.

So I got right back on the freeway and Baxter and I were Nashville bound once again. I hit an outlet mall somewhere in Kentucky so I could stretch my feet a little. I bought a new pair of running shoes in the Adidas store. They were the first pair of new shoes and as the matter of fact, they were the first real thing I've bought myself since I arrived in Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It was a good feeling and I felt "free" for a moment. Not even a year before this I couldnt afford to buy deoderant so ya, it's a good feeling. It's almost impossible to get sponsorship for disasters if you have too much pride to ask like I do. I hate that about myself. I would rather sleep in my truck and eat ramen noodles then ask for help. I just cant do it. So ya, it was nice being able to buy something for myself.

So I get back on the road and I'm just pumped up. I love driving and more important, I love the adventure! Around 4am I arrive in Brentwood, TN. I knew the first place I was going before I even left Michigan hehe. Theres a small gas station there that sells the best, freshest banana chips I've ever had. So I dropped in there and bought a bag and a tall black coffee. I arrived at the hotel sometime around 5am. After checking in and unloading I took a hour long shower and just before I passed out from exhaustion I managed to slip into my bed.

The next afternoon I met some old friends for coffee. Tom and Rhonda are a fantastic couple I met when I was here before. We had alot to talk about and after decided to head to the Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville. It was WAY too expensive to get in there especially for someone like me living on a small budget. But I sucked it up and payed the lady but she got the evil eye if you know what I mean! Anyway once inside I was amazed. The statues, wax look-a-likes and all the stuff in there made me realize why they charge so much. All I have to say is WOW! After another coffee I left Tom and Rhonda and headed back to the hotel to give my feet a break.

When I was there in December 2006 I loved it so much I wanted to move there. They have some awsome radio stations there also. I only mention that because it's hard to find good christian rock stations anymore. So I could just sit in my room or in my truck for hours and listen to all the best toons ever. I love that station!

Anyway I fell in love with Nashville and the Granny White Church of Christ. It's a fantastic church and reminds me of my father. He use to write songs and back in the 70's he wrote a country song called "Ole Granny White". I never understood the song and never put much thought into the song but I use to love it as a kid. One day I was driving down Granny White Pike talking to my father on the cell phone. He told me the song was written BECAUSE of Granny White and the historical significance she had on our troops in the civil war. It turns out Brentwood, Tennessee has quite the history and it inspired my father when he lived there long long ago. I thought that was pretty cool.

After calling a lady I made arrangements with prior to coming down here, I discovered I dont have a home to rent after all. So craigslist.com I went. I called and I called and I called. Man it seemed like everything was too expensive and if it wasnt it wouldnt allow a dog. I was having horrible luck. I went thru the papers every day and still had no luck in the area I was looking.

On June 20th I had been at the hotel longer than I anticipated at this point. I couldnt stay there much longer or I wouldnt be able to afford a deposit and first months rent on a house. So I had to make some emergency decisions here. Do I put my dog in a kennel till I find something more permanent? Do I get rid of my dog so I can get something in my price range? I seriously went back to step one and didnt know what I was gonna do. So I turned on the TV and poof, there was a story on Hurricane Katrina and Mississippi. I'm thinking to myself, should I go back down there for awhile? Should I go back to Michigan? What should I do and where should I go? I turned the TV off and prayed about it. I asked God to help me decide. I asked him to draw a map for me.

So I went to bed and woke up the next morning. I made a pot of coffee (if thats what you wanna call it) in the pot in my room. I flipped on CNN to see what was happenin and drink my coffee. What I saw was Hurricane Katrina again. Wait! Thats looks like Katrina but the wording said "Texas State Police" on the bottom of the screen. I kept watching and learned there was a major flood down in Gainesville, Texas. Man it looked just like Katrina from the pics. Choppers flying over and rescuing families and the whole shot. WOW! I never even knew there was a storm there.

I thought it out and jumped on my computer. I looked for a hotel or apartment for rent down here. I found it on the map and made some calls. It's a small town on the border of Oklahoma. It's about an hour north of Dallas and 2 hours south of Oklahoma City.

Anyway I've been here in Gainseville, Texas since June 25th. I'll write more later but gotta run.

2007-06-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Long time no post huh? Well get ready to read becuase I have to cover the last 6 months or so.....

Well, I finally left Nashville in December. After a lenghty stay, I was ready for another move back into reality. Around December 15th I said good bye to my friends from Nashville. I have not officially thanked them but will post more later about each and every one of them. But for now I would like to thank Charles Jones. He was a God sent in my life and he is an inspiration to everyone around him. I will make an entire blog post about him later. But for those of you in the disaster relief business, I need not say what an amazing guy he is because if you've ever met him you already know.

So around December 15th I drove to Chattanooga, TN. to see my father. I have not seen him since 1993. While I was serving overseas he left and moved to Tennessee. It was an interesting visit. He looked nothing like the man I saw flinging refrigerators onto a 4 foot tall truck so many years ago. He is skin and bones and in a wheel chair now. He still has his same ole' sense of humor but alot has changed. The biggest change was his baptism into Christ. He can quote chapter and verse and has become a well read christian. He and my step mother Sue live on the side of a mountain in a beautiful village. Signs everywhere point to lack of house maintanence due to his medical condition. It's a sad picture and I know he is not happy. More on this in the future...

After my visit with my father and step mother I drove straight thru to Michigan. I arrived in Michigan just in time for a blizzard. It was nice seeing my family again and we spent days talking about my trip down to the Gulf coast.

Part of the reason I rushed to Michigan was my cousin Kevin was getting married. I can best describe Kevin as a giver and not a receiver. He will do anything for anybody. Those who raised their glasses and toasted him and his beautiful new wife Cherie, had only good things to say about their selfless acts. I respect and love both of them more than words can express. They really helped me out when I was in need. I wish them both an amazingly happy life together!

So I am currently in Northern Michigan and planning my next move. I have been working on my house and have not been nearly as productive as I would like to be. I will be relocating within the next 2 weeks back down south. I really cant say where right now because it's top secret. : D

But know that this is a much anticipated move. I'm not a huge fan of Michigan. I have many reasons for this but the biggest reason is the economy. There is no work here. The automakers keep outsourcing and down sizing and the economy reflects every ripple of that. Property is cheap but if you want to sell.... good luck. I hope your not in a hurry!

I am preparing for another hurricane season. I believe it is my calling and I have been educating myself quite a bit with the politics and behind the scenes area of a disaster. It's an ugly place. People and organizations fight and stab each other in the back for whatever resources become available. I learned the hard way that you have to watch your back. Even the in the church, they show their ugliest face at times. You have to watch your back and protect yourself to the best of your ability. But I have learned some valuable lessons with regards to operational side of disaster relief. It's VERY stressful and can eat you alive if your not strong. Emotionally, financially and spiritually!

I still keep in touch with my friends from Mississippi. I have spoke to them on a regular basis. They are still going strong and continue to serve Hurricane Katrina victims to this day! It's quite amazing actually. I guess some down there could flip a coin and decide if it was the best, or worst, thing ever to happen to them. I think they have an amazing relationship with God and continue doing his will as if to lead by example. Their sacrifice has not gone unseen, I'm sure of it!

Anyway, I will attempt to maintain this blog a little better. I was without internet for quite some time so it was difficult. Google took over this blog and this is the sixth time I've tried to log in and FINALLY was able to. They bounce you all over the place because of the merger so it was a pain. Now I understand why many of my friends changed blog sites. Sorry they removed the spell check. I will download a program and come back to edit later.

Have a good day and God Bless!

2006-10-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well I hope everyone is well. I am still in Nashville and somewhat short on time so this may not be very long.

Today I will be making a move. When I first got here I made special arrangments with the manager of Candlewood Suites Hotel in Brentwood, TN. and I highly recommend this hotel for those of you that visit the Nashville area. This is very close to Brentwood Hills Church of Christ which is by far, the largest church I've ever seen or been in. Back to Candlewood, I explained who I was, why I was in town and that I had a small budget. He gave me an amazingly inexpensive rate and waived the fee they would normally charge for pets (I travel with my dog). The rate he gave me was based on the Hotels commitment to assist the people of the Gulf Coast in their devestating time of need. Over 2000 people stayed at this hotel free right after Hurricane Katrina. Well after taking a closer look at my budget I have decided I need to make other arrangements to accomodate my discipating financial means of staying here in Nashville. The hotel has saving me a substantial amount of money compared to what I would normally have spent in this area. Not to mention kennel expenses for my dog. So with that said I will be making a move into a room that someone has graciously allowed me to occupy for the next 3 weeks.

After 3 weeks I was planning on going home back to Virginia. I intend on going there, collecting a long time unpaid debt and going to see my family for the holidays. Unforeseen circumstances are more than likely going to change my plans. As of now I have spent a large portion of my time in Nashville sick. I dont have the same thing as I had a couple weeks ago but have been getting a massive amount of migraine headaches. This is something that has been an ongoing problem since I lost my hearing in the Army. They seem to intensify and get worse with age. But my point is I dont feel like I have done nearly as much as I could here. I am commited to filling the schedule at Central Church of Christ and hoping that they have so many volunteers wanting to come they have to recommend they come down but go to other areas on the Gulf Coast. With that said I think I might stay in the area longer than I initially planned. As with anything I feel this is what God wants me to do and I have the ability to do so.

I have prayed about this and have been juggeling with the idea for a week or so now. Last night I spoke to someone who convinced me this is what I should do. Something that I feel so strongly about has altered my plans for over a year now and I dont want to turn my back on the people down there. The need is great and I made a promise that I intend to adhere to.

After the new year I think I will be traveling back to the Gulf Coast for a short time. I have so many opportunities that I can basically pick and choose. Some job offers have come in from my former career in law enforcement but I think I will continue my path doing Gods work and helping those in need. I plan on creating a full time stormchasing team that will travel to natural disasters and help people recover from their hardships. I've always wanted to do something like that but never thought I would be doing it. So after this mission trip I will be seeking fiancial support or long term sponsorship for the CDRC (Christian Disaster Recovery Coalition).

My focus will be on setting up a team of christians that travels the continential United States and assists churches in disaster areas. I want to get a mobile home that can accomodate a small team (5-7) and gather some volunteers that also seek to do Gods will and have the ability to travel.

Anyway that kind of sums up my short term and long term goals as well as current happenings. Not a lot of success with recruiting but this time of year I dont see a bunch of churches picking a date to come down until that time comes closer and they have a better idea of how many can come. So John keep your chin held high and continue fighting the good fight. Hello to the Elders at Central CofC.

Where I'm going does not have internet. So I might be offline for a short time. I keep keep everyone appraised as best I can and when I can. Thanks for all the support and love.

Your friend, Jeff

2006-10-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I know some of you have been disappointed not to see me update this blog lately and for that I am sorry. I have been very sick and attribute it to change in climate. It seems as if every time I relocate I get sick. This has been an ongoing issue ever since my first trip to Germany back in 1994. The problem is that it seems to get worse as I get older. I wont get into the details but those that know me well know that I hate hospitals more than anything. So going to a hospital is always a last resort and I would suffer until I'm actually dying and have no other choice. I almost went 4 days ago. I got dressed at 2:30 am, grabbed a change of clothes and began looking up directions on the internet. Just as I got all ready I thought about my dog. Where would I take him at 3:00 in the morning? What if they want to keep me in there? I couldnt just leave him here at the hotel. So I made up my mind, got undressed and took an ice cold bath. My fever was pretty intense and I was so weak I could hardly go from the bath to the bed without agonizing commitment to get there. So thats been an ongoing problem since I've arrived in Nashville. I got sick 3 days after I arrived and am just now getting better. I figured something temporary but I was wrong. I got sick quite often in Mississippi and those of my friends in Pascagoula, MS know that I when I get sick it's not just sick. When I do it I do it the right way and get full blown SICK! : D

So anyway, the mission was going great till this happened. I've spoke with some church leadership in the area and am confident the outcome will be very good. I've lost a week so have alot of work to do to make up for lost time. Presently I am tweaking my presentation and creating a better video that will have some info in it instead of just pictures. I speak to representatives but how they relay the message is something that might not give the full seriousness of our needs in Pascagoula. So I am adding a couple powerpoint slides that will describe what happened, what is happening and what needs to happen there on the Gulf Coast.
This is a good way to be productive while I'm getting rid of this sickness thing. I ask for your prayers.

John I read your blog about that guy that came into the church. Man o man was I disappointed. Let me explain.... I was sitting at my desk when I heard a knock on the side door of the church (door connects to our offices). I opened the door to find the same guy he described in his blog. unshaven, dress shirt with hospital type scrubs and boots. You could tell he had not showered in some time. So I talked to him but had a difficult time because I'm partially deaf and he was very soft spoken. I must have said "I'm sorry I didnt hear you" like 100 times during our breif discussion. What I could make out was he owed someone money, a drug dealer. He said they were going to kill him if he didnt pay. I told him he needed to talk to John Dobbs. This was not my area of expertise and I have seen hundreds of drug addicts beg for money and leave. As an ex-cop I can tell you that these guys dont care about anything other than their next "fix" and will do anything and everything they have to do to get it. So I never would give them any money but this was different so I got John on the phone. They must have talked for 45 mins it seemed like cause I desperatly needed to make a call and kept looking to see if he was still on the phone. Well the guy was talking outside by my truck (cordless) and I decided to go inside and work on something until he got off the phone. When I came out he was gone. The phone was sitting inside my truck on the seat and he was nowhere in site.
Later I learned he left and went knocking on doors in the neighborhood. He said he represented the Church of Christ and that he was collecting donations! MAN! I was upset to say the least. This guy is out there using our good name and trying to cure his drug addiction by soliciting the good will of the people of Pascagoula. Needless to say I wanted to call the police and describe him and hope they could track him down. Well in the mix of things I just shruged it off as just yet another disappointment in the soap opera of Hurricane Katrina.
To hear him come in front of the congregation and repent would have been interesting to me. I have a hard time with forgivness sometimes but have learned alot from my friends down there. As christians it is our responsibility to forgive. But when this happens over and over and over again you tend to seperate yourself from that element and begin to profile them in a way you shouldnt. So if they look like a drug addict and smell like a drug addict are they a drug addict? Are they true about coming to the Lord or are they just saying what they have to so they can get their last resort remedy? I know, I know! It's hard sometimes! These guys will do ANYTHING at desperate times. That includes getting washed of their sins and leading others to think they have changed even though it's not in their hearts. We call them "pretenders" in law enforcement. They have the ability to adapt and seed into any enviroment. They are the deadliest criminals of all.
But I ask myself what makes them different than us? Was there any doubts in your heart when you got baptized? Was there ever a time that you knowingly did something your not supposed to do? Well join the crowd! All of us have strayed at times. We all should be looking at these "pretenders" and welcoming them and hoping that somewhere in their time with us we can plant a seed. Something that will live in them forever. Something that hopefully one day will turn into true faith and perhaps they make a difference in someones life! How do we do this? By being christians and welcoming them as we would Jesus himself! Forgiveness came to us at the cost of Jesus dying. What would you do if someone killed your son? We must remember to forgive and forget the way God has done for us!
So I'm glad to hear you guys gave him refuge for awhile John. I hope that planted a seed that will change the outcome of where that man is heading and who he effects before he goes there!

Good job!

Have a good day everyone!

2006-09-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Today I've been blessed!

About a month ago I sat down with my Elders and told them about our recent decrease in relief workers. It was at that time that I began telling them some ideas I had about spreading some Hurricane Katrina awareness and recruiting some relief workers. They thought it was a good idea and that began my quest to go on a recruiting trip.

With the church being low on financial support the Elders told me ahead of time that I would have to do my own fundraising for this trip. I agreed and reassured them that it was possible. With a big smile and a confident speech I told them everything was gonna be alright. But in my heart I knew this would be a major obstacle that would make or break the trip.

I was formally a recruiter in the Army. I'm very confident of my abilites although this should be much easier than asking someone to lay their lives on the line, eat horrible food, wake up at 4 am, do pushups before breakfast and roll around in the mud for 8 years! ; D

It wasn't the recruiting part that worried me but the financial aspect of how I was going to be able to do this mission. So I have been grinding the phone and dropping birds in peoples ears now, for a month. I set out on a goal of $2000 to cover a multitude of things as well as give some emergency cushion if something went wrong.

Well today my prayers were answered and the final $1200 was donated by John McGuire of ServantsUnite.org. Woot! I'm a happy camper! Thanks John, you are a God sent! I appreciate you and your organization as well as your dedication to the people of the Gulf Coast. Keep up the good work and I'm sure I will be talking to you again very soon. God Bless You!

NO BETTER PLACE THAN HERE, NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW!

People ask me all the time why is there still a need for volunteers? Is it really that bad down there? Not as bad as New Orleans right?

My question to them is "What do you mean?" or "Isnt that all you see on television fron sun up to sun down?" or my favorite "Do you remember when we dropped Fat Man and Little Boy on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"

Ladies and gentleman let me tell you that this disaster was devestating beyond comprehension. No its not cleaned up! No its not rebuilt! No I dont watch TV! No there are still one or two FEMA trailers here (38000 in Mississippi alone)!!! This is not like Hurricane Andrew or Hugo or other nasty hurricanes that have hit the US. This one wiped out the entire southern coast of the United States. From Florida to Texas! Louisiana and Mississippi both look as if many nukes were fired from one of our foreign enemies and completely demolished everything. No! Absolutely not!! It is nowhere even close to rebuilt!! Ask me again in 10 years!

The local newspaper today announced the government has decided to build 100,000 housing units in Mississippi within the next 5 years. Thats awsome news!! Finally!! These "units" are for displaced homeowners as well as relief workers. These are TEMPORARY and will serve as a substitute for those FEMA trailers and inadequate relief worker housing (so they say... pffft). I'll have you know our volunteers sleep in actual beds now (better than cots and floor space) and we have a restaurant and cook top notch culinary masterpieces! You'll work hard but will leave fat if all goes well. ; )

But back on topic- Mississippi has gotten ZERO attention compared to Louisiana and especially New Orleans. With that said, these people are in trouble. Nobody ever planned for something as destructive as this and as widespread as it was. This storm set a new standard! The reason we focus so much on Mississippi is because of it's lack of interest from the media and it's great need to be brought back to a civilized and livable enviroment.

This isnt just a few houses, this is the entire coast and miles and miles inland. And were not talking about minor roof damage, were talking near total destruction. So please dont think of Mississippi as a thriving economical resort because down here it is day by day survival in a destroyed and neglected community.

Want proof? Drive here! I could walk right outside of the church and shoot some pictures that would shock you. Better yet the church itself is in bad shape. The floor sounds like rice crispies and the pews are warped so bad when you sit on one end the other end lifts up and swings when you push your feet. If your late for church everybody knows cause it sounds like a symphony when you walk in. lol

I'm trying to emphasize that this is nothing like the movies. No quick happy ending for Mississippi. This is gonna take many years to rebuild. Hense the reason they are building so many housing units for the relief workers (five years to build them). So I encourage anyone and everyone to call us and ask questions. Get in your car and drive down here. Take that week vacation and rip out some sheetrock. Down here we need you! Dont take this lightly because these people are living in those metal boxes called FEMA trailers and are struggling with day to day things that most of us take for granted. What would God Jesus do if he were in your shoes?

What better place than here, what better time than now !!!

God be with you!

2006-09-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Funny thing is this this blog gets hits off google when people search for something thats listed in here. John taught me how to check some of that info and it's very cool. So I'm gonna add some random words to my post today that I think people will be searching for. Maybe just maybe they will like what they see and come back. ; )

Well yesterday was a very productive day. I talked with many people from the nashville area and get more excited about my trip the closer it gets. As of right now I will be leaving Sunday after church. That is almost certain! I still have not come anywhere close to my financial goal but I got a good feeling God will take care of me. Garth Brooks sang a song that said"One of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers" ; and I firmly believe that. Sometimes we have to play the cards we've been dealt.

I read something interesting this morning about a brother and sister that had been seperated during World War 2. Well somehow the sister (now in her late 70s) nephews searched the internet and FOUND the brother living in Canada. While most of the family has already passed on, they were the only two left from WW2. The nephews (both in their 20s) were able to reunite the brother and sister for the first time in 65 years when both fled Europe. The hugged and kissed for hours while the media had a field day shooting footage of the reunion. Needless to say it was a very heartfelt story and I hope you read it. --->Here is the link <---

Emotion versus faith: Round 1

Sometimes our desires come at a cost. We can control it, but we fight Gods will and suffer instead of accepting it and focusing on more productive things. We feel so strongly about certain things that it is sometimes hard focus on what He wants and expects of us.

Philippians 4:6-7 "Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God's peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions thru Christ Jesus".

Throughout life we will be faced with hardships, challenges, obstacles and adversaties. So if every thing that happens to us drags us down, how can that demonstrate our faith in God? If we as christians believe there is a better future waiting for ourselves up in Heaven, why are we so focused on the happenings of today? Well the answer is hard for me also. Emotion is a gift that God has given us. It helps divide the barrier between right and wrong. It allows us to extend our hand and say "brother I am here to help you" as Jesus once did. Without emotion we would be like robots filled with a bitter hatred for everyone and in turn effect our relationship with Christ.

So emotion is without a doubt a gift. One that will define our conversation with Jesus at the gates to Heaven. This emotion thing can be quite painful. It allows people, pets and other things to enter our hearts. When we lose something that is in our hearts and dear to us, we cry, sob, weap, become depressed and sometimes angry. It's never easy and was never meant to be.

Most ethnicities around the world celebrate death. The reasons vary but for the most part they believe the passing of a loved one is their beginning of life in Heaven with God. As christians we believe the repenteance of sins, being baptized, believing in Jesus and living our life like the bible says, will get us into heaven. But have we ever stopped to realize that mourning a loss could be a sin? Wouldnt that be the same as telling God you disagree with his decision to do what he did? Why are we mourning if we believe that person is where we are trying to get to? If out belief and trust in God was true, why should we doubt his decision to take our loved ones? Why dont we throw a huge party and celebrate the passing of this person that was so dear to us?

Emotion and our faith can work hand in hand. Without one, the other will work against us. You will need both to get to Heaven! So how can we deal with emotion and maintain our faith? Whenever your challenged with either, look to the opposite one for guidence. Struggling with emotion? Look to your faith. Struggling with your faith? Look to your emotions. Search within your heart for one, and you'll always find the other!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Chrsit Jesus".

2006-09-18T10:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a very relaxing day for me. I played a bit of EQ2 and just enjoyed the day. Today I have been working on fund raising as well as canceling some appointments. Yup, I had to, I had no choice because I just dont have the funding to make the trip possible at the moment. I'm hoping next Sunday will be the day I arrive in Nashville but we'll see.

In church Sunday morning John talked about Acts chapter 9. We have been reading from Acts for about a month or so. The "heros" we read about in acts are in the bible for a reason. Pretty much any person listed there went thru some sort of sacrifice. They all went thru hard times!

When we think about ourselves and our relationship with God we should remember what we do in this life will effect the outcome of where we go after death. When I think about these things I always have the question in the back of my mind "Am I doing all I can do"? The answer is always no.

So what can I do to be a better christian?

An "Army of One" and a "Soldier of Christ"?

When going thru basic training in the United States Army we learn the "Seven Army Values". In many ways they are not (or shouldn't be) any different than my own as a christian. They are as follows...

*Loyalty
*Duty
*Respect
*Selfless Service
*Honor
*Integrity
*Personal Courage

If you try to remember then just look at the first letters and they spell "LDRSHIP" which is leadership.

I'm sure you can look at each and every word in these values and find the relevance in my point.

To be a soldier of Christ means to live by a code that in turn will enhance your relationship with Jesus. In the book of John chapter 14 verse 6 Jesus says "No one comes to the Father except thru me". So when your standing in front of Jesus and he explains why or why not you can enter, it will be because of your actions, choices and words.

The United States Army moto use to say "Be All You Can Be". In order to do that you have to make sacrifices in your life! To be the best you can be would entail giving and doing the most you can in what little time on earth you get. Thats alot to ask for! You know what your capable of. You know you can do more! And for most of us that far supercedes what were currantly doing at the moment!

Today the Army moto is "An Army of One". We as christians are also an "Army of One". By defenition an "Army" is "A body of persons organized to advance a cause". So we are an "Army of One" as christians. We fight evil on a daily basis and we are armed with the values of God.

So as a "Soldier of Christ" what can I do to be a better christian? How can I prepare for the conversation I will have with Jesus when I die?

These are hard questions to answer. I maintain my mission in hopes that others will be helped and it's at the sacrifice of luxury living. Big deal! Three hots and a cot! What do you think they did before television was invented? What about all the other luxuries we take advantage of? Well normally I wont eat until everyone around me has eaten first. The reason I do this is because I have the ability to get by without or "adapt and overcome". How hard would it be to get 2 pieces of bread and slap some PB&J on there? We only need food for nourishment. We dispose of it anyway. Why should someone spend $50 on the same amount of vitamins and neccessary proteins that they would get out of an apple and PB&J? I know a thick juicy steak tastes good, but I know others go without and do just fine.

I'm not patting myself on the back but instead making an example. You have basic needs in your life. If we put as much focus on what we need and less of what we dont, that would be a good example of personal sacrifice. As a "Soldier of Christ" I would hope that the ability to distinguish between needs and wants would come natural to you. But if not, think about how many Arby's Beef & Cheddars Jesus ate. How many Whoppers, steaks smothered in A-1 sauce, cheesecakes, Taco Bell Grandes', Coca-Cola's or Twix bars do you think Jesus ate? Think about the cost of that stuff versus the number of sheets of drywall you could use that money for and you will get a small glimpse of what these people on the Gulf Coast "need". Need as is defined in Websters Dictionary.

As a Soldier in the United States Army I learned that "need" is a term used for what it takes to survive and accomplish my mission. I know I need 200 calories per day, 8 ounces of water and an occasional splash or morale to survive. The sacrifice soldiers go thru is voluntary as well. Since the Vietnam War we have yet to draft one single person. So why would someone volunteer to go thru hardships?

As christians we volunteer our beliefs and act upon them of our own free will, much as the soldiers I'm describing. To be an "Army of One" we must unite and overcome any obstacle that would get in the way of our objective. So my mission is to help others overcome that obstacle and make believers.

*Its my "Loyalty" and my faith that inspires my service to God!
*It's my "Duty" as a christian to make believers of Jesus Christ!
*It's my "Respect" for the sacrifice Jesus made to give his life for mine!
*It's my "Selfless Service" that will make my conversation with Jesus a good one!
*It's my "Honor" and privledge to be blessed with the abilities to serve God!
*It's my "Integrity" that will lead an example for others to follow!
*It's my "Personal Courage" that allows me to take others by the hand and walk with them thru the dark!

I am a christian! I am a leader! I am in "An Army of One"! And it's such an awsome feeling that I encourage all of you that are reading this to be the same and do whatever it takes to become a "Soldier of Christ"!

2006-09-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Today has been a little disheartening. It's hard sometimes when you feel so strongly about something and others dismiss it as if it was casual boring converstion regarding the weather or the Detroit Lions. LOL oops did I point out they were boring? :D

Yesterday afternoon I was really excited because a close supporter of our church and relief effort contacted us about 2 popup trailers that were over in Slidell, Louisiana. He said if I wanted to I could go over there and take my pick of the two and use it while in Nashville on my mission trip. So I drove out there (about 100 miles or so) and took a look at them. What I discovered was one had been damaged somehow and its frame was bent, and the other didn't look so bad so I pulled it out (set in the back of a property and burried in shrubs) with my truck to get a better look at it. This popup camper was built in 1966 and by the looks of it needed a little lovin to make it road worthy. It had no harness for the lights and I'm not even sure it had lights to be honest. The serial number was so worn and faded that it was unreadable. The lock that keeps the top of the camper locked down was broke. So even if I could get it on the road I would be worried about the top flying up and creating some horrific accident or something. So needless to say I left both campers and drove home in disappointment.

The worst part of this was it ate a small chunk of my gas money I had saved for Nashville. Not to mention the exit from Slidell to I-10 is confusing so I got on going the wrong way (got mixed up and no signs). I discovered there is not ONE single exit between Slidell and New Orleans! So I had to drive ALL the way there and turn around. The exit I got off at was covered in State Police. A tractor trailer jacknifed his trailer into a ditch and blocked the entire onramp to the opposite side of the freeway. So after 45 mins I finally got on I-10 and came back to Pascagoula. Man it was a horrible trip to say the least!

Last night I talked with the young lady I mentioned in my previous post from Project Recovery. The one that spoke German..... doesnt speak german after all. Woot I was off the hook! She said she knows a couple one liners and thats it. So now I'm glad cause shes curious what I said and why I was appologizing (for being so foward). So I think I'll have fun with it for awhile before I tell her. ; ) We are getting together Sunday afternoon for coffee.

Sunday I said? Yup! Thats right I have decided to postpone the trip. : ( I set a goal and have fallen short so pushed it back another week. I not only need enough funds to get there but I need to survive once there. So I'll keep driving on and burning up the phone this week. I hate canceling appointments but I'm sure those that I was talking to this coming week will understand. I can only do what I can do right? If it's Gods will then I will be there when I get there right?

Good news, as I was typing this I got a call from someone up in Montgomery, Alabama. He said his church has a popup camper I can use and they are going to donate $300 for this trip. That was a very encouraging phone conversation! I'm hoping things continue like that for the rest of the week. I set a financial goal of $2000 for this trip so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and continuing to pray about it.

Everyone have a fantastic day and thanks for reading!

2006-09-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really busy day so I didnt post. I worked on phone calls to Nasville Area churches, fund raising around town here, answering the phone and even doing some time blowing surfing on the internet. The night before last I had my friends from Project Recovery come out to the restaurant. My intention was to BBQ chicken and have a bonfire for them. Well considering all the rain that was coming down I figured it would be hard to get the fire started. : D So I nerfed the fire idea. Instead we enjoyed chicken and some quesadillas and each others company. I talked with them for about 20 minutes and game them a ceiling tile to paint.

At the end of the night I kinda made a fool out of myself. See a couple weeks prior I met this beautiful young lady that works for Project Recovery. Well I seen her at the grand opening of the volunteer center and again this night at the restaurant. Well the funny thing is that I speak german and told her "Du hast schone augen" and "ich mag disch" which means you have beautiful eyes and I like you. I told her this in german cause I'm somewhat bashful. So thinking it could be something I could mess around with the next time I see her, I had no intention on telling her what it meant. Well low and behold I look back at her and hear the words "bitte" and she followed with "du hast guten nacht"!!!! LOL she speaks GERMAN! What she said to me was thanks and you have a good night (she was walking out the door at the time and already said bye). So I was embarressed just a weeeeeee bit on that one. But it was funny!

I'm going to make another long post. This will be very interesting if you have ever wondered why you walk in some place and walk out spending alot more money than you intended. There is a reason and advertisers do it on purpose. So continue reading.....

The Power of Suggestion

How do you save money and be less gullible? Read on....

In the early 1980's Roger Sperry won the nobel prize for his split brain experiments. When I was in college he was mentioned but I never retained that info. A young lady I met back in March reminded me and aroused my couriosity about him. Roger learned that the brain is split into 2 hemispheres. One independant of the other with only a couple million fibers connecting the two.

This was a medical breakthrough and set the standard of modern day physcology and it's application with regard to the way the brain functions. The ability to throw a ball from one hand to the other is a cooperation of both sides of the brain. If the two were not connected you would literally have to say the words "right hand catch the ball". The reason is you would have to train the left side of the brain and let it know what the right side was about to do.

The reason I mention Roger Sperry is because we are manipulated and taken advantage of every single day, and most of the time we never even know it!

Let me explain, see the manufacturing companies hire advertising agencies who in turn employ physocologists to find the most effective way to sell their products. We dont always buy what we need because we are drawn to something about a certain product that appeals to us and in turn we purchase it. Heres an example...

Walmart hires physcologists to set their stores up. How they do this is based on how someone will react to colors, light spectrum, clutter, traffic, smell and the responsibility factor. You will never see childrens clothes next to electrical appliances for a reason. If I pass electronics and see a really cool television I might buy it. But if I passed the childrens clothes I might think to myself that I cant afford the television cause I should buy clothes for my children. So the responsible thing would be to buy clothes and not a new tv. So thats why electronics are never near things that the consumer might be responsible and buy instead of a new audio system, television or video game.

Another example would be colors and lighting. How many stores have you been in that have black floors and dim lighting? Well the reason for this is alittle more obvious than the last example. Lighting and color make your mood and shopping experience happier. I dont use "happier" lightly either. See there are certain colors in the color spectrum that actually change your mood. There are happy colors as well as sad colors. Nuetral colors serve a seperate purpose (for another time) but happy colors are seen throughout retail stores so they induce a happier mood for the consumer. Theres alot more to it but in short, happy colors react different in incandescant lighting than they do in irridescant lighting. The colors on product packaging creates the same emotions and interest as wall colors and lighting. Example would be Tide laundry detergeant or Degree deodorant.

What I'm leading up to is the ability and knowledge that sales professionals, manufacturers and retailers have to influece our decision making abilities. You would have bought 1 can of coffee for $5.75 but since its three for $15 you buy three instead. Reducing the profit margain a little to secure more of your hard earned money is something any company would be more than happy to do. Using these advanced sales skills will increase their sales but retracts money from your wallet! This is another form of the power of suggestion.

How do we defend ourselves if we dont know we are being manipulated or influenced? Well as Roger Sperry suggested we should tell the right side of the brain what the left side is doing! Yes that right! So the part of the brain that is making irrational decisions for you is the same side that you dont use often as it serves little purpose other than storage, senses and deep deep stuff that we cant access on request. It's an incredibly effective influence over our decision making abilities.

As a soldier I have never been deployed or sent anywhere that I wasnt first educated about. S A L U T E report stands for size, activity, location, uniform, transportation and equiptment. This was my job in the Army. To send back the info so others could know how to respond to it. Knowing is half the battle! By knowing what to expect in advance, you can better defend youself.

So knowing is fascinating because you will see how often this happens and be among the select few that can fight off the urge to be victim to the power of suggestion.

In Army Recruiting School we learn the power of suggestion can change the outcome of an applicants decision to join the Army. How we use it is to make a motion or gesture that someone will be inclined to do. For example if someone extends their hand and holds it in front of you what do you do? You shake it ofcoarse. What if someone holds out their arms in front of you? You hug them! What if I held a pen near your chest? You would take it because you understand that I'm trying to hand it to you. Now if I hand it to you and point at the "X" next to the signiture box, believe it or not 7 out of 10 will sign next to where I'm pointing. The gesture was take the pen, look where I'm pointing and sign. And I never had to say a word! I would be manipulating a weakness in the brain that experts have used for many years now.

So if knowing is half the battle, what will you do the next time someone extends their hand? Think about it ! Know that the power of suggestion is trespassing into someones decision making ability. God gave you gifts. They belong to you and you alone. If you share them with others it should be of your own free will. I hope this S A L U T E report helps my fellow christians defend off this attack on our free will.

Thanks for reading!

2006-09-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, the final week of my journey to the Mississippi Gulf Coast (at least for now). On September 5th 2005 I arrived in Biloxi and have not left the coast yet(with the execption of trips to New Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola,FL). During the past year I have met what seems like 10,000 or more people! The faces, smiles, laughter, work teams seem to be the fondest memories of this trip. As for the hardships, tears, sweat, blood and other traumatic effects, no words can describe the pain I have in my heart for the Hurricane Katrina victims.

As I begin to gather my things and get ready to leave, I find myself torn with the day to day responsibilities of being part of this mission. Do I go to Jerry Lee's grocery store and pick up pasteries for the restaurant? Do I go up to the childrens ward at the hospital and take them the teddy bears that have been sitting in my office for over a month now? Do I drive down Buena Vista Street and see who needs their lawn mowed? Do I go to the Volunteer Center and get their wish list of things they still need? Do I call the manager of Lowes and ask him to donate lumber, appliances or cabinets? These are all things that nobody else is tasked (if you would call it that) to do. So if I dont do them then who will? See being part of this recovery effort I have been blessed with the ability to find and do. Meaning I dont need to be handed a list of "to-do's" because anyone with a head on their shoulder and a big heart can walk down ANY street in this city and find a way to help a victim!

With so much to do how do I let go? Is there hope for this community if we all just "let go" and continue on with our lives? I dont know if when I'm gone if anyone else is going to do all the small but important things I do for this mission. David Kilbern is innidated with work requests, phone calls, crew assignments, etc. (Gives me a headache just thinking about it)! John is tied down with scheduling crews to come, preparing for a sermon, maintaining the website, visiting members and spreading the word. What I do know is that everyone here at the church is giving 110% and I know if anyone requests help, these guys will do the best in their power to assist them in any way possible. If it's Gods will.... it will be done!!

So as I begin to turn the page of a new chapter in my adventure book I want to give some words of encouragement to the residents of Mississippi. I would like to say that your not forgotten! We will not give up on you! We know you need help and the calvary is coming, just hang tight! Keep your chins held high and pray to God that things are not worse! Be strong and show your neighbors the kind of love you would show Jesus if he was standing beside you. And please, last but not least, as my friend John Dobbs said in his blog today..... there is always sunshine above the clouds! Remember that!

As the people of mississippi rebuild their lives it is important to remember all the sacrifice that took place to make it happen. Even though it is a slow process I think that God has moved mountains down here already and that in time this coast will be 100 times stonger than it once was!

With the work that has been done versus work that will completed in the future, nobody could ever say that any volunteer down here has given less than 110%. From young adults in college, high school kids to elderly couples and even the handicapt I can honestly say that regardless of your situation there is always something you could do! It's because of the volunteers that Mississippi has gotten as far as it has. I would like to take a moment to thank....

University of Mississippi, North Carolina State University, Virginia Tech, University of North Carolina Willmington, University of Wisconsin, UCLA, Nebraska State University, University of Arkansas, Michigan State University, Merideth College, Boston College, Oakland State University, Sherwood University, Faulkner University, Baylor University, Cincinnati Christian University, Southern Christian University, Oklahoma Christian University and the many many others that have been here and helped us. Sping Break 2006 was spent tearing out drywall, mowing lawns, cleaning mold, cooking food, building bunk beds and hundreds of other tasks. We appreciate your time and effort and God bless you for coming down! I've made some great friends and hope that God worked in your lives as he has in mine.

To the high school students, elementary kids and teen mission programs that have been here, thank you! Your curiosity, motivation and inspiation has touched the lives of thousands (literally). Every week when you guys came down you charged our batteries and kept our chins up. Something like this can take it's toll on those of us that have been here for awhile. The constant negative experiences and devestation will eat you up if your not strong. The thing that has kept me afloat is you (and God ofcoarse)! In a way, I can thank you for helping me help others. So my utmost respect and admiration goes to you guys for coming down here. I'm glad your the future of America!
To those that came down here in groups, with your spouse or alone and put your lives on hold to do a greater good, I thank you! The progress on the Gulf Coast could not be anywhere close to where it is, if it wasn't for you! As christians our job is to go out and make believers of Christ. When this storm started alot of people were asking us "If God is so good, why would he do this to me". Because of you their response is now "I've been blessed to such an extent that I would never have imagined"! It's AWSOME!! The homeowners here have seen complete strangers come into their community and into their homes, tear out sheetrock, scrub the mold, hang sheetrock, install floors, paint, insulate, roof, build, etc.! Not only did you do it and do it well, but you sang songs and brought cheer into their lives. So your kind deeds are directly influencing this community in so many ways. So yes you have made believers and yes you most certainly made friends! Thank you!

Now how can I forget our Canadian friends? Your selfless sacrifice to this cause has led the example for others to follow. Your love for each other can be seen by anybody around you. How someone can be together for 50 years and be so much in love is an amazing thing. I have a hard time with 50 weeks! LOL No seriously I want you guys to know we still think about you and wish you the best this life and the next, have to offer!!

Well out of all the inspirational fellowships, devotions and sermons I have recieved at Central Church of Christ, I would like to point one particular. Each week I would have a bonfire behind the restaurant or down on the beach. We would talk about how God is working in everyones lives, what have they seen or done that week, how they felt about it and if they learned anything from their trip. When I do this I usually ask the group leaders to come forward and say a few words. Well one time I had this couple get up there (I'm sorry I dont remember their names) and tell the story of the "Starfish". Now since I've heard it I have told it 100 times over and apparently it's a common story that many christians know.

You see the story goes like this... A couple was walking down the beach enjoying a nice evening stroll. It's romantic, their holding hands and enjoying their walk. Then all of a sudden the mans wife stops! She bends over and picks something up and threw it in the ocean. The husband was kind of surprised by her sudden action. She bends down again and continues to repeat this action. The husband say "what are you doing"? She responds with "I'm throwing these starfish in the ocean". He looks in astoundment and says "duh"! He then asks "why are you throwing them into the ocean"? She looks to him and says "to save their lives". The husband smiles and says "look at the beach, theres thousands. Do you really think your going to make a difference"? She stopped for a brief second and looked at him and said "well it sure makes a diffence to this one doesnt it" (as she throws it into the ocean)!

It makes a difference to that one! You see, you cant do everything. Cause this might come as some surprise but YOUR ONLY HUMAN! hehe True I'm not lying!! But to the one that you do help you make a difference. It's not hard to change a life. All you have to do sometimes is show a little love and compassion. Help one person and change a world! Either way you made a difference in that persons life. And hey, you planted a seed!!

The reason I bring up this story is to let you know that the Central Church of Christ made that difference to me. I came here (well to the Guld Coast) to help for a couple months tops and had no idea I would still be in Mississippi. I have begun the paperwork on the Christian Disaster Recovery Coalition (CDRC), I will chase storms from here on out. I have decided to do this full time even after the Katrina recovery is thru. I am forming a team that will travel to natural disasters and help people. I'll have more on that later.... stay tuned! ; ) But the church made a difference in my life. Maybe this whole time they didnt even know it but they helped me more than words can express. To honor their sacrifice I will follow their example and try to find starfish! Thank you David Kilbern, John Dobbs and the Central Church of Christ!! You have shed light on something I have been looking for, for a long time now!

Oh oh, appearently I messed up the link with Johns photo. This here is the REAL John Dobbs oops!

Please post your comments, I am interested what everyone thinks.

John 12:35 - "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of the light".

2006-09-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday was a good day. We cut the ribbon on the new volunteer center sponsored by the Rebuild Jackson County Commision. This is the old Pascagoula High School Gymnasium. Since the city built a new high school this building has been used for basketball practice, social events as well as storage. Annie Card and her partner Tammy (Operation TLC) were able to aqcuire this building from the Mayor back in June. Since they got the building they have been gung-ho on rebuilding it and making it suitable for facilitating volunteers. I gave a couple television interviews and was excited with the community response for our role in this volunteer center. Not that we need any kind of pat on the back, but I believe always give credit where credit is due. : D

Back in July I met Annie Card while she was at the church looking for some building materials. Ever since then I have invested alot of time into helping them rebuild the building and get materials and such on the job site. I started cooking for them and the Americorps teams a couple months ago and they have been at the restaurant pretty much every week, Monday - Friday. I would like to thank all the ladies up at the restaurant, Americorps and all the community leaders including Chevron and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems for their support and steadfast dedication to rebuilding Pascagoula. Also in need of recognition would be Project Recovery! They are part of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and serve the community with morale, post Katrina depression and other related hardship issues. Thank you John Dobbs for you comments in your blog today.

I have invited Valerie Demazio of the Jackson County Rebuild Commision, Annie Card and Tammy of Operation TLC, Latan Griffin the Director of Habitat for Humanity and the Americorps / Project Recovery taems to a BBQ/Bonfire on the beach Wednesday. I am going to cook up 60-70 chickens and some other goodies so you guys better be there! : )

I had another fantastic thing happen yesterday also. My good friend Larry Sheddy came down from Hope Missions in Pennsylvania. Larry has been here on multiple occasions with teams helping us rebuild the community. It was great to see him and John and as I understand it they will be here till Thursday as they are planning their next trip and kinda doing a recon of where to go next. We look foward to having you back Larry!

Well outside of that not much is going on. I'm still burning up the phone trying to find funds for my scheduled trip next week. If you know anyone who would be generous enough to contribute a gas card or some money for this trip please have them call me at the Central Church of Christ.

Thank you all for reading and I'll post some pictures of the new volunteer center later today.

2006-09-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

On this day 5 years ago I watched in horror as terrorists hit the twin towers and Pentagon. At the time I didnt know that it would alter my life so dramatically. On September 16th it will be the 5 year annivesary of my deployment to the Pentagon. As military police and a sniper I served directly under the Chairman of the Joint Cheifs of Staff. Our mission was to protect the Pentagon from any further aggresion and maintain security for the VIPs in Washington DC. Operation GonSec (PentaGON SECurity) was yet another adventure that changed my life. Check this blog on Sept. 16th for more info.

To the victims families and friends and all those affected by the September 11th attacks, I wish you well and you will be in my prayers!

PLANTING THE SEED

Well the last couple days have been interesting to say the least. The night before last I got some very disturbing information about my 9 year old niece in Michigan. I took it pretty hard and stayed up till 3:30 am on Saturday night which led to me missing church on Sunday. Yesterday morning I drove down the coast a little and wanted some "me" time to think about things and vent alittle. What drives a man to molest his own daughter? My sisters fiance molested her recently. Needless to say he is in jail and my niece was being checked at the hospital for "evidence". I ask for your prayers for her and my sister.

Often I reflect on my life and think how different it has been versus what society considers "normal". I've had the pleasure to experience the world and adventure to places some dream about. During my travels I have met many types of people. Good people, bad people and those that sit on the fence waiting for influence. I can honestly say that as a police officer of 12 years I have met the worst kind right here in the United States.

My question is if society develops future society, what are we to expect of our grandchildern? The U.S. was dramatically effected by the long haired, peace loving, rubble rousers of the 60s in such a way that it's irreversible some would say. It opened a door to free expression and opposition of what society deems "the norm". With that said how can we stop a boulder rolling downhill? It seems as if the general consensus in America is that "it wont happen to me" so "why should I care" or my favorite "why not leave well enough alone"! At what point to we open our eyes and say something needs to be done about our future? "WE THE PEOPLE" has turned into "WE DUH PEOPLE"!

If we remain on this path and dont include God in our teachings like we use to, what is the U.S. to become. Seperation of church and state is by far the worst thing ever to happen in this country. If every immigrant raised their hand and swore an oath to the constitution of the United States and did so "under God", why would we allow seperation between the church and the government? The ACLU is to blame as are all those that hated their old country and came to this one hoping for a better life (sorry for pointing fingers). Instead of accepting our laws, religions and rights they opposed them because it was not what they were use to. But remember they left their country for a reason right? All of us are descendants of immigrants. In the 1920s the people of the United States were God fearing and lived by a code of ethics, morals and principals. Today the number of those with the same attributes are slowly decreasing.

So for a thought of the day I ask myself "what could I do to help America with a better future"? The answer I believe is to continue doing what I'm doing. See Hurricane Katrina was a HORRIBLE storm. However, it was (by far) the best thing ever to happen to the Gulf Coast! People are being brought together for one general purpose.... to help our neighbors, Americans and brothers and sisters in Christ! It's amazing and I'm proud to be a part of it. Every person we help is one step closer to becoming a product of a better future. Each person that forgot what it was like to feel loved by the community now has a better understanding of the power of God. Each storm victim now knows that God can "giveth and taketh"!

IF GOD IS SO GOOD WHY WOULD HE DO THIS TO ME?? Yup, that was the question asked here right after the storm. Thousands here wondered and asked that question. But the power of the Holy Spirit takes them on a roller coaster ride which has led to about 40 baptisms since I've been here! So thank God for Hurricane Katrina! It is in my hope that this area feels the power of Christ thru our good deeds. And for those that now have a better understanding of what christians have the power to do, if they wont come to church we at least planted a seed and hopefully one day they will peel the scales off their eyes as Paul once did.

As far as my niece is concerned..... just like the storm victims here my family has suffered. Different yes, but painful all the same. I'm not going to ask the question I stated above. Instead I'm going to look to God and pray for another opportunity to help develop a better future for American society! It's the little things we do that will change the future. Praise God and have faith! Have you planted any seeds lately?

2006-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today I continue my persuit of fund raising for my recruiting mission. I am heading up to the Nashville area and perhaps to Lexington, Kentucky to speak with different congregations about Hurricane Katrina recovery and our need for volunteers.
What I'm discovering is that many ministers, elders and church staff are sceptical about letting strangers speak to their congregation or even individual members in some cases. From what I understand churches across the US are totally bombarded with requests for support, financial or otherwise. I have carefully thought out a nice presentation / speech that is not only informative but funny. Not to mention the time spent on posters and stuff. Honestly I was hoping for a better response as it's such an important mission. These are not only our neighbors and fellow Americans but these are our brothers and sisters in Christ! New Orleans, New Orleans, New Orleans.... I've been there folks and I have to tell ya that Pascagoula takes the cake! And it's 75 miles away!!!! New Orleans was hit and also needs help but it does not come close to comparing with the devestation in Mississippi! I cant believe how much focus that city is getting when people down the road are worse off! ARG
So my heart is committed to this mission however the lack of media attention of the Mississippi Gul Coast has effected the respose by the American people.
My father told me when I was young that I should never do anything unless you do it to the best of my ability. "Never do anything half way"! And usually when I commit to something I not only make it happen but I do it so well I turn heads. This however has dropped my morale considerably. Ever feel like your spinning your wheels? lol
The people here need help and I dont want to give up on them. Still more than 6000 FEMA trailers here in Pascagoula. Thats 6k families that are homeless. All of them lost pretty much everything they own. How bad can my problems really be??? So I keep my chin held high, pray alot and continue to drive on!
With just over a week to go I am substantially short of my financial goal. As of right now I dont think I can afford the trip. Even if I get to Nashville and talk to all 121 churches there, I have nowhere to stay and cannot afford housing let alone food and gas. The rest of today I will be burning up the phone and looking for financial support. Wish me luck!

2006-09-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today I took the advice of a dear friend of mine (John Dobbs) and started this blog. John is the minister at the Central Church of Christ in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Since I've been here we have developed a fantastic friendship and I'm sure we will be friends for a long time to come.

As my first post I should mention that I'm adding a link that will tell you more about me, who I am, where I'm going and where I've been. I hope that you take the time to read this as it will dial you in on my opinions, hopes, concerns and dreams.