our ebenezer

We have lots of boulders, and rocks here at the estate,  lets not kid around, you can't walk or dig without stumbling over rocks of all shapes and sizes here. So, it was not abnormal for the foundation crew to find and have to unearth this behemoth rock.
I thought it was cool, and another one to add to the many others, so I actually blew it off.
 Then Friday, I was flipping through the bible in the book of  1 Samuel and came across the story of Israel and the many battles they have had against the Philistines. The battle was incredibly fierce and the Israelites cried unto the Lord for help. As the philistines drew near for battle, The Lord caused a great thunder upon them and were defeated by the Israelite's. 
 After that Samuel grabbed up a stone, used it as a monument and called it "Ebenezer" it is a combination of two Hebrew words that literally means: " the stone of help"  What it did though, was remind the Israelite's that God is with them and provides for their needs, no matter how big the problem is...God was there protecting them.

Okay, I know Samuel used a stone, and this thing is a massive boulder but during the past year of our family moving to the estate, The problems we faced and challenges we had did seem"boulder sized" to us. There were many times we talked about  about throwing in the towel. But, I would give it to God because there was no way I was going to be beat.

Now, with Seniors job, and the house construction started, we have seen Gods work in action.
So when the rock was unearthed, and reading the story of Samuel  it reminded me that  much like he did back then with the armies of Israel, God has and will provide for us.
like the stone Samuel used, this big rock serves as an everlasting monument that our needs were provided for.  When we felt things were so dark, God provided. 

We have discussed where to move the thing to, and we have all decided to keep it in front of the house. So we can never forget where we have been, and where we are going......  

-JUGM

Freedom Lost

I was sitting here this morning sipping my coffee and reading through my bible, when I came upon some old notes I had made one day in Church.
That particular Sunday the message was from Acts 16:25-34. Paul and Silas had been  jailed and began singing praises to Jesus, and a great earthquake struck. All the prisoners were set free of their bonds, but stayed in the cells. The Jail keeper was amazed and called upon the Lord and was saved.

Just below my notes for the sermon I had written this:

   "Freedom assumed is freedom forgotten,
     Freedom forgotten is freedom lost"

I am not sure who first said it, so I can give them credit for it, but the preacher that Sunday included it in his message.  I found it important to his meassage and wrote it down.
It has made me think on how our country has assumed freedom and how we as a nation have forgotten it, and how it is slowly being lost......

-JUGM

A "Stark" Reminder....

I remember this day well. I was 17 and a Junior in high school. The naval community in which I grew up in was rocked, the entire city was rocked, our Nation as a whole..was rocked.
 For days and days on our local news stations it was all they showed. The faces of those lost, the families, and the tears.. How could this have happened? Was the question every one asked. I remember then President Ronald Reagan coming to town, he spoke to the families, and offered his love and support. Then he spoke at the televised memorial.
I did a post on the Stark about a year and a half ago. Today on the anniversary, I felt it was time for another one. Its so easy to forget, and most school age kids now don't even know it occured.

A year after the incident I met one of the wives, she was the most visible through out it all, and for quite a number of years afterwards. Her name is Barabara Kiser, her husband was EMCS Stephen Kiser.
She had been fortunate to follow the ship through the mideast, she and their five year old son were awaiting its arrival in Bahrain.
She was one of the first family members allowed on board to tour the damage. She found the Chiefs berthing area, and her husbands rack. While sifting through the ashes, she found a small bible she had given him in 1980.
The heat and intensity from the two missiles plus 600 pounds of fuel, the fire reached a temperature of 12 million BTUs.  To date, that is the hottest fire ever recorded on board a US Naval Ship. Everything in that section was instantly incinerated...
But amazingly, EMCS Kisers, small bible survived. His bible has traveled throughout the Mideast on Mrs. Kisers mission trips, she has retold its story many times...  it serves as a reminder of her husband, and of the 36 other sailors lost that day, 26 years ago.

The day I met her, I was on church visitation and we happend upon her home. She instantly brought the bible out..and I feel fortuante that I was one of those people to get to see it. The story of her husbands bible is one that I have never forgot..and most likely never will.

In 2011, after the fall of Saddam Hussien the Goverments of Iraq and the United States, reached an agreement to compensate families of the first gulf war and of the USS STARK. a 400 million dollar fund was set up. However, OUR goverment is still 2 years later after the compensation still trying to set up a mechanism in which applicants should get paid.

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