Saturday, April 20, 2013

April 20 – “Day One”

Well, I made it through the first day of the chaplain training.  I am definitely not used to sitting that long.  The whole left side of my left foot was numb by the time I got back to the Winkle’s house.  I took a hot shower and that helped some, but I will most assuredly sit where I can stand up every so often for the last day. 

The conference has been really good so far.  I bought the national organization’s notebook that the conference is based on so I have some resources to take home.  I have received a lot of good tips for getting started as a chaplain.  Probably the best thing, though, is doing some networking to have someone to call for help when I need it.  We have also had a window into the relief efforts from the disaster in West.  The organization putting on the conference is also coordinating chaplaincy efforts there.  That has been fascinating as well. 

I had lunch with my good friend Mike Wilson and a colleague of his, Tom.  They are both professors at the seminary in Fort Worth.  Mike does field education and Tom teaches archaeology.  It was a very interesting meal. To say the least.  Tom is quite the rebel.  We seemed to really hit it off.  Kindred spirits.  And the barbeque chicken wasn’t bad, either. 

I went to supper with a group of guys from the conference.  We ate at Cousins Barbecue.  Yep.  Barbeque.  At least this time it was a chopped beef sandwich and not chicken.  I talked a lot with one of the instructors who lives in the area.  He is chaplain of a disaster relief group that meets at South Oaks Baptist Church where I used to work.  He even remembers doing some fire inspections from back when I was here pre-1995. 

The trip back to Arlington was stop and go with traffic.  Then it suddenly cleared up.  No apparent reason for the bottleneck.  I thought I was back in Houston there for a few minutes.  Today shouldn’t be bad.  It is Saturday after all. 

Psalms 86:11 says, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

Father, thank you for the resolution of the Boston situation.  Bring some peace there and in West.  Amen.

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