I talked with James today ( Sunday Sept. 16) It was short but he sounded really good and is looking forward to getting started. The past few days were filled with “hurry-up and wait” ( processing in) He is glad to start training. He wants me to help him stay in touch with all his friends. James says “hello” to each of you.
James’ Dad (Jim)
Leaving is never easy. Going off to boot camp is no exception… I leave on Tuesday for boot camp at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. I will have been in the army for six months and seven days by the time I leave. I’ve been trying to prepare myself mentally and physically since the day I joined. I’ve already changed so much since the day I joined the army, for the better, worse and in ways I don’t even realize yet. One thing has stayed constant during my time of preparation, not a day has gone by that I have not thought about the day I leave. Now that is finally here I am ready to embrace it and see how God will help me to change and grow even more.
Thank you all for all of your prayers during my time in Bulgaria.
I would love to keep up with how ya’ll are doing while I’m gone. Please keep posting comments they will make it back to my via my mom. She will also post updates on my behalf so you guys can know what and how I’m doing!
,James
I set out to watch this movie hopping to be entertained for a couple of hours. I was pleasantly surprised when I was met with a movie that had heart and passion that was driven but not to the point you where sick. I was in awe over the acting, all of the characters were believable. They were human, and had faults that showed. You could not hate any of them, yet you could not agree to love them. As the movie went on you were sold on the ideas they were fighting for. Not because thy were shoving them in your face so much you had to take them in. Rather because they showed you the argument from both sides and let you decide. We all know right from wrong, so you can’t help but to want to take part in there mission by the end of the movie. This movie was one of the most graphically realistic movie I have seen in a long time, and I’m not talking about gore. The location did not hide one bit of the poverty that really exists. Nor did it try and play up on the poverty to get a pity vote. The script was AMAZING, I could not help but to feel like I was there. When the father confronts his son I could not help but to think about my relationship with God. I’m the son that has been taken away, become a murder. Not out of choice but to survive. When confronted I turn my back and say “Trader, I don’t know this man”. When the boy takes aim at the father I was not sure where they were going to go with the script. I was so caught up in the moment I could feel the muscles in my body tensing up in anticipation. Then the father start telling the son of his love and his family’s love, and how life should be. All to end with a Hollywood ending. But for once I was happy to see a Hollywood ending. I was so relieved that they had such a redemptive ending. I will admit the ending was a little “doused” in political agendas. But the overarching story was was kept, and the relationships between the characters was magnificently handled.
I would definitely give it two thumbs up!
I will not end this post with a quote. Instead I will end with a challenge, to go see this movie!
So today for the first time in a long (and I mean long time) I got up and went for a run! I have just under a month to get ready for my APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test). I must say for just getting back into running I did okay. I ran 2 miles in about 18 min or so! I did about half the push-ups I needed to do and was not as worn out as I thought I would be. I would defiantly say I’m on my way to getting my Second Privet Strip! After that I should be all set to get my PFC (Privet in the first class).
I’m no longer working at the movie theater. I put in my two weeks just because I’m leaving and needed the time. I’m so happy to be free of that place! Plus this way I’ve been helping at the shop with a set of kitchen cabinets. That really been good, and this way I have time to PT.
That’s about all that’s new…. Oh I may have some awesome new, but it’s unconfirmed so I’ll wait until it’s a real story until I tell ya’ll.
I never really know what to blog about. I think that might be part of the reason I don’t blog much. I don’t really like to talk about myself, and when I do I feel dirty almost. So I will try and do my best at keeping up with keeping you informed with what’s going on in my life. I
don’t really know where to start so I’ll start with the fact that I’m in the army. Many people ask me what I do in the Army and I’m never really able to give them an answer so I will try and sum it up for you here. My job title is a Psychological operations specialist. In short I play with peoples minds, I try to confuse them “Keep them on there toes” if you will. I don’t deal directly with PsyOps operations, my job is to work with the Special Operations units as reinforcement. It’s kinda like I’m in the SWAT team, except it’s working over seas with an anti terror unit. That’s about the just of what I know or can tell you. My job is classified as “Secret” so I’m still not exactly sure what exactly I will do. I hope that helps you understand a little bit about my job.
And Yes I did CHOOSE this job! I am proud to serve!
I didn’t get into Wash U. So I’m looking at going to UT in Knoxville or TN Tech. I submitted my application and I’m hoping to hear back sooner rather then later. I’m planing on joining there ROTC unit so I don’t have to be sent over seas to serve in Iraq. Don’t get me wrong I would be proud to serve next to the men and women that have gone before me, and join my unit. But I’m hoping to not have to be deployed until I finish school.
Other then that I don’t really know what to say. Oh I’m going to meet my unit tomorrow morning! I’m not really sure what to expect. I think I’m supposed to start reserving with them if I can make it drill weekend. I have a PT test coming up soon. I really should start running. I’m supposed to run 2 miles in 15 min. do 42 push ups in 2 min and 52 sit ups in 2 min. I don’t think I can do half of that yet. Well maybe half of that…
Well I need to try and get some sleep. Please leave comments it really helps me to blog when I have feedback!
I’m going to try and start blogging again. I’m not to good at it so it may take some time before I really get into the hang of things. I don’t really have much to say now I’ll update later tonight. But I just wanted to let you know that this is the blog that I’m going to be using from now on!
Not only is this the return to blogging but the a double feature! I am also proud to announce that the Quotes are back!!! I will be ending this and every one of my post with a quote!
I would like to start off by saying that I have never done anything like this before. This book deals with intimate relationships; I have never been in an intimate dating/marriage relationship before. I have no formal training in reading let alone leading a discussion about the bible. That being said, let’s do this thing!
The Song Of Solomon Chapter 1
The Song of Songs, which is Solomons.
The Bride Confesses Her Love
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his
mouth!
For your love is better then wine;
3 Your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
4 Drew me after you; Let us run.
The king has brought me into his
chambers.
Others
We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than
wine;
rightly do they love you.
She
5 I am very dark but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kadar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you pasture your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils
herself
beside the flocks of you companions?
I’m going to stop here because I think the way the book opens is amazing! It sets up what is to come, a poem of undying love. If we look at verse 2 we see that physical touch is a longing desire of the hart. I believe that is was not something that was executable in that time to have any physical “connection” before marriage. The Bride is longing for a relation ship with the man that is more then looks and words there is something else that she is longing for. As we continue we see that she dose not actually want to “kiss” him she merely is saying that he is all that she wants to “kiss”, she is in essence saying that she is devoted to him.
As we read verses 3-4 we see that the Bride is doting upon Solomon, she is affirming him in his purity. She is also calling upon him to call after her, for the to “run”. I would compare this to the jitters that one has on there wedding day. The Bride and Groom want nothing more then to be married but at the same time want nothing more then to stand at the alter and be wed. The part of the others I would read as people affirming what the Bride is saying. They are saying, “rightly do they love you” you are what she is saying you are. It’s like getting an approval from your friend for your relationship with your boyfriend/girlfriend; they are in a sense rejoicing with the Bride.
Verses 5-7 I think is a sort of confession. “I am very dark, but lovely” This is the Bride saying I am not perfect but I can act as though I am. I am not without blemish, “My mothers son’s were angry with me they made me keeper of the vineyards”. I would read this as a form of “character building” as my Dad would say. They do not want for the Bride to become proud of “beautiful”. Not that being beautiful is bad but to be beautiful is to be a statue for people to gaze at. She was then sent to the Vineyard to work, to “get her hands dirty” if you will. Almost as if to say that she has learned that there is more to life then be beautiful. This summer while in Bulgaria I saw many vineyards and they are beautiful but they need much tending and work to keep them up. They have to be pruned; the soil needs to be cared for. It is a job that takes many men many long hours. There are many aspects of tending to gardens that I don’t know about. I am not a gardener but I do know that it takes a lot of work to keep a garden let alone a fragile vineyard.
She then proceeds to ask where Solomon keeps his flock asking, “Why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of you companions?” Why would she ask this? I think it is saying that she dose not want to sit by while Solomon is out tending the flock. She dose not wan to hid behind a veil and watch. She wants to be a part of his life. Be it sitting in the field tending the flock or among company of companions she longs to be part of his life. She dose not want to become a figure or statue. A “Desperate house wife” if you will, someone that is there but has no clue what is going on in the life of her husband. I think this explicitly shows the inner longing of every married woman. To be at perfect union with her spouse, I think this is a beautiful picture that is painted here and in the beginning. When Adam and Eve were in the garden before the fall. They became one flesh they had perfect union with one another. This is something that I cannot further elaborate on. I am not a woman nor am I married. So I will end with this. This is only the intro of what is one of the most explicitly beautiful poems I have ever read. It is the most pure description of love I have ever seen. I paints an amazing image of what marriage is to be.
Earlier I mentioned physical “connection”. All I meant by that was that there is this assumed “connection” that happens when you meet your “true love”. I am not saying that true love dose not exist, all I meant is that our culture puts too much emphasis on physical attraction/connections. Sex is not a sacred thing that is to be kept for the beautiful union of a husband and wife. It has been degraded to a means of telling if you like someone. But that is for another time.
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