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NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense
No. 932-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Juan S. Restrepo, 20, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died July 22 in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.
Upon request from my brother, please pray for his family.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
In response
My friend was spared. Two others are dead, perhaps because of a surgery they had and she was scheduled to have, perhaps not.
My brother is alive in Iraq and there’s a piece of me that feels relief when deaths are announced and his name is not among them. Then I feel pain for those who did lose a son or a daughter because even tho I don’t know the face or barely remember the name, that person lived, and breathed and walked this earth.
Another friend suffered the loss of an unborn child and the very same week I see a premie in the library, perfect and sadly unwanted by his biological mother, but wanted and cared for by a foster family. Even before the child was born that plan was set in motion.
Set in motion by who?
Disaster strikes and we look for answers… pain happens and we sink inside ourselves, sometimes we reach outward for more answers…
Our great God, comforter, refuge, strength, counselor… has chosen in his wisdom to withhold information from all of us. But what matters he has shared. What matters he gives freely and abundantly in his presence, in his word, in his conversation.
Science, theology, philosophy… the working of our brains… God gave us all of that thirst… that drive, that desire to know, but do you see what else he asks… that we are as children.
Watch the trust and faith of a child… tell a child a lie, to tease, to test, or maliciously and that child will believe you unchecked almost all the time… faith as a child, to hear a great big God say, “I love you, I am giving you this gift and many more. It is my will that you be a part of my life, come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
So search for your answers if you must, but at the end of the day, surrender what questions have not been answered giving them fully back to One who has it all taken care of and who will, in his time, IF you need to know, share exactly what you are asking of him.
My brother is alive in Iraq and there’s a piece of me that feels relief when deaths are announced and his name is not among them. Then I feel pain for those who did lose a son or a daughter because even tho I don’t know the face or barely remember the name, that person lived, and breathed and walked this earth.
Another friend suffered the loss of an unborn child and the very same week I see a premie in the library, perfect and sadly unwanted by his biological mother, but wanted and cared for by a foster family. Even before the child was born that plan was set in motion.
Set in motion by who?
Disaster strikes and we look for answers… pain happens and we sink inside ourselves, sometimes we reach outward for more answers…
Our great God, comforter, refuge, strength, counselor… has chosen in his wisdom to withhold information from all of us. But what matters he has shared. What matters he gives freely and abundantly in his presence, in his word, in his conversation.
Science, theology, philosophy… the working of our brains… God gave us all of that thirst… that drive, that desire to know, but do you see what else he asks… that we are as children.
Watch the trust and faith of a child… tell a child a lie, to tease, to test, or maliciously and that child will believe you unchecked almost all the time… faith as a child, to hear a great big God say, “I love you, I am giving you this gift and many more. It is my will that you be a part of my life, come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
So search for your answers if you must, but at the end of the day, surrender what questions have not been answered giving them fully back to One who has it all taken care of and who will, in his time, IF you need to know, share exactly what you are asking of him.
Monday, July 09, 2007
I was going to write something more solid with my thoughts interspersed but right now it may just be more effective if you read the things I’ve been seeing, hearing and dreaming:
“Jesus Bring the Rain”
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus, bring the rain
I am yours regardless of the clouds that may loom above because you are much greater than my pain you who made a way for me suffering your destiny so tell me whats a little rain
~Mercy Me
---
“Like most prayerful people, Elvis had begun his life by thinking of prayer as a little speech that one made to God: generally a want-list with a few worship elements through in for good measure. Then he had begun to understand that prayer was a dialogue, in which listening was as important as speaking one’s mind. Still later, once he had arrived at that point, he had come to understand that, as God knew what was on his mind anyhow, it was the listening that was most important. And these days, unless he was voicing a special supplication or a request someone else had made, Elvis rarely used words at all when he prayed. Rather, he just opened his heart and asked God to fill it. And generally he came away calm and comforted and soothed, like a child who has just spent an hour or so in the security of his loving father’s arms.”
Yucatan Deep (p. 280) Tom Morrisley
---
“You know why you are having problems, you aren’t spending time in the Word.” (dream)
---
“This is effecting every relationship that you have and until you deal with it, it will continue to do so.” (conversation)
How we feel on the inside has an extreme impact on not only us, but also all others around us, even when we think we are covering pretty well.
“Jesus Bring the Rain”
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus, bring the rain
I am yours regardless of the clouds that may loom above because you are much greater than my pain you who made a way for me suffering your destiny so tell me whats a little rain
~Mercy Me
---
“Like most prayerful people, Elvis had begun his life by thinking of prayer as a little speech that one made to God: generally a want-list with a few worship elements through in for good measure. Then he had begun to understand that prayer was a dialogue, in which listening was as important as speaking one’s mind. Still later, once he had arrived at that point, he had come to understand that, as God knew what was on his mind anyhow, it was the listening that was most important. And these days, unless he was voicing a special supplication or a request someone else had made, Elvis rarely used words at all when he prayed. Rather, he just opened his heart and asked God to fill it. And generally he came away calm and comforted and soothed, like a child who has just spent an hour or so in the security of his loving father’s arms.”
Yucatan Deep (p. 280) Tom Morrisley
---
“You know why you are having problems, you aren’t spending time in the Word.” (dream)
---
“This is effecting every relationship that you have and until you deal with it, it will continue to do so.” (conversation)
How we feel on the inside has an extreme impact on not only us, but also all others around us, even when we think we are covering pretty well.
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