Back home:

Monday morning...one cup of java into the day...and all is well. I am attempting to recover from slight jet lag. There is only 3 hours difference between Northeast Indiana and Seattle, WA, but sometimes that can make a huge impact.

I apologize to all who checked this blog and expected to see something on Thursday and Friday of last week. I ended up with one of my infamous migraines while on this missions trip to Ft. Lewis - and frankly could not get online to get pics or text posted to this blog. I know you understand.

We arrived back home in South Bend a little after 11pm on Saturday night. I ended up falling into bed on Sunday morning around 2am. (This of course made for a long day on Sunday - with all the regular responsibilities and the reports from WA, etc) I also had planned a SNAC activity for our teens after the evening service - and then went from that into the tailend of a board meeting. Nothing like packing it all in on one day - especially the first day back from the West coast.

This trip was very rewarding. It was great to get the work done out at the Christian Fellowship House in Tillicum, WA - and see the soldiers enthusiasm for our efforts. It was even more rewarding to minister to these incredibly strong - and young - military personnel. These men and women prepare to fight physical battles across the world, and remain - as the rest of us - entrenched in spiritual warfare as well. I pray that our little conversations...those that ran deep quickly...made an impact and encouraged them to keep on going for Christ. I will never look at the news the same, nor will I ever think of the military without thinking of the fine soldiers I met while visiting Ft. Lewis. They truly are heroes.

It is good to be back home and jumping back into my ministry here with both feet. I am energized to be faithful in serving my Commander, Jesus Christ. While in Seattle I read a verse in Psalm 37 which included these two words: ...cultivate faithfulness... That is my desire for my life: to cultivate faithfulness in every aspect of it.

While I go to meditate even more on how these words will impact my life, I will once again stop by the java fountain and refill. I've been drinking from my Starbucks mug that I purchased while in WA... good stuff.