New Year's Goals

Well as my last post was a list of the things I have done this year. I want to put in writing the things I hope to accomplish this year. Then at the end of the year I'll see if it happened. I hope that by writing this down that anyone who reads this will help keep me accountable for them as well.

- Lose 15 lbs. (I know this is cheesy, but it really is something that I want to do)
- Read through the Old Testament.
- Start Seminary (Online classes)
- Do a real triathlon. My goal is London in August, but we'll see if the ship's schedule allows.
- Achieve an Outstanding on my SMC in August.
- Have no discrepancies on any of my returns as disbursing officer.
- Negotiate for orders to Afghanistan. Bahrain is also a choice.

I think that's enough for one year. Like I said I would like to be held accountable for accomplishing my goals. Happy New Year to everyone.

Another year gone by....

This is the time of year that I become very sentimental. I am heading back to StL this coming weekend and am very much looking forward to seeing or talking to as many people as possible. Its been an eventful year. I have seen and done many things. As I look back over the years, I would never have imagined living the life that I live right now. Last year I posted "A year of Firsts" (see myspace). I thought now as good as a time as any for another list of adventures.

- Finished my trip around the world by flying from StL to San Diego. I had flown from Norfolk to Azores to Naples to Souda Bay, Greece to Bahrain, to Diego Garcia, to Singapore, to Tokyo, to LA. This completed the circle.
- Learned to control helos on and off the flight deck. Very Challenging.
- Worked with Night Stallions, helos that fly our special forces in and out of battle in the dead of night with no lights.
- Got my first apartment by myself...and furnished it completely. I had my seabag and about 12 boxes...no furniture.
- Traveled to Guam
- Traveled to Philippines to meet the ship.
- Attempted Humanitarian Aid off the coast of Burma (Actually we did circles for a month waiting to do nothing)
- Traveled to Thailand (Payetta and Bangkok) Missed all the protests though.
- Completed a Hull Swap. The USS JUNEAU swapped out with the USS DENVER. I am now on the USS DENVER and the USS JUNEAU was decommissioned on Oct 30, 2008.
- Traveled to Tokyo for five days and had a vacation with Tony on his way through.
- Climbed Mt. Fuji. Eight hours of agony. Old saying goes "He who climbs Mt. Fuji once is wise, to climb it twice is to be a fool." Something I will take to heart.
- Traveled to the Philippines again (We go there as much as we do Okinawa).
- Saw a live Amphibious exercise of an amphibious attack off the coast of South Korea. There were AAV's, C-130's dropping things out of the sky, helos, explosions, F/A 18 flybys. It was awesome.
- Traveled to Hong Kong. Did lots of shopping.

God has truly blessed my life. I have great friends at home and am having great adventures abroad. Live life with no regrets. The more I learn to follow Jesus the more I realize just how blessed I am. Looking forward to seeing everyone when I come home for a while. I have missed you all.

Hong Kong

This is one of the main reasons that I jumped at the chance to join the Navy. To travel the world and see places I would not normally see. We just finished a long needed liberty port visit to the great island of Hong Kong. We were anchored in the harbor and had a great view of the city. The view was even better at night if that is possible. This is the Wall Street of China only its an entire island. We took a water taxi to the pier in the heart of the city and from there went to our 5 star hotel on the Kowloon side. In order to get there we had to take another ferry. We stayed at the Royal Plaza Hotel. It also happened to be attached to a shopping mall. We hit the mall for lunch (I had a traditional chinese noodle/meatball soup). Then downtown for shopping. We hit the Opal Mine because I had some special shopping to do. Then we hit a Irish Pub for some beers and enjoyed the rest of the evening wandering downtown. We headed back a bit early because we were all exhausted. We got breakfast the next morning by room service. Then we hit the Bird Market and the Flower Market. Off to Ladies Market and did more shopping. I got a great painting of Hong Kong harbor. We had to get back to the ship because we had to attend a reception on the USS ESSEX in dress blues. Then out on the town again to the club district. We hit a few bars, including the "ice bar" where they serve vodka shots in a freezer that you take pictures in. It was pretty cool. It was one of the best ports that we have hit in quite some time. Again a great time with great people.

My Job

We were in the Philippines last week on liberty. It is not the best liberty port I have ever been to, but it does its job. We get a massage and get good food. We go out and enjoy the SMBA compound. I have never quite figured out why the Navy left the Philippines. We still spend as much time there as any other place. In fact in many ways the place has never changed. The whole infrastructure is still there as well as the fences. Its still a different world from the rest of the area. But the thing I noticed more than anything happened on my way back to the ship on the first night. I looked at the old girl USS DENVER and I realized that I have a very unique job. I actually travel around on a warship. Who does that really? I mean there are of course the merchant sailors and such, but I get to travel the world on an amphibious platform dock. My ship lands marines on beaches, acts a lily pad for marine helicopters, and does everything in reverse when we leave. It is one of the most unique things I have ever seen. Just like when I went to Diego Garcia and it took a while for me to really come to terms with the fact that I lived on a tropical island paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean and get paid for it, this is much the same. I get to do some pretty awesome stuff. I live and work on a warship in the United States Navy. Totally cool. I know there are people with more awesome jobs than me. But I enjoy mine just the same.

A Reflection

Two days in a row, must be a record. I am feeling very reflective tonight and thought I would share my thoughts.

There were many times in my life when I used to be the person that everyone looked up to. I am not so sure of that anymore. I think as I have gotten older, I have realized how many of them are the ones that I look up to. There was a story told to me once that went something like this..."Tommy wanted to be like Harry, who wanted to be like Tim, who wanted to be like Sam, who wanted to be like Jim, who wanted to be like Fred, who wanted to be like Mike, who wanted to be like Tommy." Funny how that works sometimes. I want to be like Jesus. I am nowhere close and failing miserably. I'm not even in the same stadium.

I am Bible College educated, ministry experienced and I am no example to anyone. This is not me feeling sorry for myself, so don't take this as that. I want to make sure that I am not trying to put on some self-imposed false humility. I have this committment posted next to my bed. And I have decided that it is something that I want to live by. I am not even close. But every night before I go to sleep I write it down in my journal. Maybe someday my banner will be clear enough for Christ to recognize what I could become. For only he knows. I am not unhappy with my life. I have no regrets about doing what I do. I am simply not there yet. And God help me, if I ever think I have arrived.

May God bless you and keep you, all my friends. For He knows how much of a blessing you have been in my life as I try to emulate your image of Christ in my own daily life.

Big Blue

We have been underway now for about 3 weeks. We still have some time to go before we get to head home. While I have only been here since February, I have definitely spent more time at sea than I have spent on land. The sea is something that affects each person in a different way. When you look outside and see nothing but water in all directions, it can be very overwhelming.

For many the sea is a dreadful overpowering force. It makes one feel so small and insignificant to think about the power of water and how we have no control over where it goes or what it does. Its been known to swallow whole civilizations in a single night and yet leave something unscathed. Almost like tornadoes that I grew up with only on a much bigger scale. It has been known to drive many to a cabin fever like attitude. Being stuck on a ship with only the people you left with for 3 months and no land can drive many people mad. Believe me, I have seen many sailors have nervous breakdowns apart from family and no place of their own to hide.

For me however, the sea has a very calming affect. I am less afraid of being at sea than I am of flying in an airplane across the oceans. There is a rhythm and routine about life at sea. God is very kind in knowing that I love when life finds that rhythm. There is a scene in the movie "Shawshank Redemption" talking about the Pacific ocean. Tim Robbin's character says, "The pacific ocean has no memory." There are so many spiritual things that could come out of that statement. God says he will cast my sins as far as the east is from the west and remember them no more. The pacific ocean is so vast that you will never look at the same water twice. I find that to be truely beautiful. Every day is a new adventure when on the open ocean, as you are always finding new territory to explore. God is truly great in all his creation is He not? Some day I hope to see it all.

Hays Gray and Underway

Well there is one big fundamental difference between being on the JUNEAU and being on the DENVER. The DENVER rocks a whole lot more than the JUNEAU and yet I have been less sea sick. Its that time of year again. Off on Fall Patrol and doing what we do best...getting Marines to where they need to go. Its been a busy deployment so far. We have been doing AAV (amphibious assault vehicles for you non navy types) ops and recovering LCU's and LCAC's. I got to send a few of my guys out on the AAV's the other day and they had an absolute blast. They deserve it. They work long hours and get little thanks, like anyone else in a food service profession. We spent a few days in Okinawa getting loaded up and playing a round of golf. Unfortunately I didn't get to finish my whole game. My group was so slow we actually got yanked with two holes left to go. It was a good time though. My good friends sent me a care package the other day. It was perfect timing. They sent books and candy and some toiletries from the States. All things that are dearly missed. It made the whole deployment. We were able to celebrate some of my guys birthdays with some brownies and cake. Its not very often they get to do something that is just them. Its been a great beginning. I'm sure it will only get better.