It is amazing to me how much intellectual energy we as a Nation are spending on debating whether or not women should be in combat.  They already are.  They are performing mission essential functions across today’s battlefield.  They are medics, intelligence analysts, logisticians and many other things.  They are absolutely essential to everything the US Military does.   The idea that we should open all branches of the military to women makes no sense.  They already fight side by side with infantrymen, tankers, etc.  They are already merged.  Why do they actually need to be part of that branch?  We are a combined arms team. Each branch of the service has a specific function.  They train to be able to perform that function, and then commanders synchronize their different capabilities on the field of battle.   We have seen female warriors throughout history, starting back in ancient times.  The Bible is full of

Many times throughout my military career I was confronted with situations where I didn’t have adequate resources (people, time, or money) to accomplish the mission at hand.  I had a choice.  I could either throw up my hands and give up, or turn to God and ask him to be with me and for the strength to be able to accomplish the task with the resources available.  I chose the latter option.   Gideon had the same situation as outlined in the Book of Judges.  God came to Gideon and gave him the mission of leading the Israelites against the Medianites, a seemingly insurmountable task given resources available.  Gideon’s first response, much like Moses, was highlighting his limitations. But Lord, Gideon asked, how can I save Israel?  My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.  The Lord answered, I will be with you, and

We all need help.  We need strength, courage to do the things that need to be done on a daily basis.  There are many sources for that strength and courage.  I get mine from my relationship with God.  In Joshua 1:9 it is written Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go   Knowing that God is with us wherever we go is an amazing  source of strength.  Many times throughout my military career I was tasked to perform something that was very dangerous, but I could do it without fear knowing that God would be with me.   During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I was the Executive Officer of a Cavalry Regiment.  We were stationed in Doha, Kuwait and were the last American presence in Kuwait.  Everyone else had returned

So we’ve entered another year.  Some of us are anxious.  Some of us are afraid.  Some of us are overwhelmed with the prospect of all that needs to be done in 2016.  What will 2016 have in store for us?   I believe if we turn to Scripture God has given us the insights we need to make 2016 a wonderful year.   I find myself turning to four scripture verses as I think about 2016.  I would like to share them with you.   I believe that God has a plan.   Refer to James 4:13-15:  Now listen, you who say “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?   You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say

  Everyone has limitations, but we cannot let those limitations determine who we are.  The key is being self-aware.  I am convinced that the most important piece of furniture in our homes is our mirror.  We should routinely look in the mirror and do an honest self assessment to determine what are our strengths, and what are our weaknesses and limitations.  We should aggressively pursue candid feedback from our peers, our colleagues, our bosses, and our subordinates.  This is termed a 360 assessment.   Once we are aware of our limitations, we have many ways to work thru those.  One way is to get some additional education or experience that will allow us to improve those weaknesses.  We should always be looking for ways to improve ourselves.   Another way is to surround yourself with folks who have strengths in those areas where you fall short.  Allow them to compensate for your limitations.   Another way

On this Christmas Day let’s think about the true meaning of Christmas.  Sure, we’ll open our presents and enjoy a wonderful meal.  We will marvel at the beautiful Christmas decorations.  We will have a wonderful time with Family and friends.  That’s all great.   Let’s just carve out time on Christmas day to pause and reflect on the wonders of the day.   John 3:16 says it best:  “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”.   That is the ultimate “gift” and the ultimate sacrifice.  We can rest assured knowing that God has a place for us in Heaven and we can take great comfort knowing that our sins have been forgiven.   Let’s think about that gift, and what it means to all of us.  And…let’s commit to sharing that gift with folks God puts

I am confused.  We just finished Thanksgiving,  a time when we as Americans supposedly express our thanks for all that we have….family, friends, good health, prosperity, etc.  Then we went into a frenzied cycle of spending….Black Friday (that actually started on Thanksgiving evening), Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday (that turned into  Cyber Week in some cases).  Then finally we celebrated “National Giving Tuesday”.   What is wrong with this picture?  Don’t we have it backwards?  Shouldn’t we give first….and then spend?  It would seem to me that we should give thanks on thanksgiving….and then give to those folks less fortunate than us.   I recently gave a high school commencement address.  I told the graduating seniors that I hoped that they woud be successful, but for the right reasons.  I hoped that they would be successful because (1) they would reach positions where they could touch more lives and be more influential, and

We all have so very much to be thankful for.  We must take the time this Thanksgiving to pause and reflect on what those things are, and give thanks.  Sometimes it's easy to feel sorry for ourselves.  Maybe things are not going exactly the way we would like them to, but that is life.  Let’s concentrate, at least for one day, on the good things we have and should be thankful for.  And let’s dedicate ourselves to helping those less fortunate.   We should all be thankful that we live in America.  With all the problems we are having today, we still live in a free society.  We can express our opinion, worship where we want, vote for who we want…. all the things guaranteed in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.  Many folks take those freedoms for granted.  Sarah and I had many opportunities to be with folks who

We as a Nation are struggling to determine what we should do to assist the Syrian refugees as they flee the Assad regime in their home country.  There are tens of thousands of people who need our help.  Remember that they want what we want….freedom from fear.  They want to be able to raise their families in a safe and secure environment.  They want to be able to provide for their families.  There is a humanness dimension to all of this.  We cannot turn our backs on them.   We built on Nation by helping others.  The poem on the Statue of Liberty says it all:   Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! cries she With silent lips. Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!   This has become our National heritage. 

It is clear to me that the future of our Nation lies in the hands of our children and their children.   We have an obligation to ensure they are prepared to pick up where we leave off.   I am very concerned about what I am seeing these days in our some of our youth, primarily in the area of respect for authority.   When I hear stories about what is going on in the classrooms, I cringe.  We see numerous instances where children are being disrespectful of their teachers.  They are being unruly, causing problems, and just not paying attention.  What is going on?  I remember when I was a kid; if you acted up at school you got a whooping there…and then another one when you came home.  I knew that respect for teachers was non