This week before Christmas seems as if it is taking forever to pass. I'm looking forward to the worship services and other celebrations scheduled this weekend I suppose. But in another way I'm trying to keep my mind off not being there with my family. I was visiting with one of the units yesterday. The conversation turned to what people would be missing and what people would partake of when they got home. Upon thinking, the thing I first want when I get home is one big hug from my family. I miss my girls snuggling up with me on the couch and watching TV or telling me about their day.
I had a heart racing experience the other night. I was out in an area where there is a small coffee shop set up and an outside sitting area. Talking with some folks, I looked up to see a red trail arcing across the sky toward our area. I just knew it was a rocket launch and I could tell it was coming close. I was just about ready to key down my radio to call it in and raise the alarm when it broke into a number of pieces. It was a meteor breaking up in the atmosphere, one of the last of a couple of days of the latest meteor shower, but this one was a big one. Really beautiful. Much better than a rocket launch.
I have the best job in the Air Force. Yesterday I was able to help an enlisted person with an issue that chain of command relationships prevented him from being able to deal with directly. But one of the blessings of being a chaplain is we can engage the chain of command at whatever level needs to be engaged to work an issue. In this case, I actually tag teamed with an army chaplain to get r done. Great stuff!
Tomorrow night our EMEDS staff will have their last and greatest town hall meeting. I anticipate that it will be one major blow out of a celebration with general teasing of all. These guys are a phenomenal team.
Most of my ministry is fairly routine as before. Lots of vistation and counseling. Lots of plain morale work.
Those Little Debbie cakes are coming in again, and going out my door as fast as they are coming in. I've got folks coming and asking for them. I've promised two big bunches to two different groups for their holiday events. Today I will make a run taking the bulk of what recieved yesterday out to various units. Passing these things out gives me a great interface for talking to folks and taking a pulse of how they are doing.
