Friday, March 30, 2007

Where is your faith?

Yesterday, Wednesday 28 of March 2007, during the whole morning I was nervous. Why? Wednesday has become the day of visiting the Army recruiter to get taped to measure the body fat percentage. The last several weeks that I had visited it has been "bad news." It was getting frustrating to be told that I haven't gotten under the 24%.

So, in order to deal with the anxiety I decided to play the mp3 Bible on my laptop and listen to the scriptures. Of course, I am looking for inspiration and encouragement, instead I get a gentle rebuke. I was listening to the portion of the Gospel of Luke that the disciples ask Jesus why they weren't able to cast an evil spirit out of a young boy. Jesus replied, "You of little faith." BOOM! Not just for the disciples but also for me. I was faced with the question, "Where is your faith?"

I was facing the truth that I have been trying to accomplish the will of God through my own strength. A good reminder that I can never fulfill the will of God apart from believing and trusting the Living God to empower me through His Spirit, who was given to all Christians through Jesus Christ. So, I said a prayer of repentence, asking the Lord to forgive me for not trusting and having faith in His faithfulness and power to fulfill His perfect will. I called upon my wife and kids to pray that today there would be a breakthrough. Our combined faith that this time around I would meet the physical requirement was sealed with a family prayer.

At the recruiting station, the doors to the center were open but the office to the Army recruiter was closed. It was already 4 pm, so I thought that they were closed for the day. While sitting in my car and talking to my wife on the cell phone in the parking lot of the recruiter's station and telling her that the office was closed, a mini-van pulled up right next to my car; it was Sgt. Taylor (the recruiter). "Praise the Lord," I told my wife. The recruiter enters the station and I follow right behind him. He already knows why I am there, so when he was all settled in he pulled out the tape. The first thing he measures is my waist (the trouble area). As he wraps the tape around my waist I am praying and trusting the Lord for a breakthrough. A moment of silence as he looks to see the measurement and then he says, "You're...you are 38 and a half." I was about to rejoice but then he started checking my neck size. Checking the neck size is just as important because the neck size can skew the whole formula. Having a waist size of 38.5 inches means nothing if my neck size is less than 17 inches; if would place me above the 24%. The verdict, my neck was 17 inches. These numbers placed me at 23.36%. I passed! My chaplain recruiter was excited about the news as well. Another breakthrough!

Time to move to the next phase: MEPS. MEPS stands for Military Entrance Processing Station. This is when I get a physical to determine if my overall body will meet and pass the Army standard for chaplains. This will soon be scheduled for next week. The chaplain recruiter will let me know when the examination date is set.

What about my faith? It will always boil down to trusting the Lord my God to walk with me and to be the one who makes the breakthroughs happen. I am renewed again to trust in the Living God for the impossible. He who has called me will also equip me.

Are you ready for a breakthrough?

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Up and Down

Today, I was hoping to meet the physical requirement for the Army; but, I came up short. I do mean very short. The required body fat percentage is under 24% and I am still slightly above it.

I thought that after all the PT that I have done I would have already been under 24%.

So, if I want to see a breakthrough take place, I've got to kick-up another notch. I am determined more than ever to get under the 24% by next Wednesday. Like my wife would say, "If you really want it that bad, you would do something about it." Thank you! By the grace of God, I will do something about it and the Lord will receive the glory for it.

Next week, I intend to give a good report because I am looking for a Breakthrough!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Breakthrough

Breakthrough is defined as "an offensive thrust that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line in warfare."

I hope to share through this blog all the various breakthroughs that have taken place in my life as I pursue the call of God to become a United States Army Chaplain. I want to declare the wonders of God's mighty power as He leads me to achieve and live out this dream. Praise be to the Lord God Almighty.

Although I am not currently a chaplain, I have seen God's grace on my life in the pursuit of this endeavor.

The Evening Sun Newspaper did a story on my pursuit. Here is the link: http://www.eveningsun.com/fastsearchresults/ci_5349858

The only thing at those time that is holding up the process to enter the chaplaincy is the physical qualification. I need to have a Body Fat Percentage under 24%. Currently, I am at 24.12%. I am so close, but not there yet. When I first started I was at 34%. By God's grace I have lost close to 10% body fat.

After meeting this requirement, the next hurdle will be passing the Army Medical Examination. If I pass the examination, it will line me up for the Commissioning Board of the United States Army Chaplain Corp, which will grant me to join as a commissioned officer.

I am trusting the Lord Jesus Christ for another incredible breakthrough.