As I have thought on different things to write about my mind has wandered over the past couple of years or so of my life. As my mind has wandered several things have stood out.
One those things is that transitioning out of the military was a lot harder than I thought it would be… at least for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the freedom of “civilian life,” but there are certain aspects of Navy life that I miss. I miss the camaraderie, the family like-team that a boat of submariners develops into, the way everyone succeeds and even fails together, and even the whole “be somewhere for a little while and then relocate” pattern of life.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not signing back up or anything, just saying that getting out was a much more difficult transition then I thought it would be. What I have found though, is that many of the things that I miss about being in the Navy are the very things that I long for the most in my thoughts of being a part of Christ’s Church. The camaraderie, or family-life mentality, the unity in both success and failure, and even the constant shifting of people, money, and resources around from one location to another.
It is still my heart’s desire to serve and shepherd within Jesus’ body, a desire that has burned in me for going on 8 years now, but as I continue walking with Christ that desire has shifted… developed… matured.
The reason we came back to Apple Valley was because we saw a need here. We saw a people and a place that needed to be set free. Set free from the bondage of materialism, set free from the bondage of destructive living, set free from the bondage of drugs and gangs, set free from the bondage of luke-warm, self-exalting Christianity… set free from the bondage of sin.
In a way… it felt like a call back to what I missed… a call to arms, a call to deployment, a call to service. And in this call… God is good. He continues to unfold His plan in our lives and continues to work in my heart… showing me my own shortcomings, my own bondage, and then… with the power of His Gospel… setting me free.
Which, in a round about sort of way, brings me back to the topic at hand… what to write about.
The answer… at least in part…
“The things that have entangled me, and how The Gospel has set me free.”
Some of these things have come from what I have seen and experienced over time, in every corner of the country, in several different church bodies. Some of these things have stemmed from my experiences in the military, experiences at work, experiences at home, and experiences in the church. Some of these things have grown out of my own immaturity or lack of knowledge… But all of these things have, at their root, found their beginnings in my sinful human nature.
A short list of coming topics is:
The Old & New Covenants
Life in the New Covenant (Laws, Priests, Churches, Giving, Serving, and Missions)
Jesus in the Old Testament
and
Heaven & Hell
While these topics will no doubt keep me busy for some time, they are but a starting point… which is where I need your help.
First of all, I am curious to know the things that have hindered you in your walk, and the stories that accompany these things. What has God taught you? What is He still teaching you? Where have you strayed, and how has Christ restored you?
Secondly, what are the things that you would like to understand more fully? What do you struggle with in the faith? What seems to hinder you from experiencing the fullness of life in Christ?
If there is anything you want to share with me I would love to hear. You can comment to this post, message me on facebook, e-mail, or even call me. If you don’t have my e-mail or phone # then just comment to this post with a way for me to get ahold of you, it will go to my e-mail, and then I will get a hold of you.
I Look forward to hearing from you…
-Alan
