| #1The words to the John Rich song "Good Lord and the Man" really hits home to us all: "Well, I'm the grandson of a soldier And I'd fight the whole world over If duty called and freedom's on the line But thanks to the greatest generation And the ones still fighting for our nation I've never had to kill for my way of life If it wasn't for the good Lord and the man There wouldn't be a breath of freedom in this land And I see people on my TV taking shots at uncle Sam I hope they always remember why they can 'Cause we'd all be speakin' German Livin' under flag of Japan If it wasn't for the good Lord and the man....................." As I've shared often in my line of work, I treat soldiers at a U.S. Army Medical facility....Troops coming back from Afghanistan tell of a tough, well-trained enemy encamped in either desert or mountainous terrain......they fire at U.S. troops from trenches that can only be destroyed with a direct hit with heavy explosives......narrow roads, in hilly terrain make it easy for the enemy to use concealed bombs to trigger explosions, stopping a convoy and exposing it.....then Taliban fighters surrounding it on three sides in deadly cross-fires Soldiers wear helmets that weigh up to 5 pounds, body armor up to 30 pounds, not including weapons, canteens, etc......some extreme desert areas require soldiers to drink up to 4 gallons of water a day just to stay alive...... Some soldiers arrive at my shop after being thrown around in armored vehicles......the infamous IED explosions we ALL have heard about ......neck and head injuries happen frequently if they are slammed around inside "metal crates" .....limbs are severed if you step on a land mine....psychiatric appointments are on the increase, with post traumatic stress disorder a problem, along with post-concussion syndrome............after receiving a medical appointment in writing, the soldier may put the paper in their pocket, forget they had it, and ask the clerk for an appointment slip.....I am required to take training classes to recognize symptoms for possible suicides in soldiers and family members because suicide is at an all time high from soldiers returning from war..... Even though I am 54 years old, sometimes I want to wrap my arms around these fighters like they are my OWN SONS.... With my OWN EYES I see the SACRIFICES these people are making for ME and America...and, like John Rich pointed out in HIS song, I hope America does NOT have to learn to speak Arabic or any other language in the future..... In Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing,"...........as Christ paid the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE for us........ I hope and pray no more Americans must pay the "ultimate sacrifice" or "last level of devotion" to keep America free....... After thinking about these payments, my small problems seem insignificant..... Keep Zac Coakley in your prayers as he leaves for Iraq this week........ Blessings, Gary McCorkle, Nevils United Methodist Church and Dayspring Emmaus Walk #56 |
| Week 2First Things First Genesis 11:4 "They said, Come let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name." A deer-hunting club I know has a good rule. After their hunts, they divide the kill equally among all of the hunters so that everyone gets some. Some hunters take what they kill and offer none to anyone, even the owner. That is a bad policy and bad manners. The people of Babel were like that - selfish. They did everything for themselves and even ignored God. Good men sometimes spend most of their time on themselves and leave out their wives, children, and God. They realize what they have done too late, when their children are grown up and out of control or when their wife leaves. Our first priority must be God, second is spouse and family, and everything else is down the line. Joy comes when we put first things first. Prayer. Lord, I admit that I neglect You and my family far too much. Help me get my priorities straight. In Jesus' Name, Amen. |
| Week 3Psalms 127: 3-5 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in ones youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. Mark 10: 14-15 Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. Earlier this season, I had the great fortune of helping my daughter take her first deer. It was a very exciting time for both of us. We watched two does work their way around a food plot for twenty minutes before one of them presented her a shot that I felt comfortable she could make. She waited patiently until the doe positioned itself broadside to us at about 40 yards. She squeezed the trigger slowly just like she was coached, and when the rifle reported, the doe fell in its tracks. I haven't had that much excitement while deer hunting in a long time. I'm sure it would've been back in my younger days, when my perspective on things was a little more carefree. That evening, I relived the feelings of excitement from some of my earliest hunting memories through the emotions of my child. This is exactly what Jesus was saying in the book of Mark. Something as simple as a lizard in the tree stand does little to garner my attention while my daughter thinks of it as a grand event; a hen turkey or an armadillo may aggravate us underneath our tree but our children will study their every move. We should take the time to step back and receive our experiences afield like a child. God's work is around us every time we go out in the woods and we should marvel in it the same way our children do. As we enter the Christmas season, we as Christians take time to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, who was sent to us by God. Our children are also one of our many gifts from God. There is no better way to honor them than to spend time with them and show them some of the natural wonders that God provided us while spending time outdoors. Sportsman's Tip: Even after you get down from your tree stand, don't stop hunting. Quietly slip back to your truck stopping every few steps to check out what's around you. I have seen quite a few deer and even taken some nice bucks just slipping through the woods. Godspeed, Tim Cooper |
| Week 4 |
week 2