So it has been almost a month since the last post. That means I am either lazy or busy. This time I can actually claim the busyness factor. This has started to subside now that things are getting routine and should let up a bit in a little over a week when I get my next two major assignments complete.
On a good note, I again survived the campout for Duke Basketball tickets for the Graduate Students and the lottery chose me for season tickets for the second straight year. Nothing like staying up for 36 hours straight to get tickets for essentially one game, UNC. The rest of the home schedule pretty much sucks but at least I get to go to some of the games as our group divides the tickets between the entire group that tented together. It is a great way to get to know others and it raised about $3500 for local charities over Friday and Saturday.
The semester is going well despite an initial feeling that I had over extended myself. I have been amazed at the time demand that campus ministry, my internship this year, places on people. It is such a good practice for becoming a military chaplain that the time commitment is well worth whatever stress it may induce. I get to work with young adults of the same age as my future Sailors and Marines dealing with all of the same issues as those in the military. Just like being a military chaplain, campus ministry is all about being present and available in their lives. I am blessed that this opportunity basically fell into my lap for this year. It would be better if I was getting paid for the work, but I didn't jump ship for the pay. Having to work for no money really forced me to deal with the fact that ministry is a calling and not a job. I just have to trust that I have the resources now and will have them later after I graduate and get a paying job again.
As with the Chaplain thing, I am at a loss for words with what happened on the USS Nebraska this past weekend. Apparently, the details are still not official, one of the junior sailors died while cleaning around a piece of gear that is powered by high pressure hydraulics. The gear moved and sliced his leg causing a mortal injury. My prayers are with those on board the sub and all of his brothers in the fleet that knew him. I never lost a shipmate while underway, but did lose some from other causes and those were traumatic. I can't imagine what they are dealing with losing him while underway. Hearing of times like this affirm my calling in that I am able to see the need for the Chaplain Corps in the overall health of the units they serve. These are the exact reasons why Chaplains are needed throughout the military. The service members constantly stare death down every day and need someone there to provide the care when death claims an occasional victory.
