Wilmington, Ohio – 1/25/2010 (Believe)

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday, I got two trunks in the mail from Baghdad.  Ann and I opened them later in the day.  It is interesting how 2 1/2 years can be put into two trunks.  Actually, there is another suitcase and a suit-bag of stuff that still needs to be sent to me, but the possessions I lived with are pretty condensed compared to the items in our home here in Ohio.

Last night, I opened one of the trunks and took out a photo album Ann gave me Christmas of 2008.  It is a mixture of pictures of the events I missed while I was in Iraq, and those I was present for.  Also, there are pictures of events I was part of in Iraq that my family was not present for.

As I was going through the pictures, my eyes became moist (it must have been something in my eyes) as I looked back upon shared memories and isolated or separate memories.  I missed so much…friendships faded….the garage became a mass storage space …my tools are located all over the house, some to never be found again…more hairs on my head became gray and some left never to return…and moments apart from my family are gone and are never to be recovered.

Tonight Ann and I were talking.  I asked her how she did it and she told me she did it one day at a time.  I searched lyrics and found a certain version of a song I want to share:

ONE DAY AT A TIME SWEET JESUS

I’m only Human, I’m just a person
Lord help me believe in all that I am and all that I do
Show me the stairway, I have to climb
Lord for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time

Ch: One day at a time sweet Jesus
That’s all I’m asking of you
Just give me the strength to do everyday, what I have to do
Yesterdays gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine
Lord help me today show me the way
One day at a time.
Do you remember, when you walked among men,
Well Jesus you know, if your looking below
Its worse now and then.
Cheating and stealing violence and crime
Lord for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time

Ann is so nice to me. She supports me and understands even when I don’t.  Also, my family understood and took care of her when she needed them. Even Lily, Katie’s Chocolate Lab watched over Ann while I was gone.

Lily got older while I was gone.  She is 8+ years old now and breathes hard when she sleeps.  The landing on the stairs is worn where she slept while I was gone. Bernie, my Golden Retriever, is here now, watching over us so Lily can rest.

Sorry for the rambling, not sure where I am going with this, other than when you need support the most you see where it comes from.

A friend on Facebook posted a picture that showed me as being one of the good guys that everyone knows.  If only they knew the life I have led and the things I have done both good and bad.  Where would they classify me then?  What sets me apart is my belief in God and my belief and acceptance of Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  You see, none of us are good.  If our acts of good were put on a scale with the bad acts, or sins, on the other side of the scale none of us would pass the test.

We are told this in Scripture.  However, we all want to control things and believe that we are the masters of our own destiny…how wrong we are.  With a blink of an eye our lives could be over here, whether by a heart attack or a drunk driver, or a person going left of center while answering a text message, or something unexpected.

Tonight must be a rambling night for me, but I have all this stuff I want to tell you.  Words don’t seem enough to get my message across.  Hmmmm, the cross is the message and has been the message for more than 2000 years.   By believing in Him and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you can be saved.  Isn’t that a better way to go, knowing our Father is waiting for us with open arms?

Love,
Jimmy

Wilmington, Ohio – 01/07/2010 (Breathe for God)

Dear Family and Friends,

Life is good.  I have been home from Iraq now for over two months.  Today I shoveled snow, which reminded me of all the things I missed while I was in Iraq.

Working from home has its challenges, but I am now getting more and more used to it.  I am relaxed, but still getting my work done.  Sometimes I don’t have a shower until later in the day, after my workout, but there usually isn’t anyone around to notice except for Lilly (Chocolate Lab), Bernie (my Golden Retriever), and K-K (Katie’s cat).

The government reduced the funding of the Iraq project and many of my friends have “rolled-off” the project and are now looking for another engagement with the company or seeking employment with another company.  Basically we lost about $5 million in funding, which is very difficult to recover from.  The change in funding is due to the shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan.

As you may know, I was supposed to go back to Iraq on the 13th of November and not return back to the US until the 22nd of December.  I savored all the time between the 13th of November and the 22nd of December as time I wouldn’t have had with my family and friends in the US.  Now the time is upon me where I would have returned to Iraq from my Christmas R&R.  Now I am savoring each moment as time I wouldn’t have had with my family and friends in the US.

If you have read my earlier postings, you will know all the times I discussed enjoying each moment with those you love.  I talked about how being in a war-zone made me appreciate every moment I had, every breath I took, and helped me to realize what is really important in my life: My relationship with Jesus, my wife, and my family and friends.  I hope my now being is the US will not cause me to revert back to my old ways of letting the “small stuff” bother me.

We never know when we will take our last breath.  It could be a minute from now or 30 years from now – we just don’t know.  I hope with each breath I take, that I will exhale my thanks to God for loving me enough to give His Son for me…and for all of you.  So when that last breath comes, I hope I am ready to meet my Lord and Savior.  I hope that I continue to breathe for God by living my life for Him.  I hope the same thing for all of you.

Love,
Jimmy

Wilmington, OH – 12/02/2009 (Life is Good with the Lord)

Dear Family and Friends,

Life is good.  I was supposed to go back to Iraq on November 12th.  It is now the 2nd of December and I am still home.  Every moment I have with Ann, family, and friends is a moment I wouldn’t have had if I had gone back.  I wouldn’t have been back until the 22nd of December so each day I have at home is a bonus day God has given me.

We had 16 people over for Thanksgiving.  I grilled my first turkey on a outdoor grill rotisserie.  As a matter of fact, it was the first thing I have grilled on the rotisserie.  I have had it for 2 1/2 years, but I used it for the first time on Thanksgiving.

Working from home is not without its challenges – I feel like I have to work all of the time.  It has bonuses though -  Ann and I are making up for all of the time I was away.  We have lunch together, supper together, and wake up next to each other every day. 

Bernie is not getting away with as much as he was when I was gone, but he is a special dog and sleeps at my feet when I am working or watching a little TV at night.  I am even training Lily, Katie’s Chocolate Lab, to sit before going outside, before I will give her food, or before coming back inside the house.  K-K, Katie’s cat, even lets me pick her up to get her past the dogs or the construction area that used to be our kitchen.

That is another thing – I am home while the guys are installing our new kitchen floor.  If I hadn’t been here, Ann would have had to take time off from work, unpaid most likely, but not while I am home!  I am on a first name basis with the guys installing out kitchen floor, which tells you how long it has taken.  They may be finished on Friday, so we will have a functioning kitchen again on Saturday, after the glue dries.

All of the above is great.  I love being home with Ann and my family, but there is a special place in my heart for all those friends, coworkers, and Iraqis I left behind.  I don’t feel like I got a chance to say goodbye.  So much happened to me over there.  I realized how large the world is.  I realized even more how much I love my family and friends, and most importantly, I realized how much God loves me and you.

Sleep easy, friends and family.  God is in control and He watches over us even when we think we don’t need Him to.

Love,
Jimmy

Wilmington, Ohio – 11/23/2009 (Update)

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, working from home is going well.  Every day Ann and I see each other is wonderful. Every day, hour, minute, second since November 12th, when I was scheduled to head back to Iraq, that I spend with Ann, Katie, family and friends is a gift.

Love,
Jimmy

Wilmington, Ohio – 11/18/2009 (Blessings)

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope you are all doing well.  I am doing great as I settle back into life in the US.  My office is set-up in the boy’s room on the third floor.  It gets me away from the hustle and bustle…well, away from the dogs and cat at least.

A friend said something to me the other day.  He told me that even though he hasn’t experienced rockets and mortars, he has experienced the difficulties of being away from his family during extended periods of time.  It really got me thinking.

Life as we live it has joys, sadness, challenges, and is not a real smooth ride sometimes.  If we rely on our own strengths we will find the ride is difficult at the very least.  Sometimes, tragedy strikes.  Loved ones get sick, friends die, parents age and become the ones we take care of rather than the ones who take care of us.  Jobs come and go, sometimes of our own choosing and sometimes someone chooses for us.

My point is, even though I was in a location where we were attacked by weapons, we also have our own rockets and mortars here in the US.  As I laid down at night in Baghdad praying for God’s protection, as I read the Bible for comfort, as I worshiped with others from many other nations, it shouldn’t stop just because I sleep in a bed in Wilmington, Ohio.  As you lay down tonight, pray that God keeps the enemy from ‘launching weapons’ at you as you sleep.  As you walk down the street or drive your car, pray that God will keep you and your loved ones safe.

One lesson I learned in Iraq is that no matter where we live, no matter how healthy we are, no matter how secure we are in our job, we all need to count each day as a blessing from God.  Each day is a gift from God.

Love,
Jimmy

Wilmington, OH – 11/11/2009 (Home at last)

Dear Family and Friends,

What a ride it has been.  Two and a half years ago Ann, Sam, Steve, Katie, friends, family, and I embarked on an adventure where I was to leave them all for work in Baghdad, Iraq.  The first trip away from home lasted 6 months, I was home for two weeks, and then back to Iraq for another 6 months.  I then took a job with another company and I started a rotation where I was in Iraq for 6 weeks and back home again for 2 weeks.  This was so much better, but the time away from home when loved ones had birthdays, holidays, and were ill and I wasn’t there made me long for the day when my family and I would have a normal life again.

Besides missing my family and friends, those of us in Baghdad were subjected to rocket and mortar attacks and small arms fire.  Showers were sometimes a unique experience when the alarms went off and explosions were heard nearby.  I read Psalm 139 a lot of times so that I would be able to sleep, knowing that “…all my days were ordained for me before one of them came to be.”  If you reread some of my old posts, especially the early ones, you will know how much God’s protection, faith He gave me, and your prayers got me through those times.

Because of the contract ending in March, we are looking for ways to reduce overhead expenses and start to move staff out of the country.  I am now in the US and will be testing performing my duties at home, with occasional trips to Alexandria during critical delivery times.  Ann and the children are all so happy and it should be good as long as I can keep performing and meeting management expectations.  The longer term plan is for me to be used for other international engagements, but with my base of operations being in the US.

It is interesting in that Ann just shared a letter with me where she told me that she was ready for me to be home again.  This came from her ‘in case a bear eats me letter’ she wrote when she was on her Outward Bound adventure. 

Perhaps this is the end of the Iraq adventure, but not the end of the adventure of life that the Lord has given us.  I will keep you posted, but for now, I am home to stay.  Thank you for all of your support and prayers over the past 2 1/2 years. 

Your prayers are still needed for all of those military members still in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations throughout the world.  Also, remember to pray for the civilians that support them and the rebuilding of unstable areas.  Last but not least, please remember to pour out your prayers for the family and friends of those left behind.

Love,
Jimmy

 

Wilmington, OH – 11/04/2009 (Weekend Away)

Dear Family and Friends,

I have been home for a week now and have had a great time seeing my family and friends…unfortunately, not all of you, yet.

Ann and I went to Glen Laurel this past weekend and stayed in a cottage.  We hiked a lot and enjoyed soaking our tired muscles in the hot-tub on the back deck after the long hikes.  We had a 6-course dinner the night before we left, good thing because we needed to be all fueled up for our zip-lining through the trees in Hocking Hills!  At one point we were sailing though the trees at about 60 feet off of the ground.  Here are some pictures you will enjoy of our weekend adventure.

Head back to Baghdad on the 12th of November.  My next time at home will be at Christmas, unless the Lord has other plans for me.

Love you all and hope to see you soon.

Love,
Jimmy

Erbil – 10/19/2009 (Moving again?)

Dear Family and Friends,

Looking forward to getting home soon. Erbil is where I work, Wilmington, Ohio is where my home is.

There is talk that we may be closing the office in Erbil and moving back to Baghdad.  This is supposed to be decided today.  Please ask God to give the decision makers wisdom as we wait to hear their decision.

Love,
Jimmy

Erbil – 10/18/2009 (Words of Love)

Dear Family and Friends,

Yesterday was a great day.  After going over a week without talking to Ann, we were able to talk yesterday after she completed her Outward Bound adventure.  Every day I thought of her, prayed for her safety, and prayed that she would have a great time.  She had a great, challenging time, but those of us left behind to wait for her experienced a period of loneliness and longed to hear her voice.

I thought about this quite a bit, as I thought of what I would do if I couldn’t talk to her again in this life.  What if something happened to her or to me, where we wouldn’t be able to see each other, talk to one another, or touch one another?  What a sad time that would be.   I thought of friends who have lost loved ones, and felt a new appreciation and concern for what they went through and continue to go through every day apart from one another.  I know they long for the day when they will be reunited with their loved ones.

I also think of those who willingly give up time with one another, because of divorce or infidelity and mourn for their loss.  I don’t understand how they could give up the relationship with the one-time love of their lives.  I know there is a lot of temptation in the world.  This is not new, even Proverbs in the Bible warns against adultery and being led astray.  However, what causes two people to ‘fall out of love?”  I don’t understand this at all.

It is difficult being away from Annie, but I know when I go home out hearts will both leap for joy and we will settle back into the freedom that love and trust give us.  Don’t misunderstand, we both have our moments, but when the night draws to a close, we are together basking in the love that He gave us for one another.

I head home again on the 26th of October.  I hope to see you all then, but in case I don’t, don’t worry, I will be with the one I love.

Love,
Jimmy

Erbil – 10/02/2009 (Random Thoughts – Again)

Birthday dinner with the team in Erbil

Where we live in Erbil – No T-Walls

LOML and Bernie

Lily, Bernie, and me

My brother John and me

Dear Family and Friends,

Shirley reminded me that I haven’t posted for a while, and I apologize that I haven’t been letting you know what is going on.  It’s no excuse, but I have spent more time on Facebook lately than my blog.  I do find that it is easier to post pictures on Facebook.  However, it is important that I keep posting my thoughts and activities on this blog so that I can remember my time here and so I can share with you part of my life.

I am still in Erbil and life here is definitely better than life in Baghdad.  I am running outside again and even though I am having some heel and hip pain that is keeping me from running as much as I want, I thank God for every step of a run I am able to take.  I run with a guy named Monty.  He just turned 50, but he can run circles around me.  I remember it wasn’t that long ago when I was that young

I traveled to Baghdad last week to work with two managers there.  Because of the changes in the IZ and being evicted from their office building just before it was turned back over to the Government of Iraq, they all live and work in the same compound.  They are not able to run outside where they live and can’t just walk around and breath the fresh air like we do here. It was so nice to see all of my friends and coworkers there, but to tell you the truth, I was glad to get back here to Erbil.

Ann and I are thinking about what we are doing career wise.  I am sure most of you ‘older’ people have gone through or are going through the same thing.  Evaluation of where we are in our lives and what we want to do with the rest of our lives are some of the thoughts going through our heads.  Being away from each other is not where we want to be, so we are praying and listening for direction.

Today is my day off.  I hope to start it with a long run and not work as much today as on a normal day.  If I get a chance, I will try and take some pictures today and post them for you.

Remember how much I love and care about you all.

Love,
Jimmy