I don't know how much about us some people know.  So before I go into all that went on this weekend, I'll give a little background so you're all not totally lost.

Travis and I are ministering at a church in the Watertown, NY area, which is, for the most part, a soldiers' ministry.  I say "for the most part" because of course any person from around the area is more than welcome to come and be a part of the church.  But the soldiers' ministry part consists of a home-away-from-home for soldiers stationed here at Ft. Drum and is the major part of this particular church's mission.  It's called a "Servicemen's Home" and is designed to provide a place for single soldiers who want to live in a Christian atmosphere instead of the barracks.  They are asked to contribute with a monthly home offering to help put a dent in the cost of food, etc., and are given their own bed in a well-furnished room, the run of a well-stocked kitchen, good fellowship every night (instead of the trash that goes on in the barracks--I'll never forget that), and just plain old good friends, good food, and good times.  Most soldiers grow immensely as Christians in the servicemen's homes because instead of being surrounded by the barracks atmosphere, they and are more focused on learning about the Bible, the history of Christianity, how to treat people, etc.  I, for one, am very glad I was able to take part in one when I was a single soldier.  My husband and I were even afforded a great opportunity to be a part of a home when we were married but stationed in Korea.

In our church organization, we of course have a leadership structure, and persons who function in different roles and offices to keep us all working together and to take care of the administrative side of running a church.  The founder of the organization is still living and, even though he is around 75 years old, he still travels around the world to all of our various outreaches.  He's very much like a grandfather and generally we call him "Pastor", since technically for all of us ministers, that's the role he fills.

So, having said all that, I'll get into this weekend.

We knew that Pastor was trying to come up to see us.  Finally we found out that he and his wife were coming this past Friday.  It all seemed to work together.  While 1st Brigade has been deployed, there really hasn't been too much going on as far as activities at the church, except for the normally scheduled ones.  The church building itself has been needing some spring cleaning and minor fixing up here and there.  Well, the brothers and Sister Heather Jack came back from war and were ready to jump in and get things moving.  We scrubbed, cleaned, painted and made the whole place shine.  It was great.  One day we had some music going and one song I really like came on--"I got a feeling everything's gonna be alright..."  I was jumping around and we were all just having fun.  Over at the servicemen's home, they were doing some cleaning and fixing up, too.

So Pastor and Sister came on Friday.  The whole weekend was a bunch of eating, fellowshipping, church services... and some sleeping here and there, too.  I had a blast.  Not only because they are just fun people to be around, but because I'm actually getting to know them more.  As a student in Seminary, I kept my distance.  I never tried to get to know them, but just watched them.  But this visit was great because I saw them as a brother and a sister.  And really we all are.  Even though some are placed in positions of leadership and decision-making--and in that sense there is honor due to them--we are all brothers and sisters in Christ who all had to come from that common ground at the foot of the cross.  He didn't come in here pushing his weight around, even though he could have.  He just showed himself as a brother in Christ.

So anyway, that was cool.

God also dealt with me this weekend about the vanity and futility of the pursuits of this life.  (Vanity, not in the sense of conceit, but vain like void, empty, worthless.)  Nothing was said by anyone about this, but God was dealing with my heart.  Like Solomon said, "I began to hate life..."  I saw a glimpse of how temporary this life is and how focusing on it is a waste of precious time.  Yes, we have to live life, but to allow it to run our minds or to overpower God being first in our lives is such a waste.

There were other things that God dealt with.  And again, nothing really was said, but while I was praying, God was showing me things in my life.  A lot of me got polished up and refocused.