USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Guest Military Chaplain Service and Sunday Liberty ~ October 26 2003

Guest Military Chaplain and FRiends of the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Welcome to
The USO Canteen FReeper Style

Today's Spiritual Journey takes us to the

Navy Chaplain Corps

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Click on graphic to link to the original sermon.

 

REFLECTIONS ON GROWING OLD(ER)

Someone once said that we are now living in the age of age. In fact, there are more old people alive today than at any time in history. It was projected that by the year 2000, over half the population of the Industrial West will be over 60. There are, today, more people over 65 in the United States than the entire population of Canada. Faced with these figures, and faced with the fact that you will someday be if not already in the category of the aged, the old, or the elderly, how do you, or will you, look upon the final chapter of your book of life?

Some look at age philosophically, like Jack Benny, who said: "Age is a matter of mind; if you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Some look at age sarcastically, like the wisecracker who said: "You know you are getting old when the gleam in your eye is from the sun hitting your bifocals." Or, as Bob Hope said on his 80th birthday: "You know you're old when the candles cost more than the cake." Some view age evasively, like the elderly couple in California who were stopped for speeding and when asked where they were going in such a hurry, replied, "We're escaping from Leisure World." Some look at age shrewdly, like Agatha Christie, who quipped that she married an archaeologist so that the older she became, the more he would appreciate her.

But what about scripturally? In the Book of Genesis, Abraham made a comment about his advanced years and how his faith was strong even at 99 years of age. St. Paul even once wrote of Abraham that, "He (Abraham) did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old . . ." While his body weakened, his soul grew stronger. St. Paul wrote: " ... he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God." (Romans 4:20)

Abraham didn't need any White House Conference on Aging to figure out how to handle the afternoon of his life. His senior years were the "Sabbath" of his soul, not to rest but to refresh. They were the garnering years, alive with rich possibilities for self-realization, a time of harvest, abundant and manifold. With the patriarch as a paradigm, St. Paul intimates that age is a time of spiritual enrichment, of growing close to God. The aging saint has no time for regrets. Age is the country he's always wanted to reach. The saints go marching in! It's the land of freedom: freedom from the striving of making a living, freedom from the strains of child-raising, freedom from the real, or imaginary, necessities of social acceptance, freedom from defining one's own status by occupation, income, and social approval, freedom to live where you want, do what you want, go where you want yes, freedom at last, to wear shoes for comfort instead of for style. Age, a la Abraham, is a time to sift for nuggets of meaning, to make psychic gains, and experience spiritual satisfaction, to add life to years, not just years to life. To try to link faith and age in any other non-productive way is to have as a motto: "In God We Rust."

LCDR Jeffrey Nordhaus, CHC, USN

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

USO Canteen FReeper Style Military Support Links

Please Thank someone in the military for ensuring our Freedom.
Take a moment and Thank a Service Man or Woman.
Just Click on the graphic to SEND an e-mail.

Armed Forces Careers

Army	Navy	Air Force	Marines	Coast Guard

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need by providing homes close to a loved one during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. There are currently 31 houses located on the grounds of every major military medical center and several VA medical centers. These houses will play a critical role in caring for casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom. Donations will be used to help meet the cost of lodging for a family whose loved one was injured in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. There is a limit to the number of families who can stay in a Fisher House and program is committed to help provide lodging for families who must find commercial lodging, because the Fisher House is full.

You think you're hot?
Our military forces in Iraq sweat it out in 130 degree heat everyday!

Cool Our Troops is a non-profit effort to 'Cool' our troops in Iraq. They are raising funds to send personal misters to 50,000 military personnel serving in Iraq. The misters are portable, no batteries or electricity required, and rely on evaporation to cool surrounding temperatures by 20-30 degrees.

Access the Wounded Heroes Guestbook to write a message of encouragement for a hero wounded in the line of duty.   Messages in the Wounded Heroes Guestbook are viewed by wounded soldiers, their loved ones, and the general public.

	Links to Veteran Associations

Share your thoughts, good wishes and messages with American troops deployed around the globe. In turn, we hope those in service will be able to view them on this site, and perhaps respond themselves. ADD A SERVICEPERSON: Please help make this tribute more complete by creating a page for your own friends and family who are currently deployed around the globe.

Support the Military Relief Societies!
Please support the the Military Relief Societies that help families whose loved
ones were injured or killed in battle. Click any one of the following:

Operation Troop Trax is getting the troops
something they are all craving... Music!!

Click the pic and help them out!

Audio Reports from the
3rd Brigade Combat Team

Click on the patch and you can see and hear the voice of
our own txradioguy reporting from somewhere incountry.

Veterans Helping Hospitalized Veterans and Troops Overseas!

click the banner to visit

Click here for info on
USO Canteen FReeper Style Business Cards

 

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Click on the pics and I'll guide you
to the start of today's thread



Please stop in and say a prayer of protection for the military. Prayers from all denominations are needed.

                                          




Dear God:
I ask that no Airman, Coast Guardsman,
Marine, Sailor, Soldier or National Guardsman
Feel alone or forgotten.
Please guide the people of Free Republic to
The USO Canteen Post Office
So they can e-mail a service man or woman today.
AMEN

CLICK HERE for Troop Prayer Thread 8

Thank You TEXOKIE

Sunday Liberty starts after the Guest Military Chaplain's Service!

[SevenofNine]

Whoa this is cool
Report off Sunday UK Telegraph is report that maybe Brit FM Jack Straw going meet with Ariel Sharon he also going run smack chat on PLO bad boy Arafat later on in November

Also report off AFP wire report that latest report witnesses are claim that IDF troops are going door to door find Hamas membbers who lay smackdown on that Northern Israeli village on Friday morning

OOPS Somebody is in trouble

[Soaring Feather]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Daylight Saving Time Reminder
(Offer not valid in Arizona and some parts of Indiana)
2 a.m. Oct. 26 2003

We "fall back" at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday in October
by setting our clock back one hour
and thus returning to standard time.

Don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I have started a petition for Military Families and Veterans
Petitions Online ^ | 10/2/2003 | Armymarinemom
Posted on 10/02/2003 7:20 PM PDT by armymarinemom

"This petition will be up until May of 2004.
I would appreciate everyone spreading this link to all Military Families and Veterans Groups
who really support our country and Military."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

From the men in the Military and the Canteen

[fatima]

Good Morning Tonk,Thank you for all you do.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Good Morning
Thank You for stopping in for the Sunday Service.

[fatima]

Tonk,You are too sweet,you remember everthing.

[Trikebuilder]

found this in my e-mail today and I had to laugh!


"The Ten Commandments display was removed from the Alabama Supreme Court building because you can't post Thou Shalt Not Steal, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery and Thou Shall Not Lie in a building full of lawyers and politicians without creating a hostile work environment."

Sad but funny when one can find truth in a joke!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Greetings Broter!
Hope you are doing ok!
Still working long hours?

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Broter = Brother

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Trike!! So wonderful to "see" you. A wonderful and perfect package arrived today. ((HUGS)) to you and Mrs Trike. I like the email....sad indeed. BTW...thank you for your service to America.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Already started on my clocks. Thanks for the reminder.

[Kathy in Alaska]

(((HUGS))) Good morning, fatima. Prayers always for Karen and her fellow soldiers as they do their part in bringing freedom to the Iraqi people. Thank you, Karen, for your service to our country.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Beautiful bouquet for a Sunday. Thanks men of the Military and the Canteen.