FReeper Canteen ~ Guest Military Chaplain ~ June 13 2004

For the Freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's Freedom?
Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

GOLDEN MOMENTS

Once upon a time, there was a little boy from "the wrong side of the tracks" who grew up admiring a beautiful house high on the hill overlooking his town. Fortunately, he never lacked for any of the necessities of life. But he hated being "poor." He noticed that people treated him differently. And it pained him to see his parents work so hard just to make ends meet. It just didn't seem right that some should be so favored and others should have so little. But his parents has instilled some rather clear "core values" in their son so that he grew up honest,
persistent and a hard worker.

All the while, the boy kept looking up at that big old house on the hill. He noticed that, when the sun came up each morning, the windows seemed to turn to gold. And after a while, that house came to symbolize all that he had missed by growing up a "disadvantaged child." (He heard his counselor at school describe him that way once.) So, year after year, he grew more and more determined. Someday, he resolved, he would own that house with windows of shining gold! And life would be good.

After a while people began to take notice that the young man worked hard, learned quickly, and could be trusted with responsibility. They nodded their heads in approval, and reckoned that he would go far. Meanwhile, he just kept working...
and looking up the hill.

Years passed. The boy grew to be a man. And those painful lessons of his youth, learned through years of sacrifice and self-denial, served him well. He developed a keen sense for business. And a heart of compassion for those less fortunate. He seized each new opportunity for advancement, saved his profits, and invested wisely. Before long, his ventures began to succeed beyond even his wildest imagination. And so it was that he finally realized his dream. He bought that house high on the hill. The one with the windows of shining gold he had admired so long.

But a strange thing happened as he walked through his new home that first time. Oh, he wasn't disappointed. It was a beautiful house. Perhaps even more than he had realized. The rooms were large, the furnishings he had chosen were magnificent, and the view was spectacular. But as he looked down the hill toward the town, it was late afternoon, and the sun had begun to set in the west. Suddenly he spotted his boyhood home. And every window was gleaming like the brightest gold!

Can the destination be reached without the journey? Could this man have fully appreciated his status without the struggle? Or was that struggle really a "gift" in disguise, as much as health or opportunity or natural ability?
Were there blessings he could have enjoyed all along?
You decide.

And what about our journeys -- yours and mine? What struggles have stimulated our growth and development? How has pain and hardship been part of a process to make us stronger or better or more open to God? Could that be part of the reason the Bible tells us to "give thanks in all things"?

In his book, Invisible Lines of Connection, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner writes that, "The closer we are to what is happening, the more we believe we are in complete control. The farther away we get, the more we are willing to acknowledge the participation of something greater." May God guide us as we ponder, and discover His leading in our lives, and give thanks.

CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

Will You help keep the Candle Lit for our service men and women?
Can you spare a few moments today to either
e-mail them or learn about sending packages to them?
Many of them are away from home for the 1st time.
PLEASE Click on the graphic and help cheer them up.
You will stay right where you are on this thread while you write them.
Thank You
Postmaster
FR Canteen Post Office

1 posted on 06/12/2004 8:02:22 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

To: xzins; bethelgrad; Kathy in Alaska; MoJo2001; LaDivaLoca; Fawnn; Bethbg79; bentfeather; ...

2 posted on 06/12/2004 8:05:48 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (God Bless and Protect our Military and our Allies Military)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Hello Tonkin, how are you this evening?

3 posted on 06/12/2004 8:08:41 PM PDT by trussell (If stupidity was actually painful, some people would be on a permanent lidocane drip.)

To: Arrowhead1952; alaska-sgt; OneLoyalAmerican; Defender2; armyboy; txradioguy; kjfine; Long Cut; ...

FYI : Look in upper right corner of "My Comments" page.
Set it for "Brief" instead of Full.
You only will get title of thread and who pinged you.
No graphics will load.

4 posted on 06/12/2004 8:09:36 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Thank You Troops! Past, Present and Future)

I'm doing fine
Thanks for asking

5 posted on 06/12/2004 8:11:13 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Thank You Troops! Past, Present and Future)

To: Kathy in Alaska; MoJo2001; LaDivaLoca; bentfeather; beachn4fun; Fawnn; Ragtime Cowgirl; ...

From the men in the Military and the Canteen

6 posted on 06/12/2004 8:13:03 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Thank You Troops! Past, Present and Future)

To every service man or woman reading this thread.
Thank You for your service to our country.
No matter where you are stationed,
No matter what your job description
Know that we are are proud of each and everyone of you.

To our military readers, we remain steadfast in keeping the Canteen doors open.
The FR Canteen is Free Republics longest running daily thread specifically designed
to provide entertainment and morale support for the military.
The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.
We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT
Showing support and boosting the morale of
our military and our allies military
and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.
CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREAD.

You will stay right where you are on the thread.
Please take a moment and Thank a Service Man or Woman.
Just Click on the graphic to send an e-mail.

7 posted on 06/12/2004 8:17:22 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Why we fought when we served and this generation fights today.

8 posted on 06/12/2004 8:22:15 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)

I still have the church pennants I saved.

9 posted on 06/12/2004 8:25:20 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

Well developing item off Drudge site is Ralph Nader campaign in trouble with feds they just busted charity that probably funnel money ILLEGALLY to Nader campaign

OH OH

Also another report praising Maggie Thatcher road trip to District and Cali to see her OLD Friend Ronnie off with the angels run smack chat on people who think it was very wrong for Maggie to cursty in front of Ronnie coffin
THis of SUnday UK OBserver

Also report off AFP wire reporting is report you hear about American hostage whack in Saudi cell report off Sunday UK Telegraph has this group connect to another link to Al Quada

And Sunday UK Telegraph also reporting that possibty that north korea train disater might been hit job on Kim Jong 11 YOU THINK

10 posted on 06/12/2004 8:25:53 PM PDT by SevenofNine ("Not everybody , in it, for truth, justice, and the American way,"=Det Lennie Briscoe)

PRAYER IS POWERFUL. PLEASE PRAY NOW. AMEN. "Jesus said, "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." -From THE BIBLE Luke 15:10

READ THE BIBLE Online (Click Here.)

"God Bless America" graphic courtesy of UponThisRock.com Graphics

11 posted on 06/12/2004 8:26:24 PM PDT by Cindy

To: Colonel_Flagg

Hello - Happy Birthday! I hope it is a good one!

WHAT WAS THAT?

It was the Birthday snipe, of course!!!

12 posted on 06/12/2004 8:29:44 PM PDT by Diva Betsy Ross (It's not Bush's fault... it's the media's fault!)

Thanks for the news updates.

13 posted on 06/12/2004 8:30:18 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Oh my goodness Tonk, I'm lookin at that BBQ thinkin I'm in a soul food resturaunt in OKC! There were a few there some friends to me to & the food was supureb. Just need a little sweet potato pie!

14 posted on 06/12/2004 8:30:33 PM PDT by AZamericonnie ("America is too great for small dreams" President Ronald Reagan)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Just thought I'd hoist the Navy Divine service pennant since the guest Chaplain is Navy.

15 posted on 06/12/2004 8:30:47 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)

16 posted on 06/12/2004 8:30:59 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

To: Colonel_Flagg

17 posted on 06/12/2004 8:35:33 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

This reading is wonderful. I think I needed to hear this today. I've been using a little bit of tough love on my son. Hard as it is to do I know it is needed. Thank you for this blessing.

18 posted on 06/12/2004 8:35:36 PM PDT by AZamericonnie ("America is too great for small dreams" President Ronald Reagan)

To: AZamericonnie

"Just need a little sweet potato pie!"

19 posted on 06/12/2004 8:39:00 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Have you said Thank You to a service man or woman today?)

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

My goodness Tonk, is there anything you don't have on supply?

20 posted on 06/12/2004 8:44:16 PM PDT by AZamericonnie ("America is too great for small dreams" President Ronald Reagan)

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