A recent message indicated that 2009 had the highest number of suicides for any given year in the Army. I’d like to know what you think are the causes of this sad reality. Tell me what you think!... Read more here

Relationships make the world go ’round. Husband and wife, parent and child, friend to friend…we exist in relationship with other people. And as any couple knows, relationships take work to succeed.

Troops in Afghanistan are at work building relationships too–handing out candy to children, helping build schools, irrigation systems and roads. Building relationships with people with few resources or jobs and little contact with people from outside their tiny mountain communities.

But with patience and time, slowly, relationships are building. Let us keep these relationship building troops in our prayers as they work to help the children and families of Afghanistan.... Read more here

My teenage sense of self was crying out for a boost when my brother was invited to go on a weekend hunting trip and I was not. My pain spilled over into sadness, disgust, and clamor.

When my parents inquired as to the trouble, I explained how I felt, and before long something powerful happened. My Dad changed his plans and took me, me alone, to Loon Lake on a day-long fishing trip.

Please understand that my Dad was a busy pastor of a growing church. Saturdays are not normally good days for pastors to be out and about, because so much has to be ready for the big day on Sunday. But my Dad sacrificially gave his time, energy, and plans to care for his son on that drizzly Saturday so long ago.... Read more here

My post last month about poor support for military families struck a nerve, as I learned from the responses that I received.
LTG Rick Lynch, base commander at Fort Hood, Texas, heard similar stories from the wife of a soldier in his command. His response? He instituted a family-first program, including orders for every soldier on a day schedule to be home for dinner by 6 p.m. each night. Lynch’s plan not only helps spouses and children, it also helps create a more resilient soldier, who can resist alcohol and drug abuse, stress and suicide.
For more information on LTG Lynch’s new initiative, click here.

Time with our families is always precious. Time to refresh and renew, eat together, pray together…time to de-stress and have fun together. I welcome stories about how your family spends time together.... Read more here

Suicide.
A word filled with pain and fear. Sadly, it is a word that is in the news this year, as the suicide rate among U.S. Army soldiers continues to rise towards record levels for the second year in a row.
Today, CNN reports, “Fort Hood, Texas Base commander LTG Rick Lynch identified one major stress problem there: Soldiers were working long hours and not spending time with their families between deployments.”... Read more here