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What is Required of Me?

[…]longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”(Romans 12:2). Ambassadorship 201 Influence other leaders; healthy relationships and shared experiences. As your leadership experience and reputation grow, you will be selected for positions where you impact the organization by leading the leaders rather than the doers. An OCF installation-level ministry is like this as well, where your job is to encourage others through relationships of trust in an environment of grace. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s…” Army Rangers talk about giving “100 percent and then some.” For you as an ambassador, this means […]

Staying Up Late

[…]leave. His baby was not quite a month old when he deployed. The other soldier was only nineteen years old. Man, did I start to feel my age then! Towards the end of our time together, I asked if I could say a quick prayer for them. “Sure, sir,” the guard said. “Always love it when you pray for us.” I put my arms around their shoulders and prayed for them. I asked that God would be with them throughout the night and help them stay awake and alert. I prayed for their families. And as always, I prayed that […]

Leadership Q&A

[…]not be ashamed of the name of Jesus. Using wisdom and discernment throughout our lives, we are told to be bold and courageous. Jesus has called us to take a stand in such a time as this. Laying low, and compromising are outside of our calling. In taking a stand, you may pay a high price, but in the end, your trust and faith must be in Him. So, as Jesus said, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16) in these times of challenge.   COL Douglas Mastriano is currently at the US Army War […]

Wrestling with Depression

[…](Major General) Douglas Carver, U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, say that the three main reasons soldiers are killing themselves are because of personal shame, failed relationships, and being isolated from community. Honesty is a common value of all the services. In the seasons of “everything under the sun,” there is a time to drive on and a time to ask for help. Acknowledging that your spirit, soul, or body is in pain is the right thing to do whether you’re junior enlisted, NCO, officer, or family member. A close friend of mine saw a doctor because of a sharp stabbing […]

Whose Arm Doth Reach

[…]absences and reestablish immediacy in his relationships with us, to affirm us, to amuse us, to hold us accountable, and to talk us down from ledges. Perhaps his intuitive, highly verbal way of relating to us was thrust upon him, being surrounded with daughters… Whatever the source of my father’s knack for good communication, even from long distances and depths, I have found it to be a rare gift. It is noteworthy that this man who was absent for almost half of my childhood, has remained one of my closest friends in adulthood. Predictably, my father has not always been […]

We Honor Them

[…]as the contract Boeing 747 lifted off from Ramstein Airbase in Germany, with the remains of five soldiers killed in Iraq this past weekend. We quickly arranged for the helicopter to take the Army Honor Guard (from the Old Guard, the unit that guards the Tomb of the Unknown) and me to Dover where we arrived to greet the plane. As we waited, the Air Force Honor Guard mounted the arriving airplane, ensured a new and unblemished American flag was draped and secured properly over each “transfer case” (not yet a casket); and then loaded them individually, in a slow […]

Home Front Holidays

[…]feel like “doing” the holidays this year? Thanks be to God that the holidays can both still hold their joy for spouses, children, and the deployed soldiers, too. Can it be just the same as if they were home? No. Can it be joyful? With God’s help, yes. As families who have faced this holiday scenario, here are a few lessons we learned: 1. Pray, pray, pray. Pray that the Lord will sustain you and that your heart will be drawn to your Savior and your spouse in a new way. Pray for all of the deployed service men and […]

The Space Between

[…]me preach and help people grow in their relationship with Jesus. My unit deployed to Kuwait for a year. Preaching there was another chance to help people with their spiritual growth, as well as using the Alpha Course for discipleship, and living our lives the way the Lord wants. My second active duty station was the 2d Military Intelligence Battalion in Darmstadt, Germany. The Lord let me lead singles’ and family conferences there, which once again helped people get closer to each other and to Christ. God also opened the doors for me to preach at the Kelley and Cambrai […]

War Eagle, Iraq

[…]from the back of his head. The helmet exploded by the impact of the bullet, but the intended killing-round ricocheted through the helmet, above the soldier’s head, exiting through the front of the helmet, only grazing his scalp! The time of the shooting at Ur coincided exactly with the prayer of the soldiers at War Eagle! While some might call this good luck, coincidence, or good fortune, one thing is certain; prayers were being made at the very moment that incident occurred. What we can assess from this includes: a) The Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our […]

Ice Cream in Iraq

[…]I was driving a tank. It’s way better than making plans like I’m doing now! 6. Is it hot or cold there?It’s both hot and cold here. Iraq is just one big desert. You probably think a desert is always hot and dry. Well, I can tell you that the desert also gets pretty cold in the winter. The temperature here at night right now usually gets down to nearly freezing. However, in the summer time, it gets up to 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit. 7. Are there a lot of camels running around? I’m pretty sure there are but I have […]

Christian Leadership for the Junior Officer

[…]them and where are they now?” Integrity. Nothing is more valuable than a good name (Proverbs 22:1). I confess to having been very naive in this area and continue to be surprised by those, including church leaders, who sell their good name so cheaply. Of course, honesty goes for your commander, your colleagues and your subordinates. I remember as a new support officer in a Special Forces unit, briefing in error that a group of passports were “squared away” for an upcoming small element deployment. One of my subordinates briefed me in error, earlier on that busy day, as I […]

For All Leaders

[…]are an important aspect of your character. I’ve found it helpful to pray through Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Watch out for pride. Many a commander has been caught up in his success and been trapped by the things of this world as described in 1 John 5:16 above. Satan is subtle in his attacks. Proverbs warns that, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). It’s difficult […]

The Jungles of War

[…]of a sea bag (11 grammar schools and four high schools) was not for me. In 1955, when I was a 17-year-old boy living in Yokohama, Japan, I accepted Christ as Lord. Thereupon I told God I’d go anywhere and do anything He said. I soon discovered that “anywhere” meant the military and that “anything” meant, more specifically, the Marine Corps. I signed on for what seemed the logical “patriotic minimum” tour, but was soon to discover God’s plans were for me to remain a Marine for some years to come. The point of this explanation is to establish that […]

TTP – Competition

[…]because neither company was manned or equipped to function independently. I decided to apply my old Sergeant Instructor’s technique. I let every officer and staff noncommissioned officer in my unit know that while I knew we were the premiere company within the battalion, I would tolerate no disrespectful word regarding our sister company. Instead I put our sister company up on a pedestal of their own and made sure everyone knew that I considered them without peer as well. Old habits die hard and I had to correct individuals from time to time, but the concept caught on quickly. We […]

TTP – Vision and Leadership

[…]to the absolute best of our abilities. By applying these values, as laid down for us over 2,000 years ago, we can and will be the organization of excellence that is our future and our duty. To grow to the level of excellence we owe ourselves, our customers, and our nation, we base our actions and behaviors on those core values and focus our efforts in two overarching areas-training and readiness. In the area of training, our goals are increasing technical proficiency and continuous leader development. We will ensure the excellence of our efforts through ongoing task and skill learning, […]

Unity of Command

[…](John 17:21). One critical way believers live in unity is to pray for our leaders. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 the apostle Paul exhorts us to pray for those in authority over us. Through intercessory prayer for our leaders, believers unify with God and with each other against both military and spiritual forces. Here’s one last example to illustrate spiritual UOC. In a joint military environment, one commander commands bombers, tanks, and ships. One of those components is no better or worse than any other. They follow and trust the leadership of their one commander. So, too, the church: believers must […]

War on Spiritual Terrorism

[…]Stiner, while commanding the US Special Operations Command, summarized our task: “How well our soldiers perform in combat is directly related to how well we prepare them in peacetime, and only part of this preparation is training related.” The big part, in my mind, is moral, ethical, and spiritual strength. Most soldiers don’t pray. Most young leaders don’t pray. Not until they stand up to put that snap fastener on the anchor line cable do they start to try and get serious, because when they go out the door they know it’s them, that equipment, and the Lord. Or they […]

Professional Excellence (Durfey)

[…]Group Humbolt Bay, where he commands all Coast Guard operations, personnel and material along a 250-mile coastline in northern California. A 1978 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, he holds a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard University. Commander Durfey is a longtime member of OCF and is a Council Member, Class of 2001. He, his wife, Carolyn, live in Eureka, California, with their daughter, Sarah, and son, […]

Professional Perspectives for Senior Officers

[…]the washing of the Word” (vss. 26, 27, 29). For wives– Adapt yourselves to your husbands (vs. 22 24, (Amplified)). Respect your husbands (vs. 33). Your relationship with your children PSALM 127:3-5. Children are a special gift from God. A military professional knows arrows are weapons of war that must be given particular care. We have a special responsibility to care for and train our children. 3 JOHN 4. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth! ” John is speaking of spiritual children, but God’s Word continually uses family examples that […]
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Six Generations: 1

[…] witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2 “Choosing the Harder Right” When I learned back in October of 1970 of the tragic death in battle of my friend and spiritual mentor at West Point, Jon Shine, and thought of the powerful and eternal impact he had on my life, and that of so many others, I committed then to telling his amazing story to others. His selfless lifestyle and his courage–at West Point, in the Army and in combat in Vietnam–have inspired me and many others whom he contacted during […]

Six Generations: 2

[…]G-1 Thru M/C (message center) Let it be now and henceforth known that you will report to room 3921 at 031525 June for Special Inspection. This order to be superceded only by someone with 6 stripes. Jonathan C. Shine Cdt Cpt, 2d Bn, 1st Regt. Commanding An order to report for Special Inspection strikes fear and anxiety into any plebe, especially when it comes from the Battalion Commander. I had gotten to know Jon in a more personal way throughout the year in Jon’s company and studied the Bible with him during our free time. It still was not clear, […]

Six Generations: 3

[…]the truth in Scripture that the Apostle Paul taught to his young friend, Timothy. (2 Timothy 2:2) Following graduation I sensed there would be other opportunities to work with men eager to grow as believers. The first opportunity came during my first assignment in the Army. As a young lieutenant of infantry and a member of the storied 82d Airborne Division, the quick reaction force for the United States, I was humbled yet proud. Following an alert to possibly deploy to the Middle East in 1973, we all felt what it was like to be physically and emotionally prepared for […]

Follow Me

[…]He needed to do. He did not “put on airs” or flaunt the fact that He was the Son of God. He told His disciples earlier, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). By the power of the Holy Spirit and through prayer, we too can have a humble heart and serve others, as Christ would have us do. Seek the Father’s Will The second part of Jesus’ leadership lesson was that he constantly sought to do His Father’s will. He […]

Financial Responsibility for Children

[…]card for the new financial manager. Some may see this as a risky business, having a sixteen-year old in charge of your finances and giving him a signature card. Our children never abused their privileges. Each year my wife and I plan our Christian giving for the next year and make a list of those to whom we send tithes and offerings each month. The manager would write out tithe checks. This also doubled as accountability for us, and a faith lesson for him, having at least one of our children knowing exactly how much of our income we were […]

Know Your Rights!

[…]all our dealings we quietly depend upon the Lord for His help, and not on our own skills (2 Cor. 1:23). If you have any questions or need any more information on the finances or the programs of Officers’ Christian Fellowship, please call me at 1-800-424-1984 or e-mail me at […]

Predicting the Future

[…]was a king and ruler from the Babylonian era who developed a code to live by. This code of 282 laws was one of the earliest examples of a ruler publicly proclaiming to his people an entire body of laws, arranged in orderly groups, so that all subjects might read and know what was required of them. The code was carved on a black stone monument eight feet high; it was discovered in 1901. The code then regulated in clear and definite strokes how society should be organized. Yet, Hammurabi’s code is not really the earliest. There are some indications […]

Strong to the Finish

[…]asked, “How long?” you’re in good company. This question was asked more than 50 times by Old Testament heroes. In Psalm 13 David asks, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” David seems to be overwhelmed by thoughts of discouragement and sadness, as his enemies appeared to have gained the upper hand. Maybe, like David, you are experiencing a time when God seems out of […]

Test Me!

[…]who lived during the time of Malachi. However, we live today under a New Covenant. Although the Old Testament Jews under the Old Covenant were given material blessings as a physical manifestation of God’s blessing, that is not necessarily true under the New Covenant. While God may choose to give us material riches as a reward for our faithfulness, and many times He does, I believe its much more likely that in this day and age that He will choose to give us spiritual riches here on earth and/or eternal riches when we will be living with Him forever in […]

What Works for New Officers?

[…]your job well. Only then will you earn the respect of your peers and the right to be heard (Col. 3:23, 24). Be reliable and take the initiative when opportunity arises. TIP: Avoid complaining. A common tendency in any workplace is to complain. Do your job as unto the Lord (Phil. 2:14, 4:11). 8. Decide now what kind of SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT you will require of a future mate. Will he or she have the same vision for ministry as you? After coming to know Christ, choosing a mate is the most important decision you will ever make. TIP: Trust God […]

Spiritual Battle Plans

[…]and to carry His message of reconciliation to the world (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Philippians 3:20, Matthew 28:18-20). One facet of godly ambassadorship and of message carrying is godly living. Living a God-honoring life is even more difficult when separated from one’s normal Christian “life-support” structure: Sunday School, Chapel/Church, a weekly Bible study, a weekly or daily accountability partner, and so on. I didn’t fully realize what a difference these events made in my personal walk with the Lord until I went nearly four months in Iraq without them. I had only occasional, encouraging phone calls to family and to my […]

Implicit Trust

[…]but because he already was one. The key – simple faith and trust in the Master’s Word. In the Old Testament passage of Numbers 21 we read the powerful illustration from God’s own word, the Bible. The nation of Israel, with the Lord’s help, had just overcome the Canaanites in battle. They journeyed on in the wilderness and became discouraged because of the hardships. Despite all God had done for them, they murmured and complained against the Almighty God and His servant, Moses. “The people spoke against them,” says the Word. How lenient the tone! By actual count this was […]

Share this spiritual gift with your teen

[…]heard about Father-Teen Adventure (FTA) during Leavenworth Week at Spring Canyon (SC) in 2001. A few years later I was looking for an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord, closer to my son, and to offer to Brian a special time for us to share. We reserved two spots for the second summer session and coordinated ground transportation to SC through the OCF web site. (The packing list was very helpful, too!) Father-Teen Adventure is not just for fathers and their sons. Daughters can come, too, and they have just as much fun and grow just as close to their […]

Stretchmark Sorority

[…]chocolate, and they test out special “treats” on Mother’s Day. I remember the year our girls decided to serve me breakfast in bed; the “cinnamon toast” would have been delicious, except that they thought the can of nutmeg was cinnamon. Between large gulps of milk, I enthusiastically praised them for their wonderful cuisine. Mothers are evolving creatures. They begin by adoring their new babies with coos of “Isn’t she beautiful?” and later find themselves saying, “I’m not going to tell you again!” They dream of someday wearing a clean white blouse, which will still be free of stains by the […]

Letter to My Sergeant

[…]at Fort Leavenworth, Fort Carson and Fort Hood and was elected to the OCF Council Class of 2002. Stu culminated a 23 year career with battalion command, and retired 1 August 2001. Stu, wife Kay and son Logan reside in Copperas Cove, Texas. Their other two children, Stuart IV and Erin, attend the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, […]

Mortal Enemies

[…]eventually changed my life. On that Sunday while I was in the air over Pearl Harbor, an American soldier named Jacob DeShazer had been on K.P. duty in an Army camp in California. When the radio announced the demolition of Pearl Harbor he shouted, “Jap, just wait and see what we’ll do to you!” One month later he volunteered for a secret mission with the Jimmy Doolittle Squadron—a surprise raid on Tokyo from the carrier Hornet. On April 18, 1942, DeShazer was one of the bombardiers filled with elation at getting his own revenge. After the bombing raid, they flew […]

Re-entry Reminders

[…]   Normal has changed for everyone. Be patient–it takes time to get into a routine. Soldiers haven’t been on a vacation. Expect your household to be different. Keep life as routine as possible. Take time to re-adjust to one another. Go slowly. Communicate feelings. Anxiety is normal. Discuss frustrations. Accept that we are all different. Initial discomfort in adjusting doesn’t mean your spouse is unhappy with you or the family. Communicate ahead of your spouse’s return about radical changes in your physical appearance (once a redhead now a blonde). Communicate about changes in discipline of children. Assume you’ve both […]

Service Separations

[…]time when Jerry had to leave, this time only for a week, but no sooner had he left than our eight-year-old son, Kevin, came down with an upset stomach. The next morning I took him to the base hospital where the diagnosis was acute appendicitis. He was taken into emergency surgery almost immediately. I considered calling Jerry as soon as I had the diagnosis, but I knew that there was really nothing he could do about it, except probably be frustrated because he could not be present. When I did call after the surgery was completed, I could tell him […]

Through A Glass Darkly

[…]didn’t feel like one. It was an awesome responsibility to raise two little girls alone for a year. Laura was almost three and Beki was then nine month old. Other mothers had shared with me some of the pitfalls they’d been through. Their advice was to prepare for the fact that our baby wouldn’t even know her daddy when he returned. She’s just too young to remember, they warned. Don’t expect too much, another said. It’ll take time, but they’ll start all over again. With that advice, I purposed in my heart to be different. I would do all I […]

Man of the In-Between

[…]old set of Vietnamese jump wings. And pictures of young men. Hal Moore said it best, “We were soldiers once–and young.” We were soldiers for a lot of reasons. One of them was the “bully syndrome.” Many years ago, as a young boy in a cozy little neighborhood in central Washington state, I learned a valuable lesson. Our neighborhood bully, Jimmy C., would never stop throwing dirt clods and using strong-arm tactics to terrorize smaller children. Yes, we complained. In fact, we begged. But time after time “negotiation” failed. Nothing seemed to work. Until one day one of us gathered […]

Three Words

[…]your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Al retired from the Army after 27 years of service, was a Commandant of Cadets at Culver Military Academy for 10 years, and currently lives in Carlisle, PA, where he and his wife, Sandra, are active in OCF and the U.S. Army War College chapel. He has been active in OCF since coming to Christ as a West Point Plebe in 1960. Address by Colonel Alexander Shine, United States Army, Retired, at the USMA OCF spiritual commissioning ceremony, USMA, 29 May 2005. Adapted from the August 2006 COMMAND […]
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