Search results for "We encourage OCF members to know their chaplain"
| Results 1151 - 1200 of 1251
|
Page 24 of 26
|
|
Sorted by: Date | Sort by: Relevance
|
Results per-page: 10 | 20 | 50 | All
|
[…]this? Is it wrong to desire promotion or career progression? How do we determine when we have allowed God to take complete control of our careers? When should we take appropriate steps to set ourselves up for that next promotion? In Psalms, David speaks of the fact that God is in control of kings and their promotions and demotions. David himself, after learning of his promotion potential as a young man, spent years in the wilderness running for his life before he became king of Israel. Joseph is a prime example of someone who struggled with the desire for promotion. […]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]will feel so good to be so indispensable. Eventually you will burnout from exhaustion if you fail to learn how to effectively delegate and then hold people responsible. I confess that I fell for this one as a lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). After shouldering all the responsibilities for 11 extra duty areas in a major inspection, including the Supply Room and the Arms Room, I realized that I had an NCO to assist me in each area. Subsequent inspections became much easier, once I recognized and used this force multiplier. You will likely be too busy […]
[…]
[…]in command will go all too quickly. In the midst of the long hours and hard work, don’t forget to stop occasionally to reflect on the great blessing you have of experiencing command. You have been exalted for such a time as this. Good luck…may God work in a mighty way through you for His glory! Adapted from remarks originally presented to a group of Christian officers attending Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. William J. (Joe) Shirey, (Colonel, USAF, retired), was commissioned from the Air Force Academy in 1976. He was an F-16 Squadron […]
[…]I am doing, but I feel strangely led to do it, so here I am. I grew up in a Christian home, and went to a private Christian school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. At one point in third grade I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and then in eighth grade I really started to try to live for Him. However, since the tenth grade I have been on quite a rocky path. I know that the normal believer struggles in the faith, but there are facets to my struggle that I am sure must not be common. First, […]
[…]have been a part of the Christian Church since around 30 AD. So what about our niche? Leadership. We encourage and equip officers to minister effectively in the military society. Why officers? Because officers are commissioned to lead, and they need to use that leadership in a biblical way. They lead biblically in their homes, in their units, and in the Christian community of their installation. The small group Bible study is our primary tool for this encouraging and equipping. One of our OCF staff members says we need to produce qualified elders. He is right, but “elders” is a […]
[…]
[…]my life–as well as a Marine can expect when he’s in a war-time situation. Shortly thereafter we were engaged in a major firefight, attacking a Viet Cong force west of Tam Ky. My unit suffered numerous casualties from mortars and small arms fire from the south end of a village. We requested support from the U.S. Air Force. After marking and target confirmation, two F-4s dropped their ordnance–napalm and 500 pounders–on the target. Enemy resistance stopped. My unit secured the village without further casualties. Everything was done very professionally. All was well until, as we moved into the area hit […]
[…]
[…]a mission in a certain context. The next day, we’re in a different situation with new followers to lead—stepping into the shoes of our now-deployed supervisor, Bible study leader, or colleague. As Christian officers desiring to exercise biblical leadership—faced with constant flux and in the process of growing in our capacity to lead—how can we best prepare for our next leadership role? I offer you three “looks.” Look Back Taking a reflective pit stop is critical, especially at our Indy 500 pace. “Experience is the best teacher” is a common, but incorrect, adage. Leadership experts now attest that evaluated experience […]
[…]short of God’s standard of integrity, we must acknowledge the shortcoming and correct it as best we can. We should not hesitate to ask for forgiveness. Trust is built by demonstrating character that is above reproach. To influence others, a leader must have an unwavering commitment to integrity as the foundation for character, regardless of circumstances. William J. (Joe) Shirey, (Colonel, USAF, retired), was commissioned from the Air Force Academy in 1976. He was an F-16 Squadron Commander and served in various staff assignments in NATO, the Pentagon and Air Combat Command. He retired in 2001. He and his wife, […]
[…]sat us down for instruction on the roles and missions of the various military services. We were expecting a presentation praising the Marine Corps and putting down the rest of DOD. Instead, our Sergeant Instructor presented the different services this way, “The United States Air Force is the premiere air force in the entire world. They rule the sky and are the very definition of air superiority. The United States Navy is the supreme naval force on this globe. They rule the oceans and are without peer. The Unites States Army is the undefeatable land combatant force. They don’t start […]
[…]letting my feet do the talking. I don’t waste my soldiers’ time. I pay attention to their problems. I train them hard and make sure they get time off (which is amazingly hard to do in the MP Corps today!). My safety briefs for the weekend include abstinence as the best option. People know where I am on Sunday. I volunteer with the Chapel Youth program in my free time. I give God credit for good things that happen in my life and express faith in Him when things go downhill. I make sure my life leaves no room for […]
[…]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, practice, development, and growth. Additionally, we will each take an ownership interest in our subordinate leaders and strive to maximize their inherent attributes and further […]
[…]the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). Spiritual UOC works when Christians look to their leaders and follow them as they follow Christ. The military may have learned more regarding unity during the last twenty-five years than the church has. The expeditionary nature of today’s military involves multiple deployments of units from all branches of the military working together. For example the military member (let’s say he’s Air Force) belongs to a unit back home and is therefore under that unit commander, but he’s TDY to a training unit (let’s say Army) in preparation for deployment to […]
[…]or death. Both pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to the hearts of those they mentor and lead to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Common Ground Both of these leaders recognize that they are fighting both a physical foe and a spiritual enemy. As one officer noted, “The well grounded Christian has prepared to be a brave, compassionate and unselfish fighter. We are at war. The closer we are to God, the more the enemy [in this case Satan] wants to separate and weaken us. His tools are not limited, he can cause fear in the […]
[…]to the Army, young second lieutenants assuming their roles as platoon leaders should listen to their platoon sergeant and first sergeant. They should not “reject the advice” of those who have served for many years and have much to offer. See What Right Looks Like Also important is the ability to see what right looks like. I’m reminded of John 10:32 as Jesus says to the Jews, “…I have shown you many great miracles from the Father…” Jesus Christ showed the entire world what right looks like. Through his daily walk with God, the example He set constantly, He showed […]
[…]enters into your life will you view this as a time that may seem unfair, unexpected, and just to be tolerated, or will you view this as a challenge placed before you by God for His greater purpose?” Mothers will no doubt face the unexpected. Children will get sick, there will be crises in school, or housing may be a problem. Your husband may be deployed and you may struggle to fill two roles while continuing to focus on spiritual connectivity with your husband a world away. The battle is real, and it is spiritual. For those entering operational assignments, […]
[…]want to go in the right direction-or better yet, follow the Lord as He leads us. The more we get to know the Lord, the more we know He is always right. We also learn over time that He is always good and He always has our best in mind. With that knowledge, we learn to trust Him as we go through our personal trials and hardships. Trusting in the Lord is another key ingredient in a leader. Trust brings stability and minimizes the stress of the unknown in addition to building confidence and commitment to purpose. Christians have an […]
[…]to be excellent disciples of Jesus Christ and also excellent professional military servants. We encourage them to integrate these two areas of their lives by viewing the military society as their specific mission field. We are dedicated to have an ever-increasing influence on the military society as a whole, which we believe will have a positive influence on our nation for God. Senior officers in the U.S. military are given the responsibility for vision, leadership, and decision making. You will be an example both professionally and spiritually. The quality of your example in each area will be determined by your […]
[…]be stationed by the Army at West Point as an Admissions Officer and became a spiritual mentor to Jon for his final year. Despite his many other activities and duties, Jon was very desirous of leading in this meaningful way–personal and corporate Christian maturity–a path he had followed faithfully since becoming a cadet and was not about to abandon now. In a very telling letter dated April 1969, to his older brother, Al, then serving in Vietnam, Jon weaves some powerful spiritual insights. Here are a few: “Spirit still working overtime here. Last weekend Don Moomau preached here and then […]
[…]turned out that year, not one of our group suffered adversely in academics. On one occasion, we were unable to meet due to scheduling conflicts. Jon wrote a personal note to the members apologizing. His note to me was brief and to the point, yet spoke volumes. It, in fact, is a microcosm of his life at West Point — developing relationships, meeting other’s needs, excellence and faith: Willey, 4th Cl Sorry about Thurs nite – I guess we all got a little busy – let’s shoot for another meeting Sun. nite – Daniel 3:17,18 BEAT SPRINGFIELD Mr. Shine The […]
[…]rumors going around the platoon that Staples was into drugs, both using and pushing, and we were simply waiting for an opportunity to catch him in the act and remove him as a bad influence on the other young troops. Now, I figured, was our chance. I suspected he was calling from the jail downtown and needed me to bail him out. “Sir,” the young soldier continued, “I went to South Carolina this weekend with a friend from our platoon and met someone while I was there. I met Jesus Christ and gave my life to Him. I was wondering […]
[…]
[…]and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him” (John 13:3-5). Jesus’ humility came from the facts that He knew who He was, where He was going, and what 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 […]
[…]
[…]The problems are greater and more complex. The commander must look further into the future and into the unknown. Much greater and broader professional knowledge is essential. Command at higher levels demands an ongoing commitment to personal study and reflection. Command In The Broadest Sense I have previously used the terms command and commander in a rather specific way, but in truth, their meaning is generic. Although an officer may not ever be close to a battlefield or combat unit, nevertheless he will command. Because, to command is to lead and a commander is, certainly, a leader. There are countless […]
[…] except life. Thus, as a commissioned Army leader it is your duty always not only to know what is right, but with courage to announce it and lead others to choose in their own behavior the harder right over the easier wrong. The best way to illustrate such a moral exemplar is with a story. Decades ago as a lieutenant in 1964, I was to be aide to our new brigade commander, who was also a new brigadier general just arriving on Okinawa. At one of our first meetings, I asked him what my duties were. Mind you, he […]
[…]to the character of his subordinates. He must, in fact, touch his own soul before he can ever hope to touch the souls of those who serve under him. There is deep and subtle truth in the Latin expression, “Nemo dat quod non habet,” (You cannot give what you do not have). The question, then, is how does the leader obtain that which he is obliged to give? The mantle of leadership is often heavy, and the challenges that accompany it are sometimes immense. While we tend to discount the toil, leadership remains yeoman’s work and demands absolute dedication, focused […]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]saving, spending, and tithes. Eventually we eliminated allowances altogether. At one base when we were homeschooling, our three daughters babysat during the day, and they were in high demand. Our son mowed lawns and did other work for people so he had a source of income as well. In college each one held jobs which paid for the luxuries of college life, and in their last two years of college they helped with their rent and food costs with that income. The Financial Manager When our oldest was a sophomore in high school we decided to take a Big step. […]
[…]program. I consider it a major duty of mine to ensure that the funds that are given to OCF are used for the purpose for which they are given. A response to your inquiries about finances and programs. We feel that it is honoring to the Lord to be as open as we can be about our finances and programs. If you have any questions, let me know. Visit office and program sites of an organization to talk personally with the staff. Please come visit us! It’s an absolute joy when people visit the Home Office. Give without being high-pressured […]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]versus the long-term perspective always gives us a different aiming point. Focusing on just today, tomorrow, or next year may pull our eyes off the long-term race we run. King Solomon had it right when he said all this is meaningless. He said our lives are like a blade of grass, which soon withers and disappears. Jesus brings order out of disorder…wholeness out of brokenness. Codes, from whomever the ancient secular author might be, are man’s attempt at ordering the future and removing the unknowns. God’s insurance plan is simple … it comes in the form of God’s Son Himself […]
[…]Training. Find a prayer partner to get with every week. When you are given the opportunity to talk to your platoon/unit, tell them who you are and include in a matter of fact way that you are a Christian. Do not preach to them; you are not paid to do that. Just inform them of the “stuff” that helps you make decisions. Be physically fit and try to set the standard in military bearing and professionalism. Remember God will never give you a mission you can’t handle. Like Joshua, be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with […]
[…]quizzes revealed how much I actually knew –not how well I could study for an exam. Tests weren’t unfamiliar to James, who writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3). When things are at their worst, the one with perseverance is at his or her best. Perseverance reveals itself in one more day of responsibility, one more week of faithfulness, and one more deployment. But if you’ve ever asked, “How long?” you’re in good company. This question was asked more than […]
[…]Jews that they were robbing God. The people said, “How are we robbing God?” They were told that they were robbing God in their tithes and offerings. Rather than giving to God what they were supposed to, they were keeping it for themselves. God then said an amazing thing. He said, “Test Me!” All my life I’ve been told to never be so presumptuous as to put God to the test. Yet, in the case of finances, God says, “Test Me!” And the Lord added, “…and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out […]
[…]
[…]if we respond properly to God, nothing is impossible, because even when we don’t know how to tackle the problem in prayer, the Spirit along with us will take hold of the problem and it will be properly taken care of. Thus we become dearly beloved workers-together with God every step of the way. Difficult but triumphant is this life in Christ. Let us continue walking in the Spirit in the train of His […]
