Beautiful Progression

 Stopping before I began the cliff walk...

  Beautiful...

  Thought it would be cool to run on the train tracks since the train is shut down for a week.

  Stopping by my favorite eatery in Newport..the Deli and the #3 pastrami

Well, Happy New Year Jason and whoever else reads this!

During church service today my mind started to wander (yes, that happens a lot), and I began to reflect on my progression and how grateful I am to God.

Immediately after college, I was a scared young man not knowing what was ahead and with others telling me that I had great potential and are not worried about me.  Little did they know that I worried every day...for my future family, job satisfaction, my happiness and satisfaction.

From immediately after to college to now, God has been gracious in his work in me.  And it's not because of any skill or intellect I have, but his providence and grace.

"Commit your work to The Lord and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16

I remember going through the  book  of Phillipians for sermon training with brothers at Community Christian Alliance Church (in Northridge), and two things really stuck with me.  First, in chapter 2 regarding not grumbling or complaining.  Secondly, in chapter 4 regarding Paul learning to be satisfied in Christ and knowing how to abound or have little.  Imagine, being satisfied in Christ in abundance or with little...more so on abundance since that is when I begin to have thoughts of being self-sustainable.

Well, fast forward to today, I am very thankful to be in a profession in my youth that trains me to serve my country as well as for future work in God's kingdom here on earth.  Thankful for great friends, family, and church.  Also for meeting an amazing girl who I might be able to partner with in life and ministry.

Something I was also reminded of today and was rebuked by.  Looking back, I could have been a much better religious body for my company at OCS, as I was put in a position of leadership for a reason.  I am sorry for not hosting additional bible studies or even prayer in the evenings with my shipmates, especially in a time of extreme stress.  Regardless, God is the one who changes and impacts hearts...I am a mere servant.  I will be the first to admit that I am a sinful being and have many faults.  To God be the glory forever and ever.

Psalms 23.

What? A tattoo??

The title of this post is not misleading...and yes, I now have a tattoo.

The back story to this tattoo goes like this....

In college I was very close to getting a tattoo of the letters I and V on my rib cage with a man kneeling before another.  The idea behind this was that I wanted to remind myself to stay attached to your IV (Integrity, Vitality) and to be a man looking to serve others.  I'll be first to admit that this isn't always the case as I fall all the time; however, I wanted it to be a daily reminder of what to pursue.  However, I didn't want to spend hundreds, so I ended up not getting it.

Fast forward to this month...

A friend of mine and I began to discuss possibilities for tattoos and how he had always wanted a tattoo.  I ended up recommending him to get a sheep dog (another story related to officer candidate school).  This led to the idea of a tattoo come alive again in my mind.  Well one thing led to another and I ended up getting a Rickson Gracie jiujitsu triangle with Psalm 23 on top of it.

The triangle:
Jiujitsu has taught  and continually reminds me on the importance to lose gracefully, win humbly, and the balance of attack, defense, and position.  I look forward to a future working in the art, and to improve not only in use of my mind and body as a unit, but as a person.
Psalm 23 is a chapter I repeat to myself every morning when I wake up and before I go to sleep.  The Lord is my shepherd and my peace, confidence, and whole-being comes from my identitiy in him.

I hope that this tattoo will not only be a daily reminder to me of my foundation, but also a starting point on which to discuss with others what is the source of my vitality, and ultimately the gospel.

Thank you God for my health, family and friends, opportunity to serve my country, and to taste the grace that you have revealed to me.  Praise God now and forever more.

Productivity

Productivity.  In my case, I pursue it, yet it is always out of my grasp.  Every day is inundated with task upon task, and you learn to enjoy any minute of relaxation you can find.  After a long day of classes, tests, etc, I got to relax at a local jiu-jitsu gym in the evening.  I love the physical exhaustion that results from a rolling session, but that is besides the point.  The title to this post is productivity, but I will stray away and began to recap 2012 as the month of December is upon us.

2012:

-GMAT
-UCLA Hospital Accounting job
-Brazillian Jiu-jitsu
-Tapestry-->Now, the House
-OCS
-NSCS

Man, what a year.  I seem to say this about every year, but I can honestly say this year was a year to remember.  First, finding a church I really loved and wanted to serve...and then being called away to Rhode Island for training.  Beginning a new lifestyle, and developing new friendships.  6 months from now, I could be anywbere....nothing is really cemented for 2013.  As I pour myself into my pursuits, I can only say one thing: Psalms 23.  I have it written across my room wall, and I recite it every morning...it is my life theme.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me.  Your rod and your staff they comfort me.  You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever."

This post may be convoluted and without good structure; however, I end this with a desire to become more consistent in my daily devotions and dependence on Christ.

Desires for the new year:
1) finish some writing projects I'm working on
2) compete in a jiujitsu tournament
3) play the harmonica confidently
4) get out to sea

The Lord is my shepherd.

New Life

It is approaching my one month mark of living as an Ensign in the United States Navy.

First, I want to make known my appreciation for all my brothers and sisters serving and fighting for the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy.  Much blessings and prayers go out to you shipmates.

I am now completing my second week here at Naval Supply School, and have enjoyed it thoroughly.  Admittedly, there are many times I am lost and overwhelmed by the influx (or should I say hurricane) of new information, supply systems, etc etc.  In addition, I am attempting to become more proficient in Naval History by way of reading historical materials.  If you should ever choose to join the Navy, be aware that it's all-in, or don't do it.  Almost everything I do now is about the Navy.  It's a blessing as I can see how everything I read, see, and talk about, I consciously reflect on how it is impacting my ability to lead sailors and become a better Naval Officer.  And I do this gladly.  I don't know many careers where this would happen.  I definitely understand now the talks from my drill instructor and chief petty officer on how being a Naval Officer is a 24/7 job.  It eventually becomes the very essence of your speech and thoughts.  It's kind of hard to explain it.  Let's just say I spend almost every waking moment with other Naval Officers.

On a side note, I've been trying to explore Newport in my spare moments, and have found some amazing sports bars, restaurants, tourist sites, cafes, and most importantly, a church and jiujitsu gym.  I've only been to the church once, but I really liked the sermon last week.  As for the jiujitsu gym, it has a connection to the Machado brothers and is led by a former Navy SEAL, so I am excited.  Well, I'm going to go back to reviewing a 2,000 page navy publication to try to get used to classes...

I'm definitely getting older...I sleep by 2230 every day, and wake up...early.

Thoughts of the day:
1) God must be number one in your life
2) Treat everyone with respect
3) Never underestimate the eating ability of 20 young officers, and always come to class equipped with at least two boxes of cookies.

Commissioning

And so, one day after my commissioning as a Naval Officer, I am trying to process what happened in the past 12 weeks.

Today was the first day I put on a regular pair of pants with a shirt, slept under my sheets, walked around with nobody watching me, and not really stressing about anything.

So the inevitable question awaits me...what was it like?

To be curt, it was hard.  

That first week was probably the most difficult week in my life.  The combination of mental, physical, and spiritual stimuli led me to question my motivations, pursuits, and perceptions of the world around me.  

The following weeks ushered forth new medleys of stresses; including academic classes (engineering, navigation, naval seamanship, naval history, etc), drill, billets, physical training, inspections, and more.  

Spending every moment for 8 weeks with the same 27 people brought it's own set of incredibly joyful moments as well as moments of frustration.  

First impressions matter, but in our case...ending impressions mattered the most.  People I disliked in the beginning I grew to like....I was reminded of the need to reserve assumptions for inconsequential situations.  

Started with 45, ended with 27 (after some roll-ins).  What an amazing journey.  Now we are off to different parts of the globe.  Japan, Bahrain, Florida, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia, San Diego, and New York are only a few of the places we are all headed to.

The moments of desperation always ended with laughter, and for that I am thankful.  Let us never forget the sweat and tears we shared on Prichard Field, the track, in the pway before RLP, rose garden, suya, and cookie jar.  The smiles at Hi-Moms and our firm handshakes and mutual respect as we swore in together as Naval Officers.  

Class 02-13 Golf Company will always hold a special place in my heart.  Despite all the suck, it was well worth it.  Would I do it all over again?  First, I would cry.  But there is no doubt I would do it again if I had to in order to be commissioned as an officer.

All praise and glory goes to God for comforting me in dire moments and surrounding me with the right people.  But most importantly, saving me from my sin so that I may join him in heaven.

Quick Update

Today is Friday, Week 6.

Days here are like weeks, and weeks are like days.  Basically, days go by very slowly, but the weeks pass quickly.

Life after 4th week has improved exponentially, with showers at will, access to email, blousing of boots, academic classes, etc etc.

Indoctrination week was the most difficult and stressful week I've ever had in my life.

Notes:

-Chow hall highlights: peanut butter (w/ apples, cucumbers, bananas, etc), yogurt (w/ everything).

-The sand pits suck.  really suck.  There have been times when I thought I was dying..literally.

-There have been many times in the beginning when I felt like my body was shutting down.

-You get used to living on 4 hours sleep.

-Always be ballistic.  Except when speaking to an officer.

-I wear a glow belt 24/7...even to sleep.

-Walking by the dessert section every day torments me.

-I really suck at hand eye coordination activities without being able to practice beforehand.  (i.e. sword manual)

-Every day provides excellent and hilarious stories.  Especially when we get beat.  Everyone hates everyone while getting beat, but we all enjoy recapping afterwards.

Gotta go now...time to lock on again.

dream day

I feel like I'm in a dream.

Flying from Los Angeles to Dulles to Providence.  O the irony.  I ended up in providence haha.

Looking out the window of my taxi as I drove into Newport, I became so excited to see the concrete sign, US NAVY NEWPORT , but also scared that I would wake up and this wouldn't be real.  What the heck am I doing in Rhode Island?  This is a surreal reality for me right now.  Talks of what jets you want to fly, where in the world you will be stationed, and of course the ridiculous stories I've been hearing.  I feel as though I've joined a fraternity, with all my fellow servicemen and women being my brothers and sisters.  For our last dinner, we ordered some Dominoes and enjoyed some pepperoni pizza in the hotel lobby while finding out a little about each other.  It's a strange feeling.  The calm before the storm that is to come tomorrow.  Sitting in my hotel room with seagulls right outside my window and the smell of the ocean filtering in, I keep telling myself...game time.

I have been blown away and feel undeserving of the love I have been shown the past few weeks by family, church, friends, and colleagues.  It finally hit me last night during my final dinner with family.  As we clanged our wine glasses together, I started to cry.  Mind you, I haven't been really emotional during the entire goodbye process, but it all caught up to me.  I would no longer be living life on a day to day level with so many who I care so much about...my only response was to cry.  After excusing myself from the dinner table because it was "too hot," I went to my bathroom to turn on the sink and let the tears flow.  Putting myself together, I returned to the table and enjoyed a wonderful final meal.

God has blessed me beyond measure, and tomorrow I will begin quite possibly the most difficult 3 months of my life.

Psalms 23.