Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

And it’s all small stuff!

So my last few blog entries have been all about running, hiking, more running, old trails, new trails, great goals achieved and even higher goals set. Well this entry is no different than any of the others. There is still an old trail and a new one. I’m still running but just different. I still have goals set, but they have changed.
To those that don’t know this may come as a big shocker, but to those that do I hope to maybe clarify some questions that you have and maybe even stir up some new ones.
Haley and I have been praying and seeking direction in our life for awhile now. God has been good to provide in the mean time, but at least for me I have not felt deep down that what I was doing was what I was meant to be doing forever (Josh can back me up an this one). I’m happy for the trail that I have come down. Neither Haley or I would claim to have made the best decision even most of the time, but regardless those are the decisions that have lead us to this point in life and we wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.
Ok enough matrix talk
WE ... I will repeat that for those in doubt ... We, meaning Haley and I have chosen to take a new direction in our life. After much council with those that know our situation, personalities, desires and whom we respect enough to speak into our lives We have decided that I should join the Army. After much looking around and research we decided on Army as our branch that we would like to serve in.
We are in the final stages of wrapping things up. Thanks to some bad apples in this world there are more papers and documents to go through than buying a house. But alas, to my utter surprise I am not a sex offender and have no outstanding warrants or tickets. That was a relief. Word to the wise... if you are wondering if you are a sex offender or have outstanding warrants or tickets just pretend as if you want to joint the Army and they will check for you... easy as pie
We are currently waiting on the Army doctor to put us in the clear to come down and take a physical and go through the final remaining papers.
To those that have gotten this far you are obviously very worried, wondering if I am kidding or actually curious what I will be doing for the next chapter of my life. Well I’m not kidding, you shouldn’t worry because God has protected me so far (my mom has been witness to that) and for the last one read on.
I have always been interested in the Armed forces to some extent and very curious about what it would be like. For whatever reason I always thought that it never lined up with my life but that maybe had things been different I would have given it a try. The area that I have been interested in the most ... surprise surprise... is the Army Rangers. They get to do the fun stuff, run further, camp longer and shoot the most (at least in the movies). Yes this is more dangerous but just read above again if you are worried.
I had to score a 110 overall GT on the ASVAB to choose the Ranger route which meant a 80 something out of 99 overall on the test. This worried me some at first because I have always been extremely bad at tests. So I took their “test” and got a 92 out of 99 which equates to an overall GT of 127. Not too bad I guess. After that my recruiter didn’t offer up any of his test score results and told me that I made him feel stupid (his words not mine). After this they took me a lot more serious in the office. I told him to give me until later that night or the next morning to make a decision on wether or not to go forward with it. Haley and I talked it over and we both agreed with no persuasion on my part at all (just clarifying again) that this was where we felt God was leading our family. We decided that we would leave the door open for God to close this off but that we were going to go through with it if He didn’t make it extremely clear that this wasn’t the correct path for us.
So at this point nothing has been put on hold and everything is going through just fine. I should be going down on Wednesday or Thursday to get my physical and sign the remaining papers. Then I will be off to training for the next year + or -

There are a few things that stand out that made this decision and step of faith a reality.

1. God - He has a been laying this into place for quite awhile now and that has become more evident as time goes on.

2. Haley - from the 100 challenge to get me in shape to being supportive in what ultimately means our family being separated for long periods of time.

3. My Parents - They have taught me how to weigh the big decisions, to trust God and also that this is a great country worth fighting for.

4. Friends/Family - many of you have been supportive and uplifting and excited with is through this up and coming quick change.

Now that we are in the foot note let me answer a few Frequently Asked Questions I’m sure will come up.

- Don’t you know this is going to be hard?
That doesn’t mean I have to admit it, and you don’t need to tell me.

- Don’t you know that not all make it?
I’m not a quitter, they will have to pull my still body from the training grounds before I give up. That is what will make me better than the rest.

- Don’t you know that it is dangerous and you could die?
I’m not a coward and I know what this country was founded on... And it wasn’t anti war marching morons that have no idea the blood that was shed for the freedom of speech.

- Don’t you know that you aren’t single and have a family to take care of?
What better example can I give my son than to stand up for what I believe and lay my life on the line to protect the freedom that was bought at such a high price?