I praise God for the opportunities He has given me as I have settled into the role of Command Chaplain for Littoral Combat Ship Squadron TWO (COMLCSRON TWO). I have been able to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to our sailors onboard the ship, at the base chapel, and in our local church in Jacksonville, Florida. I have been given the opportunity to provide pastoral counseling and care as well. There are a lot of new sailors coming into our command, which is a challenge due to the high tempo and demands of a minimally manned crew for our Littoral Combat Ships. I have been burdened for these new sailors especially and have been working with the command to provide courses in resiliency as they adapt to life in the Navy. I pray these courses will be able to be an opportunity to build strong relationships with these sailors. Though I am not operational at this command, I have been underway with our sailors and I will be getting underway to support our ships once they deploy.
We have settled into the Jacksonville area and feel at home. We are members of Victory Baptist Church, and Julianna and Trenton are attending the school associated with the church, Victory Christian Academy. I am grateful they were able to attend camp this year at The Wilds with the church’s youth group. Korben has moved back home and will be attending the University of North Florida. He was accepted into their Army ROTC program and has transferred from Wisconsin, to the Florida National Guard. God is continuing to work in their lives and I ask that you pray they continue to adjust to military life, and life in the ministry. Your phone calls, texts, and emails are always welcome.
Our family just returned from our Annual Missionary and Chaplain Training with All Points Baptist Mission. As always, we left blessed, encouraged, and challenged to continue to strive for the cause of Christ. It was an awesome experience to attend this year as an active duty chaplain. The training and mentorship that I have received in years past has helped to prepare me for my role. I am so grateful for the church members at Calvary Baptist for their efforts in making that week a success. Our family will always be grateful for our sending church, Cornerstone Baptist, and the wonderful people of Bible Baptist for helping us transition to this role.
Walking By Faith 