Here are some words of wisdom from Robert E. Lee on this, his 200th birthday.  I found them in Call of Duty; the Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee by J. Steven Wilkins.

"Get correct views of life, and learn to see th eworld in its true light.  It wil enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.

There is a true glory and a true honor; the glory of duty done - the honor of the integrity of principle."

Two days before the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Lee said to a fellow General Pendleton, "I have never believed we could, against the gigantic combination for our subjugation, make good in the long run our independence unless foreign powers should, directly or indirectly assist us... But such considerations really made with me no difference.  We had, I was satisfied, sacred principles to maintain and rights to defend, for which we were in duty bound to do our best, even if we perished in the endeavor."

Confederate Cavalry General JEB Stuart said, "Duty is ours; the consequences are God's." 

Years after the War while encouraging a friend in despair, Lee wrote, "The truth is this: The march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress is so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged.  It is history that teaches us to hope."

Alas, I must dash, but praise be to God for such an inspiring and faithful example of integrity!

Hail from the Old Dominion!

I hope y'all had a joyous and soaring celebration of the birth of our Saviour!    I'm thankful for the opportunity to see family and play some rollicking table tennis and have some thrilling air soft battles and to see the movies Cars, the Visitation (based on a Frank Peretti novel), and Night in the Museum.  Good stuff!   As I now live a ways apart, and leaving family to return to my new home in Virginia doesn't seem to get any easier, I was reminded once more of the part of our blessed hope as believers in Christ that we may look forward to never having to say goodbye again.  What a comfort we have to know that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, because His Father could not look upon Him while He bore our sins on the cross!  A wonderful friend encouraged me with Joshua 1:9, "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

Awhile back, the pastor at the Colonial Heights Baptist Church http://www.chbaptist.com/ challenged those in attendance to consider what gifts we're placing under the tree to give unto Him.  He used the figurative examples of placing his wallet to represent his finances, his calendar to represent his time, etc.  I appreciate the perspective he gave for this Christmas season.

As a diligent, gifted, and kind friend recently shared, God's provision in providing a site (after numerous disappointments) for the Army of Chivalrous Christian Soldiers to hold an event was wondrous to behold.  Your prayers for God's aid in bringing this to pass is appreciated, and I would be glad to share information to anyone interested.

God has really been challenging me with two especially thought-provoking resources.  While meeting in a house church, the illustration of many principles found in the book Ekklesia: To the Roots of Biblical House Church Life, Steve Atkerson, Editor.  Also, the website www.ntrf.org has provided some similar questions and ideas by examining the Bible and example of the Early Church regarding the form and function of the church.  It's been quite stimulating!  I appreciate the humility on the site, and look forward to Lord willing continuing to grow in my understanding of God's design and purpose for His church.

I've recently had the honor to be tagged by a couple of thoughtful ladies and shall strive to meet their expectations.   Here goes:

The Rules: Each player of this game starts with six (6) weird things about himself or herself. People who get tagged need to write a blog post of their own six (6) weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose six (6) people to be tagged and list their names.  *Or as was astutely noted, "unique" works pretty well, too!

Oddities of (and I quoteth, “An ‘eccentric’ [former] student teacher”).

1. I tuck my shirt tail and proudly wear a polished brass belt buckle cast in the state seal of Virginia,  often my trusty Confederate Richmond Depot Type II Shell Jacket sewn by my mother, and sometimes my battered slouch hat in public. *gasp*  Well actually, after having read about one certain friend, not too weird

2. I enjoy the noble and chivalrous pastime of bike jousting.  Here is a rendition from a hitherto fair:

In the first pass I struck my opponent, the famed "Super Steve," a blow with my cardboard tube lance squarely on his pillow breastplate and churned by on my noble steed of a bike untouched.  He was rocked still, whereas I flew off my mount over the handlebars.  We then raced to our broadswords (shorter cardboard tubes) and pitched into hand-to-hand.  After a few mighty clashes, alas, I flailed wildly and slipped on the wet grass drenched with dew.  Thus, I lost a
humiliating defeat to the mighty Super Steve.

After beholding a few more spectacles of battles, I was challenged by yet another Steve!  With the honor of my aspiring to knighthood character "Journeyman Aaron of Bradford" impugned by my loss, I sprang at the chance for redemption.  The second time was very similar to the first; our lances seemed to shatter on impact as we delivered each another a resounding blow.  This time, I was thrown so violently off my mount that I earned a red badge of courage and left my bike completely upside down!  We snatched up our broadswords and had at it.  During this fight, I am relieved to share that I kept my footing and during a greatly spirited fight dealt my foe a few blows.  After vigorous exertions, I was able to knock Steve's sword clean out of his grasp, and he begged for mercy.

Humbly submitted,
Journeyman aspiring to be Sir Knight Aaron Bradfourth of Lincolnshire

3. I have been officially diagnosed with E.D.D. by the musicians of the renowned Fort McHenry Guard – “Excessive Drill Disorder.” 

Drummer boy in the War that Made America - www.thewarthatmadeamerica.org

5. My brothers would say that my listening to country music is weird.

6. I am a reenactor, and here’s why that’s weird.

Excerpt from Vol. 12, Issue 3 of the Burning Issues: Official Newsletter of the Burning of the Valleys Military Association, Inc. www.bvma.org

 YOU KNOW YOU'RE A REENACTOR WHEN:

- You pack for an event three weeks before you leave

- You put on your reenacting garb before the reenactment officially starts

- You dread the off-season when there's nothing to do but look at your uniform and wish you were fighting

- You are ready to go to a battle RIGHT NOW and nobody else wants to

- You try to save your Captain and he tells you to go away

- You enjoy the smell of gun powder in the morning

- Sleeping outside in the rain and mud is your idea of a fun Saturday night

- You can identify a regiment by the curses [singing] heard from their camp

- You can spot 100% wool at 30 yards

- You have ever spent over 300 dollars on clothes that went out of style over 200 years ago

- Your dinner guests see one of your uniforms and exclaim "Are you in a theatre production?"

- Your neighbor's dog is barking due to the high frequency pitch of the fifes playing in your back yard

- The local police stop by because your neighbor complained about men running around your back yard with guns

- You travel over 2000 miles to sleep in tent at a historic site

- Used your rifle-musket to kill something to eat

- Name and have slept with your rifle-musket

- Put on your reenactor clothes just to look at your self in the mirror

- You drive by some open land and think "What a great place for a reenactment!"

- For Men: You wonder how a lady would look in an 1860's period dress

- You know by heart the lines to ANY Monty Python skit

- You've worn wool when the temperature tops 100 degrees Fahrenheit, repeatedly

- You and your spouse are in direct competition over who gets to wear more plumes

- You've been hit by cap fragments, pulled offticks, been infested by chiggers, gotten poison ivy, and still look forward to camping out every time

- There are a couple of cannon balls on your stairs [a cannon in your den]

- Your house needs a coat of paint (and a serious cleaning!)

- There are two or three (or four) muskets stacked in the parlor corner

- There are half-completed sewing projects decorating the parlor furniture

- You've made a career decision based on its impact on your weekends

- You've purchased a vehicle based on how well it accommodates your kit (and tent poles) and gets into and out of fields

- Your neighbors talk about how your house smells of rotten eggs on Mondays

- No one will attend a war movie/historical costume drama with you

- Your reenacting wardrobe is more valuable than your business attire

- Your $20,000 car sits out in the weather so your $200 tent can stay in the garage

- You spend more on a pair of reenacting shoes than on your "dress" shoes

- You earn a good salary but are always broke

- You never enter a fabric store without a pack of matches

- Your kids can correct their history teachers

- You fly strange flags

- Your freezer is full of candles (makes 'em burn longer - really!)

- You're on PETA's hit list (We love animals -we eat 'em, we wear 'em!)

- You have more closet space devoted to uniforms than "real" clothes

- In the middle of summer, you dread wearing a short sleeved shirt in your air conditioned office, but you can't wait to get to the next event, where you can dress in a long sleeved shirt, with a vest, wool coat, hat, and carry around 40 or 50 pounds of bulky gear on your back, while firing your musket, then relaxing next to your cook fire

- Road kill is something to be stopped and inspected for it's usefulness (quills, fur, food?)

- You win Halloween costume competitions - hands down

7. I would hope that living with an eternal perspective and love for the Lord would cause me to do things that would be considered weird to this world.  For example, my responses to trials would be so full of joy and gratitude to the Lord that they would be considered weird!

I Corinthians 3:18 - "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a 'fool' so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: 'He catches the wise in their craftiness'; 20 and again, 'The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."

I tag:

johnstuart

savedoutofloneliness

bsbllbenny

bec_739

Jewel24601

emilylansing

Alas, the it is the 1st hour of Friday, the 28th... and I reckon I'm about to turn into a pumpkin following on the heels of hard ridin and little sleep, so I must take my leave.  My thanks to those who read and/or comment.  Auf wiederschreiben!   (Until we write again!)

Cheers,

Aaron

Thank you so much for those who've shared encouraging words and sharing that they get something from any of my posts (God is good!).   I'm making haste to head to Delaware and Pennsylvania o'er the course of this jam-packed weekend for two events, and would appreciate prayers for safety with many hours on the road and little sleep.   I look forward to returning to my computer Monday evening.

I thought I'd leave with three passages of Scripture that have really struck me lately.

Psalm 4:4, "Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still."

This one is mighty convicting as it pertains to my time to not only spend time with God, but to BE STILL.   That can be quite a challenge!  Yes, this verse is in the context of the righteous and faithful God we serve; thanks be to Him for His mercy and grace and that He first sought us while we were yet enemies with Him, and that He is waiting for us with open arms, just as the father with the prodigal son.

This was humbling for me.  I thought of it in relation to when Paul talked about the body of believers in the Church, and how members are called to different roles of equal importance but less prominence.  Related to that is how people who are praised on earth receive their reward, while those who do those things that go unnoticed by others are seen by God, bring a smile to His Face, and will be rewarding how much more gloriously in Heaven!   A friend raised the point about it relating to predestination.  That certainly raises a conversation, which I don't have time to addresss now... 

I must close, and shall be thanking God for the wonderful gift and rich blessings of friends ("I thank my God upon my every remembrance of you.") along the lines Philippians 1:3 and praying that y'all may experience a joyous and refreshing time worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth this weekend!

My thanks to friends who recently courageously and honestly shared about the challenges they’ve endured and their resolve to trust in God’s perfect timing regarding finding their future husband or wife. 

The Lord has recently strongly encouraged me to embrace and use the gift of singleness.  He has provided an incredible array of opportunities to fellowship with believers, focus upon my new job at a Civil War Museum in Virginia, and to minister to others.  Without raising a family or being committed in an exclusive serious relationship, I have more freedom to pursue these endeavors.  In a sense, I'm called to "make hay while the sun shines," in that there are certain opportunities available now that either won't exist or will be limited if I enter the season of marriage. 

I was reminded of the example and words God gave Paul in I Corinthians 7, “1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2 But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband… 7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

What if God calls us to a life of singleness?  If not, are we content with being single for however long He calls us to be?  Are we content and satisfied in our relationship with Him?  In whom is our hope?  Are we dependent on anything outside of Christ? 

Are we more focused on anticipating marrying our future wife or husband than seeing the face of our Savior Jesus in heaven and do we yearn to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”?

I was reminded that fallible human beings are bound to disappoint and how important it is to have healthy and realistic expectations while not compromising our standards for a future mate. 

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Especially in my relationships with sisters in Christ, I was reminded that I need to examine that I am striving to show pure and sacrificial Christ-like love, which gives without expecting anything in return (like in this case a future mate).  I’ve experienced in manifold bounty the Truth of Christ’s words when He said it is more blessed to give than receive!  I've been blessed beyond measure from friendships.

I appreciate what Kristin from (bambooandlace ) shared about this quote, “A man finds his wife while she is going about her Father's buisness.”  And then there’s the adage, “A watched pot never boils.”

The anticipation and desire to raise a mighty family for God’s kingdom is a precious and sorely needed calling which I heartily commend!  I appreciate and cheer on those who unashamedly share and live by their convictions and calling.  I hope that the aforementioned words may be of encouragement as we seek to trust and obey our Lord!