Points of Contact

I'm laying down on a heating pad because I somehow tweaked my back today while cleaning – it might have been the vacuuming of the stairs while carrying our 5 month old boy Boaz – he's a pretty big guy! But since I'm here, iPhone in hand, I figured I'd shoot out a blog post and include part of an email I sent some Mighty Men in the Marine Corps. The email was about the Tun Tavern Inn that is used as a local gathering (and lodging) place for the “para-church" organization of the Tun Tavern Fellowship, which was started by my mentor, Chris Braddy (LtCol, USMC Ret) about 6 or 7 years ago (I think)… I asked some questions about the 2 tenants who live there now and rejoiced that a 3rd would soon be staying there with them. I then went on to relate a couple stories and lessons I've learned over the past dozen years or so…

“While walking on a ship in my Merchant Marine Academy cadet days, early on I learned the phrase: “one hand for you and one for the ship" and in the FRS while learning to preflight a phrog and climbing on top of the aircraft I learned to “maintain 3 points of contact" (i.e- 2 feet one hand or two hands and one foot) And a few years ago, while preflighting aboard a rocking ship on a windy flight deck, I never forgot how important those points of contact were, but I rarely had them spiritually. Solomon had something going for him when he said “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken" and this also makes having 3 tenants there even more significant – although it's likely Solomon didn't follow his own relational advice, just as he didn't follow his Prov 4:23 advice to “keep his heart with all diligence" but instead gave it to many wives… (1 Kings 11:3)

My point in all of this is that those tenants are instrumental in the success of the Inn effort, (not just to keep the Inn full, but to keep those who stay there full of the Spirit!) and if we fail to apply the appropriate “point of contact" follow up, they might just fall and hurt themselves, and this goes for all future guests at the Inn(s) as well."

I figured that message would be appropriate to put here on the blog since it gives a little insight to my Marine Corps career and my spiritual walk, as well as providing some food for thought, reflection, or response from one of the few folks who might read it. I CC'd some of those who read this blog in my original email, but I like how the blog world provides a way to categorize and chronicle these ideas unlike email which needs to be deleted to make room for more…

Hope you enjoyed the ramblings, and I hope you are keeping at least 3 points of contact in this dangerous world we live in as well – after all, we've got an enemy who's prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour… Don't let him catch you while you're down, have a couple brothers (or sisters) who can help you get back up when you fall!

Peace,
Adam

PS: I'm going to be working on my 30 Mighty Men plan to re-vamp the lists and re-assess how to best attack this plan for the new year! I'll do my best to blog some of my techniques so that anyone who wants to do likewise will have a baseline…