Germany Day V

Drove to Mannheim this morning. Very cool place. I had only been here once before to drop off a prisoner. It was nice to see the city for what is is.

When went to the Jesuit Church and took a lot of pictures.

After that we went to the Mannheim Univerisity. Wow. Very impressive. Following that we stopped at McD's and I ordered a "Royal with Cheese."

We went back to Heidelberg and went to Schloss Heidelberg; very impressive. It was built in the 13th century. Parts of it are worn down but they are currently rebuilding it.

Here are some pics:

The Jesuit Church:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Schloss Heidelberg:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give me a day or two and you can find more here: http://jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

Psalm 119:143

Germany Day IV

"... And yellow and green when it's time to get ill."

Woke up around 1100hrs or so, knocked on Greg's door and we were off. We were off to visit Frankenstein's Castle. Yes, the REAL Frankenstein's Castle.

I only wish we would have been here a week earlier. The castle hosts the biggest Halloween event in Germany. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008321733_webfrankenstein28.html

They were tearing down the remnants of the big party when we got there. I really hate my lack of timing... Dang it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SpMuLLPIFU

Afterwards we drove to Mainz (where the 317th Infantry Regiment crossed the Rhine) and then headed to Wiesbaden. It started to rain on the way back to Heidelberg. And not just a little rain... It was coming down in buckets.

Got back to the hotel, had supper, moved to the Executive Lounge (I'll explain later) had a few and then retired to my room which is where I sit now, typing this blog.

Time for bed...

Here's a picture of Castle Frankenstein, for more go here: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Peter 3:18

Germany Day III

Today I got my system up and running. There were a few glitches however, but I prevailed.

After work we returned to the hotel. I am fortunate enough to be on the "Executive Level" here at the Marriott. What that means is I get breakfast and supper for free if I go to the "Executive Lounge." Well, guess what? Exactly.

So, "R" from the company "M" and "G" from the company "S" are there when I arrive. We eat and have a few drinks before "R" retires for the night. "G" and I have a wonderful conversation about varied topics until the subject of Religion comes up.

At that point our conversation becomes something wondrous. You see, "G" is a doubtful Christian. I, on the other hand am/try to be a faithful Christian. The conversation was amicable and thoughtful. I came away from it with a more positive feeling of my place in this world and I hope/feel that he came away with a more positive Christian attitude.

It's too complicated to go over in a blog but I truly believe I may have made a difference.

Of course, I'm twice his size and am more able to deal with 4 glasses of wine and a 6 pack of beer than most but... I digress.

Seriously though, I honestly think I helped him rethink some of his beliefs. If so, then I have performed my duty here in Germany.

After all, it wasn't ESP who sent me over here...

1 Peter 2:15-16

 

Germany Day II

Woke up and drove to Mannheim. Needless to say the directions I downloaded from the internet were no where NEAR where I was suppose to be. So, I figured since Coleman Barracks is also an Army Airfield that it might be near the Flughaven (airport). Wrong! About that time my contact called and asked where I was to which my answer was, "I have no friggin' idea." SO he tells me to punch in an address into my Nav system and lo and behold 35 minutes later I was on post.

I forgot what it was like to be doing 110mph and get passed by angry Germans who zip by you like you're doing 70mph backwards. Tomorrow I'm taking my Mercedes up to 130mph. Weeeeeee...

I arrived at the motor pool (all German motor pools smell the same and it's been 15 years since I smelled one) only to find, not a lot going on. Soldiers were scurrying hither and yon but there wasn't a lot of work getting done. I asked when we could break out my system and was told, "After lunch." Ok.

Went to lunch. Do you have any idea how hard it is to eat anything in this country that doesn't contain pork?!? So, I ordered a Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. I was just about to bite into it when I suddenly asked myself, "Hey, isn't there ham inside this?" So, I cut it open and there before my eyes was a tiny slice of ham. Once the ham was excised from said sandwich, I happily ate the rest along with my Pommes Frites.

Returning to the motor pool we found that no a lot had changed since we left. Within an hour or so, the Garrison Commander ordered everyone to go home for Fall Cleanup. Someone's priorities are sorely misplaced. So, it appears as though I'll get to work tomorrow morning... Maybe.

Two words to describe this unit; Clue. Less.

Colossians 1:9

 

Germany Day I

Left DFW around 1445hrs (Sierra) and arrived around 0630hrs (Alpha). Did I sleep? Uh, no.

Watched two movies on the trip over; GI Joe and Harry Potter VI.

GI Joe: It wasn't horrible but, it wasn't good either. Dennis Quaid seemed to be trying TOO hard. The rest of the cast was so-so. Too much focus was on Duke and not enough on Snake-Eyes and as we (Joe readers) all know, Snake-Eyes IS GI Joe. I also was trying to figure out why Duke, who is a First Sergeant, was a Captain. Not only a Captain, but a Captain wearing a Major's gold leaf!! They seriously altered Snake-Eyes' origin... and not for the better. Lame, very lame.

Harry Potter VI: It was good. I like the fact that the bad guys are moving into the real world. It was only a matter of time before us Muggles would be affected by a magical war of good vs evil. It's also interesting to watch the romance between Hermioni and Ron as well as the one between Harry and Ginny. I'm looking forward to seeing the next movie(s). And yes Tab, I know I need to read them.

Got to the hotel and went to sleep. No, check that... Tried to sleep. I'm exhausted and for whatever reason, cannot sleep except in and out for about 7 hours. Finally said, "Screw it" and got up. I had a steak downstairs and then drove around a bit before deciding that driving around in the dark in an unfamiliar city wasn't such a good idea. Came back walked around a bit and took a few night photos.

Now here I sit; bored out of my skull because I forgot to bring any movies to watch and the only thing in English on tv here in the hotel is CNN... Blechh.

1 John 2:15-16

Yeah, yeah... it's been a while.

Well I finally uploaded a few pics from my Wisconsin and Colorado trips. Go here: http://www.jpgmag.com/people/waltsobchek

Luke 10:33

Wisconsin Death Trip Day III

Lake Michigan is freakin' big. How big? Check this out; I superimposed the lake into Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See what I mean? BIG! It's like looking into the Gulf of Mexico.

I also went to the Miller Brewing Company; cool tour.

At some point I'll update the main page with pics from here as well as Colorado.

Micah 6:8

Wisconsin Death Trip Day II

Woke up and went to work. These poor folks are jacked up like a soup-sandwich. I certainly hope they get their act together before deployment.

Went here after work today. The pic below is the inside of the chapel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John 8:36

 

Wisconsin Death Trip

Ok... I realize that most of you will not get the title. Call Michael and ask him to explain it to you.

I'm in Wisconsin. I flew in to Milwaukee this morning, caught a Brewers game this afternoon and drove all the way across the state to LaCrosse (yes, like the game).

East Wisconsin looks like East Texas. West Wisconsin looks like Bavaria. So, no pictures; because if you are reading this blog then a) you've been to one or both places or b) you've already seen pictures of both or c) both a and b.

That being said, I do have pictures of the game:

Miller Park- The haze isn't pollution. The parking lot was about 1/2 full two hours before the game and the tailgate parties were in full bloom. The haze is smoke from a few thousand tailgate grills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hank Aaron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batting Practice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DeRosa gets a hit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albert Pujols.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Jeff Suppan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Make it rain...

New Laws Go Into Effect September 1st...
http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/2009/08/for-my-fellow-texans.html

A Day at the Gun Range

We spent the afternoon at Weber's Gun Range today. My wife has officially impressed me; she can shoot... Well (I'll take credit as coach-extraordinaire). Once she's legal to pack it, bad guys better watch out. If she shoots like she did today when she goes to get her CHL, she'll shoot a perfect score. My XD-9 is freakin' awesome (and so is she).

 Ephesians 5:19-20

A Day at the Gun Range

We spent the afternoon at Weber's Gun Range today. My wife has officially impressed me; she can shoot... Well (I'll take credit as coach-extraordinaire). Once she's legal to pack it, bad guys better watch out. If she shoots like she did today when she goes to get her CHL, she'll shoot a perfect score. My XD-9 is freakin' awesome (and so is she).

 Ephesians 5:19-20

Golf Tournament Today

John, Mitch, Andrew and I shot a 62 at Stonetree today. We came in first and scored $50 each. Sweet! Plus, John (the man is a freak of nature) got longest drive (roughly 370yds +/-) and closest to the pin.

Luke 18:17 

This guy could be my brother...

http://wethepeople09171787.blogspot.com/

 

Mark 13:5-6 

USS Jason Dunham
Navy Christens New Guided Missile Destroyer Jason Dunham
Story Number: NNS090729-04
Release Date: 7/29/2009 5:36:00 AM

From Department of Defense
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy will christen the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Jason Dunham, Aug. 1, 2009, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.

Designated DDG 109, the new destroyer honors Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, the first Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dunham was born in Scio, N.Y., Nov. 10, 1981, sharing the same birthday as the U.S. Marine Corps.

On April 14, 2004, Dunham's squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in Karabilah, Iraq, when his battalion commander's convoy was ambushed. When Dunham's squad approached to provide fire support, an Iraqi insurgent leapt out of a vehicle and attacked Dunham. As Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground, he noticed that the enemy fighter had a grenade in his hand and immediately alerted his fellow Marines. When the enemy dropped the live grenade, Dunham took off his Kevlar helmet, covered the grenade, and threw himself on top to smother the blast. In an ultimate selfless act of courage, in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of two fellow Marines.

Retired Gen. Michael W. Hagee, former commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Debra Dunham will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her late son. In accordance with Navy tradition, she will break a bottle of champagne across the ship's bow and christen the ship.

Jason Dunham, the 59th Arleigh Burke class destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Jason Dunham will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare in keeping with "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," the new maritime strategy that postures the sea services to apply maritime power to protect U.S. vital interests in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world.

Cmdr. M. Scott Sciretta, born in South Amboy, N.J., is the prospective commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Jason Dunham is being built by Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics company. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

Matthew 15:10 is the same as Mark 7:18...

And I already covered it. In context he is speaking about washing hands and the germs which may or may not enter the body (specifically Matthew 15:20). Sorry Laura, but I'm right.

I covered it in the comments section previously but will post it here in the main section.

Mark 7:18: "And he said unto them, are you so without understanding also? Do you not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without enters into the man, it cannot defile him...?"

Wrong interpretation- Jesus was condemning the Scribes and Pharisees for their strict lawkeeping, decreeing that virtually any "food" is harmless and therefore edible.

Proper Understanding- When taken in proper context, this passage is not difficult to understand. At the beginning we find Jesus's disciples eating with unwashed hands in plain sight of the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees were two Jewish sects in the time of Jesus. These Jews had many rabbinical traditions that had been handed down through the ages, and one of those was ceremonial washing of hands before eating. We can see this in the first few verses. "For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables" (Mark 7:3-4).

When the Scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus's disciples eating before washing their hands, they accused Jesus and His disciples of breaking their traditions. Jesus was not pleased with their condemnation, but in turn accused them of placing their own man-made doctrine or dogma over GOD's commandments. "Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of Elohim, that you may keep your own tradition" (Mark 7:6-9).

Jesus does not condemn them for compliance with GOD's clean food Laws, but instead condemns them for their doctrines of men. These doctrines were not part of GOD's Torah ( Law), but were laws established by Jewish leaders through many generations.

Throughout the New Testament it becomes clear that these Jewish leaders who were responsible for teaching GOD's Law became complacent with the more important matters. This is seen in Matthew 23:23, where Jesus makes this statement: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone." This was most evidently the problem in Mark 7, which we can see through Jesus's statement in verse 21. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:21-23).

Ingesting some dirt from unwashed hands will not defile a man, Jesus taught in verse 18. But evil thoughts will defile because they come from the heart, verses 19-20. Nowhere in Mark 7 do we find GOD's clean food Laws mentioned. We simply see the same message Jesus taught during his ministry here on earth. We are to observe GOD's physical Laws without neglecting His weightier Laws.

Acts 10:15: "And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, What GOD has cleansed, that call not common."

Wrong interpretation- GOD has cleansed all meats in the New Testament era.

Proper Understanding- To grasp this verse, and Peter's vision surrounding it, is to understand the context of the entire chapter. At the start of this passage we find a Gentile named Cornelius. We learn that he is righteous and is well respected by all those around him, including the Jews. One day GOD sends an angel to deliver a message to Cornelius: send men to Joppa to Simon the Tanner where they will meet the Apostle Peter. Cornelius complies.

Before the men arrive, Peter goes onto the housetop to pray and there becomes hungry. As Peter prays he falls into a trace through which GOD reveals a message that will change True Worship forever. In his vision Peter sees a great sheet come down from the sky and on this sheet he finds all types of unclean beasts. Next, Peter hears a shocking proclamation. A voice commands, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." Peter cannot believe what he is hearing. He is confused and baffled at this command. It is repeated three times by the angelic being before the sheet is taken away.

Peter argues that he has never eaten anything unclean, verse 14, not even to this day-10 years after the death of Jesus. Surely if the laws of clean and unclean foods had been abolished at the Savior's death, one of the greatest apostles of the New Testament would have been aware of it immediately after Jesus's death. After all, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, which taught the apostles all things (John 14:26).

After the vision the three men that were sent by Cornelius find Peter and he returns with them to meet Cornelius. Once there, Peter explains the meaning of his vision of the sheet. "You know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but Elohim has showed me that I should not call ANY MAN common or unclean" (Acts 10:28). Thereafter Cornelius becomes the first Gentile convert to the faith. Here we have the simple explanation of this vision from the mouth of the inspired Apostle Peter himself: Gentiles, once considered unclean, may now enter the Covenant promise. GOD simply used unclean food to symbolize "unclean" Gentiles, who can now enter the Promises.

Psalm 119:93

Comments

Be sure to click on "View Comments" on the previous post for further analysis and updates.

Luke 8:17

Being a Good Christian

Today, being a good Christian just got a whole lot harder.

I would have to say that over the past 7-10 years I have strived to be a better Christian. There was an 11 year or so period in my life when being a good Christian was more of a side note for me; not always at the forefront of my thoughts or actions. I wasn't a "bad" person; I just wasn't in tune so much with God.

When you're a kid, you get your lessons on Christianity from your parents and from your priest/preacher/reverend/insert-title-here. But as hard as this is going to be to understand, they don't always teach you right. Now I don't mean to say they purposely mislead you; far from it. It's just that they may not know the whole story on what God's word actually says. So, therefore they don't give you, the child, the whole picture. Understand?

I just finished a book called Shocked by the Bible. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a Christian of any denomination. Heck, let your Atheist friends read it to, they may come around (but probably not, they are a hard-headed group of people). Anyhoo, in this book the author, Joe Kovacs has done his homework. He gives you the info and then shows you where in the Bible to find it. It is quite illuminating and in at least one part disheartening. And that is the subject of the title of this post.

Today, being a good Christian just got a whole lot harder. I love to eat good food. I am (now was) a huge fan of any piggy product. But let me tell you something; not eating pork is NOT just a Jewish thing or a Muslim thing... It's a Christian thing too. Now some may think that there is a scripture somewhere in the New Testament that refutes this law (and it is a law), but I assure you, it doesn't exist. If you can find it PLEASE let me know, the idea of giving up bacon, sausage, bratwurst, jagerschnitzel, pork loin, ribs and pork roast is sucking my will to live. But, if you want to do that; live forever with God at the appointed time, you must avoid the piggy. Add to this list anything from the water that is without fin and scale. Notice it's fin AND scale and not fin OR scale. That means no catfish, shark, swordfish, scallops, shrimp, lobster, crawfish, oyster, etc... The list is as long as my leg and will make you just cry. So, see what I mean by it just got a little harder to be a good Christian? Last week Tab and I went grocery shopping. We bought a pork loin, some Chorizo, bratwurst and bacon. I just fed the bratwurst to Biggio and Bagwell. I'm dehydrating the bacon and pork loin to make chewies for them and when the chorizo thaws out I'll just give it to them raw. Today, being a good Christian just got a whole lot harder.

I've washed my hands twice after handling the bacon but the smell is still on my hands and it's driving me to the edge of insanity. I love pork but I love God and the thought of eternal life much more...

Want to borrow the book? You'll have to wait until I get a new copy. I gave my copy to my flight attendant on the way to DFW from CO Springs. I told him to read it and then give it to someone else with the same instructions.

I welcome all comments on this subject but don't just email me; leave the comments here for all to see. And yes I'm serious, we, as a family are no longer eating piggys (the boys are going to be mad as wet hens when they read this).

I find the last two VotD's very appropriate to end with.

Geez!

So, we get on the plane, get seated and buckled in. People are coming aboard and the flight attendant guy brings me a Scotch. I crack open my new book (Liberty and Tyranny), take a sip of Scotch and then I hear, "Ladies and Gentlemen, leaving all of your personal belongings behind, please exit the aircraft in a calm and orderly manor." As I got to the front I asked if this was a drill, the answer was no and I looked back to see smoke in the cabin. Long story short; it was an electrical fire. I got delayed in Colorado Springs for the rest of the day, caught a flight to DFW, landed around midnight and got to my hotel (provided by American Airlines) around 0100hrs. It's 1321 now and I am finally home.

Philippians 2:12-13