What a year!

So, today I pinned on Captain (that means I promoted to the rank of Captain). It's been exactly one year since I went to Andrews AFB, and some young Captain swore me in as an Air Force officer. I wasn't, at first, all that impressed with putting on Captain. For Chaplains, it's kind of automatic. But then I thought--I went through 3.5 years of seminary and 6 full years of ministry and 1 year as a 1st Lt to get these, and I'll be in these for 8+ years. Maybe I should treat it as a bigger deal than I have been! Besides, just working with Mark Garrett is enough to have made me a Colonel!!! With all of that in mind, Ch Breig (our Wing Chaplain) read the orders and swore me in. Jen had made homemade cinnamon rolls (excellent, as usual), and I had brought orange juice, so we sat down afterwards and had breakfast together. Actually, it's pretty meaningful to take the Officer's Oath. Check it out at http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj02/win02/keskel.html.

What makes this really important is thinking about where I was last year (it's been a pretty sweet year) and the year before (that was a pretty crappy year). God has certainly blessed us in this last year. I've had the chance in the last year to get a job that I enjoy very much; I spent time with my dying grandfather and ailing grandmother that has been very meaningful to me. I am closer to my sister than I ever have been, and I've seen more of Mom than I have for a long, long time. Jen's happy; the girls are happy; my promotion today simply marks a God-blessed year. May He get all of the glory!