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Spring Break Alternative

March 14, 2013 by John Potter

Most college campuses will be quiet next week.  Traditionally spring break is used as a time for students to vacation, take a study break, enjoy the beach, and find a local bar.  This year spring break is sending some collegians to Staten Island.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief leaders are sending a wave of college students who will respond to the needs of Hurricane Sandy survivors.  New York homeowners still need assistance as they try to rebuild their lives and clean up after the storm.

More than 300 students have registered to serve in New York over spring break. The collegiate effort will cycle new crews into the storm ravaged area each week until April 15.  Students will primarily work mud-out and cleanup jobs on Staten Island.

This work stands in direct opposition to the actions of their peers.  Instead of focusing on tans, rest, and alcohol recovery, this group of students will endure labor to help total strangers who are in great need.  These college students deserve all the kudos they can get.  Their efforts to perform selfless acts of service stand as a great testimony to Christ and doing the right thing in our world.

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Do the Right Thing Day

March 12, 2013 by John Potter

Listen to any news outlet and you will hear a wide assortment of negative events.

We are constantly bombarded by the news of tragedies, disasters, and horrific events.  This Friday social media users can help to turn the tide and shine a light on acts that are about “doing the right thing.”

March 15, 2013 is the first bloggers unite event where the organizers and sponsors of bloggers unite are joining together with social media users to “do the right thing.” Bloggers Unite is a community designed to unite people around positive causes where we can make a difference in the world.

March 15, 2013 is your day to spotlight and share a story about “doing the right thing.”  You say “what the right thing” is!  Then spread your story on Bloggers Unite, share it on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social communities that you belong to.

Join the event, pick a worthy cause, and share it with the world.  You can help by sharing your faith, highlighting a humanitarian effort, sharing a social justice need, showcasing examples of integrity, or just telling others about a local charity.

It is time for people to hear good news.  It is time for us to share stories and inspire people to action where we live.  Take time on Friday, March 15th to share what right looks like and watch how it can help to transform the world.

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National Problem Gambling Week

March 5, 2013 by John Potter

NPGAW

March 3-9 marks National Problem Gambling Week.

The goal of this campaign is to educate the general public, and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help that is available both locally and nationally.

Research finds that up to 3% of the US population will have a gambling problem. That equals 9 million Americans, yet only a small fraction seek out services, like treatment and self-help recovery programs.

Those with a gambling addiction are tough to identify and uniquely different from substance abuse addictions.  Gambling is connected to a fantasy.  Gamblers can also appear fully functional until they hit rock bottom.  There is no way to measure gambling in a scientific manner like urine, blood, or hair samples.  Gamblers tend to act alone or in secret from loved ones.  Another difficulty in finding those with the problem is that there is no saturation point for gambling.  Even professional can miss the signs until the final stages of loss and destruction.

These are critical discussion points because gamblers quickly turn to suicide.  If a problem gambler is isolating himself or herself, hiding financial losses, and lying about the issue, then family and friends may not even be aware of the problem until the person attempts suicide.

These tragic events are growing in our military communities and with veterans who have returned from war.  Recent studies show that 1 in 10 veterans have a problem or pathological gambling addiction.  And when you look at military suicide rates, financial problems are the second leading cause of suicide.  Veterans are another unique population because of service-related issues like combat stress reactions, post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.  Gambling may not be the entire cause for suicide in the military, but it is one piece of the puzzle that we can address as a caring community.

No matter where you live, there is hope for those who suffer from gambling problems.  Encourage people to reach out for help.  Resources are available in every community.  Find a local or national resource to help problem gamblers.  Counselors are only one call or click away from saving a life.

You can find counselors and additional resources at:

National Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-522-4700

Gamblers Anonymous www.gamblersanonymous.org

Military One Source 1-800-342-9647

Focus on the Family / faith-based counseling:  1-855-771-HELP (4357).

Posted in Military Family, News & Commentary, Suicide Prevention | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Bible – New History Channel Mini-Series

March 1, 2013 by John Potter

Bible Series

If you have seen the ads, there will soon be something worth watching on television.

The History Channel will present, “The Bible” as a five-week mini-series.  The premier is March 3, 2013 from Emmy Award winning husband and wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.  The final episode of the series will air on Easter Sunday and will feature the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This television series is a great and simple way for people to explore the message of God.  While the Bible is one the best-selling books of all time, many have not read the text.  The mini-series will give Christians, spiritual seekers, and curious souls an opportunity to discover the Holy Bible in a new and exciting way.  Hopefully, it will serve as a reason for folks to open the text, connect with Christ, and continue their discovery of God’s plan for humanity.

Below are a couple of reviews for the series.  Feel free to share the news and catch the show.

“To help insure the accuracy of the miniseries, many Christian scholars served as advisors and hundreds of Christian leaders have given their endorsement.” – Outreach Magazine

“It is also a project close to Mr. Burnett’s heart. In the past couple of years the 52-year-old former paratrooper says he has become deeply religious, a transition he credits to Roma Downey, his wife since 2007. ‘It wasn’t until I met Roma that I truly understood my faith and it’s been a dynamic shift for me,’ Mr. Burnett said.” – Wall Street Journal

“Famed television producer Mark Burnett tackles his projects with passion, but The Bible is a special labor of love.  The 10-hour, five-part docudrama, which premieres March 3 on the History Channel, will span the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, presenting some of its best- known stories, including Noah’s Ark, the Exodus, Daniel in the lions’ den and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

‘In terms of importance, nothing we’ve ever done, not Touched By an Angel, not Survivor, not The Voice, not The Apprentice, none of this could possibly compare to The Bible,’ Burnett says. ‘To us, as a family, we love the Bible.
This is not a TV show to us. It’s images and sound and sacred text that people will still watch, way after our grandchildren are old people.’

Since the entire Bible can’t be covered in 10 hours, the miniseries, which was filmed in Morocco, focuses on a select group of stories and features such compelling figures as Abraham, Moses and David. Some stories had to be compressed for artistic purposes. ‘In the end, what we’ve done is a meta-narrative, a grand narrative of emotionally connected stories. We know we’re not qualified to teach the Bible. We’re qualified to be good television producers and storytellers. By telling these emotionally connected, big stories, hopefully millions of people will reopen their Bibles,’ Burnett says. Downey came up with the idea for the miniseries a few years ago. ‘It is our obligation to tell the stories as written,’ he says. ‘The stories are so brilliant and compelling.’ The project will have broad appeal, he says. ‘If you know the Bible, you’ll enjoy seeing the stories come to life. If you’ve never read the Bible, I think you’ll love the stories,’ he says.  ‘There’s a reason the Bible is the most widely read book in the world.'” – USA Today

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Passover is Important to Everyone

February 21, 2013 by John Potter

passover

As a military chaplain, I operate in a plural environment.  There are people without faith, people of different faiths, and a wide variety of Christians in uniform.  A great part of the job is meeting fellow believers.  They range from new Christians to stalwarts of faith.  Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, everyone needs a solid understanding of Passover because it shares so much about the nature of God.

In Exodus 11, God shares there will be one final plague in the land of Egypt.  Every family will experience death.  All the firstborn of Egypt will die.  Everyone from Pharaoh, to prisoners, even the cattle of the field, will feel the pain of loss.  While this sounds absolutely horrible, it is the only way that the Hebrews can escape slavery and eventually know the freedom of the Promised Land.

God provides a way of escape for His people so that they will not experience the coming curse.  They must select an unblemished lamb, sacrifice it, and put the blood of that lamb on the doorway.  The blood of this perfect lamb will be a sign for death to pass over the family.

Moses tells the people of Israel that all these things will happen quickly.  They must roast the lamb, eat it with unleavened bread, and bitter herbs.   They must also eat it with their clothing fastened, their sandals on, and walking sticks in hand as they prepare for a quick departure out of Egypt.

Today, Passover is remembered by holding a seder.  It is a ritual meal that remembers the night God delivered His people from slavery.  The Israelites had to eat the Passover meal in haste, but as a memorial meal people can recline and freely enjoy the meal as they remember and celebrate the mighty works of a faithful God.

During the seder, unleavened bread is eaten as a reminder the Hebrews left Egypt in such a hurry that they didn’t have time to let their bread dough rise.  Next they serve parsley and salt water.  Parsley is a green vegetable that represents life which is created by God.  It is usually dipped in salt water to remind people of the tears shed during captivity.  People also eat bitter herbs such as horseradish, radish, or onion as a reminder of the bitterness the Israelites suffered while they were slaves.  Next the story of Passover is retold and the youngest child at the table is asked four traditional questions from Exodus 12.

Since the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, lamb is not consumed at Passover.  Instead, a roasted shank bone is on the table.  It represents the lamb whose blood marked the houses of the children of Israel.  Wine is shared during the meal.  It is a symbol of joy and the four-fold expression of the LORD’s promised deliverance.  Four cups are served throughout the seder: the Cup of Sanctification, the Cup of Judgment, the Cup of Redemption, and the Cup of Praise.  At the end of the meal, everyone sings or recites a Psalm from the Old Testament.  Traditionally, Psalms 115-118 are used.

The story of Passover and the deliverance of Israel, foreshadow a greater deliverance yet to come.  God sent Jesus to deliver mankind from the slavery of sin.  Jesus fulfilled the Law as the final sacrificial Lamb of God and provided redemption once and for all.  Death will pass over us because of the blood He shed on the cross.  Passover is important for everyone because it is a reminder of how God redeemed the Israelites from Egypt and how Jesus provided the ultimate redemption at Calvary.  As Christians, we continue to celebrate what has been accomplished.  Jesus, the Lamb of God, took away the sins of the world.

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National Marriage Week 2013

February 10, 2013 by John Potter

marriage dance

You can ask anyone about marriage and the answer will almost always be the same.  I want a good, strong, happy marriage.  No one stands at the altar and says, “I’ll give you the best five years of my life.”

Polls and surveys share the same information on marriage.  The vast majority of people desire happy, lasting marriages, whether rich or poor, male or female, and regardless of cultural background.

The big secret about marriage is that it works.  Yes, I said it, marriage works.  While out-of-wedlock birth rates are high and divorce rates are higher, marriage works.  Look at the last thirty years of research; married couples are happier, live longer, and build greater financial security.  Children with married parents perform better in school, have better physical health, have lower rates of suicide, and experience fewer cases of child abuse.  Click here for new research on “Why Marriage Matters: Thirty Conclusions from Social Science.”

Deep down, everyone wishes they could have a rewarding lifelong commitment with their spouse.  But in the midst of challenges, we forget how marriage can benefit our personal lives.  We are losing our determination and the skills to keep marriages healthy and strong.

February 7-14, 2013 is National Marriage Week.  This time is set aside to focus on the institution of marriage and strengthen it at a national level.  This is a collaborative effort that encourages groups to strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build a stronger marriage culture.  The website offers several marriage resources, event guides, reading lists, and videos on how to build a satisfying marriage.

As we approach Valentine’s Day, let us focus on the skills that can strengthen our relationships and keep our marriages intact.  Here are a couple of goals or reminders for a healthy marriage:

  • make time for each other (fun, friendship, romance)
  • work as a team (instead of me vs. you)
  • talk without fighting

Remember why you fell in love and think how hard you worked to maintain your romance.  After marriage, we normally encounter a period of time when couples spend less time on their relationship due to kids, careers, and other factors.  Take time to reconnect, go on a date, and rekindle the romance in your marriage.  Use National Marriage Week as a way to strengthen your marriage and focus on the one you love.

Posted in Military Marriages, News & Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War

February 1, 2013 by John Potter

confederates

What is it about the Civil War that continues to hold our fascination?  Why does this uniquely American conflict still carry such sway and emotion in our nation?  Tony Horwitz sets out to answer these questions and entertain his readers along the way. I believe that both tasks are accomplished in tremendous fashion.

The Civil War is remembered for many different reasons.  It fractured our Republic.    It divided families.  It produced an estimated 618,000 to 700,000 casualties.  It ended slavery.  And lest we forget, it preserved the Union.

Horwitz shows that the Civil War still rages in quirky and compelling ways.  No subject is off-limits for what is destined to become another classic on the Civil War shelf.  Horwitz discusses perspectives on the rebel flag; Stone Mountain; Union and Confederate reenactors; military tactics, equipment, and technology during the war; race relations then and now; the loss of historic battlefields; Nathan Bedford Forrest; unique organizations like the Sons, Daughters, and Children of the Confederacy; and even Jewish soldiers who fought for the South.  His great adventure takes you on a ten-state travelogue that is truly inspiring and informative.

As a veteran, his book gave me a greater awareness of combat and Army life from that era.  These soldiers had low survival rates and primitive conditions.  A small wound could easily cause tragedy.  Battlefields were littered with wounded soldiers who may not receive medical care for days and in some cases a week after being injured.  The battle space could be so distant, that medics may not arrive in time.  Later in the war, soldiers would write a final letter home and pin it on their uniform as they lay bleeding on the battlefield.

The book also made me consider how Union and Confederate veterans struggled with both their collective and individual homecomings after the war.  The feelings and emotions that OIF and OEF veterans experience today can’t be that distant from what they endured.

The ten-state journey and excellent humor made me turn the pages.  Each chapter was a delight and made me hungry for more.  The book is well written and is highly relevant for anyone.  You don’t need a history degree or a combat badge to enjoy this trek along the South.  Horwitz will keep you entertained and open your eyes to issues that still demand our attention.

I guarantee that you will enjoy his blend of humor, history, and hard-nosed journalism.

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Military Gambling Addiction is Double the Civilian Population

January 30, 2013 by John Potter

Gambling is a problem in America.  But gambling addiction issues with veterans are twice as high.

The Veterans Administration funded a study to determine the prevalence of problems and pathological gambling addictions within the U.S. military.  The findings deserve our attention:

  • One in 10 veterans have a problem or pathological gambling addiction (2 percent pathological addictions and 8 percent problem addictions to gambling)
  • Unemployment plays a major role in whether the veteran had gambling addictions, and married veterans were more likely to have gambling addictions (not what psychologists and researchers expected to see)
  • Veterans have about twice the rate of problems/pathological gambling addictions compared to the general, non-military population
  • Both male and female veterans have almost identical problem and pathological gambling addiction rates (again, this is unusual – not what psychologists and researchers expected to see)
  • Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety tend to have more gambling addiction problems
  • Younger veterans (20s) were more likely to be diagnosed as pathological gamblers (from previous data, most veterans with pathological gambling addictions are 35 and older, so this change in age for addiction was unexpected)

Veterans are immediately submitted to unhealthy methods of emotional escape when they return from combat.  There is a strong temptation to find unhealthy coping mechanisms because you are trying to develop a new normal at home or deal with combat stress reactions.  Many WWII veterans turned to alcohol, isolated themselves from family, and became workaholics when they returned from combat.  While this was a way to cope with problems, it was not the best way.

Gambling easily lends itself to a destructive path.  In short order, people quickly become compulsive gamblers, grow financially unstable, throw away friends and family, end marriages, abandon children, risk loosing a security clearance, jeopardize his/her military career, and even contemplate suicide.

Know the signs that point to a gambling addiction.  If you have a battle buddy or know a veteran who needs help, don’t wait.  Tell him/her what you see.  Encourage that person to get help.  State agencies and military posts offer free gambling addiction resources.  It is important that we act quickly when someone is at risk.  The loss of family and financial security may be enough for someone to consider suicide.  Your actions can help to save a life.

The National Council on Problem Gambling has a 24/7 confidential hotline:  1-800-522-4700.

Gamblers Anonymous offers a link with state hotlines at http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/hotlines

Military One Source offers free and confidential counseling for service members and military family members:  1-800-342-9647.

Focus on the Family offers faith-based counseling:  1-855-771-HELP (4357).

Posted in Veteran Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Military Marriages are Especially Difficult

January 24, 2013 by John Potter

Military Hands

Every marriage is precious in the sight of God.  It is an institution that began in Eden and continues with us as a gift from our Creator.  We often forget that marriage was meant to be a blessing for humanity.  When Jesus was asked about divorce in Matthew 19, he pointed back to the creation story in Genesis. Perhaps the people needed a lesson on the original intent of matrimony.  Here Jesus reminds the crowd that the marriage of a man and woman was meant to be permanent, a bond of eternal love and devotion.  It is a lesson that we still need today.

No marriage is easy.  They all take work.  They all require sacrifice and commitment.  Military marriages require all the above plus an extra dose of patience, a heap of faithfulness, a double batch of kindness, and a strong shot of self-control.

This week served as a reminder that military marriages are especially difficult.  A recent investigation by the Associated Press showed that 30 percent of military commanders who were fired since 2005 lost their jobs because of sexually related offenses.  The list includes sexual harassment, adultery, and improper relationships.  These 78 commanders lost more than their rank.  They lost more than their position on a military post.  They lost their families.

We all have distractions in our marriage, but military couples truly have an extra burden.  They endure deployments, reuniting as a couple and a family once the deployment is finished, frequent separations for training missions, plus a litany of long days and late nights for regular work to get done.  It is tough to make a marriage like this succeed.

When I completed the chaplain officer basic course at Fort Jackson, drill instructors had the highest divorce rate on post.  Soldiers with this job had an 85% divorce rate.  That number shocked me back then and it still does today.  When you get past the initial surprise, the percentage made sense.  These drill sergeants arrive at work before 5 am, wake up the recruits, train hard all day, get home around 7 or 8 pm, and repeat this kind of schedule until graduation day.  Where is the time for your spouse?  When can you enjoy your family?  With schedules like this, who would be surprised with such a high divorce rate?

Don’t focus on the headlines.  Don’t focus on the gloom and doom.  Military marriages can and do work.  Part of the solution is making time for each other.  Stay current with your spouse.  Attorneys, doctors, social workers, and yes, even chaplains, are required to get a set number of continuing education hours each year.  This is encouraged to keep professionals current on the latest ways of helping those they serve.  We should show the same devotion to stay current in our marriages.  Don’t allow your relationship to wither on the vine.

Remember the gift that God has given you.  Your marriage is meant to be a blessing.  Also remember how God intends us to use the gift of marriage.  May Christ continue to strengthen your eternal bond of love and devotion.

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Where are the heroes?

January 14, 2013 by John Potter

hero

Where are the heroes?

The sports community took some big hits this week and last.  It has disappointed many in America and across the world.

Last week the Baseball Hall of Fame announced that no candidates received enough votes for entry into Cooperstown.  This year’s ballot included 37 candidates, 24 in the lineup were first time nominees.  Several of these athletes were tied to performance-enhancing drugs, greatly diminishing their chances of ever entering the Hall of Fame.  This class includes Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, all of whom posted Hall of Fame-worthy numbers during their careers but were clouded by PED suspicion. Clemens earned 37.6 percent of the vote, Bonds got 36.2 percent and Sosa got 12.5 percent.

Recently, Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong admitted to using PEDs.  Last year, he lost all seven of his Tour titles due to a 1,000 page report from the US Anti-Doping Agency.  The massive report exposed his extensive drug use and multiple methods of trying to circumvent sports cycling rules.  The agency deposed 11 former teammates and accused Armstrong of masterminding a complex and brazen drug program that included steroids, blood boosters, and a range of other performance-enhancers.

While athletes and sports stars are frequently viewed as heroes, these events should remind us what heroism truly looks like.  A hero is a person of distinguished courage, bravery, ability, and noble qualities.  The heroes have not left our nation, we just forget what they look like and how they behave.

Courage is shown through the service of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines everyday.  They demonstrate the meaning of sacrifice through their actions and dedicated service.  Bravery is shown through the actions of police officers in every community.  They run into buildings that crowds exit when trouble rears its ugly head.  Ability is shown by countless firemen.  They react to emergencies and execute teamwork in order to save lives and property.  Honesty, integrity, generosity, and kindness can be seen through the daily actions of mothers and fathers across our nation.

Our country is full of heroes, we just fail to recognize who they truly are.

As this week will focus on stars from Hollywood and the sports page.  Teach your children to recognize a hero.  Let them know what qualities are important in life.  Show them that common folks in your community can be some of the greatest examples of doing the right thing.

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