Blessed Again

Today (Sunday) my family and I received a very welcome prayer from our pastor and congregation at church. The pastor introduced us and had us come up to the mount where he told the congregation I was a Marine and returning for my second tour to Iraq this week. When the congregation heard this there were a series of low groans to which I loudly replied “No Groans!”. Then the congregation started to clap and then rose to their feet and I felt my eyes well up and my heart swell with love and support. I think it hit my wife full force too because when I looked at her face she was crying. Our daughter stood resolute probably not knowing what to make of it, but I’m sure she will remember the occasion none-the-less. The prayer was meaningful and the reaction memorable. After the service we were approached by many of the members of our congregation with prayers and well wishes and a few made pledges of support to me and my little family. I guess when I felt a pull to that church it was for a reason and today just reinforced my original thought when choosing this church. This is the place for my family and the message couldn’t have been any louder or more clear than today. The time is short before my departure and I wanted to thank you all for your support. I will do my best to keep this blog going and you do your best to pray. Not just for me but for all of us. The world needs prayer.