Belated condolences

I just discovered last night that retired U.S. Army Col. David Hackworth died in May 2005. "Hack," as many knew him, was an outspoken critic of the way the military handled the situation in Vietnam, and later the conduct of our campaign in Iraq. Over the years, he earned both criticism and praise. But in the end, he was one of the most decorated veterans this nation has seen in some time and showed his care and concern for the common soldier.
He provided an example of leadership and his legacy will remain for many years to come.

My July post in August

I find myself once again trying to reclaim my miniscule readership with another heartfelt apology and a feeble attempt to put something else out there for blogdom.
Bloggers who post infrequently and randomly aren't usually the ones who get noticed. That's not why I'm doing this, is it?
I must say that I do enjoy reading other blogs (Here's a shout out to Amanda Johnson in Texas!) In my blogging, I am attempting a moderate amount of anonymity, so I don't put everything out there. However, frequency and interesting material helps maintain readership.
So here's a rough recap of July. We:

• Continued bonding with a great group of friends who shoulder each other's burdens and really seem to give a rip when the sea gets choppy and got new perspective on what friendship means.
• With lots of help, hauled most of our earthly possessions across town.
• Went through some stuff we hope we never face again. Trust me - this statement covers several events we wouldn't wish on anyone.
• Watched our daughter grow, start forming some basic words and even move toward walking.
• Started walking through some transitional phases of life with some friends and we're hanging in there together.
• Felt like even simple things were hard to accomplish, like communicating and changing a burned-out turn signal bulb.

So far in August, we:

• Wish the Lord would send some rain and turn down the thermostat just a hair.
• Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
• Hope our daughter will be prepared whether or not conditions improve in her time here on Earth before Jesus' return.
• Finally feel like we're not trying to walk in mud.
• Still think about Chris, Leah and the kids and find it odd to speak of them in the past tense.

That should get things kicked off for the month, except an explanation about the new tagline. While there are some things about the band "Drive-by Truckers" which curl my hair, I will say they sometimes have an uncanny grasp of the truth. What's more, they don't mind sharing it. A co-worker has introduced me to their work, concentrating on their album "Southern Rock Opera." It's an interesting look at Lynyrd Skynyrd, political and racial issues, and the world with and without the band. The line comes from the song "Shut Up and Get on the Plane," which talks matter-of-factly about death. Several band members died in a plane crash in 1977 outside McComb, Miss. The line is relevant to me because overcoming fear of all sorts is a challenge I'm growing regularly toward facing and conquering, by the grace of God.