Pictures

Now that I have good internet again, I thought I would post some pictures from over here.

I'm back!

Wow, it has been a long time since I was last able to post. We got new internet yesterday and it is amazing! I can actually post again! It was good to see everyone a few weeks ago while I was on leave. It was good to see family and friends and to be back at church again. Nothing much has happened since then. Friday was the annual competition for the "Commander's Cup." All the artillery batteries compete in sporting tournaments. After a full day of sports, all the batteries then compete in pushups, situps, and a half mile sprint. All the events count for points and whoever wins the most points wins the cup. Alpha Battery (my battery) won just before deployment last year. I played 5 games of football. After a full day of football I was bloody, sore, and sunburned, but it was a great stress relief. Alpha, once again, proved itself the best battery in the battalion and we won the Commander's Cup for the second year in a row. One of our soldiers took the trophy and held it over his head. We all fell into formation behind him and clapped and called cadence all the way back to the Command Post. The trophy was placed in a prominent place so that we can gloat whenever someone from another unit comes in. It was a good weekend.

Peace

My mom recently sent me one of our church's old hymnals. I was perusing it the other day and found one of my all time favorite hymns "Be Still My Soul." I think that is one of my favorite songs because it asks what I find myself often asking for: peace. Maybe it is my uptight nature, or I just haven't reached the point of where I have found peace, or perhaps it is a state of mind. I find myself angrier and fighting more often than I find myself content and peaceful. One thing I have learned here: many people are looking for peace; you can protect people from all types of external forces but you cannot protect people from themselves. I think many times their problems are in direct correlation with their lack of peace.