Faith Deployed

In case I can only hold your attention for 1 minute, then I want to say right off the bat....go buy this book! If you are a military wife, it's a must have. If you are a civilian and know anyone in the military, it is the PERFECT gift.

Jocelyn Green, the author of Faith Deployed, emailed me saying she had seen my blog on Wives of Faith and wanted to know if I would write a review of her book on Amazon. Completely honored by the offer and always looking for new books to enjoy and review, I took her up on it immediately. I had no idea what a gift she would be giving me.

Faith Deployed is a devotional book with approximately 80 excerpts written by Jocelyn and 14 other Christian military wives from all branches. Each devotional includes a scripture, 2-page anecdote, a couple of questions to ask yourself based on the reading, and a prayer related to the topic.

Here's what makes this book a must have for any military library...

• It's easy to read. Each story is 2 pages! Within a few minutes you can have a great morsel of truth to get through your day.
• As it's sub-title states, this book is a "daily encouragement for military wives," reminding each of us that we are not alone even during the longest deployment or tenth PCS.
• The excerpts go to the root issue-what do the reactions to our life circumstances reveal about our heart? Military wives, just like any Christian woman seeking to honor the Lord, must choose to handle life in light of eternity. This book will remind you to do just that!
• I have to admit that my biggest fear of the book was that it would be shallow. On the contrary, these women are honest, vulnerable, and intelligent. They quote other good authors and scripture. The Holy Spirit convicted my heart time after time through Faith Deployed because the truth they were sharing comes right from the Bible.
• This book would definitely work if your military member is deployed, but it is completely relevant if your spouse is at home! And then you'll already own it when your spouse does deploy and you need that extra encouragement to look to the Lord.

I've had this book in my "queue" to read for a while, but it has been a perfect compliment to my reading of the Proverbs. This book definitely addresses how to be a Proverbs 31 woman, and these two excerpts echoed proverbs I've read recently:

1. Silent But Guilty (Proverbs 20:19)-We shouldn't gossip AND we shouldn't listen to gossip. Are we condoning it when we let it go on? Jocelyn mentioned something a friend of her said, "We gossip whenever we're together because all we have in common is the other people in housing. So that's what we talk about." That struck me so profoundly. If I can't stop talking about people, then I need to find something else to have in common! Or maybe I could just close my mouth?
   
2. Taming Jealousy (Romans 12:15)-It has taken me 36 years to really admit that I have a problem with jealousy. Jocelyn writes, "...it seems to me that the military wife is even more prone to being jealous over how others are treated compared to us, or how and with whom others can spend their time." This morning I got on Facebook and read the status update of a guy on Dan's ship (both of them on duty today): "Duty day...but at least I get to go to church with my family!" I immediately thought, "Why can't Dan???" JEALOUSY!! I thought of this section of the book, and thanked God that I had read it. It's okay that someone else gets something that I don't. It's not going to kill me!

You won't regret owning this book! You can order your own copy at Amazon or CBD. Jocelyn is also giving away a signed copy of the book on her website. All you have to do is leave a comment telling her the name of a church you have encountered that has been supportive to you as a military family.

A Little Navy Vocabulary

You should understand the following Navy terms by the end of this blog post:

1. Leave
2. Duty
3. Stand Down
4. Turn Over Day

Please ask questions if I haven't made it clear!

The Navy is generous about giving the service member time off upon return from deployment. It's actually an interesting part of Navy life, so I thought I would educate! There is a 4 week "stand down period" during which half of the ship gets to take vacation leave during the 1st 2 weeks and then the other half takes leave the 2nd 2 weeks. We decided this time that Dan would take vacation time during the 1st 2 weeks, so he has been home with us every day. Taking leave is just like putting in for vacation time at a civilian job.

But here's the nice perk! During the 2 weeks that he is NOT on vacation, he only has to go to the ship every 4th day for a 24-hour period. This is called his "duty" day. Normally, he serves it every 8th day (while also working normal daily hours), but during stand down time they "collapse" the duty sections so that they don't have to work at all the other 3 days. It's awesome, and my vote is that it should be the schedule all the time! [Dan is going to seriously crack up at that suggestion-obviously, no one cares about my opinion.]

Today is "turn over day". This is the day in between the 2 leave periods where the responsibilities are handed over from one half of the ship to the other half of the ship. On this day, everyone ("all hands") are required to show up to work whether they have duty or not. So alas, that's where Dan is today, and it's like a little twinge of reality starting to settle back in. The nice thing is that his duty day (the 24-hr shift) also happens to fall on today, so at least he kills two birds with one stone. Usually with our luck, he has to go to turn over day, and then go back the very next day for duty.

Okay, so did I explain those words in enough detail?

Dan's Home from Deployment!

So isn't that the oldest news in the world? Yes, that happened on July 2nd....eleven days ago! What a happy, happy day it was, and we continue to celebrate. Both kids trying to be still for a picture....

That's Dan's ship coming around the corner...

The kids had been standing on this table to try to see Daddy, so when he appeared right in front of them, they were scrambling off to get to him...

In this post of the day Dan left, you will see this Kansas Jayhawk hat. Dan told Timothy to take care of it for him, which is why he is wearing it the day Dan returned. "Dad, I took care of your hat"...

A little interesting deployment info. The Navy gives anyone on the ship the opportunity to order flowers to give to their loved one the day they return. They are purchased at our exchange here in San Diego and sent by tugboat over to the ship the morning of! Because of this fantastic tradition, I received these...

But what Dan added this time was Samantha's 1st rose of "Sixty-five" that we plan on giving her throughout her lifetime. Samantha didn't know what to do with it, and immediately handed it to me when Dan gave it to her...

Then we went on the ship to get Dan's stuff and wait for "liberty call", and the kids were just too happy for words. We have all kinds of problems getting nice pictures of Samantha, but this day we got these 2...

Welcome Home, honey!

Transition Week

It's the first full week that we don't have school, and the last full week that I'll be a single parent. I'm not organized enough right now to post something exciting, so I figure I'll give a "brief" update.

Our first week of school being out, we...
1. have tried out 3 new playgrounds in various spots in San Diego.
2. have been to the beach once, ever so briefly, because it has barely reached 70!
3. have FINALLY gotten an antibiotic for Sam, after being sick almost a month.
4. saw Pirates Who Don't Do Anything with free movies!
5. (I) have gotten about 20 loads of laundry done.
6. have planned July activities for MOPS
7. moved furniture around the house because...
8. I got so happy vacuuming with my new Dyson that I took all the furniture I could lift out of the living room and family room!
9. have fallen in love with the class guinea pigs that we get for the summer.
10. celebrated our first Father's Day w/o Daddy around. Last deployment Dan was home on emergency leave because I had to have my gallbladder removed asap!

This week we will...
1. start swim lessons-1st time for both kids.
2. get my hair done
3. make homecoming banners tonight at the "return and reunion"party!
4. have our 1st MOPS playgroup of the summer!
5. give away multiple bags of toys and clothes & organize what's left behind.
6. TRY to blog every day.
7. spend more time in the sun, as it's going to get into the mid 70's by the end of the week!
8. organize papers (ugh).
9. treasure the last week my baby boy will be 5.
10. trust God to get us through this last week.

Great Strides is TODAY!

Our ticker says we are at $5240.00 in our fundraising because that is what has actually hit the CF account. However, I am VERY PLEASED to announced, with the money already received that is making it's way through the channels we are actually at:

$5555.00

I know I'm a broken record, but it's only because I believe it. This money WILL go straight to finding a cure or funding a medicine that will improve Samantha's quality of life. The foundation doesn't mess around with these dollars-they put them to good use, and this mom is so thankful!

I wish Dan were here this morning. Of course I always wish he were home, but if I could pick 1 day of the whole deployment to have him here it would be today. He loves Great Strides, loves fundraising, and most importantly loves his Baby Girl. [The other day we bought chocolate chip cookies at McDonalds (3 for $1). Samantha said, "How about a cookie for my daddy?" Not much longer, baby girl.]

Back to Dan. So he is really the amazing fundraiser who has learned how to build a "Team" and has several fellow sailors who have raised money for us 2 years in a row. Read Dan's post to hear a message from "Team Sam-Deployed Edition"! Thank you, USS Antietam!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Thanks to another $100 donation this morning we are only $200 away from our goal!!!! I'm so excited!!

May 8th is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. I guess this post is a kind of like patting myself on the back, but if you only knew some of the women I am friends with...

• Amber, who has a 4 yr old, is pregnant, and who's husband is deployed on a sub
• Shelley & Susan, who's Navy husbands just finished serving a year in Iraq
• Tabatha, my cousin's wife who dutifully serves at home while Chris is sent to Iraq (and God only knows where else) yearly
• Candace, who's husband is technically on shore duty, but was just flown to Asia for 2 weeks

That's just a handful. These are beautiful, amazing women, who do it day in and day out. I honor them today. You must go to Faith at the Front and read Sara Horn's poem entitled A Day for You, Military Spouse. It's well written by someone who obviously knows.

Respite Care (4 of 4)

In Feb I started receiving 40 hours of free respite care each month from the San Diego YMCA Childcare Resource Services. This has been THE biggest blessing of this deployment. My provider comes to my home so now I don't have to cancel plans when Samantha gets sick or worry about her getting sick from other kids. Besides the 12-hour virus she got last week, these 3 months has been her healthiest span by far. So if you fall into any of these categories below, please read on...

San Diego County resident AND Military EFMP Category 4 or 5:

If you are in the Navy you may not have heard about this because it just began in January (not new to other branches). The Navy hadn't funded it because they didn't think enough families would participate, so this a pilot program. The YMCA has a year to get 50 Navy families actively utilizing this. Needless to say, I want anyone who can to join so that I can continue to receive services after this year! If you fall in this category email me at: experiencingeachmoment@gmail.com, and I will give you the incredible details and contact information. This program is almost too good to be true, but it IS true.

San Diego County resident & child with special needs.

The YMCA does have a civilian side, so this is not just for military families! I don't know the details, but I can still point you to who you need to talk to. It is some how connected with Regional Center.

Live in San San Diego, love kids, and are looking for a job.

The providers we get have 3 levels of experience: High school graduate, college graduate, and nursing degree. There is a base pay for each level, and then the provider gets $5 more an hour for each sibling. And they pay mileage.

Outside San Diego

I realize if you can't use this, you really don't want to hear about it, but I just want to encourage you that a program may exist in your area as well. If you have a special needs child, you are receiving some kind of service. Start asking around (doctors, nurses, school nurses, social workers, counselors, teachers, therapists). They may know of these programs because they have other clients/patients who are using these! Call your local regional center or state department of human services. And don't hesitate to check forums. If there is a resource in your city, it is very likely mentioned there.

If this post could help one family receive respite care, it would be worth it to me! I'm feeling very positive after listing the things this week that I must remember to be thankful for!

Computer to Mobile Phone Texts (3 of 4)

A very handy tip that someone told me about recently is how to send an email from a computer as a text message on a cell phone. I have this feature on yahoo, but I didn't know the email addresses below existed to do it with virtually any phone company! And then I REALLY didn't think it would work from Dan's ship. But, lo and behold, we tried it out, and he can text me from his computer!

When you work on a 8-10 hour time difference, this is a great asset! I get to have that wonderful feeling of a surprise text from the one I love! We combine this with K7 (Day 1's tool). Dan can text me for free, and then I K7 him back with an answer or "I love you, too". I can't text back because it's an international texting fee, but I can K7 back for free! This is the closest thing we get to IM (well, and emailing at the same time). You may want to use it, too:

T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net
Virgin Mobile : phonenumber@vmobl.com
Cingular: phonenumber@cingularme.com
Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com
Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com

WW & SEW: Video Teleconference (2 of 4)

I am spending time this week giving thanks for a few things about this deployment. You can click here for Item #1. Item #2 has been the VTC (video-teleconference). One day about every 2-3 weeks the sailors who sign up can get a 10 minute slot with their families. It has to rotate around, of course, but in 3 1/2 months we've gotten to do it 4 times. It has been amazing! After the 1st one Samantha told people for days, "We saw Daddy on the TV!"

I have to be honest that the last one we went to was a bummer. The ship's satellite couldn't get the video feed to work. He could see us, but we couldn't see him. However, Samantha and I just had a big laugh about how Daddy was blue (the color of the not-working screen), and I look forward to a couple of more before the deployment ends.

This painting is in the staircase of the building that we go to for VTC. The first time we went, Timothy said, "There's my Daddy." Every time after that, Samantha has said, "There's my Daddy AND my Brother!"

For more Wordless Wednesday go to 5 Minutes for Mom.
For more Special Exposure Wednesday go to 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Tools that Help this Deployment (1 of 4)

You can read this post to know that the Navy hasn't pleased me this week. Not one bit! I have been waiting for a time to blog about some handy tools that have helped me tremendously during this deployment. I want to count my blessings, so each day the rest of the week I'll be listing a different item that has helped me this deployment. Item #1:

K7

K7 is "unified messaging" (whatever that means) that the military uses when a ship is deployed. Each service member is assigned a U.S. phone # that automatically connects to a voice mail. This way I can call him in the middle of the day when some random thing happens. Now I can't hear his voice, but it's so nice that he can hear the joy or pain in my voice about the ups and downs of my day.

And he loves hearing the kids' voices! The last deployment Timothy & Samantha were so young that they didn't know to have to actually listen to him. I would dial the #, and then they would talk and talk "to daddy". It was funny.

The recorded message becomes an audio file attachment and is sent as an email directly to his inbox. I was just told by wives from other ships that their K7 was stopped because people were leaving inappropriate messages. I hope that doesn't happen to us because I really love it!

Family note: If any friends or family want to leave a message on K7, I'll be happy to give you the phone # via email. Just let me know!

What I'm Feeling

All the time people ask me when Dan is due home, and two facts are true...I'm not really supposed to say, and I don't really know. A "standard" (what a joke that word is) deployment is 6 months, but every ship, every battle group is different. Dan's last deployment was just short of 8 months, and we were hoping that this one was going to be a bit more on the "standard" side. But alas it's just not to be.

It's not that I know it's going to be 8 months or 10 months or a year. It's that I DON'T KNOW!!! And what I've been told is that there's no telling when we'll know anything at all. SO frustrating. I want to give my son a month on the calendar he can expect daddy home (really is a 30 day span too much to ask for?) I want to make plans in my own life that either include Dan or don't.

So as I sit here in the dark, I have to experience this moment. A moment where I...

• don't pretend to be okay with the fact that my husband is half way around the world.
• don't worry and stress about the future since I have no idea what it holds.
• don't ignore the parts of my life I do know because I'm depressed about the part I don't.

Weekend Wrapup #11: Catchup

I have been going full speed for quite a while now, but I have spent the entire day today doing nothing structured at all. I've read a novel (in the middle of the day!), snuggled with Samantha on the couch, played Uno & Candyland with Timothy, cleaned house a little, washed some clothes....you get the idea! I had one flyer to create, but other than that I haven't HAD to do anything. It's been so fun! And of course the kids have felt how relaxed I've been, and they've been completely enjoyable all day. So nice!

And then I had a big shock of the day! A couple of hours ago I checked my email, and I had emails from my husband! We haven't had communication for almost a week, and I didn't expect any for several more days. I actually wouldn't be surprised if they shut communication down again! Thankfully, I've had a great coping mechanism this week that has worked, so I will continue to use it if I stop hearing from him again! I've had a much better (calmer) attitude this week than the 8-day silence at the beginning of the deployment.

What a great, relaxing day! Tomorrow I hope to repeat the relaxation AND emails with my husband!

Wordless Wednesday: Hong Kong

Dan's first port of Hong Kong. For more from his perspective, visit here.

And for more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Sailor's Perspective: Hong Kong

As you all know, my husband is away at sea. His last deployment was to the gulf, but this time the ship is doing a WestPac. I have asked my husband to be a guest writer (and photographer!) for my blog while he is on the other side of the world, and he has graciously agreed. He will write about whatever stands out the most to him, but to make each port city unique I asked him to tell us what is a "must see" in each place. I'm hoping to make this a weekly post!

Guest Writer: Dan

I've had the wonderful opportunity to visit Hong Kong a number of times, and each time I think I learn something different, visit something different, and leave with a new reason to love the city. On my most recent trip, I rediscovered something that honestly makes Hong Kong stand out from every other city in the world. If you only had one day to experience there, you would have to do this or your trip wouldn't be complete unless you have...

Viewed the Skyline at Night

There are undoubtedly a number of cities in the world that are well-lit at night. I'm sure places like New York, Sydney, etc all light up brilliantly. I've seen Paris, Tokyo, and others at night , and they are all very pretty. Not one of them, however, dazzles like Hong Kong. It is truly one of the things that sets Hong Kong apart.

You may see the night skyline in various ways, but the one I recommend is by Star Ferry, which will put you right in the middle of it all while you are headed from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon or vice-versa. And best of all, you get a chance to see the reflection on the harbor water! This is a bonus that no other city can really offer. It's Hong Kong at its best!

*Picture photographed by cblee

V-day Stands for Video Teleconference!!!

I always wonder how Navy wives from 30 years ago had to rely on a hand delivered letter for communication! I have a feeling that 30 years from now, military wives are going to be saying, "How did those wives LIVE without daily videoconferencing?" I don't know how long it has been around, but today the kids and I experienced our 1st video teleconference with Dan.

I had not told the kids about it because I had a feeling it could really fall apart, and then the kids would be a mess. However, last night as T & I were having our end of day talk in his bed (where we discuss the events of the next day), I realized that I had to tell him because his entire morning was going to be different. I told him the surprise, and we talked about ways we could react if the "tv" that Daddy was supposed to be on broke.

You know how everything that can go wrong will go wrong whenever you try to accomplish something like this? Well,

1. I got stuck in base traffic-luckily I had planned plenty of time, so were still there 10 minutes early.
2. Timothy woke up with a sore in the corner of his mouth-He's never gotten one ever! As we were getting out of the car, he said, "I don't want to talk to Daddy with my sore". It was really hurting him. I told him he didn't have to talk. He could just wave and show Dad his new Batman umbrella. He lit up with that idea.
3. Samantha fell down on the loose, sharp gravel as we were walking in. A little section of skin actually pealed back. Oh, and this girl can cry-and did for the 10 minutes before our time.

When they came to get us in the waiting room, they said Dan was already on the screen. My throat caught! It made Timothy so excited to know that he would see Daddy on the tv as soon as we walked in. He forgot all about his sore!

Samantha, however, did not forget. I somehow convinced her to stop crying during the 10 minute teleconference. She just sat weepy and pathetic in my arms (luckily, Dan knows her!) Once it was over, we went back to the waiting room, and it's like all the crying she hadn't done the 10 minutes prior came out like a flood. She sobbed LOUDLY for 5 minutes straight and continues to cry about it 4 hours later.

We had such a great time! We were warned that depending on the quality of "continuity" that Dan could look like a dubbed movie where the mouth moves at different times than the noise. I didn't really notice that-just the regular delay you get when you make an international call.

Dan hasn't received either of my packages yet. One I sent the day after he left, and the other I sent a couple of weeks ago, so this was the only Valentines he'll get. I know it was nice for me, and I think he would say the same!

My House is Clean!

I saw this "piece of flair" on facebook today and laughed out loud! My house really is clean today (even dusted, as I just told a friend of mine on Sat). Thankfully, my computer isn't broken, but it looks like I have two options: update my blog or keep a clean house! Hopefully, I'm a little caught up in the clean house dept, and I can have a little more balance in both areas!

My number one priority during this deployment is to STAY CONNECTED to the real world around me, to real relationships. It's not easy! It seems like every time the phone rings I'm playing a game with a child or trying to balance the check book! Both kids are sick right now, too, which can lead to isolation. So a few things I'm doing are...

1. Following through on my personal commitments of MOPS and toddler room rotation.
2. Becoming an AWANA leader, which I LOVE!
3. TRYING to return every call and email I receive (this is a toughy for me)
4. Scheduling things that need to get done, no matter how unpleasant.
5. Staying caught up on google reader. CF & military communities are vital to me right now.
6. Checking facebook every so often. It's quick, fun, easy.
7. Planning a get together every weekend with a different circle of friends.
8. Emailing my husband!

His email came back online Wednesday. So nice! And then Fri morning I got a surprise phone call from him! I'm very grateful. So I'm going to keep on getting out of my head and try to care about the lives of other people! And hopefully I'll get around to blogging now and then!

Military Communication Part 2: Military Care Kits

Since our service members receive mail in spurts, every letter or package means the world to them. I want to let you know about "Military Care Kits". You receive FREE supplies from the United States Postal Service. It includes everything you need to mail something to a service member: 6 flat rate boxes, labels, customs forms, and packing tape! All you have to do is call this phone number:

1-800-610-8734

Ask for a Care Kit. They will take your name and address, and you'll receive the supplies in about a week. The nice thing about the flat rate is that weight doesn't matter! You can pack that thing full. Plus, military addresses get a $2 discount, so it's only $10.95 to mail the flat rate box to your service member! You will be amazed at how much stuff you can cram into one of those boxes! You can use these supplies for anyone who has an APO or FPO address, and if you want to send one to Dan, here's his address:

FC1 S. Daniel Smith
CF Division
USS Antietam (CG-54)
FPO AP 96660-1174

He would love it, as would any service member you know!

Military Communication Part 1: How Often Do I get to talk to Dan?

I get this question a lot. If everything is going well, he and I can shoot some emails back and forth to one another, and one of the big reasons my blog is filled with so many details that most of you wouldn't care about is that Dan is able to check my blog. He can see more pictures than through email, and it's the only way I can show him video.

Each branch of the military has its different pros and cons. These days the Army and Marines (and Reservists) are really getting the short end of the stick, but in peace time the Navy's schedule is pretty nasty. Hopefully, Obama will bring our soldiers home, but our sailors will be gone just as much.

One negative for Navy now is that we don't get to speak to our service members often. I know people who talk to their loved ones in Iraq almost daily. And since I DO NOT want Dan in Iraq, I'm happy to opt for no verbal communication. However, it is tough to go a month or longer without hearing his voice.

But imagine life without email? How did those military wives do it years ago when they had to actually depend on snail mail for communication? Yikes! Dan and I rely heavily on email, and the system does go down which makes us wait a day or so. So I laughed when I received this from the command of Dan's ship this morning!

Throughout this deployment there may - probably will - be times when connectivity is lost between the ship and our loved ones back home. This can occur for a number of reasons - operational necessity and equipment casualties to name just two - and it may last from a few hours to a number of days. You'll know this sort of thing has happened when our usually reliable e-mails stop arriving. If/when this happens, please don't fret: we will reestablish communications as soon as possible. In the mean time, please don't overwhelm the system with countless emails asking why we don't respond. If you don't get a response after an email or two please stop sending them. Too many emails may overwhelm the buffer that is holding our incoming email and that may cause it to crash and permanently lose all those messages you sent. You may not like it - and trust me we don't either - and it may be hard, but just wait a bit and as soon as possible we will be back in touch.

We've gotten so spoiled! I sent a package the first mailing day after Dan left and 9 days later he doesn't have it yet. It goes through the normal mail service to the aircraft carrier. Then once it's sorted there, it gets flown over to Dan's ship. Of course it's going to take a while! Two days is nothing compared to that! I really try to remember that it could be so much worse.

WW & SEW: Navy Life

I had set this picture aside to put in today's Wordless Wednesday...

But my mother pointed out to me that this picture actually shows Dan and Timothy expressing their love wordlessly. For those of you haven't seen it yet, you may have to click on it to really see what's going on.

You can read about Dan's ship deploying here.

And you can see more Wordless Wednesday & Special Exposure Wednesday here and here.

Deployment Prayer Requests

I know this suddenly feels like a military blog! It won't be military only forever, but this first week back to blogging you may see a little extra than normal. The biggie we need is prayer!! I'm such a big believer in it. I don't even think of it as "the thing you can do for me since you live far away". It's THE most important thing. And I'm going to list 7 items in case you decide to pray for us regularly. This way you can pray for one thing each day of the week.

1. My physical health-The only thing worse than being single mom is being a sick single mom! Last deployment I had emergency gallbladder surgery. No thank you.
2. Samantha's physical health-Obviously this is a constant concern. We want to keep those lungs maximized to their full potential! But then there are other complications to a hospital visit when I'm a single parent.
3. Sexual purity for both of us
4. Timothy's anger management and need for control-He has come a long way in 4 months of school, and I don't want to see him regress.
5. Spiritual growth-what better time for both Dan and me to grow in the Lord than when we recognize our need for Him?
6. Emotional strength-I think it's fine to long for when Dan returns, but I don't want to pine away for 6+ months. That's half a year of living I need to do!
7. Support system-I have a good support system, but I need to develop it and remember ways to utilize it. Dan has a limited support system. I pray that God will surround him with men, both on and off the ship, who want to do the right thing.

Thank you in advance!