Chaplain Jim

Significant

2011-01-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

--- Sorry for the lack of blogs, trying to get back on track now----

The other day I was walking across the FOB like I do every day. This time I happened to look down and I spotted a rock, now this is unusual because all we see are rocks, the FOB is covered in rocks. But this rock was different, it looked almost perfectly square. I picked it up and studied it closer and my imagination took over. Perhaps this was not just a square rock, perhaps it had been shaped by ancient hands 1000’s of years ago and this rock had been a cobblestone in an ancient road. Who knows who may have tread over it, what history this rock could be carrying. Here in the cradle of civilization, what significance could this rock have been in the shaping of human history? Who could it have touched?

Simon Peter in 1 Peter said that we all need to be ready to tell people our story of hope – our story! We are significant and we carry the power of a story than can touch the world!

I have been asked many times why are we still here in Iraq, what good are we doing? The truth is, just like our own daily lives, we may never know the true impact we are making just by our presence, just by telling our personal story with our actions and words, with the walk of our daily lives. We Are Significant!

God believes so or He would have never have sent His Son to establish a personal relationship with us; “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life”

Just like that rock, every day we come into contact with people, sometimes we notice them, sometimes we don’t. But, sometimes who we are and how we are sparks something in them, causes them to think about their life and it starts a change, a change for good.

Remember, you are significant – God thinks so – don’t ever forget that you are making a difference in this world

Chappy

Stetsons and Garters

2010-05-29T15:04:00.001-04:00

I haven’t blogged since leaving Ft Jackson so this will be a long one.
I guess the best way to write this blog will be to talk about four different aspects of the last month – moving, Hawaii, my unit and family

We arrived in Hawaii on the 13^th of April – after having a one day delay at the airport for a broken plane. The Schofield Inn was nice but it was a hotel and living out of luggage and eating out for a month has been tiresome to say the least. We immediately went to housing and were told of a long wait for a house but thankfully they worked with us due to Cody’s Crohns disease and his need for a better diet. Last week we finally moved into our house here on post. It is a four bedroom with a great living room and an outdoor patio that fits us very well. Our household goods arrived on the 19^th and we now have about two boxes left to unpack, still have pictures to hang and we need at least one more window AC unit.

Hawaii is beautiful! We have fallen in love with the North Shore and all the beaches up there. Waikiki is nice but a little too commercial for us. We plan on getting in some surfing lessons before I leave. The mountains along Schofield are amazingly beautiful and most days we have a few clouds enveloping the peak of one of them and we have come to call this King Kong’s mountain since it looks so ominous. The water surround Oahu is bluer than any ocean I have ever seen and as we drive down towards the North Shore it is hard to tell where the water ends and the sky begins.

My unit, 2^nd Squadron 14th Cavalry (2-14Cav) is part of the 2^nd Styker Brigade Combat Team, 25^th Infantry Division. Being in a Cavalry unit is great, full of old traditions and unit pride. We wear Stetsons at least once a week; those that have earned their spurs (either gold ones by deploying or silver ones by completing a spur ride) wear them as well and Denise has been awarded the "Order of the Garter". We have done three changes of command ceremonies since I got here, during these the commanders pass the unit saber between them as well as the guidon. We also do a saber ceremony that morning, this is a like a roast of the outgoing commander. We have also done a marriage retreat and a single Soldier retreat – both in Waikiki. We are now on two weeks of block leave in preparation for our deployment to Iraq at the end of the month.

Denise and Cody have been great through all this transition and Nicole is here now for a few months. Tripler Army Medical Center has been an wonderful blessing for Cody’s Crohn’s and his doctors there are very warm and receptive to our concerns.

As the days countdown to our deployment our anxiety increases a bit but I know our family love is strong and God’s grace is powerful. It will be a long year in the sandbox and we are all not quite sure of how the mission will be in Iraq. Can’t say much on public posting like this but our squadron will be pretty remote from everyone else and we will be sitting about 30 miles from another unfriendly country’s border. I know God placed us here for a reason and we are ready to respond.

Diversity

2010-02-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

One thing that I have missed about the Military is the diversity of the soldiers that we serve with. In the past two weeks I have heard sermons from Southern Baptist, Seven Day Adventist, Mormon, Jewish, Catholic, and Pentecostal. My Chaplain Class has White students, Black students, students from Korea, Africa and Israel. We cover all four points of the United States. And yet, even in a very critical and prejudicial sect of culture - religion - we are here under a common bond - a shared goal - to serve all the men and women of the Army.

We are taught a word here, pluralism. In many circles this word is sacrilege, it opposes the very essence of religion. But here in the Army culture it represent the purpose of God's creation in us. He loved us so much that He gave us the free will to choose Him or to not to choose Him. Here we are free to worship Him in the way that we are led too.

For the past few years I have been submersed in a very white culture, I have even faced the sting of bigotry myself as I tried to stand up against racism, a disease that still exists in this very melting pot of America yet has no place in Christianity. To me no way a person who calls himself a Christian can have these very sinful feeling towards a fellow human.

Yes, I am being harsh here, but hey - this is my blog and I am an Officer of the United States Army. I have made an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" and prejudice and bigotry is an enemy of our constitution.

Sorry I am running off on a tangent with this blog, but I have missed the Army and I did not realize how much until I returned. And it is because of the culture that exists here. We Are the "All Americans"

The Beret

2010-02-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

   This week marked the end of Chaplain Initial Military Training. It has been interesting, being prior service, watching from from almost an outside view as fellow classmates, civilians, become soldiers . The chaplaincy is a calling, but so is the military and especially that of an Army officer.
   There is a saying in the Army - about being a volunteer, a double volunteer and a triple volunteer, a soldier must volunteer to do this job, to be airborne one must volunteer a second time because no one can be forced into this training, to go Ranger and or Special Forces one must volunteer a third time because airborne is a prerequisite. The Chaplaincy is similar, we must be called to be a soldier, called to be an officer and called to be an Army Chaplain.
   At the end of CIMT we had our beret donning ceremony. The wearing of the beret symbolizes much more than the official headgear of the Army. Since WWI it has been the symbol of the elite - starting with British Tank Crews then carrying over to the SAS and Airborne. The Special Forces were the first to adopt the beret in the US with the blessing of President John F. Kennedy and the then Ranger and Airborne units were authorized. When the decision was made for the entire army to wear the beret I have to admit I was a little upset - this was a special item that had only been worn by special units. Now I realize the significance of the entire army wearing it - the United States Army is a special unit, we are different from any other army in the world, we carry a presence about us and we serve the people of the world and not ourselves.

    What makes the beret even more of a symbol of the United States Army is what must be done to it before it can be worn:
    When a beret is first bought it looks nothing like the final product - it is unformed and covered with extra fuzz - kind of like the civilian who is on his or her way to becoming a soldier, they are untrained, undisciplined and bring extra baggage with them.
    The first step in preparing the beret is to take a razor and meticulously shave away all of the fuzz. The soldier is similar, he or she must be torn down, to be stripped of all that separates a civilian from the professional soldier. This includes attitudes, individualism and mental weakness.
   Next, once the beret has been stripped of all the fuzz it is then soaked in water and placed on the head and formed into the shape of the soldiers beret. This takes time, it must be done carefully or it will look bad. It has to be left on the head until it is dry or it will not hold its shape. The soldier is the same, once broken down he or she it built back up into a new creation - that of the United States Soldier, full of confidence ability and espret de corp. This is also a slow process but once done he or she looks like nothing else, like the beret, everyone knows a United States Soldier has entered the room

CIMT Over

2010-02-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

Chaplain Initial Military Training is now over, four weeks down - nine more to go! We have been to the Team Development Course, the CRBN (Gas) Chamber, Victory Tower, spent two days in the field doing our Warrior Task Training and testing (minus the combat tasks of course), Day Land Nav and Night Land Nav, the day infiltration course - practicing moving under fire with a Chaplain Assistant, and did what has been a right of passage for all soldiers - the night infiltration course where live ammo is fired overhear and explosions go off near by as we low/high crawl 100 yards to safety. Being prior service it was all a little more enjoyable this time because I understood the needs and I did not have the anxiety of the unknown.

We ended the week with our beret donning, which I will post about seperatly

One thing that I have missed the most about the Army is the friendship, the camaraderie that exists no where else. In these four weeks I have new brothers that I will never loose contact with and will always value.

I also have my pinpoint assignment with the 25th ID now, the 2-14 Cavalry! SUIVEZ MOI (Follow Me). I am so excited to go to a unit with such great espret de corp and to be given the opportunity to serve such soldiers. To be a "Trooper" wearing the Stetson and earning my Spurs and serving along side such professional and seasoned soldiers is humbling

God, grant me the wisdom and the strength to serve, and love the soldiers of the 2-14. I pray that you will bless and protect them in the coming weeks as they prepare for our deployment, be with the families as they also prepare for the separation to come. In your Holy and Sovereign Name I pray , Amen

Zero Week

2010-01-17T16:50:00.002-05:00

It has been a long but very wonderful week. I had planned to post a blog once a week but there may be too much happening in this time period to report. We arrived Sunday and met the school cadre and each other, settled into our rooms and prepared for what is termed 0 week - a week of in processing. This included a lot of paperwork to cover finance, insurance, personal records; we also did our dental and medical checks.

On Monday, while coming out of the Clothing and Sales store I received my first salute. A Sergent First Class provided me this opportunity and I handed him my silver dollar - a tradition in the military, stemming from the pay that officers would give to enlisted aids they would hire. I was happy that it went to an NCO who recognized what it was about.

That afternoon I was interviewed for a leadership position in the class, I was subsequently assigned as the 1st Platoon Platoon Leader - the All American Platoon. This is a great honor, not only to be in this position but to also represent the 82nd Airborne. Our Platoon song is "All American Soldier". I have a great group of Chaplains and Candidates and I have the utmost confidence in them and our ability to perform.

Tuesday was filled with dental and medical processing, I ended up needing a filling but they were able to do that that very morning. Wednesday was very cold and we completed our medical processing.

On Thursday I received and incredibly honor and an even better surprise. We were addressed by the school leaders. CH (Col) Boone, the school commandant, was the first to speak and at the end he called me to the front. I had no idea what was about to happen, but as I stood at attention facing the class he commended me on my initiative and leadership ability in setting up our class Facebook page, he then presented me with his personal coin. These are known as challenge coins and are a matter of unit pride, CH (Col) Boone's coin is very unique as it is wooden.

He then surprised me even further by announcing that Denise and Cody were here in the back of the room to see this - needless to say I was shocked, I had spoken to Denise that very morning and she had said nothing of all this! This was a wonderful surprise and even though they are moving down here at the end of this next week it was great having them here this weekend with me.

Today we attended the post Jewish service. This was for a number of reasons - first, I am required to attend five different post services and report on them; second, Denise has become good friends with Ms. Stephanie Alexander, a Lay Jewish leader here on post and the person responsible for a number of our blessings here, and there is great opportunity to learn. After the service we attended some down time with the basic training and AIT soldiers here on post, very young men and women away from home. It was a blessing to see how I can minister to them, to just talk to them and encourage them.

I am humbled by the Chaplains in class with me, we are what I believe to be the example of Christian leadership - here we are, all from different denominations and backgrounds, we even have three Rabbis with us - yet we have put this all aside to serve God, Country and the men and women who protect us. I am, and my family is, exactly where God wants us.

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.
(Psa 121:1-8)

"Civil Prayer" repost

2010-01-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

For a while now I have been wanting to write a post on the controversy of ministering in a pluralistic environment, particularly the subject of prayer and praying in the name of Jesus.

Chaplain Paul Lynn, a brother whom I have come to know through his blog and emails and even though we have not met in person - a good friend, wrote on this very subject on his blog (please visit the link)

worth my salt - civil prayer

Since accepting this call to the Army Chaplaincy (note- a calling by God, not a personal decision) I have met with questions, concerns and even criticism over this subject. One thing that needs to be clarified - the Army Chaplaincy is a pluralistic environment, not pluralistic religion. My duty as a chaplain is first and foremost to serve God by serving the soldiers, secondly is to provide for the freedom of religion to all soldiers. Is this a contradiction? I believe no; God gave us the freewill to choose to follow or believe in Him because He desires us to come to know Him out of love. Should we mere humans be any different?

Father Joseph O’Donnell, a retired Vietnam Chaplain describes the chaplain's ministry this way; “he must have the willingness to accept people where they are in their understanding of life and faith, not where the chaplain would like them to be. No matter how firm I am in my approach to God, I cannot have the last word for anyone else.”

This past weekend my home church held an ordination and farewell ceremony for me and my family. One of the songs that was played during the service was "They will know we are Christians by our Love". This is how I want to be identified. I want every soldier in my care; Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, or whatever their belief, to know that I love them enough that they will feel comfortable in coming to me for help or guidance without the fear of criticism or admonishment - God will take care of the rest. He put me here in the first place and I trust Him to know what He is doing.

For God and Country

"For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD" Jer 29:11

2010-01-03T16:10:00.001-05:00

Today we had my ordination and farewell ceremony at New Life Authentic Christian Community Church (yes I was ordained a year ago by WCICC, but today was a special occasion as my church laid their hands of approval upon me). For those who have never seen an ordination; it is a reflection of Acts 13 where Barnabas and Saul are set apart from the church by the Holy Spirit - called to leave them do go and do God's work. The people prayed and laid hands upon Barnabas and Saul and sent them away. During the service today the elders, deacons and members of the church laid their hands upon me and my family to pray for us as they sent us away to serve in the Army Chaplaincy.

It was 6 years ago this month that God called us to this new plan in our life. I can still remember it clearly, we were seated in the third row back on the right side of the church. Pastor Steve was preaching on answering God's call, according to Denise - I do not remember this as I was overcome with emotion. I remember feeling God's presence and there were no words but I knew he was calling me to ministry and at that time I was sure it was to the Army Chaplaincy. Denise told me later she saw the tears coming down my face and felt nervous, but when we got out to our truck I just broke down and cried, I told her and the kids what was going on and that began it all.
A few days later Steve came by the house and we spoke, he agreed that this was truly a calling from God. Three weeks more I was in school -an example of God's incredible ability.

Pastor Steve Clark - My Mentor and Friend

   It has been a long 6 years - a BS in Religion and two Masters Degrees. Many lessons learned and the experience of discipling our next generation of leaders in a Christian High School. I have seen the good and the bad of American Christianity and I have seen the love that can only be from God present in friends and family as we have endured the trials and tribulations that have molded us and prepared us for this incredible ministry we are about to enter.

   We will miss Catawba County NC and all the friends we leave behind, thank you for being there for us and for allowing us to grow as we have over these years.

   I read a quote this week by Charles Spurgeon: "The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction"   What a blessing to read such words and reflect upon where we have been and where we are going. I pray and ask you to pray that God will continue to lead our lives and we will be able to serve Him as faithfully as He has been with us through these years.

Encouragement

2009-12-05T10:20:00.000-05:00

As Jan 10th gets closer and closer I have been asked the best way to stay in touch with us. Living so far away from family it will be hard for our local family to stay connected. Knowing that we will be in great need of prayer over the next year with all the changes and separations I wanted to take a moment to share our "social networks" with everyone. For the most part they are connected

Blog: chaplainjim.blogspot.com
          chaplainwifearmy.blogspot.com

Facebook: jjmitchem
                  dmmitchem

twitter: jjmitchem
           dmmitchem

For an update on what is going on. I took my oath last Saturday so I am now officially in the Army again. We are also moving up the timeline for our big move this spring. Knowing that I will be deploying this summer we want the family to be all settled in as fast as possible in Hawaii. With this, we are scheduling to have our household goods along with one vehicle picked up the last week in Feburary so they will be waiting for us when we arrive. Denise and Cody will move down to Ft Jackson and we will leave from there.

We are finding homes for our animals, way too expensive and too dangerous for them to go through the long process of getting them to Hawaii. This is the hardest since they are part of the family.

As I prepare personally for all this I was led to post the following to my future Chaplain School classmates:

ENCOURAGEMENT: The following is what I have come to know as the Ranger Verse:

"I don't say this out of need. for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content, whe...ther well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who stengthens me." (Php 4:11-13)

We will be taken care of and I am comforted in knowing how many will be praying us through this journey.

"For God and Country"

My Published Wife!

2009-11-25T18:35:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post here because I am going to provide a link to an article written by my beautiful wife for Army Wife Magazine. It is on page 18 I am so proud of her!!

www.armywifemagazine.com

Once there, click in the middle where it says "Click Here"

Tropic Lightning

2009-11-21T17:46:00.002-05:00

Well, our official orders have finally arrived. We are being assigned to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

We are very excited about this news and feel incredibly blessed to both have the opportunity to serve in such a front line combat unit as well as to live in Hawaii. It will be a small consolation to know that Denise and Cody will be in living in paradise when I inevitably deploy, which I was told is now a "high probability"

We have also been blessed with getting to know my fellow classmates through a facebook group page. I can already see some close and long lasting friendships forming. It is amazing how most of us have similar views on our calling to this ministry and how we are to serve God in such an environment and still be a witness for Christ. I know there are many that question our abilities in such a position and even ask how we can subject ourselve to such limitations. But, I believe that evangelism can take place in many forms, especially in living out the life of Christ by loving others the way that we are loved by God. A chaplain is in the midst of the soldiers, he or she is embedded in their lives, their work and their brotherhood. By just being there and loving them as God would have us we are evangelizing through the example of living a Christ-like life.

Next on the agenda: taking my oath. We are still hopeful that we will be able to travel north to do my Oath at the Lincoln Memorial with our good friends, Dave and Michelle from Ft Meade. They are in the midst of battling a houseful of sick kids -possibly H1N1 so please remember them in your prayers.

Hurry up and wait

2009-11-15T17:07:00.001-05:00

It has been almost a month since my last post. Once again we are in the waiting cycle of the "Hurry up and wait" process so long associated with the military. I found this today as I was surfing the net looking for inspiration for a paper I am currently writing:

"Hurry up and wait"
"It's an expression long associated with life in the armed forces: the endless lines, the delays while an assignment is being readied, the long night before a major battle, and finally, the anticipation of final orders. For some who serve during war, the sounds of battle remain tantalizingly distant, as they are left waiting stateside for the duration."

We are still awaiting orders, paperwork to tell us where we will be stationed after Chaplain school as well as the paperwork I need to take my oath as an officer of the United States Army. We are still excited but this anticipation of the unknown is killing us.

Dear Lord, grant me the patience to endure this wait and the comfort knowing You are still in charge and will put us where it is Your desire. Amen

Time to get ready

2009-10-19T16:02:00.002-04:00

This weekend my gear started to arrive. I took the advice of an active duty Chaplain and started ordering uniforms so I would not have to deal with it the first week of school.

4 sets of ACU were on the doorstep on Friday, trying them on really brought back memories and I could see the reality of it all in Denise's eyes when she saw them on me.

I have been really blessed with some of the purchases I have made on Ebay from some retirees. Got the ACU's (new) for half the price, a Gen III goretex jacket, PT jacket, shorts and t-shirts. Today my nametapes and other ACU items arrived and my dress uniform is supposed to be here tomorrow.

Still waiting on my paperwork to arrive so I can swear in, but the timing is looking good as now we may be able to travel to D.C. to do this with an old army buddy of mine and a Chaplain from his post.

Just need to focus on being physically ready now, running is feeling good and doing an ab and push-up routine every morning.

On a side note, watched an incredible movie this weekend, "Taking Chance". It is the true story of Lt Col Stroble who volunteers to escort a fallen young marine home to a small town in Wyoming. Heart wrenching, but a reminder of how America came together after 911.

Well, continue to pray for us as we get closer to our start date, and for Denise and Cody to do fine in my absence

School Date

2009-10-11T17:14:00.001-04:00

Well it is all coming together. I received an email with confirmation of my school enrollment for CHAPLAIN INITIAL MILITARY TRAINING and CHAPLAIN BASIC OFFICER LEADER. I report for duty on January 10th and I will be done with chaplain school on April 9th.

We are excited about it all happening. At the same time we are looking at all the things we need to do to get ready. So much junk to get rid of for the move. I also have to start buying all the gear I will need for school; uniforms, boots, etc.

We are also realizing that in our 14 years of marriage this will be the longest that we will be apart. Yes, Denise and the kids can come and visit on weekends but I have been told to expect to be very busy.

Running is going well, my plan is to increase a 1/2 mile every week with a goal of 6 miles at a 9 min pace before school starts.

Will post again when I get my actual orders and swear in.

Training for Eternity: One of Those Days

2009-09-30T18:18:00.001-04:00

Training for Eternity: One of Those Days

An amazing story of the sacrifice our soldiers are making

A New Beginning

2009-09-27T12:38:00.002-04:00

It has been a long road getting here, and it is hard to decide where to start with this journey. I guess I can say it began about five years ago when I felt the call to ministry. From the beginning I felt like the chaplaincy was where it was all heading but I had so much school in front of me before I could get there, not to mention how out of shape I was.

Well the school happened, I earned my BS in Religion then went on to seminary, this past May I graduated with a MA in Christian Leadership and continued for my Masters in Chaplaincy which I will be awarded this December.

The fitness level was definitely with God's help, I began riding my bike about 18 months ago, I have since lost about 50 lbs and am in what I would consider to be pretty decent shape, but still have a little ways to go before I am at what I would consider Army shape.

The application process has been the most stressful. I spoke to a recruiter last Thanksgiving and began what was to become a very long journey. First I obtained an endorser, a Department of Defense approved religious agency. The World Council of Independent Christian Churches (WCICC) was a perfect fit, I would have the freedom to serve all denominations and faiths but with a strong Christian support ministry. I was ordained and endorsed in early 2009.

The Army application process was a little more difficult, having been prior service and with a knee injury and VA disability required a lot of paper work and trips to the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Charlotte for physicals and evaluations. My final doctors appoint occurred last month with an orthopedic specialist who declared me fit for duty - Hooah!!

During this process I must admit I would have moments of discouragement and begin to think it was not going to happen. Well the final step in the whole process occurred this past week. The chaplain selection board took place on Tuesday and Wednesday. We were told we would hear something either Thursday evening or Friday. By Friday afternoon I had not heard anything so I emailed my recruiter, he said the results were sitting on the Chief of Chaplains desk waiting for his approval and he did not know when that would happen.

Friday evening at about 6:00 pm ( I guess I should say 1800 hours now ) he called. I had played this over and over in my head, if he called me Rev Mitchem then I was sure it was a no go, but if he called me Chaplain Mitchem then I knew we were going. I answered the phone and SFC Funneman asked to speak to Chaplain Mitchem, before he told me anything else I just knew it was good news!! He congratulated me and said he was pleased to address me as Sir now.

Now we wait again. Within three weeks I will receive my commissioning orders, find an officer to swear me in and take my oath. After that the paperwork will go back to DACH (Dept of Army Chaplains) and then I will get my orders for school. School is at Ft Jackson in South Carolina for three months. Halfway through school I will get my orders for our first duty station and we will find out where we will be living for at least the next two years.

It has been a long road, many trials and times of almost quitting it all. God has put us through a lot in the last five years but looking back it has prepared us and made us strong for this new chapter in our lives. At church today our Pastor preached about the Israelites and their time in the dessert. I just looked at Denise and we both new, we have been in the dessert and we are now looking across the Jordan to our new home.