Most flights I make are uneventful. Tonight I had one which wasn’t, but then again it was.

I noticed but didn’t notice fully an Army sergeant one row ahead of me, dressed in his dress uniform.

Later in the flight the pilot came on and asked if all passengers would be so kind and respectful to allow this solider to leave the plane first as he was escorting the remains of a solider killed in Iraq back to his final resting place.

You could hear and feel the busy-ness of the plane stop.

My dad was in the Army for 25 years before he retired and started his (second) family (namely my brother and me). I thought of him…and what his reaction would have been if he were sitting next to me on that plane.

I have this big thing about the media FORGETTING the hurricane victims of the Gulf Coast. I was brought face-to-face with my own forgetting about the casualties of human life.

Two of my wife Marlene’s cousins serve(d) in Iraq: Randy S. and Marcus O. Marcus is there now (that’s ice in the photo on the heater below)

and Randy has returned.

I invite you to join me in continuing to pray for peace and for the men and women who serve in the armed forces, as well as their families. I also ask you to pray for the grace to REMEMBER.

This high school rally was put on by Rich Curran who works with youth ministry for the diocese of Green Bay.

I was excited because I did a workshop for teens on athletics and Christianity. And there have been so many good athletes who have emboied excellence in athletics and are Christian..There was the late great Reggie White, the “minister of defense.” And I also respect Southern boy, quarterback, Brett Favre.

Sharing with teens about the challenges and blessings of being a CHRISTIAN athlete (or a member of Team Jesus as I call it) was a great remedy for me because I am missing my (volunteer) assistant coaching role with the Loyola University (Wolfpack) Women’s basketball team (caoches pictured below in Hawaii in December 2005)

Notice the shorts (not the legs)…you can wear shorts in Hawaii in December. I wouldnt try that in Green Bay, even though they tell me the 20-something degree weather was MILD. I had to borrow some gloves! I am so not built for the cold!!

The day ended with prayerful adoration time. I was so impressed with how the teens entered into the spirit of that time.