Good morning Kerry and Happy Saturday. Time for me to make another pot of coffee! I am fortunate to have an abundance of energy juice ready to go!
Seriously, how you look at your life matters. Do you see what you have and give thanks or do you see what you don't and focus on that? We had a great discussion going on gratitude in one of our recent resiliency groups and once again, I see how much what you value matters. How do you see your life and what do you value in it?








CPT Richard Trione PO2 Marty Sharpe SFC Stephen King CWO3 Dave Alcantara SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D CPT Jack Durish SP5 Dennis Loberger MSG Darold R. SGM Steve Wettstein
SN DrNicholas Losito Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Maj Joan Marine SGT Tiffanie G. SGT Ruben Lozada SGT (Join to see) SGT Gerald “Jerry” Harrell SPC Lyle Montgomery SPC Bill Bailey SPC Douglas Bolton

Good Saturday morning Sgt (Join to see)

Belated thank you my friend and brother-in-Christ Sgt (Join to see) for your diligence in posting our friend, former RallyPoint member emeritus, and brother-in-Christ Colonel Mikel Burroughs VFV Motivational/Inspirational Quotes & Message of the Day for Saturday, February 18, 2023.

Topic: “Abundance Day!”
My perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges, trials and testing has motivated many people. By God's grace I am more steadfast in the faith and resilient in compassion and faithfulness.
God demonstrates HIS abundance in our weaknesses
1. Being content in all circumstances is a part of spiritual maturity. Contentment in all circumstances as the Apostle Paul stated under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Philippians 4:11b-12 ESV 'for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.'
2. In 1975, I was told by the tac NCO of my USMAPS company that I had no hope of being accepted into West Point as a cadet or being commissioned as an officer. [I received a Congressional appointment and was commissioned as an Infantry officer after graduating from West Point on May 28, 1980.
3. I have experienced two concussions as a teenager hitting my head on concrete, I also had a hammer accidentally dropped on my head and it cracked it open. I experienced amnesia from one concussion.
4. I experienced torsion of the testicle and had emergency surgery in 1972. My life was saved yet I lost one testicle. Twice I had a silastic prosthesis testicle implanted and both times it ripped its way out because my body rejected it.
5. I have survived over 26 vehicle accidents in POVs and a couple in military vehicles. Thankfully, nobody died and I was at fault only once - rolling a car down a 20-foot slope into a gully. I injured my shoulder releasing the safety bet while hanging upside down in the tall Georgia grass.
6. I received a 'good" OER from a BG because he wanted a lockstep in-process program at Bamberg while I was trying to develop a flexible program which allowed soldiers and German staff to have on US and German holidays. I was promoted to Captain Regular Army but passed over twice to Major.
7. I was terminated as a Regular Army officer on October 1, 1992 and accepted a USAR commission. My childhood dream was to be a soldier and it was devastating to be terminated. Thankfully I was promoted to major while I was going through CGSC.
8. I had emergency mitral valve surgery on March 11, 2003. I had shared my faith in Christ with the Chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. There were significant complications - replacing 15 units of leaking blood. They were considering reopening me and they called my pastor to to my side in the white cocoon-like device keeping me at 34 degrees. By God's grace I coagulated and was revived on the morning of March 12, 2003. It took me 5 months to get my temperature back to normal.
9. I wanted to go back to duty and had a profile limiting my work. I pushed that too the limit and hid from the bosses so I could work more :-)
10. Much of what I worked on was classified. At one point I was called in to brief a MG on interservice support obligations/requirements for OIF without being read in on the plan. I told him the DoD and standing inter-service support obligations based on dominant service and capabilities. Without knowing the size of the force, I could not provide specific answers.
11. On the day I exited the service on June 1, 2008, I had botulism and diverticulitis. I was driving with my wife to attend a graduation for 30 internal medicine doctors. After the ceremony we went to a home and I got advice from many on how to treat my ailments.
12. In October 2008, the LTG who was DCS G-4 sent me a white paper from the Army, Chief of Staff (CSA) and asked me to develop a white paper from a logistics support white paper. I did it on my own time, and it was submitted to the CSA. It was received favorably, and a briefing for 30 minutes was scheduled. I discussed the briefing with the DCS G-4. The briefing was increased from 30 minutes to 60 minutes with the VCSA. I was getting ready for colon resection surgery and put on strong antibiotics. On the day of the brief, I was drinking coffee and spacey. The full General VCSA was the same MG I briefed before OIF. I did pretty well [in spite of my health]. The HQDA G-3 reps tried to undercut my brief - they had specific responsibilities with force structure.
13. On the day, the Affordable Care Act was implemented [midnight, June 30, 2013] I was terminated after over 20 years employment as a consultant to LMI in large part due my disabilities. God had warned and prepared me 3 time on June 17, 2013 when HE told me 'Be still and see the salvation of the Lord.' three times throughout the day. On June 19, 2013, my program director called me to let me know I would be terminated at the end of the month. Thankfully, the LORD had prepared me.
14. In May 2014, my father-in-law died, and my darling wife was with him at that moment. My mother-in-law was devastated.
15. By God's grace, we were evicted in June 2014 and moved in to care for my mother-in-law in her home. It was hard to lose most of our furniture and possessions, but we were able to get most of what is important to us.
16. In July 2019, I had lumbar laminectomy at Baltimore, MD VAMC while the VBA eliminated my disabilities for my leg function. Thankfully, they reversed that decision in 2020.

Quotes:
1. Bernard Williams 'Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.'
2. Al Siebert 'Highly resilient people are flexible, adapt to new circumstances quickly, and thrive in constant change. Most important, they expect to bounce back and feel confident that they will.'
3. Jamais Cascio 'Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive.'
4. Christine Caine 'The pain of recovery is sometimes worse than the pain of the injury. Allow Jesus Christ to heal your soul.'

Scriptures
a. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV 'So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
b. 1 Peter 2:24-25 'He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.'
c. Philippians 4:8-9 ESV 'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.'
d. Psalm 51:10-12 ‘Restore the joy of our salvation, dear LORD. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation.'
e. Philippians 2:3-4 ESV ‘Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
f. Philippians 4:12-13 ESV 'I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.'
g. Psalm 51:10-12 ‘Restore the joy of our salvation, dear LORD. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation.'
h. Galatians 5:13-14 ESV 'For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’'

Image: Problems as Opportunities

FYI Maj Robert Thornton SMSgt Lawrence McCarter PO2 (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen ~1361945:LTC D. Wayne Gregory, OFS] SPC Lyle MontgomerySGT Jim Arnold SPC Gary C.SFC Dr. Jesus Garcia-Arce, Psy.D SPC (Join to see)Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. SPC Deb Root-White SPC Maurice Evans SPC Bill Bailey COL Randall C. SPC Woody Bullard SPC Jon O.PV2 Scott Mollette CPT Richard Trione SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL

Pretenders on Austin City Limits "Middle of the Road"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVry7uMud1o