Looking for love and I found gratitude

Looking for love and I found gratitude

The other night I was looking for a biblical verse pertaining to gratitude. I looked through the glossary and I didn’t see anything. Then this morning I was looking for the passage where Paul talks about love and I opened up to  and passage on gratitude: Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God.

Then I found the passages I was looking for 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

Then I found what I was looking for in Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one." This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband; (Ephesians 5:25-33 RSV)

I believe I read it in one of Denis Waitley’s books a definition that I liked: Choosing only that which is good and giving value to others.

I’ve learned in previous relationships that sex isn’t love. I have researched this before and I found a scripture pertaining to protection and providing:  "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” 1 Timothy 5:8, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them” Colossians 3:19 and “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” 1 Peter 3:7.

Now when I mix this all up in my head it makes me think of how I love my son’s Devin when he was two years old was mean, defiant and raging but I still loved him. Collin was more withdrawn, he would spurn me and put the shun on me but I still love him. So if men including myself love their wives in the same way. It shouldn’t matter how our wife acts towards us. We still need to love them. That is so hard. I remember going through my divorce. It hurt so badly when my ex-wife was being harsh with me. I couldn’t take it. She had made up her mind that we were going to be no longer and I couldn’t be forgiving enough or gracious enough. She was moving on and she made herself so vile I just had to let go.

She always told me that “Love is a decision” That works until someone changes their mind. After going through all of this, I am grateful that Jesus gives us unconditional love. It has taken me a while to realize that that is the love that really matters and it makes it easier to love our wives and our children no Matter how much they don’t love you back. One isn’t a factor of the other.

 

 

I do not have a new job!

I do not have a new job!

I want to thank everyone who is congratulating me on my new position with CSP Strategies but this is not a new job for me. I still run Valley LED Solutions as a manufacturer’s rep and before I explain my relationship with CSP Strategies want to explain my end goal. I currently attend South Texas College studying for an Associates degree in Mathematics and a teaching credential so I can work with those young people who were like me that are capable, ambitious and eager but lack the understanding or confidence to take on algebra, calculus and physics. Then I plan on capitalizing on my training background doing seminar marketing of new technologies whether it is LED Lighting, drones, sensors….etc. This technology to detect and deter drones is all part of the plan. I also represent FAVNET for remote connectivity applications.  

Being the correctness they can see

Being the correctness they can see

When things change so does your perspective. I have been struggling with college algebra and last week I locked myself away for two days at home to try and figure out synthetic division. I got mad and watched the same video three of four times until all of a sudden I caught that one little thing that was holding me up. Then the problems added a new twist and I went to the CLE and sat with three tutors until they brought in the head tutor and we painstakingly went through a “Zeros Theorem” problem step by step and finding all compliments that make up the zeros of a polynomial function until it made sense to me and then Thursday I sat with my assigned tutor and we went over graphing rational functions and asymptotes and the compound interest formula. Now I got excited, after all I was a California Mortgage and Real-Estate Broker and held my Life and Health, Series 6, 63 and passed my investment advisor’s license exams. I didn’t know that formula but I knew the rule of 72 so I back engineered the problem using the rule of 72 and I got to the right answer as fast as my tutor did using the formula but I think that formula might come in handy so I am going to learn it.

Now as I am working through all of this algebra I get a call out of the blue from a retired Naval Intelligence officer who then retired as an analysist for the FBI asking if I know anyone who served in the invasion of Grenada. Well I happen to know a few and they had some great stories. Somehow a couple of guys have been able to work with Hollywood to consult for some movies but the others signed nondisclosure agreements and don’t want the hassle of reversing them but the best story I was told was how a couple of guys I know who were given the mission to go to the Governor’s mansion to rescue the Governor but when they got there no one was there. They went inside and one of them fired a couple of rounds out of an open window and they got the attention of an Armored Personnel Carrier with a 105 howitzer turret. The turret turned toward the mansion and they all dove on the floor, hunkered down on the baseboards as the 105 round went right through the room without exploding. The senior team leading pulled out a can of Copenhagen and as he was pinching a dip to put into his lips said “All you need to relax is a little pinch between your cheek and gum.”       

There were a lot of other great stories from those guys. From what I understand enough time has passed since that operation that it can be disclosed and I guess the producer is going to get official authorization because there were a lot of things that happened and it was one of the first operations where SEAL Team Six actually played a major role. The funny thing is, the very next day I stumbled on the senior team leader who gave the Tabaco tagline while in the Governor’s mansion and we friended each other on Facebook. How did that happen? I love those guys. They kept Copenhagen in business.

I started chewing Copenhagen when I was seven years old. My step-dad got me started. He caught me spitting in an ashtray and I got a whipping and he told me “If you are going to chew Copenhagen you better learn to swallow like a man. That was a challenge. I figured out that if you swallow the juice before it builds up, it is not too bad except you get the hiccups. Then when I got really serious into boxing at 19 years old I started trying to quit. 11 years later I finally accomplished that goal. The trick is eating carrots. There is something in carrots that curb your appetite for nicotine. 

It gets hard hearing about my friends from the Navy SEALs who die, either in combat or as a result of living hard. Smoking or drinking too much. That is going to be one of my main messages when I start regularly working with kids. It is always easier to give them direction when they are young. Emphasize the right habits, eat healthy, stay fit, not drinking or doing drugs. Being a good example has lasting impact on those around you. I believe the majority at least know the right things to do. Being an example of living right makes it easy to lead. I remember from Free Fall Jumpmaster School, they taught you to look for correctness. You stand out when you give something to look at. People know when what they see is right and when it isn’t.

Thank you for remembering my birthday and Jose Trevino

I had a birthday

March 21^st was my 54^th birthday. I had a pleasant evening with my wife and I skipped training at the boxing gym.  I justified the truancy as making up for my 22^nd birthday when Roy Jones Sr. made me train on my birthday. I had over 300 people send me birthday wishes on Facebook. I was amazed at how many people recognized my birthday.

 

Ode to Jose Trevino

When I first meet Jose Trevino is was in 1989 at a command party at the chief’s club on Rodman Naval Station in Panama. We both were mentored by Mike McDonald. We had a good time telling stories about Mike and then that next week my platoon went to training at SBU-26 under Jose’s instruction. There was a change, he was very serious and very direct and demanding. I thought he was in a bad mood until I mentioned it to Mike. He told me that Jose was the most jolly, congenial guy out on liberty but strictly business while on the job. I mentioned these comments to Jose and I referenced the cartoon with the sheep dog and coyote. We kept in touch when I moved to Las Vegas, his wife Patty had recently passed and Jose’s father was diagnosed with cancer.

We kept in touch and he always asked about the drone business and the LED lighting business and gave me referrals for both. In October when I needed someone to take me to the VA hospital for my colonoscopy Jose had no problem taking me at 7:00 AM in the morning, waiting for me and taking me home afterwards. While he was driving me around he told me about how when he was new at the teams he couldn’t afford to go home for Christmas so he filled in as camp boss at AP Hill and while he was there a course on hand to hand combat was going to be held and the instructor had him dig a pit. He gave Jose the exact dimensions of the pit and Jose told me about how perfect he tried to dig the hole with the back hoe and then all of these Vietnam vets showed up and one of them was Fred Fritch one of the guys from the Olympic bobsled team and Jose got paired up with Fred to go into the pit to do battle with rubber knives and they were instructed that only one of them was coming out of the pit. Jose told how he fainted like he was running away, gave himself some room and threw the rubber knife at Fred, hit him in the eye and he jumped on Fred and pummeled him with his fists and knocked him out. Then he looked up at all of the other combat seasoned Navy SEALs and yelled “Who’s next!”

Jose told me how he was one of the first military advisors in El Salvador, Vietnam was over, SEAL Team Six as trying to figure out their tactics for CQB and boarding ships which were under way and he was the only one actually operating, doing the mission Navy SEALs were supposed to do.

Right after my colonoscopy I volunteered to lead BUDs PT with the Edinburg High School JROTC and Jose I called Jose to tell him about it and he said “You are the one Red, you’re the one who is going to let the world know how tough these Mexicans in the Valley are. He told me about the SEAL motivator program and I checked it out and those guys go around and administer the screen test for BUD/s. I reported back to him but he was in Florida but told me he was coming back to the valley in a couple of weeks.

I spoke with Jose just a few days before he died. I reconnected with my roommate and swim buddy in BUD/s Syril Galindo and he told me that he thought he saw something on the Navy SEAL Facebook page that Jose had died but I didn’t find it but a couple of days later I spoke with Frank Pedroza from the Ackerman Group whom Jose used to consult with and confirmed to me that Jose had passed. I am really going to miss him.  Jose's encouragement plays a big part in my going back to school to get a degree in mathematics and teaching so I can reach those tough kids who aren't afraid to fight but get squeamish about algebra. Yesterday during the men's bible study we were asked to pray about our purpose and I was wanting clarification on whether my desire to work with these kids down here in the valley was from the Holy Spirit or because of Jose's encouragement and my confirmation from the Spirit was "Keep doing what you are doing". 

I am going to miss Jose.

---

 

Leading with a snowplow

Leading with a snowplow

I have had a lot going on with my College Algebra Class, I did a fast Friday and then on top of that the battery in the truck died and I had to reschedule my therapy appointment. While fasting I picked up my bible and it opened right to Psalm: 147 this is exactly how I felt for the four and half years before I moved on my own, right before I meet my wife Janice. Then this morning when I was trying to look up this verse to share with the men’s bible study this morning I came across Psalm: 53 which exactly describes my former business partner. An ex-cop and attorney who had a Catholic Priest try and molest him being a big boy he gave the priest a beat down. Ever since he has been an atheist. We traveled all over the United States promoting Drone/UAS technologies and the primary topics of conversation were Mercedes Benz cars, BBQ restaurants, buffet restaurants and debating the bible and faith. I became very good as an apologist for Christ.

 Both our roommate and my partner loved to watch “Ancient Aliens” It would always amuse me on how much these smart guys on the show could talk and never really say anything while they would try and explain events in the bible in a secular way. My partner would always fall back in these Ancient Alien experts whenever I would start to provide evidence of the existence of God he would say “So when did the aliens come?” I would reference Genesis and Ezekiel. Then he would start talking about food or the Mercedes.

Recently I have become aware of an organization called Trail Life. When the Boy Scouts of America caved into the gay agenda parents, scout leaders and scouts decided to start up a faith based version of the Boy Scouts and it is Trail Life. The Catholic Church has decided to back the Boy Scouts and they have told Trail Life to not talk with Boy Scout Troops whom are sponsored by Catholic Churches. When I first heard about Trail Life I wasn’t interested in being a part of it but I referred several churches in the Rio Grande Valley. New Hope Church in Weslaco, TX is interested and they have a Boy Scout Troop in Weslaco all ready to convert to Trail Life as soon as they commit.

The Pastor at Center Church in Pharr has expressed interest and had meetings with the Trail Life Scout for south Texas who lives right in Edinburg. From what I understand, they are filling out the paperwork but they have to get their congregation to approve of sponsorship of a Trail Life Troop. I brought it up at the men’s bible study this morning.

In mid-valley a Boy Scout Troop is anxious to convert to Trail Life and there is a church in Weslaco, New Hope Church and the Pastor John Jaramillo is interested and it just so happens that he is an adjunct math teacher at STC and when I applied for algebra tutoring the tutoring service asked me if I knew anyone who I could asked to tutor me in algebra and I mention Pastor John and now it is official! How’s that for a minor miracle?

I have felt this calling to work with those young men who are the same way that I was in school, I would fight anyone but don’t give me a math problem. I know I can learn it because I did it the Navy learning BE&E and transistor theory and diving physics where I actually received higher grades than the officers during BUD/s. I know that math is logical and once my brain understands that, my barriers will come down and it will just be a process. I already had Pastor John explain factoring and the quadratic formula to me better than anyone else. Once I understand where the snag is form me learning algebra it will be the same as teaching boxing or shooting. I just have to understand where they are missing the mark and help them shift their focus to where they will achieve success.

Hitting a cord

Hitting a cord

Today at Center Church as soon as we got there I felt a pull and I was trying to tap into the source during the worship when my wife tried to stoke my worship fire. I lost track of my focus and then Pastor Steven made an appeal to worship more zestfully. I understand that we are called to worship the Lord, it is not something that I am used to. I recalled my first BUD/s class 133, there was an officer named Mark Farley who used to be a Marine Corps. As a Drill instructor for Aviation Officer Candidates (AOCS). I caught pneumonia and he was had shin splints and we were both waiting in line for medical. I said something to him like “You aren’t very motivated” I had to explain myself in a hurry. I said “You don’t seem very motivated when we are waiting in line to run the obstacle course. His reply was “Is it more important to be motivated while we are standing in line for the obstacle course or when you are going over the obstacles?” Now I completely understand praising the Lord, honoring him and giving him praise. There is power in a loud utterance.

During Vietnam Navy SEALs used to yell “Yeah, yeah get some!” They were getting themselves fired up to do somethings that really were not that enjoyable. Humping around at night with 100+ lbs of gear. Possibly getting shot at, shooting another human being…..etc. There is something about that battle cry which puts your butterflies in check. I had a classmate during BUD/s get hammered by the instructors for yelling “Yeah, yeah get some!” They knew he was getting himself fired up and they swooped in on him. It was too late, he had already pumped himself up. So understand how making a loud joyful noise can stir something inside of you.

I started thinking about fasting, I used to starve myself to make weight as a fighter and I hated it. They is why I started running and paying more attention to what I put in my body. It is a lot easier to maintain an optimal weight and limit yourself for just a couple of days then trying to lose 20 lbs by no eating for four days before the fight. The first 24 hours is the worst. After that your body goes into a state of ketosis. The real reason boxers seem slow minded isn’t from getting hit but from starving trying to make weight. After the first day of fasting it gets easier. I was just going to fast on Friday the 10th but I think will start on Wednesday and get the full benefit. Every time feel hunger pains it will trigger me to pray. I am getting myself psyched up. Yeah, yeah get some!  

When Pastor Steven made the call for those who wish to volunteer as a youth minister my wife Janice and I made sure we stuck around to get the paperwork for the background check. The female youth minister who was handing out the paperwork mentioned when I told her I was interested in the Trail Life program that she was interested in it too. When I think back on Scouting I recall tying knots. The funny thing is that during SEAL training you spend a lot of time tying knots. As a parachute rigger, that is what I did most of the time. I never got to do a lot of hiking and rock climbing in Scouts but I made up for it as a Navy SEAL. There are a lot of things to teach young men. Basic things like how to wear your gear, sharpen your knife, how to read a compass and a map. As a Navy SEAL you also had to sound proof your equipment. You can’t sneak up on anyone sounding like Festus Haggen and his mule.

Once I got into a platoon at SEAL Team Four Raul Valdez and I had a trade-off, he taught me how to set up my gear and field craft and I taught him how to fight. We had some killer workouts. Push-ups, pull-ups and dips was a killer routine we did regularly. He taught me to wrap my canteen cup with riggers tape to keep the handle from rattling but also to keep extra riggers tape on hand, he also showed me how to cowl parachute cord on the bottom of my canteen pouch so I would have it available if I needed it. He had me wrapped kim-lights with riggers tape and to use them before I used my mini-mag light. Raul now trains government agents how to do the same things. There are all kinds of things you just don’t use every day like how to walk through the woods. It is amazing how you get kind of a sixth sense but what it really is, you become very aware when you are being influenced to go in a direction that isn’t natural.

That is how you know when you are being lead into a trap. It happens every time you are force off of your course or you go against the natural flow of things. One of the lessons in sales I learned is the “Three Strikes Rule” If a prospect isn’t cooperative, they don’t engage you in conversation, they won’t commit to an appointment, they won’t tell you how they will pay for the product or when they want to buy it, they get two strikes. If they are a doctor, teacher or engineer they get one strike just because they think then are too smart, if they have a foreign accent I have a trust factor to overcome. If I get three strikes I do a subtle take away and ask for a referral. If they push back and let me know that they are really interested then I let them know that I am not asking them questions for my health. I need to know if I can really help them. Sometimes if I feel that they aren’t serious I will ask them a question jokingly but I am serious. They will take it better if it is said in jest.

When it comes to working out, boxing or scouting, these are all enjoyable activities where you can learn valuable lessons. It is always better when you enjoy something while you are learning. As a leader you often have to lure people with the enjoyment first until they are vested. It is easy to do once you hear their excitement. Once boxing started getting fun it was a lot easier to win.

Hearing what I heard

Hearing what I heard

Last night I had a chance to listen to Chuck Pierce at Christian Fellowship Church (CFC). He spoke about border wars and the wall in spiritual terms and to me coming from my background as a Navy SEAL it was like a warning order. Everyone was praising God, dancing around clapping their hands and I was deep in myself with my mind preparing myself as if I were going to war. Then today are the Men’s bible study I saw a plaque on the wall in memory of a young Marine who died in Iraq and Pastor Stevens came in behind me and told me how this young man used to go to the church and how he died the first week he was in Iraq. It sounded similar to what happened to Scott Helvenston so I told Pastor Stevens about Scott, how we knew each other and how he gave me the video of his fitness workout which is what got me started working out with kids at Church of His Kingdom in San Diego.

Then we heard John Bevere talking ab out our calling and how it might not be to ministry but toward a career where we can be an example and minister there. Then John Phillips asked if any of us felt we had a calling and I spoke about teaching hard-case kids like I was in school. I am struggling with algebra but I know that there is just something I am missing and I need to figure it out so I can unlock the mystery for the kids I want to help. I have help from Pastor John Jaramillo from New Hope Church in Weslaco, TX. Last night when I was listening to Chuck Pierce speaking about how God is going to put a lot of focus in the Valley and how the Hispanic population is going to play a major role in this spiritual battle it made me think of Pastor John.

I believe that both Pastor John and Pastor Stevens will have a huge role in this battle. Both are considering sponsorship of Trail Life troops and I am considering becoming a troop leader for Trail Life. At the men’s bible study this morning John Phillips called us to fast before next Saturday. Then next Saturday we are going to dig post holes for a new sign at Center Church. That is going to be a challenge, fasting on Friday and digging post holes on Saturday. God will give me strength.