Hidden Gem

I have been reading in most of my spare time preparing for this paper I have to write this quater for a class called comparative literature. Basically the assignment is to compare types, sytles, genres, ages, whatever of written language. There are a few guidelines, but none of them matter to me because they're things like it has to be the english language or work not your own... So I have been reading... I found some really cool things, but tonight I found this and just had to post it:

"Don Malarkey, age 22, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment:

As the battalion proceeded toward the causeway that we were to take, we had not gone more than five or six hundred yards when machine-gun fire started breaking out and the column halted. Colonel Bob Strayer, the battalion commander, ordered E Company to mkae an attack on the position. I believe there were twelve of us, led by Lieutenant Dick Winters from Pennsylvania, the platoon leader, and Lieutenant Buck Compton from Los Angeles, the assistant platoon leader.

We went through an aorchard area to approach the position, and when we were very close by, Lieutenant Winters stopped us all and had us line up along the hedgerow looking into the position, which incorporated and emplacement of four German 88s. We all lined up and placed withering fire into the position with all our weapons, prior to making an assualt.

Buck Compton went first, and as he dropped into the entrenchment he saw a German standing about fifteen feet from him. He drew his tommy gun and fired, but the gun jammed. In the meantime, the German ran away down the trench. Compton turned and waved us all across and we proceeded toward the first gun. Robert "Popeye" Wynn, from Virginia, was with me and got hit halfway across.

As I neared the gun I could see the crew of a German 88 firing straight down the field. They couldn't traverse on us, but they were firing at whatever enemy forces they might hit in that vicinity. I pulled a grenade and threw it, but the two gunmen were already hit either by Buck Compton or by Lieutenant Winters. Both of them, I think, fired simultaneously.

When I got there one of the crew was lying dead under the gun and the other had run out into the field about fifty yards before he went down. I could see that he had a case on his hip, which I thought was a German Luger. I thought, Well, I'd better go and get that gun, so i ran out on the field, and as I knelt down Lieutenant Winters saw me and started yelling at me tha I was stupid and should get the hell out of there as the place was crawling with Germans.

Across the main hedgerow, toward the family farm of Brecort, the whole road was lined with German infantry with machine guns. They apparently thought I was a medic, because they didn't fire at me when i was going out to where the german lay. But when Winters yelled and I jumped up and started running back, four or five machine guns started firing at me and the bullets were kicking up the ground all around me.

I dove under the gun, which was dug in below the surface of the ground about eighteen inches. I lay there, face up, as they kept firing in the gun and fragments of bullets dropped into my face. I finally turned over to keep that from happening and the kept intermittently.

I was stuck until Bill Guarnere, my sergeant, got along the hedgerow to about five or six feet away from me. He said, "We'll time their bursts." So he started timing the bursts of the machine-gun fire that came in and he said, "OK, as soon as you hear the next burst, jump up and run to me." I did that, and i got out of there without being hit.

From then on, we fought there through a good part of the day and eventually captured three of the gunners."

This passage comes from a book called "The Oral History of D-Day" that is made of of several hundred first hand accounts like this one. Some of the stories are millitary reports, some are from letters home, others are stories by journalists along for the ride, but every angle gets its spot; Germans, Americans, Brits, French, and everything else. So far I like it a lot, but how nuts is it that this passage is in the book.

Unrequited Devotion

Elizabeth Elliot tells of a conversation she had with Gladys Aylward, missionary to China:

"She had been a missionary in China for 6 or 7 years before she ever thought of wanting a husband. When a Brittish couple canme to work near her, she began to watch the wonderful thing they had in marriage, and to desire it for herself. Being a woman of prayer she prayed-a straightforward request that God would send a man from England, send him straight out to China, and have him propose. She leaned toward me on the sofa on which we were sitting, her black eyes snapping, her boney little forefinger jabbing at my face. "Elizabeth," she said, "I believe God answers prayer! He called him." Then, in a whisper of keen intensity, "but he never came.""

New Job!

I am watching the playoffs today, and I can't help but thinking that the Bengals will never be here. They squeeked out 4 wins this year, just enough to stave off major organizational changes that need to happen. I hate Mike Brown, I hope he leaves the city.

Thursday I had an interview for a postion as an electrician for a company called ICS Electric. They do a different kind of electric than BizCom that is much more involved on the technical end of things. Think of it like this; BizCom primarily puts in lights, switches, outlets, phone lines, internet, security, and other wire running applications, ICS is a more industrial company. They do things like build big switch gear, install temperature and pressure gauges in factories or power plants, design computer management software for the sensors, and various other systems. The cool thing about the interview was that the owner really projected the company as a place to make an investment as an employee long term, and in turn be well rewarded for that investment. From what I could tell it sounds like a good job doing something I will like learning and doing so I'm taking the job. I start on the 19. If you care (which you don't) they have a pretty thorough website. http://www.icselectricalservices.com/index.htm

Following my interview I had to go take a phyical and drug screening before I could start. It was to late in the day thursday so I went yesterday. Before I left the interview I specifically asked if I needed to make an appointment at the office. They said no, but I wasn't really surprised when I showed up Friday and they asked if I had an appointment. I didn't so I got to wait around for an hour before they had time for me. I have never had a physical this thorough before. They took blood, the did strength tests on most of my major joints, pushed on my belly (I have no idea what this checks), checked a bunch of reflex spots, tested my vision and hearing, body fat (17%), and of course checked the old hurnias. All in all I felt pretty examined when I was done. Before they did the physical they had me pee in a cup. I didn't think that would be to much of a big deal, but they do all kinds of things I didn't expect. For starters they put you in this bathroom that only has a curtain. Secondly they have the top of the water tank on the back of the toilet taped shut, and they squirt blue dawn dishsoap in the water so you can cheat and steal some of the water from the toilet for your sample. Then after that they take the temperature of your urine to make sre that it was actually in your body (more on this later). They put it in 3 bottles all of which they show you are sealed before they fill them, and then you have to initial all of them as evidence that nothing was tampered with.

After my physical the nurse lady told me that she forgot to take the temperature of my sample, and that I had to produce more urine. Who can really pee twice in a half hour? so I had to wait around drinking water until I could pee again. I got to the office at 1:30 I left at 4:50. It was aweful. That said, pending the results of my drug screening (fingers crossed), I have a new job. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing really. I guess if there is a downside its going to be the first 8 weeks. Apparently the whole company is starting this ne wproject at a power plant somewhere on the Ohio that will require everyone to work 6 10 hour days a week. He said the Saterdays where really mandatory, but that almost everyone works because its so much extra money. I don't know how all that's going to play out yet with leading and my class, but it seems silly to me not to take a job I could see myself at for a long time because the first 8 weeks will be tough.

Concrete-ice

I drive somewhere almost everyday. I don't mean I ride somewhere everyday, but that I actually drive my car. I would guess in the last year that's true of 360 days. Yesterday though, I did not drive anywhere. This is only important because when I woke up this morning and decided to go somewhere the icey snow stuff on my car was not just the regular it snowed a little last night consistency. It had hardened into something else. Apparently if you leave snow on your car for a couple days it changes it from snow to military grade concrete-ice. I think it happens because its on there, and then it warms up in the sun and melts a little bit but not really, then refreezes overnight. Did I mention thawing my car is one of my least favorite things to do? It took extra long today...Moral of this story; either don't live in Ohio, or go somewhere everyday when its cold and percipitaty out.

Streaker

"at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go and loosen the sackcloth from your hips and take your shoes off your feet." And he did so, going naked and barefoot. And the Lord said, "Even as my servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token..."~Isaiah 20:2-3

Seriously?

The Frey

I like to start by apologizing for my absence for the past few weeks. I haven't been around a computer to much since James took the laptop home to Hamilton, but now that school has started again things should be back to normal. That, however, might be the only thing back to normal in my life...but I'll have to qualify that with a story of sorts.

The holiday season this year was as good as any I've had in a long time. I got to spend some quality time with all the different parts of my family, and really enjoyed being off around Christmas instead of it being the busiest time of the year (like at my old job). With all the changes in my life over the past few months I have been surprisingly excited about most things. Unfortunately the changes in my life have not all been at my choosing (they never are). Most recently I have been laid off from my new job with Biz Com Electric. They let 10 people go on Friday including me. I don't know yet how everything is going to play out. I have enough savings to live for a while without working, so I'm not panicking, but I do need to find work quickly. I have some options and need to make some decisions, but am confident everything will work out. This wasn't in the plan though that's for sure.

Here are my options as of today, there are others, but none I am interested in pursuing right now:

1.) Call Biz Com tomorrow and see if work has picked up and they are wiling to take me back. I say this (though it sounds silly after only 1 business day) because I was instructed by the owner to do so during the lay off conversation.

2.) Take the other job offered to me today by another IEC member company for less money.

3.) Continue trying to find a better paying job, possibly outside the electrical industry, until business picks back up.

At this point I am confident that something will work out. I have held the contention all along that anyone actively pursuing employment can find it, not to mention I also happen to think God has my back.

Other than that it looks as though I am going to start leading yl again this week. I wouldn't have bet on that a month ago, but it seems God is not finished with me in that ministry yet. I am excited about coming back to be honest. I miss going to games and hanging out with kids. I have enjoyed the extra time to be around the house doing things, and the flexibility in my schedule has allowed me to figure out some occupational problems that would have otherwise likely gone undealt with, but it is not a viable longterm option. I am as convinced as ever that I was designed to be giving my life away. It just doesn't feel right to me to only focus all of my energy all of the time on me and my life. I can't believe Jesus died on the cross so I can play 360 all night forever. Young Life is a solid ministry because if you make yourself available to Him God will truly use your life as an instrument of love and grace in the lives of others. I don't know exactly how things will go the next year of my life, but I feel good about knowing I am His and "He has prepared good works for me to do."

A bunch more changes! Hurray! Seriously though I am still exited about stuff. I really think things will work out. Joel (and now his recently published wife too) says I am going to be victorious and I agree. I am reminded of the Sermon on the Mount where we are counseled against worrying about the things of this world, but instructed to seek first His Kingdom. I am going to try to do that this week.

"In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."~ John 16:33