My Reformed OIF Blog

Safely Home

2007-11-26T01:35:00.000+03:00

My apologies for not posting for two months...events prevented me from blogging regularly until now. Suffice it to say that I am home with my wife and children now, and very happy about it. We are currently attending an OPC and just enjoyed our first trip to church together as a family in quite a while. Thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragment. I may begin to blog again at some point in the future, but for now this site will remain dormant.

Semper Fidelis, and Soli Deo Gloria!

Judd Wilson

26 September AD 2007

2007-09-26T21:03:00.000+03:00

Date: 26 September AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: doing well

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 19:12-17 (1587 Geneva Bible version)
Psalm 119:153

Bible Readings:
Deut 25-26
Philippians 3
Psalm 26
Proverbs 26

Military/theological reading:
approx 40 pages of Battles of the Bible by Mordecai Gichon and Chaim Herzog

Exercise:
pull-ups: 20-14-15-14-15
160 crunches
30 min run, 6.0 mph, 1.0% incline

Main activities:
studying
memorization and review

High:
IM with my wife

Low:
it seems like there's still too many days until I leave Iraq!

Pictures from the air

2007-09-18T22:06:00.000+03:00

The office...

My first ride on a Blackhawk...

Welcome to Camp Ramadi

2007-09-18T14:50:00.000+03:00

Today I rode on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to Ar Ramadi, in Al Anbar province here in Iraq. Until the last year, Ramadi - and Anbar province in general - was the deadliest place in Iraq. Populated exclusively by Sunni Iraqis, the anti-American insurgency was strongest here until the Al Qaeda forces bit the Sunni hands that fed them. Al Qaeda's undoing in Iraq is, ironically, its own fault. Cutting off fingers as a penalty for smoking, killing children for playing with soccer balls given by our troops (and then planting bombs in their gutted bodies to kill their parents who come to collect their remains), and trying to intermarry with the daughters of local Sunni leaders who traditionally only marry within the tribe or clan (like in the Bible).

So Anbar, and Ramadi, switched sides in the war and are now the strongest allies we have in the fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq. They still hate us, but they hate Al Qaeda more.

Today the Vice President of Iraq, a Mr. Hashiemi, along with the Governor of Anbar province, many robed and turban-clad sheiks, the commanding general of the Marines in Anbar, and General Petraeus' British deputy commanding general visited Camp Ramadi to commemmorate the release of dozens of reformed detainees. That is, they were Iraqis who had served a sentence in prison, undergone counseling and rehab, and were now being sent out to be law-abiding citizens in the new Iraq.

It was neat to see all this up-close. Along with my boss, I escorted twelve Iraqi journalists (whose picture I don't want to post for fear that they may suffer reprisals) to Ramadi for the ceremony. They were funny guys. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I could tell whether they were sleepy, nauseous, bored, or joking around by their expressions. And they know the word "Marine." They were respectful, more or less. More like the slackers in high school who got straight C's for lack of effort not intelligence. Cut-ups.

The flight out exposed me to the real desert in Iraq. It is a vast, trackless wasteland. I saw sheep wandering in the middle of it and wondered where they thought they were going. Oh, how many parallels I could draw between those sheep and human beings!

Most significantly for me, it was my first trip to Al Anbar province, where almost all Marines in Iraq serve. For me therefore the trip was an especially poignant reminder that I am a Marine -- which is easy to forget living here in an Army world at Camp Victory. Troops here and in the Green Zone have no reason to complain. A few hours in Ramadi illustrated the vast gulf in living conditions between troops on the front lines and those in the rear with the gear. Such has always been the case, I believe, if war fiction and histories are accurate.

I have just under 60 days to go in Iraq and am looking forward to going home. God has been so good to me and mine -- praise the Lord! I look forward to having more tales to tell before I leave.

17 Sept AD 07

2007-09-17T20:56:00.000+03:00

Hi everybody,

I was doing my cool-down stretches tonight outside of our little gym here, listening to some hymns on my mp3 player, watching a star twinkle light years away, and thought I should share this thought with you. Many times I have walked "home" after work, or jogged "home" after a workout, and looked at the same stars that Abraham, then Abram, looked at before he left Ur. I have always found that incredible. If it weren't for the heat, dust, Islam, and the war, I might want to move here. But, at least for now it is neat to think that I can be in a place that has witnessed more comings and goings than just about any other location on the earth.

Praise the Lord! He is good.

Date: 17 September AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: great

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 17:15-21 (1587 Geneva Bible version)
Psalm 119:143-145

Bible Readings:
Deut 12-13
Galatians 1-2
Psalm 17
Proverbs 17

Exercise: (felt tired)
pull-ups: 20-17-10-13-11
155 crunches
30 min run, 6.0 mph, 0.5% incline

Main activities:
work
memorization and review

High:
IM with my wife

Low:
missing my family

28 August AD 2007

2007-08-28T22:22:00.000+03:00

Date: 28 August AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: feeling well

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 17:28-18:5
Psalm 119:123-125

Reading:
finished a very abridged version of Calvin's Institutes a few days ago
finished a great book today on the start of the Civil War called Lincoln Takes Command

Exercise: (yesterday)
pull-ups: 20-21-17-14-14 (86)
150 crunches (95-20-20-15)
30 min run, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
brownies from my wife

Main activities:
studying

High:
telling my wife how much I love her and miss her, and telling her how I felt when I first met her

Low:
I'm still in Iraq!

Joke of the Day:
true story: I recently memorized a few proverbs dealing with lying, bribes, and fools by associating a different Democrat presidential candidate with each!

busy days

2007-08-16T19:38:00.000+03:00

It's been a busy past few days, mostly due to driving around and making travel arrangements for various media - NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS... and having early days and late nights. Today things got back to normal, thankfully. We're all expecting an onslaught of media to arrive in the next few weeks to cover the assessment of the surge. So September should be busy. But it'll make the time go by quickly, which is good. And I have a liberty pass to look forward to at the end of September - going to Qatar for a few days of R&R. I thank the Lord for that!

The Lord has blessed my workouts - I've gotten to doing 20 pull-ups in a row (the hard way for me, with palms facing away, using the back more than the arms). That is a great blessing and an answer to prayer.

I'm in Proverbs 16 now...2/3 of the way through my goal of memorizing the first 24 chapters of the book before I go home...and of course my goal is to finish the other 7 chapters shortly thereafter.

Mostly, I spend my days looking forward to going home to my wife and kids!! Thanks to everyone for their love, support and prayers.

S/F,
Judd

the seventh day of August in the year of Our Lord the two thousand and seventh

2007-08-07T21:20:00.000+03:00

Date: 7 August AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: happy

Bible readings:
Leviticus 18-19

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 15:1-6
Psalm 119:101-104

Bible study:
Amos 6:8, 13

Theology:
(last week) finished Bondage of the Will

Exercise:
pull-ups: 20-15-14-13-15 (77)
150 crunches (50-25-25-25-25)
30 min run, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
spaghetti with meat sauce, and salad

Main activities:
reviewing chapters of Proverbs I've memorized (chaps 7-14)
escorting a reporter (and feeling out his beliefs, and the intellectual strengths and weaknesses of his arguments, in a friendly and benign way)

High:
planning for our baby's birth

Low:
the blasphemies the people I work with regularly utter

Joke of the Day:
neo-conservatives

1 August

2007-08-02T07:54:00.001+03:00

Date: 1 August AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: tired

Bible readings:
Psalm 1

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 14:13-18
Psalm 119:97-99

Bible study:
more of Isaiah, Jeremiah

Theology:
25 more pages of Martin Luther's Bondage of the Will (20 to go!)

Exercise:
pull-ups: 19-15-14-14-14 (76)
150 crunches (50-25-25-25-25)
30 min run, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
roast beef, mashed potatoes, salad

Main activities:
studying

High:
successfully reviewing and learning more of Proverbs and Psalm 119

Low:
mental fatigue

Joke of the Day:
"Have you got any kittens going cheap?" the customer asked the pet shop owner.
"No, all our kittens go, 'Meow.'"
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

30 July

2007-07-30T21:03:00.000+03:00

Date: 30 July AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: encouraged

Bible readings:
1 Corinthians 5-6
Proverbs 30

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:94-96
Proverbs 14:1-6

Exercise:
pull-ups: 19-14-15-14-13 (75)
150 crunches (6 sets x 25 reps)
30 min run, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
kiwi fruit and fresh Iraqi dates to snack on

Main activities:
studying
exercise

High:
got to webcam with my wife today and see her pretty face - and our babies too!

Low:
not really a low today

Thank You to the Slice!

2007-07-29T18:18:00.001+03:00

Thank you to Mrs. Ingrid Schlueter and all those Slice of Laodicea readers that have written in with such kind and encouraging words as what I have seen today! Thank you even more for your prayers for me and my family. They are deeply appreciated and always welcomed.

I would not be exaggerating to say that Slice is one of the very few websites that my family trusts and visits frequently. It is good for us to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to identify and explain the errors of the false gospels out there today. Mrs. Schlueter and others like her do a great service to the Church, as well as to the unbelieving world, by proclaiming that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all believers...not any god, any mode of worship, or any lifestyle that a man pleases.

May the Lord bless all you His saints with a greater knowledge of His love for you, and a greater love for His Word!

Semper Fidelis,
Judd Wilson

Heat

2007-07-26T19:00:00.000+03:00

Hi everyone,

Things are going very well here. I am at my midway point now, so it really is all downhill from here. That is good!

It is getting hotter and hotter here (122.4 F), and should be hottest in mid-late August. We're alright though, as we are inside. But the Marines and soldiers out there every day really are made up of something pretty tough and rare.

My pursuits here are going well. I am getting close to doing 20 pull-ups (the hard way, with my palms facing away from me...I was already able to do 20 with my palms facing me) Studying the Scripture, with the help of John Calvin and (Puritan) Matthew Henry's commentaries, plus lexicons to look up words in Hebrew and Greek (thanks to blueletterbible.org) has deepened my faith and understanding more than anything else has...proving to me the vital importance of studying the Scripture. Bless those preachers (like Rev. Paul Raymond) who always talk about the importance of studying the Bible yourself. It is more profitable than reading on its own. Digging deep is more fruitful. Reading is good for getting a broad understanding of the text; studying further is helpful to mine the treasures of the Scriptures. And the Bible really is a treasure to be mined. 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Everything we need for life, salvation, decisions, etc is there. Reading other theological books (first City of God by Augustine, now Bondage of the Will by Luther) has also been enlightening and motivating.

The Lord is good! He has made this time go by quickly and safely for me and mine. Thanks to all who have helped to make that happen, especially my parents and in-laws...and most of all to my beautiful and lovely wife, without whose love and support a day is dreary and my life would be shallow and empty.

Love,
Judd

Progress Report

2007-07-04T15:04:00.001+03:00

Hi all,

I just wanted to share my good news with you about the progress I've been able to make so far in my studies here at (what I think of as) the "Baghdad School of Reformed Theology." By doing these studies and exercises, I hope to make myself the most useful for God's work, to redeem the time, and to come home to my family a better man. Thanks for your prayers, cookies, support, pictures, and emails, which have given me much encouragement and comfort. I am 40% of the way through this deployment. Glory be to God alone for these happy results.

Memorization:
Proverbs chapters 1-9
Psalm 119:1-72

Study:
Bible-
100+ passages related to the military from Genesis - 1 Kings (I am using a concordance as a guide to relevant passages, and am working my way through the Scriptures. Once I am through, I will start over again using a different concordance entry as my guide.)

Reformed theology-
Finished reading and taking notes on a 450+ page abridged version of Augustine's City of God. Now I'm on to Luther's Bondage of the Will.

4/5ths of the way through a commentary on the Westminster Shorter Catechism

Pull-ups:
Max reps in one set: 18 (on Monday)
Average reps per set: 14

Happy Independence Day!

Love,
Judd

Senator McCain

2007-07-04T14:44:00.000+03:00

Today I got to see and hear Senator John McCain up-close and personal. On a day of self-promotion and self-congratulation, he spoke very humbly, and that earned my applause and respect. I watched him shake hands with every Juan, Maria and Yuri who wanted a handshake and a picture with the would-be President. He stood there for an hour doing that. I think he was sincere when he said that there was no other place he would rather be on the Fourth of July than with our troops in combat. He acted like it.

I did not want to get into the awkward position of being able to speak to this very influential figure, as there are things I'd like to say (policy-wise) that I cannot at this time, so I just watched every now and then as I also watched the reporters hanging around talking to the new citizens and reenlisted soldiers. My job today was to escort media, and so I did. It was not hard. Here is a picture. The fellow in the blue shirt is John Hendren from ABC News. Way back towards the back and left were people mobbing around Senator McCain, as they did for an hour, like I said. He must have shaken 500 or more hands. There were 629 reenlisted soldiers, and 161 new citizens, plus other bystanders and troops that work in the palace. He was flexing his hand between handshakes, and he always gave a smile for the cameras. He will not get my vote for President, but he gets my vote for being a gentleman and a patriot.

a new day

2007-06-27T19:13:00.000+03:00

Date: 27 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: better

Bible readings:
Psalm 129
Proverbs 27
Acts 16

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:63-64

Exercise:
pull-ups: 17-15-12-13-13 (70)
30 min run, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
Indian curry-type vegetable stew with bread, a baked potato and salad

Main activities:
studying
work
exercise

High:
got to talk to another Christian about spiritual things

Low:
it didn't really take with him and he had no desire for edifying future fellowship

Joke of the Day:
Employee: I've worked here for twenty years and have never asked for a raise.
Employer: That's why you've worked here for twenty years.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Pictures of Baghdad

2007-06-26T19:47:00.000+03:00

Here is a picture of a mosque we drove by on my trip to the Green Zone/International Zone, and of a statue that is outside of Camp Victory called "the Wingman" for obvious reasons. Up until a year ago, the Marine Lt in my position used to drive out there to pick up reporters, but not anymore...the translator here witnessed a car bomb go off there...it's not safe to go out there in an unarmored vehicle.

daily log for 26 June

2007-06-26T19:41:00.000+03:00

Date: 26 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: doing well - almost July

Bible readings:
Psalm 127

Bible Memorization:
finished Proverbs 8
through Psalm 119:62

Exercise:
(yesterday) pull-ups: 17-15-14-12-12 (70)
30 min run, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
mozarella sticks (like at TGIFriday's or Applebee's) with marinara sauce, salad, etc

Main activities:
studying

High:
getting to study

Low:
random taskings at work that have nothing to do with my job or position

Joke of the Day:
Why didn't George Washington need a bed?
Because he would not lie.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Trip to the Green Zone

2007-06-23T21:22:00.000+03:00

oh I feel better today

2007-06-18T18:16:00.000+03:00

Date: 18 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: very good

Thanks to everyone for all the nice Father's Day or other cards, gifts, cookies, calls, e-mails, prayer, etc that you've been showering me with!!

Bible readings:
Psalm 120
Proverbs 18
Acts through chapter 7

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119 through verse 52
Proverbs through 8:11

Exercise:
30 min run, 6.0 mph
pull-ups: 17-15-13-12-13 (70)

Best meal:
some Indian curry stuff, rice, and pita bread

Main activities:
memorization

High:
memorizing and reviewing Scripture
(and yesterday on Father's Day I got a very nice picture of my beautiful wife from her)

Low:
back is a bit sore from pull-ups

Joke of the Day:
The more you take away, the bigger it gets. What is it?
A hole.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

June 13th

2007-06-13T19:07:00.000+03:00

Date: 13 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: --

Bible readings:
more of Psalm 119
Proverbs 13

Bible Memorization:
none

Exercise:
pull-ups (I did them quickly, without much rest in-between sets) 12-6-6-5-5
30 min run, 6.0mph

Best meal:
roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, rice pilaf, and salad

Main activities:
work
work
work
and getting yelled at

High:
the end of the day is near!!

Low:
guess

Joke of the Day:
For some very funny Reformed Christian satire, go to:
tominthebox.blogspot.com
...It's probably my favorite website out there

Three pictures

2007-06-12T19:44:00.001+03:00

Reporters from the Associated Press interviewing/photographing leftover munitions from Saddam Hussein's regime. The military is destroying them safely.

There's lots of agriculture in Iraq - unlike on Camp Victory, Iraq is actually much more than dirt and gravel. It's green! There's a shepherdess with her sheep in this picture. I saw lots of that - kids taking care of sheep, goats, and/or cows. Farm work.

A sign outside of Camp Victory.

the day after yesterday

2007-06-12T19:35:00.000+03:00

Date: 12 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: incredibly busy

Bible readings:
more of Psalm 119
Proverbs 12
John 20-21

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:41-48

Exercise:
off

Best meal:
veggie quiche, salad, baked potato with cheese

Main activities:
driving around a reporter - Michael Gordon of New York Times, author of Cobra II, a book on the invasion in 2003 (and very respected/admired by the military here)
running around trying to make a copy of a video a blogger took of an Army lieutenant colonel arresting a corrupt Iraqi colonel (to be used in an investigation)
e-mailing people
getting micromanaged

High:
my time before work

Low:
9am-11pm today

Joke of the Day:
My sense of humor is definitely turning sour, cynical, and sarcastic. A few cubicles away, within hearing distance, sit some people literally trying to figure out how to fix Iraq. All of it. They are a special part of the CG's staff. Cue the Lawrence of Arabia music. Are we British or American?

I'll stop there. There is only so much absurdity a thinking man can take.

Friday June 8th

2007-06-08T19:25:00.000+03:00

Date: 8 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: doing well

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:73-80
Proverbs 8
John 15

Bible Memorization:
(for the week)
Psalm 119:33-40
finished Proverbs 7, up to Proverbs 8:11

Writing log:
I guess I'm on a break - not enough time or inspiration currently - and studying's more important, as it will enable me to write intelligently - I'm 65 pages away from the end of City of God (480 pages down, 65 to go - though it's an abridged version)

Exercise:
pull-ups: 17-14-12-12-11 (66)
30 min run, 6.0mph

Best meal:
about to have it: it's seafood night!

Main activities:
studying

High:
almost done with City of God, a great and big book

Low:
missing my Missy and kids

Joke of the Day:
Why did the melon and the honeydew have a big wedding?
Because they cantaloupe.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Day 42

2007-06-07T19:41:00.000+03:00

Date: 7 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: pretty decent

Bible readings:
more of Psalm 119
Proverbs 7
John 14

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 8:1-6

Writing log:
none

Exercise:
Monday - pull-ups-16-14-12-12-12 (66)
run 30min, 6.0mph

Wednesday - pull-ups (with boots and pistol) 12-6-6-5-5 (34)
run 30mph, 6.0mph

Best meal:
Last night I had barbecued beef and teriyaki chicken, rice and salad. It was great.

Main activities:
work
studying

High:
Bible study

Low:
tired - but that's not too much of a low

Joke of the Day:
"conservative" President Giuliani

Sunday June 3rd

2007-06-03T19:55:00.000+03:00

Date: 3 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: feeling better after making some calls home

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:41-48
Proverbs 3
John 8-10

Bible Memorization:
off

Writing log:
off

Exercise:
off

Best meal:
chicken with dumplings, rice, salad

Main activities:
work

High:
phone calls to Missy, and to Mom & Warren

Low:
petty office things

Joke of the Day:
nada

2 June

2007-06-02T19:55:00.002+03:00

Date: 2 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: happy and content

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:33-40
Proverbs 2
John 5-7

Bible Memorization:
off

Writing log:
off

Exercise:
off

Best meal:
salmon, salad, rice

Main activities:
work
relaxing

High:
watching a movie and relaxing (Luther)

Low:
petty personalities at the office

Joke of the Day:
...feeling too sarcastic at the moment...

1 June

2007-06-01T19:21:00.000+03:00

Date: 1 June AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: full - surf 'n turf Fridays are tasty

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:25-32
Proverbs 1
John 3-4

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:32
Proverbs 7:5-13

Writing log:
nada

Exercise:
pull-ups: 16-12-10-10-11 (59)
run: 30 min, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
spicy scallops, fried shrimp, catfish, buttered asparagus, salad, and ketchup

Main activities:
studying
work

High:
a great workout

Low:
36 consecutive 12-hour days with none off and counting...but at least the days are flying by!

Joke of the Day:
What is the best advice you can give to a worm?
Sleep late!
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

35th day down

2007-05-31T19:21:00.000+03:00

Date: 31 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: glad

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:25-32
Proverbs 31
John 2-3

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:31
Proverbs 7:1-5

Writing log:
nada

Exercise:
rest

Best meal:
Swedish meatballs, noodles, salad, steamed veggies

Main activities:
work related e-mails
attending a press conference
studying

High:
writing to Melissa, Mom, Warren, and others

Low:
none

Joke of the Day:
(I think this is a really great one...)
Two old-timers were chatting at a restaurant.
One said, "Hey Max, isn't this your 50th wedding anniversary?"
Max replied, "Yep."
"Well," his friend inquired, "what are you planning on doing?"
Max replied, "Well, I remember taking my wife to Arizona on our 25th anniversary."
"Hmm," the friend said, "you'll have to do something special for your 50th. What are you going to do?"
"I guess," Max answered, "I'll go back and pick her up."
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

the blog without pictures

2007-05-30T19:30:00.000+03:00

I've been trying to upload some pictures for the past two days but have been unable to do so. I will e-mail them instead.

Date: 30 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: grateful

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:17-24
Proverbs 30
John 1

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:29-30
finished Proverbs 6

Writing log:
nada...but thinking about what to write

Exercise:
Pull-ups: 16-13-12-10-11 (62) (that's got to be a personal record)
Run: 30min, 6.0 mph

Best meal:
salad with crabmeat and some honey mustard dressing

Main activities:
studying
work

High:
I got a package from Missy!

Low:
nada

Joke of the Day:
A man went to the doctor and said, "Doctor, everytime I drink coffee I get a terrible pain in my eye!"
The doctor said, "Next time, take the spoon out before you start to drink it."
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

the 29th of May

2007-05-29T19:40:00.001+03:00

Date: 29 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: busy

Bible readings:
Psalm 119:1-8
Proverbs 29
Luke 24

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:29
Proverbs 6:23-29

Writing log:
none today or yesterday

Exercise:
yesterday's pull-ups: 16-12-10-10-10 (58 total)
yesterday's run: 30 min @ 6.0mph

Best meal:
beef kabobs, very well seasoned

Main activities:
studying Scripture
studying City of God by Augustine
work

High:
quiet time to think and reflect this evening as I drove
and a picture Missy sent to me yesterday of her and Sweet Pea

Low:
where did the day go?

Joke of the Day:
What kind of dance does a butcher go to?
A meatball.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

It's hot outside!

2007-05-26T19:38:00.000+03:00

Living things

2007-05-26T18:01:00.000+03:00

Yes, there are funny living things here at Camp Victory besides the people.

One Little Debbie oatmeal pie to rule them all....

2007-05-25T19:44:00.002+03:00

One thing that has really made this time here go by quickly, and tolerably, is the presence of humor. I refer specifically to comics in newspapers. On Sundays the military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, puts out a special Sunday comics section. It is always delightful. Here are some funny theological comics that I have found online in the last month that have also made my time here funny. I like these even better than the newspaper ones, since they get to the root of my being. Also, watching home videos of Melissa and Abigail laughing and playing (which I watch morning and evening when at my trailer) makes me smile, laugh, and overall just feel 100 times better.

Baklava

2007-05-25T19:37:00.001+03:00

I have found something new here that I really like: baklava. It is so good and delicious. The Iraqis make it here, and our Kurdish interpreter gets it from the locals about once a week, and fresh Iraqi bread too...oh it is so good...I must learn to make baklava...All the more reason to learn Greek and about Greek culture...Someday we will have baklava, tea, dates, and fresh bread in our house...Everybody can come visit and we will be like in Jesus' day and recline on couches and eat on the floor...yum. It is so good.

23-25 May

2007-05-25T19:31:00.000+03:00

Date: 23-25 AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: hanging in there at the end of a long week

Bible readings:
Psalms 113-115
Proverbs 23-25
Luke 19-21

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 6:1-19
Psalm 119:23-24

Writing log:
4,200 words 23-24 May; none 25 May

Exercise:
pull-ups: 15-11-11-10-9 (56) 23 May
Ran 30 min, 6.0 mph 23 May

Best meal:
Friday dinner: fried shrimp, breaded catfish, hush puppies

Main activities:
writing
studying
work (transcribing an interview all day today, with help from others)

High:
hearing that our little Blueberry is doing well and is 12 weeks along
writing so much Wed&Thurs
studying 50 pages of City of God Wed&Thurs (total)
doing well on my pull-ups Weds

Low:
transcribing today, and basically not doing anything else all day

Joke of the Day:
What was Camelot?
A place where people parked their camels.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

May 23rd

2007-05-23T19:05:00.000+03:00

Date: 23 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: good

Bible readings:
Psalm 113
Proverbs 23
more of Luke 19

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:23
Proverbs 6:1-11

Writing log:
2,200 words

Exercise:
about to go work out - run and pull-ups

Best meal:
baked turkey fajita

Main activities:
writing
studying
work

High:
doing all the writing, studying, etc that I wanted to today. woohoo!

Low:
nothing significant to report

Joke of the Day:
(perfect for our Aussies here)
What do you get when you cross an elephant with a kangaroo?
Big holes all over Australia.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

22 May daily log

2007-05-22T20:01:00.000+03:00

Date: 22 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: feeling good

Bible readings:
Psalm 111
Proverbs 22
Luke 19:1-10

Bible Memorization:
Proverbs 5:15-23
Psalm 119:19-22

Writing log:
690 words on being here; approx. 700 words on some Scripture I studied

Exercise:
rest

Best meal:
cereal in bed with a plum

Main activities:
writing
studying
work

High:
1st - Missy is feeling well
2nd - reading through 15 pages of City of God while taking notes

Low:
feels like there's not enough time in the day...must be all that work squeezing out my play

Joke of the Day:
President Hillary
(that one's an original)

Day 25

2007-05-21T19:34:00.001+03:00

Date: 21 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: one month in the books

Bible readings:
Psalm 110
Proverbs 21

Bible Memorization:
reviewed through Proverbs 5:12; nothing new today

Writing log:
600 words on some passages I studied, related to God's sovereignty over even wicked armies (Pharaoh, Sisera, Sennacherib)

Exercise:
pull-ups: 15-11-8-8-9 (51 total)
30 min run, 5.5mph

Best meal:
cheese tortellini for lunch (they make it once a week and it's really good!)

Main activities:
driving around a reporter
exercise
studying
writing

High:
exercise

Low:
not enough time to write and work on memorization

Joke of the Day:
A lawyer and his doctor friend were working out at the gym.
"I come here to exercise, but people are always asking me for advice," the doctor complained to the lawyer. "What do you think I should do?"
"Well," said the lawyer, "the next time you give advice, send a bill."
A few days later, the doctor opened his mail and found a bill - from the lawyer.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Friday the 18th

2007-05-18T19:49:00.000+03:00

Date: 18 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: seafood night

Bible readings:
Psalm 106
Proverbs 18
Luke 18:1-14 (love that parable of the Pharisee and the publican)

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:18
Proverbs 5:1-6

Writing log:
900 words on some Bible passages I studied today (Gen 32:2, Ps 34:7, 2 Ki 6:15-17)

Exercise:
Pull-ups - 15-11-8-8-8 (50 total)
30 min run, 5.5 mph

Best meal:
seafood night at the chow hall: lobster tail, fried shrimp, breaded crab bites, fried catfish, and buttered asparagus...yes, I did eat it all - it is my night to indulge :) (and I was actually hungry following that workout late today)

Main activities:
studying
writing

High:
the truth of Gen 32:2, Ps 34:7, 2 Ki 6:15-17, Rom 8:31 really sinking in - that God fights for us and His host encamps around us all the time - not just one guardian angel, but "two camps" as in Gen 32:2 - we are wholly encompassed by His protection as in Ps 34:7 and 2 Ki 6:15-17

Low:
my wifey is not feeling well today

Joke of the Day:
What is a woodpecker's favorite kind of joke?
A knock-knock joke!
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Day 21 in theater - 17 May

2007-05-17T19:29:00.000+03:00

Date: 17 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: busy

Bible readings:
Psalm 106
Proverbs 17

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:17
Proverbs 4:18-27

Writing log:
none - I studied the Bible instead today...but I missed writing! I also studied City of God by Augustine.

Exercise:
off

Best meal:
bagel with strawberry cream cheese, in bed

Main activities:
work
study

High:
reading and taking notes on 25 more pages of City of God (my reading of this book has been interrupted, and now I intend to finish it a few pages at a time)

Low:
getting too busy to write after I studied

Joke of the Day:
What do llamas like to eat?
Llama beans!
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Al Faw palace interior

2007-05-16T19:20:00.000+03:00

May 16th daily log

2007-05-16T19:07:00.000+03:00

Date: 16 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: feeling great!

Bible readings:
Psalm 105
Proverbs 16
Luke 17:1-10

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:16
Proverbs 4:10-17

Writing log:
Eleven handwritten (single-spaced) pages...I'll get a word count later after I type them.

Exercise:
Pull-ups: 15-10-8-8-9 (50 total in 5 sets...I rested more between sets...I hadn't been...this is how I usually do)
Ran 30 min, 5.5mph

Best meal:
Vegetarian eggplant parmesan and a baked potato w/cheese sauce

Main activities:
writing
memorizing Scripture
exercise
some work

High:
a fruitful and productive day makes Judd a very happy boy

Low:
I think it's raining and I don't have my raincoat...(it rains mud!)...we'll see if it lets up before I go to my hooch (trailer)

Joke of the Day:
"President Clinton"....
no, really:

At Sunday school, Mr. Duncan told his students that God created everything, including human beings. Freddy seemed especially intent when Mr. Duncan explained that Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.

Later in the week, his mother noticed him lying on the floor and asked, "Freddy, what's the matter?"

Freddy responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm gonna have a wife."

(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

(Judd's note: my wife is no pain to me!)

Post for May 15th - payday!

2007-05-15T19:06:00.000+03:00

Date: 15 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: feeling better than yesterday

Bible readings:
Psalm 104
Proverbs 15

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:12-15
Proverbs 4:1-9

Writing log:
1,601 words on purity in the military(i.e., improving standards in the military)
452 words on a band of brothers

Exercise:
30 min running, 5.5 mph
pull-ups: 14-5-6-5-4 (34 total in 5 sets)

Best meal:
beef hard taco and salad for lunch

Main activities:
writing
checking on money issues
memorizing Scripture

High:
got back to writing, PT, and memorizing Scripture after three days off
also found out I'm not getting sent to another base
also found out getting a paycheck with no taxes taken out is great!! (look out, Sallie Mae)

Low:
I don't think there was one today!

Joke of the Day:
What did the teddy bear say when he was offered dessert?
"No thanks. I'm stuffed!"
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Al Faw Palace exterior

2007-05-13T12:14:00.000+03:00

Al Faw Palace thrones

2007-05-13T11:51:00.000+03:00

This chair was given to Saddam Hussein by Yasser Arafat. It has a picture of the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem, and an open Quran.

These are very nice bathrooms. The walls, as in the rest of the palace, are made out of marble, and the equipment is porcelain.

Arrival in Kuwait

2007-05-11T19:45:00.000+03:00

Here are pictures of me and my fellow Marines getting to and leaving Kuwait at the end of April.

May 11th

2007-05-11T19:30:00.000+03:00

Date: 11 May AD 2007
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Status: In a writing frenzy

Bible readings:
Psalm 100
Proverbs 11

Bible Memorization:
Psalm 119:11
Proverbs 3:13-35, 4:1-12

Writing log:
1,334 words on purity in the military
1,886 words on the future of America

Exercise:
pull-ups - sets of 14-7-6-5-4 (36 total)
30 min running @ 5.5mph

Best meal:
fried shrimp, salmon, rice pilaf, buttered asparagus (yum)

Main activities:
writing
memorizing and studying Scripture
praying

High:
hearing from two people that they read an article of mine that was recently published in a Reformed magazine :)

Low:
it's Friday and there's no weekend off ahead of me :(

Joke of the Day:
What was Noah's profession?
He was an ark-itect.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

This Week So far

2007-05-10T14:30:00.000+03:00

Hi everybody,

please bear with me as I get this blog to work. It's been erratic. But here's what I've been up to lately:

Bible Reading:
Psalms 96-99
Proverbs 1-10

Bible Memorization:
Ps 119:1-10
Proverbs 1-3

Pull-Ups
(#s = total for first set, total for second set, etc.)
May 7th 13-8-5-5-6
May 9th 8-8-6-6-6 (after running)

Running
May 7th & 9th 30 min, 5.5mph, 0.0 incline (treadmill)

Weightlifting
8th Squats w/ 40 lbs dumbbells x 5 reps x 4 sets
Squats on Hammer Press machine 115 lbs x 5 reps x 1 set, 135 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets
Bench press 135 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets, 155 lbs x 5 reps x 2 sets
Military press 25, 30, 35, then 40 lbs x 5 reps x 1 set

Writing
May 5th-7th – 6,614 words of essay on Christians in U.S. military (over 2,000 words/day)
8th – 966 words on the biblical duty to serve in the militia
9th – 816 words on military standards (purity, proficiency, etc.)
10th – 1,600 or so words on military standards

Best meal
May 7th Total Smart Start cereal w/soy milk (breakfast)// chicken and dumplings w/rice, corn, and potatoes (dinner)
8th bagel w/ strawberry cream cheese, and fruit (breakfast in bed)
9th prime rib with potatoes (dinner)
10th fried pollock fish and vegetarian quiche (lunch)

Main Activities
forwarding e-mails
driving around reporters
writing
memorizing Scripture
reading & writing e-mails back home
working out
sleeping

Joke of the Day:

Job seeker - I'm here in reply to your ad for a handyman.
Potential employer - And are you handy?
Job seeker - Couldn't be handier. I live right next door.
(Hahn, Jessica. 777 Great Clean Jokes. Page 69. Ulrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing Inc. 2006.)

Week or Two Log

2007-05-07T16:08:00.001+03:00

Dates: April 27-May 5
Location: Tampa-Kuwait-Baghdad
Status: Transiting to, and beginning, active duty in Iraq

Bible Memorization
April 27-30
Titus 3:15

May 1-5
Ps 119:1-6, Proverbs 1

Bible Reading
Psalms 89-95
Proverbs 30-31, 1-5
Luke 7-9

Pull-ups
May
2nd 10-8-6-5-5 w/ sneakers
3rd 10-10-6-5-6 w/ boots & utes
4th 12-8-5-6-5 w/sneakers

Crunches
May
3rd 150 crunches

Running
May
1st 30 min, 5.5 mph, 2.0 incline
4th 30 min, 5.5 mph, 0.0 incline

Weightlifting
May
3rd bench press 135 lbs x 5 reps x 4 sets
Squats (Hammer Press) 135 lbs x 5 reps x 4 sets

Writing
April
Essay on hospitality en route from NO to IQ

May
5th - 2,160 words of essay on Christians in U.S. military

Best meal
May
1st crabmeat salad
2nd vegetarian eggplant parmesan
4th spicy scallops and breaded shrimp
5th bagel w/ strawberry cream cheese, and fruit for breakfast

Main activities
driving media around to and from Baghdad Int'l Airport
getting settled into my office cubicle
sending and reading e-mails for work

Daily Log

2007-05-05T18:07:00.000+03:00

Checking in

2007-05-03T15:13:00.000+03:00

Hi everyone,

If you haven't heard already, I am in Iraq, and am doing just fine. I will blog more in days to come, but I have been busy settling in and learning my job. I will have plenty of access to the internet, and plenty of time to write, soon. Right now I have the former without the latter, but am told that the situation will soon change. Thanks for your prayers and support thus far. They have been effective.

Semper Fidelis,

Judd

Daily Log

2007-04-25T00:34:00.000+03:00

Date: 24 April AD 2007
Location: Florida
Status: Processing through MARCENT

Bible readings:
Psalm 83
Proverbs 24
Luke 1-2

Bible Memorization:
Titus 3:13

Writing log:
971-word essay on a military regulation

Exercise:
Lifted weights, mostly legs

Main activities:
Writing

High:
Finding comfort in the Scriptures, and illumination from godly Reformed commentaries by Gill, Spurgeon and Henry on verses in Proverbs 24, as well as Psalm 73

Low:
Barely retaining my composure while very angry as a Marine LtCol lawyer explained that I could not say that Islam was wrong, or that Jesus is the only true God, or otherwise prosyletize, without being in violation of a military regulation. Seeing in this the seeds of widespread persecution in the USA once such measures are enacted and enforced through hate crimes laws.

Daily Log

2007-04-25T00:32:00.000+03:00

Date: 23 April AD 2007
Location: Florida
Status: Processing through MARCENT

Bible readings:
Psalm 82
Proverbs 23

Bible Memorization:
Titus 3:12

Writing log:
Wrote background and a pilot episode summary on a story idea

Exercise:
Ran 30 minutes/3 miles

Main activities:
Got smallpox, anthrax and hepatitis B shots
Read more of Tilley and the Confession
Wrote

High:
Writing

Low:
Smallpox

Daily Log

2007-04-25T00:30:00.000+03:00

Date: 22 April AD 2007
Location: Florida
Status: Reporting in to MARCENT

Bible readings:
Psalm 81
Proverbs 22
Mark 12-16

Bible Memorization:
Titus 3:10-11

Writing log:
Sabbath rest

Exercise:
Sabbath rest

Main activities:
Going to church
Reading
Talking with Melissa

High:
Besides hearing that my wife and baby are doing well, reading several chapters of GI Williamson’s commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the first 60+ pages of John S. Tilley’s Lincoln Takes Command, chronicling Lincoln’s bellicose moves before the beginning of the Civil War.

Low:
Spending $1.25 on tolls and driving for a half-hour each way to a purportedly Reformed and Presbyterian church, only to find out that it is nothing of the sort.

Daily Log

2007-04-25T00:28:00.000+03:00

Date: 18-21 April AD 2007
Location: Florida
Status: Reporting in to MARCENT (Marine Central Command)

Bible readings (Thurs-Sat):
Psalms 78-80
Proverbs 19-21
Mark 10-11

Bible Memorization (Thurs-Sat):
Titus 3:8-9

Writing log:
Wrote a review of Superman Returns, 17 April
Thought of story and article ideas

Exercise:
Ran approx. 3 miles/30 minutes Thursday
Lifted weights again (as before) Friday

Main activities:
Traveling to New Orleans
Saying goodbye to my wife and children
Saying goodbye to my mom, stepdad and other family

High:
Enjoying a relaxing evening with my wife and baby at a hotel in New Orleans

Low:
Saying goodbye to my wife and children

Daily log

2007-04-19T07:10:00.000+03:00

Location: Mississippi
Status: Leave

Bible Readings:
Psalm 77
Proverbs 18

Bible Memorization:
Titus 3:7

Writing log:
half a dozen ideas for stories or articles
500 words of background for a new comedy story

Exercises:
4 sets of 3-5 reps each, with two 40 lb dumbbells
squats, lunges, military presses, dumbbell rows, tricep extensions, & bicep curls

Main activities:
took care of wife and baby
took wife to ER and back safely, to get fluids and medicine
talked with mom, and talked with in-laws