As we shut the lights off for 2006, our lights have literally been turned out for the last three days. A major ice storm moved in and took out the power, telephone and cell towers on Friday. It was supposed to be 12 to 18 inches of snow; however, it turned into over an inch of rain, followed by less than an inch of ice combined with a 50 mph north wind.

The power company is predicting there won’t be power until at least Tuesday. We took a break today and drove to Amy’s Grandma’s so we could take a shower, get some internet and watch some football. So far we have counted at least twelve power poles down, and no workers in sight (I’m sure they are working in more populated areas). Looks like we will be bringing in the New Year by the light of the fireplace. We just can’t figure out if it is memorable or miserable. Maybe time will tell us the answer to that question.

On this beautiful Christmas I wanted to take a moment out of the holiday to write about an organization that is very worthy of your support. The USO is an organization that links the American people with the Soldiers that serve these very people. In every major airport you will find one; and over the last few years you will find it bustling with activity.

A couple of days ago as I was waiting for my connection in Dallas and walked into a packed USO. I made my way to one of the counters and was offered a sandwich, drink, chips and a dessert at no cost. While I sat there and ate, a very nice middle aged lady came and made conversation with me. You could feel her genuine concern and support for our mission in her voice; yet she wasn’t over dramatic or cheesy. All over the room, this process was repeating itself with other volunteers doing the same thing.

This holiday season if you are looking for a last minute tax deduction, or want to spend some meaningful time as a volunteer;?allow me to?recommend the USO.

I don’t like to use this forum to solicit donations and I don’t sell any ads because my intent here is help people feel and understand what it is all about to take this journey to freedom. I have enough site visitors that I could make a decent check every month from Google ads or many of the others; however, I like to control all of the content that you see.

Saying that, I want to see if there is anyone out there that knows of a group that would like to send a care package for my Soldier’s. I have 59 Soldier’s and my concern comes with the upcoming Christmas Holiday that is already upon us. The day I got back to Camp Atterbury from Thanksgiving pass was one of the saddest days of my life. Everyone that went home to their family had that same feeling that day.

On Christmas we are getting block leave through the New Years Holiday. After that, we will not have any other leave or pass until we come home from theatre on rest and relaxation (R&R) in about eight months. I know that is going to be a rough day for everyone, and would love to have something to give my Soldier’s to help out. I am looking for something that could be here on or before January 2nd. If it was after that, we would probably be too busy to appreciate it until we get into theatre, so if your group can’t make it that fast, let them know to hold off for a couple of months.

If you know of a group that is interested, I can give you some details. Send me an email to joel at joelmaxwell dot com. Thanks!

December marks the 12th consecutive month that?we have completed a budget and for the most part lived by it. It seems like such an?easy and mundane task; yet its affects on our life have been indescribable. It is the main piece in the puzzle that has moved us from disaster to Financial Peace.

Developing this budget was a simple concept, yet difficult to actually implement. It took about three months before we really had the?system down. It was a frustrating process that made us want to quit; but thankfully we drove on. It is something that requires patience and focus. It is worth it to stick with it beyond the initial frustrations!

The last few months have been very difficult to budget because of the sporadic way I was being paid. I literally had separate orders each week which required a separate pay request and travel voucher. I could only estimate my pay days within seven days or so and even then there were occasions it was longer than that. Finally, this month marks the first month in a long time that my pay days are regular and sufficient to make up our budget. It finally feels like Financial Peace again!

This is a phrase that has troubled me for years. In many of my darkest moments over the past few years it seems to pop up. Did I get ran over because God wanted that?  Did I get a settlement because God wanted that? Did I open a restaurant because God wanted that? Did I go broke because God, too, wanted that?

These are questions that I have dealt with beginning on 16 August 2000. I have found it so easy to blame and/or credit God for each of those four things. The first four months after I was ran over, I was in full blame mode, and deep depression. I had wondered why God had left me for that time, and why He was not there form me when I needed Him most. The fact is God never left me, He continued to pursue me; I left Him. I turned my back on God because of what had occurred.

I look back now and see how that one event totally re-shaped my life. The thing that finally has hit me is how that same event re-shaped the lives of so many around me and built friendships that will last a lifetime. I look at the road it put me on with my old job and ultimately with the restaurant, and how God used each previous event to prepare the way for what I did next. The neat thing is I see how all of those events prepared me for the task that is now before me; going to war in Afghanistan.

I have always been a guy who loved statistics. Before I went into law enforcement, I was very aware of the fact that each year 1 in 4,000 officers will be killed in the line of duty, and each year about 1 in 90 will sustain an injury that requires medical treatment.

As I look to the year ahead and my group of Soldiers that I am responsible for, I can’t get these numbers out of my head. For Afghanistan and Iraq, 1 in 284 doesn’t come home, and?several times that number will be recipients of the Purple Heart. I don’t worry about these numbers for my safety, but rather for those whom I am in charge of. It is a huge responsibility, and one that weighs heavy right now.

I am comforted by my Commander who almost daily reminds me that everything happens for a reason. God has a divine plan, and each event is used by God to help us grow and prepare for something greater. I believe it, and I also believe God will bring us back 100% in tact. Nothing is more important than that right now.

(**Disclaimer** Statistics were gathered using average tour lengths, troop levels, and casualty numbers provided by the main stream media and may not be exact.)