HAPPY NEW YEAR...
This time of year that wishful greeting is often heard.  I have heard it all my life since
childhood.  As I think on it now I realize that most people were following tradition and
repeating the greetings that had been passed along to them during their life time or
in the most recent past.  The greeting is filled with good wishes and good desires for
the recipient.  Would it not be wonderful if we could all fulfill those good wishes for one
another... for ourselves to be able to bestow good things upon another by wishing and
greeting... but, alas, we do not have enough of that power individually to cover
everyone that we would bestow them upon.  Ah, but it does the hearts good, both ours
and others, to hear the desires expressed.

There is a mighty and marvelous thing happening every moment of every day.  It's
called life.  We may choose to be fully involved... or we may choose to drop out...
we may choose any level between those two extremes.  All of life involves choices.
Choices can have benefits and blessings... Choices can have deprivation and
difficult consequences...  If we are alert and watchful in the personal choices that
we make we create a better life for ourselves and for those who care for and about
us... and sometimes we create a better life for those in close proximity to us
physically or in close proximity to us emotionally.

Daily we are apprised of the terrible things happening in this world.  The news
media sees to it that  these things are broadcast all over the airwaves and printed
pages.  Their presentations are filled with much death, destruction, bad events and
calamity.  I am so glad that we have people in our world who also concentrate upon
advising  us of the good happenings in this world but it usually takes some effort to
find those reports.

Physicians from the U.S. are rebuilding the mutilated faces of children in Africa...
Our soldiers are blessing and helping the Iraqi children and the people who will
receive it.  According to the reports that I receive the people and nation of Iraq are
far, far more well provided for now than they have ever been before now. 

Ministries are feeding, housing and educating the forgotten and/or cast off children
in the poorer nations of the world.  Many of these children are being orphaned at very
young ages by the Aids epidemic in the lesser developed countries... and people
are being touched to meet their needs and save their lives. The same is being done
by others for people in the depressed areas of Appalachia in our own nation... and
in the areas of destruction by storms and fires.

It is difficult for those of us in peace keeping to remember that we work with only 5%
of the people 95% of our time.  Among that 95% that we seldom deal with are many
good, peaceful, peaceable law abiding people helping other people.  These precious
people seldom make any newsworthy headlines. 

The notorious people are the ones we see in the news along with their tragedies and
some of their despicable deeds plus those people who have suffered calamity of
one kind or another.  It seems that bad news gets headlines and earns ratings... and
I am not saying we should not have the bad news published... in many of those cases
we might need to know about the events.  We just do not see much good news
published in the daily media outlets.

In the past week Peace Keepers have been assaulted, injured, shot and some
of them were killed.  The good part of all those stories is that those Peace Keepers
were the kind of people who volunteered to be where they were for the good and
welfare of all the rest of us.  It is never good to lose a Peace Keeper but it is most
definitely good that they were there in the place where they chose to be.  "Greater
love has no man that that he lay down his life for his friend (associate, neighbor,
brother, family, etc. according to the original language in the concordance)." 
John 15:13.

2005 has sped by... the older we get the faster it goes. 
Now, we have to face a new day...
There are risks involved.  We may need to face roadblocks... or enemies
So stay alert... Share time with friends... Renew old friendships...
Overcome obstacles with great care and caution...
Face challenges but remember to laugh for laughter is the music
    of the soul... and one of the best stress relievers.
Cooperate to help others and yourself achieve the goals set before you.
Discover new things... Rediscover things forgotten... Make new friends.
Always be ready for adventure and you will be able to go far... Very far....
Always take time to savor pleasant surroundings and enjoy the company of those
    for whom you care and who care about you...
When you are no longer here it is family and friends who will value your relationship
    with them.  Work and job will not miss you for very long nor remember you for
    very long after you leave.
Don't forget to relax... Occasionally take time to do nothing... Do that just for you.
Each of you matter so very greatly... You are vitally important to our way of life as
    we know it... It could not exist without you and all of those Peace Keepers who
    have been in the line before you came into it...
Never forget to bless those dearest to you and express love to them.
I wish and pray for you a happy new day to begin your new year...
    No matter where you are at this moment!

"BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!"  EVER BE ALERT, WATCHFUL, SUSPICIOUS
AND WARY!  Take the very best of care for you as you care for and about others.
See to the very best of care of the spiritual part of your being for you need it to be
strong and resilient in order to help you in being successful and to help you survive.
Take advantage of every good opportunity.  If you are not sure if it is a good
opportunity... then leave it alone until you are sure it is good.

There were no stats today intentionally.  We all need a break from them
occasionally.  Peace to you in this your new day...

As it has always been... so it still is...
"VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST...
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST...
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN."  Sun tzu

ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!

WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT...
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)...
BE SUCCESSFUL... BE SAFE...
My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means
doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get
the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace...
it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything
to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics...  it means that if
the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process. 
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God
or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all
the things and people that we hold dear.
Chaplain D. R. Staton (Don - C1) VBPD, VSP ALUMNI,
RETIRED VBPD Officer, Instructor, Senior Chaplain, Director of Chaplains
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
=================================================
Copyright: CHAPLAIN CORNER (DRS) 2005. All rights reserved. May not be
duplicated without permission, except to be forwarded with copyright and
all source information for any quotation intact.
 
To subscribe to this free e-mail message for Peace Keepers, 
write to Chaplain D. R. Staton at chpln1@verizon.net or at 
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452.

If you are a Peace Keeper you may subscribe to the BLACKWATER
TACTICAL NEWSLETTER  by going to the website at BLACKWATER USA