What a joy it was for me to serve 26 years in the military. In 1961, I joined the Air Force to see the world ... and guess what? I was sent back to California, my home state! And I spent four years at Mather AFB as an enlisted member. But that was all part of God's plan for my life. And I am forever grateful to Him for His loving kindness to me.
In 1964 I was blessed by a man, Marvin Ladner, who mentored me as a young Christian man who was somewhat floundering with his life. This ministry leader with the Navigators here in Sacramento took special time to encourage and teach me what it meant to walk with Jesus. He was an incredible godly man who is now walking the streets of heaven, and worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I owe much to his mentor-ship in my life.
I separated from the military in 1965, graduated from Cal State University at Sacramento in 1969. I met my wife, Dianne, at Arcade Church, in Sacramento, and we were married in 1968. After we both graduated from college, off to Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, I went while she was a Registered Nurse in a hospital there, and supporting hubby through graduate-school. In Portland, I was an intern-pastor for four years at Cedar Mill Bible Church, graduated by from seminary, and later, 1973, we join OC Ministries working for Luis Palau Evangelistic Team, and then later the O.C. team in Brazil. In 1981, we returned to the states and moved to Sacramento, and became involved with a public ministry in the political and businessmen arenas.
After a couple of years in Sacramento, the opportunity opened to join the California National Guard as a chaplain with the Army and later with the Air Guard. And in 2002, I retired from the Air Guard in California. I have often missed the chaplaincy ministry and opportunity to serve the members of our military stateside and overseas.
During our public ministry in Sacramento, I have worked with Fellowship Foundation, later founded the non-profit, 501c3, Capitol Fellowship Foundation, and now as a d.b.a., California Fellowship Foundation. Under this banner our community ministry has continued and has grown even more since military retirement. It's also a joy to serve God's people with the National Day of Prayer Task Force, as their Western National Area Leader, and to serve the prayer mobilization ministry statewide, and beyond.
Truly, however, the most difficult times I have had in the military were to minister to a prospective dying military member in the field or at a hospital, or to a family member. In chaplain school they taught us to keep talking to the dying or dead individual for 2 to 3 minutes after being pronounced dead. It is argued that the individual is more than likely to still be able to hear you. Words or encouragement or guidance in those closing minutes and seconds may make all the difference in the world and beyond to the listener. Whether it was fully scientifically verifiable or not, being able to hear or not, did not prevent me from speaking to the passing individual. I'd rather believe they did hear and that my speaking brought comfort and hope. To the right you will see links concerning death and dying. There are many good articles, links and studies on the Internet concerning this subject. I pray God will lead and prompt you to the ones that can be of the most help for you in your time of great need, grief and sorrow.
Here are some highlighted passages from the Holy Bible that may be of comfort and encouragement to you. John 1:12-13, John 3:1-19, John 5:24, John 14:6, Acts 16:31, 1 Corinthians 15, Hebrews. 9:27
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