787 Dreamliner Takes Flight

After many years of designing, planning and building, the Boeing 787 finally took flight yesterday in Everett, WA. Here is a video highlighting a few minutes of the flight that lasted 3 hours and 4 minutes. If you want to see the flight path click here.

Here is a great article about the flight.

Book Review of The Heart of Mentoring by David A. Stoddard

I must say that this book was kind of a let-down for me. I started this book with high expectations but I quickly realized that this book did not run too deep in its thoughts and it seemed to make many obvious points. I was also disappointed that a book from NavPress would lack spiritual content. It also seemed as if the author used this book as a commercial for his company which focuses on mentoring, which I guess is his prerogative as the author.

On the positive side, I will say that if you have never been involved in mentoring, either as a mentor or as someone being mentored, this book would be a great place to start as it gives the basics of the process.

I do like the way that Stoddard ends the book with his advice on how to get started with a mentoring relationship. His advice is, “Just do it.” Yes, it is simple, but some people need this kind of simple push to get started.

This book would be great to use with a group of co-workers as a way to break the ice with them if you’re interested in building relationships at the office. But, if you’re looking for some deep and meaningful discussions with a small group at church, this is not the book for you.

Fall Firearms Festival

Back on November 17th I had the opportunity to attend the annual Fall Firearms Festival which is hosted by Todd Burke of Tactical Specialties. My brother Mike and nephew Jonathan came up from Tulsa and accompanied me to the event. We had a full day of training and shooting and we had a whole lot of fun.

One of the highlights of the day was shooting Todd's H&K MP5 fully automatic 9mm assault weapon. This photo shows me and Jonathan with our loaded magazines waiting for our turn to shoot it.

We went through 5 different training events and many of them we got to do more than once. Here is a breakdown of what we did:

EVENT 1 will be a static shooting line emphasizing marksmanship skills and familiarity with your pistol. This is not a scenario and everyone will begin at this event.

EVENTS 2, 3, and 4 are scenarios that simulate real-world self defense applications in your home or in a public place.

EVENT 5 will be a scenario that simulates personal defense with a shotgun.

Jonathan wants to go into law enforcement so he really enjoyed the day and he is also pretty good with his gun.

Todd had a whole group of instructors there to teach us in all the events and each one of them gave us some new insight on how to be a better shooter. I was glad to be able to attend and I'm looking forward to joining Todd for more training in the future.

Imagine (No, not the John Lennon Song)

Imagine having to flee from your country because a corrupt government was going to arrest you due to your religious beliefs

Imagine fleeing to another country where you knew no one and living in a refugee camp where you were served one small meal each day.

Imagine living in this camp for up to 15 years with thousands of other refugees while you were waiting for another country to accept you as a refugee.

Imagine standing in a line each day with thousands of other refugees and only 300 per day are chosen to be moved to other countries.

Imagine being chosen one day and the next thing you know you’re on an airplane and being sent someplace you have never heard of, where you knew no one, and you didn’t speak the language.

Imagine arriving in this new city and all you have are the clothes on your back and the family members with you.

Imagine that you’re moved into a small apartment and told you have been given 5 months of rent, and after that you are on your own.

What would you do? Can you imagine this happening to you?

For a sizeable group of people here in Columbia, they don’t have to imagine this scenario because they have lived it. Most of us probably don’t know that we have a population of Burmese Refugees here in Columbia. What I have described above is the story that I was able to piece together from a conversation some of us had the other night while we had dinner with four of these families who have recently arrived in our city. Fortunately one of the guys spoke pretty good English so we were able to communicate with him. The other folks spoke no English and this gentleman was able to translate for us.

My heart was broken for these people and I really feel despair for them as I think about what the future holds for them. From what I understand the State of Missouri works with the federal government and allows some of these refugees to move into our state. But, they are only given help with rent for 5 months. They also receive food stamps and Medicaid. During this 5 month period, they are expected to get a job so they can fend for themselves. But, how do you get a job in a place where you don’t speak the language? Not to mention the fact that the job market right now is in bad shape.

So all of this begs the question, what can we do?

I think there are all kinds of ways to help out these folks, but I think we should focus on some really easy practical things. I will offer 2 suggestions:

1. Hang out with them and work on teaching them conversational English. This is a practical thing we can do and it will help them work toward self-sufficiency. If they know English they will have a much better chance of getting a job.

2. Spend time showing them around Columbia and introducing them to the culture. For instance, get them a bus pass and show them how the city bus system works. Or, take them to Wal-Mart and show them how to shop in America. Any “life-skill” you can show them would be helpful and practical.

I had lunch with my pastor and friend Kevin Larson yesterday. One of the things we discussed was “Lifestyle Shalom.” What does that mean?

At our church, Karis Community Church, we have what are known as Community Groups. Community Groups meet throughout the week all over town and share a meal, study the Bible, and pray for each other. Also, once a month, each group participates in a Shalom Project. These projects vary from group to group, but our group’s Shalom Project is meeting with these refugee families each month. But, the point of Shalom is not to do a project once a month to check off the list, but to be actively involved with a project all the time. This could mean different things for different people, but the idea is to be involved in your community in a meaningful way throughout the month. It means making Shalom part of your life.

My whole point is that we live in a city where we have several opportunities to serve and make a difference. Working with these refugees is just one way to be involved. I would urge you to find something you’re passionate about and get involved. It is easy to have fun while you’re making a difference.

Volunteer Spotlight

Janice and I have been featured on the U.S. Cellular volunteer page on the company's intranet for our time working at Camp CUMCITO. Unfortunately you can't view this page since it's on our intranet, but here is what it looks like.

Volunteer Spotlight

Tom Seagraves, Business Account Executive in Missouri

This summer Tom volunteered more than 180 hours with Camp CUMCITO (City Union Mission's Camp In The Ozarks), an organization that provides weeklong summer vacations to hundreds of low-income children each year. Tom and his wife Janice have been volunteering at the camp for more than four years. "Tom truly embodies the spirit of volunteerism," said Nathan Waddell, Missouri Director of Sales. "Through his time and energy, he has given some very deserving young people the opportunity to take part in the fun of summer camp. More importantly, Tom has played a big role in helping these young people to create some very positive memories that will last a lifetime and will help them to believe in something better."

A Few Reasons We Love Serving at Camp CUMCITO

Battery Swap: Is It Really That Big of a Deal?

Most of you know I work for U.S. Cellular as a Business Account Executive. They are a great company to work for and I enjoy my job. Recently the company rolled out the Battery Swap Program. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal, but since the roll out all my customers have been really excited about it. Today I activated a new customer in Southern Missouri. When I was explaining Battery Swap to him he said, "You need to tell everyone about this. This is a great program!"

So, why haven't I thought it is a big deal? Because U.S. Cellular is so customer focused that I guess something this big is just another thing we do to serve our customers. It is kind of "par for the course" with all the other stuff we do.

But, after the comment I got today from my new customer, I thought maybe I need to brag a little bit about this program. So here it goes:

Check out our website explaining Battery Swap here:

Here is a copy of the press release that was issued:

Company News

U.S. CELLULAR LAUNCHES FREE BATTERY SWAP PROGRAM

Customers can switch out their phone battery in any U.S. Cellular store

CHICAGO, May 19, 2009 – Today U.S. Cellular launched its Battery Swap program, where customers can come into any store and change out a dead or dying battery for a fully-charged one, for free. U.S. Cellular is the first wireless company to offer this service.

"Our Battery Swap program is a convenience for people who depend on their wireless devices as their lifelines, such as business people, parents, not to mention heavy users who drain their battery daily," said Jay Ellison, executive vice president and COO of U.S. Cellular. "We’re offering this service to help our customers stay connected whenever they need it."

Customers no longer have to worry if they are at work, running errands or travelling and forgot their charger. If their battery starts to run low or dies, they can go to a U.S. Cellular store and swap it for a fully-charged one.

There are some things that you can do to extend your battery life that you might not be aware of. Turning your cell phone off while charging not only will help extend the life of the battery, it also acts as a reset similar to your computer. Power cycling, or turning the cell phone off and then on again, will allow your cell phone to use the optimum tower for its location and clears the cache of the phone. If you get stuck on a screen or have problems texting, power cycling often helps. If these options don’t work for you, then it might be time to swap it for another battery. A brand new battery normally costs about $40.

"This simple idea is just another way for us to give our customers that added peace of mind that their phone will always be there for them in case of an emergency, "Ellison added.

About U.S. Cellular
The 9,000 associates of U.S. Cellular believe a wireless phone enhances people’s lives and a wireless company should be in the business of bringing people together. U.S. Cellular has a wide range of monthly plans, including those with unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited free incoming calls and options to prepay. The company has a growing catalog of phones like the BlackBerry^® Curve, HTC Touch Pro and the touch-screen Samsung Delve, which offer e-mail and Web access. Based in Chicago, U.S. Cellular is the nation’s fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier, serving 6.2 million customers across the country. To learn more about the company visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com.

Meet my Friend Antuwan

This is Antuwan, a friend of mine I met at Camp CUMCITO in 2006.

When Janice and I started serving at camp back in 2006 I served as a counselor. We were working at pre-teen camp that year which is for 11 and 12 year olds, and Antuwan was one of the guys in my cabin. We had a tough week. He was the guy at camp that year that caused the most problems and he tried very hard to get under my skin.

Even though that week was tough for both of us, we have remained close. He told me last year that I have been the one of the few people in his life that hasn't given up on him. Last year I was able to stop by camp during Teen Boys week and see Antuwan for a couple of hours. Then last fall I went to Kansas City on a Saturday and took Antuwan and another guy from camp to Power Play, as well as the Camp CUMCITO fall retreat. Then again yesterday I was able to stop and see him for a couple hours at Teen Boys Camp again. This was after he called me this past Saturday night at 11pm asking me if I was going to come see him again at camp.

Antuwan is a guy with a big heart which I have seen in action several times, but he also has a hard outer shell. I have a close bond with him because of the time we have spent together, and he told me yesterday he knows I care about him. I'm going to continue to model friendship and grace to him and hopefully my friendship with him will help him as he continues his journey in life.

Introducing Vince Flynn

Vince Flynn ranks as my number one favorite fiction author. Here is a video of him describing his latest book, Protect and Defend.

Another Unconventional Church

It seems that unconventional is in these days when it comes to churches. Just look at my church. Karis Community Church doesn't even own a building, just a small trailer that we pack our stuff into. We meet at the Missouri Theater in downtown Columbia, unless there is a scheduling conflict and then we have to go somewhere else, like The Upper Crust. There is nothing conventional about that. But I kind of like it that way. Our Worship Pastor even wrote a blog article back in March about our church being "Portable." Check that out here.

One of the programs I enjoy watching is the CBS Sunday Morning Show. I record it each week and then watch it when I get a chance. There is always an interesting mix of stories that always seems to be interesting. A couple of weeks ago they aired a story about a drive-in church in Florida. At first I thought, "Why would anyone go there?" And, "How effective could that be?" But then I thought how great it is that someone is thinking outside the box. Maybe this is an opportunity to connect people with the Gospel who wouldn't otherwise go to church.

Take a look below and watch the story for yourself. I would be interested to see any comments you may have after you watch it. Keep in mind, this is not a venue for a theological debate. Based on some of the comments the pastor makes I probably wouldn't agree with much of what he believes. Watch this with the mindset of a new way to reach people.

Happy watching!

Book Review of The Crescent Through The Eyes Of The Cross by Dr. Nabeel T. Jabbour

If I was asked to describe this book in one word I would have to say, “WOW!”

In two words, “Eye Opening!”

Dr. Jabbour did a masterful job at making me realize that I have no idea what Muslims believe or how they view us as Christians. OK, I will stop being politically correct; Dr. Jabbour busted my chops!

Dr. Jabbour was born in Syria, grew up in Lebanon and lived in Cairo for fifteen years, so he has a deep understanding of Muslim culture and religion. Dr. Jabbour created a fictional character, Ahmad, which was the culmination of many of the Muslims he has known over the years. Through Ahmad, Dr. Jabbour puts together a case for the Muslim faith. While building this case he points out how we as Christians do not understand Muslims, and as far as I’m concerned he hits the nail on the head.

Here is one of the points Ahmad makes that really blew me away:

“If a young Palestinian man who is an American citizen leaves this country and goes to Palestine and uses his only available weapon, his body, to defend his occupied territory, you perceive him as a terrorist. When you read in your Bible how Samson died, do you perceive him as a terrorist? Do you blame Samson for using his only available weapon, his body, to kill innocent civilians?”

Now don’t misunderstand the point. Ahmad was not condoning suicide bombing, but just saying that our position on it is inconsistent. We see Samson as a hero because he died for what he thought was right. Don’t the suicide bombers die for what they think is right?

I think the biggest effect this book had on me was it showed me that I do have some prejudices toward Muslims that are unfounded and wrong. Christ died for them too. They need the gospel just like I do. They are people with souls and hearts, and many of them are searching for something real. If we are ever going to begin reaching out to Muslims effectively this book should be used as the starting point.

Upon completing this book, Dr. Jabbour gives you the opportunity to contact him directly and he makes more resources available to you free of charge. This guy is the real deal and this book is a must-read!

Wings Over Whiteman Photos

As you saw from my last post, we attended Wings Over Whiteman last weekend and got to see some great airplanes. Here are some photos and videos that Janice took while we were there. We had a great time with Aaron and Maureen. We'll be going again in two years. Maybe you can join us.

Janice and I standing in front of the B-1 Lancer

The B-1 is the only supersonic bomber in the world. Another cool feature is the sweepable wing. The wing will move back and forth while in-flight as the pilot decides how fast he wants to travel. It works much like the now retired F-14 fighter that was featured in the movie Topgun. We were even able to climb the ladder and see inside a little. Because of the top secret stuff inside the bomber we were limited on what we could see.

At the top of the ladder to the right is the seat for the Navigation Officer. He is responsible for keeping the plane on course as well as monitoring all systems of the aircraft while in flight.

At the top of the ladder to the left is the seat for the Weapons Systems Officer. He is responsible for all weapons and defense systems on-board the aircraft. He is also responsible for dropping the bombs when the time comes.

At the top of the ladder and straight ahead is the flight deck of the B-1 Lancer. This was as close as they would let us get. Much of what is contained in the cockpit is classified so entry was prohibited.

B-2 Spirit Bomber Chopper built by Orange County Choppers

This bike was featured on a recent episode of American Chopper on TLC

T-38 Talons Open the show at Wings Over Whiteman

T-38 Talon Trainer

The T-38 Talon is the jet trainer for the US Air Force. Whiteman Air Force Base is home to a squadron of these aircraft and it is the place they use to train our pilots that move on to fly fighters and bombers. This is one of the planes we saw flying in formation in the photo above as it taxied by us after landing.

FM-2 Wildcat

This is the aircraft we saw fly that later had to make an emergency landing due to a broken landing gear strut. The pilot was OK, but the plane had to be removed from the runway as the right landing gear collapsed upon landing. The runway was located behind the hangers that you see here in the background, so we did not actually see the emergency landing.

MiG-17F

MiG-17F

This is the MiG-17F we saw fly during the air show. It was a very impressive display and it made me realize why our pilots in Vietnam were nervous when they took to the skies.

B-2 Spirit of Texas and F-22 Raptor

These 2 planes are so top secret this was as close as we could get. What you can't see in this photo are the armed Security Force Guards stationed around these airplanes. Nobody was going to get close with those guys around.

C-21

This is the flight deck of the C-21 which is the Air Force version of the Learjet 35. This airplane is used to haul Generals around. It can also be used for medical transport and light cargo duties.

B-52 Stratofortress

This is the bomber of all bombers. This airplane is known for its "carpet bombing" capabilities. There were stories that came out of Iraq after Gulf War I, that many Iraqi soldiers would crawl out of their foxholes with bleeding ears and noses and with raised hands of surrender they would be muttering, "Please, no more B-52's!"

B-25 Mitchell "Pacific Prowler"

Here is an original World War II classic bomber. What an honor to see it fly.

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the World War 2 Trainer, T-6 Texan

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

Watch the videos below to get an idea of what these guys did. I love the sound of these old radial engines.

World War 2 Fighter, P-51 Mustang

Another classic and so much fun to see fly.

P-51 Mustang

The F-15E Strike Eagle

This jet was hard to catch on video because of the speed. This shows the beginning of his final maneuver, which was a vertical climb. Janice did a great job capturing this video. He was probably flying at about 300 to 400 miles per hour in this clip.

Here the F-15E Strike Eagle does a 360 degree turn in front of the crowd. In this turn the pilot was experiencing 5 to 6 's.

F-15E Strike Eagle

F-15E Strike Eagle

Afterburners Engaged

F-15E Strike Eagle

A-10 Thunderbolt II

aka, "The Tank Killer"

It's ugly, but deadly. This plane is built around a 30mm Gatlin Gun.

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Here he passes overhead in slow-flight

Heritage Flight

This was one of the coolest things to see at the show. A Heritage Flight is when they match up a retired airplane with a plane that is currently in service. They usually only contain 2 aircraft, but we had the privilege of seeing a Heritage Flight with 3 airplanes. Here the P-51 Mustang flies with the F-15E Strike Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

This was the end of the flight. The A-10 peeled off up and left, the F-15E went up and right, and the P-51 went up straight. It was an amazing sight.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

aka, "The Stealth Bomber"

The B-2 Spirit Bomber closed out the show with a few fly-by's. This airplane is one of the most incredible sights ever. It is so hard to see. If you look away for a second it is hard to put your eyes back on it again. It seems like it just disappears into thin air.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

B-2 Spirit Bomber

Wings Over Whiteman Airshow Review

Yesterday Janice and I, along with Aaron and Maureen Harris, attended Wings Over Whiteman. Wings Over Whiteman is the airshow that is held every two years at Whiteman Air Force Base which is about 20 miles west of Sedalia, MO. We had a great time watching several aircraft fly, and we also had the chance to see several static displays. Here is a brief review of some of the highlights. These are stock photos I'm using below. Janice took lots of pictures and I will get them posted sometime soon:

Performing Aircraft:

MiG-17F

The Russian MiG-17F was the primary enemy aircraft in Vietnam. I was surprised at how small and quiet the plane was. It was also a lot more maneuverable than I expected. This particular aircraft is owned by a company out of Texas called Fighterjets, Inc. This jet was a lot of fun to watch fly. Check out this website to learn more about this plane.

FM-2 Wildcat

The FM-2 Wildcat was one of the premier fighters in the early part of World War 2. It played a big role in many battles including Midway. We saw a great performance from this airplane yesterday including a dogfight with a Japanese Zero. When the performance was over the pilot had a broken strut on his right landing gear. He ended up making an emergency "dead-stick" landing and his right landing gear collapsed. It took a few hours to get the plane off the runway. The pilot was not injured and the plane was not too badly damaged. We were not able to see this landing as the runway was behind the B-2 hangers so we had to go by what the announcer was telling us.

North American B-25, "Pacific Prowler"

The B-25 was one of the great bombers of World War 2. It was the airplane used on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo that took place a few months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. To learn more you should read the book, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo. You can also visit this website to learn more about the Pacific Prowler.

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the AT-6 Texan

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team performed at the airshow. They fly the AT-6 Texan, also known as "The Pilot Maker." This was the trainer that was used in World War 2 to prepare pilots to fly fighters. If you saw the move, "The Tuskegee Airmen," you would have seen some of these in action. These guys did a great job of flying close formation aerobatic maneuvers, and those big radial engines made a lot of noise. Check out the Aeroshell Aerobatic Teams website here.

F-15E Strike Eagle

The best performance of the day was from the F-15E Strike Eagle. This dual-role jet has been around for several years and is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. For much of the performance the pilot had the afterburners engaged and this was one performance where ear plugs were required. The last maneuver for the F-15E was a high-speed fly-by and when he was right in front of the crowd he went vertical until he was just about out of sight.

Other planes we got to see perform were:

P-51 Mustang

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Yak 52TW Russian Trainer

Heritage Flight which included the P-51 Mustang, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the F-15E Strike Eagle. I will be posting some pictures of this flight later.

Static Displays

F-22 Raptor

The F-22 is the Air Force's newest fighter. It has stealth capabilities, unbelievable maneuverability as well as supercruise, which allows it to fly at well over the speed of sound without having to use afterburners. This plane is so new and so top secret we could see it but we couldn't get very close to it.

B-1 Lancer

The B-1 Lancer is the world's only supersonic bomber. It is a large airplane that can carry a huge bomb payload, but it handles much like a fighter jet. It is equipped with 4 engines and has a movable wing that sweeps back much like the now retired F-15 Tomcat, which was featured in the movie Topgun. We were able to get on this plane, which amounted to climbing the ladder and sticking our heads into the back crew compartment where the Weapons Officer and Navigator sit. The cockpit was off-limits. It was still very cool to be able to see as much as we did.

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

The RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft that delivers real-time on-scene intelligence collection. This aircraft is built on the Boeing 707 airframe and has been in service with the Air Force since the 1960's. It has undergone major renovations over the years including new engines and avionics systems.

B-2 Spirit

The B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is a multi-role bomber that can deliver either conventional or nuclear weapons. Whiteman Air Force Base is the only B-2 base in the world. All missions the B-2's are dispatched on are always flown from Whiteman. Many missions for the B-2 last for 40 to 50 hours, and that is 40 to 50 hours of continuous flying. With a 2-pilot cockpit and the capability of in-flight refueling, the plane can fly as long as there are no mechanical malfunctions. The hardest part of being a B-2 pilot is having the endurance to fly the long missions. Much like the F-22 Raptor, this plane is so top secret we could not get very close to it. There was a B-2 that did a series of 3 fly-bys to close the airshow. I will post some of those photos later.

Other Static Displays included:

F-15A

C-21 (Air Force version of a Learjet 35)

KC-135

B-52 Stratofortress

F-16 Fighting Falcon

L-39 (Russian Jet Trainer)

C-130

This is not a complete list of everything we got to see, but I have covered the highlights. It was a full day and it was a lot of fun to be able to see all the airplanes. Janice got some great photos and a little video also. I will pull all that together and post that later for you to see. Thanks to Whiteman for opening the base and letting an aviation fanatic come out and have a great time yesterday. Hopefully we will do it again in 2 years.