The Potter’s China

GOD is the Potter; we are His pots.

Fearfully and wonderfully made are we.

Yet only the Potter has His wishes with the pots.

Many are made for common purposes,

Practically suited for everyday uses.

For some less practical,

Everyday chores are awkward and difficult.

Still others can’t do them at all.

For what good are they suited ?

They need so much care!

We may think them more cursed.

But oh, don’t we dare!

The lame, the blind,

The deaf, the ill and slow of mind,

All are works of the same Potter’s masterful hand.

When special occasions arise,

Everyday place settings just won’t do

We would miss them completely.

Except off of the shelf and out of the hutches

Come the finest works of the Potter’s craft.

It is the special moments of life they shine.

They who won’t do for everyday use,

Are the Potter’s china, so fine.

By David Francis                       

     I haven't written a poem since I fussed about having to do so in grade school.  As I sat helpless, frustrated and bored, in the pediatric ward with my daughter, I considered the things the other children were in for.  Many scriptures also came to mind of others who suffered and the works of God's art.  I couldn't help but to then give thanks for Sarah and give glory to my Heavenly Father with these words.  If this helps anyone out there please leave a note.  If you know someone who needs encouraged this way do send them over.  May we see the work of God's art in everyone.  Praise be to the LORD!

PANDAS

That was the diagnosis that made the most sense to quite a conference of doctors.  I am venting a little bit here about my ten year old daughter Sarah.  I don't mean the cute little bears, of course.  PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep.  Because of a similarity in cell wall structure between a streptococcus cell and the cells in the base of the brain, on rare occasion, following a strep infection, the immune system will attack the base of the brain. This only happens in children and during puberty the disorder stops.  No one  is known to have died from PANDAS.  It still sounds scary though and all they can do is treat symtoms until it runs its course. 

 Last February she had a strep infection.  March 7, she seemed out of it.  March 10 she started tripping over her feet all the time and falling asleep uncontrollably, such as, when standing or in the middle of a spoken sentence.  Last summer she could multiply and divide fractions in her head.  The last few months she couldn't add or subtract single digits without counting her fingers.  The worst of it though has been the panic attacks.  Usually these are associated with sleep.  She awakes with a start as if from a bad dream and then has no idea where she is, who she is, or who we are.  Many nights my wife, Candi, and I have been sitters or kidnappers.  These spells last from an hour or so to fifteen hours in length.  Some mornings she would wake up and know us but have to ask for her own name.  She could go to school and find her classroom alright but the teacher would have to show her her desk.  One day she couldn't read; another day she aced a test for a chapter she wasn't there to study.  Many days the kids in her class had to introduce themselves as if meeting for the first time.  I'm so glad she goes to a private school.

  Great River Christian School really has been great.  They've been very forgiving and as understanding as can posibly be.  They haven't counted any of this against her and even the students just roll with where she is at the moment and don't make a big deal out of it.  It's truly amazing to find kids with that caliber of character.  It must be a work of God.

It has still been a grueling three months.  We have all come closer to each other during this time, the younger ones especially.  Levi and Ella are ages 4 and 7 now.  A psychiatrist tells us we're doing remarkably well and that she thinks we all have post traumatic stress disorder too.  Sarah's episodes are improving with meds.  Night before last she thought for a while we were kidnappers again.  That was the first in over a week.  For a while it was almost daily.  Many people we don't even know have been praying for Sarah

This has been quite a rambling! So, I better get to work.

Welcome home 833rd Engineers!

The 833rd Combat Engineer Co., not again.

     This must be the longest I've seen one of these things hibernate but once again the battle cry is for the service of the 224th Engineers.  The 224th now consists of  HHC, the 831st, the 832nd and the 833rd companies.  This time only the 833rd Engineer Co. (formerly Bravo Co. 224th Eng. Bn.) is in demand.  I don't know any dates only that Iraqi Freedom is calling for their service again.  Please pray for these soldiers, their leaders and especially their families who will be left behind to worry again.

     On their last deployment as Bravo Co. their primary job was convoy escort.  They also uncovered weapons caches and got in on some route clearance.  I don't know the breakdown for Bravo Co. but I'm sure they covered a couple hundred thousand convoy miles.  Along the way they lost one good soldier.  Sgt. Casey Byers, was killed in action on June 11, 2005 when his HMMWV ran over an IED.

     The tally for our battalion, as of Sept. 05 was as follows:  Convoy escort miles: 416,370; IED's found: 235; Artillery attacks: 85; KIA's: 4; Purple hearts: 28 ( I think there should've been more.); Bronze Stars: 4; One year extensions: 1; 3 year reenlistments: 17; 6 year reenlistments: 45!

     At the height of our deployment two whole infantry divisions were moved without a single IED strike. Also, at the start of our tour, terrorists in the Anbar province enjoyed a 70% success rate with their roadside bombs.  We reversed those numbers and began finding 70% of them.  Last Fall, in D.C., we were honored to be named the top National Guard unit for making the biggest difference in 2005.  Many of our leaders earned national awards as well. 

     As you can see we've been home over a year now and once again life makes sense to us.  Many of us at various times have wished we were back in Iraq again because, "Everything made sense there."  Most of us are glad to be home. I would like to see "Hank" again but haven't wished to go back.  It's hard to describe how wonderful it is now to come home to my girlfriend at the end of the day.  No base camp could ever beat that and that makes sense to me.

     Shoot me back if you read this and don't forget prayers for the 833rd.

Well it's been a better week.  Got a gracious but needed "what for" from our pastor, Steve Huecker and I feel like I've done better letting my kids be kids.  Still getting used to dealing with them again.  Sarah, my eight year old who took 1st place in her school spelling be, went to Des Moines Friday for state competition.  She was so disappointed she took last place there.  I'm sure proud of her.  It's been a good week workin' for Mule too.  I found I still don't bat too well changing windshields.  I cracked one out of three changed this week.  If that's the worst that happens all week, I guess life is pretty good.

I wish life could be always be good.  Feb.1st Melany Kozak, a friend of my daughter Anna, passed away in her sleep.  Please pray for the Holy Spirit's comfort upon her parents, her younger sister, and her friends in this deeply troubled time.  She was a sophmore at New London High School and in my brother Steven's class.  She had a site at quadrupod_for_life.  You can post sympathies there.

Had a good day yesterday at Mom & Dad's.  Our cousin Allen and his kids Olga, Paul, and Aza were there and it was neat to get caught up with them and tell 'em my war stories.  Olga and Aza both xanga at awsomeolga and crazy_aza.  I don't think Paul has a site.

Speakin' of war stories, time for another dinner conversation with Hank.  Hank was introduced in the last entry.  We met again for lunch one day last spring when he asked me, "Why do Americans think the weapons of mass destruction is a hoax?"  I don't think it was a hoax but he asked me so I tried to entertain him with an explanation of that position.  He listened for about 30 sec. when anger burned in his face.  I was mid sentence when he beat his fist on the table and shouted, "THERE ARE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION HERE! I KNOW; I'VE SEEN THEM!  He got choked up and his lip quivered as he continued, "I just don't know what they did with them.  I'm afraid  the people who know are already dead."  He told me again about mass executions and mass graves he has personally witnessed.

As we left the mess hall, he took a nickel out of his pocket and showed me.  He said, "You see this coin?" "Yeah, so." I answered.  Immediately he tossed it over his shoulder and asked, "Where is it?"  "Buried in the dust somewhere.", I shrugged.  Fine powdery dust covers everything at Camp Ramadi.  "You know that because you saw me throw it.", he explained.  "If you didn't see me throw it, you Americans would have to say I never had a coin; even though I showed it to you.  So it is with the weapons of mass destruction.  This is a big desert.  Not even America has enough time or money to look everywhere."

I can't neccessarily prove his position one way or another but it is plausible.  I know for a fact that a number of MiG 29's were buried without our knowledge.  Summer before last Army engineers excavated them with a tip from a local as their only hint of the planes' location or existence.  Iraq had no MiG 29's in Desert Storm and under U.N. resolutions they weren't supposed to get any.  Now some of these MiG's are on display at Al Taqqadum Air Base, or TQ as we call it.  They're all vandalized and will never fly again but they're there.  Amazing with all our satellite images we never saw those planes or the burial project.  Weapons certainly come in smaller packages than fighter jets.