Bucket List

I've always wanted to put one of these together but never thought to take the time and actually think one through. A classmate is doing a term project and a funny episode of Yes Dear inspired me. As I'm currently bogged down with finals work and studying, I decided to take a break and let my mind wander for awhile. Here goes my bucket list, and forgive me if it doesn't follow a coherent line of thought as I'm just putting this down into words for the first time. A lot of the ideas will be random and in no particular order, but others are reasonable goals for my life that I value or think would be amazing experiences.

1. Skydiving- Cliche, but still awesome. I think I can cross that off my list and get paid for it if I get the chance to go to Airborne School in the Army. Might as well get paid to jump out of a perfectly good airplane than pay to do it. 
2. Surf in Hawaii- Anyone who knows me knows that I love Jack Johnson's music. If I could have just one day where I get to chill on a beach and learn how to surf, that would be a dream come true. 
3. Get Married- Growing up I learned to value family. My parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents were excellent examples of happily married couples. I hope to find someone that will be happy to put up with my shenanigans, perseverance (aka stubbornness?), and randomness. 
4. Go to Washington D.C.- Never been to our own nation's capitol, but I've been to Budapest and Bratislava, the capitols of Hungary and Slovakia. I figure I want to see the offices where the men who guide this country make decisions that shape the lives of millions. 
5. Start a Family- I've got to have some mini-Russ's for sure. Many will joke that is the last thing the world needs. I'd like to have a couple boys to teach how to play baseball, football, basketball, and to have shared interests with. And I know I'd be a good father of a little girl, who I probably would be overly protective of and spoil a bit. 
6. Publish a Book- Not sure what it will be about yet. I've created a book proposal about growing up on family farm in Iowa, like a memoir, but maybe creating my own fictional story would be a good exercise of my writing skills. Who knows. 
7. Get an Advanced Degree- I'm just finishing my bachelor of arts degree, but I want to find the time to earn a masters at some point. We're never finished learning in this life, and I know there is still plenty of room in the ol' noggin for more information. 
8. Complete Ranger School- If I get a combat arms military occupational specialty (MOS) and get to Airborne School, I will give Ranger School a shot. It will be hell from what I've read, but what kind of soldier would I be if I didn't try. I'd be more disappointed with myself for not trying than trying and failing. Plus who doesn't want to lead the way and live a life full danger? I want to be an Airborne Ranger! 
9. Visit Germany- All my life I've been told I'm of German heritage and it would be cool to see where my ancestors are originally from. I love bratwurst, sauerkraut, and beer, I'm Lutheran (Wittenburg & Augsburg anyone?), and there are so many places with histories that are hundreds of years older than anything in the U.S. 
10. Hike Through a Mountain- It sounds like a challenge that would be a visual, mental, and physical experience that could rival anything but the birth of my firstborn and wedding day. 
11. Become an elder or hold office in a church- I've seen my family serve our church for several years as elders, sunday or vacation bible school teachers, counsel or board members. I consider serving the church that you're a member of an important duty. 
12. Throw out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game- Not only would I throw out the first pitch, I'd make it a dirty curveball or cutting fastball. I'd practice for months just so I could make a perfect pitch. I'll definitely shake off the catcher's sign. 
13. Go to a Green Bay Packers game in Lambeau Field- I've never been and have been a fan all my life. I'd wear the ridiculous cheesehead, a Reggie "The Minister of Defense" White jersey, and scream GO PACK GO the whole game. 

For now this is a pretty good list. I could literally sit here thinking of random things the rest of the day, but then I wouldn't get any work done at all. What I didn't write on there are the things I hope to do for other people throughout my life. I've no idea what those things are and won't know until they're right in front of me. Helping others achieve their dreams and goals will be more fulfilling than completing this entire list for myself. I leave you with this thought from the apostle Paul in Acts 20:35:

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Questions on Military Service & Serving God

I've had a comment on my first post that has made me think through my call to serve a little more. In response, I just want to let her know that I've never seen WWJB? (What Would Jesus Bomb?) bracelets, nor would I ever believe that to be an appropriate suggestion that we believe we're bombing "for" Him. That sounds like purely anti-American rhetoric to me. I'm certain that He will forgive me in the long run if it is a sin to defend the nation, people, and values that I hold dear. He does ask us to serve each other and to defend the weak, helpless, sick, and the poor. I can sleep well at night knowing I will be doing so through serving in the U.S. Army.

God calls us to serve him in many ways, each of us to our strengths that he has given us. In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul talks about spiritual gifts that God has given us. I don't see many of this list in myself. I don't particularly have a talent for bringing others to Christ, singing His praises (many will second this), prophesying, or anything else. But the God given gifts that I do have are not any less than these. I can work hard, am willing to sacrifice and serve, strong, young, athletic (enough), intelligent (enough), unmarried (not a gift but a plus at the moment, not even a girlfriend...holler at me ladies), and having the perseverance to withstand and excel in military training. I see myself as called to be a shepherd dog for the Lord's sheep against the wolves of this world. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman used that metaphor in his book "On Killing". You can read his argument for yourself at the link that I've provided below as he says it best.
On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

I don't believe my primary mission in the military is wanting to harm people. I want to serve people by sacrificing my own time away from family and loved ones, my own tears for doing such, sweat through the effort that I'll put into it, and if it comes down to it, my own blood if it means I've protected others from violence. Christ said it himself in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." If I'm told to go to Afghanistan, Iraq, or even Haiti, places where I can help those people, I'll gladly go and with Christ in my heart, the Holy Spirit guiding me, and God the Father protecting me. 

Now I know that evil men have used such reasoning from the Bible and other texts/ideas (atheism for Communists, occult for Nazi's, etc...), for their own purposes before. I do not consider myself one of them. I will serve honorably and to the best of my abilities. If a man intends to harm/kill the soldiers I'll be with or myself, I will gladly hurt/kill him first if I can't capture him. I'm not a conscientious objector. God gave his chosen people in the past (Israel) and legitimate governments of the world today the ability to wage war. If called to do so, I'll be defending my troops who defend other troops, innocent civilians, and so on. 

The U.S. military is not the enemy. The men who hide behind the elderly, women, and children and set bombs on roads where anyone can be injured by it are the enemy. Do not confuse our actions and those of the terrorists. We are there for peace and prosperity for all. They want to control everything. We did not start this. Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and Saddam did by their actions, we responded. I'm not about to say the U.S. military hasn't had setbacks or people who weren't of good moral reasoning. Every group has them. For the majority we try to help build, educate, and protect; terrorists, enemy combatants, and insurgents try to kill, maim, intimidate, dominate, and destroy. There are those in the Christian church who do the same thing, as well as in Islam. They don't serve God, but their selfish goals.

I cannot in good faith allow people continue the fight without me in it with them. I don't want to sit on the sidelines any longer. The apostle Paul said in Romans 14:16, "Do not allow what you consider to be good to be spoken of as evil." The United States of America, its military, my faith, and my family are a few of those things that I will not allow to be spoken badly of when it is undue. All of these "groups" have made mistakes in the past, but that certainly doesn't mean that they're inherently evil or out to destroy the people of Iraq or Afghanistan.

So if I have to fight and kill those who mean me and others harm, I will. If I get to pass out soccer balls, give people clean water, build schools, dig wells, or never even catch a whiff of combat by doing some support job, I'll do that as well if I'm told to. I'm not looking to kill, but it won't do anyone any good if they kill me or my troops because I'm afraid of taking a life. And if the fight does find me, so be it; God have mercy on me and those who come against me cause I'm going to do my damnedest to defend my fellow soldiers, nation, family, and innocent civilians.