Honor - What Are You Doing This Easter?

04/04/2007 LANGHORNE, Penn. Today was another one of those days where I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. After I got up and started thinking about the day, I remembered some words that are very important to me and I began to repeat them several times:

“Honor your father and your mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3 quoting Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16)

Another is something that my mother taught my family when she lived with us for a short time. In her younger years she had been a nanny for a Jewish family in Baltimore and she was to make sure that the children recited the following every night before they climbed into bed:

“Sha-ma Is-ray-el. A-do-nie El-a-hay-nu, A-do-nie a-hud” which translated means, “Hear O Israel. The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) In Jewish tradition this is called “The Great Sha-ma.”

A couple of blogs ago the word “Honor” was used in a context where you might think that it was only related to one’s service to their country. But that word has a meaning that includes much more than that. I had the privilege of serving in Vietnam . I am also married to a wonderful lady who was born in South Korea . Our last duty station overseas was as a family for two years in that same country. My brother Warren worked for two years in Japan for a large company. So we Wingers know a little bit about the oriental culture.

We here in the West to a large part think in terms of “Right” and “Wrong.” If you’ve ever wondered why you couldn’t understand maybe the Eastern culture, it’s because they don’t necessarily think and live in the framework of those Western words. Their culture is all about “Shame” and “Honor.” Think about that for a minute. There’s a whole lot more involved in those words than in ours, isn’t there, especially when you think about family and the whole social structure thing.

But getting back to those words above, who are those that you honor in your life? Who in your life are those that you hope each day you will never bring to shame? Is it your father and mother? Is it other relatives or friends? Think about the ones with which you spend Thanksgiving. For many that holiday is spent with the most important people in our lives – family or some version of it.

Yesterday was the Jewish Passover. The day after tomorrow is Good Friday. Sunday is Easter. It’s Holy Week. It’s a time where most of the nation honors God in some way – God our Heavenly Father. Back in the day when my brother and I were kids, we were in church on Good Friday and on Easter morning. Even if we didn’t want to go, we were there. Mom and Dad said so – end of story. Solomon wrote to all of his children who would someday be parents:

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 6:22

Maybe you needed to have confirmed today that being in church is still the right thing for you and your family on Easter morning. Maybe you only go to church once a year and Easter is it. It still is the right day to go. Maybe you haven’t been to church in a long time and because it’s been so long you just don’t think you should do it. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. It’s never too late to try church on Easter. Maybe you’re older and your kids are all grown up and out of the house now and you many not know what they’re doing this week. Call them up. Remind them that being in church is still the right thing to do this Sunday.

Shame and Honor – Right and Wrong – there is a whole bunch of meaning inside those words. But maybe your definitions have gotten blurred of late. Maybe you are only seeing them through a glass darkly. Go to church on Easter. You might just find the definitions for which you’ve been looking or of which you need to be reminded. Oh yeah - and after the service, drop someone a line who may have taught you that being in church on Easter morning was a good thing to do. Tell them how it went. Be a blessing. Honor them, and through that experience, honor the God they serve, the same God Who loves you and has a plan for your life.

Happy Easter :-)

Allan

Toward a Philosophy of...(Reader Please Fill In)

03/27/2007 – LANGHORNE, Penn. There is only so much time in our lives. My mother lived until she was almost ninety-three years old. My father just had his eighty-ninth birthday. Other relatives on my side of the family, who took care of their health, have lived or are living into their eighties and nineties. I haven’t always taken good care of my health, so logic tells me that my life will be shorter.

I don’t think there is any debate that if you have used tobacco most of your life that your years will generally be less than those who have not. There may be some discussion as to what alcohol does to your health over the long haul. But when doctors review my medical history with me, there seems to be one answer they like when they ask me whether I use tobacco, alcohol, or recreational drugs. They like the answer “No.”

I made a promise to my wife back in 1986 that I would stop the tobacco and alcohol. The alcohol was easy. The cigarettes were not. I was stationed in Honduras at the time as a Military Police Desk Sergeant and Patrol Supervisor. I told my Lieutenant and my Platoon Sergeant that I was quitting smoking and that I would be very cranky for the next few days until the nicotine was out of my system. They put me on walking patrol by myself in downtown Comayagua for the next five days straight. I must have walked more than fifty miles and I had the opportunity to practice my Latin American Spanish with the locals a whole lot. It’s been twenty-one years now and I can honestly say that I have no desire for tobacco anymore. I was almost up to three packs a day before I quit. If the health issue is not important enough, think of what you can do with the money you save.

On the same token, because of my own experience, I don’t criticize others if they smoke, drink or chew, and it doesn’t bother me one iota to hang around with those that do. It’s more important for me to treat others with dignity and respect than it is to criticize the way they have chosen to live their lives. Bottom line – it’s their health, and they have chosen the inevitable benefits and/or consequences of how they have taken care of it just as I have. But then again, we all don’t live in a vacuum do we?. Our personal health will always be a family matter as well.

All this to ask the question, “If today is the first day of the rest of your life, what are you going to do with it, and what will be the philosophy, the framework that will govern how you live it?" Seems like a really deep question doesn’t it? Well it is, and I’m asking because I’m concerned. I’m concerned about you. And if you are one of those who have read this far in this blog, you are one of the ones I’m concerned about. I might not even know your name. But it doesn’t make any difference. Why? I am concerned because I know something about you that you may not even know about yourself. What’s that? You were created in the image of God, and that’s true even if you don’t believe there is a God. It is just a fact of life. You have value. You are important. Even if you think you are alone, you are not. God loves you and has a plan for your life.

In my last blog I shared with you an old composition of sorts. It was written two days before I married my wonderful wife. It was also used that year and others since then to celebrate not only our wedding anniversary but also the anniversary of the United States Army Military Police Corps. Both anniversaries are on September 26th. I retired from active duty December 31st, 1991. But the marriage goes on. Last Summer my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary by renewing our vows. When my two children - and hopefully my grandchildren when they finally come – when they read that composition of mine, they will always know that the words written there is what Dad (and Grandpa) held as his personal core philosophy. Those words will always be what Allan Leigh Winger is (and was) all about.

Those words have stood the test of time for me and others as well. Why have they stood the test of time? Many have shared with me over the years what those words have meant to them. But as for me personally, back then and now, it has been through those words that my Father in Heaven has shown me, really shown me, that I am created in His image. I have value. I am important. I am not alone. He loves me and really does have a plan for my life. Wow!! Talk about self-esteem builders :-))

There is a maxim of sorts that I learned years ago – “History repeats itself. It has to. Nobody listens.” My Dad once said that if a book was ever written about him it should be titled, “You Can’t Get There From Here.” I need to ask him what the title is now because I know it has probably changed. But, right now, if say maybe a genealogy entry was made in the family history book about me, or maybe if someone needed to put an epitaph on my grave stone, the following two words would be enough – “He Listened.”

What about you? What philosophy is governing your life. I certainly don’t have a corner on the market when it comes to an answer to that question. Please share, if not with me, then with someone you care about. I’m sure they would love to listen. God Bless :-) Allan

Breaking the Silence

02/17/2007 – LANGHORNE, Penn. It has been a while since the last blog. Events, both world and of a personal nature, have necessarily occupied the time and caused much reflection. In light of all this, but in also looking toward the future, it is time to break the silence with a few words that have served this writer well for many years. It is hoped that they will serve you well too.

Caretakers of the Colors
by SSG Allan L. Winger

Each morning the caretakers and I go to our appointed place of duty. As the sun slowly rises, I hear the faint sound of a bugle. Then I hear the loud reverberating shot of a cannon.

Why does the bugle sound?

Why does the cannon fire?

My caretakers raise me up so that I may see.

All around me are soldiers. Some wear the rank of officer. Some wear the rank of enlisted. Some are civilian. Some are mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. Some are children. But all are soldiers in their own way.

Then I see them salute me. Some by raising their hand to their brow. Others by resting their hand over their hearts. I try to hear what they say, but I can only make out four words,

"...One nation, under God..."

"What does that phrase mean?" I ask myself.

Then a strong voice comes from the wind that blows through me,

"'One nation' means a people united for one purpose. 'Under God' not only means in service to Me, but also that by My authority their nation was born and by My authority it is able to live on."

There is a moment of silence and then the voice continues,

"You belong to them and they belong to Me. The faces you see are not only the ones of the present, but also of the past and of the future."

The voice stops and I turn again to listen to the words of those below me, only to hear six other curious words,

"...Duty, Honor, Country...Faith, Hope and Love..."

"What do they mean?" I ask.

"They are your passwords," is the quick reply.

"By them they live and die. By them you were woven together one thread at a time. By them, your colors of red, white, and blue will always flow side by side. By them, the first stars were drawn together, and by them their number multiplied. And by those words, you and them through Me will never be brought to shame."

Then the voice grows silent for the day. The sun begins to fall behind the trees. I hear the sound of footsteps below me and the bugle sounds once more. As I look out over the faces, the cannon sounds, the soldiers salute, the second song is played and the caretakers lower me down. Gently but firmly, I am folded and tucked away for yet another night of peaceful rest. And as we make our way back home, I hear the voice of a young boy say,

"Dad, who are they and what are they carrying?"

"They are members of the Military Police Corps,"he replies.

"They live by the motto, 'Of the troops, and for the troops' and what they carry are the Colors of the United States of America,...One Nation, Under God..."

(Composed 24 September, 1981 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts)

There is still much to do and much to say as Americans and as a human race. After all, God is not done with us yet and that should give us both pause and concern as well as laughter and joy.

If you would like to read more about the above composition and how it was developed, go to the new Blog Spot Resource Center which has a link in the sidebar to the right and click on the Blog Library.

Happy belated New Year and may God richly bless ya'll :-)

The God of Miracles

12/23/2006 – LANGHORNE, Penn. We believe in the God of miracles. On Monday we will celebrate the birth of the Greatest of those miracles. When we arise on Christmas morning there will be excitement and expectation in the air. The angels in the heavens will be wondering what the sheep of His pasture will actually do this 25th day of December, 2006.

The children know what to do. They open their presents and feel and touch and play with whatever is inside. They also give thanks and hugs to the person from whom each gift came. They are also reminded in some way of the real meaning of Christmas and how wonderful Jesus really is.

The grownups know what to do also. They may not be as excited as the children but the joy and the fun of it all is still there. Sometimes there is also sorrow that creeps in amidst all the fun and laughter. Memories from our past sometimes haunt us. Circumstances in our present lives that just don’t seem right cloud over part of the sunshine that envelops this special day. These memories and circumstances may be personal or they may include a wider group of people like our nation or even the world. Thinking of the future can become an exercise full of doubt and anxiety.

But we believe in the God of miracles. So on this very special day the angels see the sheep of His pasture doing something else as well. They see us not only giving thanks for the miracles of the past and of the present, but they also see us giving thanks for the miracles yet to come. Amidst those future miracles the memories that haunt us will be no more. The circumstances in our present lives that just don’t seem right will change. These miracles may happen this year or the next but we know this truth. They will happen according to God’s will, according to God’s plan, and no one knows the how and the when and the who better than our Father in heaven. Like the title of an old TV show, Father Knows Best. Also, and most importantly, Father loves us very, very much.

We believe in the God of miracles. On Monday we will celebrate the birth of the Greatest of those miracles, the greatest fact of God’s love for His children. And so with great expectation and hope we will still sing as do the angels:

For unto us a child is given, unto us a son is born, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

So every day of this year and the next, and the next, keep praying for miracles, for God always answers prayer.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year :-)
Allan, Young, Ruth, and AJ Winger - Chalet Eagle

Home Is Where The Heart Is

11/23/2006 – LANGHORNE, Penn. This morning was one of those mornings where I could sleep in but I was still up by 7:00 AM. My wife was still in the bed. My son was up because he couldn’t sleep and was busy with the football video game. My daughter had left the night before for Grove City, Penn. to help her boyfriend cook Thanksgiving dinner for his family.

My thinking is clearest in the morning. Most days, after eating the $2 breakfast special at the local diner, which usually includes coffee, pancakes, and a local newspaper to read, I head up to the office for some quiet time before the work day begins. Of late I have gone back to memorizing Scripture again, the singing of a hymn, and prayer. That may sound a little different to some but it gets my heart and mind pointed in the right direction, especially for writing. Considering what day this is, the word that kept popping into my mind was “Home” and of course that well known phrase, “Home is where the heart is.”

Where is home for you? For me home used to be where Mom was. But Mom is home with the Lord now. Dad is in Tennessee. The rest of what was my immediate family, before I got married, is spread out across the United States, from Texas to Florida to Missouri to more in Tennessee. Now that I am married with children to a great extent home is where they are.

This morning however, I took my wife and son to another home by way of video. We traveled from Pennsylvania to Missouri and then to Switzerland. My wife and son learned more about two very special people and a special place. I mentioned Francis and Edith Schaeffer and their ministry called L’Abri in my first blog. These two wonderful people are what I call my spiritual father and mother and L’Abri is my spiritual home. At age thirty my life was completely changed around for the better at that place and it has never been the same since.

They taught me about “True Truth” which is just a way of differentiated between what may be called “truth” out in the marketplaces of life and the “Truth” you find in the pages of God’s Word. They taught me that through Jesus Christ I could be a completely different person than the one I was tired of looking at in the mirror, the one who really didn’t have any real confidence in himself and whose self esteem wasn’t doing too good either. For when you grow in Christ it is not just growth in the spiritual realm. It’s also growth in the intellectual, the physical, and the social, all areas of life (see Luke 2:52). If you happen to be interested, there is more to this personal story including pictures of Swiss L'Abri. The link to the official L'Abri web site is listed in the sidebar to the right of course.

If it appears as if I’ve preached today, my apologies. I just wanted to share what I am thankful for the most on this day, and the home where my heart is. Happy Thanksgiving and God bless :-)

The Beginnings of a Blog

11/04/2006 - LANGHORNE, Penn. - In May of 2005 I thought I'd do a Google search for my high school and see what was new. I found the blog that a classmate had started in preparation for the 40th reunion. That began a year of preparation for that celebration that finally happened in July of 2006. Many hands made it a great time with many good memories and pictures, pictures, and more pictures :-) You can see the reunion photos and more at the Class of '66 Blog Spot which has a link listed in the sidebar to your right. If you are a member of that class you may also subscribe to the Class email discussion list also listed in the sidebar. I look forward with much anticipation to future reunions, especially the one for 2007. It is going to be joint reunion that includes SWCS classes form 1960 to 1970.

Recent developments have prompted a second look at the blog genre for yet another way of communicating with family, friends, and the world of the internet. If you're wondering where the name Chalet Eagle comes from, that's the name of our family web site which has a link listed in the sidebar. There is quite a variety of information there that might be of interest. It needs some serious updating which is in progress again. It had not been touched for quite a while. But it is time once again to rethink our involvement in cyberspace and to make the appropriate adjustments to the current culture.

Personally I am a long way off from being a professional writer, but that does not mean that I should not try to communicate with others through the written word. God's grace has allowed me to be a Christian, a member of His family. His grace has also allowed me to sit under the teachings of the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer, his wonderful wife Edith, and the ministry they founded called L'Abri. God's Holy Spirit is still teaching me what began through them which is the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life, not just what we call "religion." But I don't have to be preacher to do that and I'll do my best not to preach here. What I pray will come through this "blog ministry" will fall under the general heading of "True Truth" and I also pray that it will be a help to family, friends, and others in living their daily lives. This is whether you are a Christian or whether your worldview is yet another one of the myriad of belief systems that are out there . Helping others is all that I have ever wanted to do, to be a blessing, like so many that have gone before me and been my example. (Lifetime Verse(s): Hebrews 13:7-8).

Thanks Fitz for being an example and starting that blog of yours. It was your blog that inspired me to start this one :-)