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 :-)