Category: September

17 year old Patrick Thomas graduated from high school and with the signature of his foster mother, he enlisted into the US Army with the rank of PFC ( private first class ). His first MOS ( military occupational specialty ) was 13F, arriving at basic training in Ft. Sill, OK on June 30, 1988. Patrick’s first duty station was at Ft. Hood , TX HHB 3/82 FA. He spent 2 years there while also training at Ft. Ord, CA (NTC, National Training Center Desert Training). His ETS as a SPC. from Ft. Hood was just before Desert Storm (June 30, 1990 ).

Patrick became a PA National Guard member in June, 1990, attending weekend drills and 2 week annual trainings while attending culinary school. His MOS during that time was a 16S for A 1/213^th ADA ( air defense artillery ). The location was Hamburg, PA Armory but transferred to the Allentown Armory ( still a SPC ) where his position was in the SPO section ( a consolidated support operations cell ). Patrick had multiple deployments to Germany (Reforger) , multiple training exercises like Operation Roving Sands in TX until approximately 1996 when he was transferred back to Air defense artillery at the Hamburg Armory, B 1/213^th ADA (E5 Sergeant).  While in Hamburg, there were again multiple Germany Deployments with his first combat tour in 2003 having him be stationed at Wiesbaden Air Base for 8 months. He ran base security while 2^nd AD Tank Division deployed to Iraq and here is where Patrick said his love and respect for “tankers” began. His 2^nd combat tour to Iraq was 2006 for 18 months where he was E6, running convoy security elements from base to base. His day began at 3:30 am, giving convoy brief and then waiting for them to give the OK to leave base. Most of the convoys lasted a day so he was able to sleep for a few hours.  During this time , his weight dropped from 225 pounds to a solid 195.

Upon returning home, Patrick transferred to HHC 1/213 CAB (combat aviation brigade) located at Ft. Indiantown Gap. He volunteered for his 3^rd combat tour and had to request a transfer from the CAB and join his old unit in Hamburg, deploying to Afghanistan for the next 15 months. While there, he ran base security for a multi-national air base. Sadly, Patrick lost a few friends during his combat tours but he said there was one gentleman who he admired from the moment he met him, Ron Hlavaty… a tanker, both of them sharing stories of deployments, training mishaps and fun times, and someone who Patrick says made him appreciate his last few years in the military. He said Ron kept him from becoming a “salty old NCO” and for this he will forever be grateful.

Patrick retired from the military in 2017.  He went to school full time and graduated cum laude from Muhlenberg College. He is currently employed as a special Agent for the PA office of State Inspector General. He resides in Whitehall where he lives with his wife of 21 years and together they have raised 2 wonderful children.

Education and Training:

Muhlenberg College Wescoe School– Allentown, PA 

BA Political Science, Cum Laude  

American Foreign Policy, Comparative Govt. and International Relations, American Govt., Colonial Latin America

Army Operational Electronic Warfare School– Ft. Sill, OK

Electronic Warfare Fundamentals, CREW Management, Electronic Warfare Systems

Northeast Counterdrug Training Center- FT. Indiantown Gap, PA

Photographic Reconnaissance and Surveillance Techniques for Law Enforcement

Basic Intelligence for Drug Law Enforcement

Intro to Basic Drug Intelligence Analysis

Analytical Investigative Techniques I,II

Ion scan Operations Course

Cannabis Eradication Course

Midwest Counterdrug Training Center-Camp Dodge, IA 2010

Counterdrug Criminal Analysis Phase II

World Drug Trafficking Trends

Gang Familiarization, Financial Analysis

Regional Counterdrug Training Center, NAS – Meridian, MS 2010

National Guard Bureau Civil Operations Training Phase I

Drug Demand Reduction Techniques

You would expect that the followers of Jesus would have a more positive attitude, but that is not the attitude we hear in the beginning of today’s Gospel. I found this prayer by an unknown author that I would like to share with you:

“Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes, we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty laundry, we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds. They were so warm and so comfortable at night. I know that many have no bed. My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy towels, and dirty lavatory. They are so convenient. Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly, it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of enough leftovers for a few meals. Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned, it has baked so many things over the years. Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says you have richly blessed my family. I shall do them all cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.”

What a beautiful, positive attitude we hear in that prayer. This is not the attitude we hear from those who were complaining about Jesus in today’s Gospel. Jesus says to them “Stop complaining to each other.” Why were they complaining? They did not really know Jesus. If they had known Jesus properly, they would not have complained. We would all do well to pay heed to these words of Jesus when he says, “Stop complaining to each other,” because sometimes we, too, complain like the people of Jesus’ time.

You have the power to be happy, it is a question of attitude. See the presence of God within you, and count your blessings. We hear this in our Psalm today, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise is always on my lips.” What a beautiful attitude to have, compared to grumbling and complaining. When we have problems to overcome, and we all do from time to time, let us ask the Lord for his help. Jesus is the bread of life to strengthen us to overcome all our problems.

At the beginning, I shared with you a woman’s positive attitude. I would like to end with another person’s positive attitude:

“Today I can choose what kind of day I am going to have. I can complain if the weather is rainy, or I can be thankful because I don’t have to water the grass.

I can whine that I have to go to work, or I can be glad I have a job. I can feel sad that I don’t have more money, or I can be happy that I can balance my budget. I can cry for lack of friends, or I can be excited about starting a new relationship. Today and every day I have many things waiting to be shaped, and here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me, with the help of Jesus.”

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out
fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so
one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
~ 1 John 4:18

We all have felt fear at one time or another in varying degrees. It could be fear of the past, present, or future. Whatever it may be, never permit it to permeate your mind, because it is torment. In his book , Christian Counseling, Ron Smith said, “There are several fear instigators–a sense of inadequacy, inferiority, or guilt, personal health, daily work or home relationships.”

King Saul and the whole army of Israel felt inadequate before Goliath and were paralyzed by fear for forty days. Why do you fear? Is it issues relating to , school admission or examinations, finances, temptations, a difficult teacher or boss posing like a Goliath? We can overcome all our fears if we, like David, know and have a relationship with Jehovah El shaddai , the God almighty. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, and God will give you victory over your fears.

Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. ~ 2 Timothy 4:2

Our text reveals to us an indisputable command to tell others about the love of Jesus at all times. As a songwriter puts it: “We must arise…there is no time to waste. preach the word while you may, tell them that Jesus loves them.” This is our God-given, crucial responsibility and purpose for which Christ was wounded and crucified. Sadly, however, youths today often find it easier to discuss the latest trends in sports, music, fashion, and other social events than telling a lost soul that Jesus saves. We must sound the alarm. Statistics by the world death clock states that per minute 106 people die. Every hour 6,392 people die and every day the number is 153,424. How many of these are youths, who have never heard the salvation message from those who were waiting for a more convenient time to share it?