Chris' Christian Blog

April 30, 2020

Prompt: "A new month lies ahead. What are your goals for May? Did you accomplish everything you wanted in April? Are you on track for your goals for the year?"

I didn't make any resolutions this year because I couldn't really think of any. However, I do have goals for the year and thus far they seem to be on track. I wanted to obtain my peer support certification this year and I am on track to take my test for it soon. it will increase my value. Then I also wanted to obtain memberships in a few professional organizations. I am a chaplain and I need to have the security of a professional membership and the insurance that comes with it. I got that taken care of with a student membership to the American Mental Health Counselors Association. I will be getting my student loans in May and I am planning on using part of that to obtain a student membership in the American Counseling Association as well.

The peer support certification is something I have been pursuing for quite a while. It won't give me any type of professional license but it will allow me to earn more money. A certified peer support specialist is a person who has suffered from both drug addiction and a coexisting or comorbid mental illness. I was addicted to drugs a huge part of my adult life and I suffer from bi-polar disorder. I have been stable from both for several years. As a peer support specialist, I work with others to provide services that will either help them recover or prevent them from relapsing. Peer support specialists do a little bit of everything. You never know from one day to the next what you may be doing. You may be taking a client to the doctor or signing a petition to have a client committed to a mental hospital. You provide a variety of services.

I have come to believe however that being a peer support specialist is not my calling. My calling is to be a chaplain. Yes I will also provide some of the services I provided doing peer support and the fields do overlap in many ways. I was thinking about it one day. I was frustrated because every door I tried to open to pursue my peer support certification seemed to slam shut. I got to wondering what certifications might be available to me as a chaplain with a baccalaureate. I decided to go online and research it. As always the first thing I did online was checking my email. my spam filters on my email are usually pretty stringent but one email had come through them. It was from Regent University and it said "Interested in chaplain's credentials?"

I don't know about anybody else but I don't believe in coincidences. I took the email to be a sign and completed the request for information. The next day I received a call from admissions at Regent University and doors have been opening since. Holy Spirit wants me to be a chaplain.

The funny thing is that shortly after I was accepted at Regent I got an email telling me that I qualify to sit for my certification test for peer support as well. I am going to complete my M. Div. and also pursue peer support.

I also wanted to get into graduate school. It usually takes forever to get into graduate school but I applied and was accepted within three days to Regent University in Virginia Beach Virginia. I'd say it is going to be a successful year.

"Prompt: What topics are you an expert in or have knowledge of?"

I have a good bit of knowledge in the Holy Bible. I am adding to that knowledge by pursuing a Master of Divinity degree/ Chaplain's Concentration at Regent University in Virginia. I was offered a Ph. D. by a college in California several years ago based on accumulated certificates and life experiences, but I turned it down. If I am going to have a Ph. D. I'd rather earn it the right way. I now have both an academic associate degree and a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree/emphasis psychology and by 2023 should have my M. Div.

I have always known that I was meant to be a minister. What I did not realize early in my life is that God will not use you until he is ready to use you. I tried to self-will being a minister and it did not work. I tried doing a prison pen pal ministry for a while and that was a disaster. I tried to pastor a church and that was not God's will for me. What I did not realize at the time was that God was not going to use an immature Christian. I was very immature. Of course I did not realize it at the time, but looking back I can see it. Only after I grew into the person He wants me to be did God begin to use me in mighty ways. Now I am a soldier in the Salvation Army Huntington WV Corps. More than that I am a local officer with the Salvation Army Huntington Corps. A local officer is the equivalent of a non-commissioned officer in the military. While we have no rank other than "soldier" but we are bonded by our division to carry out certain functions. My function is Adult Sunday school teacher, Community Care Ministries Secretary, and Men's Club Treasurer. The Community Care Ministries Secretary is more or less a chaplain. We go into the community visiting shut-ins and doing Bible studies at nursing homes/rehabilitation facilities, jails, and other institutions. I was the obvious choice for the position in my corps since I was already chaplain here at the West Virginia Veterans Home where I also live.

None of this would have been possible twelve years ago because I was much too immature. I thought I was okay but God knew better. I was addicted to drugs, steeped in sin, mean as a rattlesnake, and lacked integrity. God could have used me and he did in small ways, but the real ministry did not start until a few years ago.

Prompt: "Shelters are seeing an increase in adoption and fostering rates right now since nobody wants to be #SaferAtHome alone! Tell us about your pet. If you don’t have one, tell us about your ideal pet!"

I don't have a pet where I live and to be honest, I would not want the responsibility of a pet. I don't think I could afford to feed a pet. If I had a pet though, it would be a dog, probably a Pomeranian. I've had two poms in my lifetime. They belonged to my wives, but they claimed me as their owners. The one dog's name was Sandy. She was a red-furred Pomeranian. I declare I think if that dog would have had the anatomy to do so she could have spoken English! She was as intelligent as any human and when she didn't approve of something she would certainly let you know. I was arguing with my wife one time. I don't recall what the argument was about. It was obvious to everybody, including myself, that I was wrong. I was just being stubborn and bullheaded like I was back then. Sandy came into the bedroom where I was and almost bowled me over jumping into my lap. I thought she wanted me to lie down so she could lay on my shoulder as she was in the habit of doing. I laid down and she stood on my chest giving me the evil eye as I continued to argue with my wife.

I realized that even the dog knew I was wrong so I apologized to my wife and kissed my wife. Then I lay back down and the dog started licking my face to let me know she approved! She was one smart dog!