WIN
TO AND FOR PEACE KEEPERS OF THE MILITARY AND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AT ALL LEVELS AND ALL OF THOSE IN THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND ALL
WHO CARE ABOUT THEM AND THEIR WELFARE.
CHAPLAIN CORNER IS DEDICATED TO ALL PEACE KEEPERS, CURRENT AND
RETIRED, THOSE LIVING NOW... AND THOSE WHO HAVE PRECEDED US AND
PASSED ON FROM THIS EARTHLY SCENE. MY TERM PEACE KEEPER COVERS
ALL SECURITY, JAIL AND PRISON ATTENDANTS WHATEVER THE TITLE; LAW
ENFORCEMENT AT ALL LEVELS INCLUDING JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS;
MILITARY IN WHATEVER BRANCH; AND
THE SUPPORT SYSTEM PERSONNEL FOR ALL CATEGORIES IN WHATEVER
COUNTRY OF THIS WORLD YOU HAPPEN TO BE INCLUDING SECURITY CONTRACTORS.
YOU ARE VITAL TO OUR WORLD AND MY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF AND I CARE GREATLY
FOR AND ABOUT YOU. YOU ARE THE MINISTERS OF RIGHTNESS IN THIS WORLD...
AND THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT COULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT YOU!!!
IN ADDITION IT IS FOR THE PEACE MAKERS OF THIS WORLD. SOMETIMES
THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE AS PEACE KEEPERS... SOMETIMES THEY ARE
NOT... BUT PEACE MAKERS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY AS
ARE PEACE KEEPERS NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT.
PRAYERS ARE SAID DAILY FOR ALL WHO HAVE REQUESTED MY PRAYERS...
FOR ALL FOR WHOM I HAVE PROMISED TO PRAY... FOR ALL FOR WHOM I HAVE
BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PRAY... FOR PEACE KEEPERS... FOR FIREFIGHTERS...
FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL... DOCTORS... NURSES... TEACHERS...
COUNSELORS... AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE TRANSPORTATION
OF THE GOODS WHICH WE NEED IN ORDER TO LIVE AND BATTLE THE EVIL IN
THIS WORLD... FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO MAKE UP THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR
ALL OF THESE AND ALL OF THE FAMILIES AND ALL OF THE LOVED ONES OF
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE... FOR LEADERS OF THE WORLD... LEADERS OF THE
CHURCH... AND FOR SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPECIFIC NEEDS...
PLUS YOU ARE INCLUDED IF YOU ARE READING THIS MATERIAL.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<+>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WIN
Since the early days of my life I have read and studied the accounts of Peace Keeper/Warriors... From ancient warfare to modern times... From war between countries, nations, localities, families and individuals to war between factions for the right way of living versus the criminal way of living or anarchy. My sources have been books mostly, but add to that magazines, radio, television, movies and personal testimonies... plus 47 years of personal experiences of my own personal war with death, destruction, crime and injustice.
In all of this I found that the true Peace Keepers were always exceptional people who would go into the face of death, destruction and hell to gain an advantage for the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness... Not just for themselves but for strangers who needed someone to fight for them. It makes no difference if we are talking about soldiers, marshals, sheriffs, troopers, constables, mounties, police officers, law enforcers of all kinds or posse volunteers. Now make no mistake here, I am not saying they were or are perfect people nor were they always the most liked and well thought of individuals... But when it really counted for the safety and welfare of the greater good they could be depended upon to rise up and fight the right fight. Sometimes they were too good in gaining the right results and were then asked to move on or were ordered to other problem places... Some of them just needed a fight to be involved in.
Peace, once attained, is not reward enough for some Peace Keepers. They must carry the fight to wherever they can find a right goal to fight for... A cause that needs defending... A wrong that needs to be righted. Retirement is hell for the true Peace Keeper, especially if he is still fit and able to carry the fight... And even if he is disabled and is no longer well enough to be in the war between good and evil. Our Revolutionary War had some of the most effective Warrior/Patriots in it's ranks who had difficulty coming down to the life of peace without war. Many of them became explorers and moved to new frontiers.
We have seen this in our societies after every war we have fought. Soldiers come home and are restless and not able to relax into peace. In their minds and hearts they are still fighting a war. This time the war is with themselves. Some Peace Keepers become so involved in the strategy and fighting of the war that they are not comfortable doing anything else. The presence of loved ones and home is a calming factor for a time but it may be a short time.
I remember the times in my career when I had vacation or was off duty for some extended period of time or had to miss duty for some family emergency... I became like a caged animal... Pacing and anxious to be back where duty needed to be met. Neither the immediate need, the love and presence of my family nor doing other things I sometimes enjoyed doing could calm the edginess and anxiety to be back on duty. I was not calm and at peace again until I was back to my duty and work as a Peace Keeper... That same situation continued on into my duties as a chaplain during my dual status of being in both positions simultaneously... And even when I could no longer be a law enforcement officer because I was forced to retire from that status but continue on as Administrator of the Chaplain Program.
It has been especially grating this last four years because I have had to spend so much of it away from most of my duty to peace keeping and my traffic safety duties to meet the needs of my ill, adult, disabled daughter because she could not survive if not attend properly. I have the talent, training and abilities to do that for her... And have no funds to pay anyone else to do it. Only recently have I been able to achieve, keep and live in the peace that I knew was available to me from my Commander-In-Chief. He has finally been able to convince me that I am doing what all along I knew I had to do but was not fully at peace with it. The chaffing in my spirit over all of this has gone away... But not the concern in my spirit over all Peace Keepers... If anything it has increased rather than diminished.
Today I came to this keyboard with no subject nor impressions in mind. I sat down and prayed. I booted up and began the process of this message. As soon as I touched the keys the flow started. It usually happens this way.
In the past few weeks I have rejoiced in the news of fewer law enforcement officers being killed than in recent past times... But also I have grieved that in those same recent past times the toll in Afghanistan and Iraq is on the rise. This rise troubles my heart.
Many years ago I had just come into the mail room at headquarters after one of my numerous court days on day shift. My arms were filled with expanding files and the ledger where I listed all of my court cases. My mail box was full. It was payday and I was looking for my check. There was an old Trooper sitting at the table in the room and he was watching me. He said to me, "You are a damned fool! Look at me. I do much less work than you and I get paid more money!" My response was, "Yes, but I don't have to back up to the mail box to get my check... I earned every penny of it!" He said no more. If I could not put all within me into what I do I will not do it. I felt that way then and I feel that way now.
I feel that way about law enforcement; being a clergyman; caring for my daughter; building model trains; writing messages... and fighting wars. If I were not going to go into any activity and give it all I had to give... I would not enter into it at all! I was disappointed with the fighting in Korea, we didn't fight to win. I was disappointed with the fighting in Viet Nam, We didn't fight to win. I am disappointed with the fighting in Iraq, we didn't fight to win. I am disappointed with the fighting in Afghanistan, we have not fought to win and the longer we do not fight to win the more we will lose in trying to perform holding actions.
In any fighting you must know your enemy... And fight in such a way that it makes it too costly for him to continue fighting... Whether with nations, rebels, criminals or any other type of enemy including evil of all types. An old Sergeant who was my instructor in survival tactics in the beginning of my career taught me that one premise to live by. That reinforced a premise my soldier father tried to instill into me, My whole life of duty to everything I do is based upon that one premise, now reinforced by the teachings of my Eternal Captain and my Commander-In-Chief... "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."... preaching, teaching, instructing, meeting needs, enforcing law, directing traffic, giving first aid, fighting a battle, wearing a uniform, giving reverence or respect, loving another person, loving family, loving friends... Devoting self to doing your best with and in every activity...
IT''S WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND OF YOU THAT CREATES MEMORIES... THAT IS WHY I HAVE GOOD MEMORIES WHEN I THINK OF YOU. THE MARKS YOU HAVE LEFT BEHIND FOR ALL OF US ARE ALL PLEASANT AND LASTING! WE WOULD NOT BE HERE IF YOU HAD NOT DONE WHAT YOU DID AND WHAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO! THIS WORLD WOULD BE A TERRIBLE PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE IF IT WERE NOT FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN IT! THANK YOU PEACE KEEPERS... THANK YOU... THANK YOU... THANK YOU!!! BECAUSE OF YOU WE CAN ALL BE WINNERS!
"BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!" ALWAYS be alert, watchful, suspicious and wary. Take the very best care of you as you care for and about others. See to the strength and well being of your spirit as well as all the rest of you. Your spirit must be strong for you to be successful.
Call or write if I may be of any service... Or if you just want to encourage me... Feedback encourages all who write... It helps to know we are reaching someone who reads the message.
My daughter, Donna, is still not feeling well nor functioning well. The graft is closed and beautiful. The small wound on the hip that burst open is now clean and beautiful but the progress is slow. There is no more back material nor black fluid and the fresh blood supply is present now so we are making progress. Thank you for your prayers and concern and for the many responses I have received from you concerning her.
As it has always been... So it still is!!!
"VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST...
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST...
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN." Sun tzu
Training and practice are everything!
Without them, the best results are not obtained!
ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!
WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT...
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)...
BE SUCCESSFUL... BE SAFE...
[My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means
doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get
the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace...
it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything
to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics... it means that if
the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process.
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God
or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all
the things and people that we hold dear.]
I represent, write for... and give the credit to:
God the Father (my Commander-in-Chief),
Jesus Christ the Son (the Eternal Captain of my life) and
the Holy Spirit of God (my Eternal Teacher, Keeper and Guide).
In Christ I live... with Him and for you I serve...
And I rejoice that you are there whether you are Christian or not...
For God, Country and the Peace Keeper...
D. R. (Don) Staton, Chaplain to Peace Keepers,
Surviving Peace Keeper,
Virginia State Police Alumni,
RETIRED Police Officer Virginia Beach Police Dept.,
Senior Chaplain and Administrative Chaplain VBPD,
DCJS Certified Police Instructor,
Community Service Officer (Traffic Safety) VBPD
Blackwater Alumni
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
===============================================================
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