Last Day

Today was my last day as a Youth Director. I've changed my profile occupation to indicate that very thing. It's a bitter sweet sensation. I'm sad that I'm leaving behind some great kids, I won't be teaching in the same way, and I won't have the responsibility to read the Bible to plan lessons twice a week. On the other hand, we're happy to be leaving behind some of the attitudes, we feel God's call in other directions, and I love to read what I want to read in the Bible without it being work. Maggie and I can go on vacations. Our vacation time won't be taken up by camps. We can sit in a Sunday school class and learn again. Stress load will take a dive. I don't like church to become a job and we headed that feeling off just as it began to set in.

There were three high schoolers there today, but they were three of my favorite kids: Cyndi, my most favorite (my little sister), Heidi, and Tyrel. These kids (and a few others) respected me and made me feel welcome. I appreciated that a great deal and always will. The lesson was on taking the things that God taught during my time and actually applying them, but it was a lot like preaching to the choir. Those kids have a great deal of spiritual maturity, love, and desire for God. They are the ones that made it all worth it. For them, I will miss the place of Youth Director.

Today, Pastor Larry asked me to teach a Thursday night adult Bible study. I accepted, though lacking in confidence. I know God will provide. It was a huge comfort to be asked to teach, because it let me know that my teaching days are not over. It's an amazing, exhilarating feeling to teach. I get to see God at work through the words he provides me.

I was actually a little afraid of the change, not knowing my future place in the church, but God is showing me new things now. I am certain that he will continue to take us and use us in his will wherever we go. There is life after Youth Directorship.

My faith and my fire are being rekindled, which came at the perfect time. Often, I would begin to lose sight of that passion while falling into the rhythm of planning lessons, delivering them, and never really trying to learn from them. I allowed myself to get caught up in the disappointment in the few kids that held no respect for me. That will hurt anybody if dwelled on. I wondered why some rejected my attempts to inspire them and beat myself up over it enough to put my fire down to a glowing ember. Now, however, I've learned some important lessons about relying on people to gauge my work. It's not about what the select few think, rather, it is about whether or not I'm doing God's will. If I'm in his will, it doesn't matter if the kids express dissatisfaction. In all likelihood, I've delivered the right lesson, but they won't allow themselves to receive it.

Though a rollercoaster, it was a moment in life that I will never regret. I love God and am excited to see what he'll do next.

The DERBIG Conspiracy

The year was 1945. World War II had diffused, Germany was in ruins, and Hitler's men were being tried for war crimes. Roaming and lurking behind disguise and shadow a society of Nazi scientists, named Der BIG (Der Berlin Intelligenzgruppe: The Berlin Intelligence Group), worked their way from Germany to the shores of America under the guise of the SIS.

The Federal Bureau or Investigation had created a Special Intelligence Service (SIS) Division in June of 1940 which dipped into the Western Hemisphere sending undercover FBI Agents purposed with finding and identifying Axis intelligence agents. Some 1,300 Axis intelligence agents were identified, but only about 10% were prosecuted. Because the FBI extended its hand so far, it was stretched thin. To balance the Bureau, men were recruited overseas. Intensive background checks were conducted and thorough interviews were undertaken, but that could not root out those residing within Der BIG. The members of Der BIG did not exist, therefore, they found it easy to become anyone they pleased. When President Truman ordered the program's end in 1947, several former SIS offices became the backbone of the FBI's foreign liaison efforts. This created the pathway for the members of Der BIG to come to American soil.

Infiltration of the FBI gave way to the group calling themselves Erpressung. They were known only to J. Edgar Hoover and his extremely close friend, Associate Director Clyde Tolson. The Epressung were rumored to have exploited Hoover through blackmail concerning a homosexual relationship with Tolson. Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity were waning.

The Legal Attaché (Legat) Program that stemmed from the SIS held offices in Canada. Members of Der BIG gave one of these offices their focus. Hoover was forced to allow them to take control of it. It was in the south east corner of Canada in Nova Scotia. Equipment, money, and manpower was channeled to them without question. Hoover made sure that future directors would not be able to trace the funding or equipment, and if they were able to, a small task force he'd created would utilize blackmailing techniques to bring a venturing director to cooperation. Der BIG brought in unknown contractors and built an underground facility just outside of Halifax in forest area to house their experimentation. On January 8th, 1947, the DERBIG facility began to function.

These men, trained and knowledgeable in the art of human experimentation, found themselves desiring the god ship once more. Possessed with the desire to take life and toy with it, they began the systematic abduction of Canadian and American people. Those that tried to oppose, those that tried to investigate, and even those that mistakenly wandered into discovery were silenced by death.

Men were trained and began to develop the same thirst for human experimentation as had the originating members. Experiments included the simplest of experimental muscular enhancement drugs to the worst experimentation of mind control. The DERBIG Conspiracy would have gone unnoticed if it were not for one mistake.

September 19th, 1948, an attempt was made on the life of Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, the CIA director at the time. DERBIG had undertaken to gather some of the most brilliant and established people in the world to experiment with. These included Nikola Tesla, Director Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter of the CIA, and others. Director Hillenkoetter was nearly kidnapped by a group of men on June 8th, 1948.

After this, he began receiving letters requesting his presence at certain meetings. The letters were filled with threats that his reputation would be destroyed if he disobeyed. Hillenkoetter did not respond favorably to blackmail and began to trace the letters with all the resources he could muster. July 15th, 1948, after receiving a finger print match, Hillenkoetter found a name: R. Hügel, a one time member of the FBI. Hügel had found himself residency in Van Buren Maine. Hillenkoetter trusted no one but himself, so he set out on his own.

July 17th, 1948, Hillenkoetter found a small cabin in Van Buren, owned by Hügel. Hügel, probably the least intelligent of the group, had kept a journal of all that he had done in Der BIG. Hillenkoetter understood the importance of this journal, so he took it, made copies of it, and mailed it to three close friends. Upon arriving home on July 19th, 1948, Hillenkoetter encountered two men waiting for him inside his house. Caught off guard, he ran from them, narrowly evading death.

He knew now that he was in over his head. Employing the resources of the CIA, Hillenkoetter created the top secret ADB (Anti-DERBIG Branch). This branch was given full access to all security areas, full rights to manpower, and complete availability of equipment. Their soul purpose was to investigate, create upheaval, and dismantle the DERBIG Conspiracy. Those within the ADB had no identity, no residency, and all the power of the CIA. Hillenkoetter made certain that the rest of the CIA was kept unaware of the ADB, to ensure its secrecy.

The ADB has been pursuing destruction of the ever expanding DERBIG Conspiracy ever since.

I say this so that you may all see and know the truth. My life is in jeopardy and only the truth can save me. Now you know.

~11847

One Ring To Rule Them All

I just sat through eleven hours of Lord of the Rings Extended editions. It was awesome.