05/14/2020
Greetings Phoenix Warriors 4-30-2020
This week’s message comes from Psalms 114 beginning in verse 1:
“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my lovingkindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge.”
There are a few things about this scripture that are meaningful to me that I would encourage you to take to heart. As military members, especially now that we are being called to serve on a mobilization, in this scripture, the writer is praising God for teaching him to fight in war. The king put his trust in God and discovered that God was his protector, fortress, and deliverer.
In many ways we fight an unknown or at least unseen enemy, whether it is the COVID19 virus, other illnesses, battling for your marriage or relationship, jobs, etc. What I take from this scripture is that when we put our faith in God, we can trust that He will be our refuge and shield against these things.
Today, as we work from home, school our children from home, drill/train from home, etc. I wanted to leave you with some mental health tips to keep from going stir crazy!
- Stay connected to your support system: family, friends, religious community; this can be done inside the new norm of “social distancing” through social media, phone calls, and other means
- Maintain a schedule: everyone works better when they maintain a structured schedule of some sort; doesn’t mean it cant flex or be adjusted
- Maintain PT: while things are suspended right now, we all know its coming – the ACFT, Height and Weight, etc.
- Outside: research has shown that being outside in the sun is beneficial to our health and mental wellbeing so get out as often as you can
- Alcohol: limit this as much as possible during this time; alcohol is a depressant and can make things worse.
- Fun: make sure you are making time daily for things you enjoy. Positive self-care is vital during this time
- Reach out: when you need help, ask for it. We have battle-buddies for a reason. The military, COL Clay, LTC Crane, CSM Godsey, and our whole command team have worked hard to make sure Soldiers know that reaching out for help will NOT impact their careers
- Finally, don’t spend too much time watch/reading the news. Negativity will drag you down.
Until next time, I pray for you and your families daily. Please remember I am here for all of you. If you need anything during these difficult times, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email and I can set up a video conference as needed.
God Bless,
CH (MAJ) Jared A. Watson
110th MEB, Brigade Chaplain
MOARNG
816-405-6531 cell
[email protected]
[email protected]
