So let me tell you about our service for Ash Wednesday. We began at 1900, and 10 minutes into the service, no kidding, just as I'm explaining how the ashes are a sign of our mortality, the attack siren goes off and a split second later, BOOM...BOOM!!!! Two incoming rockets land within a couple hundred yards of our location. So we race to the door to look, and there is a big plume of smoke and fire visible right in the direction of the Marines' living area. Thankfully, the smoke was from an empty vehicle, which was destroyed but contained the shrapnel from the rockets so no one was injured. Try to follow that one with a sermon about ashes to ashes! But we did eventually finish the service. Talk about both an Ash Wednesday and a birthday I'll never forget. My commander even said, "You'll be telling this story in a sermon when you're sixty, chaplain," and he's probably right.

Most of you know all the medical stuff coming up in my family back home, so thanks to all of your for your prayers. Some of you might not know that my chaplain assistant is also being treated in Germany, for a spot on his face that was just diagnosed as skin cancer. The desert sun kills both fast and slowly. We're waiting on a biopsy, but we believe it is the basal cell variety, which is the least dangerous type. Anyway, as if you don't have enough to pray for on my behalf, please pray for Corry and his wife, Stephanie, who is probably pretty worried about him.

Thanks again, guys. It's been a heck of a day/week/month/year, but you've stuck with me and it means the world to me. Bless you all.

God be good to you!
CH Steve Timm