I've received a steady stream of cards from United over the last week, Valentine cards and birthday cards. It's meant a lot to me. Thank you, everybody, for giving me something to look forward to every day. It's hard missing my second Valentines in a row, although at least this year I was able to call home. Last year, I was at a training facility where phones were not allowed; I made an illegal cell phone call from a port-a-john anyway, but it's not exactly romantic to say, "Hey, honey, I'm calling from an outhouse!" Thanks especially this year to my buddy George Snyder for bringing flowers over to my wife. Normally I'm not a fan of other men giving my wife flowers, but not much is normal these days in any sense of the word, and the flowers were a big hit with both Michelle and my kids.

Two more connections from home -- we'll be using ashes from United Lutheran for our Ash Wednesday service, and I'll be wearing a stole that was sent to me through the Adopt-a-chaplain program. It means the world to me that your support continues to help us in tangible ways and intangible.

Several people have asked me what I think about the latest congressional brouhaha over the 'non-binding resolution'. It's 100% hot air and political games as far as the effect on us. All it tells us is that a majority of the House of Representatives doesn't support our mission because they think that a majority of Americans doesn't support our misison. Hmm, politicians saying what they think will make them popular? That's hardly a surprise, nor is it a surprise that the vote received untold hours of media attention while here in Iraq, the new security crackdowns have already reduced the amount of violence substantially in the last couple of weeks. I'm not saying the troop surge is a cure-all for Iraq's problems, just that I am tired of all the political games over my soldiers' lives. So I'm choosing not to think about the posturing in the news, and focus on what I'm doing over here.

As far as me personally, I'm still plugging along all right, thinking a lot about home but able to focus on the mission a little better than over the last few weeks. It's been beautiful weather, highs in the 60s and 70s and sunny, and believe it or not, it's been quiet in my part of Iraq. Relatively speaking. We still have several small arms attacks and IEDs each day within a few miles of us, but no serious injuries or deaths for a few days from our post itself, and every day we finish like that is one we celebrate.

Blessings on Ash Wednesday and Lent.

God be good to you!
CH Steve Timm