When I started blogging I made a commitment to myself that I'd write something midweek - usually Wednesdays - and on Sundays. Today is Wednesday, but I've been distracted the past couple of days. My son-in-law is on a plane. He's being deployed to Afghanistan.

To say my feelings are mixed would be an understatement. They're a whirlwind. The relationship between Chris and I has had its rocky spots; my daughters would tell you I'm not one to buddy up to a son-in-law. Our relationship has become stronger over time, so my heart and mind are with him a lot, and at the top of my prayer list is the prayer that he may come home physically and mentally intact. He is, after all, Daddy to four of our grandkids.

And I take great pride in his service, as I took great pride in my own. I am a Vietnam-era Navy vet. I never saw the 'Nam. I cry no sad tears for that. I was a destroyer sailor.

On the larger issue of war and peace, I have become a semi-pacifist. Those familiar with Thomas Merton will recognize the influence. There are some wars that must be fought, I guess. The evil of the Nazis had to be destroyed. However, I can think of few wars that, if traced back to their origins, made any sense at all. To what extent was the rise of the Nazi party attributable to the vindictive terms at the end of the first war? To what extent was THAT war attributable to the more vindictive terms of the Franco-Prussian wars in the 1870s, and to what extent was THAT. . .Somewhere it just stops making sense at all.

So, a prayer for Chris, and for those who are pray-ers, we'd sure appreciate yours, too.