Wednesday, March 31, 2010

So long to Navy days



Today is officially Jesse's last day in the Navy. No, he is not "retiring" as that takes 20 years and Jesse's not designed to do that (praise God). But over the course of his 9 years of service, Jesse has learned many things including how to salute,


fold his clothes, make his bed, do a proper push up, start a fire, put out a fire,
fly a single engine plane,


fly a helicopter (the mighty SH60 Seahawk),


land on a violently moving ship in pitch darkness, lead as a Lieutenant, speak PDR, look good in a flight suit (sorry honey, I just had to put this one in there),


etc, etc...

Jesse has served overseas in the Persian Gulf (for 6 months in 2005), flying in 110 degree heat...the kind of heat where you have to ring the sweat out of your socks.


His pilot training took him from Washington to Illinoise, to Pensacola, Florida, to Corpus Christi, Texas, to Milton Florida...


(getting his wings)


and finally to San Diego for his land tour where he has worked for the SERE school.

SERE is a United States military acronym for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape, a program that provides military personnel, Department of Defense civilians and private military contractors with training in evading capture, survival skills and the military code of conduct. Established at the end of the Korean War (1950-53), it was extended during the Vietnam War (1959-75) to the Army, Navy and United States Marine Corps.


It was during this time in San Diego that he would soon meet his wife.



"Welcome to the Navy Mrs. Skinner!"
(whack!)




We are all so proud of you Jesse, and I'm so excited to see where the next leg of our journey takes us. Bethel, here we come!

Lieutenant Jesse Jay Skinner
US Navy (2001-2010)


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Things are getting EXCITING!

Hey all you amazing people!  Here is an update on the big changes coming down the pipeline for the Skinner family.  I know, I know, you can hardly keep your pants on (please try)!  So exciting!

Well, as I (Jesse) write this, I have 5 "working" days left in the U.S. Navy.  It was a good 9 years, but all things must go the way of the seasons.  I must say I am not sorry to leave in the least.  It's not that I didn't enjoy the time I was in or the people I worked with, because I enjoyed both.  I am just so confident about this next step that I have zero regret or remorse or worry.  Our plans are still to go to Europe for 4 weeks then drive up to Redding, California to attend a ministry school up there that starts this fall.  We recently found out that we were accepted into the school and so we are a "go" on setting up the move. 

The top two questions Jess and I have been asked over the past month or so are:
1.  When are you leaving?  
Answer: The movers come on April 1st, and we will be in Europe on the 5th.  We return May 5th. 
2.  Are you excited?
Answer: I won't repeat header of this blog entry for you sake, but yes.  Incredibly so. 

Some cool news to share, I was asked by my Pastor if I would preach our churches Sunrise service, Easter morning.  I asked God and He said I could, so I am super excited.  I was even thinking that I would only want to do it if my friend Scott would lead worship for the service.  Without telling my pastor this, he replied to my acceptance and told me that Scott would be leading worship.  WOOHOO!  I can't ask for a better Father in heaven.  He really likes me!  Since the service will be outside, I doubt it will be recorded, so you will just have to take my word that it will be good!  haha! Glory to God, I'm a son!  I have really been blessed this past year and a half in regard to God preparing me for my future desire to pastor and father His kids.  Some of you may know, but I have had the honor of officiating two of my friends' weddings.  I'm not sure there is a greater honor than being up front, standing with two amazing people, speaking life and destiny over them, and releasing the blessing over future world changers.  I can see God is preparing me for what is to come and reminding me who He has created me to be.  What a great Dad!

I wanted to keep the entries a little shorter so people don't get bogged down reading long posts. I will have Jess post an update on how selling her book has been going, but just know that it has been nothing short of phenomenal.  We are only a small handful of books away from the second printing!!  

Blessings and Abundance!
Jesse and Jessica