He is Faithful

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23

If your 2019 was anything like mine, it was full of the good and the bad, highs and lows, smiles and tears, worries and fears. I can promise you that 2020 will bring more of the same. With each year that passes, I am reminded that there is only one being that I am fully able to trust, and that is God. Just like Apollos stated: "He is faithful."

My children will test my patience. My wife and I won't see eye to eye on everything and some days anything. My health and that of my loved ones will be tested. The safety and security of our nation will be challenged. Politicians will continue to speak out of both sides of their mouths. The world will continue to change without my approval. But. God. Is. Faithful.

He is the only sure, constant thing in my life. He is more constant and steady than the rising and setting sun. So in 2020 and hopefully for the rest of this life, I will cling to him with every ounce of my being, because He is faithful. I pray that you would do the same.

-Be Blessed,

Sr Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

photo credit: Nicky Jernigan

Gently Instruct

"Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants." - 2 Timothy 2:23–26

With the recent events happening in the City of Houston, there are a lot of mixed feelings and emotions in the department. A lot of those are negative and are affecting those around us. Being in the service of taking care of others, we need to focus on continuing to do just that. We should thoughtfully and gently take care of each other and those who call on our help. Gentle truth may not necessarily come in the form of words. It can be shared though kindness, hospitality, actions, teaching and sacrifice. Continually encourage others and yourself to be patient (especially with difficult people), kind, and thoughtful.

Keep the faith that the sacrifices you've made for this city and your family will pay off later, and that God will take care of your every need. Know that honoring God in everything we say and do is vitally important.

-FF Sam Hascek

Rescue 42B

In Your Anger...

“In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry..." -Ephesians 4:26

God has created us with a great emotional complexity. As image bearers of God, we have the same capacity for emotion as our Heavenly Father. We however, are not God and tend to make a mess of things when we are angry. In our anger we yell at our spouses, children, patients, co-workers, the car in front of us. We slam doors, punch walls, and kick dogs. We make irrational and sometimes irreversible decisions. Uncontrolled anger can ruin our relationships and lives. 

We act out in anger, as opposed to other emotions, because anger makes us feel empowered. We usually become angry because we can't control our current situation. Anger is our attempt at regaining that control. In doing so, we often try to control those closest to us through aggression. Control of our life's circumstances is an illusion. Only our Sovereign God is in control of everything. 

We are all responsible for our own actions. Notice that the Word of God does not ask for us to never be angry. Anger is part of life. If you have a valid reason to be angry, then be angry, but don't use it to hurt others. How we handle that anger is what's important. We must choose to honor God at all times. 

Lastly, the scripture tells us to deal with that anger today. Don't let it grow and fester into tomorrow and the next day. Don't feed it with liquid courage. Pray about it. Tell God exactly how you feel. Don't sugar coat it. Give your frustrations to God. He can handle it. Let him take that weight off your shoulders and replace that anger with peace. Go for a walk. Get some exercise. Leave that anger on the gym floor and at the foot of the Cross. You owe it to yourself, your crew, and your loved ones. Be blessed.

-Sr. Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

Love and Honor

"Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves." -Romans 12:10

Let's take a look at a couple of the key words in the verse above. 

     Deeply (Intensely) - with extreme force.
     Honor - high respect; adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct;

        fulfill an obligation or keep an agreement.

A Biblical story that I believe coincides with the above scripture is the story of Daniel. Even though Daniel was a captive in another nation, he didn’t stop following the laws of God. He still only ate the things he was supposed to, and he prayed three times a day. Because Daniel listened to God, others noticed his wisdom, and he soon gained a position as one of the king’s advisors. Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar for many years and was later chosen to serve under the new king, Darius.

It was King Darius who threw Daniel in the Lion's Den for praying to his God. In spite of the extreme adversity Daniel was facing under a new regime, he remained faithful, displaying intense honor and a deep love for God by praying only to Him. He continued to do so even with the threat of death by lion looming over his head.

Each of us and our families are facing some type of pressure. It is easy to give in to the flesh and make decisions strictly based on our emotions. Pressure tends to place strain on our marriages, health, finances, and work performance. If we're honest, the pressure does get to us from time to time. Lets face it- only Jesus is perfect. Staying in the Word helps us deal with adversity. Dwell in the word, instead of the adversity. As Christians, we need to stay the course and display HONOR and LOVE to God and others for the world to see. Let's be more like Daniel. After all, we have been in the lion's den and held captive for quite some time now. 

Kind Regards,

Senior Captain Jacob Sandlin, 55B

Give Thanks

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

When my daughter(whom shall remain nameless) was younger, she always seemed ungrateful. We'd have a great day as a family at the zoo, museum, or amusement park followed by a meal at a restaurant of their choice. Once we were headed home, she'd always ask, "Where are we going next?" She never liked the answer of "home," and would offer up her suggestions, tears, and arguments. She was never satisfied. 

Focusing on what we don't have will always leave us empty. Studies show that people who practice gratitude are typically happier and have a better outlook on life. Those who are thankful on a regular basis, sleep better and have lower instances of anxiety and depression. God knows all the benefits of having a grateful heart. That's why His will for us is to give thanks. 

It is fairly easy for us to be just like my ungrateful child. We whine and complain to God and others about how bad life is or what we don't have. If we would take a step back and count our blessings, we would see how much God has truly blessed us. There is always something for which we can be thankful every day, not just on Thanksgiving. Make a list of all your blessings, and spend some time reflecting on them.  You will see your attitude, health, and spirituality improve. 

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Senior Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

Soar

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31

It was nice to gain my hour of sleep back this past weekend. However, it is not nice having darkness swoop in before dinner. I've been ready to go to bed at 8 every night this week. The darkness and ensuing tiredness seem to correlate with the ongoing election battle. Never in my career has there been a more stressful time for HFD. I know most of us are experiencing a mental fatigue like never before. 

One thing is for certain, this world will let you down. Our city officials have and will continue to let us down. We should all have the mayor and city council be our pallbearers so they can let us down one last time. Even the people we love and trust let us down from time to time. It is easy to lose hope when elections,  court cases, and life don't go our way.

God is the only One who won't let us down. He Always follows through with His promises.  He hasn't let me down yet. We should focus our hope on the sure thing, Him. In fact when we do, He gives us the strength to face everything that comes our way. His Word promises that we will SOAR. Are you tired of just getting by? Are you ready to soar? Then, put your hope and trust in Him. 

-Sr. Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

Stay Connected

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

I often have to remind myself what life was like before cell phones. It's hard to believe we actually used phones to talk to people. We had to keep loose change in our pockets and cars to use at the payphones. It took giving good directions and landmarks to navigate friends to your place. Email wasn't really a thing and social media didn't exist.

A lot has changed in a little over 20 years. Now we feel lost, alone, and even naked when we don't have our phones with us. Taking away a phone from a teenager is now the go to punishment for bad behavior.  The first things we look for in airports, hotels, restaurants, and grandma's house is an outlet and the WiFi password.

When Jesus was giving His vine and branches analogy, I believe that He was telling His disciples to stay connected to Him. He was about to physically leave this earth and they would need to stay connected to continue His work. Just like we feel the need to stay connected to our cell phones, we need even more to stay connected to Him.

When we are connected to Him, our lives are full of: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is your life full of all of that? I've noticed that when my life looks opposite of that, it is because I have disconnected myself from Christ. The life He calls us to live is not attainable on our own, but when we stay connected to Him, it comes naturally. He asks us to stay connected, and He does the rest. So read your Bible, pray continually, go to church, be involved in a small group, listen to worship music, and watch what God will do in your life. Be blessed.

-Sr Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain