Be All You Can Be

Hello, Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) Family. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some cooler weather.

“Be All That You Can Be!” is an Army advertising slogan from years ago. It is a positive message that was a challenge to be more than you were as a civilian. I want to ask you to apply that slogan to the various areas of your life. We tend to camp out on the parts of life that we like, often ignoring the parts of life that aren’t our favorite.

YPG is a unique place in many ways, but for the service members, it is a chance to step away from the deployment cycle. How many things in your personal growth, your marriage, your family life got put on hold due to the demands of getting ready to go down-range. Finishing a class, a project, or a degree, developing a hobby as a couple, a family vacation or major decision, the list could be very long.

For all of us, I know that the mission never stops. Let me encourage you to make the most of your YPG season to take some of those things that you want and start putting some into action, and re-evaluate if some of the others are still important in conversations with your spouse or family.

As we work towards the post COVID phase, there are opportunities everywhere. I have yet to meet an organization that will say no to volunteers: Child and Youth Services activities, the library, Amberly’s Place, a local food pantry, Civil Air Patrol, 4-H, Scouts, legal assistance, or local faith communities. There are some very talented people here that have much to “give back” to the community.

Here on YPG, the chapel has lots of opportunities to be involved with kids’ religious education on Sunday morning or Monday afternoon, musicians on Sunday morning, lead a faith based small group in your home, or in the chapel, or, with proper coordination, in your workplace. I’d love to see a YPG chapel youth group that meets on base for our 7th to 12th graders to do an activity and talk about faith with some background checked adults, even if you worship in town on the weekend. There are two part-time contractors in the chapel, one provides for the children’s religious education programs and another who plays music for both services. Both would like some help, especially since we need two adults in the room with kids. I would be glad to help make an introduction, even if you can help once a month

I’m an introvert, so I understand wanting to just stay home. But then I can’t be mad that there aren’t programs for your family and mine to be involved in if I’m not willing to accept the challenge to “Be All That I Can Be.”

If the chapel team can help in some way, listening as you sort through all the paused life events to help you prioritize out loud, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The chapel office phone number is (928) 328-3465.