Trick or Treat ... Day 87

As I prepare to answer the door tonight to the “goblins” who will come to “trick-or-treat,” my mind races back to the days when I walked up and down the block with our boys. I admit – as much as I wanted to do elaborate costumes for the boys - most of the time ours were pretty simple. One year TJ had an orange and black striped shirt. I painted a few stripes on his face, pinned a striped tail on his pants and he was a tiger, even thought he wouldn’t wear the nose piece. One year both of the boys were into Zorro, and so with black pants, shirts, capes, masks, and Grandpa’s homemade swords, they were Zorro!

Halloween fun as Knights

Probably our most elaborate year was when they wanted to be knights. This time we found large pieces of cardboard and created shields and their breastplates. The tricky part was their helmets and face shields. It was our first year homeschooling, including a very intense art class as we worked with papier-mâché over inflated balloons to create them. EVERYTHING got sprayed with silver spray paint. They then added their crests to the front of their shields and they were ready to go! I clearly remember this year because by the time we made it down one side of our block, I was carrying the face shields. By the time we made it up the other side, I was also carrying their hand shields. BEFORE they no longer wanted to wear their helmets or breastplates, I called it quits and we headed for home!

Although we didn’t do trick-or-treating with the boys much past TJ’s fifth birthday, he still played at being different things like a cowboy, and especially an army man. He loved playing with and playing as a “G.I. Joe.” Had I been astute to his love for the military, I might have realized the foreshadowing of his military play, and could have seen ahead to the day he would don a true military uniform.

TJ, who still loves Halloween, sent me pictures of the spooky mask he had set up in his room on base. But it seems that TJ “celebrates” Halloween whenever he feels like it. For example, during his first year, his team had been out checking on the nuclear missiles in their assigned area. When they returned to their off-site base, TJ decided that the humvee was dirty and took it upon himself to wash it. When he was done, he had decided that he was now wearing most of the dirt from the vehicle. Not wanting to waste the opportunity this presented itself in his mind, he put war-paint on his face and began crawling through the grass around the base. I can see him doing it and having the time of his life! That is, until his commander came looking for him. “Lombardi!” he shouted. “What are you doing?” As TJ stood up, he looked at his commander and said, “Playing Rambo, Sir.” I’d love to know what went through that commander’s mind at that moment. Whatever it was, he mustered the strength to simply reply to TJ, “Well, it’s time to stop. Now go clean up.”

Desert Uniform - Just more fun for TJ!

Since then, I’ve received pictures on my mobile phone from TJ with various gas masks on, night vision goggles, and the like. So, getting to go to Kuwait only opened a new door of fun for TJ. While he was training in the Las Vegas area he had a buddy take a picture of him. He was dressed in full desert BDU (battle dress uniform), including the face scarf he can wear for sand storms, along with gloves, helmet, dark sunglasses, his rifle, and a stop sign in Arabic. Those who know TJ, know that he was having the time of his life! And, now, almost a full three months since he deployed, he still loves what he is doing in Kuwait!  From what he tells us, his commanders love having him there on base with them. They see that although he’s a little nutty at times, in TJ’s words, “they know I’m not crazy, I just like to have fun doing my job.”

As Halloween comes to an end, I am sure that TJ found his share of goofy, fun-filled things to do in “the sandbox.” So, enjoy it, Pal, and stay safe! 

Laughter Does Good, Like Medicine … Day 71

Have I mentioned before that TJ has a terrific sense of humor? He loves to laugh and he loves to make people laugh. TJ loves to start a conversation with you using one of his “voices.” When you least expect it, he will suddenly be a salesman, with an Indian accent, selling you dishwashing detergent. Sometimes when things are a bit too quiet, he’ll become Arnold Schwarzenegger discussing with you what kind of car you should purchase.

Just another day with TJ!

Probably my all time favorite “TJ’s humor stories” was when he answered a friend’s phone in just his normal voice and fooled the true salesman on the other end of the line that he, TJ, really was the owner of the home. As the salesman asked each of his questions, TJ found ways to answer honestly but without revealing that he was simply a friend of the family and not really “the man of the household.” He talked with the salesman about how the teenage daughter of the home was always on the phone with her friends, which was true. He went on to say how difficult this was to deal with her being on the phone so much and then asked the caller, “Do you have teenagers? Can you relate to what I’m talking about?” The salesman said he had just the plan for them!

When asked if they ever called long distance, TJ mentioned that they had relatives that lived in Florida and how those calls could go on for quite a long time. The salesman jumped on that and said he had a plan that would include unlimited long distance and would meet their needs. I don’t remember what the exact question from the salesman was, but TJ was finally not able to answer honestly without getting caught in his charades. There was a long pause from the salesman, and then he asked, “You’re really not Mr. ‘Smith,’ are you?” With a chuckle in his voice TJ replied, “No, I’m not.” “Are you eighteen?” “No, I’m not.” Finally the salesman, realizing how well he had been duped by TJ, started to laugh over the whole thing. TJ told the man that he was just a friend of the family and that Mr. “Smith” wasn’t home – but probably would not be interested in the phone plan anyway. I can still see TJ’s face as he related the story to us. He was grinning from ear to ear, loving the whole spoof, and just a bit proud of himself for fooling a very gullible salesman!

TJ’s humor is often simple but very, very funny. And, most of the time, it is well-timed. Just when you need a good laugh or need to have the tension of a rough situation broken, there is TJ with a one-liner, a goofy twist or perspective on whatever is happening, or just a silly response in one of his many voices. Sometimes you don’t want to laugh, and the harder you try to hold it back, the more he will bring it on. He always sees right through you at those moments, and that just encourages him to keep pushing the silliness.

Today TJ posted a video of some soldiers taking a break and having a little bit of fun with a goat. I don’t know if these are troops that TJ serves with in Kuwait. I don’t even know if this event happened in Kuwait. But, I do know that it is exactly the kind of thing that TJ would get involved in if he was around, and he would certainly enjoy the silliness and fun of the moment. (The video is attached below so that you can laugh along with him).

We miss TJ tremendously. When we experience things and times that just seem overwhelming to us, it is often these memories of his silliness that help pull us through. We will say to each other, “remember when TJ did …whatever?” Or, “remember how TJ would say …such-and-such?” And as our thoughts race back to those fun times, in our minds we hear his voice(s) and we see the twinkle in his eyes and the mischievous smile on his face, and, just as if he were here, we begin to laugh once again.

When I think of him being so far away, serving in Kuwait, and I combine that thought with these precious memories, I wonder, which service of his is being more effective? The one where he stands guard at the main gate, checking for bombs underneath incoming vehicles? Or is it the service of laughter that he brings to his fellow soldiers, using that gift of his to break tense moments, or to cheer someone up who is having a bad day?

I love this one-liner from the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, “Laughter does good, like medicine.” TJ has not only been gifted with a great sense of humor and an ability to make others laugh, but he also has the ability to administer it at just the right moment when it can do the most good - just like medicine.

Thank you for keeping us healthy, TJ! We love you, Pal! 

Ram vs. Soldier

The Power of the Pen … Day 59

In some ways our sons are totally different from each other. That much was especially apparent with respect to their individual learning styles during our years of homeschooling both of them. James was very book-oriented, and completed his workbook assignments with little or no trouble. TJ, on the other hand, was a “hands-on” learner and hated his text books. He was forever asking me why he had to learn grammar, or math, or history, or … At times it seemed a constant struggle to get him to complete his assignments. Reading and writing were the two things he seemed to detest the most.

When TJ received his orders to Malmstrom Air Force Base, he was really excited to begin serving. He also wanted to make a difference for the Lord in people’s lives. He became an active witness to those around him. He got involved with the base chapel, playing the drums for the worship team, as well as working with the young people. It was exciting to hear him talk about those to whom and with whom he wanted to minister.

TJ knows how important and powerful prayer is in a believer’s life. He certainly realized it during his weeks in Basic Military Training. So, one day he decided to enlist the prayer support of his family and friends and began writing his “MUM” letters. In his first letter he explained that “MUM” stood for “Malmstrom’s Underground Missionary” and that his real assignment was from the Lord to be a missionary to those on his base. TJ’s letters were not your “normal” one-page prayer letters. His were three and four pages long! I could not believe this was the same child I had fought “tooth and nail” with to get a one page report from, and now he was writing three to four page letters/reports of his service for the Lord.

As TJ continued to take his stand for Christ, he found himself being challenged to defend what he believed. This was not discouraging to him at all, but it challenged him and motivated him to study areas of doctrine in an effort to defend them.

Now, when TJ does something, as I’ve mentioned in past blogs, he ALWAYS gives more than one hundred percent of himself to it. So, when it came to his need to study the doctrinal areas that he was defending, he didn’t just study them. He studied and then wrote papers to defend his belief. And just as he was doing with his MUM letters, his papers were several pages long and also extremely creative. I teased him one day, telling him that his English teacher was thrilled to finally see him completing his writing assignments! (He didn’t think that was too funny.)

The cover of one of TJ's papers.

He has written papers on so-called “faith healers” [“I Command You to be Healed”], on witnessing [“A New Book, Written Each Day”], and on his own struggle with temptation [“The Stalker in My Midst”]. If you’d like to read these, or any of his other papers, you will find them on a site called Lulu, at TJ Lombardi’s Storefront.

We did not hear TJ talk about writing too much during the past year. But, about two weeks ago Joe told me that he had just received another email from TJ with a special attachment. TJ was writing again, and had asked his dad to please proof his newest paper. His current papers are dealing more with some of the things he is experiencing on the base in Kuwait, such as “serving with excellence.” In fact, he recently wrote to say that his most recent article will be published in the base’s newspaper.

There is no doubt in my mind: TJ is a soldier at heart. He loves defending his country and would not hesitate to fire that assault rifle of his if he believed it was warranted. But, I believe TJ also knows that his pen is just as powerful as the rifle that is strapped to his side. With his pen he not only expresses his thoughts, but can also influence others. And now, with the aid of the internet, his words are impacting people around the world. There may come a day when he will lay down his rifle, but I hope he never puts down his pen.