physical fitness, physical condition, conditioning, physical training
BENCHMARK thanks Chaplain Austin Bruton, U.S. Army, for taking the time to share his experiences with us. *The views presented are those of the speaker and do not represent the United States Army or the Department of War.* What Makes BENCHMARK a Unique Ministry There are a few things about BENCHMARK that I think make it a unique ministry. The [...]
BENCHMARK thanks Chaplain Nicholas Wright, U.S. Army, for taking the time to share his experiences with us. *The views presented are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.* We Can't Do It Alone Moving forward is about embracing the new things God is doing in our midst. If we don’t embrace [...]
We’d like to thank Steve Anderson for sharing his experience with us in the reflection below. He details here part of his story after serving with BENCHMARK during the 2024 17th Annual Appalachian Trail Outreach: It is such an honor to be used by God. This was the second year that I've had the honor to be used by God [...]
All Things Right. All Things New. Two phrases have interrupted my thoughts this Christmas. For you to try to follow the maze of my thinking would take you on a journey for which you are likely not prepared. Nor am I trying to avoid giving credit to the varied sources that are shaping my thinking be it song, sermon, screen [...]
BENCHMARK thanks Chaplain Erik Alfsen, U.S. Army, for taking the time to share his experiences with us. *The views presented are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD or its components.* Reflections on Resilience-Building Retreats As I reflect back, there are so many stories we could tell and more to tell in future years [...]
We'd like to thank Barbara Evans for sharing her experience with us in the reflection below. She details here part of her "Hard can be Helpful" story after her 2022 Chuck Wilson Memorial Backpack for BENCHMARK 3-day hike: Independent >> Dependent, Hard can be Helpful I have always considered myself to be quite an independent person. Being independent is not [...]
I went to Walmart to get a head start of some of the items we’d need in bulk for the Appalachian Trail Outreach. Made my way to the register. The line wasn’t very long. The cashier, whose name is Sondra (correct spelling), looked at the tax exemption card and said “BENCHMARK Adventure Min….” I didn’t think she could read the [...]
Time is money…so some say. No. It is not. If I have all the money in the world, I can’t purchase any more time. For those whose time is calculated in billable hours, there is a monetary connection to your use of time, but time is still not money. The commodities are very different. In college, I wasted time. I [...]
These days are pretty unusual. Our schedules and daily demands are changing. For some, they have increased. For others, it’s slowed way down. Either way, today is a good day to make a choice about how to make the most of the opportunity of a ‘day’... I want to ask you to do something [...]
This Veterans Day, BENCHMARK thanks all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces, and especially Lieutenant Junior Grade Hollis E. Johnson, USNR, for sharing his perspective with us as summarized in the following post: It was August 1958, 02:40 at a latitude below the southernmost tip of Africa with no horizon in sight. The sky [...]
