This is my adress for my short stay in Iraq, I think people are giving these out to most everyone. If you feel like writing me a letter I will write you back and if you feel like sending a care package I will share its contents with my commrades. This goes for anyone I don't care if I don't know you at all, I would love to have some outside hman interaction while there.

Cpl. James Quinn Mechaley
2/11 HQ BTRY Comm
Unit 40445
FPO AP 96426-0445

The mind is amazing, I guess I never really take the time to wonder about it till I have had to use it for a while. I have a subscription to World magazine now, World is a weekly Christian magazine that puts issues in politics and society in a Christian Perspective. I think most of the writers are Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic so they hold to a very Fundemental outlook on life. The other subscription I now have is to First Things, look on http://www.firstthings.com to get the info on it. I really think some of the issues brought up in the Magazine are very important. I decided I need to learn about what is going on around the world as well as how I should think about what is going on.
I know some of you might be saying "Why not check out secular sources to find balance in the coverage?" To this I answer, I am immersed in the secular sources. Most people go about regurgitating the latest political buzzwords, the all to convienent and truistic trade words of your particular party, and the clever commentary of our media conditioned culture that hold no water whatsoever. All the while not really knowing what they are saying only repeating as a parrot would. The only thing I see when I watch the presidential debates is a blithe boxing match where the contestants are more concerned with the looking good than they are are with winning. Since I do not claim to be so well endowed with understanding and discernment as to be able to extract the egg from the cake. Meaning to draw out some minuscule measure of truth from the floodtide of lies pervading our media. I am forced to look to those who have spent there lives trying to understand these positions and it just so happens; they are Chrisitan. Besides I noticed that my mind is a blank slate, whatever I fill it with seems to take the reins of my heart and soul. With the knowledge that the media is not fair in it's reporting and whatever enters my mind dramatically shapes my outlook, I just think it safer to guard my heart and read Christian sources. Mind you I will stay this same course until I am steadfast in my resolve concerning the Christian Worldview.
I wrestled with the idea of going to Iraq for some time up until maybe a week ago. I wondered about the justification of going to Iraq based on all of the arguements with the weapons of mass destruction. I wondered about the justification based off of the Just War theory. I wondered about the Justification based off of God's word. Throw in Farenheit 9/11 and you have yourself one confused young Marine. Should I be over in Iraq guarding oil wells, risking my life for the sake of finacial gain? Is my president somekind of money grubbing jerk who uses Christianity as his cover for all manner of evil? I decided I don't really care. There are so many superficial issues that vexed me about going. I will not go over all of them I will only state why now I say I do not care anymore.
After speaking with many people on the issue, looking in the word and trying to understand Jesus's stance on war and reading some articles I came to my current understanding. The view I now hold is that the justifcation for going comes not from international law and the Just War theory, not even from national security concerns, nor revenge. No amount of evidence showing how dishonest the president is will alter the fact that what is going on in Iraq is God ordained. When I look at Scripture and read the words Christ speaks about loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, and accepting persecution it seems initially like a open and shut case. Why not hold to Tolstoyian philosophy concerning war, it seems biblically based off of the beatitudes. This until I open my eyes and realize the same Jesus who spoke those words is the same God who destroyed whole nations of people who rebelled against him. The same God who cares for the poor, downtrodden and the oppressed. This immutable Spirit tells me to break the yoke of sin and set the captives free. I know from reading harrowing accounts from Iraqi people who lived in Saddams regime how very evil it was. The times he used chemical and biological weapons on his own people, or had women raped in front of their husbands to coherse the man to some purpose of Saddam's. The rape was often times videotaped and sent to family members in order to bring disgrace to the family. He had torture cells with meat grinders in them to grind victims while still alive. There are many more examples besides to show the wickedness of his regime.
In the end my justification comes from the fact that ideally war sucks and should not be. There should not be over 30 dictators in the world that oppress their people with violence, but the fact is there are. In the world right now there are millions of people living in hell on earth. God cares for these people and blesses the United States in order to reach out to them with loving compassion. Since the war in Iraq the country has been opened to the Gospel in a new and refreshing way and a evil regime has been brought down. This to me is something that is pleasing in God's sight. If the U.S. is acting out of completely selfish motives God will deal with us. In the mean time I might as well focus on His purposes in all of this and not my own, or someone elses political or personal agenda. If I have offended someone or you completely disagree with my reasoning you will have to talk it through with me, becuase I suck at writing. I have much more sound justification than what I put down here, but my lack of writing skill hinders me from giving it proper heed. Well I will write more later, Jesus Loves you!!

Marine Corps terminology... Here are a few words used in the Marine Corps and there meanings.
1. Roger-Yes
2. Check-Yes I understand
3. errrr/oorah/rah/yut-I understand, a greeting, a sarcastic whatever, I hate you
4. Negative-No
5. Word-information to be passed on
6. Gouge-information to be passed on
7. Roger up- Normally asked in a question form like; Are you going to roger up on my order?
8. Scuttle butt-Rumors, drinking fountain
9. Gossip-Drinking fountain
10. Motavational trash-anything that brings happiness
11. Chow-Food
12. Head-Restroom
13. Head call- act of using the restroom
14. Semper Fidelis- "always faithful" Marine Corps Motto and also used as a greeting or for departing words.
15. Field day- day of complete nonsense where Marines clean for endless hours, normally held every thursday
16. Good to go- something is fine
17. squared away- in good condition
18. fat body- someone who is over weight
19- broke dick- someone who is injured
20. shit bird- some one who is of ill repute
21. Moon beam- flashlight
22. ink stick- pen
23. Civvies- anything not military clothing
24. deck- floor/ground
25. police call- to pick up trash off the ground
26. ladderwell- stairs
27. overhead-ceiling
28. bulkhead-wall
29. rock-stupid person
30. brain child- stupid person
31. a body- just someone who works, normally paygrades E-1 to E-3
32. Blue falcon-someone who screws over a friend
33. skater-someone who always finds away out of work
I will stop here just be advised there are many more Marine Corps words.... I have not even began on all of the acronyms used.
I decided to put these down becuase it is easier than saying what is really going on in my life. It might also be good to break away from the seriousness that normally posseses my writing. Oh the woe is me post is on the way maybe still later tonight not sure yet.

Love Machine

No messing around, no trailing off in some incoherent babble, only what is going on in my life. Right now it is 12:14am and I must wake up in about 5 hours. This is part of my normal routine, on a daily basis I start work around 0700 in the morning military time and get off at about 1630. I shower change change out of my camoflauge utilities uniform into regular people clothes and go out. Going out for me on a monday night is sitting in the Barnes&Noble in Oceanside and reading drinking tea. Right now I am reading Blue Like Jazz by a guy named Donald Miller. So far so good. It is right in line with the whole new Christian Postmodern movement headed by men like Brian McLaren, and Millard J. Erikson. Some kinda breaking free from the shackles of deductionism and reactionary spirit that comes with Modernism. They want to use Post Modernism not the extreme kind i.e. "the truth is there is no truth" as a tool to witness to the generation of now and appeal to them on more relevent basis. An example would be to use beauty and showing how certain lifestyles are not beautiful, instead of thumping them over the head with you Bible. Not that Donald Miller is adressing the issue of Post Modernism in his book, I just believe there to be a post modern feel to it. A better word I would use for it is honest. Donald Miller is honest with who he is and it is working my heart.
I am also reading Moutain of Spices the sequal to Hinds Feet on High Places, both of which are spiritual allegories. On the cover it says An allegory about human weaknesses and Strengths comaparing the spices in song of Solomon to the fruits of the Spirit. I am only about 50 pages into it, but already all of it applies to me. Hinds feet on High Places changed the way I perceive my daily walk and interactions with others I feel this one is gonna do the same.
My freinds Russ and Kevin left two, 4 min long messages on my voice mail, they are funny guys. Apparently they wanted me to eat some pick up sticks with them. The best message I received came from my freind Justin who just returned from a 2 month long missionary trip to Croatia. Of course he lives in Nebraska and I in California, but at least now I can find out how the Missions work went and just hear how the Lord has been working in his life. My freind Nick also called he joined the Marine Corps about 6 months before I did and is getting out in 2 weeks. He plans on moving back to Nebraska and working at a bar in the small town of Battle Creek population 997 people and growing. We used to do alot of partying together back in my savage days. He really only smoked pot and drank with me. Ocassionally he would trip on acid with me, or eat some shrooms. He never got involved with he more serious drugs I was addicted too. The problem with him now is he still thinks of me as the same person and want's to drink with me all the time. I am not one who believes drinking to be a sin. I think it is smarter to stay away from and have all kinds of wonderful arguements I could wax intellectual with concerning the issue but will leave it be for now.
I have a really large group of people I can turn to for help in anykind of trouble. I have been blessed with more friends than I can really stay in touch with properly. I think by now most of them know that I am just strange. I have weeks where I will hang out pretty steady then other weeks where I have some strange social anxiety and cannot handle being around people. In fact I get very standoffish. I am not a very good freind. I rarely return calls on time and never am reliable with hanging out becuase some weekends I will opt to spend reading at Barnes&Noble instead of doing anything. Or I will hang out with people I hardly know instead of my core group. This thie point where I would normally get extremely introspective and dwelve into why exactly I act the way I do, but today I resist. victory!!
Friday I went to the Switchfoot show!!! The show was really good and they played like three new songs. My freinds Willy, Becky, Jamie and Nicole are personal freinds of the band and talked with Linda the lead singers wife. I, on the other hand left as soon as the show was over. I was a little curious about the lack of giving God the glory talk out of the band members. I would want to ask them what they think about there responsibility to spread the Gospel and how they are acting on it. One way I see it pan out is when I tell someone that Switchfoot is a Christian band and they say "really!" I say yeah, listen to the lyrics of such and such a song. Basically, I explain Christianity in the context of explaining a song meaning. I wonder if that is their intent and if they are fine with being sponsered by Jack Daniels and Heiniken beer? I am not some judge or anything, I am ot passing moral judgement I am just curious as to how they are dealing with everything, where are their hearts at? That is plenty of late night ranting for me. Since I highly doubt anyone will read this entire entry i will include that I love Carne Asada Burrito's, a lot. By the way the title has nothing to do with anything.