Saluting the Secret Service

Posted by Mark

Book Review: In the President’s Secret Service by Ronald Kessler

I just finished reading the book listed above and thought I would give you some insight into the Secret Service as well as honor them for the job they do.

In the past you may have heard some curious discussion regarding the Secret Service as a branch of the Department of the Treasury. Why would the Department of the Treasury contain a unit that protects the President? It harkens from their beginnings, in 1865, as an agency that was tasked with tracking down and arresting counterfeiters. In the late 1800’s Congress authorized the Secret Service to investigate other crimes. In 1894 upon investigation into a plot to assassinate President Grover Cleveland, the Secret Service detailed two men to protect the President from the suspects. Also in 1894 the Secret Service began to supplement the police that were protecting the White House. In 1902 the Secret Service began the official duty of protecting the President. However, it was not until 1913 that Congress authorized permanent protection of the President. Over the past 100 years, members of the Secret Service have taken on many additional responsibilities as the threats that they are to protect against have evolved. In 2003 the Secret Service was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security.

One of the responsibilities of the Secret Service is to protect major Presidential candidates. On May 3, 2007 protection was initiated for Barack Obama. This was the earliest start of protection for any candidate in history. As you may imagine, protection for his inauguration was a massive undertaking for the Secret Service. They coordinated 40,000+ law enforcement officers for the event. The long list of other precautions that were taken to secure the inaugural festivities is detailed quite thoroughly in one chapter of the book.

I quite enjoyed the various stories that Mr. Kessler related concerning most of the Presidents over the past 50 years. I think it was most intriguing to read how various Presidents treated the Secret Service agents charged with protecting them. Mr. Kessler includes stories about the following Presidents: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama. Given that these agents are with them 24/7/365, I think that stories about who the Presidents really are when not in front of the cameras is somewhat revealing.

Mr. Kessler attempts to shed light on what he believes is mismanagement of the Secret Service. He gives numerous examples of the agents not receiving continuing training, working too much overtime, and not being properly armed. His hopes for the agency are revealed in the last statement in the book - “My hope is that the problems revealed in the book will lead to reforms that could avert a calamity.” The book was compiled with the cooperation of the Secret Service, and more than one hundred agents were interviewed. Assuming the book is accurate in its representation of the management issues prevalent in the Secret Service, it would not be surprising if a calamity does occur at some point in the future.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about the Secret Service. It was an entertaining, yet sobering, look at the agency that is tasked with one of the most important jobs in our government. The ultimate responsibility of the Secret Service is to maintain the safety of all its protectees. This is quite a job given that every day the Secret Service receives, on average, about 10 threats against any of the people under its guard. To keep our leaders safe, is a daunting task that takes untold man hours and excruciating attention to the smallest of details. I salute the sacrifice that members of the Secret Service make giving of their lives to serve the American people.

Most Likely to Succeed

Posted by Michelle

When I was a senior in high school, my fellow classmates voted to bestow upon me the title of "Most Likely to Succeed." While I knew that this was simply a gesture, it was nice to be recognized by my peers. I spent the next few years working hard and chasing after my definition of success. I was driven as I completed my college degree in three years and used my fourth year to earn a masters degree. Who could say that I was not successful?

My husband and I finished college, and I began my first career. I worked very hard in my first job. I was appreciated by my employers and well-liked by my co-workers. I spent long hours at the office when required. I did what was needed to get the job done. Within my first six months with the company, my employers were discussing the possibility of management with me. I beamed with pride. After all, wasn't I successful?

Through the course of events in my life, God shook things up and I landed with another employer in a smaller company in a little town. I was very happy in this position. I still worked hard when the need arose, but I enjoyed a more relaxed atmosphere. My employer treated me fairly, and we got along well. After several years, I began to entertain the possibility of a partnership somewhere down the road. The opportunity excited me. Could this be the definition of success?

By this time, my "biological clock", as it were, was beginning to kick in. Mark and I were happily married and settled into our own home. We were comfortable in our church and our community. But as Mark and I contemplated the possibility of having a baby, I worried about my job. I began to throw little trial balloons out to my employer to get his impression and was delighted with his positive response. My employer had two small children at the time and maintained a family-friendly atmosphere at work. Another co-worker had just had her second baby and was working part-time. I entertained the option of doing the same, but could I be a success at both?

I will never forget the day that I held my first precious little baby in my arms. He stole my heart as every other responsibility seemed to pale in comparison with taking care of him. I relished my six weeks of maternity leave and even spent the first four months of his life working part-time, some from home. However, the busy season came, and I returned full-time to work. I found myself, again, working hard to get the job done. But this time was different. My heart wasn't in it. I struggled to focus, and I worried that I was not giving my best to either my employer or my baby. Could I succeed in juggling a baby and a career?

This tension dominated my life for the next two months. Finally, I can remember one late night at work sitting in front of my computer as I began to cry. Every ounce of me screamed out to be with my baby. I was struck with the fact that someone else could do my job at the office just as well as I could, but no one else could ever love my little baby as much as his daddy and me. Somewhere in the struggle, I finally came to peace with the fact that I could not achieve my definition of success with both my career and my baby. I completed my obligation to my employer to finish out the busy season and left my job when my baby was eight months old. I will never forget my first day at home after quitting my job. I can remember sitting in my rocker wondering what I should do next. What was required to be successful in my new career?

I found staying at home with my baby to be rewarding but different. It was not long before Mark and I welcomed another little boy into our family. A few years later, we had a little girl. And a few years after that, God blessed us with a third little boy. There are no offers of management or possibilities of partnership in my new career. I must confess that I have struggled with issues of worth and value as I have wiped noses and bottoms. I have wondered at the unexpected turn my life has taken. Could I still possibly be considered successful?

There have been times when I have questioned God as to why I could not be at peace in my heart with both motherhood and a career. The simple fact is that I could not. So, with a change in career has come a change in my definition of success. I still hold big dreams in my heart for the future, but I am totally committed to my career of motherhood for this priceless season of my life. And thanks to my peers in high school for voting me "Most Likely to Succeed." You were absolutely right!

What is your definition of success?

Sowing Good Seed

Posted by Mark
(A friend suggested that we inform you at the TOP of each post who is writing it. What a good suggestion!)

Yesterday began a new chapter in my life. Only time will tell how long this chapter will last. My hope is that this will be an entirely new lifestyle for me and for our whole family. The new chapter begins with a choice to eat more healthily. I desire to be a good steward of the body that God has given to me; therefore, I choose to eat differently. I must admit that this decision did not come lightly. I greatly enjoy many foods that are not particularly healthy and some that are downright unhealthy. I would prefer to eat whatever I want whenever I want it. Unfortunately, my body was not designed to stay fit and trim with that eating plan. My expanding waistline would eventually be the death of me.

I had to wrestle with myself over making a choice that would benefit me over the long run (20-30-40 years) or make the choice that feels good today. Oh, how I would rather live in the moment! That was the state of mind in which I found myself when I heard a challenge on the radio regarding sowing and reaping. The line of thinking was this: if you want to win long term then you have to sow good seed now in order to reap the benefits in the future. It hit me like a ton of bricks! I was immediately drawn to sow good decisions that would yield a harvest that I want in the future.

Even though I was armed with my inspiration to sow good seed, I must admit that I am a complainer. My wife will tell you that if I don’t like something I will complain. There have been many times over the past couple weeks that I have complained sarcastically about this new lifestyle and how it will impact me negatively. One of my running jokes is “If it doesn’t taste good then you can eat all you want of it!” In fact, I think that might be the primary rule for eating now. Of course, I am kidding …well, maybe not completely.

In my struggle to make good decisions regarding healthy eating, I had to confront my own selfish desires to consume food that is unhealthy. To choose a healthy lifestyle seems like such a huge decision now, but in light of the overall health and stewardship of my body it is not all that great a sacrifice. My desire to reap the benefits of a healthy diet have challenged me to live my life in such a way that I am sowing the seeds that will produce the result I want.

Are you sowing seed that will produce the harvest you want to reap?