GAME WARDEN CHAPLAIN NOTEBOOK: Recent Episodes
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https://gamewardenchaplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Christmas-2024.mp3This Holiday season, I’ve asked Chaplain Chris Irving and State Park Police Officer Sgt. Stephen Gober, to share a little about what they do and things to think through this holiday season.
I wanted one of our Regional Chaplains, Chaplain Daryl Dilworth of Region 5, to share a message for this Christmas season. If you know Daryl, you know him to be a man of faith, a wonderful listener and a man who knows something of your Law Enforcement issues as he, too, is a Commissioned Law Enforcement Officer. Sit back and enjoy his quiet demeanor and wise words for this time of year.
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Have you ever considered yourself as different from most other people? Well, in a very real sense, you are. Though we all have our similarities as people, each of us has been “called out” from the crowd in some way. As the early church was considered “the called-out ones (ekklesia), so each of us is called to our special purpose in life.
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Many issues come to each of us during our lifetimes, but one certainly will come to all of us, that we will lose someone we love. It’s a natural thing to lose a loved one, but how we deal with it depends on many things. In this podcast we’ll look at maybe a way that … Continue reading “A” Way to Get Through a Death
“Brother’s Keeper?” Have you ever used the phrase, maybe in joking when asked where so and so might be, and we jokingly say, “Who am I, my brother’s keeper?” (we can also insert Sister for Brother. Well, this month’s blog is about that, but it’s also about why we need to watch out for each … Continue reading Am I My “Brother’s (Sister’s) Keeper?”
https://gamewardenchaplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Easter-2023-Podcast.mp3Whether or not you celebrate the Easter season, this month’s podcast will probably apply to you. Each of us, from time to time, have problems with our tongues and mouths – usually when we are callous with them against another person. The idea of “character assassination” is all around us these days. But that has always been around – whether to build someone up or tear someone down, and usually in a cowardly way behind that person’s back. Sounds like a real downer, doesn’t it? Listen to the end and find out how we have been redeemed through the actions of the One.
https://gamewardenchaplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Thanksgiving-2020.mp3Are we takers, keepers or givers? At this Thanksgiving time, an ancient, recorded story reminds us that in being thankful, giving is just as important. Happy Thanksgiving
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of our State Park Police Officers doing the great work of keeping our Park resources and the many people from all over the world who visit our parks safe and enjoying a wonderful experience. I had the honor of sitting down around the table with some of our finest. … Continue reading Interview With State Park Police
If you watch Lone Star Law at all, you’ll know the name and face of Game Warden Mike Boone. What you may not know is how he feels about kids and “family.” He has been an inspiration to many new Game Wardens, as well, when they come out of the Academy. It was a lot … Continue reading A Sit Down With Game Warden Mike Boone
This month, I had the honor of interviewing a dear friend, Assistant Commander Cody Jones. When Cody graduated from the Academy, he and his family joined the church I was pastoring in Austin. He was, literally, the first Game Warden I had ever met. But he and his family became dear friends of ours. Also, … Continue reading An Interview with Asst. Commander Cody Jones
The podcast for this month is and interview with two wonderful Game Wardens who partner in leading our Critical Incident Team. Of course, these are also two very large personalities who make me laugh when I am with them – very gregarious people. I wanted to hear from their hearts why they see leading our … Continue reading Critical Incident Team with James Barge and Rachel Kellner
This month I had the privilege of interviewing Major Brent Satsky of our LE Special Operations. Anyone that know Brent will know that he is a man full of information and someone who cares deeply about his Game Wardens and his Staff. I believe you’ll enjoy his interview and learn much more about our Special … Continue reading Interview with Brent Satsky
As all of you know, we have a new Colonel, Chad Jones. I had the honor of sitting down with Chad a few weeks ago and finding out about his life, history with our Game Warden assignments and other issues close to his heart. I think you’ll enjoy hearing what he has to say – … Continue reading Colonel Chad Jones Interview
This podcast deals with “Stress” and will be the first in a series of podcasts dealing with Stress. Also, I had the opportunity to interview Chief Wes Masur of our State Park Police Officers. I know you’ll want to hear what this wonderful man has to say!
There are many things we can learn from our dogs! K-9 Ruger, our now retired K-9, is a dog we can learn much from these days in how to deal with so many of the issues of our lives. Listen to Captain Christy Vales as she describes Ruger and all he has to teach us … Continue reading K-9 Ruger and His Lessons
This month I had the honor of interviewing Colonel Grahame Jones just one month out from his retirement. I only wish I had done this with Colonel Craig Hunter! You have the opportunity to listen to his heart as he leaves the job he dreamed of – not being Colonel, but being a Texas Game … Continue reading Interview With Col. Grahame Jones
There is nothing about “Greif” that we look forward to dealing with. However, each of us must deal with it sooner or later. We will all face loss, and with loss we will all face the emotion of “grief.” Even if you are not going through Grief, or are just coming out of it, please … Continue reading Grief
Its that time of year – when stores are crowded, checking accounts get much smaller and some of us struggle with things that have happened through the year that make this year’s holiday season a little less than it used to be. But, there is good news! Listen, and see what I mean.
One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve travelled around the state and spoken to our Texas Game Wardens – now more than ever, Game Wardens don’t know each other like they did when there were even fewer of them. So, I want to spend a few podcasts interviewing Game Wardens so those of you who may … Continue reading GW Darrin Peeples Interview
Retired Game Warden Raymond Custer was in the hospital recently (he’s out now and doing well). I ran up to San Angelo to see him and he started telling me about some of his stories from his old Game Warden days. What a hoot he is! Remember to tell your stories because they mean so … Continue reading Stories with Custer!
This month, I have a great interview with a very charismatic man named TJ Greany! TJ is a friend of Carter Smith who introduces us to TJ before I interview him. If you are looking for a good program to get boys out into the outdoors while learning skills that, unfortunately, are being lost due … Continue reading Kid’s Outdoor Zone (KOZ)
In this final installment of “The Power of Story,” the final two lessons I learned while living in the back of my 1969 Ford Fairlane 500 is presented. 1) Without an Advocate, there is ultimately no one to stand up for us, and 2) God always presents a way for us to see us as … Continue reading The Power of Story, Part 3
Last month I talked about three life lessons God taught me in one of the worst times of my life. So, this month, I begin with the first lesson. Why? Well, we as humans learn from the lessons of others. Its one of the ways God has given us to not only teach us, but for us to use to teach and help others going through difficult times of life. So, I hope you get something from this because “as iron sharpens iron, so we sharpen each other!”
We, each of us, have a story to tell. That means that it is important and worth sharing. Beginning this month and for the next three months, we will share in the telling of a story and how God has taken a stupid, unruly, egotistical young man to a new place and how important it was for his life.
I hope you will enjoy the journey. Each story is a journey! Your story is a journey and one worth telling for . . . you never know who!
We talk a lot about heroes on this site because we honor our Game Wardens for the things they do - especially when they had no idea they were going to be put into certain situations.
This month, we interview GW Rob Frets just over a year after the horrific shooting in Sutherland Springs. Rob was one of the first on the scene after the massacre of so many people and we talk to him about how he is doing, how he's coping and what strategies he used to get through this past year.
Listen in to his own words. We will all go through horrific incidents in our lives, but Rob gives us good advice about how those incidents do not need to defeat us in our minds and hearts.
Can you believe we’re already at Thanksgiving time of year? Don’t blink . . . Christmas is coming soon! This newsletter sets up some history of the holiday, some ideas for your kids to consider and some funny quotes from some of our best comedians and famous people. Next month, we’ll return to a Podcast. … Continue reading Thanksgiving in 2018
October reflects the interview with one of our own Game Wardens. Aiden Deitz is a Game Warden for Starr County. He just returned, recently, from a 9 month stint as a First Lieutenant with the Texas Army National Guard as a Platoon Leader. He had 40 plus men and women under his command on the … Continue reading Service
Last month I indicated that the August Podcast would be nothing but jokes from the field and that there would be a competition for the best joke. Well, that joke was won by the seven-year-old girl, Hailey, the daughter of one of our own TPWD folks. I have included her joke, in her own words, … Continue reading Jokes
This month, I’m asking everyone to send me their favorite jokes and we’ll play them in August. Send them to me in an audio file (in your voice) or in text form (I’ll do my best to tell it for you) to scott.mcintosh@tpwd.texas.gov. Let’s see who has the best jokes. A reward will be coming to … Continue reading God Gave us a Sense of Humor
We live in a world of social media. This causes us to feel like we’re connected to so many more people, including people we haven’t seen in a long time. The trouble is, perhaps we really aren’t connected as well as we think we are. The younger folks in our world have actually been recording … Continue reading Disconnected
Each of us is so very different from other people. There’s not a one of us who is like another, even if you’re an identical twin or triplet. We’re just not made to be exactly like anyone else. This is GOOD news! Each of us brings a uniqueness to our families, our workplaces and the … Continue reading Your Uniqueness
Ever been angry? Of course! Ever wonder how to deal with it or if it was normal? Ever wonder if you might have an anger problem? Well . . . you might, but you might not, as well. In reality, anger is a gift, just like all the other emotions. It’s what we do with … Continue reading Anger!!
On the connection with the “Communication” podcast a couple of months ago, I wanted to look, again, at what it means to be and/or stay connected with the spouse/significant other you, as a Game Warden, may have. Its not the easiest thing in the world to make a connection with a Game Warden work. In … Continue reading Saying Connected
How are you doing with your relationships? Many philosophers over the centuries have postulated that it is “relationships” that have caused the most problems between nations, tribes, religions and people. What are some ways you can use to address being better at the relationships you have be they marital, familial, professional, etc.? This post gives some simple … Continue reading Relationships
Fear is a natural part of the human psyche. It is also a gift! It’s one of those things given to us for our own protection and we know when it happens by the thump in our chest or the hair raising on the back of our neck. But fear can also be a crippling … Continue reading Fear! Will it be a Part of our 2018?
With all of the violence against Law Enforcement, these days, it would be easy to get jaded and down about what people who are out to do the good things are having to go through. Don’t get caught in that! You aim high because you were created to go high! Your calling in L.E. is … Continue reading Fly High at Christmas Time!
Wait, wait, wait! That is probably the hardest thing to do. People want us to act and act now. The problem is, God may not be finished putting all the pieces together, yet. Big we jump in too early, we mess the whole thing up. Can you wait and see what will happen, or will … Continue reading What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
As first responders begin to return from Hurricane Harvey, it is vital that we pay attention to their well-being. Large scale disasters demand significant physical and mental amounts of energy that public servants readily give of themselves. However, the recovery process for these amazing first responders is frequently overlooked. If you are a public safety … Continue reading Disaster Relief – What To Expect As First Responders Return Home
Have you ever felt like the “new kid on the block?” It can be a pretty uncomfortable place in which to find yourself and your family when you’re the new folks in a new place and a new position. With all the new Game Wardens, people moving to new positions and new folks being added … Continue reading Welcome
“Loss is one of the hardest things we, as humans, go through and we seem to go through it quite often. Death causes the greatest sense of loss. Many of us have recently gone through the death of a loved one and can relate to the horror associated with it whether it be sudden or … Continue reading Loss
Communication is one of the most difficult things we do in life, while at the same time, its one of the things we do more than anything else – like breathing. The problem is, we don’t do it very well, and because we don’t do it very well, we send out mixed signals and we … Continue reading Communicating Well
Believe it or not, there actually are people out there who would do you harm, psychologically. They want to make sure you believe everything wrong is wrong because of you. This article is about the tools and tactics of those who would choose to create within you a sense that you are the problem, not … Continue reading Those Who Would Do You Harm – Psychologically
Many parents today are asking the question, “I know my teenager is entering a difficult world. How do I help my teen continue to be strong and encouraged?” This article can help you with some suggestions for understanding what comes up in your teen’s life and ways you, as their parent, can understand and guide … Continue reading Identifying the Spiritual Needs of Your Student in Today’s Culture
What does it mean to parent with intention or purpose? It means making a plan for bringing up your child and sticking to that plan. This article is not an exhaustive study, but perhaps it can give you some ideas. Also, there are resources at the end that can give you further help in parenting … Continue reading Parenting With Intention
If you are a single-parent, you are to be praised. Most of us would be so intimidated alone that we’d probably go crazy. But you! You have been given the great responsibility and joy of raising a child or children alone while being given an enormous task. This article will help you find a way … Continue reading Raising Children Alone
How do you prepare your child for the teenage years? For that matter, how do you prepare yourself for those years? This study will give you some helpful information to answer both of those questions. Fear not! These years can be great and fulfilling for both of you. So Youre Going to Have a Teenager
Our children are so precious to us that when they have a need or desire, we will bend over backwards to make sure they have the most helpful and best quality service. The spiritual life is certainly as important as any other part of life, if not the greatest since it is an eternal decision. … Continue reading Introducing Your Child to Faith
So many of us have recently been going through grief for one reason or another. This newsletter is dedicated, mostly, to that subject. I’m praying that some of what you find in this newsletter will be helpful to you if you are going through grief, or helpful to you when you find yourself dealing with … Continue reading March Chaplain’s Chat Newsletter
Have you even wondered what a “Great Life” is all about? Is it about having all the money, fame, wisdom, knowledge you ever wanted? Perhaps that’s a part of it. But, is that what really makes a “great life?” I was watching Lone Star Law last night and watched as one of our Game Wardens … Continue reading Living a Great Life
We all experience a dark night of the soul at some point in our life and we also walk through others dark nights alongside them and experience it with them. How do you reach the dawn after a dark night of the soul? It takes growth… Listen in to Chaplain McIntosh as he provides an insightful look at the Dark Night … Continue reading Dark Night of the Soul
Surprises come with the Holiday Season. Listen in as Chaplain Scott McIntosh discusses some of the Surprises of the Season.