Chappy’s Weight Loss Solution Chapter-2

In the depths of my collapse, I found a relationship with God and began to help other alcoholics in the 12 step program and at the local hospital in Newport as a volunteer and eventually as a counselor/consultant to businesses in Rhode Island and two nearby states. My life of recovery and sobriety was aided by a strong Christian participation in the church and eventually led to a ministry as a pastoral counselor following a move to Florida in 1988.

In 1994 I established a Christian counseling ministry: Hope Ministries Inc.(hopeministriesflorida.org) in Palm Bay Florida, a ministry that focused on helping hearts heal for Christians who were struggling. I was ordained as a minister at the start of Hope Ministries and the ministry flourished. In late 2005 I began to desire the expansion our ministry to the workplace and a friend at the local Mental Health Center suggested that what I wanted was to be a workplace Chaplain.

I started offering a Chaplaincy to local businesses and enjoyed this work, but did not feel fulfilled because most of the businesses did not take the chaplaincy seriously. In the process, I had a flashback memory of the wonderful relationship that I had with the Newport Fire Department when I was on the City Council and it occurred to me that local fire departments might be interested in a serious commitment to Fire Chaplaincy.

I began introducing my self to several departments offering myself to be their Chaplain. Several departments showed interest in having me be their Chaplain but Chief Jon Macdonald of The Indialantic Fire Rescue Department actually invited me to be a member of their volunteer association and to be the Chaplain to the entire department that was a combination department. However, Chief Macdonald insisted that I take the Fire I class to be eligible for certification as a Fire Fighter if I wanted to be his Chaplain.

So, at 65 I took the full Fire I class. The Chief said it would be all right if I could not complete all the physical requirements because of my age. I took that as a challenge. The classroom instruction was very difficult for me because I am not mechanically inclined. However, at the end of the class I had passed everything including the physical requirements. Chief suggested that I take the test for state certification which I passed with great help from God and so I began to ride Engine 57 on emergency calls and grew to love being a volunteer firefighter as well as serving as Chaplain. All of the members of our department welcomed me as their Chaplain and as a volunteer Fire I firefighter.