Welcome back to school! I loved going back to school when I was a young man. The first week was so exciting as we saw our friends we hadn’t seen since for months, we also made new friends and met new teachers. I have that same excitement now as we start the new academic year. From my office this past week in Hatcher Hall, named for Dr. William Hatcher, our 1st President, I could hear, “Left, right, left…” outside my window as the Commandant’s Department was conducting new leader training. Our new Cadets will arrive this week, and they’ll learn to “get in step.” We will teach them…and they will learn.

We stand for something…so we won’t fall for anything. God never changes. He’s the same today, tomorrow, and forever. This gives us confidence and hope. An old hymn that I love goes like this…“On the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” God bless our Academy for being on solid ground, unshakable in who we are and what we believe.

A lighthouse of hope! Lighthouses help guide ships safely into harbor. It’s the same with God’s word in that we can be confident in His word and promises to keep us safe. Matthew 5:16 encourages us “to let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus is the light of the world. Sharing the Gospel is sharing the light in our personal lives. The Gospel is a beacon of hope for today, tomorrow, and everlasting life through belief in Jesus our Redeemer. At FUMA, those who believe are reinforced, and for those hearing the Gospel for the first time, they can listen without judgement and decide which path they choose to follow. It is my hope they choose to follow Jesus Christ.

In God we Trust. With so much uncertainty in the world…a war in Ukraine, hopelessness, and trouble at every turn…what can we do? David reminds us in Psalms 91, “I will say to the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Next week we’ll have a prayer meeting at which I’ll pray for every Cadet, faculty and staff member by name and ask God’s blessing on them in Jesus’ name.

May the grace of the Lord be upon His people.

Go FUMA!

Colonel David L. Coggins, USMC (Ret.)
President
Fork Union Military Academy