Our Covid Story

I was once a “company man” in the Marine Corps, but the covid vaccine mandate changed that.  The following is our “covid story”, what happened to me and my family, and the lessons learned.  Why share this story?  Because if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.  If we do not honestly reflect on significant choices made – whether good or bad – we fail to grasp God’s purpose in allowing tests to occur.  We all can agree that the covid plandemic of 2020-2021 created hard times, in which lies were promulgated, and hard choices were forced upon us all.  Some made good choices, others did not, but we were all negatively affected by the ordeal.  I am sharing our story because it can provide valuable lessons for Christians today and in the future. 

First, what do I mean by “company man”?  When you receive the rank of Staff Sergeant and sign your next contract, it’s in blood…okay, not really, but it is assumed you will do the minimum of 20 years to retirement.  I had taken part in retirement ceremonies over the years, and it became something I coveted.  I even imagined what I’d say at my retirement ceremony, giving glory to God and preaching the gospel, for real!  But the truth is, I struggled in year 10 with the decision to get out or stay.  I had planned (when I was single) to smoothly transition into civilian life after my three-year recruiting stint…but God.  He brought Cassie into my life, we married, and nine months later the arrival of our son Titus brought life-change which reshaped my focus and our future.  We prayed and had peace with me remaining in the Marine Corps, so I did.  Certainly, job security and health insurance played a part in our decision, but as an older Staff Sergeant in the infantry, I still felt there was a little gas left in the tank.  Despite job offers from three different organizations, I was determined to do whatever it took to retire as a Marine.

Following recruiting duty in McAlester, Oklahoma, I received orders to Victor 1/3 in Hawaii where we “toughed it out”.  I did all the things expected from an infantry unit leader, we had another child (Irene), and despite separation from my growing family, life was good.  I reached the magical age of 40, and my body started to complain, so I made the request to do a less strenuous second recruiting tour, from which I hoped to retire.  But the powers that be had different plans, and instead I received orders to be a combat instructor at the School of Infantry West aboard Camp Pendleton, California.  After a long talk with myself and beating my body into subjection (1 Cor. 9:27), we packed up our four kids and flew back to the mainland.

Surprisingly (glory to God), my body held up through the rigors of training to be a combat instructor.  While at Combat Instructor School we heard news about Covid-19, but thought nothing of it, until our class leader contracted it and was out for a whole week.  Nonetheless, we pushed through until graduation, and I received orders to Infantry Training Battalion, Bravo Company.  Our very first class of infantry students were trained amidst the pandemic, but we just kept our heads down until they all graduated with not one covid case. 

Time passed, the pandemic spread, and we learned about the soon-coming covid vaccination to be administered to service members first.  Nearly every Marine I spoke to at the time said they wouldn’t submit to the vaccine…that was true until they were ordered to take it.  I mean, Marines never refuse orders, right?  This is where my precious wife came into play.  Nearly every day when I came home, she would adamantly say, “Don’t take the shot, just wait.”  She was continually giving me the latest numbers of deaths and injuries from the VAERS website that this so-called “vaccine” was causing. Looking back, there is no doubt the Lord used Cassie’s persistence to prevent me from taking the jab.  Courageous medical officers in the military began to speak out against the shots because of the large number of injuries it was causing, but they were quickly “discredited”, silenced, or forced to resign.  I admitted that the whole thing seemed wrong, so I put it off as long as I could.  My thought was “Someone at Headquarters Marine Corps will learn of the injuries and stand up for us.”  I was wrong.  We were given a no later than date of November 14^th, 2021, to comply or be forced out of the service.  This was the first red flag for me, and almost simultaneously there was another. 

Remember that first class of Infantry Marines we trained through the initial wave of the pandemic?  One of those students – LCpl Jared Schmitz – was needlessly killed on August 26^th, 2021, at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan by a madman who had been previously identified as a threat.  A request was made to take down this known terrorist, but they were told to stand down, after which he blew himself up, taking with him numerous civilians, eleven Marines, one Navy Corpsman, and one Army soldier.  Not only could this tragedy have been prevented, but in the aftermath not one person in the chain of command was held responsible for this shameful atrocity.  Do you know who was punished, aside from the families of the fallen?  The one man – LtCol Scheller – who had the moral courage to publicly call out those responsible for the gross negligence of that day.  His viral video and his boldness resonated with me and left a mark on my conscience.   

These two alarms, combined with being passed over for promotion with no valid explanation, put the writing on the wall.  It certainly appeared that the “brass” no longer had our backs, and the disparity between officers and enlisted seemed to grow larger every day.  One thing that would become obvious is that Christians with sincerely held beliefs and those who questioned questionable orders were no longer desired in the Corps.  Additionally, during this time I learned that we would be having baby #5 in May!  Decision time! 

As November 14^th approached, Cassie and I learned more about the Covid-19 shot.  We discovered that it was developed using aborted fetal tissue, which DEFINITELY went against my faith!  This led us down a “rabbit hole” to find (among other disturbing things) that various other vaccines were also developed in the same way.  These deliberately concealed tidbits of information should have sealed the deal for me, but regretfully they didn’t.  I tried to convince myself, thinking “I will only have FOUR more years until retirement!”; and “If I just shut up and get the shot, the Lord will protect me from harm.” A former seminary professor (R.I.P.) said “Just take it and get it over with!” Even our pastor at the time stated publicly that he took it so he could visit the sick in the hospital. I gathered these facts in my mind like ammunition which I presented in an argument to my wife. To her credit, she did NOT budge an inch!  Then, as I straddled the fence, I had a conversation that finally settled the dilemma for me.  This requires a little backstory.

Ben and Bonnie were quite literally a Godsend to our family.  We met because their daughter just “happened” to be on the same youth soccer team as Titus, a team which Cassie and I reluctantly coached.  After getting to know them, we found that our families had a lot in common, and we got along great.  Then we discovered that they also “happened” to attend the same church as us – Calvary Chapel Oceanside – and at this point I wondered what the Lord was up to.  Through conversation I learned that Ben – an eighteen-year Master Sergeant – just so “happened” to have already submitted a Religious Accommodation Request for exemption from the covid shot.  Eighteen years!  Just coincidence, right?  Our relationship with them led to a critical point for me – whether they knew it or not – that would help change the trajectory of our lives. 

After a soccer game one Saturday, we were standing around talking (as most everyone did at that time) about covid, the vaccine mandate, etc.  They knew our situation, but to my knowledge did not know I was still on the fence about my decision.  I made the comment half-joking, “I’m so close to retirement, I think I’ll just take the jab and get it over with”.  That’s when Ben’s wife Bonnie looked me dead in the eye and asked the simple question, “But Tim, how can you go against your beliefs?”  That question hit me square between the eyes!  I didn’t answer, but I knew the answer…I couldn’t.  Right then I understood that this mandate was a gift from God; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a firm stand for my faith; a chance for me to put my beliefs into action!  I realized after that question that belief which does not translate into action is not belief at all, but a fairy tale.  With administrative guidance from Ben, and peace in my heart, on November 14^th I submitted my Religious Accommodation Request to Headquarters Marine Corps not just for exemption from the covid vax, but from ALL vaccinations.  Yup, we had become official tin-foil-hat-wearing anti-vaxxers!  In my whole career as a Marine, this was the first order I refused to obey, but I did so with solace that could only have come from God.  My request was denied immediately (as all but 2 of them were), after which I submitted an appeal that was marked “pending”.  I had no idea what would happen, but God sustained us through the process. 

During this time, I thought heavily about the implications of my decision compared to retirement.  Yes, losing retirement would hurt, almost like a death.  At the time I had invested nearly fifteen hard years in this institution, and my dream of retirement, along with its benefits, would vanish like vapor.  But I realized and marked three keys that over time had become more important to me.

Key #1: Standing by my convictions and my faith in Jesus Christ.  It was 100% God’s grace that He opened my eyes to see the true value of the opportunity I’d been given to take a stand for Him.  In hindsight He’d prepared me for this moment my whole life, but I would have failed this test had He not intervened through other Christians who had better discernment than me.  And had I folded, this would have been a huge opportunity wasted.  Money and the idol of “retirement” had blinded me before, but once I took my stand, the Lord opened my eyes to the truth, and He stood with me. As a follower of Jesus, I had an obligation to take a stand for Him against the powers of darkness in this world.  God’s Word says in James 4:17, “…to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”; more importantly, Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in Heaven.”  Personally, it was crystal clear that this was my moment to either confess or deny – there was no middle ground!  Through this experience the Lord was giving me a megaphone with which to proclaim the gospel and publicly confess my faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, so that is what I did. 

Key #2: Setting a godly example for my children.  If you did not realize, I’m not the only one who suffered loss because of my decision.  So did my wife and kids.  They lost out on retirement pay and healthcare coverage for life, which is huge!  They had to leave friends they’d made, a vibrant church community, and a lifestyle to which they’d grown accustomed.  Would my children ever know of my compromise if I got the shot?  Probably not, but the Lord would, and so would I.  So instead of lamenting tangible losses, my decision set our gaze on something more important…an opportunity to SHOW our children – not just tell them – what standing for your faith looks like.  They would for the rest of their lives have a living testimony in their parents of what it means to take a stand for Jesus when the whole world seems to be bowing.  There was an old country song by Aaron Tippin that kept replaying in my mind, which goes: “You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.  You’ve got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string.  Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name.  You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”  What better lesson could we – professing Christians – teach our children than to put your faith where your mouth is?  That following Jesus and standing for Him is more important than ANYTHING else in the world?  There is no more important life-lesson than that.  This second key made me grateful to God for the chance to leave a legacy of which my kids could be proud. 

Key #3: Spending time with my family (which I would never get back).  My desire has always been to have a big family, but when years passed with no children, my hope faded until I eventually gave up on that dream.  I wrongly felt like the Lord was punishing me for sins committed or wasted opportunities, so I focused instead on building my career as a Marine.  Then I met and married Cassie, and the Lord saw fit to bless me with two precious daughters…then nine months later a son…then another daughter…then another son…5 kids altogether!  I’ve come to realize that apart from His Word, there is no more obvious way the Lord chooses to speak to us, than through children. Psalm 127 says “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.  How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them”.  As my Dad would say, “My quiver is full!”  I cannot express what joy our children bring to my life, and being away from Cassie and the kids was like torture!  I was MISSING my kids grow up due to the nature of my job, and increasingly my absence seemed unnatural, like a sin.  I contemplated senior Marines who made a lot of money, had a great retirement package, but who barely knew their kids by the time they retired. I did NOT want that for my family!  I came to the important realization that time with my children (which I would never get back) was more important than money.  Once that dawned on me like the morning sun, my decision to leave – which should have been a sad occasion – became the beginning of an exciting adventure!  I had no idea how God would provide for us, but I knew He – the ALL-SUFFICIENT ONE – would!  So, as we made plans to exit the Marine Corps and fulfill our dream of homesteading, I determined, Lord willing, that I would never enslave myself to any man or man-made institution again; that, God-willing, I would remain free to invest in our most precious assets – our children; that I would live to “…bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).         

The three keys above were all more important to me than loyalty to a compromised institution, retirement, or money, and they would unlock the door to real freedom.  I was no longer a “company man” but I was completely liberated! 

Since the end of my enlistment was coming up (22 March 2023), I applied for early retirement for reasons of “hardship” because of this covid mess.  My early retirement (TERA) request was pending for some time, so I made plans to exit.  My chain of command was very helpful and allowed me to do the things necessary to transition out.  The Lord provided a home for us in eastern Oklahoma, and after shipping our household goods, I moved my family there on January 9^th of 2023, with plans to join them in February.  On January 10^th, the mandate for vaccinations was lifted, and my early retirement request was subsequently denied.  Well played, Marine Corps!  Yes, technically I COULD have stayed in, but having my eyes opened, wild horses could not have kept me!

Some may think I made a foolish decision in leaving, and that is okay.  Just like some (Christians) thought my decision to follow God’s call and go to seminary instead of playing football for the Razorbacks was “a waste of good football talent”.  Just like some thought I was crazy for leaving the mission field to join the Marine Corps…okay, I concede that one.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have not always made the best decisions (as none of us have), and it took YEARS for me to learn how to really surrender to Jesus, a daily practice which I am still learning.  But my saying “NO” to injecting toxins into my veins, and breaking free from the man-made institution that would force me to do so?  That was the best decision I could have made.  

What lessons can we learn from all this?  I don’t presume to know what lessons you learned from covid, but here are a few insights for your consideration before the next big valley of decision, which is SURE to come.   

Be careful of the voices to whom you listen.

Out of 250 combat instructors in our battalion, there were about 20 or so remaining who had not taken the shot.  The battalion commander brought in the senior medical officer and the chaplain to answer our questions and persuade us, but it became clear that they were not ready for the barrage of questions they received.  After some of the lamest answers I’d heard (respectfully, of course) they began to get visibly agitated, to the point where the chaplain even cussed!  At that point it was obvious they had lost control of the narrative, because their answers did not satisfy our appetites.  It’s not as if we were being belligerent; we were just looking for satisfactory answers which they could not give, because there were none!  At one point the medical officer told a Marine with service-related heart issues that he would most likely NOT experience myocarditis as a result of the covid vaccine.  I thought “If there are already reports of myocarditis as a result of the vaccine, and this guy already has heart issues, how can he say confidently this Marine would NOT experience it?”  Then I had an epiphany of sorts: This medical officer, who took an oath to first ‘do no harm’ cares more about pushing this narrative than he does about this Marine’s wellbeing…he doesn’t care!  That was a big eye-opener for me.  The whole charade was a “dog-and-pony show”, and my resolve was hardened all the more.  Had I complied purely because of their position of authority or influence, I would have made the wrong decision.  19,417 is the VAERS number of vaccine-related deaths, a number which is actually MUCH higher.  This is not to speak of the thousands, maybe millions, of vaccine-related injuries.  And DAILY the jab-related death toll is rising.

Similar to my experience above, there were many people, especially folks in positions of authority, advocating for the jab: some had a nefarious motive, which was to decrease the world’s population by outright killing you; other profiteers stood to make a fortune from you taking the jab (they know who they are); many more well-meaning people were simply deceived into thinking it was the right thing to do; but NONE of these are people whose advice you should have taken.  When it comes to the wellbeing of you and your loved ones, there is no one who cares more than you do.  No one outside of your vetted circle should be trusted, and only YOU should decide what to put into your body! Question EVERYTHING and EVERYONE – especially those in authority – if they are pushing hard for your compliance.  Ask yourself “Why are they forcing this so hard?  Why do they care if I comply or not?  What do they have to gain by getting everyone to go along?”  These types of questions will ultimately lead you to the truth, which once you understand, will become plain as the nose on your face.  And no one else, regardless of what they say, has your best interest at heart.  If you did not know this before, hopefully you do now. 

Educate yourself. 

My wife is one of a kind, and she is a bulldog when it comes to her family.  Had I disregarded her research as “misinformation” like most of the world, I would have caved like them.  But because of her zeal, I too began doing my own digging and found what she said to be true.  When I discovered that the covid-19 and other vaccines were formed using aborted fetal tissue, I was repulsed, and ultimately, I repented. I repented with tears of sorrow for how I had previously mistreated God’s temple (my body), allowing foreign toxins to be injected into it with complete disregard. I repented of my willful ignorance of the 63, 460, 000 babies murdered at the hands of abortionists in our country. I repented for even considering compromise after learning the truth. Knowing what I knew, I could no longer plead ignorance, nor would I ever willingly allow this covid abomination into my body!  My battle then became more than a rejection of an untested “vaccine” because of its threat to my body; it was a statement to the world that our sovereign God ABHORS the murder of unborn babies, and to insert aborted fetal tissue – or a “vaccine” formed from it – into my body would be to condone the mass genocide of the most vulnerable among us!  Nope!  And this might upset some of you, but if you claim the name of Jesus and knew this fact, but still got the shot, you also need to repent.  

Every single Christian in the United States had access to the same information we did through this tool we use multiple times every day called the internet, and I knew there were more Marines who claimed to be Christians.  Why then, out of 250 Marines in my unit, were there only five religious accommodation requests submitted?  Five out of 250?  Did they know something I didn’t?  Maybe it’s what they didn’t know or want to know.  On a larger scale, out of 202,000 Marines (active and reserve) there were just shy of 4,000 religious accommodation requests submitted Marine Corps-wide.  That’s not even 2%.  We Marines boast about being the “less than 1%” (of Americans); I guess that makes me part of the 1.9% of the less than 1%! 

In the information age we cannot claim ignorance about important issues of our day, especially ones which directly involve our bodies and impact our relationship with God.  The covid pandemic proved that fear and ignorance are powerful weapons which can be effectively wielded by sinister people who wish to do us harm.  But knowledge is power!  We must discern what is important and arm ourselves with knowledge they cannot take away.  Only then can we make informed decisions that are honoring to God.  Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Don’t be a fool. Educate yourself.               

Stand!

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given the ultimatum to bow to a false god or be thrown into the fiery furnace, they – having been prepared their whole lives for that moment – stood, and were not silent.  They told the king in Daniel 3:16-18, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”  These three young men stood their ground against a narcissistic, violent king and his idol, knowing they would be thrown into the furnace, but perceiving that their faith in God was more important than their lives.  And when they were thrown into the furnace, the Lord stood with them, protecting them from the blaze.  As a result, the evil king praised God and acknowledged their faith: “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God” (Daniel 3:28).

It should be clear to every believer with an ounce of discernment that there are evil forces in this world who want nothing more than for you to bow the knee…don’t!  Even if you bowed before, learn from the past and purpose in your heart that you will NOT – under any circumstances – bow to the masses, to the government, to the white coats, to anyone or anything that is not God.  And when you stand, the God of all creation will be with you.  He will give you peace that passes all understanding.  Even if He does not spare your life, He will be glorified in your death and will reward you at the last day.   

What has happened since we took our stand? After sixteen years, two months, and fourteen days of faithful service to my country, I received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Marine Corps.  I got to spend some quality time with my Dad before he passed.  We got to build our little homestead, and it has been an experience of a lifetime which I would never trade!  God has graciously provided and continues to supply our needs, financially and otherwise.  We are resolutely and prayerfully leading our five children to follow Jesus the best way we know how.  And despite my unpleasant break-up with the Marine Corps, I have no bitterness for the institution or hard feelings toward anyone in it.  I am very grateful for the relationships, opportunities, and experiences, all of which have helped to shape who I am today.  Could they have done things better?  Absolutely, but so could have a lot of people.  The leadership was just doing what a secular organization made of flawed individuals does during a plandemic, which happened to coincide with a major restructuring, and the most criminal commander in chief this nation has ever seen.  As my recruiter said – a phrase I didn’t understand but would soon learn – “It is what it is.”

As followers of Jesus, we do not know what major event will come next, but we do know it is on the horizon. God’s Word tells us that things will only get worse before they get better.  When that happens, may we all have the courage to stand united against the forces of evil and say “Enough!”  May we remember that we fight from a position of VICTORY in Jesus, and no power or authority – spiritual or otherwise – has any claim on us!  Jesus has already won the war, and the battle belongs to Him!  I will end with His encouraging words from John 16:33, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”