Faith Deployed . . . Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives (Moody 2011) was awarded the Silver Medal in the spiritual/religious category of the Military Writers Society of America Awards. The awards were presented at the MWSA national conference on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, in Dayton, Ohio. I am thrilled to share this honor with all 29 contributing writers from every branch of service! (Meet them here.) See a list of all award winners on the MWSA Web site, here.
The following is the MWSA book review for Faith Deployed...Again:
“Semper Paratus!” which translates to “Always Prepared,” is the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard. When Jocelyn Green married a man in the Coast Guard, she found herself married to the military. The military family is blessed to have Mrs. Green on search and rescue for people floating on the tumultuous waters of military life. When her husband deploys again, she deploys...again! Jocelyn takes her unshakable faith on every deployment and devotional. She chooses to include the 29 other writers wisely. As a Christian, she lives and believes that life without faith in Jesus Christ is an impending catastrophic collision at sea, which of course could ruin anyone’s day! The devotionals address the common denominator of everyday prayer life and faith of all Christian women regardless of denomination. Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives explores how the Bible relates to a variety of topics and issues - including those that arise with post-deployment – encountered in a military marriage. Each devotional is based on the unchanging character of God and the anchor we have in Jesus Christ offering encouragement, strength, community, and hope to the heroes at home. With the help of over 25 contributing women authors from every branch of the U.S. military, the book is unabashed in addressing the issues that test a Christian woman married to a military man. There are 112 two-page devotionals that comprehensively tackle a multitude of real challenges and issues facing military spouses. Each devotional economically addresses the various authors’ own challenges without blaming her spouse or others. This book is not just for military wives. It is a powerful and encouraging help for Blue Star parents also. All of us could benefit from the wisdom imbedded in the pages. The faith displayed is not sugarcoated, but it is based on real issues and real consequences. How different my life would have been if I could have gifted this book to every member of my parish when I was deployed to Fallujah Iraq in 2004. These women helped me to understand that my deployment to Iraq and years of reserve duty had a more profound impact on my parish community than I realized. The faith and practical sharing in these devotionals could help “save” marriages, heal families and restore church communities. This book has strengthened my faith. The book is about love, forgiveness, reunion, growth through suffering, learning to complain less, grief and loss, addressing shattered expectations, thriving from reluctant deployments, networking, surviving frequent moves and mostly learning to pray well. All of this could be hitting us when it seems that our prayer to God is simply shouting into a tin can attached to a string. The women encourage us to never go alone. There is always someone to help you through the tough times. The book seems to invite husbands into a deeper and richer relationship with their Christian wives and with their God. Most comforting was that it was neither preachy nor caught up in religiosity. Faith Deployed…Again seems to be “Always Prepared” to throw out the Life Savior to those who have ever had a loved one deployed. Catch it and hold on! Faith Deployed...Again includes a bonus section of devotions written by and for Blue Star Moms. To read this book is to be aware of an incredible support system based on faith. A free online study guide is available at FaithDeployed.com. Reviewed by: Fr. Ron Camarda (2011)
In April, Faith Deployed...Again won first place in the inspirational/gift category of the 2012 Selah Award. The silver medal marks the third MWSA win for a book co-authored by Jocelyn Green. Stories of Faith and Courage from the War In Iraq & Afghanistan won the Gold Medal i n 2010, and Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives won the Bronze.
Add new comment