military

A Prayer for Veterans

Heavenly Father, I lift up to you all the Veterans of the Armed Forces. The men and women who gave unselfishly Serving 24/7 365 days a year For the freedoms this country holds dearly. I pray you fill their minds with peace When there is turmoil and confusion. Replace the anger from the evil they’ve seen With the righteous anger of your children. When they feel lost and completely alone, I pray they sense your presence always near. In the nights when anxiety and nightmares linger, Help them remember they have nothing to fear. If they start to question why they’re still alive, Gently guide them to your plan each day. When they don’t like who they’ve become, Let them be overwhelmed by your acceptance, I pray. When they try to run from you and their life, Show them they can’t escape your love. Fill them with the hope, peace, mercy, and grace, Showered down from above. Lord, help us to accept, support, and encourage them, As they adjust to the new normal they live. I pray we never overlook their tremendous sacrifices, And all they were willing to give. I thank you for their example of loyalty and courage. I pray we honor, and lift them up in prayer daily. Lord, thank you for blessing the United States of America, Through the Veterans of the United States Military.

Tags:

military

veterans

Veterans Day

#DEAL: $3.99 Military Wives New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs

Military wives, if you own an ereader, I've got great news for you! From now until May 31, the Military Wives' New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs is only $3.99 as an ebook! This special NIV volume includes 90 devotions and stories written by close to 30 military wives. Features: * 60 devotions written by military wives, for military wives that provide hope, encouragement, and spiritual growth *30 Home Front Heroes stories of inspiring military wives from all generations *Basic Training Bible study guides *Favorite hymns for military wives *Foreword from Jocelyn Green * Scripture from the New International Version* Topical Index and other study helps “The MWNT is a must have for every military wife. Whether her husband is deployed, home or in training, every wife needs the wisdom found in God’s word and the wisdom of those who have walked before on the path she must now journey. Along the way, she will find many new truths that have an even greater meaning because of the enhanced experience of Godly women who also seek God’s face in their daily walk as a military wife. I know that I could not have journeyed this path successfully without the wisdom of my sisters-in-arms whose faith held me when nothing else could. I highly recommend MWNT for every military wife you know and love.” ~Ellie Kay, Author of best selling, Heroes at Home, America’s Military Family Expert (™) If you'd rather have hardcover, those are on sale right now, too. (Just $7.99 instead of $19.99 at ChristianBook.com!)

Tags:

Civil War Births Memorial Day

Memorial Day, as we know it, began as Decoration Day shortly after the end of the Civil War. May 30, 1868, marked the first official national observance, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan. But the South refused to acknowledge the observance, and it's little wonder. If you read the text of General Logan's proclamation, you'll see that the day was really meant to honor the Union dead, not the Confederates. Add to this the fact that the Federal government offered little cooperation with the attempts to bring Confederate remains home to rest in the South. Last but not least, before Arlington was a cemetery, it was Gen. Robert E. Lee's home. The Lees, and most likely thousands of other Southerners, felt that turning their home into a burial grounds for the enemy (Union soldiers) was a desecration. As a result, the South honored their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead. Click the image to see the sheet music. In fact, Southern women were decorating the graves of their fallen heroes before the national holiday was ever designated. In 1867, a hymn by Nella L.Sweet, Kneel Where Our Loves Are Sleeping, was published with a telling dedication: "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead." One stanza reads: Kneel where our loves are sleeping, Dear ones loved in days gone by, here we bow in holy reverence, Our bosoms heave the heart-felt sigh. They fell like brave men, true as steel, And pour'd their blood like rain- We feel we owe them all we have, And can but kneel and weep again. Author Cilla McCain says it well in her Huffington Post article: Although there is much dispute as to the origins of Memorial Day, it is not difficult to imagine that women are the ones who inspired the tradition. After all, for the most part, it was women who were left to bury the dead. Grief stricken and with tears flowing, they had to find a way to connect with the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy. Maybe honoring them was a way to deal with not only the grief, but also the guilt we feel for surviving. Read her complete article here. Even those of us who won't be decorating a loved one's grave this Memorial Day can appreciate the sacrifices that were made for our freedoms.

Tags:

Carrying On: The Sullivan Brothers' Survivors

In honor of Memorial Day, I'd like to share the following excerpt from Stories of Faith and Courage from Home Front. A knock at the door early one January morning in 1943, brought Thomas Sullivan face-to-face with three men in naval dress uniforms. “Which one?” Thomas asked. “I’m sorry,” replied one of them. “All five.” George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert Sullivan had enlisted in the Navy upon hearing that a friend had been killed at Pearl Harbor. The one condition of their service was that they be allowed to serve on the same ship. Their request was granted, and all five served on the U.S.S. Juneau. And now the Navy declared all five missing in action in the South Pacific after a torpedo sunk their ship on November 13, 1942. The following week, a letter arrived that answered all their questions of their sons’ fates. The letter, reprinted in the Waterloo Courier shortly after it was received, read: All hope is gone for your boys being found alive. George got off the ship, as his battle station was on a depth charger, but he died on a life raft I was on. The other four boys went down with the ship, and were killed immediately, so they did not suffer . . . I know you will carry on in the fine Navy spirit. The surviving Sullivans did carry on. Their sister Genevieve joined the Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) on June 14, 1943, and by 1944, Thomas and his wife, Alleta, had spoken to more than a million workers in war-production plants in sixty-five cities, urging them to maximize production so the war might end sooner. “People ask me and Mother and Father too, ‘How do you manage to keep your chins up and keep going?’ We just do,” Genevieve told a reporter for the Waterloo Courier. “There’s a job to be done, a big one that means the lives of many. So we must keep working hard.” The Sullivans were carrying on for the cause for which that their sons had given their lives. In the same way, we as believers must carry on for the cause for which Christ gave His life, as well. Christ died so that we might be truly free, not just from other men, but from sin itself. Our job is to share the Good News, and it “means the lives of many.” Prayer: Lord, help me to carry on your kingdom work. “We must do the work of him who sent me. ” ~John 9:4 May you have a meaningful Memorial Day!

Tags:

Military Marriage: Mission Possible–Staying Together Apart

In honor of Military Family Appreciation Month, today we have with us guest blogger Marshele Carter Waddell. She is an author, speaker, and veteran wife of a Navy SEAL. Her book Hope for the Home Front encouraged me so much as a military bride, and I have been so blessed that she also contributed to several of my own books for milwives! We hope this post blesses you! I browsed the “marriage and relationship” section of my local Christian bookstore. My heart was heavy, missing my husband…again. I tilted my head to read the colorful spines of the latest releases offering proven ideas about how to strengthen and nurture my marriage. The deployments, the distance and the passing of so much time had taken its toll on the most important relationship in my life. I selected two promising titles, paid at the register and looked forward to putting my head on my pillow that night to search the pages for the overdue nourishment my hungry marriage needed. With the kids tucked and settled in, I did the same. I cracked open the first book, convinced I would uncover the keys to rekindling the dying embers of a relationship weathered by this crazy military lifestyle. My high hopes soon dissolved into hilarity. “Have a candlelight dinner,” the list began. One place setting? “Give each other fifteen-minute back rubs,” I read and snickered out loud. “Tuck a love note in his lunch.” Wouldn’t that ruin an MRE? This is ridiculous, I thought, my comedienne quickly morphing into a sour cynic. “Go for a scenic drive together. Plan a romantic picnic. Have a pillow fight. Spend an evening in front of the fireplace.” My eyes grew hot and filled with tears. Instead of equipping me with creative marriage-building ideas, the authors’ well-meaning counsel cut me to the quick. At least 95% of their proven strategies were simply impossible for us as a military couple to attempt. The miles and the months that routinely separate us render most marriage books and seminars pointless, even painful. Over the years, I’ve compiled my own list to live by, gleaning what I can from friends, articles and books. More often, I’ve learned from experience what strengthens and sweetens a military marriage. Here are a few ideas to try: Listen to “your” song. Hit the replay button. Let it stir sweet memories of times spent together. Write your sweetheart an intimate love letter reassuring him/her of your devotion and giving him/her something to look forward to. Don’t fall into the e-trap. While email is very handy and speedy, nothing replaces a letter penned by your own hand. Spritz your letters with your perfume and seal it with a kiss. Spice up your lover’s mail box. In addition to handwritten letters, send personalized, homemade audio cassettes, CDs, and DVDs for your loved one to enjoy. Discreet intimate cards and gifts don’t hurt either. Create your own web site together. Post all your news and latest photos weekly for your sweetheart. Invite other family members to add their two cents, too. Have fun putting together personalized care packages for your spouse. Keep an open box at your bedside. When you are out doing errands and see something that your sweetheart would enjoy, buy it and toss it in the box when you get home. Send your care packages every 2-3 weeks during the deployment. Create a blog and write a daily online journal to keep your loved one up to date. Keep a phone journal. Jot down things that you want to tell your spouse when he/she calls. Rule of thumb: always say “I love you” before anything else, just in case you lose connection. Commit to improving your health and physical fitness while your loved one is away. Work out. Buy some up-to-date clothes. Get an edgy hair style and brighten up with highlights. Be sure to tell your honey that you are doing these things for him/her and that you look forward to your reunion. Choose something that happens occasionally in nature, i.e., a full moon, a brilliant rainbow, or a shooting star, and agree together that while you are apart, when one of you sees this, it will serve as quiet reminder of your committed love for one another. Celebrate missed birthdays and anniversaries anyway! Take photos of the cake you made for him, blow out his candles, sing him Happy Birthday and send them in your next care package. He’ll never forget your thoughtfulness. Spruce up his home office, den and/or garage work bench while he is away. No mauve or lavender, please. Use his favorite masculine colors and motif. He’ll have a daily reminder of your affection upon his return. Scan photos of just the two of you. Better yet, find the pre-kids snapshots. Write personal captions for each one and send them in your next letter or care package. Plan a couple’s getaway to take place soon after his/her homecoming. Make arrangements for your children to stay with family or friends. You’ll have fun planning and anticipating it. Having a mini-honeymoon to look forward to will brighten many a moment for both of you. I haven’t given up on marriage books entirely. I just read their advice and keep in mind that most marriages never have to face the challenges that mine does. I consider their suggestions and ask myself how we as a military couple can creatively apply them. A successful military marriage requires a hero in the field and also a hero at home, both investing their physical and emotional energies into a relationship stressed and stretched by service. Before you go... Psst! If you haven't already, be sure to enter the drawing for military wives we have going on right now! The prizes available include The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, Stories of Faith & Courage from the Home Front, and Military Wives' New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs! Click here and follow the instructions at the bottom of the post to enter! [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1242", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-2434", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"200", "height":"280", "alt":"marshelecartrwaddell"}}]]About Marshele: A 25-year wife of a U.S. Navy SEAL, Marshele Carter Waddell is author of Hope for the Home Front: Winning the Emotional and Spiritual Battles of the Military Wife, Hope for the Home Front Bible Study, and co-author of When War Comes Home: Christ-centered Healing for Wives of Combat Veterans. She is also a contributor to Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. Visit Marshéle’s Web site at www.hopeforthehomefront.com.

Tags:

marriage

military

deployment

Military Family Appreciation Month

military marriage

19-Book #Giveaway for Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1231", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-3060", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"759", "alt":"milwifegiveaway"}}]] Military spouses, this is your day, and I'm so excited about this give-away I'm just going to get right to it! To celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day, my publishers and I are giving away 19 books! Here's what's up for grabs: The 5 Love Languages Military Edition (5 COPIES) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"738", "attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-749 alignleft", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"184", "alt":"5llme125"}}]]224 pages, Softcover The 5 Love Languages® has a successful track record of helping military couples heal broken relationships and strengthen healthy relationships. Now this #1 New York Times bestseller has been adapted specifically for military couples.Special features of the Military Edition include: •Stories of military couples from every branch of service who have found ways to use the 5 love languages in their unique lifestyles •A Decoding Deployments section at the end of each love language chapter, offering tips on how to express love when you are apart. •A new chapter, Love Language Scramblers, explains how to speak the love languages through some of the most challenging times of a military marriage. •An updated Q&A section to include questions specific to military marriage. For more info, click here. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1232", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front (5 COPIES) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"677", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"124", "height":"179", "title":"BB-homefront-cover_125", "alt":""}}]]598 pages, softcover * Golden Scroll Award, Advanced Writers & Speakers Association! This devotional book contains 365 true stories of struggles, courage, and actions of women, children, and men involved in the home front of American wars, in chronological order, from the French Indian War through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. These stories illustrate effective prayers, heroism, volunteer efforts, and daily courage. Special weekend devotions consist of original words from a journal, newspaper, letter, or newspaper, and glimpses into life during that era, such as fashion, pastimes, work, and celebrations. Each story includes a coordinated Scripture and a prayer for today’s military, families, or individuals encountering struggles. For more info, click here. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1233", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] Military Wives’ New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (5 COPIES) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"715", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"194", "title":"mwives nt cover_125", "alt":""}}]]480 pages, hardcover If what you want—what you desperately crave—is a faith that shields you, a hope that sustains you, and a peace that defies the stress of your lifestyle, there is simply no substitute for the Word of God. Features: * 60 devotions written by military wives, for military wives that provide hope, encouragement, and spiritual growth *30 Home Front Heroes stories of inspiring military wives from all generations *Basic Training Bible study guides *Favorite hymns for military wives *Foreword from Jocelyn Green * Scripture from the New International Version* Topical Index and other study helps For more info, click here. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1234", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War novels (ENTIRE SET for 1 Winner) Are you a historical fiction fan? Do you love stories of previous generations of women on the home front? Each of these novels was inspired by real women who played important roles during the American Civil War. I'm just itching to send a signed set of this series to one lucky winner. Or if you have one or two of the books and want to complete your set, I'll finish it off for you. (For more info on the series, visit www.heroinesbehindthelines.com.) Here's a little about each novel in the set: Wedded to War (Book 1) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"678", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"195", "title":"WeddedtoWarcover-125", "alt":""}}]]398 pages, softcover *Double finalist for The Christy Award (First Novel and Historical Fiction) *2013 Gold Medal Winner, Military Writers Society of America (Historical Fiction) *2013 Inspirational Readers Choice Award (Women’s Fiction), Third Place Charlotte Waverly leaves a life of privilege, wealth–and confining expectations–to be one of the first female nurses for the Union Army. She quickly discovers that she’s fighting more than just the Rebellion by working in the hospitals. Corruption, harassment, and opposition from Northern doctors threaten to push her out of her new role. At the same time, her sweetheart disapproves of her shocking strength and independence, forcing her to make an impossible decision: Will she choose love and marriage, or duty to a cause that seems to be losing? [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1235", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] Widow of Gettysburg (Book 2) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"771", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"Widow cover 3 125"}}]]396 pages, softcover * 4.5 Stars from RT Book Reviews! *2014 Silver Medal Winner, Military Writers Society of America (Historical Fiction) When a horrific battle rips through Gettysburg, the farm of Union widow Liberty Holloway is disfigured into a Confederate field hospital, bringing her face to face with unspeakable suffering–and a Rebel scout who awakens her long dormant heart. While Liberty’s future crumbles as her home is destroyed, the past comes rushing back to Bella, a former slave and Liberty’s hired help, when she finds herself surrounded by Southern soldiers, one of whom knows the secret that would place Liberty in danger if revealed. In the wake of shattered homes and bodies, Liberty and Bella struggle to pick up the pieces the battle has left behind. Will Liberty be defined by the tragedy in her life, or will she find a way to triumph over it? [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1236", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] Yankee in Atlanta (Book 3) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1237", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-1775", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"194", "alt":"Yankee 125"}}]]412 pages, softcover* 4.5 Stars from RT Book Reviews! She hid from her past to find a future—and landed on enemy soil. When soldier Caitlin McKae wakes up in Atlanta, the Georgian doctor who treats her believes Caitlin’s only secret is that she had been fighting for the South disguised as a man. In order to avoid arrest or worse, Caitlin hides her true identity and makes a new life for herself in Atlanta as a governess for the daughter of Noah Becker—on the brink of his enlistment with the Rebel army. Though starvation rules, and Sherman rages, she will not run again. In a land shattered by strife and suffering, a Union veteran and a Rebel soldier test the limits of loyalty and discover the courage to survive. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1238", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] Spy of Richmond (Book 4) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1239", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-2014", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"125Spycover"}}]]432 pages, softcover* Is living a lie ever the right thing to do? The Confederate capital in the height of the Civil War: no place for a Union loyalist. But just the place for a spy. Her father a slaveholder, her suitor a Confederate officer, and herself an abolitionist, Sophie Kent must walk a tightrope of deception in her efforts to end slavery. As suspicion in Richmond rises, Sophie’s espionage becomes more and more dangerous. If her courage will carry her through, what will be lost along the way—her true love, her father, her life? [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1240", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]] HOW to ENTER: Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter the drawing. You'll notice there are three ways to earn points in the drawing, but you only need to do one of them to be entered. Doing the second and third entries are optional! *Open to U.S. residents only, OR if you're OCONUS and have a military address, that's fine too! a Rafflecopter giveaway Please note: If you have never left a comment on this Web site before, I'll need to approve your comment before it appears. I'll do my best to keep up! :) Winners will be notified via email and have three days to respond to me before I need to select new winners. Good luck!

Tags:

give-aways

military

#MilitaryAppreciationMonth

#MilitarySpouseDay

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

What I Wish my Civilian Friends Knew: A Letter from a Military Wife

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1226", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-2408", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"283", "height":"424", "alt":"Stormy Skies Ahead"}}]]For the past few years during Military Family Appreciation Month, I have blogged about some ways to help the families on the home front. This year, I would love to hand the blog over to military wife and mother of three, Catherine Fitzgerald, who is also a contributor to the Faith Deployed and Faith Deployed . . .Again devotional books. Her heartfelt letter, written for her civilian friends, is sure to touch you, and to spark some ideas of how you can love the military spouses in your own community. Thank you for sharing this with all of us, Catherine! Dear Civilian Friend, The other day you said to me, “I always want to minister to you, but I don’t know how.” I know I haven’t made it easy on you to figure out the “how.” Blame it on Rosie the Riveter and her “I can do it all” attitude or perhaps Lifetime’s Army Wives and their ability to solve all the drama of military life in 60 minutes or less. Blame it on the pride that comes with this lifestyle, constantly whispering in my ear, asking for help is showing weakness. It’s not fair to you. Or me. Because you want to help and I need it. So here it is. Everything I wished you knew but I can’t seem to tell you. First and foremost, I need your prayers. Pray for strength and endurance during yet another separation from the love of my life. Pray for my kids because they are struggling without daddy right now. No matter how old they are, no matter how many deployments they’ve been through, every separation is hard on them. And nothing hurts a momma more than to see her kiddos hurting and knowing there is nothing I can do. Pray for my husband. Pray for his safety. Pray for his mind to be able to process the ugliness of war. Pray for our marriage, that it can endure the trials and temptations that come with every departure. Pray for our country and the leaders in charge of putting our husband and father in harm’s way. Just above all else, pray for me, friend. You should know that I probably won’t ask for much. In fact, you should probably just adopt a “don’t ask, just tell” policy with me. I am coming to watch your kids Monday night. I am coming to mow your lawn next Tuesday. This will be much more effective with me than a blanket “Let me know if you need anything.” Like I said, blame it on Rosie the Riveter or this stubborn pride of mine, but I probably won’t ask you for the help I so desperately need. And if I do, know that it took A LOT for me to get to that point so never make me feel bad about it because I may not ask again. I know the air filter was really dirty and should have been cleaned months ago, but I’m just doing the best that I can, a day at a time. [Tweet ""I probably won't ask you for the help I so desperately need." A #milspouse shares."] I need you to walk with me through this deployment. How this translates in real, practical terms is different for each one of us but try and figure it out. Many days I am treading water and can feel like I am about to go under. It may be a break from the kids. Sometimes a trip to the grocery store alone can feel like a day at the spa. Come give my kids a bath and help me get them to bed and I will feel like a new woman. Carry the baby asleep in the carseat to my car and the burden will literally feel lighter. Take my trash can to the curb every Wednesday night so I don’t awake in a panic at midnight and have to run outside to do it. Invite me for dinner so the nights don’t feel so lonely. Ask me to spend the holidays with you because I am so far from my family. Drop off dinner so I don’t have to cook one night. Help fix that leaky faucet so I don’t have to figure out which plumber won’t rip me off in this town I am new in. Come clean my bathrooms because I can never get to them. Mow my yard without even asking. Change the oil in my car, something my husband usually does, so that I don’t have to lug the babies to Jiffy Lube. Watch my kids while I go to the doctor so I don’t have to pay for another babysitter. Offer to come stay the night so I can sleep soundly and not jump at every creak I hear. Just come over and chat, I miss having someone to talk to. Listen to me and you will probably figure out quickly some ways you can show me you care. [Tweet "#MilitaryAppreciation Month! #Milspouse shares how to support during deployments."] Keep encouraging me. Bear with me through this whole deployment. It is like a death. At the beginning, the offers of help and words of encouragement are plentiful, but as I near the end, weary and tired, when I need it the most, they trail off. Remind me of God’s word and His promises. I can become consumed in missing my man and I need to constantly be told that God has a purpose and plan for me in this life just as much as he has one for my husband. Help me find it because sometimes my vision gets so clouded with tears. I know you don’t every understand everything about my life. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s taken years for me to learn this many acronyms. I want you to understand more and I don’t mind explaining. You don’t have to pity me, but I want your empathy. If you see me huddling with my fellow military wives, don’t think I don’t want to let you in. It’s just that we speak the same language and we have seen each other at the lowest points so we are bonded in an incredible way. That doesn’t mean I don’t desire to have a close bond with you too. But, they are just my default. You can offer me a perspective outside of this life. I need that. Please know I am grateful for all your help. Though I may not write you a thank you card for each and every act, know I so appreciate it. I know I can get wrapped up in my own hardships and sometimes I forget to ask how I can pray for you. I am sorry. I know God’s comfort so I should be comforting you in your difficulties with the same comfort I have received. I need to work on that. And I need to help you with your needs as well and use the gifts and talents He has given me in ministering to you. Just because my husband is gone, doesn’t mean I can’t serve you. I know it is better to give than to receive. We are not that different. My husband just took a job where the uncertainty of life is simply in our faces all the time. You sometimes can pretend you are in control of your life. I know I am not. God can use that as a launching pad for an incredible faith and trust in Him. Or Satan can use that to send me into a whirlwind of fear. Help me out of the spiral of anxiety if you see me spinning in it. [Tweet "#Milwife says: "Help me out of the spiral of anxiety if you see me spinning in it." #MilitaryAppreciationMonth "] I’m glad I was able to tell you all the things I never did before. I hope this helps you figure out how to minister to me. I should have told you sooner, but I just didn’t know how. I need you more than ever these days as the deployments keep coming and the challenges get harder and harder with each moment. Our family can’t do this calling without you so thank you for noticing us and caring enough to show us we aren’t alone in this. Thank you, friend. Love, A Military Wife

Tags:

military

deployments

Military Family Appreciation Month

military spouses

military wives

Prayer Guide for Military Family Appreciation Month

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1221", "attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter size-full wp-image-2335", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"454", "alt":"110408_ib_864threturn"}}]] Happy Military Family Appreciation Month! As a former military wife myself, I have a deep and abiding appreciation for our military families. In fact, all of my published nonfiction books are either written specifically for or about military. Those in our armed forces, and their families, inspire me greatly. Of course, one doesn't need to have a military background to support those who serve our country. I can't think of a better way to kick off the month than by sharing this prayer guide, courtesy of Cru Military. May 3 – 9: Pray for the Lord to hold our military men and women in His strong arms. Pray for a covering of His sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection. (Psalm 91:11-15) May 10 – 16: Pray for the families of our troops. Ask the Lord for His unique blessings to fill their homes, and for His peace, provision, and strength to fill their lives. (Numbers 6:24-26) May 17 – 23: Pray for the members of our Armed Forces to be supplied with courage to face each day and that they will trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task. Pray that our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support. (Joshua 1:9) May 24 – 30: We remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy every day. Pray today for the families and friends of those who have given their lives in service to our nation. May they be comforted in their sadness. May they be reassured that the sacrifice of their loved ones contributes to a worthy cause. May they entrust their lives into His gracious hands. (Psalm 34:18) Won't you join me in praying for our military this month? [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1222", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright size-medium wp-image-3017", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"225", "height":"300", "alt":"elsaflag"}}]]I'd love to leave you with a brief glimpse at a page from past. A few years ago, I was working on Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front, and one evening after the kids were in bed, I interviewed a father who had lost his precious son in Iraq. It was an emotional conversation, and though my heart strings were pulled tight, I held it together while I was on the phone. (If you want to read the stories that resulted from that phone call, you can read them in the book on days December 3-6.) After we hung up, I cleaned up my notes and then went to check on my sleeping children, as I normally do before I call it a night. When I saw my little girl, though, the dam around my heart burst and I could not help but weep. Because there she was, sleeping with a small U.S. flag in her arms. I don’t know why she had gotten out of bed to find it and decided to sleep with it that night. But it struck me that so many parents have lost their children to war so that my own children can live free. Thank you, military families!

Tags:

military

prayer

How to Pray for Military Service Members

We are closing in on the end of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Those of us who have read novels and nonfiction about this gruesome time have developed a better understanding of the monumental sacrifices made by families of those who fought for either side. Today I'd like to turn our attention to the fact that military families continue to make sacrifices for the United States of America. Won't you join me in praying for these men and women? I asked Chaplain (Capt.) Scott Koeman for some specific things we can be praying for. Here is the insightful list he shared with me: Pray that they would have the Peace of Christ with them-- especially if they travel outside of his Forward Operating Base (FOB) Pray that they will depend on the Love of God to keep them from bitterness at others (who needlessly make life difficult on their subordinates especially when they aren't the most competent leader). Pray for Protection. Psalm I25:2 "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore." Pray that they will be vigilant if they are called upon to fire upon the enemy. Psalm 144:1-2 "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me." Pray that the enemy will be turned back. Psalm 40:14 "May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion: may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace." Pray that our service members will be fulfilled in their jobs. Without purpose time out here is extremely long and difficult. Pray that service members and spouses will resist lowering themselves to low levels of conversations and instead seek to be examples of goodness and righteousness. Pray that service members find "good and solid" Christian brothers/sisters to have fellowship with. Pray for the leadership in Platoons, Companies, Battalions, Brigades Leadership can make or break a man. They have the biggest impact. Chaplain Koeman is married to Benita Koeman, founder of OperationWeAreHere.com, a clearinghouse of resources for the military community.

Tags:

military

prayer

Not the Man I Married: Dealing with PTSD in a Spouse

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1046", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-2196", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"402", "height":"299", "alt":"salutetoflag"}}]]by Rosie Williams A note from Jocelyn: I first met Rosie during her Home Front retreat for military wives in Kansas City. As the wife of a Viet Nam veteran, I wanted to know what she would like to share with wives of today’s generation of soldiers/veterans. To answer my question, she wrote the following letter. As the wife of a Nam Vet, I am often asked what advice I would give to younger military wives. My husband was a combat infantryman, a Point Man in Viet Nam. One thing I hear repeatedly from military and veteran wives is that “my husband was not the man I married” after he returned from being deployed. I got married two months after he returned from Viet Nam and as a young wife, I could definitely relate to the changes war had on my husband. Even so, he was….and is… the same man I married. He is the same guy I committed to for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. He was wounded physically in Nam, and also has some wounds that are not visible, but he is the same guy I walked down the aisle with 39 years ago. In those early years of marriage, I realized the depth of the kind of love that God speaks of in Scripture. As the “honeymoon” stage passed, a new stage began that drove me to my knees to ask God how to love as He would have me love. Psalms 109:27 says “Help me, O Lord my God, save me in accordance with your love. Let me know that it is your love. Let them (him) know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord, have done it”. (NIV) Based on what I have learned about post traumatic stress and what I have studied through the Bible, here are some suggestions to consider: The changes you notice may be the result of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recognize that post traumatic stress is a common reaction to an uncommon situation. It does not affect everyone, and those it does affect, may work through it differently. One thing is certain….if your spouse is going through PTSD, it will take patience and understanding on your part and there will be changes in your relationship. Learn to love you spouse in new and different ways. Although some of his actions, reactions and attitudes have changed, sometimes to his very core and soul, there is hope for emotional and spiritual healing over time. My advice to you would be to pray fervently for wisdom to know how to deal with not only his wounds….but also with yours. James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (NIV) Honor and respect the “warrior” side of him. If he processes his experience by telling war stories over and over….listen over and over. It’s not about whether or not he’s already told you something…it’s about him dealing with the powerful emotions going on inside. Whatever happens, avoid saying “Can’t you just get over it?” Instead, recognize that the well of grief inside, may be so deep that it could take years to process. If he processes his experience by withdrawing or withholding details of his war experience, understand that he may be trying to protect you from information and details that might haunt you if you knew them. He is wired, and trained, to be a protector….and that can include protecting you from horrible facts of war. In time, he may share more, but pressuring him will only cause further withdrawal. He may choose to do his sharing with other vets rather than you and that is ok too. If his memories cause him to be anxious or depressed, he may not be able to verbalize why he is feeling or acting a certain way. By educating yourself about PTSD and meeting with other women who are going through the same thing, you will gain much needed support. When you think about him being different from “the man you married”, try looking at this from a positive perspective, rather than a negative one. The man you married may have been somewhat immature, idealistic and boyish. The man who returned has been tested by fire and has more maturity, more strength, more knowledge, more understanding and hopefully, a deeper, more authentic faith. Imagine looking at him in a picture frame of who he is becoming as he processes experiences that have changed some of his behavior. If you can let your commitment carry you through the tough times, your love and more importantly respect for him will help him in his transition home and his healing process. Note: If your spouse is verbally or physically abusive to you or other family members, it is important to seek professional help and support. Lovingly encourage him to get help as well, but realize you may need to take the first step. Helpful Resources : www.hopeforthehomefront.com www.wivesoffaith.org www.pmim.org (Point Man International Ministries-Click on Outposts/Home Front ) www.crumilitary.org (Formerly Military Ministry) www.pwoc.org (Protestant Women of the Chapel-focus for those on an active military base)

Tags:

Search form

Pages