HH6 Life

Laughing our way to a better marriage

Stacy March 24, 2013 No Comments

Friday night, Hubby & I had a date night. Mark Gungor, author of “Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage” came to Fort Bragg to do a free show for the military. He had spent the week traveling to a few different Army posts and we were his last stop. If you have not heard Mark Gungor, let me introduce you to him. He is hilarious!

Rob & I were first introduced to Mark’s series when we watched a DVD at a marriage retreat where we also received a copy of his book. We really enjoy reading it to each other, and it opens the door for some great communication as we are constantly seeking to better understand each other and make our marriage stronger as a result.

One of the things I really like about Mark’s presentations is that he’s a down to earth guy that makes himself relatable to all the guys in the audience. He is a Christian preacher, but his presentations are not preachy in any way. I feel like that allows the audience to let their guard down and really listen as he describes the differences between men and women. We aren’t created to be the same, yet so many marriages struggle because the wife wants a husband to be just like her best girl friend, or the husband expects his wife to be just like his guy buddies.

There are many, many verses in the Bible about understanding, but I want to share one in particular with you.

“Folly brings joy to one who has no sense, but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” ~ Proverbs 15:21-22

This says that if you have no sense, you will find happiness in your folly, but one who has understanding keeps a straight course. The straight path leads us to God, so we first need understanding. The better we understand our spouse, the better our marriage will be. If I really try to understand my husband AND I am seeking to please God by loving my husband, then I will want to love him the way HE needs to be loved….which I can only do if I first UNDERSTAND him.

The second part of that verse refers to getting counsel. That doesn’t necessarily mean going to a counselor – although if you need one, they can be an incredible resource. It means getting advice from people who know what you are going through because they have knowledge and experience. Seeking wise counsel (from someone with the same values, faith & beliefs as you), will allow you to gain a new perspective and give you tools that you can use to make it work.

Learning more about your marriage doesn’t mean your marriage is broken. Seeking wise counsel about how to have a successful marriage doesn’t mean you have problems. It means you are being proactive and trying to create a situation that will best allow you to succeed. Don’t be too proud to seek advice and wisdom from people who have a successful marriage. Seeking ways to make your marriage better means you are STRONG, not weak.

If you were going to build a house, or renovate your home, you would seek counsel from someone who had done it before, wouldn’t you? (I hope so!) If you were going to start a cake decorating business, you would first take a class to learn how. If I wanted to change the oil on my car, I would read a book, watch a video, or ask someone how to do it. I’ve watched many a video on YouTube to learn sewing skills, or to follow a recipe.

Why not apply the same reasoning to our marriage?

From the first year of our marriage, Rob and I made a commitment to attend a marriage retreat, seminar, class, etc. at least once a year. If we couldn’t attend one for some reason, we will go through a marriage book together. Something each year to help us keep our equipping skills sharp, to help us learn more about each other (and ourselves) and foster our communication.

We have learned so much over the years and have adapted our communication styles as we learn new things or as we grow and change. We are committed to doing this right – the first time, so we must stay on top of it.

Above all else, put God first in your marriage. If you are each individually seeking to grow closer to the Lord, you will automatically grow closer to each other.

Let God be that third strand of the rope that holds you two together.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” ~ Ecclesiastes 4:12

My Journey to Surrender

Stacy March 18, 2013 No Comments

I really don’t know why it took me so long to get to that place I talked about in my previous post. That place called Surrender. I’ve had an open invitation to go there for quite some time, but I’ve been ignoring it.

Let me go back to Summer 2011. Rob had been deployed for a few months and I had been having my quiet time with the Lord, reading my Bible and praying. I knew I couldn’t get through that deployment on my own. I mention the quiet time because I have found over the years that the more I spend time reading my Bible and praying, the easier I hear from the Lord. I would love it if I could just come across a burning bush and hear a booming voice of God telling me exactly what I am to do, but that’s not how He speaks to me. At least not yet. I’m still hopeful. Instead, I “hear” from him as I’m reading the Bible – his very words. Some days as I read, I just learn more about him and his character. Other times, the words seem to jump off the page to me as I read as though it is written specifically for me at that moment. I hear from him when the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart and I feel gentle nudges, or as doors open and close to certain circumstances. Other times I feel he speaks to me through music.

One particular day, I was driving home from a friend’s house when the song “Blessings” by Laura Story came on the radio. I had never heard it before, but by the time it was over I was in tears.

The whole song is amazing, but a couple things really stuck out to me.

“What if your blessings come through rain drops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”

Right away, I felt like I was being reminded that I needed to cry these tears. I needed to have sleepless nights where my soul was aching and longing so that I would turn to the One who could comfort me. The One who wanted me to remember He was near.

When I heard these words:

“What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy”

It was as close to a burning bush moment as I’ll probably ever have here on earth. I just knew. I knew because I felt it in the pit of my stomach.

I had been longing for something, thirsting for something, aching for something – that this world will never satisfy. My greatest disappointment has been not being able to have more children. Not being able to get pregnant again made me feel like a failure – as a woman, as a wife, and as a mom. I failed to have more kids. I failed to give Rob more kids. I failed to give my daughter siblings.

I failed.

I have failed at many things over the years and have spent too much time feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I spent too much time feeling awful for not being able to fix things that were never mine to fix like my father’s alcoholism, my parents’ marriage, or certain horrible events of my childhood. I had to finally accept that I could not fix them or control them. (Not to be confused with the wonderful, blessing of a man I call Dad that my mom is married to now!)

I could at least be in control of my own life, right?

NOPE.

I told you, I’m hard-headed.

When we were first dealing with our infertility I remember feeling so out of control. It was easier to deal with not being able to fix other people’s problems because I could always blame the other person. But this was about ME, and there was not a single thing I could do to fix the situation. It was completely out of my hands and I had to surrender my body to the will of God. Letting God be in control should have felt comforting and safe, but instead I felt scared and frustrated that I couldn’t do something about it.

I couldn’t do anything about it, but God could. He gave us Emily. He showed us clear as day that He – not us or the doctors – was in control!

After having my hysterectomy, I remember feeling like I lost all control again. It felt like my heart had been taken out with the rest of my insides. Now I couldn’t even hope for another miracle. I mean, sure God *could* do a crazy miracle and make a woman without a womb get pregnant, but I wasn’t betting on that one.

I felt lost and empty. So out of control. Void of any hope. Like a failure.

It’s a failure I am completely reminded of. Every time I go out in public and see a family with lots of kids. Every time a friend announces a pregnancy. Every time Emily tells me she wishes she had a brother or sister. Every time a stranger tells me that I really need to give my child a sibling. Every time someone assumes I don’t like kids just because I only have one. Every time someone tells me that I can take their child home because they can’t stand them. Every time I hear someone say they are so thankful that it was just a ‘scare’ and they aren’t really pregnant.

So, I jumped on the adoption bandwagon again. As I examine myself, I think I latched onto this idea so tightly because it was my only hope. It was something I could hope for. It was something that I might be able to control. I told myself for years that once WE were ready for another child, we could always adopt. As if it’s as easy and stopping by the mini-mart to pick up a child. I tried to convince myself I was in control again, but I failed at that too.

As I listened to this song, I realized that I was longing so desperately for a child – but all this time, God just wanted me to long desperately for HIM. I was putting more hope into trying to control my life than I was into surrendering to the one who gave me life. God wanted me to put my hope in HIM, not in things of this world. Not even in a child.

As soon as I heard the song, I knew. I prayed and cried out to God and told him I knew I needed to surrender it all to Him.

I tried.

I failed. Again. I kept trying to take back the control.

To be honest, I think I’ve known since that summer almost 2 years ago that we would be parents of an only child. I think God put that on my heart and has been calling me to surrender to him ever since.

And I’ve been fighting it every way I know how ever since. I didn’t want to admit it. Maybe I thought God would change his mind. Maybe I thought if there was just something I could do differently…

Just surrender.

I must have heard that phrase in my mind a thousand times. I convinced myself I didn’t hear it, or it must mean I was supposed to surrender something else. Not THIS.

I thought, “I am a fixer…and I have to fix this. I have to make it right. The only way to rid myself of this failure is to have more children. I have to make this work.”

No, you don’t have to do anything. Just surrender. Let it go.

I need you to be content with where I have you. I need you to put your hope in me.

I know why I put you and Rob here. I have things I need you to do.

God was inviting me to come to him in my brokenness. He knows I’ve failed and he loves me in spite of it. He knows my limitations and he never once expected me to be perfect or to fix everyone’s problems. Not even my own.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Cor 12:9

And you know what? I love it here in this place called Surrender. I’m sure I’ll slip up and leave the island from time to time, but my goal is to spend a lot more time here. It’s really peaceful. Like laying in a hammock, reading a book and listening to the ocean waves. I honestly haven’t felt this much peace in years. After all, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and his arms are open wide just waiting to receive us if we will just choose to run to him.

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

A Beautiful Mess

Stacy December 23, 2012 No Comments

Be careful what you ask for! A couple days ago, I was thinking about how nice it would be to have an entire day to spend in bed. A whole day to read books, write, pray and talk to God, and just rest & be lazy with no scheduled appointments, errands to run or places to be.

Today I DO have an entire day to spend in bed, but it’s not quite the way I pictured it. Last night I woke up around 1:00 AM with the start of what I hope is just a 24 hour bug. Cramping, chills, and all sorts of nasty things that come with a gastrointestinal virus. You know what those are so I won’t spell them out for you. (You’re welcome!) I’d been up and down from the bed to the bathroom so many times that I finally decided to go lay on the sofa so my Hubby could rest better. A couple hours later, he must have noticed I was gone because he came looking for me and scolded me for not waking him up so he could help me.

Sweet man, but I was definitely not at my best and was trying to protect him from my mess. He was not easily detoured. At one point this morning, I was laying on the cold tile bathroom floor trying to will myself not to pass out while my husband wiped my neck and face with a wet washcloth. For better or for worse, indeed. Even during all of this, my husband refers to me as “Beautiful”. I feel so blessed that he can see past my mess and still call me Beautiful. He is truly a godly man!

That is such a picture of Christ, isn’t it? My Jesus sees past my mess every single day and still calls me Beautiful, too. He loves me as I am, no matter what mess I am in the middle of. He wants to hold me, comfort me, and wipe away my tears. He loves you like that too, you know. No matter what you’ve done, what’s been done to you, what your outside looks like or what mess you are in the middle of….God thinks you are beautiful because he made you and wants a relationship with you.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

I’m also so thankful that God’s timing is always perfect! If I had been sick yesterday, or the day before, I would have been on my own because Rob’s schedule would not have allowed for a day off. Today it just worked out that he could be here. It’s not too hard with just Emily because she’s old enough to be able to do most things herself, but we also care for my friend’s 17 month old Monday – Friday, so that would have proved a little more challenging for me or for them if I had been unable to watch him today.

Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who is happy to help and an even more amazing God who is in charge of all things!

Trust in God’s timing. He knows what he’s doing, and he knows what we need to accomplish the tasks he has planned for us. Sometimes I am tempted to take over the reigns and run ahead of God. I have great intentions and honestly think I’m doing the “right” thing. Maybe I’m even doing something “for his kingdom”, but if I’m not following his directions then I need to slow down and wait for him to lead. He will never forsake me, and his timing will never fail to be perfect.

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

Stacy November 28, 2012 No Comments

I know I’m a few days late, but I wanted to share with you how our family celebrated Thanksgiving this year. It was our first Thanksgiving completely on our own as a family of 3. For most of our marriage, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving with our parents – usually with both sides of the family coming together for one wonderful celebration. Last year, Rob was deployed so it was just me & Emily and unfortunately we were both way too sick to enjoy the day at all. In fact, we even turned down invitations to join friends and spent the day watching movies and recovering instead.

This year we were excited to have Rob home to celebrate with us! We did extend the invitation to some friends and some of Rob’s co-workers but everyone had a place to go, so we enjoyed our small family Thanksgiving.

Operation Holiday Cookies for Soldiers

That’s the official name Emily assigned to our new family tradition! We started the day by making 16 dozen cookies of various types and delivering them to the soldiers that were working as gate guards on post. We spent the morning mixing, baking, cooling, sorting, & packaging the cookies. Then, we spent almost 2 hours driving around to 11 different gates on post and to the Staff Duty desk to hand out plates of cookies and our “Happy Thanksgiving” wishes. It was a beautiful day, a relaxing drive, and lots of quality family time!

I just have to brag on our family! We worked like clockwork in the kitchen! We kept it simple by making “Cake Mix Cookies” – a recipe I got from a dear friend of mine years ago. Emily took her post in front of the KitchenAid mixer and made every single batch of cookie dough herself. She was rocking! After the dough was ready, she passed it off to Rob who scooped it out onto the cookie sheets and put them in the oven. When they came out of the oven, I took the cookie sheets and transferred the cookies to the cooling racks. ‘Round and ‘round we went like an efficient assembly line, with Christmas music playing in the background! In between rounds, I worked on punching holes in the disposable plates and decorating them with ribbon. When all the cookies were ready, we lined up again and worked together to load the plates up with cookies.

Emily was super fast handing them out, so I didn’t get a great picture – but you can see from the soldier’s smile that they were well received! Emily even made all those cookies without licking the beater once since they were not gluten-free! Don’t worry, we did make a GF batch of cookies afterward for her to enjoy – I’m not mean! Actually, I was quite impressed that she was so into making the cookies for the soldiers that she didn’t even mind not licking the beater.

Thanksgiving meal….Southern style!

For our main meal, we went completely untraditional this year. It’s not uncommon for our family to stray from the traditional turkey & dressing. We’ve been known to have enchiladas, lasagna, or even go out to eat on Thanksgiving in order to keep it fun and different. This year, I guess we were feeling our Southern roots a bit because we decided to make fried chicken, biscuits & gravy! Rob and Emily had been having some cravings and we decided it was a great day to indulge them. Once again we utilized our excellent teamwork – Emily made the biscuits, Rob fried the chicken, and I made the gravy!

We indulged, but didn’t go crazy. The biscuits & gravy were both gluten-free, and the fried chicken was even a Paleo Fried Chicken recipe! It was delicious!! So much so, that we’ve already made it again but with veggies instead of biscuits this time.

MMM, gravy!

Ready to dig in!

What would we do without timers on cameras?

Silly family!

She asked me to take her picture again because you couldn’t see her tongue in the first one

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

My Serenity Place

Stacy October 20, 2012 No Comments

I love our home. While I did enjoy our time living on post the first year we were here, I am truly thankful that the Lord led us to this house to rent off-post. It’s just far enough away from the main city without being too far away. It’s in an older neighborhood, which I LOVE because that means it has TREES! Full grown trees, and lots of them.

Our backyard is fenced and there are huge trees on every side of the fence. For a second, I can almost forget there are houses next door and behind me. I absolutely love being out in God’s creation. At night I can sit on the deck, look up and see so many STARS! That is something you don’t see in the middle of the big city with all the lights drowning out the majesty that is the galaxy.

Tonight the air is cool so I wrapped up in a blanket and sat in one of our patio chairs. I just stared at the stars in wonder and listened to the sounds of the night. Crickets. Frogs. Neighborhood dogs. Some children getting to stay out late and play. I turned on some music on my phone and listened to “Here I Am” by Downhere.

Sometimes Your calling, comes in dream
Sometimes in comes in the Spirit’s breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity
But I’m a man, of dust and stains,
You move in me, so I can say

Chorus
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering,
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan,
Here I am

When setbacks and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest when it’s hardest to stand
I know that You will finish what You began
And these broken parts You will redeem
Become the song that I can sing

Chorus

Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I’ll fail You in the end
In this mess, I’m just one of the pieces,
I can’t put this together but You can

Chorus

Here I Am, all my life an offering to You, to You
Somehow my story is a part of Your plan
Here I am

I don’t know what’s next in our story of life, but I know that as a family God is teaching us to just say “Here we are, Lord” and to surrender our dreams and plans to Him.

There is a peace – a serenity – that comes washing over me when I truly surrender myself to God’s plan. When I stop trying to make my plan for my life happen. When I stop trying to figure out how my plan could suit Him and instead look for how I can live out his plan.

The Lord has me in this place, at this time for a reason. If I make the choice to sit still and listen to His voice – to rest in His serenity – I just might find out why I’m here and what it is that He wants me to do for Him in this place, at this time.

Here I am, Lord.

JRTC – One Week Down

Stacy October 5, 2012 No Comments

My beloved has been away for a week now, and while I know I shouldn’t complain lest any of my readers who have deployed spouses may hunt me down and tie me up with Duct Tape and 550 cord – I miss him!

I know, it’s only been a week. I survived a deployment with him on the other side of the world, and now I miss him after only a week.

What does that say about me?

I think it says I have a rocking marriage! That I adore my husband and miss cuddling with him every night while we veg out watching NCIS. That I miss having my adult sous chef in the kitchen (although, my half-sized sous chef is pretty awesome too!). That I miss seeing my soldier walk through the door each evening while hearing squeals of “Daddy’s home!!” coming from down the hall. I miss my best friend.

On the other hand, we are doing A-OK around here. Praise the Lord for technology because I’ve actually been able to talk to him every night so far. In fact, we laughed when we sorta ran out of things to talk about one day because we had lots of time to get caught up, but not enough time to dive into anything deep. He’s even been able to call at bedtime to give Emily her “noggin, nose cheek, kiss & hug” over the phone. That will change soon as they get busy “in the box”, but I’m oh-so-thankful that we’ve been able to communicate so far. It definitely made the transition for Emily a hundred times better.

Actually the time is going by pretty quickly. We’ve been passing the time this week with doctor’s appointments, a vet appointment, getting our hair cut, going to PWOC & church, and of course homeschooling & chores. We’ve also made sure to throw in a little bit of laziness when we were both feeling a little out of sorts yesterday.

All in all, things are really going well. I do of course miss my awesome hubby as I do anytime he’s away, but it’s also nice to know that Emily and I work well together as a team and can handle these times apart. God is so great to us and keeps our family strong even when we are apart. He has done some amazing work in Emily’s life to and she is handling these changes like a champ! Now, excuse me, I have to get dinner ready and play a couple games with my daughter before we call it a night.

Can you lick your elbow?

Stacy September 30, 2012 No Comments

This morning while I was in the shower, Emily came running into the bathroom.

“Mommy!?”

“Yes?”

“You know how they say it’s impossible to lick your own elbow? Well, I can almost do it!! Do you want to see it?”

“Ummm, not right this minute. I’m a little busy. (Did she not hear the water running?) I’d love to see it when I’m done here though.”

“Ok! It’s really cool!”

She could hardly stand to wait until I was fully dressed before showing me this amazing trick. I was definitely impressed because she does in fact get very close to accomplishing this feat whereas I can get my tongue nowhere near my elbow.

I laughed a little after she barged in the bathroom with her HUGE news as I thought about the cliché that mommies don’t even get to go to the bathroom alone. My daughter is 8 and rarely interrupts me while I’m in the bathroom anymore, but apparently this news just couldn’t wait. It’s definitely one of the things I truly love most about children – they are so easily amused and find joy in the simplest of things.

It also made me think about how thankful I am that God is never too busy to listen to me. He is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Always. Anytime. He can listen to countless conversations at the same time. That is beyond my understanding because I can’t even listen to 2 people talking to me at the same time! He wants to hear about the big stuff as well as the small stuff. He wants me to talk to him about everything! He wants to rejoice with me when I learn something new, or when I have a great day. He also wants to comfort me when things aren’t going well at all.

In this busy world we live in it’s hard for us to imagine having a friend that is never (ever!) too busy for us, but we have one. Not only is He not too busy for us – He’s eagerly waiting for us to talk to Him. Even about your latest tongue-to-elbow trick!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matt 19:14)

I hope my daughter will always come to me – with her joys and her sorrows. However, since there will be times that I am unavailable (I do need to shower!) – I am thankful for the relationship she already has with her Heavenly Father and that she knows without a doubt that He is always there. Everywhere. Anytime. All the time.

Lessons from a Pumpkin

Stacy September 28, 2012 No Comments

This morning during our homeschool time, Emily and I were talking about pumpkins. I simply adore the season of Autumn, so this time of year we try to include pumpkins in as many ways as possible. Pumpkin math, pumpkin pucks, books about pumpkins, pumpkin smoothies, and homemade paleo pumpkin spice lattes (oh wait, those are just for Mommy!) just to name a few.

This particular morning we got scientific and were discussing the various parts of a pumpkin.

Did you know…

The exocarp is the tough outer skin that protects the insides.

The mesocarp is the thick juicy layer that is often eaten.

We all know about the seeds, which can be planted to grow new pumpkin plants or – my favorite – roasted and eaten. Delicious!

Gloppy Goo is the official scientific name for that stringy stuff in the middle that we all throw away. Ok, I admit I don’t really know what that part is called.

There is another part to the pumpkin though, isn’t there? Do you know what it is?

I’ll give you a minute to think while I stare at you like Dora the Explorer waiting for an answer.

Did you get it?

That’s right! The stem – the fruit’s connection to the vine and the “pipeline” for nutrients.

As I read that definition aloud to Emily, the Lord immediately brought to mind John 15:5 which says,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

So science quickly gave way to Bible study as I opened my Bible to John 15 and we had a great conversation about how Christians are like pumpkins and we must stay connected DAILY to our vine (Jesus) if we are to continue to grow. How do we stay connected? By reading God’s word (the Bible), by praying to Him, and by singing praise and worship songs to Him. In the midst of all of that we must also find time to just rest in Him. Let his light shine on us. To be still and know that he is God (Ps 46:10). To truly LISTEN for His voice.

Just like the vine that must be pruned in order to grow effectively, so must we be pruned. It’s not always easy or painless, but God is our divine gardener and He will work continually to prune away the icky parts – our sin, pride, jealously, greed, etc – in order to give life to his creation and allow us to grow. He wants us to flourish and to live an abundant life connected to Him.

I encourage you to read the entire passage about The Vine and the Branches in John 15:1-17.

JRTC – Take 2

Stacy September 27, 2012 No Comments

Yesterday at O-Dark-Thirty, I woke Emily up out of a deep sleep so we could buckle her in the car, take Rob to work and say goodbye for the next month. He’s off to JRTC again.

My husband is the King of Packing! Seriously. When we go camping, he always amazes me with his ability to make everything fit in the truck, but packing for his military trips just bring it all to another level.

Somehow he managed to get all of this (and even more stuff not shown)…

…into this:

That’s for an entire MONTH, folks!

Amazing!

This time, we don’t have a scheduled deployment planned, but his brigade will take on the role of the Global Response Force (GRF) starting December 1 so they are preparing as though they are deploying. The Global Response Force is a military force in readiness, able to deploy at a moment’s notice to anywhere in the world for a variety of missions including defense and humanitarian. In civilian terms, his brigade is “on call” for an entire year should they be needed anywhere to do anything. The brigades rotate this responsibility and it’s their turn.

We’ve known this was coming for quite some time so we’ve been able to prepare. Besides, after dealing with the deployment the thought of him going away for “only” a month seems pretty easy. I know the time will pass quickly. After all, it’s fall – my favorite season ever – so we’ll be spending lots of time outside enjoying the cooler weather.

The departure was a little hard on Emily of course, but overall she is incredibly brave and her faith in God keeps her strong. She is truly an amazing little girl! She is super proud of her Daddy and totally understands that he is doing his job. She also knows that God didn’t just call her Daddy to this life – He called our family. That means we work together as a team to support each other.

The night before Rob left, Emily had trouble going off to sleep. She needed extra hugs, songs, and cuddles from Daddy. She finally went off to sleep with her Daddy Doll in one arm, and her favorite stuffed elephant in the other. Isn’t she precious?

(Yes, I am well aware we need to update the Daddy Doll! Emily tells me often that we need one with an Airborne beret. Working on it!)

Before we said goodbye, our family gathered around and we all prayed together for our family during this upcoming month. We continue to say, “Here we are, Lord!” and we pray that we will see opportunities to serve Him and give Him glory even during these times apart.

On the way home I played one of Emily’s favorite songs – “Stronger” by Mandisa and we belted out the words together.

Hey, heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain’t right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you’re asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather

Oh, don’t hang your head
It’s gonna end
God’s right there
Even if it’s hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares

[Chorus:]
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain’t gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
Believe me, this is gonna make you Stronger

Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it’s gonna end
God’s right there
Even when you just can’t feel Him
I promise you that He still cares

[Chorus]

‘Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I’m sure that He’s gonna help you get through this
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain’t gonna last forever
In time it’s gonna get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger

When we got home, Emily and I crawled into my bed and just held each other as we fell back to sleep for a while. When I woke up she was next to me just reading and she said, “I feel much better now that we got some more rest and I got Mommy cuddles!”.

God is good!

We are committed as a family to making the best out of this next month. I know that God will grow each of us in His own way and that through this we will draw closer to Him and closer as a family as the Lord prepares us for whatever is next. We already know the next several months are going to be a whirlwind of coming and going as Rob attends some schools, so we look forward to watching our family grow and thrive in this military life.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Lost on the map of life?

Stacy September 6, 2012 No Comments

This morning in my quiet time, I was reading in Deuteronomy where Moses is recapping to the Israelites all that they have been through while traveling through the desert from Egypt since God rescued them from slavery. The Israelites had trouble trusting God many times during their time in the desert. Even at the end, right outside the Promised Land, they were afraid to enter Canaan because they did not believe God would help them conquer the city. They were scared that the people of Canaan were too big & strong for them to handle.

These are the same people that had seen countless miracles from God – the plagues in Egypt, the saving of their first-born, the parting of the Red Sea (You would think that seeing the sea open up to dry land would solidify their belief, wouldn’t you?), food falling from the sky, water coming from a rock – just to name a few.

Yet, they doubted. They were scared. They thought they couldn’t do it – and they were right. Theycouldn’t, but God could!

How often do we doubt? When we look at our own strength, our own resources – we know we will fail and we get scared. We must remember that God’s resources and strength are ENDLESS! We must seek His help and guidance in our lives.

Do you have an upcoming PCS move? Deployment orders? Maybe even a redeployment that makes you nervous because you don’t know how things will be after so much time apart. A new baby on the way?

It can all seem so daunting on our own. But we are not alone.

Oddly enough, the more I try to control (which is a lot – I am a bit of a control freak) – the less control I have. That’s because I’m trying to do it MY way and my way rarely works. When I let Jesus Take the Wheel (great song!), I can relax in his arms knowing that he knows where we are headed and he IS the best GPS ever made! He knows because he goes ahead of us to prepare the way, and he goes with us holding our hand along the way.

If you feel lost or scared on your current journey, stop moving forward on your own. Look back at the One Who Holds the Map (GOD!) for He sees the big picture and knows just what we need.

“Trust the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)