Friday, June 27, 2008

Uplifting Military & Their Family

Many families this year will celebrate the fourth of July by having a picnic and watching fireworks. Most festivities for the fourth of July take place outside. The forth of July is a Federal Holiday... most people have the day off of work, planning parties and BBQs.

There's one group of people who do not have the day off of work... our military men and women.

Our military personal who are in war do not have the day off of being shot at, they are always on guard. Whether you are for or against the war, the fact is - we have thousands of soldiers deployed to war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you are a military wife, you have many giants to face - especially the holidays. While others are having fun and enjoying freedom, military wives worry about their husbands being hurt, losing limbs or being killed. I have seen first hand how war effects family life. War is not pretty, it can be very scary.

If it were not for Christ, I do not know how I would have gotten through my husbands fifteen month deployment. 28 of the soldiers in my husbands unit were killed. My husband was injured in the war and now has numerous health issues. My best friend lost her husband, leaving behind four children under the age of 8.

This year, as you celebrate the forth of July - PLEASE pray for our military soldiers and their families. We have been at war for years. Families are facing their 5th, 6th and yes - even their 7th deployments... it is hard, yet - our military families are strong.

Bible that really helped me cope with being a military wife in the time of war are:

Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Friday, June 6, 2008

To worry or not to worry

We all have things that come up in our lives that will cause us to worry. We worry over our bills, over our kids, over our husbands, over the noise the car is making, so many things. When these things happen we make a decision...often an unconsious one...but a decision nonetheless. We choose whether or not to turn those worries over to God or to hold on to them. If we turn them over to God they are no longer our's. We don't have them to worry over any more. We can live free of worry. We can have the peace that only God gives knowing that all will be taken care of in God's timing. How often though do we turn them over to God but hang on to a little piece of that worry? Do we say "Hey God....i'm gonna give you all of these problems...but this one right here...the one with my daughter...i'm gonna hold on to it...i have given you so much...i'll just worry about it a little longer." and then wonder why we have no peace? Are we feeling stressed over all these small things in our lives when God is there saying "I'll be the bearer of your burdens"? WHY? Why are we doing this to ourselves? Why do we let ourselves be stressed and worried and feel all these things? Why do we turn all the little things over to God and know he can handle it but hang on to the big ones like we can fix them? We can't! We know we can't! I know that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Phillipians 4:13 tells me that. It does not tell me that I can do all things with my own strength because I don't need God. I'm not made that way. I know for certain that i could not have made it through this week if i had not have had God on my side. There is a reason I was in church when i got the call I got this week. There is a reason I was in the prayer service at church when i got that call that 3 soldiers in my husband's unit were killed. God had me where i knew I would be getting the strength i needed. Where i could go before my church immediately and tell them what i needed and they could be in prayer at that very moment. Within 10 minutes there were literally 100 people praying for my husband's unit simply because of me being where God put me when i got that call. I could easily sit and worry over my husband and all of our friends this week. And next week as he goes about his business and in the coming months but i choose not to do that. I choose to turn it over to God. Not hang on to the little pieces and worry over them. God says he carries us through all our troubles and burdens not just half of them. Personally i like the thought of being carried by God. Sounds kinda nice and makes me feel a lot less tired!