Major Dad

                




We had a good Father's Day.  We went to church,  ate ribs afterwards, took  naps, and played with the baby.  Hubby went running in the late afternoon.  I advised him to wait until after 6pm(heat index)  but it was what he wanted to do and afterall, it was his day.  Now that I have the house to myself, I'm going to brag on him a little, even if it is Monday.

Even though he is not perfect by any means, he is perfect for me. God really knew what he was doing.  He is decent, honorable, and hardworking.  He serves his country and the people of this state.  He could have gone to work somewhere for a lot more money, but he chose not to.  He's good at what he does and genuinely loves the people that he works with.  He loves the Lord and his family(photos).   If you knew half of what I do about what he grew up out of and overcame, you'd be in awe of him as well.  Especially when you see him at the table in the mornings drinking his coffee and reading his bible.

Last year on Father's Day my husband was serving in the "great hot sandbox".  (photos) It was his first Father's Day and his 2nd deployment.  He spent most of his time losing sleep.  He never slept more than 4 hours at a time for the whole 7 months he was there.  No one wanted to share a room with him for all the knocking on doors.  The constant "sir, there's a problem....." tended to cut sleep down to a minimum.  

 He briefed, he met, he ate foreign food, he socialized, he solved problems, he secured, he promoted, he was always a target,  etc etc......a long list of etc.  He even stood on a HumV and gave speeches to Iraqi's about not quitting just because they had not yet gotten paid.  He believed in what this village was trying to establish.   It worked. 

If you were to ask him out in public about some of these stories, he would probably play them down.  He wouldn't brag about how he got promoted or how he received the highest honor any artillery officer can receive.  He wouldn't brag about how ALL his men returned home safely from TWO deployments.   He probably wouldn't mention how the spiritual lives of his marines were affected while under his command.   He probably WOULD tell you about how doing the Experiencing God study while there in the desert affected him.  He probably would tell you how God honored his obedience in many matters.

Recently, on a Friday, my husband received a job offer.  He had to give an answer by Monday.  It was military related.  It was an artillery officer's dream job.  It was flattering to be asked.  Very Complementary to be considered for such a job as this.  He had to turn it down.  He could not leave his wife and child again.   For no amount of fame or history making, can he leave his civilian job again.  He would have to quit in order to volunteer.   The job would mean more money.  He sounded excited when he called to tell me about it.  I asked him if he was tempted.  He said he was, but only for a few.  I am so thankful!!

  Someday he might let me tell you the story of the bibles.   Just know that at the end of the chaos those bibles caused,  God's plan ruled and there are 100 arabic bibles that were not there before.  Will a remote western village be changed?  It already has been.  Only God knows the end of that long story.

My husband probably worries about being a good father.  When his own father died at a very young age, he was sent to live with an aunt and an uncle.  At the funeral, with future unknown, a pastor put his hand on a very young man's burdened shoulder and told him, "son, you are embarking on a great adventure, your journey is just beginning".   How prophetic were those words!!  

As you can tell, I'm a big fan!  I respect and love my husband for all that he is and will be.  As for my own father?  I'm going fishing with him this week, I'll post about that later!!!

Happy Father's Day!!

Tuesdays Together

I have been absent from blogger world.  I'll explain later.  Tuesdays Together is as good a time as any to jump back in.  I'm sharing from 2 Corinthians today.  It's long, so bear with me.   If you are not familiar with Tuesdays Together, please visit DeeDee to check it out and to visit others who participate.  

Yesterday  while working in recovery, my patient looked up at me and said, "This won't keep me from going over seas will it?  cause I'm going in February and I don't want to miss it this time.....".  Patients rattle on about lots of things while they are waking up from their "twilight sleep" as we call it.  He went on to talk about his unit in the National Guard and his future deployment and about his herniated discs and how he just really did not want to miss going with his unit.  Men.  The voice in my head answered him,  "well, I hope it does keep you from going".  I of course could not say that out loud.   That was the answer of a mother and a wife.  Surely they feel differently about his enthusiasm to deploy.  Surely they do not want him to go overseas.   Driving home, I was thinking about his conversation and it dawned on me that today June 9th, 2009 is a type of anniversary for my family.  On Nov. 9th, 2008 just 7 months ago, my husband returned home from Iraq.  And so, in honor of this anniversary and in honor of Memorial Day ( albeit very late) I wanted to share an essay that I wrote back in November.  Keep in mind that I wrote this essay before I became a blogger.  I wrote it the week after my husband returned.  Also keep in mind that our group at church had just finished the bible study, 'What Happens When Women say Yes to God' by Lysa Terkeurst.   I never really imagined that I would be sharing this essay with others.  It was just my way of pouring my heart out on paper, and it is also  dedicated to my church family and others who know who they are....

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2 Corinthians 5:14

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

Christ's love compels us.  COMPELS.  Because we are CONVINCED.  Powerful words.  Striking verse.  It is not difficult to imagine a love so convincing that it moves or COMPELS one into action.  Especially when you have witnessed it for yourself.

My most recent encounter with Christ's compelling love occurred during my husband's deployment to Iraq.  He left the house in Nov. 2007 and returned in Nov. 2008, just 1 week ago.  The last 7 months of this deployment were in Rutbah, Iraq,  A remote western city.

I am so moved by the expressions of love that were directed my way that I felt it necessary to write them out; chew on them a little and savor what inspiration might come from them.

Thanksgiving, Christmas--Love called and invited me to the family dinners even though it was suspected I would travel and join my own parents, you still called and invited me.... Each Sunday after church,  Love took turns inviting me to lunch  instead of allowing me to go home alone to eat.  Love visited me at the hospital.  Love sent emails and cards.  Love PRAYED for me.

When I was very largely pregnant, Love rolled my big trashcan down my steep driveway every Thursday.  And even when I protested, Love sometimes managed to get it back up the driveway--if I  let him.

The day my husband left again to return to his unit, my infant son was 6 days old.  I rounded the corner and witnessed my husband bent over the bassinet with large tears hanging from his eyes.  Don't see him cry very often,  But Love will do that to a person.

For weeks, I hurt from the stitches.  I didn't move very well.  Love organzied and sent food, for what seemed like a month!!

Love came and helped me clean.  And then there was a babysitting list that Love concocted so that I could leave the house for a few hours and Love signed up.  Week after week.  Then when the daycare spot we had prayed for opened up, some of you did not get the chance to babysit, but your names were there, on that list.  Written in love.

Love called to check on me.  Love PRAYED for me.  Love raced across the yard with the other neighbors to see who could cut my grass first.  Love returned week after week with the mower and the weed eater.

When my dog busted down a section of the fence, Love watched my newborn while I went out looking for my dog.... And then the next morning when I heard voices outside my window, I realized that neighbors  had joined together to shore up my fence, with a bag of quikcrete that came from a neighbor's garage.  Love did that....

When my 2 cats and my dog brought into the house such a fierce flea infestation that both tortured and embarrassed me, you sent your hubby over to spray my drought stricken back yard.

Love served in the church nursery and cared for my child.  During Wednesday night suppers, Love took my infant and allowed me to eat a normal meal....with grown ups.

Nursing and raising a newborn on your own brings great joy and weariness.  Some nights the darkness would come and the kind of weariness that seeps right down through to the very bone would set in.  On these nights, when all I could utter between the sobs were the words to 'Great is Thy Faithfulness' over and over, I know that Love was praying and intervening on my behalf.  I know that YOU were going deep into your prayer closets and praying for me.  Love does that.

I know these weary nights of weakness all to well.  Nights where Christ's LOVE and strength really were enough.  They really were.... They still are.  Not just enough, but abundantly so.

'Crazy Love'.  Haven't had the chance to read the book yet.  But I'm guessing it's there.  On the pages, between the pages.  This Love that I've mentioned.  Compelling. Convincing.  Amazing. Crazy.  What happens when Love says yes?  Well,  I hope I've given you a glimpse.   The folks of CBChurch said yes, and I will never be able to repay them; except to stop and give Glory to the God who has given that COMPELLING Love for us all.

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I realize now  how late and out of date these words might seem and I probably should have shared these thank yous and  sentiments earlier, but the leading didn't come until today.  Maybe someone just needed this today.  I hope so.  

Tuesdays Together

Welcome to Tuesdays Together in the Word.  We are a group reading the bible together and sharing each week the nuggets that the Lord's Word has left with us.  Join in with us, wherever you are.  Please  visit DeeDee for more Tuesday Together posts.

In my reading this week,  I wanted to linger a bit in Psalms and Proverbs.  In Psalm 39,40, and 41  I  could really sense David's despair and his frustration.  His awareness of his own inadequacy  is overwhelming here.  There are scourges and weeping, wicked enemies, and slimy muddy pits.  There is shame and foolishness.  There is slander and betrayal.   Then, Here comes the best part.  David exalts the Lord. 

2) He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;  he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

3) He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

4) Many, O lord my God, are the wonders you have done.  The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

In Proverbs 10 there is reassurance for those who trust in the Lord.

24)What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

25)When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

All through the reading I imagined David and his despair and then his freedom.  I was reminded of a scene in a movie that so impressed me that I openly wept in the theater.  The scene is from a Lord of The Ring's movie.  I went to see all three in the theaters when they were released.  The scene I thought of this week involved the great trees with their strong roots.  A  flood of rushing water comes to "wash away" the underworld that has been created and where an oppressive evil army is born and prepares for battle.   The waters rush over the land and over the edge into the pit and you see the trees clinging to stand firm.  All around them is destruction.   The trees do stand, because they are the only ones with roots deep and strong enough to withstand such a destructive force.  My emotions at this point in the movie just overwhelmed me and I cried.  As the great rushing waters leveled the playing field, I could not help but get emotional.  The symbolism was not lost on me. 

Are you planted firmly on the right foundation?  If you are, do you strengthen your roots through His word? Do you trust in the ONE whose wonders are "too many to declare"?  I surely hope so.  When Christ died for us, he secured our place in eternity.  Once we belong to Him, we cannot be pulled from him.  

Prov 10:30 The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

2Tim.2:19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his...

Psalm41:13  Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

A Funny Thing happened....

A funny thing happened to me last week.  I was on my way to church last Sunday morning and I had to stop at the store to pick up some nursery supplies.  My husband drove and chose to wait out in the car with the baby.  It took me a few minutes to locate what I needed.  I am not familiar with this particular store.  I paid the cashier and with my mind on other things I headed back out to the car.

Some of you will relate to what happened next.  You know those moments of split second registration?  Those moments when you realize that you have made a big mistake?

I opened the car door and with my bags in the air ready to put in the floorboard, I registered that this was not my seat and that was not my catfood, and more importantly the man smoking the cigarette behind the wheel was not my husband!!!!  He was looking at me rather funny.......I was looking at him rather surprised,   and just as quickly as I had opened the door, I said "OH, I'm so sorry" and I shut the door.  

I was laughing so hard by the time I crossed the parking lot and got into the IDENTICAL car that really was mine, I was unable to tell my husband what had happened.  I heard the stranger man laughing and he waved as he drove off.  I waved back.  We are bonded now you know!  I'm sure he had a good story to tell to folks the rest of the day!!

I quit laughing and crying long enough to explain why that stranger man was laughing and waving at us.  Husband and I, we laughed all the way to church and my mascara was completely gone by the time we arrived.   

 So many times this week I have thought about the looks on our faces as we realized  what was happening.  It has brought me many a merry moment!   I hope we both learned something from the whole experience........ he might lock his car door next time, and I might pay more attention to the direction in which I am parked!!  Note to self.......

I just thought I would share.  I hope this brought you a bit of laughter in your day.......even if it is at my expense!!  

I was running.....

Well, here we are.  Sweaty and red faced.  I posted previously that I was in training for my first ever 5k, and although our time was not exactly stellar, it was pretty good for first timers.  We finished together at exactly 0:47:06. Keep in mind that my training never went past 2 miles and most of my training in the last 3 weeks had been railroaded. 

 I am sure that the temperature was the highest we have experienced so far this year.  We were told to expect the 80's, but out on that pavement, it surely felt like the 90's.  The course was a nice, relatively flat course, not many slopes.  At mile 2 and 3 there were large signs marking our progress and from the 3rd mile marker, you could see the finish line!!  I was ever so happy to see marker #2 and even more overjoyed when I could see the finish line in the distance!!

My friend Kelly made the run more worthwhile, and frankly If she had not been there I probably would have just walked the whole last mile.  If I had run the race alone with just me and my ipod, I am confident that the end result would have been different.  There is spiritual significance here. 

 Although, we have divinely been given a race to run, there always is and was someone else who is running a similar race.  There will always be someone else who "understands" your circumstance.    There is a reason that scripture supports fellowship, both fellowship with other believers and with Christ.  During the 5k, there was certainly some pain, but there was more importantly sweet fellowship and support........it was a good run.

Please be watching for a post from Kelly.  She has a great blog with lots of insight and some funny stories.   You can find her on my sidebar at 'Where's the Beef?'.

Walk, run, walk, run.......

I have been on a short  computer break.  Except for basic emails, I have avoided all things computer.  For the past three weeks, my household has been plagued by illness.  Rhinovirus, sinus infections, DOUBLE ear infections, bronchitis,  fevers, fatigue etc.  We are all three now on antibiotics. 

I feel better.  The baby is better.  Now my hubby is sick.  He went off to drill this past weekend, and of course came home ill.  

As I reflect on the last few weeks, I feel rather manic. I have roller coasted all over the spectrum.   I have been distracted,  flaky, dazed, irritable, even dizzy.  I have been chilled and sweaty.  I have been nauseated(antibiotic) and starving.   My recliner is worn where I feel like I atrophied away. I did lose a few pounds.  Chores were skipped.  Naps were plentiful.  Yesterday, I was finally energized enough to clean.  And clean I did!  Furiously! I'm still cleaning today.  Like I said, very manic.  

I even went running today, sorta......My first 5k is coming up this Saturday.  FIRST ever.  I have been training for this run since January. Obviously I haven't been running in three weeks.   I have started over on the training at least three times.  Illness, travel, weather.....those are all my excuses.  While sitting in my recliner with my big blanket watching my muscles disappear , it was easy to be discouraged by the turn of events.  So easy in fact, that I briefly entertained the idea to skip the run and just waste my $25 that I already paid.  What?!!  I couldn't do that!!   Could I? Of course not!!

I say all this (whine and cheese), in order to say, that while I was sick, I was thinking.  I'm always thinking.  I was thinking about Paul in prison, about the disciples in the days after Jesus was crucified, about the conditions they must have lived in.  I was thinking about their "races". I was thinking about Moses.  I was thinking about perseverance even when you know how the race is going to end.  I was thinking about my running water and my fridge and  my modern day conveniences.  I was even thinking about the miracle of antibiotics.  Does any of this make any sense?  I don't know, But I will finish the race.  I will find joy in the running.  I will be thankful for my circumstances.  I will walk a little, run a little, walk, run, walk, run........all the way to the end.  I will finish and when my race is completed, I will be different.  

Easter thoughts...

This perhaps was one of the oddest Easter Weekends.  Saturday felt like Sunday.  We went to church for a youth pancake breakfast (fundraiser) and an egg hunt.  The rest of the day I was plagued with the urgent need to take a nap (or naps), which I usually reserve for Sunday afternoon.  The cubs have started their baseball season, so you can guess what channel our tv stayed on all weekend!!  I love to watch Cubs baseball, but the drone of the crowd puts me out! Perfect napping conditions....

On Sunday, the baby had a fever that I thought we were finished with!!  It is not wise to close up a child in a nursery with a fever and lots of other little children, so I left my husband at home with the baby  and attended Sunday Easter service  on my own.  I also had some nursery duties to take care of.  During my 30 minute drive, I listened to worship music and praised the Lord for what Easter really means.  I enjoyed my ride alone in the car, and the springtime scenery along the way.  I thought about the cross, and about my savior and what must His scenery have looked like.  This is all in sharp contrast to the phone calls my husband was getting all weekend.  I don't like it when he is on call.  There is "lostness"  behind these calls.  The phone rings at  strange hours and it is usually not good.  There is sleep lost and then usually a discussion about people who can't be nice to one another.  About the evil that exists just over the hill so to speak, and about how law enforcement and others who work the long night hours even on Easter weekend.  My husband appreciates these guys on the frontline.  They usually go without thanks and they miss out on time with their families.   I mean really, is it wise to commit crimes on a holiday? 

 

 Lostness.....it is the reason Jesus came afterall.  It is the reason for the cross.  Do the prayers I utter for the families behind these phone calls really help?  Although at times the task at hand seems despairingly without hope,  I know different.  I know that lostness is conquered one heart at a time.  I know Jesus came for all of us and I know that I  have a job to do.  

So, I enjoyed my drive home alone and I thought about all the folks at church honoring the Lord with their Easter finery and the beautiful music and about the folks who went down front after the sermon for a profession of faith and baptism!  I thought about how the Holy Spirit stirs around the room in ways I can't even imagine, amongst hearts and heads, and how even my few tired thoughts of despair for the lost cannot stop His power.  I know that there were distracted hearts there yesterday who most likely did not hear anything, but I also know that there were a few, including my own, who sat humbled at the foot of the cross, even for just a moment. 

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!