Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from JESUS CHRIST our LORD and SAVIOR.
This is for the one I married...the one who has my heart...the one I will follow all the days of my life, the one I will be there for, serving him as the head of my household. I gladly submit to you my darling...you are soooo worth it! GOD bless you!
What is a MILITARY Wife?
They may look different and each is wonderfully unique, but this is what they have in common:
Lots of moving...
Moving.
Moving.
Moving far from home.
Moving cars, kids and pets----all riding with... HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house.
Moving curtains that won't fit.
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends, moving toward new friends.
Moving her most important luggage; her trunkful of memories.
Often waiting...
Waiting, waiting, waiting for housing; waiting for orders; waiting for deployment; waiting for reunion; waiting for phones calls; Waiting for the new curtains to arrive; waiting for him to come home for dinner----AGAIN!
They call her 'military dependent', but she knows better.
She can balance a checkbook.
Handle the yard work.
Fix a noisy toilet.
She is intimately familiar with drywall, anchors, and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move, all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
Reinvents her career with every PCS; locates a house in the desert, the arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.
She is fiercely IN-dependent.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty.
They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career alternatives, churches and friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and Perennials for those who come after them.
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other.
They connect over coffee, rely on the spouse-network, accept offers of friendship and favors, and record addresses in pencil.
Military Wives have a common bond.
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands, his commitment is unique. He doesn't have a job, he has a 'mission' he can't just decide to quit. He's on-call for his country 24/7 but for you, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign: TDY, PCS, MOS, FOB, ACU, and so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long-distance link to keep them informed the glue that holds them together.
A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, and refuse to move to Siberia...
But... she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to the flag, and a wedding picture...
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind...
But actually, it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man...
Who puts duty first.
Who longs to deploy.
Who salutes the flag.
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military husband...
She will remain his Military wife.
Praise GOD for my Military Husband...I will follow you all the days of my life, and I will do whatever GOD calls me to do, and to be the wife HE has created me to be for you.
This is my promise to you my love!
Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
We are having family night tonight, so I am leaving you with a video with a GREAT MESSAGE! GOD Bless You!
Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
Well, I do hope the Voice of the Martyrs blessed each and every one of you. I want to share what the LORD spoke to me after reading about personal sacrifice.
As I was praying yesterday, I told GOD (with much emotion) that I wanted to sacrifice for HIM, no matter what! Down any road, at any cost! As I read about my brothers and sisters sacrificing much, I too want to have that kind of heart. Not that I want to seek out someone to persecute me, but if it comes, I want to stand faithfully for the LORD no matter what.
The LORD said to me, " You say you want to sacrifice out there in the world for me, but you will not even sacrifice for your very own husband? How can I trust you in much if you are not faithful in little?" OUCH!!! That hurt, but because it is true. I saw myself for the first time as a very selfish wife who has whined to get her own way, while my husband sacrifices so much for me. He wants me to be happy, so he just allows me to have my way. I do not act like that every time, but I see where I have been soooo selfish. I love my husband, I do not want to be decay to his bones as it is written in the WORD.
You see, our tour here in Belgium is almost over, and I am ready to go back to the States, while he is loving it here and wants to stay. We have been here almost six years and I feel it has been long enough overseas, but again, he really loves it here. He has to make a decision if he will reenlist or become a Government worker, or totally get out and become a civilian working a normal 9-5. He has recently said that he might have a chance to stay another 3 years here in Belgium if he can not find any work in the US. So, I immediately got upset and ranted about the long, dark, dreary, winters here, the car care battles, language barrier, and the prejudices here against Americans.
GOD has had me in "How to be a Biblical wife 101" for about a year now, and HE is a very good teacher! He revealed to me last year that because I witnessed my dad belittle my mom, abuse her physically, mentally, and emotionally, unbeknownst to me, Satan had placed a stronghold within me. As a wife, whenever I thought my husband was starting an argument, I would not let him get very far before my claws were out and I was attacking back and standing my ground. Watching my dad made me fight back with my own husband before I really even knew what was really going on. I just did not want to be pushed around like my mom, but I did not even realize I did that at all. (I am better now, but it has taken a lot to get here. Praise GOD for loving me enough to tell me. HE told me through reading a book called " Victory over the Darkness, by Neal Anderson.)I love this book, and I recommend it to everyone. Especially those who need healing from past hurts.
So, this week, GOD has had me really thinking of my husband and all his great qualities. I am very fortunate to have him. GOD has spoken to me and I am going to listen. I will not fight him on this, if we stay, we will stay. All I really want is for GOD'S will to be done in my life. I am so thankful that HE is helping me to be a better wife... A Biblical Wife...A wife Faithful to GOD!
You know, it is not really about me against Randy, what we need to do is pray for each other and come together to serve GOD as one! One In GOD, One In Unity in HIM, to become obedient in HIS will...together.
As I think of it all, it really is not sacrifice when you do it with love! I honestly have peace in this now. GOD still continues to help me sacrifice myself daily for HIM! The flesh can be strong, but GOD is stronger!
May we all learn to live for CHRIST sacrificially no matter where we are and what we are doing.
BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!
(I am writing this late in the night, I hope this article makes sense. LOL! )
Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
I hope you all have been blessed by the devotions from The Voice of The Martyrs. GOD has really been convicting me of certain things in my life since reading the devotions. I hope there is a great awakening going on within you as well. I am going to leave you with one more tonight... Be Blessed!!
In Communist Romania, Churches were closed and Pastors arrested as part of a seven -year drive to "eliminate the nations of all superstition."
So when Brother Vasile and his wife began holding more Church meetings in their home, they knew it would not escape the attention of the government forever. Every evening Vasile prayed, "GOD, if you know of some prisoner who needs my help, send me back to jail." His wife shuddered while she mumbled a reluctant "amen".
Then they learned that one of the Church members' homes had been raided and copies of Vasile's sermons had been confiscated. They also learned that the assistant Pastor, their friend and coworker became an informant and had denounced Vasile.
It was 1 a.m. when the police raided the little apartment and placed Vasile under arrest. As they handcuffed him, Vasile said, "I won't leave here peacefully unless you allow me a few minutes to embrace my wife." The police reluctantly agreed. They would have their way soon enough.
The couple held each other, prayed, and sang with such emotion that even the captain was moved. Finally they escorted him out to a police van with Vasile's wife tearfully running after them. Vasile turned and called out his last words before disappearing for many years, "Give all my love to our son and the Pastor who denounced me."
Extreme betrayal requires extreme forgiveness. If our enemies come against us with such ferocity, should we not be as generous with hour act of forgiveness? When our enemy stoops low enough to denounce us, ought we not reach higher to find the willingness to forgive them? JESUS taught us that forgiving evil is for our own good. Deep betrayal can cause us to close our hearts to our own experience of forgiveness. If you find yourself being stingy in the forgiveness department, you will experience a meager sense of release from your own sins. Being betrayed is bad enough. Becoming bitter is a defeat you cannot afford.
To whom do you need to offer extravagant forgiveness today?
Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
Today's devotion from The Voice of the Martyrs is about a small gift given that had a huge impact and a life was changed.
"What is it?" Soviet captain Marco snarled at the young boy. "What do you want?"
The boy, only twelve, swallowed his fear as he stood before the Communist officer. "Captain, you are the man who put my parents in prison. Today is my mother's birthday, and I always buy her a flower for her birthday."
"Since my mother taught me to love my enemies and to reward evil with good, I have brought the flower instead for the mother of your children. Please take it home to your wife tonight, and tell her about my love and love of CHRIST."
Captain Marco, who had watched unmoved as Christians had been unmercifully beaten and tortured, was stunned at the act of love of this boy. His tears fell as he slowly walked around the desk and grabbed the boy in a fatherly embrace. Marco's heart was changed by the gift of CHRIST's LOVE. He could no longer arrest and torture Christians, and soon he himself was arrested.
Only months after the boy's visit to his office, Marco slumped in a filthy prison cell surrounded by some of the same Christians he had previously arrested and tortured. He tearfully told his cellmates of the young boy and the simple gift of a flower. He considered it an honor to share a cell with those he had previously hunted and attacked.
Generosity is second nature to the believer. JESUS taught that others would recognize real believers by their demonstration of love, and not just for those who love us in return. Oftentimes, generosity toward strangers and even enemies is the best application of JESUS' teachings. Witnesses to our acts, if not the recipients themselves, are befuddled at the sight. Imagine a wounded Christian worker who prays for the boss who unjustly fired him or her. Picture the impact of grieving parents who give the gift of forgiveness to a drunk driver. The world doesn't understand generosity. However, it is affected by it all the time. We find we are never more like GOD HIMSELF as when we give generously to others. GOD gave HIS only SON to demonstrate HIS LOVE for the world and purchase our salvation. What could you give today that might open someones heart to GOD's KINGDOM?
Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
The Voice of the Martyrs devotion is about EXTREME READINESS...
Just as Pastor Li Dexian began his sermon, the doors of the house Church burst open. Armed officers of the Chinese Public Security Bureau poured into the room, threatening everyone present and grabbing Li to arrest him.
"Wait, please allow me to grab my bag." As always, the Pastor's tone with the officers was polite yet firm.
The officers were surprised at the request. "What's in there?" they demanded, grabbing the black zippered bag Li held and ripping it open. The bag contained a blanket and a change of clothes, Li told them, because he had been expecting to be arrested that day.
Pastor Li had been arrested many times. Twice, police had beaten him to the point that he vomited blood, and one time Li's face was beaten with his own BIBLE. Li was warned that police were watching the village where he held his Tuesday meeting. He knew if he showed up to preach, he would be imprisoned. Today, Chinese citizens can be sent to labor camps for up to three years without a formal trial.
The risks were great, but Li's bag was packed. More than having a bag packed... he had his mind and heart prepared. He was willing to pay any cost to preach the gospel. He was convinced GOD would care for him...even in prison.
Readiness is a sign of commitment. Commitment that is unprepared to sacrifice is merely compromise in disguise. For example, consider the marriage commitment. It costs one's selfishness and deals a heavy blow to one's sense of independence. However, the result is a stronger marriage. Relationships that are not ready to sacrifice for the sake of commitment do not last. Compromise takes a steady toll and weakens our desire and ability to be committed. In the same way, the believer's commitment to CHRIST must exact a price in order to maintain its value. We must prepare for the test of our commitment by daily affirming that Christianity is worth it. It's worth spending our time in daily prayer. It's worth gathering for worship at Church. It's worth enduring hardship and trial, abuse, and even arrest for the privilege of maintaining our commitment without compromise.
Are you ready my friends?
Hello All, Grace and Peace be to you from our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
"Will you choose to live or die? What do you say?"
The questioner was Henry VIII, the king of England, who had unrestrained power in the land. The "criminal" who stood before him, charged with heresy, was John Lambert, a Greek and Latin tutor.
Lambert audaciously challenged his pastor for delivering a sermon that didn't agree with Scripture. Lambert was brought before the archbishop of Canterbury and later before King Henry. Quoting from the Scriptures and explaining the original Greek. Lambert presented his case to an assembly of bishops, lawyers, justices, and peers. The two sides argued strenuously back and forth until Henry, bored with it , presented Lambert with a final choice: "After all the reasons and instructions of these knowledgeable men, are you now satisfied? Will you choose to live or die? What do you say?
Lambert took a deep breath and answered confidently, "I commend my soul to the hands of GOD, but my body I give to your clemency."
"You must die, "Henry answered scornfully, "for I will not be a patron to heretics." Convicted of heresy, Lambert was unbowed in his slow, torturous death. He lifted up his hands in worship, declaring, "None but CHRIST! None but CHRIST!"
In the modern age of possibilities, our right to choose has grown nearly insatiable. Two hundred television channels are a "basic" right, tantamount to freedom itself. We want options. Variety. Assortment. Even Mundane decisions are delivered daily to your doorstep: what to wear, eat, drive, or do. However, our choices are no longer utilitarian, they are virtually limitless. In contrast, when life's greater questions come to us, we have only answer to give: "None but CHRIST." Is there another way to HEAVEN? None but CHRIST...HE IS THE WAY. Is there another priority in life that deserves one's full devotion? NONE BUT CHRIST...HE IS SUPREME. Can someone else satisfy the longing of the human heart? NONE BUT CHRIST can satisfy. Truth has no alternative. When life's greater questions come, and they will, are you prepared to testify that of all the possibilities "NONE BUT CHRIST" will satisfy?
What will you choose?
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