I just made the switch this week, so I’m keeping this site up for a while, too. All the pages and posts are at the new site, but I’m still working on adding some graphics (like a better header!) and other tools. Many of the links may bring you back over here–don’t worry, I know about that issue and I have to go back in and change each one of those links one by one. It will just take a little time.

Cool new features you’ll see on the new site:

• a “Share this” button at the bottom of every page and post. Now if you like something, just one click will let you share it through Facebook, Twitter, or the social media of your choice.
• The Faith Deployed Facebook page has a mini-feed in the righthand sidebar. If you don’t “like” the Facebook page yet, you’ll be able to click to it or “like” it right from the Web site.
• Easier to use menu. The navigation bar at the top has dropdown menus where applicable. (I’m also working on a special menu for our most popular blog categories, but I haven’t perfected that one yet!)
• I am still discovering all the possibilities of this Web site, but since I am brand-spanking new to the world of CSS and Web coding, you will likely just notice improvements over the next few weeks (or months).

For all of you who subscribe to the blog posts, my next task is making sure you’ll be switched over to the feed from the new site.

Lynn’s column, below, won a third place prize in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

I’m currently enduring a very challenging deployment, but I want to tell you about the amazing gifts from God that have not only helped me through, but brought my family back on a path to Him.  

Our son was born in April 2009 and I could not imagine being any happier. Unfortunately, an upcoming deployment was looming and I couldn’t help but become angry and despondent. My husband had decided to accept an opportunity to serve overseas with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula. Now I’d heard him speak of this deployment many times before, hoping he could someday be a part of it.

I screamed, “But why now? What horrible timing!” There were many tearful discussions and arguments, but deep down I knew he had to do this. After the initial shock, I surprised myself with my understanding and patience. Was that God’s first gift during this difficult time?

In a few months I was to be a single mother of sorts, so I had to just take it day by day. After my husband left, I really didn’t have time to be upset, but somehow I found time! I had evenings alone to get angry and think about all that daddy was missing. I cried a lot, but my tears were always erased by the most amazing baby. I cherished our times together rocking, kissing, cuddling, nursing, singing, giggling…the blessings he brings me are endless. His love kept me going. “…weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NLT). This is where I first started to see why God had given me a son when He did.

Just when I thought I could make it through, life threw me a curveball to end 2009. At the end of November, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Here I was with a 7-month-old baby, a husband a world away and a family states away. Again, I cried “But why now? What horrible timing! Why me?”

MS is such a disease of the unknown. Every patient is different and all the doctors could tell me was that only time will tell how I fair. Here I am, the one who likes to plan everything and whose only fear is the unknown, and I’m marked with a disease that could eventually disable me…or maybe not! Life sped out of control. I went in the hospital for a 3-day steroid treatment meaning I had to stop nursing my son cold turkey. I had to learn about giving myself shots three days per week and I had to break the news to my husband, my family, my friends….I thought the stress alone would kill me.

Somehow I had the strength to carry on, to be positive and try not to worry about the unknown. I again surprised myself at how I was dealing with a difficult situation. This time I really started to see what God’s plan was. I knew I had to be the mom God wanted me to be and it was through God’s gift of our son that provided me the strength and comfort I needed during a tough time. I saw this circle of life and thanked Him for an abundance of grace.

Still midway through his deployment, my husband was told he couldn’t take leave as previously scheduled. But he somehow found a way to make it home. Having our family together again for two weeks rejuvenated me. I thanked God for bringing my husband home when I needed him the most!

The end of this deployment is on the horizon, but God’s blessings didn’t end there. I love to say God works in mysterious ways, so let me tell you of the final gift from God that came from this deployment. My husband and I are Christians, but we’ve struggled to really let God into our lives. Over the years I’ve talked of our need to join a church and gently tried to nudge my husband in the right direction. I must admit, I wasn’t always walking the walk myself. We just weren’t serious about getting on this path.

Having a family now, I was even more adamant in our need to raise our son as a Christian and lead by example. My husband agreed, but I wasn’t sure his heart was in the right place yet. I planned to start looking for a church family and we’d go from there. Meanwhile, I had noticed changes in my husband. He was the one encouraging me to keep faith in my heart during tough times. He was the one telling me that our son, “our Angel”, would help me through it all. He gave me constant praise as a mother and thanked me for all that I was doing. His encouragement was uplifting.

Most recently he wrote to tell me of the “spark that has been lit here” and how he has a longing to learn more about Jesus and to really do what is right. When I read those words, my eyes welled with tears and I thought, now I really know God’s plan for this deployment. If he had to take my husband to the holy land to bring his heart back to Him, it was all worth it!

Last year I learned what it means to experience the best and worst time of your life all at once. God showed me that He truly provides all that I need and He’s working in my life in ways that I could have never known. I was upset and scared, but He provided me comfort—our sweet Angel. I was angry and despondent, but He showed me His plan—our way back to Him.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…” (I Peter 1:6-7, NLT).

About Lynn:
Lynn became an instant Army wife when she got married in 2002 and has lived through active duty and national guard life. She is originally from Illinois and now resides in Arizona with her husband and their 15-month-old son. She enjoys writing, hiking (in Arizona winters!) and getting together with other new moms whenever possible.

Jessi’s column, below, was a third place winner in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

1. God is who He says He is.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read about the ‘feeding of the 5000′. Luke 9:10-17 tells the story of Jesus feeding a crowd of 5000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. In the end, there are 12 baskets full of left-overs. This passage demonstrates one of God’s many names, Jehovah Jireh: “The Lord will Provide”. So simple, yet so powerful. God has a provision for each of us.

I personally experienced God’s provision during the summer of 2008. My husband was deployed overseas and I was 15 weeks pregnant. I was getting ready to take two semesters of summer school in Las Vegas. During an ultrasound I found out that my daughter had some very severe abnormalities (I would later come to find out that survival for a baby in that situation is extremely low). Devastated and at a total loss, I packed my car and drove to Vegas.

There, God provided support. If I had stayed in San Diego (and if I had finished school the year before on a government loan like originally planned), I would have gone through this pregnancy with virtually no support. Instead, I was able to stay with my parents through the whole thing.

God provided a Christian doctor to see me through my pregnancy. And this doctor decided to take care of me all the way through delivery, even though he was not covered by Tricare.

Then, when I received the terrible news that our daughter Isabella’s tiny heart had stopped beating, God provided a way for my husband to come home from the Middle East. It was quite a fiasco and I won’t get into details, but it seemed almost impossible at the time. But thankfully, he was able to be with me during the delivery at the hospital and at the funeral.

2. God will glorify Himself.

In John 9, we see Jesus heal a man who had been born blind. His disciples ask Him who had sinned to make this man blind. But Jesus answers them saying, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3, emphasis added)

And that is exactly what happened during Isabella’s short life: God’s work was displayed for others to see. He displayed His work to my husband and me and I’m pretty sure others saw it too. God used my daughter’s life to glorify Himself.

3. God loves us with an agape love.

We are all familiar with the story of Lazarus. After all, Jesus raised the man from the dead! In John 11:5, John makes a very simple statement: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” The word for ‘love’ that John uses is the Greek word ‘agape’. Agape love is much more than a brotherly love or a friendship love. Agape is an unconditional love. The Hebrew equivalent actually means ‘to breathe after’. Agape love is not a love that seeks to fulfill the immediate. Instead it looks beyond the immediate to the eternal.

I experienced God’s agape love for me. The immediate solution would have been to heal my daughter and that would have been amazing! But, God had a much bigger plan for me and for her. Although it seems like we lost the battle, I know that she rests eternally in His arms. I will see her again. And as for me, God grew me in ways I could never have imagined. And I know He’s not done!

4. God uses suffering for the building of our faith.

Later in the same story of Lazarus, Jesus tells His disciples how He will use Lazarus’ death: “So He told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:14-15, emphasis added). Suffering and death are platforms that God uses for faith. In the midst of Lazarus’ death (and later in Jesus’ own death) many would believe.

I can say that in the midst of my suffering for the loss of my daughter, my faith was built up. God used the grief and suffering I experienced to draw me closer to Himself. He revealed so much about Himself to me. Although it is never fun to be broken, brokenness truly is the best way to be changed and molded by the Potter.

James says it this way, “Consider if pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3). We are not to consider the pain or the trial ‘pure joy’ but we are to consider it ‘pure joy’ that God uses those trials to mold and shape us. My faith is a thousand times stronger because of this one trial.

5. God will reward His followers.

Paul writes to the Corinthians about this amazing truth. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Wow!! Not only are our troubles here on earth temporary but we will be rewarded in eternity for our trials here on earth, our temporary home.

Even though the loss of my daughter felt like the end of the world, I know that the reward of simply seeing her in eternity will far outweigh that feeling. But, I cannot even fathom the eternal glory that my one trial has achieved. God is amazing and He promises His people amazing things. All He asks of us is to be obedient. That means following and seeking Him, especially during trials.

About Jessi:
Jessi Bridges has been married to her Marine for 6 1/2 years. She enjoys writing, reading, sewing, crafting and spending time at the beach. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and volunteers with the local crisis pregnancy center. She also enjoys blogging on her photo diary at http://thiscameratellsmystory.blogspot.com. 

I am so honored that both books have been nominated, but I of course share the honor with many others. No less than 14 other Christian military wives contributed to Faith Deployed, and I co-authored the Battlefields book with Jane Hampton Cook and John Croushorn. Thanks to all of them, plus the dozens of people we interviewed, these books are the rich collections of stories and inspiration that none of us could create just on our own.

By the way, if you enjoy learning about authors and entering for their free books, you might want to bookmark Lena’s site. (You might also remember The Borrowed Book blog, which also features new book reviews and give-aways.)

This piece from Jenn was a fourth place winner in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

 Just a few days ago, I was walking through the airport to meet up with hubby. I had been away for fifteen days visiting my family and I was almost home! I was excited, exhausted, and so ready to fall into his arms and then…

I halted as I spotted a pile of green duffel bags and military backpacks scattered against a main wall near the baggage claim area.

Immediately, I paused in reverence.

This to me was a photo I wanted to capture because it said so much that our world needs to see today.

And yet, it was something all too sacred to even consider, even as a veteran military wife, who survived three deployments with my sweetheart.

Why did it matter so much to me? I longed to capture this reverence.

I knew what this meant: a deployment, and separation from loved ones. It was hard to look at it, and yet harder to look away. I felt as though I had to respond somehow, but how? It triggered so many bittersweet memories for me.

 I lifted up a prayer, and I felt gratitude in my heart for the experience, and the gift of cherishing the time I now have with my loved one.

Just a few years ago, hubby was unexpected recalled to serve in Iraq. Our lives were turned upside down as we had thirty days to prepare. Alas, we said our farewells.

It wasn’t until he left that the ache really settled in deeply. There was a profound emptiness. It would be sixteen months until my hubby would return home to me. We were still newly married.

During the time of our physical separation, I learned the importance of finding an inner sanctuary. Comfort became a first priority for me (walking, journaling, being in nature), and this became an emotional well for me, and also a sacred place where I could draw in spiritual nourishment.

In a prior deployment, hubby served in Afghanistan, and we were newly married and had yet to celebrate our wedding vows with family and friends. I had allowed anxiety to sweep over me at times and almost had a few nervous breakdowns while waiting for him, for I was trying to hold myself and him in my own control. I knew it wasn’t possible, but I was trying.

This time I was determined to trust in God and rest in his care. It went much more smoothly. I prayed just the same for his safety and his care, but I did not succumb to needless worrying about things outside of my control.

I believe that the weight of sacrifice is determined by how much we try to carry alone. The truth is that we are never alone. When we let God help us, we experience peace.

I am grateful for the lessons I have learned through deployment even though it was very intense and purifying.

My greatest lessons were that of trust, patience, and letting go of my need to control. I also faced a lot of insecurities in my life while hubby was deployed. This taught me to rely on God as my Protector and my daily strength. Lastly, I learned a lot about myself – my weaknesses and my strengths. I began to find passion in writing, journaling, sharing and connecting w/ other women, and enjoying nature.

Today we rest in the care of our Maker and have enjoyed building new memories since hubby’s return. Meanwhile, we know in our hearts that the strength we have inside of us, comes only from the One who first welcomed us Home to His Heart as his children.

We know that wherever our paths will lead us, together and apart, we will always be in His Hand and finding Shelter under His Wings.

As a couple, we have allowed our challenges to become building blocks for a stronger foundation for our marriage, and these ‘fire/sacrifice’ experiences have encouraged us to grow as individuals especially on our spiritual journey.

In a few more days, we will be celebrating our 7^th wedding anniversary together. I am so happy, but mostly reverent and grateful because I know that none of this came easily; we have endured a lot of obstacles in the decade that we have known one another. Now, we appreciate every aspect of being together as best friends, soul-mates and a married couple who keep falling in love more each day. There are rewards to every sacrifice as well!

The sacrifice is the fire that makes a diamond flame for those couples who are willing to go through deployment or tough circumstances and never let go of each other, and place their trust in the hand of their Maker.

Driving home from the airport that day, hubby had brought me some mail from home. I opened up a letter from a mil spouse friend I had not heard from in awhile.

In my hand I held a photograph, and a letter which I began to read.

‘This day’, her hubby was deploying to Iraq, after completing his training for some months. She was preparing for change, along with her three children. Unbelievable!

‘This same day’, my heart stopped and I saw those backpacks. I just knew – I had to “pause” to remember!

 I’m so glad that I did. *Now, I will say prayers for them on this reverent journey.

 Every sacrifice deserves a genuine response: Our gratitude. This is enough.

About Jenn:
Jenn is a heart-warming writer. She is passionate about building quality relationships. Jenn served as a cheerleader and spouse along side of her U.S. soldier, Robh through three deployments (Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq). This year they both celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary. She is a nature’s gal, enjoys writing, snuggling at home with her hubby and their pet-bunny angel, and traveling to unique places. Check out her blog at http://www.lovesleadingcompanion.com.

Mary’s column, below, won a fourth place prize in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

We were on our tenth move in sixteen years of marriage.  We were doing a door-to-door from Heidelberg to Wuerzburg Germany.  I had great neighbors, a great house as stairwells go, and really loved Heidelberg.  I had been praying for God to bless us in a similar way in Wuerzburg. 

So, we get to Wuerzburg and our housing is AWFUL!  It’s much smaller than what we were in, there were dumpsters right out front, no flowers, front door was broken, Plexiglas window all scratched up.  The basement laundry room was filthy.  The bathroom in our apartment smelled and I discovered that the toilet seat screws were corroded with urine and feces.  The broken dishwasher was full of foul, sour water.  When I tried to pump it out, it backed up into the sink because the sink was backed up.  The kitchen walls were covered with a layer of grease. 

 Heavy sigh and get to work.  Our storage room was much smaller and the movers piled it to the ceiling with what wouldn’t fit in the house.  The last straw was when a neighbor husband and wife started yelling obscenities at each other—one in the parking lot and one upstairs.  I just sat down and cried. 

I was so angry that God would move us into this mess when I had prayed so diligently for a good home with good neighbors.  I couldn’t get past my feeling that God had abandoned me.  I wanted nothing more to do with him.  I was so done with God…I had no faith left in him.  If this is how he “loved” me I wanted no part of his “love.” 

That was Tuesday.   On Sunday, my husband drags me to chapel.  I am, of course, still angry at God and don’t want to be there.  They sing “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” and “It Is Well” and I’m still angry. 

We read part of Psalm 34, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  I’m still angry. 

Then Chaplain Paul Bradford gets up to give the sermon.  He rubs his hands together with excitement and says he doesn’t know who this sermon is for, but God gave it to him on Tuesday.  The scripture is about Elijah and the ravens…God providing for him.  The Chaplain says that Elijah complains because God gives him roadkill when he is a nuts and berries mountain man.  

In the course of his sermon, Chaplain Bradford points his finger right at me and says the words seared on my heart forever, “You’re exactly where God wants you to be, so shut up and stop whining and tell God you’re sorry.” 

Okay, God.  I heard you.  I’m sorry.  I still hate my house, but I guess you didn’t abandon me after all.  You really do care about me.  You won’t let me go without a fight.  You really know I am here.  Wow…you planned that whole chapel service just for me.  Here’s a God I can trust.  Thank you for loving me!  I don’t understand (and still don’t) why you left me in that desert for a year, but though you slay me, yet will I trust you!  We ended with the hymn, “I Know Not Why God’s Wondrous Grace.”

About Mary:
Mary is an Army Brat, a 26-year Army wife with a deployed husband and have one daughter at the University of Virginia and one married to an Air Force officer stationed at Ramstein, Germany.  Her passion is helping Army Families.  She is a professional volunteer, working as a trainer and facilitator with Army Family programs.

Joanna’s column, below, won a fourth place prize in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

Last week was one of the best in our life and one of the hardest.

We had such a sweet blessed time together. It was awesome. It was great just to hold hands, just to go to a movie, to eat supper together, to read the bible together, to shop, to sleep, to hold each other. It felt normal, like nothing out of the ordinary. You see, my husband will be deploying to Iraq in a week, this was our last time to see each other before he left.

But our life is anything but ordinary. And it has nothing to do me or David and what we do. It has all to do with our Extraordinary God!

While in Biloxi, I was enthralled with the trees. Some of the trees were so amazing to me. I can’t explain, they just seem so powerful and at times so weak. The first day there we ate lunch at a French restaurant, which has a tree covering it called the Patriarch. It is believed to be over 2000 years old. It is no ordinary tree. It is just massive! It would take five to six  people to wrap themselves around the trunk.

What impressed me about it not just the size of it so much but that it is still standing after two major hurricanes, the last one in 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The restaurant was under 20 or 30 feet of water and much of Biloxi was destroyed.

But this massive tree stood the ground! The roots of this tree are deep, they are founded, and they are planted in good soil. The roots have to be this thick, this deep, this strong to withstand the worst hurricane in U.S. history.

 Am I?

Am I rooted in good soil, am I rooted in God’s word? The storm is coming whether I am ready or not, will I withstand it? These questions kept coming to my mind, how would I do it?

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold. Matthew 13:8

The limbs of the Patriarch are twisted, they intertwine with each other and some were broken but they still reach for the sun. The worst hurricane in history could not destroy this tree. It stills stands! It stills blooms! It is still growing! It is still living!

This is what I want. What must I have in me to withstand this storm? What must I have to do to stand the ground, to bloom, to grow, to keep on living?

My roots must be grounded. Grounded in God’s word. Grounded in God’s love, forgiveness, faith, and hope.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Ps 1:3

The Cypress trees along the coastline in Biloxi are a big contrast with the Patriarch. They suffered greatly in the hurricane. And the only way for them to survive was to be changed. They had not always looked like what they do now. They had to be pruned. They were so damaged by Hurricane Katrina that the dead parts of the tree were sawed off with a chain saw to form beautiful pieces of art, yet they are still standing. Shapes of dolphins, whales, cranes have been carved into their trunks, where once limbs stretched to the sun now pieces of art.

The same with me, God the artist will saw away the dead parts of me through this storm to transform me to the beautiful piece of art He wants me to be. I want that in my life, I want to be transformed into something better that the artist (God) will be proud of.

I want Him to get the glory and praise for the work He created, my life.

WE will change, no doubt. Our life has changed. The storms will come some fierce and some mild. They are already here at times.

What will be my response, will I curl up and hibernate or dig deeper and stand?
Will I allow the artist (God) to create in me a new person, a new heart?
Will I allow the artist (God) to cut away the dead stuff, the sin I have?
Will I allow the artist (God) to saw away the dead branches in my life so I will be a beautiful work of art?

So Yes I will dig deeper and stand. I will allow the pruning and I do know the pruning of the dead stuff is always painful. I have experience this recently already with my attitude and pride issues. But I am so thankful God didn’t have to use a chain saw on me but He used His sweet words and gentle love to transform me into what He wants me to be! Thank you Lord. And at the end of this when God is glorified then it will be worth it. Praise Him.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Ps 51:10

Yes, I am married to a soldier. Yes, he is leaving to serve overseas in a few days.
Yes, it is hard and will be hard. Yes, this is a major storm in our life.
Yes, I will break at points.
But I will still reach for the Heavenly Son. I will intertwine my life with other believers. I will grow in God’s word. I will plant myself in His word! He will be my strength. I will bloom and I will grow and I will keep on living!
Because the God who made Heaven and Earth and allowed this tree to withstand the storm, this same extraordinary God made me and will allow me to withstand this storm!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, Plans for Hope and a Future. Jer.29: 11 

About Joanna:
Joanna has been married to hersoldier for 18 years who is in the TennesseeNational Guard and just returned from his first deployment. Theyhave two girls, ages seven and five. Her desire is to minister and serve military wives while growing closer to God in her own life.

Rebecca’s story, below, won an Honorable Mention in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

I know that God has a plan for me and this is just one small event in my life.  It all began Friday evening June 18, a month into a 15-month separation from my husband due to Department Head School and a deployment.  In came a storm that caused much heartache and damage, but made me more resilient and stronger.  It taught me wealth is more than possessions; it is something that can’t be measured in dollars and cents.  Wealth is the people that make up your life and make it worth living.  It also taught me the importance of faith. 

I’m not sure when tornado sirens went off, but I got Hannah (4), Ellie (2), Henry (4 months), and Chief, our dog, into the basement.  It’s funny, but I actually talked to my dad and my husband before we lost power about what to do in the event of a power failure.  We were concerned about not having power for our sump pump which would result in a water-filled basement.  We were unsure of what to do as we had never encountered this dilemma.  I didn’t believe we would lose power or if we did, I didn’t think it would be for very long. 

Hannah and Ellie were quietly watching the Smurfs as I fed Henry.  Then we lost power.  I didn’t think much of it.  I quickly ran to get Hannah and Ellie flashlights as they continued to watch the Smurfs from the laptop.  Then Hannah said her blanket was wet.  The mom in me quickly accused her of having had an accident or spilling her juice.  Each time I asked her if either was the case she said, “No mamma.”  I then went over and discovered that it wasn’t spilled juice that was the reason for the wetness, but about a half inch of water that was rolling in.  

I quickly had Hannah, Ellie, and Chief go upstairs as I picked up Henry.  In a fury I grabbed a few items of importance and just started throwing things to higher ground.  After a while, I realized my attempts were futile.  My dad had tried to come to my aide, but the highway was shut down due to flooding and so he had to turn around and wait.  

I thank God for neighbors who helped more than they realize.  They watched my children as I tried to salvage belongings. 

Later that evening two transformers blew displaying spectacular sparks.  Initially power had been taken out by a fallen tree.  I put the kids to bed and quickly grabbed a couple of things from my flooded basement before water reached outlets making it impassable.  I grabbed Ellie’s dolls, Hannah’s cloud blanket, and baby elephant; all things that my children would be distraught if they lost.  I told Hannah that baby elephant would be sleeping in the bathtub that evening.  She was somewhat comforted, but still missed sleeping with her friend.  My dad had wanted to come back down when they lifted the flash flood warnings, but I told him there was nothing he could do and the children were asleep.  Later, I heard chainsaws cutting up the tree that had knocked out the power.  I also heard crashing coming from my basement as everything that was buoyant tipped over and started floating around.  I could only envision my basement as a scene from the Titanic.  

The next day was absolutely gorgeous. There were no clouds in the sky.  The sky was the most brilliant color of blue I had ever seen.  Clean-up had begun.  My parents came with reinforcements.  My dad brought a generator, hose, and industrial dryer.  After we pumped out the water and received the o.k. we turned the power back on.  The sump pump pumped out the remaining water.  We then grabbed things that had been damaged to put out to dry.  A water abatement company came to further help with the clean up. They tore up the brand new month-and-a-half-old vinyl flooring.  They also tore up the flooring in my sewing room and cut out about 20″ of drywall from the bottom of most walls.  They removed belongings that had suffered water damage.  In the end we had pumped a total of 16 inches of water out of my basement. 

On Sunday we rested.  I took the day off to clear my mind and help sort through the task at hand.  Sunday’s readings, homily, and hymns seemed to relate directly to my situation as though God was using His word and all His means to speak to me.  ”Though the mountains may fall and the hills turn to dust, yet the love of the Lord still stands as a shelter for all who will call on His name.  Sing the praises and glory of God.”  The readings consisted of Job 38:1-4, 8-11, 2 Cor 5:14-17, and Mk 4:35-41 with the responsorial being Ps. 107.  I was comforted by 2 Cor 5:17 and Mk 4:40.  I was told to have faith and promised that I would be able to begin anew.    

My basement is dry now.  After a year of cleanup I am still unpacking, drying, repacking, and tossing belongings.   Some things have been heart-wrenching.  Coming across memorabilia that can’t be replaced and has been ruined is tough, but I am mourning and moving on.  I will create more memories.  I am very wealthy.  I have three beautiful, happy, and healthy children.  I have wonderful family who give lots of love and support.  Without them and without FAITH this would be insurmountable.  I have not lost as much as some and my thoughts are with those who have lost their homes due to floods, fires, or disasters and people who have lost loved ones.  I am thankful for all that I have and am looking forward to welcoming my husband home and our move to Virginia where we will begin anew together. 

About Rebecca:
Rebecca has been a Navy wife to her husband, Greg, for nine years.  They have three beautiful children:  Hannah 5, Ellie 3, and Henry 17 months.  She currently lives in Zion, Ill., with her children, but can’t wait to join her husband in Virginia soon.  She love scrafts and enjoys expressing herself creatively.  Rebecca believes now more than ever that ”with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

Kori’s column, below, won an Honorable Mention in the 2010 Faith Deployed writing contest.

If I had been asked about eight years ago to imagine where I would be today, my dreams and thoughts would have never reached this far. During that summer, I celebrated by thirtieth birthday, alone. I had been married to a Marine for almost six years. We had lived apart for a lot of that as most military couples do because of deployments and field time, but this time was different. We were living in Texas, our home state now, and about a month before I had gone to visit my family for the Fourth of July. When I had returned back home, my husband was gone and everything he had wanted to take was gone as well.

He had decided he was in love with someone else and had gone to be with her. I was stunned. I considered myself a fairly strong Christian and faithful wife. I had done everything I knew to do and yet found myself in such a devastating situation. I despised divorce and still do, but after months of struggling with both my faith and my emotions, I came to accept something I did not completely understand.

As most of us would do, I began to search. Through much prayer and time in the Word, I sought to find what God would have me to do now. The military wife life I had lived was one of community and uniqueness. Our life consisted of orders and duty stations. I now had neither. I wondered what God had in store.              

Knowing He was truly God of everything, I knew He has something up His sleeve, but had no idea how totally amazing or completely ironic His plan would be. Just over a year later, I was working for a small Municipality. I had been tasked to find local military individuals to assist with a September 11^th remembrance ceremony on the town square. I called a couple of people in town that I knew including a Master Sergeant I knew at the local University’s ROTC Department. He graciously put me in touch with a brand new Second Lieutenant.

This initial contact led first to a lunch date and since has resulted in a marriage of six years and two beautiful children. Wow. Eight years ago I sat devastated in my living room wondering what to do. Today I find myself exactly where God had panned for me to be. I am married to a Godly man who continues to grow spiritually everyday. I am a vital part of a marriage only God could ordain. I sit amazed because I could not have imagined marriage to be such a wonderful and blessed institution.

I am greatly humbled daily. To think that God loved me enough to walk with me through circumstances even I considered ugly. He had such great compassion that He still had a plan of blessing and grace for me that He had amazingly even scheduled before time began. The struggles of military life are still there, but He has blessed us beyond measure. We are stronger and more faithful to each other and to the God we serve because of the experiences through which He has brought us. He has very much blessed my broken road.

I am so very thankful to the God of the universe for His attention to the details of my life. His love is truly amazing and His grace even greater still. I completely understand the words of David in 2 Samuel 7:18b when he said “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” I cannot wait to see what else God has planned. I could never have dreamed I would be here.

About Kori:
Kori Yates loves adventure and challenge, two things her military wife life provides. Married to her Army husband, Kyle, for just over six years, they have two children ages 5 and 2. Kori desires to consistently seek God’s direction in all things and follow that direction with reckless abandon, though she is not always successful.