(written by SAD) I know this isn’t a For God and Country post but I’m just about to burst! Did you see the Cowboys last night? It was AMAZING!!! I haven’t seen a game that good since UT beat USC in the Rose Bowl. They were behind until … not the last 2 minutes of the game … but until the clock said 0:00!! 25-24 Kinda felt sorry for the Bills…but not sorry enough to quit whisper-hollering in the living room, jumping around while my family slept down the hall! GO BOYS!!!
Warriors Walk Tree Dedication
We had the honor of attending a tree dedication ceremony for 11 fallen soldiers from Ft Stewart. The ceremony was very moving and emotional. It began with the crowd standing as the family members of these soldiers were escorted down Warriors Walk to their seats. After opening remarks, we all stood for the National Anthem. Then, the rear detachment commanding general for Fort Stewart, 3rd ID, recognized each of these 11 men. He read out their unit information, and he also told a little about each one, the man….not the soldier. One man was 24 years old with a wife, 3 children and one on the way. One was 31 years old, with a wife and 2 children. Another was single but loved by many friends and family. The most difficlut one for me to hear was about a young private. He was 18 years old. The General said of him that he had grown up impoverished and joined the army in an effort to provide for and support his mother and younger brother.
After reading a short piece on these brave men, the soldiers standing guard at these Eastern red bud trees unveiled the name plate for the fallen heroes.
The families then were escorted to their soldier’s tree and presented with the 3rd ID cover. The families also placed a yellow rose on the name plate. Out of respect for these families, I did not take pictures of them.
It was a very difficult time for me as we prepare for S’s deployment, but at the same time, it was an honor to be able to recognize and pay tribute to these 11 soldiers. Warrior’s Walk remembers the lives and sacrifices of 392 soldiers from Ft Stewart and the 3rd Infantry Division.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
Everyday Stuff
written by SAD — I thought you all might like a glimpse into what’s going on around here besides all the touchy-feely stuff….so here goes…
So far, adjusting to life here is a lot like adjusting to life anytime we’ve ever moved. The only difference is people only call my husband “sir” or “chaplain” and they salute him. That is so strange to me, and I never quite know what to do besides feel awkward. The kids are now registered for Tae Kwon Do and Ballet/Tap. I’m sure you can figure out who’s doing what! We also got signed up for AWANA at a church off-post. At some places, AWANA is offered through the chapels on-post (Ft Hood), but they are not quite ready for that here. For Sunday church, we have been attending chapel services here at Ft Stewart, and S was recently assigned as Associate Pastor of the Traditional Protestant service. It is a mix of protestant practices…the music minister is a Southern Baptist chaplain and the senior pastor is a Presbyterian chaplain. We sing traditional “Baptist” hymns but also recite the Apostles Creed and Lord’s Prayer every service. A couple of Sundays ago, S was tasked to preach at the traditional service and at a liturgical service. He did a great job (of course) and received lots of compliments. We all went to the liturgical service as I thought it would be good for our family to experience different types of worship services, knowing that we are still worshipping the same Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Just in case you are wondering…S will not be asked to do anything outside his beliefs as a chaplain endorsed by the BGCT. So for example, with the liturgical service…someone else led the communion because they have different beliefs about what happens during communion. Because of these different beliefs, S is not expected to lead that part of the service. I’m not sure what the kids and I will do once he is deployed. The chapels do not have Sunday school, and I think we all really need that. I will probably start attending the same church where we are going for AWANA, but for now, we will go with him.
School started on post today, but as most of you know, we are trying our hand at homeschooling this year. I have pored over numerous curriculums and have settled on a variety of products. As I have begun to do lesson plans, I find myself doing the same things I did while I was teaching…adding a book here, making this a project instead of a worksheet, etc. As my dad said, it’s going to be school, school, school 24 hours a day! They won’t be able to go anywhere or do anything without Mom turning it into a lesson! Well, I guess we’ll just have the smartest kids on the planet. Maybe M should try out for the show “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” as a contestant. She has told me that she feels confident about my teaching skills since I taught 3rd grade before, but J keeps saying, “I’m not sure about this…you didn’t teach kindergarten.”
M’s b’day was last week. Her party was “Think Pink”. As you can see, we all got in on the theme. We had a great visit with my mom and dad and are looking forward to S’s mom coming for a few days this week.
As far as military stuff goes, we are going to a tree dedication ceremony Thursday morning. This ceremony is for the “Warrior’s Walk” here. Each tree represents a fallen soldier from Ft Stewart. I’ll post later about what takes place at the ceremony.
If you have questions about military life or are just curious as to how things work around here, please let me know. I’m not sure what everyone is really interested in reading or seeing. You are welcome to leave a comment…we check them all. You can read all the comments by clicking on the links on each post.
Brave and Strong
written by SAD (on the anniversary of our first date 17 years ago) — These two words have come up a lot lately, not in regard to my husband, but in regard to me. Brave and strong…and I feel anything but…I am scared and weak. We went to the pre-deployment battalion meeting this past week and were loaded down with information about deployment preparations, concerns, paperwork, protocol, etc. I am overwhelmed, and finally I think it’s beginning to hit me. My husband, my best friend, is going to be gone for over a year. I know, I know…there’s email and webcam…it’s just not the same as being able to reach across the pillow or call down the hall. As I type this though, I think of the people that have lost their spouses, my mother-in-law, my friends Rita and Ginger….and I feel very foolish. I want to be brave and strong and count my blessings that while we will be long-distance, we will still be together, and eventually we will hold hands again. But I am not brave and I am not strong. Not right now. So I go to my only source of comfort~
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…For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor 12:9-10
And maybe I will also be brave.
July 19 — Joshua 22:5
written by SAD “…love the Lord your God…walk in all his ways…obey his commands…hold fast to him and…serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” That was the scripture reading for today on the calendar that my dad gave me and my sisters for Christmas, and it is because my husband has chosen to do those very things that today I stood by and watched him accept his new rank of Captain in the United States Army, not because he’s a brave military soldier (although he is) and not because this was something he has always dreamed about (because it isn’t)…not because he attended West Point and not because he is from a long line of military men…but because he loves the Lord his God, walks in all his ways, obeys his commands, holds fast to him, and is serving him with all his heart and with all his soul.
I had the privilege of standing alongside a Lieutenant Colonel in the 3rd Infantry Division, my husband’s commander, hearing orders read on his behalf, promoting him to the rank of Captain. As I listened, I thought how easy it would be to get caught up in the formal procedures of the military and think about how these promotions happen and how these ceremonies take place. It would be easy to think about the requirements of the Department of Defense and the sacrifice that all these men and women make for their country. But, as I took the Captain’s rank patch from the Colonel to “pin” my husband…as I looked into his eyes to congratulate him and kiss him, I didn’t see anything military about it. I saw a man, sacrificing himself to serve the men and women who serve our country because that’s what his Lord asked him to do. And I was proud!
Settling In…
written by SAD…We made it to Ft Stewart and are settling in. There are fewer and fewer boxes everyday but more and more piles of stuff. Last week, we all went to Naples, FL for a conference…well, at least one of us went to the conference while the rest of us played at the beach. It was a wonderful time to be together, relaxing and getting away from the stresses of moving. We spent Monday at Sea World, Orlando and came home yesterday, though it doesn’t quite feel like home just yet.
We have really bonded with the neighbor chaplain family and spent the week with them in Naples. I know our relationship is an answer to prayer! Our kids have had a ball playing together…the first thing they ask every morning is whether it’s time to go play (and that’s before J has asked about eating!!!). We attended chapel on post twice…the contemporary service. It is well-attended but I’m not sure how the chapel system really works, so I’m just trying to get my bearings. A local church off post offers AWANA, and I’m sure that I will want the kids to attend in the fall when they start back. Other than that, I’m not certain how we will get plugged in …only that I am determined to get plugged in as soon as possible.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and encouragement. This is a very different place than I ever imagined we’d be. Some of the reality of the journey before us is settling in. It’s a bit scary at times, but I found it to be much like riding a roller coaster. You are excited about the anticipation of the ride (God calling you to do a new ministry). You wait in the line to make your way to the coaster itself (finish school, prepare, plan, read up on all the acronyms), and then it’s your turn to take a seat (you actually move your family and your belongings across the country). Next, you get strapped in VERY tightly by the attendant, and you start to wonder “why do they have to strap me in so tightly?” as your palms start to get a little sweaty and your heart jumps ever so slightly. You begin to hear the clank, clank, clank of the lift pulling you up, up, up and this is where you begin to ask yourself “What have I done…I think it’s too late…I’m not sure about this…How do we get down…(other than the obvious way)” And this my friends, is where I find myself right now.
For those who know me you understand this analogy. For those who don’t, I will elaborate ever so slightly, I LOVE ROLLER COASTERS! So at this stage of the journey, I will do what I always do on the lift of the coaster…I will remind myself that I love roller coasters…that I love the thrill of the ride…that I am brave…that if I hold on tightly or if I hold my arms up the whole ride…(even if I lose my watch or my lunch) the train will come to a safe stop at the end. And in the same way, I know that no matter how twisty and turny, up and down, fast and furious this new adventure is…God will give me the thrill of a lifetime …sitting right beside me. Sometimes, I will hold tightly to Him and sometimes I will have my hands straight up in the air …and in the end…our journey will come to completion. And if the adventure that God gives me is anything like the thrill of the coaster, I will pump my fist in the air and shout “LET’S DO IT AGAIN!!”
Sunset at Naples, FL
My foot popped!
Back “Home”
It is good to be back from NTC, but it doesn’t quite feel like home yet. I will be heading to Dallas this next week to get the rest of my home (family and stuff) and bring all to Georgia. We are planning a come and go party at my Mom’s house on May 26 and my home church is doing a commissioning time at the end of worship on Sunday the 27th. About 30 people have already said they are coming to the party on Saturday. Some friends are coming from as far away as 7 hours. You guys deserve a DiGiorno pizza, and you will get it! My brother and sister-in-law had a baby since I have been gone. I scheduled some specific Uncle time during my visit. My mother has a new knee since the last time I saw her. It will be good to spend time with her. My sister and her family, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I am excited to see everyone, but my daughter said it best on the phone with me this morning. She was on her way to school for field day today and paused before she said, “I’m ready to be a family again. I mean a together family.” Kids have the greatest ability to put truth into its simplest form. Everything pales in comparison to the fact that in a week I will be with my family. I know there is coming another day of separation, but right now is all about reunion.
Below are some pics from our recent training and a couple from our empty house. Anyone like to paint? That is my chore…I mean plan for this weekend.
I Haven’t Showered in 11 Days
I am training with my unit somewhere in the Mojave Desert. I flew out to meet them April 19 and it has been non-stop since then. This experience has been somewhat like taking someone who does not know how to snowski to the top of the mountain and telling them that their mission is to get to the bottom. Sometimes I am skiing and sometimes I am sliding, but either way I am headed toward the goal. It is great to be with my unit and I am building some great relationships in the middle of all of the sand and heat. Much of what I have had to learn while here is staff integration. MA, Frago, Oporder, RSA, RSP, TACSOP, Convoy Ops, AAR…do you see what I’m up against? CHBOLC taught us about many of these things, but only in an introductory manner. Remember my comment about trying to drink from a firehose at CHBOLC. The information came so fast and furious that I remember bits of it now but I have to learn how to deal effectively with all of the moving parts now that I have boots on the ground. I have learned so much and continue to do so.
Today was a very good day. After being required to spend many days in my “office” learning all of that other stuff, I was able to get out and be with soldiers almost all day today. The Chaplain is generally well received everywhere. Hopefully because I am helping people, but it’s also because sometimes work slows or stops when I show up. Our unit is doing very well in training. There are OCs (Observer/Controller) here to “grade” our brigade on the job it does in training. We received comments from them recently that our battalion is the best of this type that they have seen here. I am proud of our soldiers. They are doing excellent work.
Personal internet time is hard where I am now, so this will probably be the only update until I get back to GA. In 5 more days I will take a shower. Hooaah!
A Great Week
After completing CHBOLC, we drove to Ft. Stewart and I signed in to the post. S flew home on Saturday and drove back to Ft. Stewart with the kids on Sunday/Monday. We had a wonderful week together! I had work to do during the days but we were together each night. We went to Tybee Island on Saturday for a day at the beach. It was not exactly summer-like but it was warm enough to have a good time.
An answer to prayer occurred in that we have a house on post which I will be moving into this week sometime. My family became good friends with another chaplain family in the hotel this weekend. Their house will back up to ours and our kids will share the play area in the back. It is amazing to see how quickly we are able to build relationships in this setting.
The greatest thing happened while I was at the hotel for lunch. J has been asking good questions about God for a while and he told us that he wanted Jesus to live in his heart. Sherrey and I talked with him about the gospel and asked him what he thought about it. He had remarkable answers and was full of faith. I was able to lead him through a sinner’s prayer during lunch. God is good, all the time!
My entire unit is training right now so the battalion headquarters is just empty. I will be joining them this next week. Pray for me as I integrate with them in the field. And pray especially for my assistant SGT. D as we become a team for the first time. I am excited about getting started with what has taken me over a year to do.
