Never Give Up

As I was deciding what to write about tonight, I came across this website and I fell in love with a new music group. The 4 were all previously in the military and have found it in their hearts to entertain the troops and their families. Check them out!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.

Remember to keep your head up when things go wrong. The Lord has promised that He will be there for you in good times and bad: ^"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10. Don't forget to turn to the ones you love when times are rough. Your friends and family are there for you no matter what. They love you and are proud of you and the commitments that you have made. No one says that this journey is going to be easy. However, if we stick together in the hard times, then the easy ones will be that much better!

Romans Road

My husband and I decided that tonight I would write about the Romans Road to Salvation. He used to have it in his Bible, but over the course of the deployment it worked its way to an unknown place.

First, you have to realize that God loves you.
        John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
The Lord loves each and every one of us so much, that He died in our place.

Second, you must realize that every one is a sinner. Beginning in the Garden of Eden, when that bite of apple was taken and Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, we are sinners. It is human nature, no one can escape sin.
       In Romans 3:23, the Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
 Third, you must realize that there is a price to be paid. The Lord told Adam and Eve that because she took a bite from the forbidden fruit, that the wages of sin are death. It is evident that each of us will die, no one lives on forever. We will die a human death because we are sinners.
      Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Next, you must realize that Jesus Christ died to pay the price for your sin. It is because He loves us, that he died for our sins.
       The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8 that, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

God gave His only begotten son so that I could have the gift of eternal life, and so that you can too. I just can't even imagine. We have so much to be thankful for!

Now that you know that the Lord loves you even though you are a sinner, and He died in your place (and mine) so that we can go to heaven and have an eternal life, you must ask the Lord, Jesus Christ, to be your savior. You must claim His promise of eternal life.
         In Romans 10:13, the Bible reads, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 
This is an open ended gift. Any one can call upon the Lord, even if you've made mistakes in the past. God is a forgiving God.

I pray that this will touch the lives of many people and that all glory and honor will go to the Lord. If you were to die today, right now, do you know where you are going? Praise the Lord, I know that I am going to heaven. But if this is not the case for you, then I pray that you will take the time to ask the Lord into your life. Repent from your sins. Don't wait another minute, tomorrow isn't guaranteed.
   

Happiness is...

 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him."

Ecclesiastes 7:14

Happiness is.... As I searched for a definition of happiness, I decided that there is no one answer to that question. As my husband told me, happiness is different for each individual. You have to find what makes you happy, then pursue that dream or goal. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 7:14 that when times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. We can search, all of our lives, to find happiness, but I believe that once you put your faith and trust in the Lord, He will give you happiness. But in fact, it is true, just because you have a faith in God, things are not always going to be easy. I am not going to sit here and lie to you and tell you that my life is 100% perfect since I accepted the Lord as my Savior. God gives us trials in life, it is up to you how you over come each of those situations. 

You basically have two options. You can sit there and question the Lord and ask Him why? Or you can look for the good in each situation. It is important to remember that the Lord has a lesson for us in every trial. It is an experience that you can learn from. 

There are 5 simple rules to being Happy:

1) Free your heart from hated, you must FORGIVE. 

             “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) The Lord has forgiven you, therefore you have absolutely no right not to forgive others. Believe me, I know that this is easier said than done. I have been known to hold a grudge or two, but I have to remember to give all my worries, angers, and fears to the Lord.

2) Free your mind from worries, most never happen. 

            They say that about 95% of the things that a person worries about never happens. So why is it that we stress over the simplest/dumbest things in life? Once we learn to give our worries and fears over to the Lord and pray about those things, He will take care of them. Just be ready for the answers that He gives you. Sometimes the situation doesn't turn out to be easy, sometimes there is pain- but remember to look for the lesson that God has for you. 

3) Live simply and appreciate what you have. 

           Money is one of the things that most people fight about in a relationship. But why is that? Money doesn't guarantee happiness. Money doesn't buy love. Money doesn't really solve all too many problems. Look at the celebrities and all of the drama that they go through. They get paid a ton of money, but that doesn't guarantee that they are "happy." People must learn to appreciate what the Lord has blessed them with. My husband and I have made it one of our goals to never fight over money. There is no point in worrying about something so small. The Lord has given us so much, and we are thankful for what we have. 

4) Give More. 

        Be optimistic, help others, treat others the way you would like to be treated. You don't have to physically give something to another person, but be there for someone. Do a good deed. Give yourself to the Lord. Maybe there is a friend that just needs someone to talk to, who needs a shoulder to lean on, or someone to comfort them. Being optimistic can be one of the harder things in life, but believe me, it pays off. I thank the Lord that I have the ability to be an optimistic person. It is gratifying to know that I have been given the opportunity to help others in a time of need. 

5) Expect Less. 

        You should be willing to give of yourself and expect nothing in return. We deserve absolutely nothing in this life. The Lord has paid the ultimate price for our sins. We are sinners, each and every one of us, and He died in our place. We deserve to burn in hell. But if we accept Jesus' gift of salvation, then we have been promised eternal life in heaven with our Lord and Savior. I am blessed for the many things that God has given me in this life. 

I find that happiness in life is the little things. For example, opening the mailbox to see that there is a letter in there from my husband. Hearing his voice. Logging onto the computer and seeing that he is online. Happiness is waking up to a text message from Facebook saying that my cousin is alive and okay in Afghanistan after 10 days in the field. A phone call on Skype from one of those soldiers. Maybe happiness is seeing your kids after a year long deployment. All in all, happiness starts with the Lord, He has blessed us all with so many things. Rejoice for the things He has given you in life.

 

This One's for the Girls

For the soldier's wives, fiance's, girlfriends, and every one else who is left behind when our soldiers have to leave.... It's not easy to be "A Soldier's Wife." No body said it would be. But I tell you what, it is one of the most rewarding, gratifying decisions I have ever made. While my husband is away, I rely on first, the Lord, but also friends and family. I am very blessed that my husband has such a great group of friends here at home who have adopted me as family. Most of them are in the military as well, and I have really clicked with the girlfriends and wives who know exactly what I am going through. I believe that it is important to have a group of friends who will not only support you in the hard times, but who are experiencing the same things.

Women, it is our job to motivate our soldiers. We are to be the "moto girl" that loves and supports them unconditionally. When they are down and wanting to be home, we have to let them know that yes, we are missing them, but we are ok. Being optimistic has made this deployment so much easier. Look for the good in every situation. The Bible promises us that God won't give us any more than we can handle, with His help. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." The Lord is faithful to us even though we continue to sin. He has promised us that He will be there, He will give us a way out. When you put your faith and trust in Him, life has a meaning.

I have also found that writing letters and emails help out a lot. Sending care packages is always fun too. What ever it is that you do, stay strong. One of my husband's Sergeants told him that "the soldier is only as strong as the home front," and I believe that 100%. We are to be their inspiration and their motivation, and with the Lord's help, anything is possible. When you, yourself are feeling down, turn to the Bible, turn to your friends, and remember that you are important!

Purpose

God has given every person a reason to live, a purpose. It is easy to get down on yourself and question why? Why am I here? What is the point? What am I supposed to be doing? However, if you turn to the Lord for these answers and pray about them, He will answer your prayers. There is never a prayer left unanswered. I like the country song, "Unanswered Prayers", HOWEVER the bible tells us that God answers EVERY prayer! When you think that you are not getting an answer from Him, it may be that His answer is "not right now", or "I have something else for you." If things are not going exactly as you planned them, maybe that is because God has something better. I love the saying, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." Our Lord sure has a sense of humor :) I found this poem in the Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul book, it is called "Believe in Me", by Amy Allamino.

Believe in Me

It's hard to say that you're okay,

In the midst of hurt and strife.

You seek and find and persevere,

Through every stage of life.

You wonder what the future holds,

How successful you will be.

But you often fail to tell yourself,

"I believe in me."

You seek to find acceptance,

You conform to their new ways.

You lose hold of your values,

And slowly drift astray.

Your passion soon becomes,

Something very hard to see.

Again you fail to tell yourself,

"I believe in me."

You search for joy and happiness,

But somehow come up short.

You didn't seek God's will this time,

Or wait for his report.

He wanted you to ask Him,

"What is it that I need?"

So simple was the answer,

"Just believe in me."

So when you are questioning yourself, or when you are questioning what you should be doing with your life. Whether you are having hard times or not, the answer is simple. Look to Jesus Christ-- believe in yourself, and believe in the Lord!

Hometown Fame

One of the girls I went to high school with has written this amazing song, called,

This Day
Why are you going away?
Will I ever see you again?
I never thought this day, would come.
Did you even think of me,
When you signed your name on the sheet?
I never thought this day would come.

And when you're over seas,
I'll be down on my knees,
Begging and pleading come back home.
Because with out you,
I'm alone!

If I wrote you every day,
Would you throw the letters away?
Will I ever really know
How you feel?
Will you forget my name?
All the memories that we made?
Will I ever really know how you feel?

And when you're over seas,
I'll be down on my knees,
Begging and pleading... come back home.
Because with out you,
I'm alone!


Is there time to say
Goodbye?
I will promise not to cry...

And when you're over seas,
I'll be down on my knees,
Begging and pleading come back home.

And when you're over seas,
I'll be down on my knees,
Waiting for you to come back home.
Because without you,
I'm alone!

I will always think of you,
As my first love,
That's the truth!
Never thought this day would come.


I thank the Lord that I have my husband and he knows how I feel about him. This is a great song, and I know that there are so many people out there who go through feelings like this when someone they care about joins the military. It can be really hard, but through it all, you have to realize that the Lord has a plan for each of our lives. When they sign those papers, they are signing up to protect our freedoms and they are going to better themselves. There are ups and downs in the military, but all things are possible through Christ!

Inspiring our Troops

It is on my heart to start writing posts that might help to inspire those who are down, or in need of some inspiration. I know that being deployed is hard for our troops, and what better way to support them, then to give them a little something to read. Even if just one person sees this, then my goal will be accomplished. I pray that the Lord will use me and that I will plant some seeds in the lives of others. I pray that I will be a testimony to those who need the Lord, and that He will be the one who is glorified through this. Jesus gave His life for us in dying on the cross for our sins. I deserve to burn in hell because I am a sinner, but Jesus died for my sins and the sins of every other person.

I have a journal that I started writing a long time ago with all my favorite poems, bible verses, and sayings. I am on a mission to find that tonight. I know it is here some where. I have moved so many times in the past couple of years, but I am pretty sure it is in this room somewhere. If not, then I will do this the old fashion way and break out my bible... Which is not a problem at all, it's one of my most favorite books! There is nothing that the Bible doesn't know. God sure knows how to write one heck of a book. It truly is the book of life!!!

So my thoughts for the day: Indulge in your Bible, even if you just read a few verses. Find something that inspires you!

The Bible

When I am tires, the Bible is my bed;

Or in the dark, the Bible is my light;

When I am hungry, it is a vital bread;

Or fearful, it is armor for the fight;

When I am sick, 'tis the healing medicine;

Or lonely, thronging friends I find therein.

If I would work, the Bible is my tool

Or play, it is a harp of happy sound.

If I am ignorant, it is my school;

If I am sinking, it is solid ground.

If I am cold, the Bible is my fire;

And wings, if boldly I aspire. 

Should I be last, the Bible is my guide;

Or naked, it is rainment, rich and warm.

Am I imprisoned, it is ranges wide;

Or tempest-tossed, a shelter from the storm

Would I adventure, tis a gallant sea;

Or would I rest; it is a flowery lea.

-Dr. Amos R. Wells