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This laundry doesn't seem so bad anymore.

No Good Title.

I have this friend. She loves me. Exactly me. In the world of understanding me, she is only second to God. ALL of me. And loving me. ALL of me. She doesn't ask me to put down who I am, or to stop being who I am or to change who I am (or any parts thereof) because she loves who I am and she loves to be with the me who is who I am. In her love, she joins me in my muck, but never lets me stay there. She points me to the Cross when I look to the flesh. She is that person who would drop her life upon one simple request to come to my side (and has), and she is THAT person that you would WANT to drop their life to come to your side because you know she will make things better for having been there rather than be another person you have to care for and she will never make you feel burdened or guilty for the great sacrifice it takes.

She is on her way here. I will have her full-time for a week. A week of merriment, MIRL's, festivities and a whole lot of being ME.

I heard an interesting theory about Paul the Apostle in Bible study yesterday...the basic point that I took away from it was that Paul was looking for just the right way to describe what he wanted to describe and had to keep trying different words because they didn't quite give the full depth of understanding that he was trying to convey. Hence - his writings are rather wordy.

That is what I will have to say here. There are no good words that can describe to you who HisGirl is to me. There is no good title.

Letters From War - IM Edition

Mr. S4J: hey, i meant to tell you this before

Mr. S4J: but i was also thinking of keeping it a secret surprise

S4J: oh?

Mr. S4J: but anyways, i thought that since it is our 15th year of marital bliss, we could have a vow renewal ceremony

Mr. S4J: do you want to do that?

S4J: oh crud! you just made me cry!

Mr. S4J: haha, sorry

S4J: I would love that

Mr. S4J: ok, we'll work it out

S4J: okay honey

Mr. S4J: i was thinking that if our anniversary was on a sunday, i would surprise you with it after services

Mr. S4J: but it would all be too hard, so i am just telling you

S4J: butthead

Mr. S4J: plus my old vows need to be renewed

S4J: oh?

Mr. S4J: they were good and all, but my dumb job got in the way of them sometimes

S4J: to make new ones or to reaffirm?

Mr. S4J: i'll make new ones, or reaffirm the old ones so you can know that my new dumb job won't get in their way

Mr. S4J: how is that?

S4J: I'm not sure

S4J: what do you mean by that?

Mr. S4J: i mean that sometimes i can't be there for you in sickness and in health because i am doing war

Mr. S4J: since i'll be retiring i will be able to be there more, and want to officially remind you of that

S4J: oh good Lord. Go to dinner before I turn into a pile of mess.

Mr. S4J: hahaha, sorry

Mr. S4J: have a good rest today

Mr. S4J: i love you

S4J: I love you too.

*sigh*

Letters To War - Deja Vu

And So It Begins

Hello friends!

We have officially entered a new phase in our lives: We are in the first week of what we believe to be the last deployment we will ever have to endure. It's so cool to be able to look back over the last fourteen years of our marriage and the separations that we have made it through and know (barring an act of God or stop-loss) that this will be the last. It's also a new experience for us. Every separation before this one, we knew there would be more. If my calculations are correct, by the end of this deployment we will have spent the equivalent of four years of our marriage geographically separated due to my husband's job. I am so proud of the man that I have married and the way that he has unselfishly and unfailingly served his country and provided for his family.
Blessings on your day,

His Boundless Love

I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, and my love will know no bounds.
Hosea 14:4

If you've ever had to listen to a knock-down, drag-out marital fight through thin apartment walls, then you've got the sense of the Old Testament book of Hosea. It's painful to read. And it is truly shocking. What is this doing in the Bible? God commanding one of his prophets to set up house with a whore?

Yet in this moving story that is precisely what God told Hosea to do; marry the town prostitute. And why? "This will illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me"(1:2). Devotion (or lack of it) is the dominant theme throughout this book: faithfulness on God's part, faithlessness on the part of his people.

With Israel already under Assyrian occupation for chasing after other gods, God pleaded with Judah to avoid a similar fate. He declared Israel "is no longer my wife, and I no longer her husband" (2:1). Yet, almost in the same breath, he said mournfully: "I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there" (2:14). It is a wonderful window into God's heart - a breathtaking glimpse of his incredible, never-ending love for his unfaithful people.

In the time of Hosea, Judah's idolatry was sapping her strength and causing her to behave like "silly, witless doves" (7:11). The people were continuing to come to the Temple to worship, but it was all a sham (8:12). Filled with anger, God knew he must punish his beloved, but wounded to the core of his being, he cried, "How can I destroy you...? My heart is torn within me" (11:8).

In a stunning picture of redemption, Hosea brought back his wife, exhorting the nation to see the larger truth behind his own odd, sad story: "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God...Say to him, 'Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you the sacrifice of praise'" (14:1-2).

Taken from Integrity's iWorship Daily Devotional Bible


As I read this teaching this morning, I had several thoughts.

1.) Man! I need to read the rest of this Hosea!
2.) I see that this applies to infidelity. And the most touching part of it is that God is calling out to them, even as they drift further from him and choose sin and their own way.
3.) Ouch! This applies to me now in this moment. (Not in terms of infidelity - but does that make me any better? No.) I am coasting on my own laurels, showing up to 'temple', doing outward things that are correct, however NOT seeking the Lord. NOT reading His Word. But doing things MY way. Idolatry? You bet. Do I love 'singing to the Lord' over 'getting to know Him better'? It would seem so.
4.) How touching that even when I am skipping through my life, avoiding being close to my God, He is yet there, yearning for me and waiting.

Off to read more of Hosea!!

Being Loving Even When You Aren't Feeling Loving

Wednesday is rehearsal evening for 1st service Worship Team and 2nd service Chancel Choir. The kids and I will spend approximately 3 hours at church. On the Wednesdays that we do not have covered dish fellowship meal, we pack a picnic dinner or grab some fast food on the way so that they can eat while I rehearse. Today I had to go to the dollar store, so I decided to make picnic dinner a little more special this week(and I had been thinking along these lines when I did the grocery shopping on Tuesday so I picked up special things to go in their dinners). I even picked them up some dessert, which is a rarity in the S4J household.

I picked them each a special 'brown lunch sack' just to let them know that they are loved.





I even got a new tear-it-up toy for Angus. As you can see, he liked it.

You're Still The One

To an imperfect husband from an imperfect wife...
Thank you for being my love, my partner, my friend, my cohort, my caretaker, my hero, the one who stood together with me for these last 13 years. I love you.
Happy Anniversary Honey Oat Bran.

18 August 19??

Today is my man's birthday. *Waves* Happy Birthday Honey-Oat-Bran!
If good looks were minutes, you would be an hour. You're so smart you could have been a school book!

17 August 1991

17 years ago today, I was standing a few feet from my very best friend, being attacked by bees, as she said her vows. She wrote the BEST series ever that culminates today. You can read it here.
Happiest Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. HisGirl!

Letters From War

Feb 4

Honey,
Thanks for getting me some shoes. I will try them out tomorrow.
Everything is going okay here. I'm very tired and my knees hurt today, though. I don't think it's anything to worry about.
I'm keeping a journal here. So just in case anything happens make sure you look for it.
I'm doing my best to stay safe for you. I try not to go outside during the times I shouldn't. I lock my door whenever I'm in my room.
I have been eating pretty good and usually remember to take my vitamins. I didn't even remember how old I am when someone asked the other day. :)
I just wanted to send you a quick letter to brighten your day.
I think of you all the time.
I love you

Letters From War

"I thought this would brighten your day. I love you, C."

Letters From War (excerpts)

Dec 15, 07

Honey,
You probably won't get this til after New Years, so I hope your trip was good.
I'm still hanging in there. I actually got two nights in a row of decent sleep.
...Christmas is right around the corner but it sure doesn't feel like it here. I try to remember to floss and take my vitamin every day. I'm also trying to increase my fruits and veggies. I made it through two swallows of V8 juice and just couldn't do it.
Shoot, i'm really writing about nothing.
...
I love you.
Be strong in Him.
C

Just Ducky.

Not last night, but the night before, after driving for 7 hours we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house and the kids and Grandma wanted to open presents immediately. All I wanted to do was be horizontal for at least an hour. So I asked, "Do I have to watch?" *insert whatever version of whining your imagination comes up with* "Can I LAY and watch?" Everyone agreed that I could lay and watch so I did. As the kids were tearing through their presents and marveling at the greatness of each gift and Grandma and Grandpa were grinning from ear to ear, I was particularly struck with how much love and devotion they heap on my children and was moved to tears. Today they took us to see the new National Treasure movie (complete with movie snacks). Directly following, my Father-in-law took my son and myself fishing. He is always so patient with my son. A really good man and role model. We mighty fishermen didn't catch any fish, but we did get told off by this duck....

Deliberate, small acts of nurturing

Today I used my new travel size Mary Kay Satin Hands Pampering set. (more about that later) This also was a time for me to do something that is one small, but deliberate way I honor and cherish my marriage. I cleaned my wedding rings. The only times that my rings are removed from my hand are during major surgery (such as having giant twin babies removed from my womb, or later having my giant womb removed.) or when I am cleaning them. I take special care with this task because, like all women, my wedding rings are something I cherish deeply, because they are a gift from my husband, but more than that I want to always remember, even in the smallest things that my marriage is a special gift that left neglected could falter and most certainly will suffer.
Now if I could just remember that when hubby wants a back scratch.