Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker

I am not a bandwagon reader, so I just read “7″ this summer, a couple of years later than many in Christian circles. I think that it was the right time for me to read it, to be honest, as this is a bonus summer for us: the rare gift of an extension on my husband’s assignment combined with not being able to teach, meant I had the entire summer to go through the house room by room, through closets, drawers, and storage shelves, in a pre-PCS purge. “7″ met me right where I was.

After reading the book and her blog for a while, I requested to blog about Interrupted for Jen Hatmaker’s blog tour, and I chose to blog here at Wives of Faith. In Jen’s own words, this is “the book of my heart, the single one I’d keep if I had to choose.” After reading it, I can see why. “7″ is merely a sequel. . . .

I'm over on Wives of Faith reviewing Jen Hatmaker's revised book Interrupted. Please head on over to Wives of Faith to read the rest of my review, and learn how you can enter the giveaway for a paperback copy of the book.

(Note: the link to the book is through Amazon Smile, which will donate a portion of your purchase to a charity of your choice. Please consider Wives of Faith, Inc. as your organization, and help support military wives ministry.)

Friendship

Some people have scads of friends, and some only a few. Today I'd like to talk about a friendship that developed over time and across miles.

I met Sara online, probably on her website through a link somewhere when I searched for military wives online. I was the wife of a military chaplain who started out reserve, went active duty, and then deployed to the Middle East after we moved several states north--all in just over one year. We emailed, she invited me to contribute to her newly-formed Wives of Faith blog, and the rest is history. I'm in my fourth year of working as the blog editor for Wives of Faith, and it's been an incredible journey.

We've talked on the phone and Skype, and met in person once, at PWOC in Dallas in 2010.

One of the best things about her is that she gets me. She also accepts me as I am, flaws and all. I appreciate that, because there are only a few people who do. :)

Sara is probably one of the few people who consistently compliments my writing. She trusts me with her unpublished manuscripts to give honest and loving feedback, and that is an amazing thing. If I ever finish a book, she'll be the first person I show it to.

Thank you, Sara. I appreciate you, girl!

Wife 2 Wife

Being a more practical girl in most ways, I haven't been as thrilled with this year's theme choice as I have been before. It's tough to place a goal on a dream. Any achievable steps in dreaming? Not really possible.

But it's my word, without a doubt. Here's the story:

I entered 2013 without a theme word.

Last summer, I went to a jewelry party, and I bought these bracelets for my girls. Somehow, though, I decided I needed one too, so I ordered three. The girls loved their little bracelets with the purple cords, lightweight and pretty.

Then I found mine, hidden in a drawer. And I knew. And I denied it.

But I knew.

I was afraid. Still am. Even now as I write this, knowing I need to share it for the handful of people who read this little blog in the corner of the blogosphere.

I had debated between "dream" and "prayer," because I will be writing a series of very basic, simple, hopefully inspired Bible studies at Wives of Faith on prayer this year. It sounds more lofty and holy to say "My word for 2013 is prayer."

And yet, here I am, with my tiny bracelet and my heart full of words to share, feeling fearful and afraid to dream.

As I read through the Bible this year, I have already started making notes, not only about prayer, but also about dreams. And I am following a writer I'd love to meet one day, as she inspires women to dream.

One of my other friends mentioned yesterday that sometimes words are friends, that they hold hands. I think she's right. Dreams and prayer are friends.


Special thanks to Melanie at Only a Breath for the custom "One Word" graphic. Thank you!!!

W2W Wednesday

What will I do differently this year than last?

I am working on trying to be braver and less inhibited in some areas of my life. This is not always easy, because over the years I've allowed circumstances and people to put me into a box, to keep me in the mold they have for me. I'd like to think I can change, and grow, and continue learning and becoming more than I already am. Becoming more who God wants me to be.

Guest Post at Kathi Lipp's Book Club

The other day, speaker and author Kathi Lipp graciously asked me to contribute to the countdown to her military book club for the Husband Project on her blog...here is that post.

I have to tell you, God gave me that acronym and I'm so grateful He did! I pray it helps many women to pray for their military husbands, on the homefront or on the front lines.

11 Things To Do in Alaska

List 11 fun things to see or do in your current or upcoming duty station.

I have found that this is something common with military families--making a list of things to do while you're living where you are. One of the first good pieces of advice I was given when my husband went active duty, is to be a tourist where you are: visit the historical sites and learn as much as you can while you're there.

So, we made a list for North Dakota when we moved there...and two things I didn't get to see were the Northern Lights and moose. But we saw the western North Dakota Badlands of Teddy Roosevelt fame; the Medora Musical; Grand Forks and Fargo; Winnipeg, Manitoba--including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet; the Red River of the North that flows north (yeah, it's weird to stand next to a body of water flowing the wrong direction!). You get the idea.

We made a list for San Antonio as well: The Alamo (and yes, we remember it); the Riverwalk; art museums (the girls & I have visited all of them); my friend Teri and her family. That was pretty much it, I guess. We've enjoyed our time here but are ready to go to less crowded, cooler climates.

That brings me to our upcoming duty station, and my personal list of 11 things for ALASKA! {with updates as of March 5, 2012}

Here they are, in no particular order...

1. I really, really want to see the Northern Lights. I wanted to in ND, but the few days a year they were visible from that location, it was either storming, or cloudy. {Done! January 2012}
   
2. See moose. I've read there are over 1000 resident moose in Anchorage, so I'm sure I'll see them around. {Done! Several times. So awesome!}
   
3. See bears. Yes, I know they are dangerous and you should not leave trash out because they'll dig in it, and that they are scary, but I do want to see them.
   
4. I would love to take a whale-watching trip to see the beluga whales in the wild.
   
5. Mountains. Seeing real mountains with snowcaps. I've been a Midwest girl since 1979 when we moved away from California. I've lived in Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and North Dakota. Hills, yes. Prairie, definitely. But no mountains! {Done! Day #1, actually. July 2011}
   
6. Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center and learn about Alaskan culture. It will be fascinating. For that matter, any museums of any kind while we're there. The geek in me loves this stuff.
   
7. See part of the Iditarod next year, if we can. AWESOMENESS. {Oops! Missed the ceremonial beginning because I thought it was in the afternoon.}
   
8. We won't be up there for the summer solstice this year, but I want to stay up and see the longest day of the year next summer, so far north that the sun will barely set before it rises again. Ditto the winter solstice, where the day is very, very short. I'm sure I won't miss that one...
   
9. See a glacier.
   
10. Pan for gold.
    
11. See the salmon swim.

Of course, we'll have our normal busy lives--school, work, chapel, ministry. But if we can do these things while we're there, it will be fun.

Wives of Faith

I'm over at my military wife blog this weekend for the Wives of Faith blog carnival!

blog carnival!

Visit www.wivesoffaith.org each day over the weekend for our Top 11 lists!

Christmas Blog Day 7

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog.

Today's topic: How does your faith refresh at Christmastime?

I've always felt like my faith gets a huge boost at Christmas. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday season, and I think that it brings a fresh awareness of Christ's presence during this holy time. It's like an energy shot for my spirit.

To help refresh your faith, click here to go to today's WOF prompt post and read what others have written.

I hope you've all had fun with the prompts for the blog carnival this year. I was pretty much the one "in charge" and while of course these prompts were approved by the president, I hope that they've been meaningful for you as they have been for me, both in the writing of the prompt and the reading of the responses.

Christmas Blog Day 6

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog.

Today's topic: You might be a military spouse at Christmas if . . .

*you rejoice in the size of a TLF when on a mini-trip. (Seriously---our TLF at Laughlin is a duplex and bigger than our duplex at the seminary when we first got married.)

*you rejoice in being with your family and they are traveling to YOU instead of the other way around.

*you stress about wearing the same holiday clothing to multiple parties (this was me the past couple of years, because my chaplain husband was well loved and well known and gives a darn good invocation and leaves when the drinking gets going! ha!). This is not my problem this year, however. His group has one party, and I can't go.

*you get excited about military discounts (well, that's pretty much all the time, but with gift giving it's especially good this time of year).

*you feel guilty, just a little, because your husband is home and so many husbands and wives are not.

To read what the other ladies said, click here to go to today's WOF prompt post. And for fun, this is what I wrote last year on this same topic.

Christmas Blog Day 4

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this blog carnival--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

Today's topic is for each participant to write her own Grown-Up Christmas List, based in part on the Amy Grant song of that name.

My list:

1. For all to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2. For my husband to be able to have a full Air Force career.
3. To see my children and grandchildren grown, healthy, happy, and safe.
4. For world peace--no wars, no rumors of wars. I know it's an impossibility, but it's my heart's desire.

Here's the Amy Grant video:

To read everyone else's lists, visit the comments here.

Christmas Blog Day 3

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this blog carnival--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

Today's topic: The Worst Christmas Song Ever (but you must mention one redeeming quality of the song, too!)

For decades I could not stand "The Little Drummer Boy." Really, some kid banging a drum near a baby's head? Even if the baby is Jesus, we know that Jesus was God made flesh. The part of Him that was fully human was an infant. Most babies cry when a drum is rat-a-tat-tatted near their little heads. Can't you hear Mary sigh, and see Joseph shake his head as he escorts the little drummer boy out of the stable? Me too.

However, in recent years I've come to terms with this song. And now I'll give you the redeeming qualities, which are twofold:

1. The boy went to see the Newborn King right away, in the first verse. No waiting around for the Heavenly Host to startle him into going; no sir, he went straightaway.

2. He gave the gift he had: he played his best for the baby Jesus, the Newborn King (who then smiled, if we willfully suspend our disbelief).

The moral of the story: Obey right away the call to go to Jesus, and offer all your best gifts to Him.

To read about the other songs people can't stand, click here to go to today's WOF prompt post.

This week

I'm over at my other blog for the Wives of Faith Christmas blog carnival.

Christmas Blog Day 2

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this blog carnival--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

(Best opening line ever!)

Seriously, though: What's the one thing that makes Christmas for me?

It's tough nailing down that "one thing." I love Christmas music. I love spending time with my family. I enjoy Christmas programs, Christmas parties, and Advent. Christmas eve services. Singing special music with my friends.

But honestly? The "one thing" is Jesus Christ being our Emmanuel--our God with Us. Our Infant Savior. Just realizing the magnitude of God becoming man, celebrating that during Christmas, is what it's all about for me.

And just for fun, the One Thing clip (warning: a profanity):

To read everyone else's "one thing" posts, click here and read the comments!

Gifts 3

Today I continue my list.

3. My gorgeous, sweet, talented, wonderful daughters, M1 and M2. I love them with so much of my heart that it's unfathomable to me that I have heart enough left for everyone else.

4. Grateful for Wives of Faith, a ministry to military wives. I'm so glad to be a small part of it.

Christmas Blog Day 1

Hi and welcome to Pattie's milspouse blog. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not in the running for any prizes, since I'm helping run this puppy--but I wanted to participate with my own entries too.

I wanted to share about my ornament. It's a plastic dove that has sparkles that are mostly worn off now, but it's MY ORNAMENT. The one I HAD to put on the tree when I was little, the one that if it's not on my tree now (and believe me when I tell you my entire family thinks it's ugly with a capital U), it's not Christmas yet. I think I got it when I was about 7 years old.

Here's a picture:

To read everyone else's decorative posts, click here and read the comments!

Devotionals for Wives of Faith

If you're interested in writing devotionals
for Wives of Faith's new blog feature:

We are looking for a 200-400-word devotional thought: a main Scripture verse, a paragraph or two, and a 2-3 line prayer. While the sample below is a generic one, we'd love for your devotional to be relevant in some way to the military wife life: something that God has shown you in your Bible reading, or a lesson you have learned that you'd love to share.

Email completed devotions to pattie@wivesoffaith.org and we’ll give you a byline. We ask that you follow our writing guidelines (except of course for the word length) as outlined on our site (http://www.wivesoffaith.org/next-steps/write-for-wives-of-faith/writing-guidelines).

Devotionals will be featured on the “In Focus” window on the front page of www.wivesoffaith.org

Thanks for your writing and your willingness to serve!

Generic Sample, 165 words; written by my husband and published in Open Windows:

Listen . . . and Build Trust

Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. Proverbs 22:17

People often say, “I wish I knew what God wants me to do.” If you have heard or thought those words, you aren’t alone. Sometimes I’ve longed to know which direction to go next. However, I’ve never audibly heard God speak, or tell me exactly the next step to take. Instead, discerning the path God has set requires an ongoing process to clarify God’s leading.

Solomon tells how to discern what God wants: pay attention, listen, and apply wise teachings. We are actively listening for what God has to say. We listen for God’s direction by reading Scripture, praying, attending worship, participating in Bible studies, and engaging in conversation with other believers.

As we listen for God to speak to us through our daily spiritual disciplines, we begin to build confidence and trust in God and value godly counsel.

Father, speak to us so we may be sure to follow Your will for us.

Help us to listen so we learn to confidently trust You.

Nine-Eleven

We will never forget.

I blogged about 9-11-01 today over at Wives of Faith.

Obedience

Today I blogged about obedience, Naaman, and schadenfreude over at Wives of Faith. :)

Sometimes life is hard

When life gets hard, what do you do? Where do you turn? I wrote about this today at Wives of Faith.