+ moms'* afternoon out. My closest friends and I--we've decided that we could write our own Army Wives book based totally on fact and it would still be a hot seller--went to see "Moms' Night Out" at the on-post theater. Our tickets were $1 each and the national anthem played before the screening, complete with patriotic images and footage. I'm not sure which version we watched, but I know some of us wanted to see the "Shock and Awe" version.

"Moms' Night Out" was both funny and sometimes too realistic to actually be relaxing for me, but I appreciated the fact that it's a faith-based film.

+ independence day. We celebrated Independence Day with a last-minute cookout and ended the day watching fireworks from a friend's balcony. The conversation and time together was a better end to the day than the actual displays.

+ yet = still and other PA Dutchisms. My friend told me that my oldest goddaughter recently said, "It is really hot yet." I'm super proud. Also, she brought to my attention that I have a habit of asking my dogs, "Must you go out/potty?" I didn't realize it but it's pretty much the only sentence I use when I ask my dogs if they have to go outside and I'm pretty sure it's a Dutchism.

+ meal-sharing. A month or two (or more, who knows) ago, two friends and I decided to get together to cook for the week, because two of us typically end up cooking one big pot of soup and eating it for the week. And that gets boring. But it's also a pain to come up with meal plans when I'm only cooking for myself and I'm trying to save money. Hence, getting together to cook and then swap food. The first time we got together, we ended up making three pots of soup. This time, we made two soups, macaroni and cheese, and sloppy joes, three of which came from the Daniel Plan cookbook (one of our friends is starting the Daniel Plan).

+ blogging + life. Part of me was surprised to see that I haven't blogged since January and the other part of me doesn't even remember what I've been up to, aside from volunteering, classes, practicum, internships, home life group, church, and attempting to keep up some semblance of a social life. For a while, I was also getting up at 5 a.m. to go running during PT hours, but that's when the temps were in the 30s. Now that the day gets hotter faster, I don't have time to shower in between running and getting to my internship site (but I'm working on that). R&R also came and went somewhere along the line, though I intentionally didn't write about that for OPSEC reasons (but I plan to). And I went back to PA for a few days to visit family and we went to Walt Disney World.

*because we're all at various stages of momhood.

the d-word: deployment thoughts [25% done]

month 3 // Today was rough; I think it would have been easier if Alan were home. I was feeling sad and grateful to be blessed by a husband who orders pizza delivery from another continent and a friend who blessed me with a little pampering package.

month 4 // I don't want to say that certain people are "made" for the military lifestyle, as I don't believe that we were created to be separated from our spouses, but I do believe that some people adapt more easily and are more self-sufficient, traits that turn deployments into periods for growth and challenge instead of misery.

//

+ savage. Temperature in the 20s. Waist-deep water. Lots of mud. I ran the Savage Race and loved it. I skipped some of the challenges because I was afraid of hypothermia--Texas' Savage Race was the coldest on record!--but I still enjoyed the obstacles and have officially completed my second race.

+ volunteering. I started volunteering at the Family Life Chaplain Training Center on post. I'm there two days a week and I love it.

+ umhb. Three more semesters until graduation! Thanks to God and a supportive husband, I have maintained a 4.0 (which was a challenge, especially since I had a stomach flu during finals week). Also, I think solution-focused brief therapy is "my" approach. I really like it. One of my professors also loaned some emotion-focused therapy material to me and I've been studying it over break.

+ almost there. I ran 9.06 miles. I could have made it to 10 but I quit because my phone (and therefore, Endomondo) died around 7 miles and I wanted to know exactly how far I ran. Also, after surviving the Savage Race, I did two evening runs in 23F and 27F weather, respectively. It was raining the second time.

+ flyboys. After a friend recommended Flyboys to me, I purchased it and have been reading it off and on for several months. I finally finished it. In my opinion, the book was well-researched; I enjoyed learning about the history of Japan and Japanese-American relations as well as an area of history I had not studied before.

+ bucket list. Some friends and I went to Outback for dinner--it was my first visit, so I can cross off another item on my deployment bucket list! Also, I took a friend out to lunch at Rosa's after PWOC--yes, I was there the Tuesday after I posted about it and have been going semi-regularly ever since. I attended a class on mentorship based on At the Feet of Ordinary Women and asked the ladies to pray about whether any of them would be interested in mentoring me. Recently, one of them approached me and she's going to start mentoring me in the new year! And, I'm currently writing from Pennsylvania. Plus, my wonderful husband scheduled a massage for me last month and it was amazing.

+ snapchat. I downloaded Snapchat. My sister and I have been using it to send each other pictures of our dogs. While we're both in the same room.

independence day

We spent the fourth with our friends--and for the most part, whenever I say "our friends," you can pretty much assume that I'm referring to the same people. ...

... The couple we met shortly after we arrived down here, the then-family of three that became a family of four last month: the man who volunteered to fix my toilet while wearing his dress uniform because Alan was working at the time; the lady who knows my favorite Starbucks drinks; the toddler who's made me "auntie" and has recently figured out how to crawl out of her pack-n-play (which permanently sets in one of our spare bedrooms!) and open the bedroom door; the infant whose birth I witnessed.

So, anyway. We went to a parade in Belton, which was pretty disappointing because there was no candy, and we were hoping that the little one would be able to get some candy. However, there were a lot of old cars, so at least the guys thought that was cool.

Afterward, we went to the Nolan Creek Winery. We bought two flights (they ordered Italian and we ordered Sweetheart), and I discovered that I really like a certain type of moscato, although I don't remember the name (I liked the moscato in the Sweetheart flight, but I thought the Italian moscato was too dry).

 
We then decided that hummus and a cheese and meat plate didn't qualify as real food, and so we ended up driving around Belton for an hour looking for a restaurant open on a holiday. We ended up at the Gin at Nolan Creek.

Which is right across from the winery.

We were delightfully surprised by the quality of food at the Gin--Akaushi burgers (apparently, Akaushi is a very expensive cattle that is only bred--outside of Japan--in Texas and guarded by Texas Rangers) were on the menu, and I had an amazing cut of salmon.

Afterward, we checked out a little boutique in Belton and then headed to a carnival (which was a waste--every ride cost $3-$4 and the little one was only tall enough to ride one). We made it to a local fair as it was ending, which was disappointing, but at least we know where to go next year!

By the time we left the carnival, it was almost time for dinner. We went home to rest and then went to the fireworks display on Ft. Hood. Since none of us had eaten since lunch (and it was 10:00 when the fireworks ended), we went to Applebee's to end our day.

I can't say that we spent Independence Day reflecting on our nation and the people and events that have brought us to where we are today, but we spent it together as friends, as family, as husband and wife, and that is enough for me.

may in review

It's almost June ... and I'm just now publishing the recap for May!

+ moving on. The kids left for another placement (with relatives) at the beginning of June. The two and a half-ish months that they were with us were some of the most educational, stressful, testing, enjoyable weeks. I'm beyond grateful that Alan and I were able to share the experience together; we learned a lot, too.

+ 4.0. Thanks to God for blessing me and our awesome friends for babysitting when Alan worked and I had class, I finished the semester with a 4.0!

+ 1 cav demo. There is free entertainment and education on Ft. Hood. Every Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the 1st Cavalry performs a demonstration for the public. If you ask, they'll even give you a tour of the stables, farrier, and leather shops, and teach you about the weapons and riding/ground crews. It was ridiculously educational and exciting.

+ best compliment ever. "You guys are really different. Not in a bad way. You don't argue or anything. I don't think I've ever known anyone like that." --the oldest of the two children we fostered

+ c.t. studd. I discovered a favorite quote.

Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.

+ vertigo. We watched Veggie Tales until I was tired of it (I mean, I seriously dreaded seeing the main menu for "The League of Incredible Vegetables"). I had vertigo for about two weeks, and the first few days were horrible. I laid on the floor while watching the youngest; fortunately, Alan was able to come home early one day, and he was able to drop off and pick up the oldest from school the entire time.

+ the little things. A friend gave me a bag of Ghirardelli chocolates because "sometimes moms need to hide in the closet, and you are an acting mom."

+ little owl. I hosted a Pinterest-inspired, owl-themed baby shower for a friend. It was a little nerve-wracking because I've never hosted one before and I wanted it to be super special for her! My wonderful husband arranged the fruit, sliced the cheeses, and helped me decorate the house. Another of our friends came early to help prep food. It was a lot of fun and it was wonderful to see other ladies support a mom-to-be!

driving, or something like it.

"You've survived the war, now survive the highways."

There's a sign on the right-hand side of the road as you leave the main gate.  It has three lights--red, yellow, and green--and a counter that displays the number of days since the last traffic fatality.  Depending on the number of days that have passed, a different colored light lights up.

It was red the last time I passed it.  The last time being this afternoon, when Alan and I were leaving chapel.

In the ten months that I've been here, we have yet to make it to triple digits, but we've made it past 50, and that seems to be pretty good.

Too frequently, the light remains red and the number in the single digits.

This sign (and others like it) has fascinated and saddened me ever since I first saw it.

I think of the spouses, the parents, the children, loved ones left behind, and the thought sticks with me until it's time to merge onto I-35, because I need to concentrate if I don't want to be the one who sends the counter back to 0.  Drivers don't always yield and sometimes people seem to remember at the last minute that they don't actually want to take the access road to go home (because it's not like they drive this route every day or anything). ...

And so, they cut in front, and I'm keeping my eyes simultaneously glued to the vehicle in front of me and to the car to my right--is he going to cut me off?--and the traffic to my left.  I don't want my husband thinking of me every time he passes the sign ...

... 6 days since Elizabeth died.

Fort Hood brings people from across the country, across the world, and their driving styles show it.  I'm not sure what a native Texan driver is like, but many drivers in Killeen drive like their parents just filled out the logs without actually holding their teenagers accountable aggressively.

At least, they seem so for someone whose typical definition of a traffic jam is three cars behind a tractor (or a horse and buggy).

But, hey, I don't have to have every destination referenced to me in terms of its relation to Lowe's anymore.  When I first arrived, we went to Lowe's a lot, so it became my landmark--if I'm going to the Soldiers' Hospitality House, I should pass Lowe's.  There's an amazing, hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant (Amazing Thailand) in the plaza in front of Lowe's.  Firehouse Subs is farther down, near where Lowe's Blvd. intersects with Trimmier.

My life pretty much revolved around Lowe's.

But now I am learning, and my memory serves me better when I'm not stressing out about whether I'm going to cause an accident and am I in the right lane to turn around and do I need this exit or the next one?

And so we continue to survive the highways.

are you sure you don't have to go to the bathroom?

 + your house looks like you have kids. i feel better now. This quote sums up our life pretty well, right now. Without going into much detail, Alan and I became temporary foster parents for the children of a friend (hence the lack of updates). You can imagine what our house looks like.

I recently read and loved this book. Our younger foster child and I spent the morning outside, eating breakfast and playing.

+ how do you wake up so early? Hearing this question from our oldest foster child reminded me of my pre-college school years. I could never understand how my mom, aunt, or grandmother could be so chipper/relentless/creative/annoying while trying to rouse me at 6:30 a.m. Yet, here I am, waking at 5:30 a.m. and having to stop myself from loudly greeting everyone with, "Time to make the doughnuts!" Which my aunt used to say.

A week after we became foster parents, Alan sent me to a local spa for a massage--at the end, the therapist said that I still needed more work. Also, I love Aveda Comforting Tea.

+ mind if i pray? Something else from childhood that I've incorporated into our foster children's lives is morning prayer. My mom used to pray for my sister and me before we walked to the bus stop, or, if she drove us to school, she prayed in the car on the way to school. (Honestly, at the time I didn't really care, as I saw it as just another prayer/something else to make me late--in my mind, because we were almost never late for the bus--but now I appreciate it so much more.) And, since I drop off and pick up our oldest foster child from school every day, I've started praying as we turn onto the street where the school is. I can't remember my mom's prayer verbatim, but I pray for some of the same things--wisdom on tests, making good friends, safety, guidance, and a Godly influence in the lives of friends.

Last month, the Baking Brigade connected with soldiers--some about to deploy and some who had arrived at Ft. Hood just the day before. We used Whisker Graphics' Air Mail Divine Twine.

 + dinosaurs and man. Alan arranged for Mike Riddle to come to Chapel Next and hold a Creation Training Initiative class on Saturday. Mike also taught during Sunday Morning Life Group (about dinosaurs and man), and during the church service (about Genesis and discernment). Having attended a mostly secular college, I never received any apologetics teaching (nor did I ever receive any from my home church--that I recall--which I attended until I moved to Texas last summer), so hearing that dinosaurs only recently (hundreds-ish) became extinct was interesting. I also wish churches would teach more about a Biblical worldview.

 

military lessons on community [part two]

This is our second post on the topic of community and how the military and Christian communities are similar (or, how they could be). You can check out our first post on community.

deliberately grow friendship. Because you're probably hundreds/thousands of miles away from your family and potentially new to this whole thing (and, even if you aren't, it's nice to have someone else along for the adventure), it's important to have close friends you can count on, whether it's a phone call to make sure you're all right when your spouse is in the field, or picking up your child from school because you don't feel well, or just listening when you're going through a rough time and the enemy is attacking you from all sides.

Building that sort of relationship requires intention and purpose--inviting people to church or dinner or a coffee shop or your house. It means sharing our stories and praying that we can influence our brothers and sisters positively on their journeys. What if you don't think you can/want to set aside time for that?

If you're a blogger, this might mean praying before you post, as Keri Williams wrote recently. Or praying before you comment--what words would really encourage and inspire the blogger whose heart you just read?

Maybe it means sending a text, card, or email, just to let someone know you're thinking of her.

On a secular level, close friends are like second family. On a Godly level, believers are family. Regardless of how close you are.

we have an appreciation of (the lack of) time. Because we know that when you look around the church (or the home life group, or what have you), it's not going to look the same a year (or even a month) from now, I think we understand that you have to cut to the important stuff. Quickly. Ditch the small talk and forget the petty stuff. But as believers, we sometimes act like we'll all be around forever--we can take as much time as we want getting to know people. And God.

I have two super-close friends whom I consider family. I might not be able to tell you their favorite colors or biggest pet peeves, but I can tell you that we would drop (and have) whatever we were doing in order to help each other, whether that means taking care of a dog for a week, picking up a child from school, watching a child overnight, checking in on a house for a week, or accompanying one of us to a doctor appointment. I also think having a common bond factors into this--we understand that our spouses' military commitments sometimes mean that our schedules change at the last minute, and as believers, we trust each other.

How many friends have you known for longer than seven to nine months? Would you be willing to stop what you're doing to help them?

military lessons on community [part one]

"Community" seems to be a popular topic of late, with L's post on community at All Glorious Within and Annie's post on friendship at What She Saw. Plus, I've really had community on my heart recently--I've been drafting a blog post specifically about the type of friendships I've formed down here, but apparently I'm going to write about that sooner than I planned to.

I think the Christian community could learn a thing or two from the military community (and vice versa), and I'm breaking my thoughts down into two posts.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God. -Romans 1:1

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9

Like Paul (and believers), the military community is set apart. It's different. There are certain things that happen in the military that simply don't happen (or are difficult to understand) in the civilian sector, and vice versa.

If you've ever seen the Lifetime show "Army Wives," you know that the tagline is "The Army has its code. The wives have their own." Likewise, as believers, we have our own "code."

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. -2 Timothy 3:16

The community can be tightly knit--even with frequent moves, you can only receive orders to so many places, so there's a chance that you'll see old friends on the other side of the world a decade from now. Plus, a tightly-knit clan is important when your spouse is deployed or in the field or just can't make it to your doctor appointment. However, I've met women who have lived here longer than I have but lack the strong friendships that I have been blessed with here.

And the sad thing is, it seems to me that the women who haven't found good friends tend to be Christians. They say that everyone has already formed their groups. There isn't room for one more. And it can be unnerving, especially when we fall prey to jealousy, to pettiness, to the enemy, and we close off our hearts to deeper, meaningful relationships. We give off the message that there really isn't room for one more; we're content with our current circle, and you're on your own.

But, that's not the message that Jesus brought.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. -Hebrews 10:24-25

So, what sparks close friendships and builds community so quickly?

share a common bond. If your husband (or wife!) is a soldier, you're used to CQ or staff duty, upcoming deployments, weeks in the field, schedules that aren't really set in stone until they've happened and a week has passed, and a host of other military-specific things. And, if you're not used to it yet? You will be, soon.

Likewise, as believers, we share a common bond. But it seems (to me) that we are way too flippant about that connection--when it comes to friend criteria, being a child of the same God is about as important as sharing the same hair color.

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? -Malachi 2:10

Meanwhile, with the friendships I've formed in military community, being from the same coast is a fairly legitimate reason to explore friendship. Oh, you're from Virginia? I'm from Pennsylvania. Close enough. Let's be friends.

take advantage of others' experience. Based on my experience, the spouses of soldiers are willing to share their experiences and lend their support and knowledge to help others, and it's a relief to know that you can look to someone else for help.

But as believers, we're cautious--even stingy--with sharing our stories. Especially the ones that might cast us in a less-than-perfect light. We worry too much about what others might think, instead of being concerned with how our stories might be able to touch someone else, or thinking about what our Heavenly Father would think. We are too quick to pass judgment.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:12

And as believers, we're easily hit with jealousy when something good happens to someone else, and we're quick to tear down, instead of build up. Instead of praying for blessing and protection upon our fellow sisters and brothers, we ask "Why not me?" We ignore that common bond of belief in salvation through Jesus Christ.

Plus, when we act in a petty fashion, how can we honestly expect others to see Christ in us? How can we expect others to want to follow Christ?

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. -John 13:35

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. -Colossians 4:5

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. -1 John 4:7-8

Are you making the most of every opportunity?

the baking brigade

1,046 cookies, brownies, and muffins, baked by at least 14 people.

300 boxes assembled and filled with baked goods and Chapel Next business cards or handwritten words of encouragement, all prepared by 20-ish people.

5 barracks buildings and almost 300 soldiers uplifted and greeted by 15 people with heartfelt conversation and the love of Christ and community.

1 amazing and blessed first outreach by the Baking Brigade.

Sadly, there is only one photo of Alan because he was our photographer for the event.

I intended to blog about this earlier, but I couldn't find the right words to describe what an amazing, God-filled experience this was. I still don't have all of the words, but if I wait for "perfect," I'll never hit the "Publish" button.

The night before the Baking Brigade outreach, I prayed myself to sleep. I was ridiculously nervous and kept grabbing my phone from the nightstand so I could add quick reminders--don't forget scissors for cutting the twine, and markers for decorating boxes, and print off your notes for Sunday Morning Life Group!

So, while I was casting my cares on the Lord, I was also making sure that I was doing absolutely everything in my power to be prepared. You know--just in case. (read: I was really just paying lip service to God.)

Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. -Psalms 55:22

I was afraid that we wouldn't have enough cookies, that even though the list of people who signed up looked decent, people would forget or not bother or not make enough. It was almost 1 a.m. when I toyed with the idea of getting up and making even more cookies (one of my closest friends down here arrived home on Saturday after visiting family on the East Coast, so we went to dinner with them and then they came over so she could bake muffins).

And I was reminded of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

I told myself that if Jesus could do that, then He would make sure that we would have enough to go around. His will would be done. I had to keep myself in check.

Sometimes, we have to live by faith and trust that God will provide. I told God that I was entrusting Him with the entire outreach. That if it succeeded, it was only because He is good and that all the glory went to Him. That if it failed, I knew that this was a me-thing, and not a God-thing. I asked Him to use me as a vessel to minister to others and advance His kingdom.

Coincidentally--or not--I taught about leadership in Life Group the next morning. Leaders have extraordinary faith because they trust that their visions will be fulfilled, as long as people are motivated and God will provide.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19

And I thought to myself, "Wow, I wish I had that kind of faith!" Instead, I was too busy worrying, and had clearly forgotten the prayer I'd said the previous night. I wanted to end class fifteen minutes early, so I could check on cookies and one of the other ladies could go home to pick up a forgotten Children's Church lesson plan--we barely finished praying by the usual end of class. At that point, I decided to recommit my cares to God.

Would more people drop off cookies? Would we have twine to finish the boxes? Would enough people volunteer to package, to go to the barracks? Was I forgetting something? What if we didn't have enough cookies? What if, in spite of my heart for this mission and my excitement, it failed?

I sometimes get the impression that I--as a woman? as a young woman? as an introvert who hates to be acknowledged in the congregation?--am dismissed by some of the men, and if this failed, well, it would just be proof that women should sit down and be quiet and listen.

So, I prayed some more.

After Life Group, Alan and I went to the mall to pick up a classmate who'd volunteered to help (and, the day before, we drove to the university to pick up cookies another classmate had baked). We grabbed lunch in the food court and then returned to chapel to assemble 300 kraft boxes. Around 2 p.m., more people started to show up and we began to start packaging and talking about our plan for the barracks. And there was prayer. Lots of prayer.

The process went quickly with so much help, and by 3:30, we were ready to drive over to the barracks. We divided the boxes into three garbage bags to make everything easier to carry. It was awesome to see a caravan of eight vehicles pull into the barracks parking lot.

We met some really great men and women while we made our rounds in five buildings, and the experience opened my eyes to the fact that more of this is needed. More time. More conversation. More love. More community. More God.

Sunday was one soldier's birthday. A box of cookies was the first birthday present he'd received all day.

Two soldiers were so excited about the cookies that they opened their boxes and started eating while the four (some of us paired off) of us stood in their doorway, chatting.

Countless soldiers were in disbelief that someone was offering free homemade treats, that someone cared. One soldier desperately needed someone to talk to.

One soldier asked if it was finally his turn for a box of cookies, because he'd seen so many other guys with them.

Some of them asked if this was a church outreach. And, from what church? Where? When is service?

However, several knocks went unanswered. On the upside, the chaplain's response to that was to make this a monthly event--the soldiers will know to be home on the last Sunday of the month if they want free baked goods.

And who doesn't want free cookies baked with love?

traffic lessons

Recently, due to construction on post, I spent about ten minutes driving around, trying to avoid the traffic and get back on the main road.

I was about nine minutes into my frustration when I remembered that there are about half a million other gates that I could use to leave post. I was so caught up in just getting around the small, one-block obstacle that I didn't consider any other option.

I just wanted the shortest route, the one that I knew the best. And, by that time, I didn't feel like cutting my losses, so I just waited in traffic.

Once I got through the construction, I started thinking about how life is sometimes like that. I get so hung up on whatever stress I'm dealing with that I don't stop to take a breath and think about other options.

I spend so much time focusing on the issue in front of me that I don't hear God telling me that there's another way. And, even if I do hear Him, I'm reluctant to listen because whatever He's suggesting is not what I usually do.

It's new. It's different. I'm not used to it. I might make mistakes.

I knew that, had I taken one of the other gates off post, I could have found my way home. Eventually. But, I probably would have made some wrong turns, and I was afraid of exploring uncharted territory alone.

But as believers, we are never alone.  

God promises to always be with us.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

Even when life is rough and we feel overwhelmed, He is there.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." -1 Corinthians 10:13

stove not included

A chaplain and I reconnoitered the barracks on Monday in order to decide how best to go about this outreach.

Which, by the way, is still nameless.  But at least we're down to four names: Batter Buddies, Batterground (they were tied for first), Baking Brigade, and Bake.Pray.Love.

I had a hard time sleeping that night, because I kept thinking of what I saw in the barracks (or maybe it was the fact that I wanted to give my friend the night off, and babysat her toddler for 24+ hours with little sleep).

Seriously, it's worse than the honors dorm I lived in for three years of undergrad.  I didn't know that was possible.

They don't even have a stove (in the particular building I visited).  I kept thinking of the guys at the gas station when I stopped on post Sunday night.  The one who really left an impression had a frozen pot pie and a sports drink.  At the time, I thought, "That's so sad.  But maybe he just doesn't feel like cooking tonight."

Or, you know, maybe he doesn't even have a stove.  That was clearly my second thought.

Granted, I used the stove once the entire time I was in a dorm, and that was to bake cookies (I used the stove frequently when I lived in an apartment).  But it's the principle of the matter.

We chatted with a soldier in the orderly room to find out the best time to stop by and gauge how well-received this outreach would be.

And while I was happy to hear that it would really boost morale, it saddened me to hear that many soldiers don't have a lot of contact with family and support systems, that a couple of cookies from some arbitrary people would really show them that their commands care about them.

I mean, think about it.  Maybe you're 18, and you're away from home for the first time, but unlike orientation week at college, no one's around to send you off to mandatory fun and keep you from feeling homesick and you never get mail from your parents or hang out with your coworkers.  Maybe you don't have a car.  Apparently, you don't have a stove, either.  And your housing is so old that it's condemned, and if Air Force personnel would have to live where you do, they'd receive a higher housing allowance because of it.  (I mean, I used to complain because my dorm didn't have an elevator and no one held the door open for me when I traipsed up four flights of stairs with a laundry basket.)  And some free cookies and a sincere "hey, how are you doing?" would totally make your day.

I am more excited and ... rushed? (I think I feel rushed, or anxious, or ready yesterday, or something like that) than ever to get this underway.  People have approached me in chapel to ask when this is going to finally start.  More people have asked for information.  The colonel in charge of the second barracks we'll be visiting (the barracks that I visited today) is all for this.  And I want to bake some fresh cookies on Sunday afternoon so they can be delivered, still warm.  Except, the stove at the chapel is broken, and there are higher priorities.

life is full of blessings!

Life has become so full, and we have been so blessed over the past few weeks!

+ Alan was supposed to be "in the field" this week, which would have meant that he would have been sleeping on post all week, but plans were changed, so he's been home every night.  We love being able to see each other in the morning, enjoy lunch together, and spend time together in the evenings.  It's especially nice on Thursdays, because Thursday seems like the weekend for me (because of grad classes) and he gets off early on Thursdays.

+ I'm (Elizabeth) a graduate student!  It's challenging and stimulating, and I've met some really great people in the program.  There's a Chinese student who's been in the country for two weeks.  We met at the graduate student welcome reception--she asked where I was from and seemed a little disappointed that I wasn't Chinese, but I asked if she spoke Mandarin (in Mandarin), so we've been practicing our English and Mandarin together, and I've been trying to get her off campus and out and about.
I've also met two women whose husbands are serving in the Army.  One is writing a novel and one works for the Army as a civilian.  Last night, I went to the writer's house and we talked a lot studied together.  She said it would be cool if I visited her church and she visited mine.
Lastly, I met two women at the reception who seemed really nice.  We started a conversation and were rather gregarious and extroverted ... and then we all admitted that we usually aren't so outgoing, that we'd much rather just sit in the corner and eat our food and people watch.  Immediate bond?  I think so.
Here's to the introverts of the world.

+ Alan and I are going to start leading a home life group, which is like a home Bible study.  We'll be studying Resilient Warriors.

+ I (Elizabeth) am going to start teaching a book/Bible study on Sunday mornings at chapel.  When we first arrived, Chapel Next had only just started life groups (the chapel's version of Sunday School), and they were for both men and women.  I really missed the cohesiveness that I had with the ladies class in Pennsylvania.  (Also, I had attended the same church for over two decades.)  While we were undergoing training to lead a home life group, I asked if something like a women's group was available, or if one could be started.
I think there's a need for a women's group (especially because not everyone can attend PWOC on Tuesday mornings), and I've been wanting to teach ever since I took an inventory on spiritual gifts at my home church in PA.  The home life group leader mentioned it to the chaplains, and now we'll be studying Captivating.

+ I (Alan) would just like to say that the lord our God has brought us together and is pouring out his blessings around us. As for me and this house we will serve the lord. Our cup runneth over.  For Christ's sake . . . for when I am weak I am strong.

happy support freedom of speech day!

We experienced our first FRG meeting as a couple yesterday.  Driving across post to get to the venue took longer than the actual meeting.  And I never thought I'd be so happy to see 40 m.p.h. signs.

We also stopped by Alan's office building.  I was hoping to see his office and he was hoping to pick up his coffee mugs.  He told me that there was a certain parking spot where I should park, and it was designated for the first sergeant.  As I pulled into the parking lot, he explained that there were a few spots for different people, so I needed to look for the first sergeant one.

Who knew "first sergeant" would be stenciled on as "1SG?"  Clearly, not me.

On the upside, after we picked up the boys from Bob's Diner (which is actually held at the chapel ... and not by a man named "Bob"), we went to Chick-Fil-A to support Chick-Fil-A Day.  On the way, we explained that it had nothing to do with the CEO's personal beliefs, but that there is a difference between disagreement and discrimination, and we live in a country where we should not be punished or discriminated against for disagreeing or standing up for our own beliefs.