2009 July » PWOC International Blog

Those Deployment Days...Months...A Year...15 months...What?!!

Jul 172009

Submitted by Erin Nonaka, Fort Bragg, NC

So last week I had a bad day. You know one of those deployment days when you wish you could just crawl back into bed and start over. However, the fact that I had a long list of things to include laundry, dishes, errands, gardening, and volunteer work to be done, kept me from doing so. Oh, and not to mention the three precious little boys that at the least, needed to be clothed and fed for the day. ARGH!!

These are those days, when the truth can not be avoided, changed, diverted, or deleted. The love of my life, my sweet precious husband, and the father of my children is not here, and it STINKS!

Now, a week later, I find myself looking back at this day and what the Lord would have me learn and remember for the next time I have one of “those” days.

I know the Lord is my comfort, and my shield. I know that He is there for me. I pray and read His Word everyday. He puts amazing women in my life that pray for and with me, as well as encourage me. The Lord doesn’t promise that we won’t have frustrating and hard times. He does promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. Praise the Lord for that!

So on those days that are just unbearable, I remember God’s promises that are always true. I think on these things, and it helps me to climb out of bed, do what I need to do, and be what I need to be for one day at a time.

Sound off!! Do you have stories or comments about deployment in your life? Send them to the Blog Manager

Wall-Builders

Bits & Pieces, Devotions

Jul 162009

Honey, just what is it that you do? I’ve asked this question several times in the past 21 years, and always there’s some kind of scientific explanation, if anything at all. For example, during Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Andy was gone for almost seven months. During that time, I wrote him at least one letter a day, sometimes two. I received eight letters from him, four of those arriving in one day. The bundle of four letters answered that often-dangerous question, “So, what are you doing over there?” He went into detail on how to build a road. Four envelope’s worth. I didn’t ask that question for a while after that.

Andy is a Combat Engineer. He has a degree in Civil Engineering (go, Georgia Tech!!) and has been able to use those skills in his military career in various venues. I have been reading through the book of Nehemiah, and the Jews are rebuilding the city walls around Jerusalem. So this is what I saw….

from Nehemiah 4, NASB:

Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeters stood near me.

And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is greater and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.

“At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.”

What do you see? I see Combat Engineers rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem! I see order and rank and lots of hard work, using their skills and talents to defend, protect and take care of the land that they love. Now I know what it is that my husband does.

I encourage you to see your spouse’s job for the military (or your own job!) as an example of your part of the Kingdom of God. As the wife of an Engineer, I can be used for God by building bridges (relationships), by providing fresh drinking water (the Water of Life to those that need Jesus), pave roads where there weren’t roads previously (pioneering creative ideas and being courageous in ministry), and at times, desposing of waste or blowing things up (boldly doing what’s right). What can you do for Him?

Send comments to Blog Manager

Who we are!

Leadership Wednesday, Who are we

Jul 152009

Welcome Beautiful Ladies, My name is Lucia Rossman and it is my blessing to serve you and to talk with you on this wonderful new blog! Go web team! We pray this new addition will bless you and connect you to what God is doing on a global scale within this ministry. I pray that this blog and the other amazing resources found on the website blesses and equips you. I pray that God’s presence is with you and that you permeate with the aroma of Christ in all you do. Praising God among the nations (Psalm 57:9-11), Lucia

Lucia Rossman, PWOCI 1VP Spiritual Development.

For comments, please contact the blog manager

What lens are you using?

Bits & Pieces

Jul 142009

As I’m drawn closer to God, He gives me new eyes. There’s a current radio favorite by Brandon Heath, Give Me Your Eyes, that includes these lines in the chorus:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity

The obvious interpretation here is to take notice of the people we encounter in life but God has shown me another application.

While I rarely watch TV under normal circumstances, I allowed myself to get involved with a few evening dramas during my husband’s recent 15 month deployment. It just helps the evening hours pass, right girls?

I had been watching these shows long enough to get rather involved with the characters and story lines when my Mother-in-Law paid a visit. She loves to watch TV with me in the evenings, and I enjoy the company. But when I found myself explaining why she wouldn’t enjoy one of these shows, God poked me in the side asking, “Why is the absence of morality a problem for her but not you?” Ouch. He’s right, of course!

With a tremendous amount of self-control, I deleted that show from my TiVo and stopped recording it. Every now and then I wonder about the characters and the story line but I pray that God would strengthen my resolve.

In the months since, I have had numerous conversations regarding TV and morality and I’ve learned a very frightening truth. As each year passes, the industry pushes the limit just a little bit further and each year they desensitize us to how far they’ve pushed…and it’s working!

In one conversation with a practicing Catholic, I explained that I was offended when one particular show cast a practicing priest in an openly homosexual relationship, including cohabitation. Her response knocked me off of my feet. She replied, “Well, he wasn’t a Roman Catholic priest.” I was struck dumb that her focus was on the type of priest he was, as opposed to the fact that they were placing any clergyman in that role. She had been desensitized way beyond her awareness.

Now before you get all spun up over the question of homosexuality in this illustration, consider what your response would have been 25 years ago? Did you even see the word cohabitation? It wasn’t too long ago that producers weren’t even allowed to imply that married couples shared a bed much less unmarried couples. Have you, too, been desensitized without realizing it?

The truth is that the entertainment industry has, little by little, changed the lens through which we measure morality to the point that we don’t even know where the line is crossed. I pray that God would reset all of us to His default setting so that once again, we may see immorality as He sees it.

In case you’re wondering, there are plenty of options for morally correct entertainment, from TV shows, to movies, to books, and so on. In fact, I’ve found that reading Christian fiction set in the 1800′s gives me a whole new appreciation for propriety between men and women. It’s a quick way to see the extent that our society has been desensitized to immoral behavior. There’s only one definition that I’m interested in and it doesn’t come out of Hollywood.

You may reach Tracy here with comments.

Spiritual Mothering

Devotions

Jul 132009

The teenager was unmarried and pregnant. She had experienced incredible emotional highs and lows during the last several days. We don’t know what emotions were swirling inside Mary as she raised her hand to knock on the door. But we do know that less than five minutes inside that door, she experienced a joy and confidence unexpected in one so young. Only a few moments in Elizabeth’s presence and Mary burst into a magnificent song of praise to God, recorded for us in Luke 1:46-55. What happened between these two women is the essence of spiritual mothering.

Though Mary and Elizabeth are powerful examples, they are not the ultimate reference point for spiritual mothering. To use God as the reference point is not to feminize God but to relate all of life to Him. God compares Himself and the church to a mother (Is 66:10-14a). The person who experiences this motherly affection and protection rejoices and flourishes.

Susan Hunt, in her book Spiritual Mothering, quotes the 18th century poet Matthew Arnold, “If ever the world sees a time when Christian women shall come together purely and simply to encourage and equip other women to live for God’s glory, it will be a power such as the world has never seen.” Hunt added the word “Christian” to women because coming together purely and simply is impossible except for the power of grace working in their lives. The love of Christ compels such women as they remember over and over that they are forgiven sinners living under the constant banner of Christ’s righteousness for them. This, and many other countless blessings Christ has given to us, grows that desire to give people the love of Christ.

Is God your reference point? Does He have supremacy in your life? If so, you have much to offer younger woman. Begin praying for an opportunity. Also seek out an older woman who displays this kind of focus in her life and learn from her.

Used by permission.

Always-Faithful God

Friday Fruit

Jul 102009

A year ago, my husband left for his one-year solo tour to Korea. This is our first big separation in a long time, and although we live near family and are typically strong people, I’ll be honest and say it’s been hard. I know many of you who have endured deployments to war zones can relate to the geographically single parenthood lifestyle of extreme fatigue and weariness. We have this in common, and I’m thankful for my faith in an always-faithful God and involvement in this amazing ministry.

There have been times over the past eleven months that I have wavered in my confidence in the state of politics, economics, education and morality around us, but what I do know is that God will provide for His own. I have seen it time and time again, although in order to see it, we’ve had to go through it. That’s not the fun part of the process of learning from God.

Our three teenagers are going to be missionaries this summer and will be teaching VBS to underprivileged children, and because of sending multiple children off on a youth group trip, I was concerned about the finances it would mean for our family. In the “eleventh hour” of our family’s long year, we recently heard that all fees for the missions trip are being covered by the kids’ efforts in fund-raising over the past few months. God has again provided for a need and totally blessed us as a family, as a youth group. My oldest son’s hug showed his understanding of this blessing.

Besides tears, the first thing that came to my mind were the words of the Doxology: Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!

More to this theme...

Bits & Pieces

Jul 092009

Submitted by: Elizabeth Walker, Robins AFB Administrative Coordinator

Cherie Miller’s blog question, on July 1st, about reactions to this year’s PWOC theme got my curiosity peaked about the word ‘scepter’. How is it used in the Bible? Doing a little research took me to Genesis 49:10(AKJV) which tells us, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and to him shall the gathering of the people be.”

Wow, who is Shiloh, I wondered? Exactly what is this scripture telling me? More research and more enlightenment! Shiloh is the Messiah – of course we know the Messiah is Jesus Christ. Shiloh has come – He holds the scepter and “to him shall the gathering of the people be.” Jesus is extending His scepter to the world. Wonderful, beautiful, awesome…

Little Foxes

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday, President's Pen

Jul 082009

I love to spend my morning quite times with the Lord on my back porch, which looks out onto lush, green trees and a small man-made pond. As I am enjoying my surroundings, I have noticed many of the various species of wild critters that like to habitate this area. One in particular is a red fox. This little fox, runs along the trail beside the pond looking for his morning feast. What I have noticed about this little fox is that he is on the path about the same time each morning. I have also noticed him in the evenings around dusk as well. My black labrador, MacKenzie, goes absolutely ballistic whenever she sees him run the path. Always in the alert mode, she watches carefully for anything that might get into her territory and present a problem. As you can imagine, when the little red fox appears, she goes into hyperspace trying to get to it. Thank the Lord for fences!

This makes me think about Song of Songs 2:15 (NIV) - “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” After the lover calls his beloved out of the clefts of the rock, he challenges her to identify anything that steals from their intimate love. The Amplified version says …”the little foxes that spoil the vineyards [of our love], for our vineyards are in blossom.”

I would like to ask you a question, do you stay on alert to the potential dangers of the “little foxes” that can steal from your intimate time and love with your Lord, Jesus? Ask Him to show you what the little foxes are in your life. He won’t let you down because He is jealous for your love.

Do you love fancy fonts?

Tech Tuesday

Jul 072009

If you have a little girl that loves pink, you may know Fancy Nancy. Fancy Nancy is the main character of a series of books for girls that my daughter loves. This character is not satisfied with “life as usual,” she accessorizes everything! I think we have a few Fancy Nancy’s in PWOC!

I often find myself sitting at a PWOC program wondering how someone ever thought up the idea of putting a scrap of fabric on the table with a few trinkets to make it look so nice. It’s a gift, if you ask me, and a gift that I wasn’t blessed with! I’m fascinated and blessed.

My fascination stops, however, when ladies turn their ‘Fancy’ to their email messages. There are rules for emails and there’s a reason for the rules, too. Here are a few:

Do not use a background for your emails. It increases the message size and subsequent download time and makes the message more difficult to read. Whether image or color, just say no.
Avoid using those smiley face icons called emoticons. While they are indeed cute, they are image files attached to the message that, again, increase message size and download time.
Avoid using fancy fonts. First, fancy fonts are more difficult to read and fatigue the eye. This includes the script font you thought made your message look more regal. It doesn’t. Second, the font will only appear as you intend if the same font file exists on the recipients computer. Otherwise, the recipient’s computer will substitute with a different font and you have no control over what it chooses. Stick to your email’s default font.
If you must draw emphasis to parts of your message, which I do quite often, do so by using your default font’s color, size, bold, or italics features. Avoid using underline as most users will see that as a hyperlink and not emphasis of message.
Regarding font color, pay attention! Yellow may well be your favorite color but please don’t send me a message with yellow text. I can absolutely promise I will not read it! Make sure you choose a color that has enough contrast from the message background (white) to be read easily and comfortably.

The last decade has made many tools available to the average computer user that were once strictly reserved for professionals. The trouble is that these tools came with little to no training. Just remember this, as in many things, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

Devotions

Jul 062009

It’s “Spring Cleaning” time around my house and I like thinking about spiritual parallels. What can “Spiritual Spring Cleaning” look like? Here are some ideas:

· Take some extended prayer time simply for confession. Go as far back in your experiences as needed to really come clean.

· Keep short accounts (i.e. don’t let dishes sit in the sink overnight – they attract cockroaches). Are there people you need to forgive or grudges you are holding?

· Take inventory of the physical space in which you often meet with God to read your Bible, pray, etc. Is it cluttered? Could it be more inviting?

· Are there habits in your life that are keeping God at arm’s length? What lifestyle changes need to be made?

Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

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PWOC International Blog

Those Deployment Days...Months...A Year...15 months...What?!!

Wall-Builders

Who we are!

What lens are you using?

Spiritual Mothering

Always-Faithful God

More to this theme...

Little Foxes

Do you love fancy fonts?

Spiritual Spring Cleaning

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