Ready to Move

In the big picture all of this seems simple and straight forward. We are moving our family of four to Germany, indefinitely. It's an industrialized first world nation. People move there all the time. They have Internet and coffee, kids are adaptable and ours are young. We will have a house and a job when we get there.

But the hourly details of it threaten to overwhelm me.

We just had a fantastic Skype date with a couple from our ministry in Alaksa (they're now in Massachusets.) We "met" their 4 month old son, and they encouraged us in preparation for our new ministry just how impactful we had been on them.  It's a good reminder of the big picture.

But when my 15 month old wakes up in the middle of the night confused about where he is (we just had the carpets cleaned and his room is empty), it worries me.  He might sleep in 7 different places in the coming weeks. Or rather be put to bed, the sleeping question is what worries me. Will he sleep? Because the sun still comes up every morning whether or not the babies sleep.

Parenting often seems like a train with no brakes, I'm just trying to keep it from derailing. Oh and build a bridge across the Atlantic after crossing the Mississippi and heading through the Appalachains. We love our ministry to the military. Today's challenge is my ministry to my children, my ministry to my family. Yup, missionaries struggle there too.

Time to make lunch, thanks for reading!
Elaine

Cleburne Times-Review: Making Peace

This article was published in my hometown Newspaper, The Cleburne Times-Review, back in December. Click on these links to see higher resolution images:

Click here to see the Front Page

Click here to see the remainder of the article

Thanks to John Austin for a job well done!

What's A Cadence?

I really can't believe I'm sharing this photo with you, but it fits. Be gentle ;-)

So there I was, sweating to the not-so-oldies the other day at the gym. In fact it might be the newest song I own, since most of the stuff I listen to was dreamed up before I was and this song won a Grammy last week.  It's a catchy pop tune that has a fantastic beat, rhythm, cadence.  I was trudging along at the half way mark of an already tired morning when the song came on.  As it started I thought to myself, "Oh no, I don't want this one to play. I don't wan't to do what it's going to cause me to do". This song was a real workout game changer.  And I love it.  It really does have a fantastic beat and really (really) gets me moving. I look like that girl at the gym who is running from a psycho lunatic. Luckily the song is only three minutes long because if it compelled me any longer to go at that all-out pace I might pass out.

Sometime in the 90s Overseas Christian Servicemen's Center (O.C.S.C.) Decided that the name "Cadence" fit better on a t-shirt and so they changed it (or something like that).  When we share about our ministry we're sure to mention the old name, as a lot of veterans will recognize it.  But why Cadence? It doesn't paint a crystal clear picture of our mission. Sure it hints at military affiliation but I could never really explain it.

But a cadence keeps you moving, it keeps you in step. A cadence keeps you going when you would rather not.  That is what we as believers need. We need brothers, sisters, and mentors to keep us going. Our job in ministry is to come along side of young people who need a place to go for encouragement, rest, and spiritual support. We have met a lot of Soldiers and Airmen who have stumbled through our door looking for a good meal not wanting to change anything about their lives. They sit with us and say, "I'm not sure I want to be challenged".  I'd like to think that as those people join our community they have no choice but to be challenged and changed by the Word of God. We pray that they would be compelled into an all-out run toward Jesus. We have seen that play out in our home and in our lives. We are a Cadence, called by the Holy Spirit.


hup, two, three, four...

Elaine


p.s. the song is Some Nights by Fun. I can only recommend it as a catchy pop tune good for the workout playlist.

Boots in the Doorway

A friend shared this on Facebook recently. It captures the heart of so many dear women I know. Military spouses are an important part of our ministry.

A Military Wife

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;
Moving curtains that won't fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come
after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is
unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
EPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
ABU
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;
The glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart.
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her
Military Husband,
She will remain his Military Wife.
And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

I would really like to credit the source for this poem, if you can help find it please let me know! Thanks

Elaine