Who needs an umbrella?

When we moved this summer, I knew it would be different. What is funny, though, is how it is different. The biggest change that we notice is the weather. First of all, it is stinkin' hot! Tons of humidity. Being raised in South Texas, this shouldn't be a shocker, but I suppose I quickly adjusted to the temps and lack of humidity in New Mexico.

Another huge adjustment has been the rain. In NM, it took a while for me to get used to the lack of rain. In the beginning, when the wind blew, I would tell my hubby, "Oh, I bet it is going to rain!" He would laugh! The wind there is not a sign of a coming storm. Now it is! It seems like practically every evening there is rain, and not just rain- but thunder and lightening! This is pretty amazing coming from a place where the rain is measured to the nearest 100th of an inch!

On our way here, I was overwhelmed with the abundance of water on this side of the U.S. I'm thinking these people don't run out in the middle of the storm to look at the rain gauge (like some New Mexicans I know..)

We had a storm the other night, and we jumped in the jeep to go around post to look at all the water. Strange, I know, but again we haven't seen rain like this in a long time! You would have thought we were at the zoo or something, the kids were in awe and so excited as they pointed out the window at the standing water, or gushing water. Tons of branches and a few trees were knocked down, so since then, they want to drive and see if the trees are still down. Don't say we aren't exciting people!!! Needless to say, things are green! And I'm thinking, maybe we now should invest in an umbrella!

Who knew?

When we signed up for the military life, I knew many of my decisions would be taken away. For instance, we don't really get a say as to where we will live, or exactly when my hubby will be home. It is true, and becomes real very quickly, that the Army truly "owns" a little part of my family. And for me, that is okay. I believe in God's plans and know that He is guiding our steps.

The part that I wasn't ready for is the plethora of options I do have, and the decisions that need to be made. When it came to moving our stuff, we had to decide how much of that we wanted the Army to handle. The same is true of our living situation at our new post. Should we live on or off post? If we live off, should we rent or buy? What kind of schooling should we pursue for our children? It is funny to me that we are now faced with way more possibilities than we had before we were "in.".

The good thing though, and I continue to remind myself, is that God is in control! He has brought us so far in this and His handiwork is evident in our lives. The process has fallen into place, once we trusted Him enough to take a huge leap of faith. So, I must remember that the God who has brought us this far will not abandon us now. I will choose to trust Him with all the daily options and situations, believing that we are in the palm of His hands.

Army Church

Today was my second time to attend church at the Army Chapel. It is a unique experience, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly!
The first time was exciting! Half of the church is filled with soldiers wearing their ACU's (camo uniforms.) These are students in Basic Training. The other half is made up of families, many like us, whose soldier is attending the Chaplain school. The preacher two weeks ago was very animated! I was amazed at the response from the congregation. Growing up Baptist, and attending church for the last 4 years with a vocal father in law, I am very used to people voicing their agreement by saying, "Amen!" Well, I should have known, that when the Army is called to respond, the congregation agrees with a hearty, "Hooah!". I loved it! Talk about keeping the kids attention! Every few moments the crowd says with gusto, "Hooah!" No problems with drifting off into my own thoughts that day!
We attended again today, and again, the crowd was divided with those in uniform and those in civi's. What struck me today was the hearts of the students in Basic Training. One of the pastors asked for prayers or praises before the service began, and immediately people began sharing. So many of the soldiers asked for prayer for perseverance and endurance. They just want to "finish the race" and do a good job. Their prayer was not to be the best, but to do a good job, to have the strength to complete the task. Others praised the Lord for His faithfulness and how He alone was the reason they had passed their PT (physical training) test, or helped them in their studies. The prayer request that struck my heart, was from a young girl. She asked that we pray for her father, who was diagnosed with colon cancer and is having surgery tomorrow. My heart went out to her! She was most likely under 20 years old, in a far away place, in the midst of trials that she has never faced before, and can't be there with her family. I realized that that is most likely the story for many soldiers, who have volunteered to serve this country. It made me realize the importance of the job of Chaplain. There is such a need! That is one soldier, J will have a unit of around 500 with needs, praises, and requests. It also helped me to see the soldiers differently. To be honest, when everyone is dressed the same, marching the same, walking the same, etc. they look strong. You can't tell their age, their worries, their prayer requests. Today, I looked at the faces of the soldiers as they shared, and realized that in essence these are young kids, doing their best, and praying that they make it through.

The Beginning

I have contemplated for a while now to begin a blog, mainly because of the encouragment blogs gave me when we were first beginning the process of going into the military as a chaplain and wife. I found a few and read them continually and they opened my eyes to so much of what to expect from this ministry. So here I am, beginning our Army adventure, and I want to share what this is all about!

We are officially one month into this Army thing..HOOAH! So far, so good. It is an adjustment as Jason continues with school, and we adjust to the humidity. We were so blessed to get to join Jason while he goes to school, and from here we will travel to our first post.

We were able to celebrate our first 4th of July as a military family. I was amazed at the display of patriotism here. Not only was the field covered with basic training recruits who voluntarily signed up for the chance to defend this great country, but the stands were full of pride. They called out each state and shot off a canon and then played the songs from the different branches of the military and the National Anthem. It was fun to hear Jason and a platoon buddy sing with gusto the Army song! And then hear so many, who already had or would, sacrifice for freedom stand and sing our Nation's song. So good to hear so many proud Americans!