ChristianMilitaryWives

God made us in HIS own image.  HIS image is perfect.

When looking in the mirror, some think they are too skinny - too chunky (or as my kids like to say - "plumpin"), too short, too tall.  They may think they have crooked teeth, a crooked nose, or that their ears are too big.

Some people do not think they are very smart, think they are clumsy or maybe they are not athletic enough.

When feeling down, remember Gods word... it's never wrong.  The Lord loves you, you are HIS child.  He wants what's best for you.  Our Heavenly Father created you in HIS image.  You are Gods creation, and you are beautiful!

In Genesis 1: 24-27 (NIV) it says:

²⁴ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

 ²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

 ²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
       in the image of God he created him;
       male and female he created them.

Ps 139:13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (14) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

In the beginning, there was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. This is really where the Christmas story begins, before the beginning of time.

In the beginning, there was God, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, dwelling together. God decided to make man in His own image, to fellowship and commune with Him. We betrayed God, and not understanding the gift of being with Him, we wanted to be better than Him. We traded eternal communion and relationship for sin, sickness and death.

There was only one way for humanity to be redeemed. Only one way for our tainted blood to be purified, and that was with the blood of One who was perfect. He had to go of His own volition, and His Father had to send Him.

There is no way for our minds to comprehend this. There is no allegory, no metaphor, nothing to compare it to. There was a God, pure and perfect, dwelling as One with his Father and Spirit, omniscient and omnipotent. He lived forever in the spiritual realm, a kingdom of light and beauty. He made a people He loved but did not love Him back, and even though they did not love Him, He decided to give His blood for them.

He came to earth. He came from the best possible circumstances to the worst. The surrounding conditions, from heaven to a barn, were not the worst of it. He was physically cut off from his Father, from His Spirit. He came, not as even a great man, but as a helpless baby; as far as the world knew, an illegitimate son born like a barn animal. He was born to manual labor and snide remarks, ridicule. Because of His birth, evil men plotted His death and murdered innocent babies. He traded in His royal mantle for one of shame.

This is the story of Christmas. There is a God who became man. We skip the God part and go straight to the becoming man part, but really, it’s the understanding of the deity that is the True Meaning of Christmas. But it’s so much more than that; it is the True Meaning of Life.

If Christmas is the one day of the year we meditate on Jesus’ divinity and His descent into the world, then we are sorely lacking. If we have to battle through the commercialism of this day to teach our children a lesson we can’t bother with the rest of the year, we are ineffective Christians at best.

The Bible tells us to be either hot or cold, not to be lukewarm Christians. What is more lukewarm than setting aside only one day of the year to dwell on the basic tenets of our Christianity?

We should not be afraid to feast on Christmas. We should not be afraid to give our children gifts, good and plenty. We should not be afraid to give ourselves over to celebration this one day, because we should be in the habit of dwelling on the Christmas story every day of the year. The gifts, the food, the festivity should not be a distraction from our mediation on True Meaning of Christmas; it should be the culmination of it.

“Dear Jesus, we do not understand what You gave up to come to earth to be one of us, the best of us. Even though we do not understand, we thank You. We love how You love us, we love how You first loved us, before we even existed. Please give us revelation and understanding of who You are and what You did for us.

“Thank You Father, for giving your Son to us, for His life as a man and death on a cross. Thank You for His resurrection and His imminent return. We unite with the Spirit and ask for His quick arrival. We say, ‘come.’

“Forgive us our lethargy and apathy, and change our hearts. Thank you. Amen.”

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8)

This verse became a precious comfort to me when I was nineteen. I was very lonely, very single, and desperately wanting to be married. While I don’t know that my personal interpretation was exactly God’s intent when He wrote this Scripture, this verse filled me with hope. I knew that God wanted me to be married, but it seemed there were no possibilities in sight. Even though I did not know who my husband would be, I tried to focus on the fact that he was out there, somewhere, and believe in the fact that God would bring us together in His time. While I could not see him, I could begin to love him. It was this hope that gave me joy.

Now I’m a young woman married to a soldier. This verse took on a new meaning to me during this deployment. As military wives we are daily faced with the choice to love someone we cannot see, touch, and sometimes even talk to. The only thing that can sustain us during times of separation is our faith…faith that we will be together again someday soon. And it is this faith that gives us an “unspeakable joy” that allows us to smile even when our husbands are on the other side of the world.

When I turned the calendar to June, my joy-meter skyrocketed. My husband’s return is now eminent and I have begun frenzied homecoming preparations! As I look back over the last eleven months of my life, I am somewhat disappointed. I feel like I could have done so much better than I did, accomplished more, had a better attitude, the list could go on. But one thing I have no doubt about…my faith has been strengthened. I have had a lot of low moments, probably more lows than highs, but I can remember specific times when God did fill me with unspeakable joy, and that joy was directly connected to my belief and faith.

God also gives us this verse as a reminder about the ultimate homecoming awaiting us…when our Saviour will return! Let us not forget to truly love Him even when it seems like we cannot see him.

No matter where you are in your journey as a wife of faith, whether it be just beginning a deployment, in the darkness of the unending middle of the deployment, planning for homecoming, or just living the ever difficult challenges of garrison life … I pray that this verse will be a comfort to you as it has been to me. May God fill you with unspeakable joy!

Written By: Aprille, Proud CMW Member

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, in our newlywed group we had a contest called "A Thankful Wife." The purpose was to foster thankful spirit's toward the men in our lives, and to God for what He has done for us through our husbands.

We had thirty participants and the posts that they made were so encouraging I though I would share just a few highlights with all of you. I pray that they will encourage you to look at your husband in a new light and a thankful spirit.

I am thankful for my husband because he is a godly man who loves the Lord and always puts Him first in our family. He is the spiritual leader in our house.

When I was praying for a husband, I had so many things that the Lord seemed to put in my heart to desire in him, and he is every one and so much more!

He makes the flowers bloom in the garden of my heart.

Despite my flaws, he reminds me everyday how much he loves me and is always praising me and lifting me to believe in myself---even when neither one of us is having our best of days...that is very humbling...

I am thankful for my husband because he has brought me closer to Christ and taught me what unconditional love is.

God truly sent me my other half when he sent me my husband. Words will never be able to fully express how thankful I am for him and how grateful I am that he is in my life.

He is so dedicated to our family and works so hard and sacrifices so much for us. He gives our family so much, I wish that I could give back to him what he has done for us.

I am thankful for my husband because he has always been there as my friend, best friend and then husband. I am thankful to be married to a man who respects my strength but is there when I am feeling weak.

He is a great example of 2 Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." I see that transformation into the likeness of Jesus in his life, that journey from glory to glory. It is exciting and breath-taking and wonderful.

He is my soul mate, and my second half.

He treats me like his queen, like a dove he loves and protects. He is a God fearing man who loves the Lord with all of his heart, and wants his children to see a good example of what a man after God's own heart is.

I find a new reason to love him everyday.

I am so thankful for my husband for his quiet strength, his tenacious spirit to get through any and everything even though it may not be a pretty process.

I am thankful that I get to feel his love every day and I can love him in return.

We are true partners in life and love.

He has the kindest heart, the warmest smile, the most love anyone has ever shown me.

You know, it is one thing to marry the one you love - but it is entirely different to love the one you marry. This year we will be celebrating our first Christmas together and two days later, our first anniversary. I'm thankful for my husband because this year, together we've learned the difference.

We would like to give a big congratulations to our winner ~EM~! and here is her post:

I am thankful for my husband because he loves me and accepts me for who I am. Finding out I have Fibromyalgia has been a journey for both of us especially because I used to be physically strong and athletic, but he took the high road and just accepted it for what it is, accepted my new found limitations, and he constantly makes me feel good about myself even if I'm having a bad day and wasn't able to do as much housework as I would like. He never sets unreachable standards for me and constantly tells me how much he appreciates me and loves me. He's also the best dad to our kids and is wonderful about giving me a break when needed and letting me sleep in on Saturdays! It's the things that may seem so trivial that mean SO much to me! He is such an amazing man, and I am absolutely blessed that he is my husband and my best friend!

I posted this last year on another blog, but I wanted to dust it off and post it here. Depression and suicides are always on the increase this time of year. Please take good care of yourself, and if you know a friend who is struggling with depression, make it a point to check in with them more during this time of year. Sometimes just knowing someone cares is a huge help!

Depression during the holidays is nothing new. Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a very happy time for some, and a very lonely, painful and sorrowful time for others. Between the stress of trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, financial stress, being separated from people you love and the decrease in sunshine and time to be outdoors, the season is ripe to cause an onset of situational depression.

Military families are not immune to this problem. Depression is an equal opportunity condition. Below are the signs of depression as well as some ideas on how to avoid having a blue Christmas.

Signs:

Feeling more tired that usual

A general sense of apathy, cynicism or anger toward the holidays

Isolation from festivities and normal holiday traditions

Crying more than usual

Eating more or eating less (change in habits or weight)

Consuming more alcohol than normal

More serious signs:

Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or helplessness

Thinking of suicide or how much better things would be if you were to die

Inability to get out of bed, practice normal hygiene, or dress yourself.

If you experience some of the signs, and ANY of the serious signs of depression, please call your physician and schedule an appointment today. Some depression can start out due to a situation, but it can escalate into a more serious condition that needs proper medical attention.

What can you do?

Yes, Virginia there is hope! This time of year can be a serious pitt fall when you have a loved one who is deployed. There is a normal stress and sometimes even depression that comes when you are holding down the home front every day and on a day to day basis, but couple that with the message that holidays are supposed to be perfect and over brimming with joy and family and it is an awful lot for a person to handle.

First and foremost you must evaluate what is truly important to you during the holiday season. If it’s being with friends and family then make every effort to be around people. Even if you can not be around your spouse who is deployed or your parents who are across the continent from you, there are still opportunities during the holiday season to be with people. If you are new to an area and do not know many people, now would be a great time to seek out a local Church body. Another outlet for being around others during the holiday season is volunteer work at a local nursing home or other organization.

The holidays do not need to be a Norman Rockwell painting to have meaning. If you are a perfectionist and have stressed yourself to the point of burnout because things are not going the way you have planned, it’s time to put things back into perspective. Materialism and commercialism has forced a holiday rush, disappointment and disillusionment that can bring on the Christmas blues. Do what you enjoy doing, but take a deep breath and remember that you are human as are the people you love. So you didn’t score the gift you really wanted to give your husband this year because it sold out. It’s only a material object. Your health, well being and sanity are tantamount to anything that a department store could carry.

Take care of yourself! Avoid drinking alcohol if you struggle with depression during the holidays. Alcohol is a nervous system depressant and will exacerbate symptoms of depression. Eat healthy and enjoy the goodies of the season in moderation. Overeating and binge eating can lead to feelings of guilt and even anxiety over weight gain. Under eating will leave you tired, physically and mentally.

The holidays are a season, and so is deployment. Neither lasts forever, but in the thick of things it feels like both can be never ending! Make yourself a garland of red and green interlocking paper rings. Make one ring for each day your soldier has left until he comes home. Every day tear one ring off and watch as your chain gets smaller and smaller, reminding you every day that this season of separation is coming closer to being over. Hold onto your hope, and don’t allow the depression grinch to steal your joy during the holiday season.

Tried and True, Betty Lou is a traveling military wife who likes to visit military families on their adventures. Invite Betty to your house or on your vacation by joining the BETTY LOU Group here on CMW.

Bettys husband is currently deployed and she would like to take an adventure to spend time with military wives around the globe.

Rules: Betty Lou will stay at the home of a military family for 7 days at a time. Betty Lou fits in a standard size envelope. It costs nothing to have Betty Lou to your home, however you must supply an envelope and stamp as her "airfare."

You must document your adventure with Betty Lou in the group area so everyone can see the exciting pictures and read about her adventure with you. Have fun! :)
 

 

Being a member of Christian Military Wives is very rewarding.  I've made so many great friends.  I've prayed for many women, and I have had many women pray for me... I have witnessed women who have been saved because of the testimony of others here on the site and at our local meet up groups.  I have never met a better group of Christian women in my entire life.  Military wives are strong, but with Christ - we are the STRONGEST.  We are powerful, because we have the Lord. 

There are many ways you can become more deeply involved in helping military wives.  We have our small groups, we have mentorship opportunities, and we have online opportunities for you to help other military wives.  One of the online opportunities is to become a writer for our online magazine. 

We are an all volunteer organization.  We do not make one cent in doing what we do.  We do what we do because the Lord has laid on each of our hearts the willingness to serve and help military wives, plain and simple. 

 If you like to write - why not start submitting your blogs to become magazine articles? This is a wonderful way to tesify, uplift and support US military wives from around the globe. 

This morning, I had a wonderful email from a new CMW member, I'd like to share it:

To Whom This may Concern,

I really enjoyed reading your magazine online! It was so encouraging and helpful. Thankyou so much for the great articles and Scripture! It was wonderful to read articles that gave Biblical principles on how to strengthen marriages. It was good to find support from other military wives and Christian ones at that! I believe it was no accident God led me to your website tonight! Thankyou!

Sincerely, Debbie

We have received other emails of encouragement from military wives... but this one in particular was such a blessing.  It's so wonderful and fulfilling to know that you can help make a difference in someones life, just by taking a few minutes of your time to write an encouraging article.

So, if the Lord has given you an itch to write - you are more than welcome to use your skills here!

To submit an article to the website, all you need to do is click BLOG on the left hand side of your page.  After writing a blog, you will go down the page and see the option "submit to public magazine?" Hit YES.

When submitting articles, please remember this is not a place to advertise your personal website or merchandise you may be selling.  We do have a Spam-A-Lam-A-Ding-Dong thread for that in our main forum section.

God bless you and all you do.

Sincerely,
Patti Katter

My first handmade scrunchies!!!!

Decorate with glitter, pompoms etc.

(We will finish these ornaments over the

 weekend, we ran out of glitter!!!!!!)