ChristianMilitaryWives

Power of a Praying Wife - Podcast Devotional Chapter 1

 

Chapter 1 focuses on us, the wife, and what our roles are and what we can do to accept and fill those roles.

 

Proverbs 31: 10-31    In Praise of a Good Wife

10    A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find!

11    Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down.

12    She is good to him every day of her life,

13    And with her own hands she gladly makes clothes.

14    She is like a sailing ship that brings food from across the sea.

15    She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants.

16    She knows how to buy land and how to plant a vineyard,

17       and she always works hard.

18    She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night.

19    She pins her own cloth,

20    And she helps the poor and the need.

21    Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn’t worry when it snows.

22    She does her won sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful.

23    Her husband is a well-known and respected leader in the city.

24    She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners.

25    She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful about the future.

26    Her words are sensible, and her advice is thoughtful.

27    She takes good care of her family and is never lazy.

28    Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says,

29    “There are many good women, but you are the best!”

30    Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the Lord deserves to be praised.

31    Show her respect – praise her in public for what she has done.

 

The woman of Proverbs 31 is a model, for both men and women of a way of living that brings fulfillment and contentment.  She exhibits a lifestyle of work and love based on godly wisdom.

 

1 Peter 3: 1-5   Wives and Husbands

 

            1 If you are a wife, you must put your husband first.  Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do.  No one else will have to say anything to him, 2 because he will see how you honor God and live a pure life.  3 Don’t depend on things fancy hairdos or gold jewelry or expensive clothes to make you look beautiful.  4 Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet.  This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special.  5 Long ago those women who worshiped God and put their hope in him made themselves beautiful by putting their husbands first.

 

Ephesians 5: 21-33    Wives and Husbands

 

            21 Honor Christ and put others first.  22 A wife should put her husband first, as she does the Lord.  23 A husband is the head of his wife, as Christ is the head of the Savior of the church, which is his own body.  24 Wives should always put their husbands first, as the church puts Christ first.

            25 A husband should love his wife as much as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.  26 He made the church holy by the power of his word, and he made it pure by washing it with water.  27 Christ did this, so that he would have a glorious and holy church, without faults or spots or wrinkles or any other flaws.

            28 In the same way, a husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself.  A husband who loves his wife shows that he loves himself.  29 None of us hate our own bodies.  We provide for them and take good care of them, just as Christ does for the church, 30 because we are each pare of his body.  31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother to get married, and he becomes like one person with his wife.”  32 This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church.  33 So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.

 

 Chapter 1 Prayer – Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

 

            Lord, Help me to be a good wife.  I fully realize that I don’t have what it takes to be one without your help.  Take my selfishness, impatience, and irritability and turn them into kindness, long-suffering, and the willingness to bear all things.  Take my old emotional habits, mindsets, automatic reactions, rude assumptions, and self-protective stance, and make me patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.  Take the hardness of my heart and break down the walls with Your battering ram of revelation.  Give me a new heart and work in me Your love, peace, and joy (Galatians 5:22,23).  I am not able to rise above who I am at this moment.  Only You can transform me.

            Show me where there is sin in my heart, especially with regard to my husband.  I confess the times I’ve been unloving, critical, angry, resentful, disrespectful, or unforgiving toward him.  Help me to put aside any hurt, anger, or disappointment I feel and forgive him the way You do – totally and completely, no looking back.  Make me a tool of reconciliation, peace, and healing in this marriage.  Enable us to communicate well and rescue us from the threshold of separation where the realities of divorce begin.

            Make me my husband’s helpmate, companion, champion, friend, and support.  Help me to create a peaceful, restful, safe place for him to come home to.  Teach me how to take care of myself and stay attractive to him.  Grow me into a creative and confident woman who is rich in mind, soul, and spirit.  Make me the kind of woman he can be proud to say is his wife.

            I lay all my expectations at Your cross.  I release my husband from the burden of fulfilling me in areas where I should be looking to You.  Help me to accept him the way he is and not try to change him.  I realize that in some ways he may never change, but at the same time, I release him to change in ways I never thought he could.  I leave any changing that needs to be done in Your hands, fully accepting that neither of us is perfect and never will be.  Only You, Lord, are perfect and I look to You to perfect us. 

            Teach me how to pray for my husband and make my prayers a true language of love.  Where love has died, create new love between us.  Show me what unconditional love really is and how to communicate it in a way he can clearly perceive.  Bring unity between us so that we can be in agreement about everything (Amos 3:3).  May the God of patience and comfort grant us to be like-minded toward on another, according to Christ Jesus (Romans 15:5).  Make us a team, not pursuing separate, competitive, or independent lives, but working together, overlooking each other’s faults and weaknesses for the greater good of the marriage.  Help us to pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (Romans 14:19).  May we be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

            I pray that our commitment to You and to one another will grow stronger and more passionate every day.  Enable him to be the head of the home as You made him to be, and show me how to support and respect him as he rises to that place of leadership.  Help me to understand his dreams and see things from his perspective.  Reveal to me what he wants and needs and show me potential problems before they arise.  Breathe Your life into this marriage.

            Make me a new person, Lord.  Give me a fresh perspective, a positive outlook, and a renewed relationship with the man You’ve given me.  Help me see him with new eyes, new appreciation, new love, new compassion, and new acceptance.  Give my husband a new wife, and let it be me.

How do you deal with a long-distance relationship, and more specifically, a marriage?

I can honestly say that I have dealt with a long-distance relationship (from dating and engagement, to marriage) the WRONG way in the past. But now I'm trying very hard to deal with it the RIGHT way. So I'm going to give you some tips that I hope will help. This is something that I have shared with MANY people over the last few months, both military and non-military, and they have said it is helpful. I hope it helps you!

1. KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE! This is where I have made the most errors in the past. Although I never would have admitted it to myself, I had the attitude that because I was dealing with separation, I was a queen. I thought everyone needed to cater to my emotional needs. I spent most of my time at home alone in my bedroom (when I wasn't at work) waiting for my then-boyfriend and fiance to call. I was short-tempered and moody ALL of the time.


2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SEPARATION. This really is more practical application to apply your positive attitude (see #1). I know it may be hard to think of it this way, but you being separated from your love does give you a measure of "freedom" that you would not have were he there. (Although within reason...DON'T take advantage of the situation to do things that he would not approve of in any way!) For example, you can spend more time with your girlfriends, watch girly movies, spend time with your family, etc. The list really is endless and will depend on you personally. But I often find myself thinking, "Ya know, if my hubby were here, I wouldn't be able to do this!" I used to feel guilty for thinking stuff like that, but I realized that it was okay (even silly things like eating at restaurants he doesn't like)! Look for the good in the situation!! You'll be surprised at how much you can find.

3. USE ANY AND EVERY METHOD OF COMMUNICATION AVAILABLE TO YOU TO "STAY IN TOUCH." Really, nowadays we have no grounds to complain about long-distance relationships compared to even 10 or 15 years ago, because we have so much technology at our hands. Some of these may be obvious but I'll try to give you some ideas!


You will find out what works for you and your man. I've used a combination of everything!!! (Oh and I forgot to add care packages...those are always fun)!

4. STAY BUSY AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP YOURSELF HAPPY AND GET THROUGH IT! Honestly, being apart from someone is incredibly hard. But you will make it harder on yourself if you mope and act like you can't be happy unless he is with you.

I was so incredibly busy during our 11-month deployment that I honestly didn't have THAT much time to mope. I worked full-time, was involved in my church, had 5 piano students, and still had to take care of the house and the car, not to mention my social life (most of which is spent on the internet lol, but I had many girlfriends who I get together with to go to Starbucks or shopping or out-to-lunch). Again this is where you can take advantage of the "singleness" of sorts to do fun and girly stuff that you normally wouldn't be able to do (for example, myself and a group of girls/women went to see an outdoor play of Beauty and the Beast)! Really, the possibilities are endless.

5. ESTABLISH A SUPPORT NETWORK. Find people who are in the same boat as you that can help you through...a shoulder to cry on when you need it...someone who REALLY understands what you are going through (for me, it was my church, 30 other women in our church whose husbands were deployed, as well as a few local friends, and of course, my friends here on CMW).

One of the biggest frustrations of being in a long-distance relationship are people who say that they understand when they really don't (for example, the girl who complains because she has to go three whole days without seeing her boyfriend, and you think, "get real! I've gone 3 months!!!" ) Try to make as many friends as you can, because it helps.

6. RELY ON THE LORD. He can and will get you through this (for more on this, please read my devotional entitled "Army Strong").

Yes, some days are going to be utterly horrid!
Some days you will be angry and want to scream and throw things (i.e. "THIS ISN'T FAIR")! 
Some days you will be lonely.
Some days you will just cry all day.

All of these are normal emotions, but try to make those days the minority, not the majority. You will never stop missing him or wanting him to be with you, but you can make it through. What's most important is that you KEEP MOVING FORWARD and don't stay down in the dumps.

“...let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

“...exhort (encourage) one another daily...lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 13:3

Our word “church” is from the Greek ekklesia, “ek” meaning “out of” and “klesis” meaning “a calling.” It is never referred to in the Greek New Testament as a building where people meet, or a denomination; it is simply an assembly, a fellowship of the like-minded, exhorting and encouraging one another out of love. It is Biblical and correct for us to gather together to this end.

In the New Testament, the Early Church would gather and “break bread” together on a daily basis in their homes, occasionally teaching in synagogues. Soon after, the Church persecuted by the Romans met in secret, gathering in homes, tombs, or where ever they could. Many places in the world still meet like this. After the tolerance of Christianity by Constantine (313 AD), and later the establishment of it by Theodosius I as the state religion of Rome (380 AD), the idea of a temple, a “church building,” began to take shape. Throughout the Middle Ages, large basilicas and cathedrals were built, along with monasteries and smaller parish churches. So, this is the difference between a “Church,” the body of Christ or group of believers, and “church,” a building where the Church assembles.



While these two words do not mean the same thing, the truth is that the easiest way to find a Church, in most cases, is through a church. But, this is not usually as straightforward as it may seem. Denominations, politics, personalities – all of these things make finding a church difficult, not to mention personal preference in style and delivery. So what can you do to facilitate this process? Here are a few steps to guide you, which may be common sense but are better than starting from nothing.



First, actually visit churches. Many people who lament their lack of a church family do so whilst visiting them rarely or never.

Second, start with your denomination. It’s easier if you're Baptist or Lutheran, harder if you're Non-denominational; but it’s still a place to start. If you've visited all the churches that fit into your specific denomination and still haven't found a church family, expand your search to those denominations which have similar beliefs and values as your own. For instance, if you believe in pre-Tribulation rapture, don't visit a church which believes in post-Tribulation rapture. If you are a Dispensationalist, find a church that teaches Dispensationalism. Do a little research; a quick Google search will give you a denominational comparison.




If you just can't find a church family, don't assume that means you're not supposed to have Christian fellowship. There is actually more New Testament precedent for gathering in one's home or in a public place to break bread, pray, worship, and discuss God's Word. “...Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” (1 Corinthians 14:26). In what we call the “church” today, there is not room for everyone to bring something. In a small group, there is!

Lastly, keep an open mind. Prayerfully consider your next step. Sometimes God wants us where we can be the most useful, not the most comfortable. And sometimes what we are comfortable with or what we are used to is not the best thing. Our lives are not our own; they belong to God, and we have given ourselves to Him by choice and by love. By doing so, we have agreed to His plan for us, superseding our plans for ourselves.

Proverbs 16:9 says “A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” Let the Lord direct your steps to where you are supposed to be. Which person in the Bible lived his or her life the way it was planned? Did David finish out his days a shepherd, or Daniel a simple slave in Babylon, or Peter a fisher of fish? No! What God called them to was extraordinary and impossible in their own strength. What God calls us to is equally extraordinary and equally impossible without Him.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

John and Wanda Lee gave their son to God for the gospel ministry following his birth in 1950. That son grew to be a spirited and gifted athlete. He was converted at age ten but would soon develop a hostile attitude toward authority.

Evangelists have played a major role in America's moral and spiritual profile over the course of the last 200 years. Their explosive forms have moved before audiences in churches, auditoriums, public meeting halls, secular school assemblies, civic clubs, on street corners and in the open air. Their life changing effects on the masses of people have been striking and dramatic in shaping the conscience of the nation.

The Lord supernaturally prepares and raises up men for a specific day, a specific hour, and a specific duty in a nation's life. Because of his widespread public awareness, the call of the evangelist is unique in the ministry. His spirit is aflame, his burden and energy is often times contagious and his anointing is evidenced even by unregenerate men and women.

Tim Lee, the rebellious teenager and son of a Baptist minister, once walked the streets of McLeansboro, Illinois, in violent protest to all ordained authority in the home, the church, the school. He was a born fighter. Every inch of his life from childhood was contested for. As Billy Sunday once stated, "I know all about the dark and seamy side of life, and if ever a man fought hard, I have fought hard for everything I have ever gained."

To escape the world around him, he joined the Marine Corps in 1969. After his training, he received orders to serve in southeast Asia. In March of 1971, he was apprehended by the hand of God along an abandoned grassy trail in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. In that moment, engulfed in smoke, fire and holy vengeance, a land mine explosion severed two lower limbs, and placed in a wheelchair for life a young man who was to carry, without legs, a message from God to a nation.

After his call to preach in 1973, and following a year of itinerant evangelistic preaching, Tim Lee pastored for five years in southern Illinois before surrendering to the full-time ministry of evangelism in 1979. The results in the lives of people was almost immediate as the former Marine began to stir and challenge God's people across the country. People of all ages listened; among them teenagers, the professional person, United States Congressmen and Senators, Governors, Mayors and elected officials. They heard a clear, uncompromising message grounded deep in old fashioned patriotism, righteous living and biblical revival.

Tim Lee's Testimony

"Let's go Marines," I said quietly as I led my men down an abandoned road in Quang Nam Province in Vietnam. The road was probably constructed by the French a generation before Americans arrived in Nam. Bomb craters pitted the landscape, some of them 20 feet wide and 6 to 7 feet deep. We were looking for land mines, pungy pits and undetonated rounds. We didn't realize it at the moment, but we had just walked into a Viet Cong mine field. On a mine sweep, you walk slowly; watching, listening, feeling. This particular road, very little of which was still distinguishable, hadn't been swept in two years. We made our way through a section of tall elephant grass and reached a clearing. The crumbling remains of a Buddhist temple was just in front of us. The grass was now knee high leaving us dangerously exposed and in the open. A strange feeling came over some of the men.

Something wasn't right.

One last Step, and then it happened - my boot landed squarely on what felt like a miniature volcano. A deafening blast rammed through my body. As Earl Lewis, the fifth man in formation later testified, I disappeared in the sudden eruption. As a cloud of black smoke shot into the sky, hot fire surged through what remained of my legs. "Hit the ground!" someone yelled. "Mortar!" shouted another Marine. Pieces of my own flesh literally covered the upper part of my body. Shrapnel from the blast pierced my fore arms and the sides of my forehead and had bent my helmet flap into a straight up position. My M-16 was blown in half. I went in and out of consciousness as people scrambled all around me. Lewis yelled "Corpsman!" The radio man, several yards to the rear of my position began to radio for a Medi-Vac.

There was much confusion. One man, Corporal Lee Gore, knelt down and picked me up in his arms and braced my back on his knees. He began to pray out loud. I was shaking terribly and literally covered in my own blood. The smoke and dust from the blast was still thick in the air. Men began to shed their t-shirts to help soak the blood flowing profusely from my wounds. Some gave their personal bandages. The Corpsman began working feverishly applying tourniquets to my upper thighs to stop the blood flow. In a weak, barely audible voice I prayed, "Oh no! ... God, not my legs ... Lord ... please ... God get me home to Mom and Dad ...I'll do whatever you want me to do." Then, total blackness. I went out. Yellow smoke from the marking grenades to help guide the in-coming choppers billowed upward. I remember hearing the faint sounds of the whirling blades as they raised ten tons of steel into the air. Myself and a South Korean Marine, who had lost a foot in a separate explosion, left a violent world below. We were flown to the hospital ship USS Sanctuary in the South China Sea. From there I was taken to Guam.

After My recovery at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, it was sad to remember how all this had come about in my life. Strangely enough, the shameful events that brought about the tragic moment began six year's earlier, at age 14. For the first time, I directly rebelled against the authority of my parents in our home and began to run with the wrong crowd. My life went downhill from that moment. I had been raised in a preacher's home. At ten years of age, while listening to my Dad preach, I received Jesus Christ as my Savior. For several months I lived for the Lord. But when I became a teenager, something gradually began to change inside of me. Sports became the obsession of my life. Little by little I put self before the Lord. I began running towards tragedy and a deadline with God. The call of God became less and less important in my thinking. During my junior year in high school, I set two track records in the long jump and high hurdles. My name began to appear in the local newspapers.

Upon graduation from high school I was living far from God. My life was a continuing nightmare and full of confusion. After one year of Junior college, joined the Marine Corps. Within a matter of weeks a bus took me to Parris Island, South Carolina, for boot camp. The Marines were tough. My attitude quickly began to change. Within 90 days I had become a real Marine, and, within a few months, I received orders for duty in Vietnam. Three weeks leave was spent at home with Mom and Dad. I went to church and tried to make things right with God. I thought I had. Mom and Dad took me to the airport in St. Louis the next day. As soon as the plane lifted from the runway, I told God I could not live for Him around other Marines. I was afraid they would make fun of me.

Eleven months quickly passed during my tour of duty. Going home was a little less than 30 days away. Nam had been a good experience for me, and one of the main reasons was the friendship of a very special Marine - Lee Gore. Gore, a black Marine, was a Christian and not ashamed of it. Many times he would sit on his rack and read his Bible. I had seen him pray, and talk to other Marines about the Lord. He often spoke to me about living for the Lord. I knew this was the kind of testimony God wanted me to have, but I lacked Gore's courage.

On March 8, 1971, the darkest day of my life arrived. Orders were received to take my men on a mine sweep. I decided to walk point which meant I would be the front man in the formation. Normally, I would have been in the back of the squad with the radio man, the corpsman, and the lieutenant.

There was no attempt to be a hero, simply the desire to show my new men how to walk point. We walked that morning and stopped at noon to eat our c-rations. Gore asked if he could take over as point but, for some reason, I told him that I would finish the day.

A little over one hour later I stepped on a sixty pound box mine. After 30 seconds of numbness, I regained consciousness. Gore, in shock, anger, amazement, and deep concern was holding me in his lap. With tears running down his face, he was praying, asking God to help me. God heard his prayers.

Mom and Dad, during the next four week period, received over 30 telegrams and personal visits from the Marine Corps. From a human standpoint, and from all they had been told, they never expected to see their oldest son alive again. My body weight had gone from 185 pounds to less than 80 pounds ... but God had a plan for my life! (Romans 8:28) Though His chastening hand had acted swiftly, it ultimately brought a sense of peace into my heart. I had known all along that I belonged to God for a purpose. The Bible says, "happy is the man whom God correcteth ... despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty." (Job 5:17) Revelation 3:19 says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

During the next several months, thirteen major operations were performed. When the doctor's put their knives away, three inches remained on my right leg, eleven inches on my left leg. God had taken the legs that had carried me from His will. My running had finally ended.

Coming home to Illinois, I went to my Dad's church and made things right. I also surrendered my life to the ministry. Since that time I have preached all over the world that men and women may be saved by God's grace.

Christian, maybe you are reading this testimony and God has spoken directly to you about restoring fellowship with His Son.

I looked death in the face and God spared my life to serve Him. Must God judge you, or should you judge yourself and make things right with Him? (I Cor. 11:31) Sinner friend, God's judgment and wrath await you if you refuse to come to Christ! (John 3:1-8,36)

You, too, are facing God's deadline, but there is good news for you! Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus died on a cross – for you, as your substitute. He shed His blood for your sin and for my sin, and for the sin of the whole world. (I John 2:2) His wounded body was put in a tomb. On the third day He arose from the grave, alive and victorious over sin, death, and hell, and He lives forevermore. (Acts 2:24)

Jesus said, "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)

No church, priest, religion, sacrament, baptism, or good work can save you!

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me. " You must simply accept what He did for you on the cross, repent of your sin (Romans 3:23) and believe on Jesus Christ. "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (I Peter 3:1-8)

Salvation is a free gift. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. " (Eph. 2:8-9)

You must make a choice, for the scripture says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Which do you prefer right now - death or eternal life? Say yes, to Jesus Christ right now.

You have just read the personal testimony of Tim Lee, double amputee and purple heart recipient of the Vietnam war. Tim's great desire is for you to experience the love, forgiveness a victory that Jesus Christ offers. Call out to Jesus Christ right now with words similar to these...

"Dear Jesus: Be merciful to me a sinner, and receive me as Your child. By faith, I call upon your Name. I believe You are the Saviour of the world, and that You died for me, shed Your blood for my sin and arose from the dead. I turn from my sin and receive You right now as my Saviour. Thank you, Lord for saving me. Amen."

Now claim God's promise to you, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall he saved. " Rom. 10:1-3.

lf you are a Christian, but you are away from the Lord, please read carefully these verses of scripture.- Isaiah 59:2, Proverbs 28:13, Jeremiah 3:22, 1 John 1:4-1 0. Come back to Him today!

If God is calling you for full time Christian service - surrender to Him right now. (Romans 12:1-2, Isaiah 6:3; Acts 9:6)

Please write Tim and let him know of your decision. His address is:

Tim Lee Ministries
P.O. Box 461674 Garland, TX 75046.
You may also call: 972-276-3168.

He will send you free literature about living the Christian life.

To Contact or Schedule Tim Lee, Click Here
Click Here to visit Youth Alive 2009

Save money by participating in commissary case lot sales.  I am so excited about the upcoming case sale here at Fort Bragg.  Last time I went to a case sale, I saved a great amount of money. 

Shopping the case lot sales at the commissary can be better than shopping bulk at many other stores.  The first time I went to a commissary case sale, I was able to pick up 16 large jars of brand name spaghetti sauce for $8.99!

To check out the case sale dates near you... CLICK HERE.

Lawton, OK ―America’s Family Manager, Kathy Peel has teamed with Army Wife Network (AWN) to make Army wives an offer to win a great prize - to become a Certified Family Manager Coach.

Army wives are already deemed ―Household 6, a military inspired term citing them as the one in charge of the Household. No matter what you call them, Household 6s or Family Managers, you can be sure Army spouses are counted on to make sure their Homefront is smooth-running, balanced and nurturing. If it’s not, it can be.

Now through September 30, Army Wife Network and Kathy Peel are holding a contest giving Army wives a chance to win a Family Manager University scholarship valued at $499, special recognition as AWN’s 2010 Household6, and various goods from the usual military supporters like USAA.

Army Wife Network is honored to help equip AWN’s military spouses in a way that betters a deserving spouse and impacts a network of individuals who proudly serve along our Nation’s defenders,‖ comments Tara Crooks, co-founder of Army Wife Network. ―With the Family Manager Coach Certification comes new means to grow an exciting home-based, portable business. We’re offering spouses the chance to become Army Wife Strong!

Army Wives must compete via an online entry form at Army Wife Network, but all military spouses are invited to get their own coaching certification started this month. Family Manager is offering a $200.00 ―Recession Discount.  If you enjoy helping people reach their goals, then FMU and its state-of-the-art online training and tools are what you need.

Army Wife Network’s three strongest Household 6 contestants will be interviewed in October and the winner will be announced in November, in conjunction with Military Family Month.

Gossip is one of those things that almost every woman has somehow been involved in, whether it is has been on the giving end or receiving end. Because we live in a culture and society that thrives on gossiping, bad-mouthing, and making fun of others, it is extremely easy to be influenced and participate! With military women especially, gossip happens all the time. There are many reasons why we women gossip – sometimes it’s just for fun, sometimes it’s to make ourselves look better, and sometimes it’s not done for the purpose of bad-mouthing but out of a concern for someone else. However, as Christians, the Lord desires for us to speak words of healing, encouragement, love, and kindness - those that build up, not put down. So how do we keep from gossiping, and what does God’s Word say on the subject?

Well, a few of our brave CMW ladies have tackled this sticky subject by sharing their hearts, experiences, and what the Bible has to say! You can hear what we have to say by clicking HERE. All of CMW's podcasts are located under the CMW Media tab; you can also download the podcast or share it with someone else.

*For reference purposes, here are the Scriptures that were shared during the show:

Proverbs 16:24 - "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Proverbs 20:19-20 - "He who goes about as a slanderer   reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.
       He who curses his father or his mother,
   His lamp will go out in time of darkness."

Proverbs 31:26 - "She opens her mouth in wisdom,
         And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." 

Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life are in the power of the   tongue,
         And those who love it will eat its fruit."

Romans 12:14 - "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do  not curse."

James 3:5-10 - "So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a  forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles  the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and   is set on fire by hell.

 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.

But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;

 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way."

Romans 14:4,10 - "Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ...But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God."

Romans 12:16 - "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."

Proverbs 15:1 - "A gentle answer turns away wrath,
         But a harsh word stirs up anger."

(*All verses are taken from the New American Standard Bible.)

CMW has partnered up with Wings For Women.  This afternoon, I talked with Alane who is one of the founders of Wings For Women.  Alane will be joining CMW very soon, and will be submitting articles to our online magazine. 

Here's a little information about Wings For Women off of their website:

It started over a cup of coffee and three military spouses discussing military life and laughing over the crazy things that happen when the military member is deployed. The conversation quickly moved to the challenges of the military life including loneliness and extreme amounts of stress. There, in a small coffee shop in north Colorado Springs, Wings for Women was born to address these same issues and more for thousands of military spouses in Colorado Springs.

The first Wings for Women Conference was held Saturday April 25, 2009 at Pikes Peak Christian Church 4955 Bradley Road in Colorado Springs from 8:00 am until Noon. The conference gave military spouses a relaxing morning full of friendship, worship and praise while they learned about the purpose to which they have been called as a military spouse, and found the resources to fill themselves spiritually and emotionally to meet that calling.

Keynote speakers were local military spouses Kimberly Hessler and Alane Pearce.

Hessler, the spouse of a retired Air Force veteran, who as a career and transition coach, specializes in helping military members and spouses discover their values and skills to apply to their lives, volunteering, transitions and careers, will help the spouses at the conference find their purpose in every day life.

Pearce, a writer and speaker, is fueled by the desire to help other military spouses with their struggles with deployments, grief and other issues facing today’s military families. She will speak on the importance of filling oneself spiritually for the strength to support others and deal with the many struggles military families face.

Music was provided by the talented CJ Callahan.

Due to the success of this first event, Wings for Women is incorporating as a nonprofit and aims to take the conference nationwide.

“I want to take Wings for Women to all the major military towns,” says Ms. Pearce.  “San Antonio, San Diego, Virginia Beach, Portland—wherever there’s a base, there are people who need our support.  ‘Supporting the troops’ is more than a bumper sticker slogan.  And the troops are more than just the people in uniform.  These are American families.  They require more than just lip service.”

There are more than 800,000 military spouses and families supporting their troops in the armed forces and reserves. And many of these families are struggling with not only the issues every family faces, but on top of that long deployments, marriage and communication over long distances, and helping the children (and ourselves) cope with grief, fear and high levels of stress that military life brings.

Wings for Women aims to help any military spouse who desires to be involved with our conferences in any way we can. We want to provide relevant resources and coping tools to make the stresses of military life easier to handle.

One of the best things about this organization is that it was conceived, started and organized by military spouses; people who have had many years of experience as a military spouse and can offer real help and solutions from our own backgrounds of trial and error.

We are looking for companies who want to sponsor our conferences, and anyone else who wants to help with the important task of providing hope and encouragement to military spouses. Please contact us at wings4women@gmail.com!