First Post

I cannot believe I have a blog. I am so behind the times that I had to ask where to start a blog because I had no idea what to look for.
Why am I starting a blog? I still have no idea. I guess to try to keep everyone updated on what is going on with our wonderful family. I want people to know that God is still in total control and is still using people. Our family is a family that is being used.
I am not 100 percent sure when it all began, but Chris, my wonderful husband, has been called to a ministry. He has begun the process of becoming an Army Chaplain. I could not be more proud of him.
Of course God has had to completely soften my heart to the whole idea because I wanted Chris to be out of the military for good. He was in it when I met him and after September 11, lets just say I no longer wanted him to be a part of the military. I want him at home safe with me. And now that we have children, I definitely want him to stay away from the military because I wanted us to all have as much time together as possible. So you can imagine my horror and shock when he first brought this up. I was absolutely disgusted.
I believe we were on our way to or from church when he brought up the idea. I dismissed it at first, hoping it was something that would go away. Anything military related made my stomach turn. I am proud of his background and prior service but I wanted him to remain veteran status. And not to mention he would have to go back to school. He had just finished his Master degree in Information Systems Engineering. I felt like I had just gotten reacquainted with him because he had spent so much time on his school. Now he would have to complete another master degree and I would have less time with him.
I did what any good wife would do. I listened. I prayed about it. I admit I was not very supportive toward him at first. He even mentioned that he did not know how he was going to bring it up with me because he knew how I would react. I felt awful about that too. I want to be a loving and supportive wife.
I let the issue settle in the back of my mind for a while. Around the middle of July I felt as if God had laid it on my heart to fast. I had been fasting breakfast for a couple of weeks. Then one morning when Chris was home, he asked if I was going to have breakfast. I told him no and he asked why. I told him I had been fasting and he asked how long. I told him and he then told me he had been fasting for the same amount of time. I thought it was so strange that we were fasting at the same time and neither of us knew the other was doing so. I knew then that God had us on the same page and that something was about the happen.
On July 24, an Army Chaplain recruiter named Nick came to our home. I must admit that when I saw him walk in with his uniform on, I got a sick feeling in my stomach. After dinner he sat down and spoke with us about everything. He was honest and answered all of our questions the best he could. Every few minutes I would have to excuse myself, pretending to check on Alana but secretly crying in the bathroom. I just couldn’t handle some of the stuff that we were talking about. I guess being pregnant didn’t help either. Nick was telling us how intense the schooling was and how much schoolwork Chris would be doing and that we may not see much of him for a while. Then talks of deployment. I think this was the point where I excused myself quite a bit. Apparently chaplains are in high demand and the chance of deployment when he completes school is great. It felt like someone had shoved a metal rod through my heart and stomach. After a lot of talking, Nick left. As Chris showed him out, I cried like a baby in the bathroom and then gathered myself for his sake and Alana’s. I then went to play with Alana and pretended everything was fine.
After that visit I prayed a lot about the situation. I explained to God how I felt about it all. Then everywhere I turned, the tv, magazine articles, the radio, church……there was always something about chaplains. I remember one day when I opened up a Redbook magazine and there was an article about a military chaplain. I thought I was going to pass out. I said, “Ok God, I get it.” I called Chris and told him that it was everywhere and I couldn’t get away from it. Apparently the same thing had happened to him. I guess at that point I submitted to God and told Him that I understood He had a work for us.
As time went on, Chris filled out paperwork and got all of his information together. Then on December 10 we met with the Church of God Chaplain Commission located at Lee University. I could barely hold myself together. They began to ask Chris questions and I did my very best to hold myself together. Then I couldn’t hold it anymore. They excused us while they met to decide whether to approve him or not. I went to the ladies room and again let it all out and tried to gather myself. By the time I had finished, they were all waiting on me to let us know their decision. When we went in, they let us know that Chris was officially approved by the Church of God to go to the next step to become a Chaplain candidate. Next step is the Army board.
Chris was told the Army board would meet on February 12, Abe Lincoln’s birthday. We thought it was odd because everyone says when Chris shaves a certain way he looks like Abe Lincoln. Then we were told that board met on the 21st instead of the 12th. So we waited. Then, on February 16, on the way to our baby shower, Chris told me he had gotten the call that the Army board accepted him. Come to find out, they did meet on the 12th and had approved him. I was so proud. There would be one more board, the state Army board, which would have to approve the packet. Of course by this time we knew he would more than likely be accepted.
On March 20 we drove down to Montgomery and spent the night in a hotel. The next morning, March 21, again a strange coincidence that it was Good Friday, was Chris’s meeting with the state Army board. We went with him because he was told he would have to swear in right then so Alana and I wanted to be there. It was a very nervous trip because I was 37 weeks pregnant. Chris was very sick and had been throwing up and coughing stuff up. I felt so bad for him. All I could do was pray for his healing. I remember praying a lot that morning while he was gone that God would give him strength and healing. He returned to the hotel after the meeting as a Second Lieutenant, also known as a butter bar. (That is what I told him I was going to call him around the house.) So it is official, Chris has been accepted. He starts his master in divinity schooling in a month or two. It will take him several years and during this time he will be attending drills. There is no chance of deployment until he finishes his schooling, thank God.
My husband is an officer in the United States Army. I never in the whole wide world imagined it. But I am so proud of him that I could burst. Not only will he be an officer, he will also be a licensed minister. A man of God. What more could a woman ask for in a husband? I can remember about 10 years ago getting on my knees in my bedroom and asking God to send me a strong man of God who would love me. I met Chris just a few weeks later at church. God answers prayers.
I don’t know where God is taking us and where we will end up. I do know that God loves us and has a beautiful plan for our lives. Our family is truly blessed.
I will be updating this blog as much as I can throughout the entire process. With a 3 year old and a baby due any minute though, it may be hard.
To everyone reading this right now, God has a plan for us all. No matter where you are or where you are heading, make sure and pray and let God direct your path. It may not be what you believe is a great plan, but He is in total control and we must trust Him to guide us.