Colossians for the New Year

"Therefore, as God's chose people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

-Colossians 3:12-15

Hiatus Over

I won't say too much about what happened over the last 5 months that caused me to stop writing -- that's mainly between me and the big Guy. I don't even really expect anyone to still be checking on this blog. But I'm going to get back into it now, because it feeds me and teaches me. 'Nuff said.

I am also trying to get back into facebook to network with some friends from church, old and new. I followed a link that one of these friends had posted and stumbled across this stunning blog entry from a complete stranger (who, of course, I can also call my brother).

"There is on average one chaplain assigned per battalion (roughly 500 individuals). Other than a few exceptions, chaplains are normally in their mid-40s and from mainline liberal denominations. The guys they are assigned to minister to are not being presented the Jesus who is enthroned, exalted, and getting ready to come back covered in the blood of His vanquished foes. They are being fed the marginalized Jewish carpenter, who has given us some nuggets of suggestions to help us live good lives...The church is not designed to be a place for you to go once you have your life put together. It is designed to be the headquarters, sending men out and receiving men in who are trying to piece together their shattered selves through the finished work of Jesus on the cross."

My husband and I share and immense pride in being Christians and being Military. We are very close to our batallion chaplain (who incidentally does not fit that description, but is pigeon holed into it often) and highly involved in our Military Chapel. We don't just do this for our own spirititual needs, but of course b/c of those around us. Often we realize that we are not the typical Christian couple, and that we bring something to the table that it may have been lacking before. Because of that, we try to be a route that God can use to find and touch his children within our unit and our community. I know we are not alone in this, and I thank Him for that. I pray that God will continue to bless our community and soldiers and keep us safe from and strong against the enemy as we evangelize. As our friend and Chaplain said earlier this week, "One of the best definitions for evangelizing that I've ever heard is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food."

A Prayer for Safety

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91

Account for the Hope

I recently wrote a poem that is highly personal, but for my own documentation, and for the sake of anyone reading, I'm going to include the last stanza:

"And this is how it ends for them
Broken, bleeding, fighting, failing
Withholding, denying, and dying
But she still gives account for her hope."

I knew at the time I was writing this that I had heard scripture quoted to say what the last line of this poem says, so today I enlisted the help of a friend to figure out where I had heard it.

1 Peter 3:15-17:
15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

The friend that helped me to find this verse also referenced the following two verses on the same topic:

Col 4:6
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

2 Tim 2:24-26
25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

I believe evangelism to be one of the hardest skills for a Christian to learn, and I think that often it is something we avoid learning all together, but a gentle tongue and a good heart make it possible to do it.

Untitled Poem from June

This poem has been sitting unfinished by my bedside for weeks. I think it's time to get it out there:

The days that I have conquered
Lay slain behind me now
Someone said the end is near
I can't imagine how
Battle-worn and calloused
They say I've earned the right
To be compared with giants
With warriors and knights
But staring over my shoulder
At the wars that I have won
There is a thoughtless aching
For the things that I have done
What was all this worth
These months we spent apart
Drawing toward my final steps
I'm walking in the dark
My aching played a symphony
My suffering was an art
The moment when we find the end
We find we're at the start.