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• When God Goes With You

  
  

  by Chantal Graupmann

   

  Editor's Note: This month we are welcoming two new members to our blogging team here at CMWF.  Today's post is Chantal's first one with us.  Welcome, Chantal! We're so glad to have you sharing your story with us!

   

   

   

  As followers of Christ we all have defining moments in our faith where God asks us to follow Him.

   

  Choosing to let Him guide our family as we joined the military was one of those moments for me.

   

  When my husband and I got married, the military was not a thought in my mind. We planned to stay in our home state of Minnesota, where almost all our family resides, and raise our future children. We never discussed other options. But two years into our marriage the economy took a downhill turn, and what I thought would never affect us, did. My new husband lost his job, and we were faced with the same difficult situation of unemployment that many Americans were facing. Young and newly married, we were completely unprepared for the difficulties that lay ahead.

   

  During the following year and a half, finding work was tough. I was earning my Bachelors degree and working part time, while my husband painstakingly searched for suitable work to keep us afloat. With little hope in sight, we turned our ears all the more to Jesus in desperation. Jesus, what do you have in store for us?

   

  Never before had we been so open to listening to the Lord.

   

  A little whisper spoke to my heart and practically out of nowhere I found myself asking my husband, “Have you ever thought about the military?” I was completely surprised that this was coming from my mouth. As we began a long discussion about joining the military, I feared how this would affect our marriage and our family. I wanted our children to know their family and I certainly did not want to leave the new family I had gained, or be torn from my own.I was fearful of our future and how this would shape our family, but I felt God reminding me of all the time He had spoken in my life. He was encouraging me to move forward through my fear.
  

   

  God began to deal with my lingering fears as my husband left for basic training. He led me to the first chapter in Joshua, specifically verse 9:
  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

  Those words spoke so strongly to my heart during the time my husband was away. They were a source of great comfort. He was encouraging me to trust in His plan like never before and I knew He would form our family into what it should be.

   

  A little over three years have passed since I was encouraged with that passage in Joshua. As I look back, I can see how God has used the military to shape our extended and immediate family. He has kept His promises to me, and no matter where we are, He has provided us with support in the form of family and great friends. Our family is stronger and healthier than it was before the military because distance has forced us to communicate better. God has placed others in our lives at each duty station to fill a specific role where family would traditionally serve, which has created lasting friendships.

   

  This passage of scripture continues to encourage me on the days I feel like military life is an impossible feat. It reminds me that He has chosen our family for this task, and no matter where the military may take us or how it will separate our family, He will be there to provide for our needs and to strengthen us.

  
  
  
  Reflection
  What fears are lingering in your heart today?
  Where are you struggling to trust in God’s provision?
  Who is one person you can come alongside of today to encourage with the message of God’s faithfulness?
  
  Prayer
  Lord, thank you for your constant presence in my life. Thank you for your promise to be with me wherever I may go. Your plan for my family is perfect and as you continue to lead me, I hold onto your promises for the difficult and sometimes lonely days that military life holds. I pray that you continue to go with us all our days.
  
  

  Chantal Graupmann is an Air Force wife and mother to two children. She is striving to serve women in the midst of motherhood and military life, and is passionate about building community. She loves finding time for DIY projects, experimental cooking, and travel.
  
  
  

• Praise and Thanksgiving

  

  
  

  ​by Mary Parker

  
  
  Lately, on Sunday nights, I’ve had trouble getting to sleep. Thoughts of Monday morning “what-ifs” and “to-dos” keep my brain riveted in cyclical momentum. This has resulted in several crabby (to put it mildly) Mondays, after a great day devoted to God just 24 hours before.
  
  The same restlessness plagues my brain as we plan a cross-country trip during the holidays to see our family for the first time in two years. A time that should be full of joy and relaxation is haunted by worry and anxiety. The harder I try to plan and fix, the messier everything seems to get.
  
  In the situations of holiday planning and late night restlessness, I often find that the comfort I’m seeking only comes when I surrender my tired body and brain to
  Jesus.
  
  So instead of staring at the ceiling in mind-numbing thought, I thank Him for the mercy He provides for me to start each day anew, for the lessons of loving others that make my marriage, familial relationships and friendships more fulfilling, for providing more than my family could need or imagine and encouraging me to give freely to others. The list goes on, and I find myself beautifully rested and restored when I awake Monday morning.

   

  When I begin praising God for all He has done and continues to do in my life, I become less concerned with what can go wrong. I can even remember the times when things have blown up at work or with family, and the times I rely on God to see me through are infinitely more successful than when I rely on my own devices.

  
  For some of us, restlessness comes with the daunting challenges of the work week. For others, it’s during the nail biting moments of the college football game when we say things we probably shouldn’t (myself included), while prepping the prized Thanksgiving turkey, or while planning to spend holidays apart from loved ones. 

  
  

  Whatever the restless moments in your life, I encourage you to praise Jesus in the midst for all that He has done, is doing, and continues to do in your life.
  
  Ultimately, thanking God for the blessings, which surely exist in our lives, is an amazing way to renew ourselves daily, as He intends:
  
  “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him'” (Lamentations 3:22-24).
  
  
  

  Questions for Reflection:

  *​If you are struggling with restlessness, is there something you need to give to the Lord?

  *What are some specific blessings you can thank God for right now?

  *How can you remind yourself of God's faithfulness?

   

  Prayer:
  
  Father, thank you for all the blessings you have put in my life, for loving me more than I can ever know, for pouring your mercy on me every single day, and for refreshing me daily. I seek you today and ask for help to recognize your great hand in this world. Help me to be thankful for my blessings and not take them for granted. I love you Father and am thankful for your supremacy in my life. Amen. 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Mary Parker is an Air Force wife who works as a public relations writer. A South Carolina girl at heart, she and her husband have recently relocated to Fairbanks, Alaska. Mary spends her spare time honing exercise and cooking skills, and is a self-proclaimed DIY addict. You can read about how faith and hope shape military family life, and check out Mary's latest projects at her blog, Mary's Mischief.
  

• It's Not a Masquerade: A Call to Come Together

  Sometimes, life as a military spouse is like being smack dab in the middle of a masquerade ball. You know, the dance where everyone gently places a mask on and twirls around perfectly?  Being a military spouse isn’t comfortable. We have a hard time planting roots as we jump into a new community, church, job, or group of friends. Deep down, most of us are pretty lonely a lot of the time, but we’re pretending it’s all good.  We put on a mask. And it’s not helping anyone.
  

   

  Our arms are full of babies, bottles, laundry; paper work spills onto the counters and kitchen table. We buy into the lie that everything will fall apart if we admit we’re not perfect so we don’t ask for help as we chug along with our mask in place.  It’s in the quiet moments that we discover we’re not doing well. And in those moments, how desperately we need to be reminded of the need for transparency with one another.
  
  Proverbs 27:17 describes the kind of friendship God desires for us:
  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
  
  God has created us to sharpen each other, to help us each become more like Christ, through authentic friendships. You and I need each other. We need to reach across the table and grab hands, to be told that it’s normal to cry when our husbands leave, and normal when we’re exhausted after juggling a full day of being mom, and that it’s okay to slip up! We can come together to encourage and lift each other up but only by slipping off our masks and showing flaws, and revealing just how much we depend on our great God.
  
  We bless our sisters when we help them carry the load through authentic relationships. We have a rare and beautiful sisterhood that is unexplainable to those outside the military world. It’s our military sisters that pick up the kids, drop off a meal, call to make sure we’re alive, and give us that reassuring look when things are falling apart.
  
  Drop the mask today. Keep loving and reaching out, because we truly need one another.
  
  

  Reflection
  
  

  How has a military spouse blessed you recently?
  
  

  What is holding you back from being authentic with others?
  
  

  Who are a few military spouses you can bless through friendship and prayer?
  

  
  

  Prayer
  

  Lord, thank You for loving me unconditionally, even in my failures and shortcomings. Your Word says that Your power is made perfect in my weaknesses. Help me to trust You for that. Thank You for the friendships You have given me as I walk through all seasons of life. Give me strength and courage to be vulnerable with others. I pray that you will make me a blessing to others as I walk with You, living authentically, relying on Your grace and not myself. Amen.
  

  
  

   

  
  Laura is a Christ-follower, Navy wife, mother to one toddler, writer, and coffee drinker. She writes about Faith, Military Life, and Motherhood at Embracing This Life.
  

  
  

• Calm in the Midst of Change

  

  ​ 

  by Chantal Graupmann
  
  

  The butter dish.

  
  It's a simple yet useful tool every kitchen should have, and we have never owned one. This little fact drives me crazy. I cannot count the number of times I have noted that I need to buy one, but for some reason or another, a butter dish is never purchased. Instead, our butter gets placed in a bowl, on a plate, or sometimes even stays on the counter in its wrapper. This seemingly small annoyance irks me in a big way, as I constantly waste time and energy as I move the butter around the kitchen because the container is too large, takes up an awkward amount of space, or it makes a mess. 

   
  Yet, isn't that a picture of how our lives can be? We sit, day after day, knowing that a small change can make a big difference in our lives. Yet we move this or that, avoiding the real problem.

  
  James 4:8 states:  "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." 

  
  Our family is about to experience our very first deployment in a matter of just a couple short weeks. Not only that, but my husband and I have been making some decisions about the way we want our life to look, the way it should look, as followers of Christ. Talk about big changes.

  
  These things, these important things, have been in the back of our minds for some time now. However, just like the butter in our kitchen, we have failed to address the small change that can make such a huge impact in our lives.

  
  The simplicity and usefulness of James 4:8 bores into my heart: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” 

  
  All we must do is draw near!

  
  My countless hours of worry, of looking for answers, of outright avoidance have all been a waste of precious time. If I simply seek God, he will be my source of all comfort and he will guide me in the right direction with his constant presence and conviction.

  
  This truth helps me stay calm in the midst of all the change happening in our lives. I have found that taking even 5 minutes in the morning to seek God makes a huge impact on my attitude and my perspective throughout the day. 

  
  

  
  

  Questions for Reflection:

  *Are you willing to make a small change in your life and draw near to God?

  *What are some practical ways to "draw near" to Him?

  
  

  
  

  
  

  ​Chantal Graupmann is an Air Force wife and mother to two children. She is striving to serve women in the midst of motherhood and military life, and is passionate about building community. She loves finding time for DIY projects, experimental cooking, and travel.
  

• The Biggest Change

  

  
  

  by Brandis Trionfo

  
  

  ​Our biggest change as a military family came about when my husband received orders to Cheyenne, Wyoming. At the time, I was still active duty Navy. Wyoming isn’t exactly a hotbed of Naval activity, so we were at a crossroads in our marriage--merely 6 months into it. I was newly pregnant with our first child, and already had almost 10 years in the Navy. We had some big decisions to make.

  
  

  This was before I was a true Christ-follower. I can say I was always a believer, and looking back now I can see how He had a hand in every step we took.

  
  

  I made the decision to get out of the Navy. I knew if I stayed in we’d be separated for months at a time. I knew I’d be on a ship, nowhere near my husband or our son.

  
  

  Boy, talk about a BIG change. I went from being a full-time Military Police Officer to a military spouse, and a first-time stay-at-home mom on top of it. We moved to Wyoming in April, and the following February, I met Christ. I was so very lonely--I didn’t know how to reach out to other people and I didn’t have many friends. My husband was gone for 4 days at a time and I’d reached my breaking point. Our marriage was not doing well.

  
  

  Tony convinced me to go to a spouse’s function on base one day and I met up with a woman whose husband worked with Tony. She invited me to her church and the Spirit moved me, y’all. I met up with her the following Sunday and walked into a new life. The church was doing a sermon series titled, “Desperate Households,” about marriage. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Christ was what was missing from my life. He met me right where I was at. He always does, doesn’t He? I sat in my chair, tears pouring down my face, and I KNEW that I’d been pretending for far too long. 

  
  

  Meeting my Savior that day was the biggest change I’d seen, military or no.

  
  

  See, the day I surrendered to Christ was the day that my life began to make sense. All the things I’d done up to that day were just preparing me to open my heart to Him. Most of us know the verse in Jeremiah 29:11 that says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  Don’t you just feel hope when you worship the Lord? When you accept Christ into your life you begin to see changes that you can’t even describe. You suddenly know that He’s got plans for you!

  
  

  Talk about a change for the better! Once I began to regularly attend church and follow Christ, my marriage improved. I’m not saying it’s perfect (we’re pretty big on NOT being perfect, haha!), but we love each other. Once we made Christ the center of our home, we learned quite a few lessons. And six years, three kids, and two duty stations later, we’re still going strong.

  
  

  Where do you need our Heavenly Father to meet you at today? I can tell you this for sure: He’s there. He’s waiting for you, calling to you, with arms wide open. He loves you more than you can ever imagine and He has plans for you! You are called by Him. He has written your name.

  
  

  Father, I thank you for your unending grace. I thank you that you are always willing to meet me where I am and give me the strength to go forward. Lord I pray that you would give me the ability to accept the inevitability of change and to know that you are sovereign. I ask that you remind me who I am in you, and to remember that all changes in my life are according to your plans for good. In your name, Amen.
  

  
  

  Questions for reflection:

  *What changes in your life have showed you your need for God and His grace?

  *Where has the Lord met you in your life at the weakest moments?
  
  

  
  
  
  
  Brandis is a former Sailor turned Air Force wife, a stay at home mom to 3 kids, and a lover of rustic country decor. She misses the Navy almost daily but is so very thankful for the time she gets with her family, dogs, & friends living near the beach. She occasionally blogs but mostly forgets at Anchored in the Air Force Life.

• When God Provides Family: On moving, loneliness, and trust

  Editor’s Note: We are so excited to welcome another new contributor this month- Brandis Trionfo! Thank you for sharing your heart with us, Brandis. We can’t wait to hear more!
  
  ---
  
  There’s a framed sign in my living room that says, “Family. A gathering of folks you love, hand chosen by God above.”
  
  I believe that’s true in so many more ways than one. In military families, it’s not just our real family; it’s other families, friends, co-workers, church families, people who are thrown together after a PCS to live life together.
  
  When I first moved to Florida, I was alone with two kids- two and four years old- and I was about 6 months pregnant, by myself. My husband’s training was lasting longer than we’d originally planned and our house had sold, so rather than rent a place, I packed it up and left.
  
  Man, was it lonely. There were days it was more than the unbearable heat that bothered me. I didn’t know a soul, had a hard time finding a church, and in general was too tired to try to go out and meet people. I kept thinking to myself that I just needed to wait until my husband got there, then I’d be able to meet people.
  
  One day after (another) trial of a church that just didn’t feel right, I was done. Once we got home, I broke down crying in my living room, asking God what I should do. I was lonely, tired, scared, afraid of the choice I’d made to move alone--if I couldn’t handle a few months alone while my husband was safely in school, how would I handle a deployment to somewhere unknown?
  
  Somewhere a voice whispered, “You’re not alone.” I thought I imagined it and I looked up from my spot on the couch to see my boys watching Disney Jr., and I heard it again, “You’re not alone.”
  
  

  Of course! Silly me to think all this time that I was alone. See, in my fear of branching out I forgot to call on the one who is my refuge. I forgot to call on the one who gives me strength.

  
  
  Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” (NLT)

  
  I’m safe in the arms of the Lord.
  
  With that comfort, I was able to reach out to our pastor in Wyoming, who was able to recommend a church that was a perfect fit for us. In that church, I found a new family--a family that could help me, guide me, and show me that even with my husband gone, I wasn’t alone.
  
  In the military life we’re alone a lot. We move away from our families and we’re forced to live out of our comfort zone. But take heart, friends. We may feel lonely and scared and wonder what we’re thinking--but our Father is always one step ahead of us. He reaches out to us, calls us by name, and gives us what we need WHEN we need it. It’s not on our time, it’s on His.
  
  Don’t be scared of the lonely. Don’t be scared of leaving.
  
  Once I was able to branch out and give it to God, I gained a new perspective. I was able to help other military wives, who were even newer at this than me, to see that they aren’t alone either.
  
  He is with us.
  

   

  Reflection
  How can you allow God to meet you in your lonely times?
  What would it look like for you to fully trust God with the season of life you’re in?
  
  Prayer
  Father, thank you for showing me that your ways are always right and that you are my fortress. Help me to not be scared. Help me to know that you are with me no matter where my fears take me. Help me to see where you would have me go and to know that you lead the way. I ask that you give me “family” to help comfort me along with your word. I pray in your name, God. Amen.

  
  
  
  Brandis is a former Sailor turned Air Force wife, a stay at home mom to 3 kids, and a lover of rustic country decor. She misses the Navy almost daily but is so very thankful for the time she gets with her family, dogs, & friends living near the beach. She occasionally blogs but mostly forgets at Anchored in the Air Force Life.