by Jocelyn on April 19, 2012
- Matt Malcom (far right) with his parents and three sisters, Summer 2011
by Jocelyn Green
In honor of April being the Month of the Military Child, I’d love to share with you an interview I did with a young man named Matt Malcom, a military child all grown up. I hope you enjoy getting to know him and his perspective as much as I did! Without further ado:
Jocelyn: You are the only guy in a house full of women/girls when your dad is gone, right? How does that affect you? Do you feel a great responsibility for them as “the man of the house,” or do you not feel any additional pressure?
Matt: We all like to joke around and say that I’m so put out because of my predicament but it’s done a lot to shape me into a patient (relatively at least) man. It has also taught me to appreciate the differences between men and women. I think this will ultimately help me in dealing with people for the rest of my life. And yes, I do feel some pressure because I want to be a good example for them, and I don’t want any harm to fall upon them. But that’s a universal truth regardless if my dad’s home or not. I don’t really ever feel like “the man of the house” because I know that’s my father, but I always try to do the right thing and help my mom no matter who is around. [click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on April 18, 2012
Courtesy: Kyle Gregory Photography
by Bria Slaughter
April is the Month of the Military Child. Instead of blogging about the awesomeness of military kids everywhere, I thought I would share with you the letter I wrote to my children. I have always said I used to think there was nothing to be more proud of than to be the wife of a soldier. I strongly believe now there is nothing to be more proud of than to be the wife of a soldier’s child.
Dear Molly (9) & Carson (5),
First of all I would like to tell you that I know you didn’t sign a contract or get to pick your parents. You were born into a family that answered a call and you were forced to ‘adjust” to that calling whether you liked it or not. It is all both of you know. I hope you will always be able to see the positive in this life you have as a military child. I hope you will learn early that your attitude will make anything you do in life a positive or negative experience. Just as the attitude you have to create with each move, deployment, last minute “adjustment”, and most off all, the missing piece you call “Dad”. [click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on April 10, 2012
by Katie Peltier
I am Katie Peltier and my husband is a U.S. combat Soldier at Fort Campbell. We have two beautiful children and a personal mission. This last deployment changed our lives forever. My Hero lost 16 brothers in the first 6 months, and we lost count by his return home. Then within about 6 months we had 13 suicides. I could not stand by any longer and we put all of our efforts and our finances into what I knew I could do best: Music Ministry. I have a project that is nearly completed with songs about Faith, Hope, and Love, geared towards our military, especially as a wife to other wives.
To hear my music, visit: www.reverbnation.com/KatiePeltier
by Jocelyn on April 9, 2012
by Erin Kent
Ah, April! I just love it. April is generally the part of Spring that bridges us into warmer weather; at least, here in Tennessee. I just love seeing families out in their yards, heating up the grill and spending quality time with one another. The smell of fresh cut grass, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, Easter; there are so many wonderful qualities to this month!
Perhaps the most significant day in April, besides Easter and the celebration of the death and resurrection of our Savior, is April Fools’ Day. On this day, the prankster in all of us shows itself. I remember how shocked my friends were last year when my husband and I collaborated together on a prank of all pranks. We searched the internet for just a generic picture of a positive pregnancy test, posted it to Facebook and let the excitement begin! Needless to say, we had some pretty angry relatives and friends after that one! The laughter was worth it, though, and we still love to think back on that particular April Fools’ Day.
This year, April Fools’ Day fell on a Sunday and, with the help of an awesome sermon from our pastor, I became challenged to look into the Bible’s description of a “fool.” I found, that The Book of Proverbs offers a lot of insight into the description of a fool; however, one particular verse stood out to me, Proverbs 1:7. I know we’ve all read it before but in light of the “holiday” a different view point was taken on this particular Scripture for me. [click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on April 8, 2012
Happy Easter! I hope all of you are celebrating our risen Savior today, rejoicing in the freedom that His death and resurrection give us.
On Friday I attended one of the best Good Friday services I’ve ever been to. During it, they played the following clip, which was perfect for then, but I think you’ll find this short little video is still relevant for today. After all, Good Friday wouldn’t be “good” if it wasn’t for Easter Sunday. Enjoy!
Why I Call It Good Friday from ignitermedia on GodTube.
by Jocelyn on April 6, 2012
by Kathy Guzzo
There are many times while reading the Bible that I wonder what the people were really like. My curiosity takes me past what they did, to who they were. What were their hobbies, favorite foods, what did they laugh or cry about, and how did they handle everyday crisis? Recently our teaching pastor reminded me of a verse that gives a glimpse into Jesus, the man.
Jesus was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane praying. His heart was heavy, He knew the physical agony He was going to have to endure and He cried out to his Heavenly Father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me…” Jesus, the man, was asking God if there was any other way to accomplish the goal in a less physically painful way. After all God had provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice and He had carried Elijah right into heaven, he could’ve found another way. [click to continue…]
by Jocelyn on April 5, 2012
by Jocelyn on April 4, 2012
As we quickly approach the release date of our new book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front, my co-author Karen Whiting and I have launched a Web site so you can get a sneak peek at what’s inside! We’ve named it www.homefrontcourage.com and I encourage you to check it out and look around. The design still needs tweaking, but the content is ready for you!
Before I tell you what you can expect, I want to tell you all a big thank you for all your input on the various cover design options. The publisher took all the feedback into consideration and went with the image that had the most votes–but added a Blue Star banner to the background so there was a visual symbol of the home front on the cover-other than just the text of the title. This was a big improvement, so thanks again! (Just a note- don’t be confused if you visit online retail sites and find a different cover. they still need to update it to match the cover you see here.)
Now back to the Web site. You will find at www.homefrontcourage.com some information about the book and the authors of course, but also:
- Excerpts from the book
- Resources including downloadable discussion questions for couples to use, a home school study guide, and our bibliography.
- Blog which includes more stories from the home front (spanning all the wars), resources, and behind-the-scenes looks at the making of this giant book. There is also a link to subscribe to the blog posts at the top of the page, and I hope you’ll take advantage of that.
This book is written for anyone who is interested in what the home front’s contributions to our country were during times of war. I imagine many civilians will want to read it–but as military wives, I’m convinced that you, especially, will be blessed to read story after inspiring story of women who have travelled this road before you. This book is one of the greatest gifts we can offer to you who so richly deserve it.
by Jocelyn on April 3, 2012
by Jocelyn on April 2, 2012
by Kristin Schwabauer Rydbeck
When I was in elementary school, we were stationed in Europe while my Dad was assigned to a Navy ship. We were far from home, and while we lived there, we never came back to the States to visit family. This was hard, but my parents decided to save the money they’d spend on flying us back to the States to take us on unforgettable trips around Europe, exposing us to all sorts of things we’d never see in the States.
Our time overseas was unforgettable, but we still missed family back home too. One day, my teacher read us a story about Flat Stanley, a boy who could easily travel anywhere in the world because he was flat, made out of paper. Stanley traveled by envelope—all we had to do was tuck him into an envelope with a postage stamp on it. My teacher knew most of us couldn’t travel back to the States to visit our friends and family. So instead, she encouraged each of us to make our own Flat Stanleys who could travel more easily, visiting our loved ones back home.
I loved creating my own Stanley and it didn’t take long for me to figure out who I wanted to send him too. Stanley traveled all the way from southern Italy to western Michigan, to my second cousins, Dave and Wendy. I loved Dave and Wendy—they used to babysit my brother, sister and me when we were young. I missed them and wanted Stanley to go on adventures with them in their hometown. [click to continue…]
For those of you are married to someone who does not share your Christian faith: In two radio broadcasts with Focus on the Family, authors Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller give encouragement and hope to those married to an unbelieving spouse and offer practical ways to grow together despite differing beliefs.
