Deployment Day 359: He is Risen

It was the day before Easter last year when Michael deployed.

Here are the kiddos last year on Easter 2012!

Resurrection Sunday brings such comfort as I meditate on the hope of the Risen Savior. And I am moved by His love. In fact, 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is Love! His love is like no other. His love is unconditional and sacrificial. The last year has invited more love into our relationship as we have spent the time being intentional about the love we share. And God has been so gracious to put some wonderful people in my life who have loved me each step of the way. Love has been a beautiful theme this year. The love of Jesus is boundless, pure, and free. This year I have experienced the love of Jesus... 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, then God dwells in us. I have seen the invisible God this year in those who have offered love to me and my family. By loving one another we have the ability and responsibility to help others see the invisible God! As this deployment comes to a close in a little over a week I am in awe of God's goodness. 

~ Angela  

Easter 2013

Easter 2013

Easter 2013

Easter 2013

    

 

 

 

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deployment Day 348: Not finished yet...

We have only a few short weeks until Michael comes home. As the time draws closer it seems time slows down. The days are dragging and I don't want to live one more second without Michael. These final days are weighing on the kids too.  I am trying to remind myself, while modeling for the kids, that we must continue to live in the present. So thankful for my wise husband who reminds me daily to live in the present. So...yesterday when I was very sad, I was reminded that there is beauty in the sorrow. My love and longing for my husband is the reason I am sad. I miss him. My children end most sentences with "when daddy gets home" because they too want to share life with him. We are so blessed to have him in our life!

Ok, so I titled this post...not finished yet. It is my desire to live, to learn, and to love every day. I have learned a lot this deployment and plan to keep learning until it is over. Then, the new adventure begins and more learning. So excited about the reunion! I don't take for granted how much this deployment has changed us both. As much as I say I can't wait to just be together again, I know that together again will have its challenges. I look forward to the lessons we will learn together. I am thankful for the lessons each day provides.

~ Angela

Deployment Day 327: Love One Another

Serving on the board this year as the PWOC Outreach board member allows my family to be actively involved in reaching out to our military community. Today we spent the day handing out a shift survival bag to soldiers who work long shifts at the prison here on post. The prison is not open to the public. We had to get permission and support from the Battalion to hand out these bags. The soldiers who received the bags today work long shifts. The bags contained items to make their shift a little easier. The response from the soldiers was a blessing. They were caught off guard by our presence but loved that we thought of them. In preparing for this outreach project I thought about this verse in the bible:


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"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 NIV

 The objective of the shift survival bag is to simply show love to these soldiers. Most of these soldiers are young and single men and women. There are many one anothers found in scripture but love one another is at the core of all of them. We have an opportunity each day to love the people God has placed in our lives.

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1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

The scripture says that no one has ever seen God. He is the invisible God. When we love on another God is in us and people can see us. We have the ability and responsibility to help others see God by loving one another. It is my prayer that these soldiers saw the invisible God today.

First shift helpers

Car loaded and ready to go

The bags

This was placed in every bag.
 
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Shift Survival Bag Contents:

A bottle of water: To quench your THIRST and your soul.

Romans 12:20 If any man thirsts let him come to me.

Drink mix: To remind you to MIX it up, have some fun, and smile.

Gum: To encourage you to STICK with it...with God you can accomplish anything.

I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. Philippians. 4:13

Microwave Popcorn: To put some POP in your step.

Trail Mix: To keep you from going NUTS.  

Jolly ranchers: When the day gets HARD take the time to enjoy something sweet.

Apples and Oranges: But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

Blessings from the Protestant Women of the Chapel

We meet Tuesdays from 0900-1130 @ Frontier Chapel and from 1900-2030 @ Pioneer Chapel

All Ladies are Welcome!   Childcare offered.  Questions Contact: ft.leavenworth.pwoc@gmail.com

Praying for each soldier who received a bag tonight. I am extremely thankful for all the donations that were made by the generous ladies at PWOC Fort Leavenworth. It is the donations of the body that made this project possible. I am thankful for all my helpers who helped pass out the bags. I am looking forward to day two of operation shift survival bags!

~ Angela 

Deployment Day 325: Learning to Ski

What a great day we had on the slopes. We all had lots of fun. Here are a few highlights from the day that I was able to capture.

~ Angela

Deployment Day 321: It's snowing

I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to snow. I simply love it! I get giddy about going outside to play in the snow, I get excited about the opportunity to make snow cream, and I just love how it makes the land look so clean, so pure, and covered with beauty. I went outside for a few minutes to take some pictures and delight in the beauty of the fresh fallen snow. I was taken aback. I was filled with delight. My eyes were just filled with wonder. I took in the beauty for a few moments then I grabbed my bucket of fresh snow and ran inside to tell my precious children we are making snow cream. They all dashed to the kitchen to help me prepare our special treat. I bought a few luxury items at the commissary the other day, which included Root Beer...so I turned my snow cream into a Root Beer float.  Now, it is time to go sledding! Oh the joy of a snow day!

~ Angela

Deployment Day 316: Coming Alive

When I was a little girl I would make up songs. I would use the tune of a song I knew and add my own words. I was doing this from the moment I could talk. I lived in a musical home. My mom, my sisters, and even my babysitter sang with me. I LOVE music. Music has been a source of comfort in my life. I wrote a cry of the heart song this year. Today I had the opportunity to record it with a friend. It is a raw recording of just me and my guitar. When I first heard the song played back to me I was in tears. Something came alive in me! I had just given birth to my song. I don't have any expectations for this song. It is simply an offering of my heart. I do however have more songs that I now feel free to share. I felt so vulnerable when I first shared my song but now I feel free...I feel alive!

Here is the recording from today.

~ Angela 

Deployment Day 314: Every day is Valentine's Day...

On February 10th I posted this on my Facebook page:
"I am so blessed. I live each day with joy and peace because I know my God loves me, is with me, and has a plan for my life. I know that the ache that I feel right now for my husband is seen by my God. He taught me how to love my husband in a way that I could not understand had I not experienced His love. Every day my heart is getting bigger and making me better able to love Michael Kay." 

Michael posted this comment on my status. " I cherish you my love. Who needs Valentine's? We are passionately in love every day." 

Today, my oldest son Nathan and my oldest daughter Alexis were talking about Valentine's day. Interestingly enough, they both said something very similar to their daddy. They said, we show love to each other every day! What is the point of Valentine's day? I couldn't agree with them more. I am very thankful for such wonderful children who are very open with how they feel. And who offer love so freely with lots of hugs. There daddy is the same way. It is comforting to know that I am loved. I don't worry about losing Michael's love when I fail because he offers me unconditional love. It is amazing to think about how clueless I was when we fell in love. I remember thinking I knew what love was. I remember thinking it could not get any better than the way I felt the first time he told me he loved me and I knew I loved him. I remember all the challenges during the first few years of our marriage. The challenges taught me so much more about love. Then the blessing of each child made me realize the depth of love. I am not perfect, Michael is not perfect, our children are not perfect, but God abides in us and His love is perfected in us when we love one another. (1 John 4:12) 

I want my family to KNOW they are loved. I choose to make every day Valentine's day!

~ Angela