Favorite Postings of 2015

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13

2015 is quickly drawing to a close, and the joys and struggles have been many . . . no doubt. Our nation is still at war . . . and deployments continue. Our bi-weekly devotional blog continues for its eighth year, seeking to remind you that you are loved by God, He is present with you, and that His sovereignty rules in spite of what appears to be randomness.

Through it all there have been some favorite postings which we want to share again—compiled together chronologically in case you have a chance to peruse them during the next few days:

  1. “WWII and Beyond—A Story of Commitment”

Louise is not able to tell her story anymore, so I am grateful that we captured what she wanted to share with us before dementia took its toll at age 97. Her advice is timeless.

  1. “They Don’t Want to Hear It!”

The call to patience, purity, positivity, and prayer is clear in this posting—when friends do not want to hear about what would help their marriages.

  1. “S.T.A.N.D. for Your Marriage”

We have never had a posting that was shared more than this one. Help for the hurting presented in a way that is counter-intuitive and filled with hope.

  1. “The Wedding Prayer”

This story makes the Top Ten every year. While not being “military”, it is truth to stand the ages . . . and has! Mrs. Evans continues to stay in touch with us, and we are grateful for how her family has shared their legacy.

  1. “The Church & Chapel—A Home for the Military”

We continue to hear from pastors, chaplains, and lay leaders who ask, “What can we do for the military?” We point them to this, along with CruMilitary.org and MilitaryReadyFamily.org

  1. “Working for Your Marriage”

Paul David Tripp is a favorite author/speaker, and his writings share truth which is essential for relationships—whether experiencing deployment or not. The truth is—a healthy marriage takes work!

  1. “5 Things I Learned During Deployment”

Kathryn is one of our 35 authors who share their writings with Excellent or Praiseworthy. What she learned during one of their deployments was important to pass along to you.

  1. “Reintegrace—God’s Grace for Reintegration”

We are seeing that reintegration—especially multiple reintegrations—can be more challenging than the deployments which precede them. How can that be? The good news is . . . there is grace for this!!

  1. “PTSD Prayers of King David”

Combat trauma is not new, and it should not surprise us that King David wrote about his experience with PTSD in the Old Testament psalms.

  1. “A Look at Parenting During Deployment”

Diana Juergens and her family have a lot of experience with deployments! We are honored that she wanted to share what God taught her throughout their Army career—with 8 daughters.

Questions to Share:

  1. Which of these ten articles really impacted your thinking about your spiritual life during deployments?
  2. Pray for each other to hold on tightly to God—and each other—even though you cannot see one another.

Related Posts

Be Still This Christmas

How are you doing this Christmas? Is your heart overflowing with thankfulness. . . .or are you overwhelmed by circumstances and deployment, disappointed with people (or yourself), too tired to celebrate? The days are full. . . . and if you’re like me you are yearning for a chance to just “be still” and spend time with the Lord. After all, this holiday is all about Him—the One who came to seek and save, to rescue and redeem, to bring inner and eternal peace to those who know Him.

Lonely Christmas

Though I sat in a room full of people, I’d never felt more alone. A big part of my heart was missing. It would have been our fourth Christmas together … and yet, we weren’t together. My sweet husband was many miles away in the Middle East. My children and I missed him terribly. It just didn’t feel “right.” Was this sacrifice we were making for our country really worth it?

What Did You Expect?

Have you ever voiced that attitude—because of the circumstances you can honestly say, “This isn’t what I expected!” For example, “married life isn’t what I expected”; “being a parent isn’t what I expected”; “this new job isn’t what I expected”; or “this move hasn’t been what I expected.” I’m sure you can think of many more instances when things just didn’t turn out like you thought they would—or should.  Sometimes they turn out better—much better. But sometimes the challenges and the newness of it all is overwhelming and we’re left asking, “Why is this happening to me?”

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