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?
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The Jake DeShazer Story

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights. Editor’s Note:  December 7th is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In remembrance of that world-changing event, this devotion is posted to tell one of God’s great redemptive…

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Half Empty or Half Full?

It seems to be some sort of personality test—people ask “are you the sort of person who sees a glass as half empty or half full?”  That apparently is the gauge of whether you are pessimistic and cynical, or optimistic and hopeful. But this Thanksgiving gives us a chance (once again) to check and see what the Bible has to say about our attitude.  We never find the words “half empty” or “half full”—but to be “overflowing.”
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Pilgrims Deployed

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD . . . – Psalm 33:12 Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving in the tradition of the Plymouth colony’s harvest at the…

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“Wax On, Wax Off”

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” — Hebrews 12:11…

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Stay Close and Clean

Whenever our pastor prays for church members heading out on travel—or off to college—or deployment—he prays for the Lord to keep them “close and clean.” What does that mean? Close and clean? Clearly our pastor’s prayer is not just for those venturing away from our church on assignment—it is for all of us.
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When Someone Asks How They Can Pray for You

Recently, I asked Chaplain Koeman’s wife Benita, founder of OperationWeAreHere.com, to provide me with a similar list of prayer requests that would apply to the spouse of a deployed military member. If you are that spouse of a deployed husband, you may not think you need to read this list of prayer requests yourself– but wait! Next time someone asks you how they can pray for you, share this list with them; it’s quick and easy. Better yet, print out both lists of prayer requests (his and hers, so to speak) and see if your church will create an insert to put in the bulletin so the congregation knows how to support you both in prayer.
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