(almost) Deployed

A few months ago, we heard rumor that Jeff would be deployed.  We started taking "inventory" of some of our commitments, starting backing off from a few, and began to mentally prepare (although you are never prepared). It seemed that others knew what was going on and we didn't.  In September, Jeff went for his health assessment/physical.  I told him that if all that went well, then he would hear for sure whether or not he would be deploying.

After his health assessment, rumor then turned into written orders. Jeff was going to be deployed.

We told our boys, closest family members, and bosses. I went ahead and took off the days that would lead up to Jeff's deployment date. I started considering the best date to start the Tour of Duty Bible study again. Also, I started reading my When Duty Calls book, courtesy of the North American Missions Board. I wanted to make things as less stressful on all of us as possible (I am not that naive, but I did want to start checklists and preparations for what would be happening within the next month. Oh, and I am the one who read ALL the wedding books and pregnancy books when those life changing events approached).

As we began to prepare for the deployment, we started hearing more rumors that involved Jeff's orders being rescinded.  What?  I NEVER heard of that!  Talk about an emotional rollercoaster! We talked and prayed about it and decided that we would keep preparing for deployment until we got written orders stating Jeff would not be going. 

Well, those official orders came.  Jeff would not be deployed.

Now, I don't wish my husband away for anything.  No, no, no.  I do, however, understand being called to do something, and the feeling of disappointment when that is taken away.  Jeff felt like this was what he was supposed to do.  We have decided, though, that the timing wasn't right.  We weren't going to push one way or another, but put our trust in God: if Jeff was supposed to go, he would go. If he wasn't supposed to go, he wouldn't. God was and is in control.  

I saw how quickly orders can change.  I realize too that we could get new orders tomorrow. 

So, we will just wait to see what God has in store for our family. Our trust is in Him. 

His First Wedding

This weekend, Jeffrey officiated his very first wedding.  The groom is a Staff Sergeant at his unit, and he and his bride are absolutely wonderful.  Their family made us feel so welcome.

The church was a small, one room Presbyterian Chapel on the grounds of Montgomery Bell State Park.  It was simple, yet beautiful.

 The wedding party was comprised of friends and family.  Over the years, the groom has taken in kids who have had a rough start to life.  The bride joined in when they met, and now they have a large extended family.

We wish Don and Jen the very best.  It was a blessing to be a part of their special day.  I have to say I am a proud wife.  If Jeff was nervous, he never let on.  The ceremony was beautiful. The bride and couple basically let him have free reign. 

Chaplain Update

In recent days, Jeff has had phone "interviews" and face to face interviews about his placement with a new unit. Things seem to be well underway.

After leaving from a meeting Sunday, he was contacted by one of the Soldiers wanting him to perform his wedding ceremony.

It seems that things either move very slowly or quite quickly.

I try to remember during the slow times that God is preparing us for those "fast times."

Finally!

Jeff took his oath (again) a couple of weeks ago at church. Our friend Chaplain Roy Swisher led the swearing in. 

So, I think it is official. Jeff is now a chaplain.  His paperwork is on file and we are waiting to find out where he will be placed. 

Catching Up

What's been happening in these parts:

1. March arrived. We've had severe storms and will have 70 degree weather all next week.  We never had winter. Wonder if it will show up for spring break?

2. I am reviewing a book right now that is blowing me away. I am almost finished and can't wait to share.  Got two more on the way.  If you are blogger and love to read, I highly recommend you get involved in a book program. 

3. Got a new student recently. He is a hoot.

4. One of my students moved today. He is heading to Louisiana. I will miss him deeply. I drove by his empty house this afternoon and had to hold back tears. 

5. Basketball is over. Baseball is starting. Carson moved up to Pee Wee and is on the Cubs. Colin moved up to Minor League. He is on....I'm not sure yet.  Both boys have practiced. Should be an interesting season!

6. Got a virus on our laptop and my school computer. I think we were targeted. I hope not.  That would be so sad.

7.  Considering sending Colin to space camp.

8. Looking forward to getting our income tax return.  Hoping to redo our floors (goodbye carpet, hello hardwood). Should help with allergies. A new couch would be nice too. Ours is 13 years old and starting to show it!

9. Preparing for an Elmo party on Sunday with family and friends.  Can't believe Carter is turning 2! 

10. Bought a new pair of black dress pants for work. Size 12! First time in years!  So proud of me! 

11. All 3 boys got haircuts this afternoon. I need one too. It will have to wait. 

12. Jeff retook (is that a word) his oath Wednesday night. Not sure how long it will be until he is placed with another unit. Hopefully it will be nearby.  We may get to go to Orlando for CAST this year. That would be awesome!

13. Planning Carson's 6th birthday party (yes, six years old in a matter of weeks!).

14. Praying for a co-worker who doesn't know my Jesus.  I really want her to.  I know He can make a difference in her life.

15. Thankful it is Friday.

16. Did you know this is post #501? 

Details

Thank you so much for your kind words and congratulations.  We are so very excited about Jeff's move into the Chaplaincy.  It has definitely been a long time coming.

Here's what I know (understand) so far.

He is at drill this weekend with his unit in Nashville.  Jeff was told this would be his last drill with that unit. He is not to report until he receives orders to go to his new unit (since he is in the reserves, we stay put as a family). We are hoping it is just across town from his current unit.  That's what was previously "in the works."

Jeff must retake his oath of office.  This will be done once he receives his orders. We won't have a big fancy ceremony like the first time. 

He is now deployable.  If his new unit gets deployed, well....then....you know! We won't go there until we have to!

Jeff has already completed Chaplain School so we don't have to go through all that again.   He will continue his AT (annual training) and all those other meetings/conferences/trainings he must go to.  Our fingers are crossed for Orlando this summer!

So basically, we just wait to see where the Army places him. We wait to see where God leads. We wait to serve. 

I am very proud of my husband. He is not the same man I married.  God called his name and he answered. 

Thank you for your prayers and support these past 3-4 years.

It is Official

Today, Jeff got the call.

He is now

officially

an

Army Chaplain!

Where We Are

Right now we are at "Hurry Up and Wait."

Again.

In the past year, Jeff has graduated CH-BOLC and seminary at Liberty University.  He has been ordained by our chuch and received his endorsement from the North American Missions Board.   Jeff was also elected to serve as associate pastor of our church. Even more so recently, he interviewed with a Lt. Colonel (I think that is right) at Ft. Knox. 

Now, we wait on the next Army Chaplain's board meeting.  They will make the ultimate decision on whether or not Jeff will be an Army Chaplain. 

I think he would make a wonderful Chaplain. Jeff genuinely cares about people, about making a difference, and most importantly, about serving our Lord. He has never been afraid to take a stand, to step out on a leap of faith (guess that's how we got here!).  He is an amazing man, and I would be oh, so proud to have him serve our country as a United States Army Chaplain. 

A while back, I started reading God Strong. Life got busy, and I put it away.  Today, however, I started over on chapter one.    I thought about the words I read and a recent conversation I had with a coworker about faith. 

I weep for those that don't share my faith.  Those that depend on their own strength.  I know that I am truly weak. If it were up to me to take the life I led before I knew Christ to where I am today, I could never do it.  When Jeff and I started out over 20 years ago (never thought those words would come from my mouth, must be getting old), we never imagined we would be here today, serving the One who gave it all for us, for you.  My strength comes from the Lord. I am who I am because of Him.  My faith in Him tells me that whatever the outcome of the Chaplain's board, He will guide us to the next step, whether it be serving here in our community together, or serving abroad, or being separated by a deployment. 

I am so excited about this journey, to see where the Lord may lead us.

ANOTHER step closer....

Jeff received his endorsement today from NAMB.  How exciting!  God is working in so many awesome ways.  Just a bit closer to becoming a full Chaplain!

Jeff's Ordination Service

Sunday evening was Jeff's ordination service at church.  It was a beautiful service.  He gave his testimony and read some scripture.  The church then voted to ordain him.  Our sweet friend Leslie sang and our wonderful pastor preached.  After that, the deacons took part in the laying of the hands portion of the service.  Now we must wait for the Chaplain board to meet to approve. 

I am so proud of my husband.  He is such an amazing man and I just can't believe how God is using him!

Continuing His Journey

The journey to the Army Chaplaincy began more than 3 years ago. Now we are getting closer to what God has called our family to do. Last night was Jeff's interrogation at church. He "passed!" Next Sunday night will be his ordination at church.

Our journey began when we decided we wanted our children raised in church. After we were married, Jeff and I attended church occasionally. We attended our current church on holidays and went to a mega church a few times as well. When Colin was almost two years old, we began attending Calvary more regularly after being invited by a coworker. We were welcomed there with open arms, and Jeff and I were soon saved within days apart and then baptized together. We began attending a Sunday school class our pastor's wife began for a growing group of young couples with children. Soon we were teaching as well. When I was pregnant with Carson, Jeff was chosen by the church to serve as a deacon. He was ordained in January of 2006. With this came a call of doing more for God.

Since high school, Jeff has always had a desire to join the military. He took the ASVAB as a junior, but never did anything else. Upon graduating, Jeff attended WKU and earned a degree in geography. He worked at a local company, went into business for himself, and is currently employed as an engineer at a local factory. Out of all his work experience, Jeff has never felt like he was called to do those things. Eventually he felt led, more than ever, to join the military. And that is what he did. It was one of those things where I joked with him, "FINALLY!". I had always expected it, but joining was just a matter of time. In November of 2009, during my third pregnancy, Jeff took his oath of office and became a 2 Lieutenant for the US Army Reserves.

Last summer, he attended CHBOLC at Ft. Jackson, SC. It was an awesome experience for us both. We both got a taste of military life: him training to serve God and country, me raising three children and running the household on the "home front" while supporting my Soldier.

Through much of the last 3-4 years, Jeff has taken seminary classes through Liberty University. In May of this year, he finally graduated.

After his ordination next Sunday, the final paperwork and steps to becoming a chaplain will be completed. Then we wait for the Army's decision.

Jokingly, I told Jeff this morning that it feels awkward not being pregnant at such a life changing point in this journey!

Through all we have been through, I am well aware that God had a hand in each step of this journey, making it HIS journey. We are only being obedient. It isn't always easy. God never promises that through any thing He requires of His children. However, we have felt His love and guidance along the way. He has held our hands and lit our path. He has blessed us in ways that are simply indescribable.

I know people wonder how we do it all and why we do it all. IT isn't about us. IT is about HIM. My family was chosen to serve. Who are we to not be obedient to the call of the Lord? He blessed us with life, so we owe Him our lives.

Serving is exciting and scary. I am anxious to see what God has in store for us!

Ordination

We are approaching Jeff's ordination into the ministry, so I am really curious...ALL YOU CHAPLAIN'S WIVES, what can we expect?  Specifically from those that are Southern Baptists?  I know this will be done at church beginning with private questioning from some local pastors, and then a recommendation will be made to the church to ordain my husband, with a vote then being taken.  Just wondering what else we need to know.

Jeff's AT, Visitors, Phone Calls, the Tooth Fairy, Wild Kids, and Bouncy Balls

Jeffrey has been spending a lot of time in class.  Yesterday they learned about surviving a Humvee rollover and today they learned about suicide prevention.  I think the sitting in class is wearing him out.  He's not a sit around type of guy!  Me and the boys are ready for him to come home....counting down the days.  He has not blogged about his experience yet, but I'm sure he will soon.  Tonight he has gone out to eat with some of the other Chaplain candidates. 

We've had some visitors the past couple of days. Angie and Autumn came by Sunday to see the boys (when you are mom, you don't get visitors), but Carter slept the whole time.  It was Autumn's first time to see Carter.  Today we had a full house.  Sue stopped by for fresh coffee after work (what is a daughter in law for?) and Edie and Lauren came by.  The boys were hog wild. Oh, my gosh!!!!!  Lately, Colin has been showing off when people come over.  It is not like him.  When I talked to him about how it gets annoying and grown ups are not impressed by it, he said, "Haven't we had this conversation before?"  After they all left, Jeffrey's friend Dwight called and the boys got wilder. Instead of eating their supper, they were chasing each other: over the treadmill and exercise bench, across the couch, and around the train table.  At one point of the night Colin and Carson were tugging on each other and Carson fell into the cabinet. Whew! 

Dan and Gennie got Carson a bouncy ball for his birthday.  Birbie put air in it this evening and Colin and Carson  think it is a weapon.  I've already threatened to pop it.  Colin told me I would get in trouble. I highly doubt that.  He's going to break his tailbone if he isn't careful.  Carson isn't quite big enough for it.  He has to have me bounce him on it. My arms are worn out.

Last night, we got a visit from the Tooth Fairy.  Unfortunately, we still have the Nanny McPhee tooth.  Maybe the $20 my mom gave Colin will encourage him to work on it. 

OK, the bouncy ball is in time out. It just flew across the room and hit Colin in the head.  Thanks Dan and Gennie!!!!

 

Is it really official?

I absolutely can NOT believe that Jeffrey is gone to his first Army Chaplain training!  He has worked so long and so hard on getting this far, and I can't believe it is finally here.  This week will be a very small taste of what is to come this summer.  This summer will be like when he was gone to Japan, only this time he will be on the same continent!  I really hope Jeffrey has a good week.  The preparations have been terrible. He wasn't getting emails and then information was being changed at the last minute.  Whew!  As far as packing, he had no idea what to take.  I'm sure he will find out soon enough if he brought the right stuff!  Me and the 3 C's will be fine.  Mom has volunteered to take Colin to school in the mornings so I don't have to wake the little one's.  Sue and Birbie are next door, and everyone we know has offered to help in anyway they can.  We are blessed with such a wonderful support system.


I have a couple of prayer requests to share with you:
Please pray for Carter.  We go Tuesday to have his hearing retested because he failed the initial screening in the hospital.  He seems to hear just fine, but he still must be retested.

Please pray for one of our elementary teachers who found out recently that she has breast cancer.  She will be having her breast removed this next week I believe. 

Please pray for my grandmother. She fell out of the bed recently at the nursing home and hurt her back pretty badly.  She has had a really hard time. 

Please pray for my boys, that they will have a good week and not be "off" due to their daddy being gone.  They usually do well when he is gone, but before it has been for work.  I don't want them to think that he is in any danger. I'm not sure how much Colin understands about what is going on this week. 


Baseball was cancelled this morning due to the weather.  Colin is supposed to play again on Monday, but I think it is supposed to rain then too.  I hate for Coach Jeff to miss his games, so I was glad today's was cancelled. 




I have to gripe for a minute about something totally different.  Last night, we took the family to Wal-Mart to stock up for the week (I do not want to take 3 kids to Wal-Mart by myself!).  Anyway,  I have always used the same baby formula with all the boys.  I recently started using the samples sent to me by another company.  Last night I was looking over my coupons and the selection. I decided to purchase this one particular brand for 3 reasons: 1) it is the sample pack we are currently using and 2) it was the largest container of any of the brands, and 3)I had a coupon.  Well, when we checked out and presented the coupon (which is like a check), the coupon was denied!  Can you believe it?!?  The lady said it wasn't our fault, that the company has so many of those coupons out and not enough money in their account to cover them all.  WHAT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS IS THAT???? Needless to say, when I got home, I emailed the company.  I guess that's what I get for trying something new!

OK, I just heard an "OW!" and "HEY! DON'T PINCH ME!" so I guess that means I'm done blogging for now!

Now, for our top headlines

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST
Please pray for Robert. He is a youth at our church and has been my student worker for two years.  Robert has a tumor on his face (the jaw area) and will be going to have tests run soon.  This isn't the first time. He had surgery for this several years ago.  Robert is a good kid and we think a lot of him.  Please pray for his healing.


In sports.....It is here....

Baseball season.

HOLY COW! CUBS WIN!

Colin had his first game last night. Whew! Things were SO TENSE! The score was Cardinals 12, Cubs 13!  CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! (any Harry Caray fans out there?) It was a real nail biter! Colin started out playing on first base and ended playing second. We had a new player (one team got split up due to so many quitting). Coach Jeff tried him on first and he did a good job (evidently that is his usual spot).  The Cubs hit the ball well. We've got two girls on the team and they did an awesome job. They've improved so much since last year. Colin had some good hits as well.  Coach Jeff and I were really proud of him.

I am not in the dugout this year. We have a great team of parents and almost all the dads are in the dugout or hanging around there. The moms are in the crowd cheering on the team.

Carson's team is was is was (not sure yet) the Marlins.  I think he quit last night.  My dad and I took him to practice, but he wouldn't even get out on the field.  His first game is supposed to be tomorrow, but it looks like he won't be on the roster. Carson is just totally not into playing.  He is not as mature as Colin.  Yeah, I know he is only four, but Colin knew he wanted to play and he wanted to get out on the field and do what he was supposed to when he played t-ball. Carson on the other hand has no interest. He has crazy energy, but right now, sports don't interest him.  He wasn't too into soccer last year, so I kind of expected this.  Basically, we just overpaid for a Marlin's shirt and cap, but I can handle that. 

In other news.........

It looks like Jeffrey will be going to AT in a couple of weeks.  He is waiting for his orders and travel arrangements.  We are pretty clueless about all this.  He can't seem to get a straight answer about anything. You'd think it would all be pretty clear, but it isn't.  Kind of frustrating sometimes. I'm glad he will have the chance to be in Ft. Jackson before his training this summer.  He will have a heads up on things (hopefully).  The initial cost of all this blows my mind.  The list of stuff he must purchase out of pocket (uniforms included) is crazy.  We are afraid he will get all of this and then they will change over to the new uniform design shortly. 


In education....
Colin is on a field trip with his class today. They are headed to the National Corvette Museum.  He was pretty excited about it this morning when he left for school.  I'm sure they will have great time. 

We have NO PLANS for tonight! WUHU!  No baseball, no parties, no nothing.  We are hoping to get to Chaney's Dairy Barn and the park before the rain comes.

Waiting

It seems as though most of life is spent waiting. Do you ever feel that way? What are we waiting for???


We are waiting for the arrival of our new bundle of joy. We have 8 1/2 weeks until my due date. I have a feeling the wait won't be that long. I was induced with Carson 2 weeks early. That's what happens when you have a big baby he first time. I'm sure the doctor will want to induce again, although he hasn't brought it up yet. In the meantime, I am now going to the doctor every two weeks. I've registered for gifts because my coworkers are having a baby shower for us. Jeffrey's mom has also said something about having one. I guess when people start asking, "Where are you registered?" then it is time to register!!! It is amazing the things I have forgotten that I have given away! I've looked for some things in closets, the attic, tubs, and the garage, but I'm guessing most of those things have been given away or sold in yard sales. Our refresher lamaze class a couple of weeks ago was a hoot. We didn't relearn (if that's a word) anything really. The class was crammed full, probably 100 people there. It was quite fun to listen to the gasps and comments of the newbies. They have no idea what they are in for!



We are also waiting for Jeffrey to be assigned to a unit and orders for chaplain school this summer. All paperwork has been completed and so it is a waiting game. In the meantime, My husband continues to complete his seminary work through Liberty University. He has about 64 hours and needs a total of 90 to graduate with his Master of Divinity. Getting closer. His blog has been added to the Army Chaplaincy website. He has also been asked to be a writer for the site. He posted his first article last night. I just read it and have to say, I'm quiet proud of him, as always. You can read it by going to the Army Chaplaincy Website.


What else? We are waiting for our new Saturday activity to begin. Colin will finish up basketball this Saturday morning and then start his new Super Saturday class Saturday afternoon. This time he his taking Desktop Design. He loves computers and creating things on them. You should see the PowerPoint presentations he creates on his own. Wow! Colin got asked to participate on our local youth traveling soccer team this spring. We are thinking it over. However, it will interfere with his baseball and we can't do both. Honestly, I'd rather have him play baseball. He is still growing in both sports. We'll see.


As far as Carson, we are just watching him grow and getting ready to be in pre-school in August. I can't believe it. He just seems too small to me. He started his pre-school choir class at church last night. I think he just kind of sat there and took it all in. I stayed for the first few minutes and snuck out. He liked it, just didn't participate much. Leslie does such a good job with the children.

Colin and Carson are getting excited about Carter's arrival. They are always asking questions, "hugging him," and making plans on what they can do with him. So far, they've agreed to feed him, read to him, and teach him to talk. Next Thursday, the boys attend their "big brother" class at the hospital. Colin has been asking about it for a couple of weeks now. They will both be great with the new baby.

So, while we are waiting for what is to come, we will be patient, we will serve our Lord, and we will continue to live life to the fullest.

Questions

Lots of people have been asking questions about how Jeff joining the military will affect our family.

The most common question is, “Do you have to move?” No, we don’t have to move. He is supposed to be placed with a unit near us.

The second question is always about boot camp. His initial training is not the regular boot camp that most soldiers go through. He will definitely be doing physical activity to help stay in shape, but a lot of his training will be for his specific calling, being an Army Chaplain.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us. You can leave me a comment here or leave one on Jeff’s blog. We want everyone to understand what this journey will consist of.

It is Official!

Last night was Jeffrey's oath of office ceremony. What a wonderful evening we were able to spend with our family and friends. We were blessed to have so many share their talents at our celebration. My aunt Connie made our wonderfully delicious cake (some couldn't decide which was better, the service or the cake). Our friend Leslie sang for us and the Wilshire family video taped the service and took pictures. Bro. Copass did a wonderful job speaking. The ladies from Jeffrey's Sunday school class hosted the reception. What a blessing that was as it was one less thing we had to worry about on an already busy day! God has certainly placed a loving group of people in our lives. I think the ceremony really helped people understand exactly what a chaplain does. Colin had created a powerpoint in honor of his daddy and it was shown at the end of the ceremony. He was such a big boy! All three of my guys were dressed alike and looked handsome. Carson slept through most of the service.

Jeffrey has posted more on his blog about the ceremony. He has also posted some pictures from the evening. Click here to check them out.

After the ceremony/reception, we went out to eat with some family and friends. After we sat down, a man came up to Jeffrey, shook his hand, and thanked him for his service. WOW. I was humbled. That one moment, made the entire night all the more real. It was the icing on the cake that told us, yes, this is what you are supposed to do, to go out there and make a difference in the lives of others by serving God and our country.

Big Day Ahead

Saturday is the big day.  I can't believe it is here.  In a way,  it seems like it has taken forever to get to the point, and then again, it seems like it has gotten here so quickly.

The boys are excited.  They have their own Army uniforms they will be wearing.  They will look very professional during the ceremony! 

I still can't get over the work God has done in our lives.  I look at where we were 18 years ago when we started dating.  Then 10 years ago when we got married, 7 years ago when Colin was born, and 3 years ago when Carson was born.  This was never our plan. It was HIS plan.  All we did was trust and obey.

Chaplain Update

The whole Chaplain "thing" (not sure what else to call it) started out slow and discouraging. Just seemed like it would never happen. Now, things are moving quite quickly. In fact, on November 14, we will be having Jeffrey's swearing in ceremony at church where he will take his Oath of Office. He has started his own blog to share his process and adventures with other Chaplain candidates, our family, and our friends.



Please continue to pray for us as we continue this journey.