Last week, I read chapter 2 of my Tour of Duty bible study. The chapter was all about FAITH. I have to say that I am enjoying the study. I hate to admit, but since my 90 Days study, I haven't been into the Word like I should. I can make excuses, but I won't. What's the point? As I do this study, I feel that God is preparing me. What? I don't know. I do know that we are in a hurry up and wait mode with the Chaplain thing. I know I haven't posted about that in a while, but I will. Eventually. Anyway, below are the author's questions, along with my answers. I've already posted my answers over at Wivesof Faith. We are having GREAT online discussions. Please feel free to respond, even if you aren't doing the study.
1. In the “From the Home Front” section, I listed some of my “What if” questions. What “What if” question haunts you the most during deployment? How do you combat those questions?
Although we haven't experienced deployment, we have experienced long periods of time apart where I had my own "what if" questions. Last summer when Jeff was away at CHBOLC, I did wondered what I would do in case a normal everyday crisis occurred. I didn't worry for his safety because he was only training in South Carolina. Needless to say, I did experience some things: my grandmother died, I had a flat tire, our electricity went out in part of our house. God provided for me then, and I know he will provide for me and my family if and when we do face deployment.
2. What did you learn about faith from this chapter?
I learned even more that fear and doubt can crush our faith....if we allow it. God offers us so many promises and we must hold fast to those.
3. Which verse in the life jacket on pg 29 did you choose as the one that’s most encouraging to you? Why did you choose that verse?
Isaiah 42:16 was most encouraging to me. I think it is a beautiful promise of what God will do for us during the uncertainty of deployment.
4. We talked about Jeremiah 29:13. How hard is it to seek Jesus during times of deployment? How have you personally found this verse to be true during hard times?
I think it is hard to seek God many times in our lives because we get caught up in life itself. Last summer, I felt like a single mom with 3 kids. We had baseball, VBS, then soccer, and back to school. The busyiness can very easily allow us to "put God off." sometimes I don't think we mean to, we just get busy and exhausted. If we fail to make time for Him, our doubts and our fears begin to terrorize us and before we know it, we are in a dark pit and need His gentle hand to rescue us. We have to make Him a priority all the time.
5. What does it mean to be courageous and what does it mean to take heart? What stood out to you in this section?
So many times we are lead by our emotions. So many times it leads to disaster. When I think of being courageous and taking heart, I think of standing on our faith, on what we know and believe God can do.
6. What “impossibilities” did you list on page 35? How have you seen God help you face these seemingly impossible situations?
My impossibility is all encompassing: to be everything I need to be to be successful in what I am facing. In situations like this, God has given me a refreshed outlook, He has provided me with what I have needed, and He has allowed me to be what I needed to be and see what was less important.
7. What part of Peter’s story spoke most to you this week?
Peter wasn't perfect. He believed in what Jesus could do, but his faith grew weak. He had to be restored. Not to be ugly to Peter, but that is refreshing. If one of the disciples struggled with his faith, it is only natural that I will too. However, I must be able to admit my weakness, my, doubt, my fear, so that I may be restored as well.
8. What other part of this week’s chapter stuck out to you that you want to discuss with the rest of us?
Our faith is about trusting God. We read the miracles Jesus performed in the Bible and sometimes we look at those as good stories or special characters, but they are real. We are just as special and our stories can be just as good. God has so many promises for us, so many wonderful things in store. If we allow are faith to be little, to be weak, we can miss out on his blessings. Our country was built on faith. Faith that this would be a better land. Our lives should be built on faith as well, that through Jesus we can do anything.
1. In the “From the Home Front” section, I listed some of my “What if” questions. What “What if” question haunts you the most during deployment? How do you combat those questions?
Although we haven't experienced deployment, we have experienced long periods of time apart where I had my own "what if" questions. Last summer when Jeff was away at CHBOLC, I did wondered what I would do in case a normal everyday crisis occurred. I didn't worry for his safety because he was only training in South Carolina. Needless to say, I did experience some things: my grandmother died, I had a flat tire, our electricity went out in part of our house. God provided for me then, and I know he will provide for me and my family if and when we do face deployment.
2. What did you learn about faith from this chapter?
I learned even more that fear and doubt can crush our faith....if we allow it. God offers us so many promises and we must hold fast to those.
3. Which verse in the life jacket on pg 29 did you choose as the one that’s most encouraging to you? Why did you choose that verse?
Isaiah 42:16 was most encouraging to me. I think it is a beautiful promise of what God will do for us during the uncertainty of deployment.
4. We talked about Jeremiah 29:13. How hard is it to seek Jesus during times of deployment? How have you personally found this verse to be true during hard times?
I think it is hard to seek God many times in our lives because we get caught up in life itself. Last summer, I felt like a single mom with 3 kids. We had baseball, VBS, then soccer, and back to school. The busyiness can very easily allow us to "put God off." sometimes I don't think we mean to, we just get busy and exhausted. If we fail to make time for Him, our doubts and our fears begin to terrorize us and before we know it, we are in a dark pit and need His gentle hand to rescue us. We have to make Him a priority all the time.
5. What does it mean to be courageous and what does it mean to take heart? What stood out to you in this section?
So many times we are lead by our emotions. So many times it leads to disaster. When I think of being courageous and taking heart, I think of standing on our faith, on what we know and believe God can do.
6. What “impossibilities” did you list on page 35? How have you seen God help you face these seemingly impossible situations?
My impossibility is all encompassing: to be everything I need to be to be successful in what I am facing. In situations like this, God has given me a refreshed outlook, He has provided me with what I have needed, and He has allowed me to be what I needed to be and see what was less important.
7. What part of Peter’s story spoke most to you this week?
Peter wasn't perfect. He believed in what Jesus could do, but his faith grew weak. He had to be restored. Not to be ugly to Peter, but that is refreshing. If one of the disciples struggled with his faith, it is only natural that I will too. However, I must be able to admit my weakness, my, doubt, my fear, so that I may be restored as well.
8. What other part of this week’s chapter stuck out to you that you want to discuss with the rest of us?
Our faith is about trusting God. We read the miracles Jesus performed in the Bible and sometimes we look at those as good stories or special characters, but they are real. We are just as special and our stories can be just as good. God has so many promises for us, so many wonderful things in store. If we allow are faith to be little, to be weak, we can miss out on his blessings. Our country was built on faith. Faith that this would be a better land. Our lives should be built on faith as well, that through Jesus we can do anything.
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