SISTERS

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28–29, NKJV).

In my almost five decades, I’ve known and heard plenty!

The dawn of the technology frenzy. The struggle of time management.
The advancement of medicine. The sigh of relief at the surgeon’s report.
The mountains and valleys of a household budget. The miracle of God’s provision.
The beauty of a vow at an altar. The testing of that vow.
The lusty first cry of my newborns. The happy tears of accomplishment.
Through all those things I “knew,” I learned some things I didn’t know.

How to bite my tongue before anger spilled.
The love of a parent.
The difference between the definition of trust and the reality of trust.
The struggle of temptation.
The power of my God.
The overwhelming feeling of discouragement.
The still small voice of Jesus.
My list could fill volumes of what I have learned, but more than anything I’ve learned that He is an ever present help!
Often, when life seems confusing or I feel troubled, He whispers those words into my spirit, “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” And, my mind replays the entire passage that I learned in my youth:
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28–31, NKJV).

Yes, I have known how my God can take a life and make it new. Yes, I have heard of His miraculous ways and glorious power. Not only have I heard and known, I have experienced what Jesus can do and I am daily renewed in His love. His tender mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness endures to all generations.
My sister, whether your day is filled with sunshine and singing or dark clouds and thunder, take refuge and courage in knowing that our God is there to speak into your day. Allow Him to renew you and show His faithfulness. Then you, also, can say, “I have known, heard, and learned about my Creator.”

Written by: Krisann Durnford. She and husband, Steve, are church planters in Burlington, Wisconsin. She is mom to three young adults: Luke, Bethany, and Anna. Her son is a Wisconsin Army National Guardsmen that recently deployed. Along with ministry work, Krisann serves as executive director of a local non-profit and enjoys her tasks as Word Aflame Field Editor. She loves playing piano, prayer ministry, and teaching others about Jesus.

As military folks we have the distinct privilege of an expansive reach to into this world. There’s no doubt we have been called to a difficult and ever-changing path, but oh, the opportunities the Lord has laid before us!

Military families know what it’s like to finally feel comfortable in our environment/skin and then receive orders to move on to the next location. I remember what this feels like…frustration, sadness, and sometimes, bitterness. We finally have friends, have just began to feel close to those in church, our kids are finally comfortable, and we once again are uprooted to a new place. Am I the only one who has gone to prayer asking why? Somehow, I’m certain you’ve been there too. Let’s move past these feelings for a moment and consider the culture of the Kingdom of God.

Kingdom culture looks something like this, “And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:29).

The Bible is very clear we will endure feelings of loss, but when we begin to speak “kingdom” this multiplier happens. All that we feel we’ve left behind will seem so small in the light of Glory. When you walk into a new environment with the kingdom of God in mind, you see how imperative it is that you reach for Kingdom impact. If you’ve ever wondered what your purpose is in this transient lifestyle, this is it: connecting others to the Source. When the Lord places you in a military home, He is giving you a gift where you can “Be the Connection!”

The military is the conduit by which we have been given the privilege to fulfil to great commission to “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). When you arrive at your new location, invite a solider/airman/seaman over for dinner, teach a Bible study, give that member a ride to church. You have Kingdom influence. Use it!

Folks, if you don’t connect to these souls, the enemy will. Let’s walk in full authority of the Holy Ghost and impact the field to which the Lord has called us. If you’re available, He can use you.

Be the connection.

Written by: Brandy Swinarton. She is an analyst in the USAF, wife to Harrison, mother to Selah, Roman, and Samuel. Brandy is the faith group leader at Osan AB, South Korea under the leadership of Pastor Fonzell Marsh in the Asia Military District (AMD). She’s an introvert who loves people but still enjoys the solitude of rainy days with good books. Since 2009 she has traveled in the Air Force with her family, across the world. She is planting a military church on Osan AB with the help of the Lord. You can connect to the work on Facebook at #ACCosanAB.

Mil-spouse life is about transition. It was my biggest misgiving before marrying a soldier.

I don’t warm up quickly. New places, new people . . . they take me awhile.

And once I’m attached, it’s hard to let go.

I could clearly imagine it: me, just barely settled in when the moving trucks arrived to pack us out. I feared a life that felt like a series of long vacations, never settled, never letting myself connect.

But I love my husband, so I determined to tackle this problem head-on. It hasn’t always been easy. I haven’t always succeeded. But I’ve adopted a life motto for myself: Be Where You Are.

Sure, I wish my daughter was closer to her grandparents. I’ve longed for familiar restaurants and favorite stores. I miss friends I’ve made along the way. But I’ve witnessed the damage caused when a heart longs so hard for Somewhere Else; it can’t see the joy and blessing of Right Here Right Now.

Here are some of my best tips for Being Where You Are:

Embrace your location for what it is. Avoid chain restaurants and look for local holes-in-the-wall. Learn about and enjoy the local sights and history.

Try to avoid comparing where you are with where you’ve been. I get it, it’s a natural tendency. But if you hold yourself apart from the new place for too long, you remain in emotional limbo, erecting a wall around yourself which others can sense.

Find a church. You might need to try a few, giving each a couple weeks’ attendance, before you agree on one. Once you’ve decided, get involved. Join the choir. Volunteer to teach Sunday School. Find a place you can contribute.

Be friendly. Whether it’s in a new church or a new FRG, don’t wait for others to reach out and include you. Show up looking for possible connections. Smile. Invite someone over. Proverbs 18:24 is true.

Limit your time on social media. It’s a great tool for staying connected with friends and family around the world, but if you’re mentally back home or at the last duty station, you won’t be happy where you are.

Avoid Negative Nancy. You’ve met her. Everything about her current situation is terrible. She hates the base housing. The last commissary was better. She’s counting down the days until orders arrive. She’ll rub off on you if you aren’t careful. Why would you want to join in her misery?

Most importantly, be the same You everywhere you go. Stay connected to Jesus, Who is the same whether you’re in a high-rise apartment in Korea or a single-story ranch in Alabama.

Remember, you might get orders from Uncle Sam, but God ultimately directs your steps. If He allowed you to come to this place, He has a plan and purpose for you here. Get after finding it.

Set your determination: if this is where I’m going to be, I’m going to BE here with all my heart.

Written by: Jessica Tanderup. She is an Army wife to Dave, mother to Abby Grace, and member of Calvary UPC in Lemon Springs, North Carolina. She loves coffee, podcasts, peaceful walks in autumn leaves, and good books. Since 2005 she has lived in six states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, New York, Alabama, Hawaii, and North Carolina. She works as an American Sign Language interpreter and blogs weekly at www.theindecisivemama.com

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).

So many things vie for our attention these days. Family, job, houses to clean, church responsibilities, education, meals to cook, bills to pay. Then add the myriad of communications we find ourselves keeping up with – phone calls to answer, emails to respond to, text message pinging, Facebook posts to check, Instagram to check, and Twitter to tweet! The list is long, and it seems never ending. Some days I feel like a dog chasing its tail. I don’t know what is most important anymore or what really needs my attention because so many things are clamoring and ringing and pinging at me all at once.

It seems that gone are the quiet and still times of life. No matter where we find ourselves there is some type of modern sound, some noise, interrupting our thoughts. I am old enough to remember that a walk in the woods meant going out to enjoy the stillness and quiet of nature. Now it seems it means a time of capturing the perfect smile of a selfie to post on Facebook for all the world to see. Heaven forbid if more than two miles of highway go by when our “signal is dropped.”

Yet I was created to be refreshed and renewed in the still and quiet times. Just as the dew refreshes the grass during the quietness and stillness of the night, my quiet times with the Lord refresh and revitalize me. As I sit quietly in His presence, not presenting the very important needs that press on my mind, but rather just resting in His presence, He refreshes my soul and brings a fresh “knowing” to my spirit. I gain a deeper faith as I am still in His presence. My refreshed and renewed mind is able to sort out what is important and what is not. My mind so easily gets off track. I can get derailed with my own to do list. I become like a car that has slid into a snowy bank, spinning its wheels and getting nowhere. Yet just a few still moments in His presence, and my “knowing” becomes deeper and my thoughts become clearer and more focused once again.

Times may have changed, and the world of technology has definitely changed greatly, too. Yet His Word remains – be still and know that I am God. Is it a command or is it an invitation? Perhaps it is both to us today.

By: Pamela Parker