The Vision

“Encourage one another and build each other up.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Seventeen years ago, the Lord told me to write a book. And in my fear, I translated that into in-depth journaling. I wrote my thoughts and prayers in personal journals for five years before overcoming my fear and finally starting on the beginnings of a book. The journey was long, the seasons hard, but in the midst of it I found more of the Lord and the purposes He had for me. I pray my story is a blessing to you.

Just two weeks after the Lord told me to begin writing, our country was devastated by 9/11. I experienced the tragedies of that day and sent my soldier into harm’s way with little knowledge of the enemy he would be facing and no known date of return. I poured out my emotions and prayers onto paper, as I tried to capture all that our family was facing. I knew countless other military families around our country were experiencing the same challenges and sacrifices being asked of my own. As a nation, we entered a very difficult time as we faced open war for the first time in years. This meant numerous deployments for those in uniform and an era of goodbyes, unknowns, and sacrifice for the families left behind. Looking back, I now realize the Lord had plans that were much bigger than my own. He had positioned me perfectly to capture the lessons I learned through the season following September 11th, and from those lessons He grew in my heart a passion to make sure no one walks this road alone.

For the next five years, I faithfully journaled all the Lord was teaching me as a military wife and mom. In 2005, our family experienced a PCS from South Korea to North Carolina, the birth of our eighth daughter, and the deployment of my husband a mere three weeks later. I woke up early the following morning, and in the quietness of dawn, I heard the Lord firmly say, “Are you going to write the book I told you to complete?” After such clarity, I knew my writing could no longer be confined to the pages of my journals. In obedience, I opened my computer and began to type. It took three years, in the midst of multiple deployments, moves, and the general craziness of life surrounding a family of ten, but I found a book take shape as the Lord helped me communicate the many seasons I had lived through as an Army wife.

The first edition of my book, Wife of a Soldier, A Journey of Faith, was published in 2009. I was amazed at the Lord’s faithfulness to see me through the process of writing and publishing my story. With a year remaining in my husband’s Army career, I began to consider that it was now time to pass on the legacy to a new generation. On the day my oldest daughter graduated from college, I stood at her side with my husband, pinning on her Lieutenant bars as she commissioned into the U.S. Army. I realized that even as our time in the service was at its end, the Lord still had more for me as I transitioned into my role as an Army Mom. From that day on, the idea of passing the colors to new generation began to stir in my heart, and I sensed there was not only more for me to learn but also more for me to give.

So now, ten years later, I find myself once more in the midst of trying to put words on paper that adequately capture my heart, the end of one journey, and the beginning of another. The second edition of my book is set to be published by early fall. The Lord has continued to add to our story as a military family, and I want to share it with you. I also plan on sharing short devotionals and words of wisdom and pray it will be a blessing on your own journey with the Lord and the call He has placed on your life.

Check back for updates soon!