Sweet Sweet Provision today!

I have to write about today. God has really been showing me the provision He provides a lot more in the New Year. I know He provides, however He is providing in EVERY step and every tiny detail In fact I picked out my new memory verse for Feb 1st as " The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalm 37:23 Ahhhh! Boy does he EVER!!
I am doing Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Team. If you have not heard of it check it out at http://blog.lproof.org/
So today I was going grocery shopping (with out HG and Hubby!) it really is relaxing when you can just take your time and not have to tell them, No all the time. LOL! So I head over to ALDI's my new favorite place to get groceries. If the Amish and the older people shop there, you know it has to be good! Well it has awesome prices. ANYWAY! You have to pay a quarter for a cart to get one. I go to get a quarter out of my purse and I have NONE! All I have are pennies. YEP! 23 of them! REALLY?!?!
So I go searching the car and praying for 2 more pennies. It was 0 degrees out and I was looking all in the car. I found one lone penny! Ok, so I have 24. What am I going to do? Go in and get a pack of gum get a dollar back and ask for quarters? Take in my 24 and tell the cashier I will pay her the penny when I get done shopping. UGH! I am walking in praying Lord, please let me find a penny on the ground on the way in. Lord, I see that every penny counts and I promise to NEVER forget that!
I am standing in line to get my quarter for my cart at the only cash register open. They open another lane and I look over and see my friend Nada. Nada!!! I swear I cried out! Walked over and we started to chat.I told her about my quarter ordeal. She laughed and said, let me pay and you can have this one. I told her here are 24 pennies I will pay you the other penny at Awana's Wednesday! She said NO! It was her 1st time visiting and did not know that you had to pay for a cart and a nice old lady asked her did she want her cart and she said Thanks so much and walked off! The lady looked at her very rudely! She did not realize till she was in the store that you had to pay for the cart. So I get her cart and get my groceries. When I got done I gave my cart to a young couple heading in and told them don't worry about the quarter, to pay it forward!
Now tonight we were on our way home via the gas station from dinner and Hannah-Grace asked us how does she get Jesus in her heart. So John and I explain to her and pray the prayer of Salvation with her. When we got to the end we said Amen. She said, no we have to say ALord or AJesus! I asked her why, she said because we pray to God or Jesus not men. AMEN! Baby ALORD!!!

January 15th means, 15 days down and only 25 more to go!

So the 15 days down, really 15 days? It does seem to be flying. I wonder why? I miss everyone one on Facebook and seeing what is going on in your lives. So you would think that it would drag by. I wish, days are slipping though my fingers like grains of sand. I want to stop time from flying by. In a little over a month, John will have been back in the states 365. I would love to say home, but he has training to go to. In 15 days he leaves again for another 15 days of training.UGH! Then in about 2 months we will once again have to say "See you soon", for another year away from his girls.
It does not seem fair, but life is not fair. When we told the Lord we will go anywhere and do anything for Him, we had no clue what our lot was. If we had known our lot would we chosen it? I can say no. That is why we leave it to the BIG MAN cause He has all the plans and He will see us thought it all! I was worried about John leaving now I am at peace. At least I know what to expect. God did not leave me or forsake me a year ago. He was right here with John and me the whole time. He made John's paths straight in the dessert, He walked them ahead of John and up held his righteous son! He will be just as faithful and true in Afghanistan.
So what have I been doing since I have been off Facebook? Well I have been reading a lot. I finished The Shack. I stated it in August and well got all but the last 3 chapters read and then put it down. I am very proud of myself, cause I am NOT a reader. I am not trying to make myself a reader, however I find it relaxing. I have been caught up on my Bible Studies and not scrambling to find time to complete them. I have only 3 chapters left to read in my one Bible Study book and going to start our new Bible Study book this week. I am stoked about this class. We are doing the 5000 Year Leap. We are going to be going over the 28 founding principles of our Founding Fathers. It should be a great study for this history lover!
PWOC has been rocking a long. We are doing our Spring Kick off in a few weeks and I hope to be teaching a class next semester. We will see, what the Lord has in his plans. I have gotten to catch up on reading some magazines and blogs. I read this one article in my P31 Woman's Magazine. It is by Shauna Naniequist. I decided to start my own. It is easier to make a don't list than a do list. LOL! Now does this mean I will NEVER do this? No, just means right now in my life I am not concerned with it.
I don't garden, well I can't I live in Narnia and not sure how to do it here. I am really not about trying to beat the snow and all. I don't clean my house everyday. Even right now there are dirty dishes in my sink (GASP!) Well I might get them done before bed, if I can find the time. A dear friend told me, You can clean your house when the kids are gone, they are not going to be there forever. Does this mean a live in a sty? Well who is to judge me? LOL! I don't make things from scratch. LOL! Yes, I like to make somethings from scratch, however every day and every meal is not made from scratch. I am not into all the organic stuff. To expensive for my budget. LOL! I believe that my family is a family not matter if our food come from the heart or a box. Cause I use heart to make it from a box too! I don't get everything done on my To Do List, if I don't get it done today, well tomorrow is not promised, however if I am here I will do my best to get it done! =) These are just somethings I have come up with so far.
I have also been able to see God's provision for our family so much more. I know that I have been looking for it, however it seems to be very abundant and amazing! God is your provider daily if you will look you will see Him in every little thing!
Hope your having an AMAZING 15 days of 2011 yourself!
Love and Blessings,
Meredith

5 down and 35 to go!

It has been five days since I last logged on to facebook. I have to say that it has been nice however I do miss you all! I wonder what is going on in your lives. However I know that I am being called to examine mine even more. In these 5 days of reflection have been very open and well they have hurt.
I have seem that I am being a brat in my areas in my life. I am acting like a 4 yr old having a pout party in the corner about this upcoming deployment. I was sitting there saying "I don't want to do this again!",  "Why us AGAIN God?", "We have through to much this year to have to be apart another year!", "The people that John work with are crazy and are all about numbers and not the well being of the soldiers.",
Well God, showed me though a dear friend that most Godly men in the Bible well they served under very ungodly men themselves. However the roads under their feet were protected. They were able to go on and do MIGHTY things with God! Then she gently reminded me, Meredith remember in your testimony how you spoke of not always walking with the Lord. Do you think that the Lord was away from you when you were not walking with him? No, you did the walking He was right there all along. So even if they are not Christians the Lord is there with them weather they choose to walk with Him or not.
Now back to my bratty attitude. He is working on me, what can I say, I am hard headed. I am also strong willed. He made me this way and needs me this way for a reason. I know that He will share His heart with me. He has seen us through a year deployment in 2009 and will see us through it again in 2011. So please pray for me and my bratty attitude about this upcoming deployment. No, it is not fair and yes, we did sign the line and know that this is the Lord's will for us in our lives, I am just not sure why I can not get out of this "slump". So prayers please! Miss you guys! Hope everyone is having a WONDERFUL 2011!
Blessings....

In 2011 I Will Earnestly Seek Heaven!

In 2011 I Will Earnestly Seek Heaven!

What can I say other than it is 5am on December 31, 2010. WOW! Where did this year go? I have been awaken by a pull, tug or shall I say shove from the Holy Spirit. Each year I have made a resolution to not make resolutions. Resolution has many definitions. However it does not say it is forever changed. I think that is what we need to look at new beginnings as being forever changed. It has been many years now that I have done a 40 fast of “something”. I have fasted sweet tea, well I still love tea, however it has been replaced with un-sweet. In 2007 I fasted soda, had my gastric bypass and never looked back. I can officially say that as of tomorrow it has been 4 years since I have had a soda! Praise the Lord. I have fasted Facebook and MySpace in the past. Last year I fasted all Fast Food restaurants. Being a single Mom at the end of a one year deployment, that was a challenge. However it inspired me to find, new, fast dishes to serve my family. It has changed my life.

So this year, I had not “settled” on what to fast if anything. I keep thinking, well I have John back and he leaves again early 2011 and well that is a fast that is hard to take and deal with. Why should I fast anything? So, I had been in prayer about it and just had not felt a definite answer from the Lord as to what I was to fast for 2011. As we know the Lord’s timing is perfect. He has awoken me this morning, with a very excited, joyful, and alive spirit about 2011! I feel that the Lord is asking me to Fast Facebook for the 1^st 40 days of the year.

 In the past week I have been on it in sheer boredom.  I have even looked up status shuffle stuff about being board. WOW, really? Why am I board? Why is that I go to Facebook 1^st thing most mornings. I have it on my computer & phone. I post things that cause people to get into heated discussions. I pray that most of my post are life giving and show my love and desire to follow the Lord every step in every day. However I should not do it out of boredom. I feel the Lord asking me to step back. Not to be so addicted to what other think or feel (comments to my postings). No, I am not going to be going “off line”, “off my rocker”, maybe!  However it will be for the Lord and I am honored to do so!

I feel the Lord wants me to still engage with the world through tweets and my blog. So to post things out there on the World Wide Web and well not be addicted to what others think or say. I love to read comments from you all. In fact I love it too much. So the Lord ask you to seek with your heart what is first and that is an idol, so I feel like Facebook as become an idol for me. I want that to be broken. I want to the Lord to be first in my heart! So as 2010 comes to a roaring close and well 2011 it is a new beginning a new start, and yes a challenging year. I am excited to seek the Lord’s Face not Facebook!  That is why my banner for 2011 is:

In 2011 I Will Earnestly Seek Heaven!

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Even the devil believes in God. However He has called us to have a relationship with him. To trust Him in all things and seek His face alone!

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” God ask us to seek Him in our thoughts and desires. Him and him alone! God gives us a choice to choose His face daily.

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” God does not plan on moving away from us. However we move away from Him. Many times we put up a wall between God and ourselves. So I am seeking God now, while He can still be found.

I do ask for your prayers please. Please pray for our family as we have been reunited almost a year and we face yet another deployment in the very near future. Yes, a year is a “long” time; however we have had some hard test (reintegration as a family, my surgery, a move, field exercises, deployment work ups & a miscarriage) this year and sailed through them with flying colors.  This time it feels different. I did not expect it to be harder, however it does feel harder. So please be in prayer for us as we soak up every moment together we can before we have to live a life apart for another year. Please pray Psalm 91 over my husband and home. We know that the Lord has called us to the Army to serve and minister and when we do things for the Lord, He will stretch us and only make us better disciplines for Him!

So yes, you will see posting on my Facebook wall through my Blog and tweets. However I will not be on Facebook till February 9, 2011. Please feel free comments them, to call me, text me or e mail me anytime. I am not cutting off communications, just not logging on to Facebook! Have a wonderful New Year and New Beginning! God Bless! 

Travels Across the US.

A month ago today we left our home for the past 22 months and headed East. I have to admit it felt good to head East. To be able to live back on the same time zone as most of our family is nice. We headed across on 90. Well over the Cascade's and into Eastern WA, there was a lot of farms and dessert. It was neat to see that side of the state. We had not had a chance to visit it before.

The first night we spent in Spokane, WA. Then we headed across ID and MT. Well lets just say there is lots of untouched land. We really enjoyed the beauty of our country. To see the land the way it was (or as close to it was) when the settlers came over. Our God is very creative! 

MT and ND have tons of ranches. It was miles and miles and miles and miles and miles, did I mention MILES of Ranches? It was neat to see all the openness of the the BIG SKY COUNTRY. I know now why they call it that. It seems to look as if the sky goes on forever. 

Then we moved into MN. The northern part of MN is beautiful with green grass and rolling hills. It was not till we got to Minneapolis that we felt like we were back into civilization.  It was so nice to look at my phone and see 3G! We went to the Mall of America. We had a blast at Nickelodeon Universe, American Girl and just window shopping. We stayed till the mall closed. It was nice to have a day off the road and just have fun!

The next stop was IL and we took in the sights of Chicago. We did the Chicago Sightseeing Tours and hit the "High Spots" as would say in the south. We had Rain Forrest Cafe for lunch. YUM! We then finished out our tour and hit the Navy Pier. We rode the Ferris Wheel just as the sun was starting to set. It was a great end to a great day!

Then we finished out our drive across the US. It was after Chicago we started hitting the Toll Roads. We don't have them down south and well I have to say that we felt the PINCH! What made it hurt worse was the roads were horrible! It was not till we got into NY that the toll roads started to pay off. The roads were nice. We did stop and see Niagara Falls. We took the Maid of the Mist tour. It was very neat to see the Falls and how powerful they are. All I could think of was the Lord and his Mighty Power! 

We pulled into Fort Drum August 27th at about 9 pm. It was a sight for sore eyes! We are excited to start our new life in the North Country. I have to say I am loving the rural area here. The rolling hill and the leaves are starting to change. When we pulled into town, I rolled down the windows! Hannah-Grace asked me "Mom, what is that smell?" I told her Freedom! LOL! It was cow and horse farms we were smelling. It is nice to not have to smell the the car exhaust fumes of WA. I loved our time in WA and we meet life long friends but I am digging the rural life up here. Watertown is a town that has everything we need. Tons of stores, restaurants and we are even getting more! Syracuse is just an hour up the road IF we should have to need something that we can't get here. I love the 1800/1900's Victorian Homes. They are breath taking. I love the Black River that RUSHES through town. We are going to explore Watertown even more this weekend. I am looking forward to living here in the North Country! 

I wanted to sit down and blog about my WA experience. I felt like it is best to put what is in my heart to words. I need to show you all what the Lord has done. We pulled into WA Sept 20, 2008. It is really hard to believe that it has been almost 2 years. Being a “NEW” Army wife, not new to the military I have to say I was scared of what our future held. I knew that the Lord had OPENED all the doors necessary for us. We pulled into town that Saturday, listening the ECU football game on our XM Radio. I really longed to be home and well see my Pirates play. How could the NW possibly even love football the way the south does? WA welcomed us with well a DOWNPOUR! It was quite funny. I told John, man I know it rains a lot here but this is rough. As we were going over the passes (could not see a thing) we would come about the clouds and there was no rain and then down into the clouds we would drive in the down pour. It was a very neat experience. On into Auburn, then Kent and then Puyallup.

We had been told about an apartment complex that we thought would be great. We headed there to check them out. Had our 1^st meal at Applebee’s! The place was packed and we were able to see our Gators play! AHHHH! Sigh of relief. We then got settled into our hotel on Fort Lewis (Now Joint Base Lewis McChord) and were ready for church the next day. A sweet waitress in ID had told us about Puyallup 4 Square Church. We looked at a sermon on I tunes and feel in love!

So we headed into Puyallup. We left an hour early, because we did not know how long it was going to take us to get there. Let’s just say we were 20 minutes late for church! It was the last day of the FAIR! The church is oh only a block from the Fair Grounds. They welcomed us with open arms and still to Hannah-Grace into Child Care. I was so impressed. We did wear our Carolina Panther’s jerseys to church that morning. The people there were so funny! They had their Sea Hawks jerseys on too! They razzed us and well we razzed them back. This is starting to feel like home! Roger preached and great sermon and John and I looked at each other and we KNEW this is where the Lord wanted us. In all my LATE NIGHT FRANTIC internet searching for a home, church and school, I did not come across 4 square! It was so the Lord’s way of showing me He was in total control. We were getting Hannah-Grace into the truck when we hear, “HEY! How about those Jacksonville Jaguars?” I turned to give and EXCUSE ME look! When lo and behold it was Roger! He walked over to us and starts laughing! He asked us where we were from and we explained our situation and how we loved the sermon. He told us that afternoon was the New Comer’s Dessert. So we went grabbed lunch and headed back. Roger was so open to us and really answered a lot of our questions about the church. It amazes to this day how the Lord arranged us to be feed by an amazing Pastor and Church! Foursquare we will forever be grateful!

Within 2 weeks of moving here we found out that John would be deploying for a year in less than 5 months. Not to count all the training to get ready I knew our time would be very very short. I knew I had to put on my BIG GIRL PANTIES and well suck it up! I was sent out to WA for a reason. The Lord had people he wanted to put in my life and me in theirs. I was scared, because I did not know anything about the Army ways and traditions. I know you are thinking military is military, well it is NOT in any way the same! I learned really quickly with the Marine Corps if they wanted you a wife they would have issued you one in boot camp! It helped to have a Sgt Maj tell me that too! I knew I better be seen and not heard. In the Army, they generally cared about the family and well amazed me with the Army Family Covenant. I took AFTB classes and got in to the groove of being an Army wife really fast.

My first friend out here was Tami! I loved getting to know you and your wonderful family. Thank you for taking me by the hand and really showing the ropes to Fort Lewis. Thank you for opening your home and heart to me and my family. I know that we will be friends for a lifetime. I love our late night text and how we can go a week or so without talking and know that your there no matter what! I am so proud of you in all your accomplishments and you’re my Army sister from another mister to me! I love you Hun!

Mrs. Carol you have been an amazing well of knowledge. In meeting you in the AFTB classes was so amazing. You have opened your heart to me! Thank you for being that wonderful example of an Army wife! Thank you for all my silly questions and wanting to know what Army Reg is this or that! Thank you for always showing me love! I will miss you and Samara so very much! Love you both!

Kessie, what can I say. You’re the best battle buddy I could have ever had! Yes, you’re my little sister but you’re so much more than that. Thank you so much for always being there with a smile and a hug. Your love for me and Hannah-Grace is so contagious. I loved our nights of Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, Bachelor, and Army Wives. I thank you for giving me a chance even though I am a Republican! You’re a wonderful hostess and cook! Thank you for your encouragement and helping me get to be a decent cook.  You having HG days and giving me a break meant so much! I will miss our breakfast! I felt like I knew Brandon when he got home, even though I had never meet him. I am so glad that our silly hubby’s get along so well! You will always be my little sister and I love you Hun!

Getting into the ESC was one of the best ways to network for me. I have met wonderful lifelong friends from this. Tami, Cindy, Brandie, Kelly, Katie, Carol and of course Carla! You ladies have been the best pals a girl could ask for. You all have opened your arms to me and shown me true love! Thank you for taking this old Marine Corps wife and showing me how to be an Army Wife! You ladies always know how to have a good time and great laughs!!! You all hold a special place in my heart!

PWOC was also the best way for me to network. Through PWOC I have meet amazing women of Faith. You all have seen me though the good and bad. You all are amazing prayer warriors and sister of Christ. Tina and Candice I thank you so very much for telling me about PWOC. Tina thanks so much for pushing me to meet you there! You know I am not a morning person. Through PWOC I have been aligned with so many sister of Christ. Thank you Tina, Candice, Deb, Dee Dee, Diana, Dawn, Jessie, Sara, Lea, Chinook, Mary, Robyn, Nikki, Johnena and Carol. You ladies have been just so open and wonderful to me. We have had our tear and our HALLELUJAH’s! Thank you for always being there with an ear and a prayer. PWOC really networked me with A LOT more people than this. All the sisters of PWOC are amazing women. PWOC bible studies allowed me to grow and mature as a Woman of God.

WA has amazed me with her natural beauty. I have been blown away by Mount Rainier. I can never get use to seeing her. The 1^st time I saw her she took my breathe and has not stopped. The state of WA is so beautiful! From the coast to the Cascade’s being able to discover some of the gems has been a blast. I have loved showing you off to friends and family that have come to visit. I will be back to and recommend ANYONE to come and visit WA! She is a nice keep secret! Fort Lewis now JBLM has been an amazing Army post. I was scared at how many gates this placed had and how big of a post it was. We have never been stationed at a place quiet so large. Fort Lewis has been a great 1^st post for any Army Family!

Our 22 months here have flown by! I have learned what it is like to live with dusk being at 3pm in the fall and winter and at 10pm in the summer. I have learned that fog, well it rolls in like it does in horror movies! I know now where that comes from. The reason people love coffee here (I am just a guilty) is because it is cold and wet all the time. It makes you want it. I have learned that summer is not just May-Sept. It can be just a couple of weeks in July and August. I have learned to live without AC and for this southern belle, it has been an EXPERIENCE! I have learned that you can keep in touch with your other friends from the past via Facebook. One of the 1^st arguments John and I had when we moved here was that I was always on the computer. Well that is where my friends were! That is where you all will be. You all are friends for life.

Being a military wife I have learned that you never say good-bye. You always say see you soon. I will see you all very soon! Like I have told most of you, see you here, see you there or see you in the air! Thank you all for being there for me, I love you!!!

Bad Girls...

Yesterday HG and I went to the mall in Tacoma. I can count on 2 hands how many times I have been there since we moved her almost 2 years ago. Well as we were walking in with our neighbor and her kids, all of a sudden 2 mall cops are wrestling with a lady. She is screaming "I didn't take anything!" Well everyone has stopped and we are all staring. She is FIGHTING. She knocked over a sign and well it took 3 mall cops to take her down.
My sweet and adorable HG yells "STOP!!!" When they did not listen she started to cry. I was trying to walk on, she is screaming at me. I felt so bad that my innocent child had to see something like that. I ended up having to pick her up and comfort her. I am NOT suppose to do that, well the Mommy in me took over....
We talked and I told her she did not have the money to pay for something and took it. It is against God's laws that we don't take things or steal.
My kiddo asked she is a "Bad Girl?". I had to tell her yes. Well then her little mind started to wonder. She starts telling me Mommy I want be a Bad Girl cause I don't want those Mean Guys to get me. I tell her they are not mean guys cause they are doing their job, and they don't get you unless you are really really bad.
On the to the car, the lady is sitting in the cop car in front of our car. She see's her "Behind the cage" as HG said. She tells me, "Mommy I want to live with you forever." I told her she can leave with me forever. We would love to have her live with us forever. She said I don't want to be put in the cage.
She tells John at bedtime, " I am going to be a good girl and not be put in a cage." I feel so bad that my child had to see something like this. It is so not fair to see her innocence taken from her in regards to people getting in trouble with the law.
I would love to have a conversation with that woman and tell her not only did you steal 2 pairs of pants but you took something from my child I can NEVER get back. It just makes me realize that our actions in public might not just effect us but others too.....