Active Duty

ACEO signed print - Photo by  Etsy Shop Poordogfarm
"Absolutely <3 this picture"

" A Soldier is summoned to a life of active duty and so is a Christian" ~ William Gurnall
My husband has joined the United States Army and will be attending boot camp in July. Those of you who read this blog regularly know that our marriage has been quite the adventure, and with my husbands wish to serve in the military I know the possibility of change will never change. I am more than thrilled for my husband because since he lost his job with the United States Border Patrol he has been longing for a more challenging career. The most exciting part about this new adventure is that we will see so many places , and in those places we can be "Active Duty" for Christ. Who knows how many people in different states and countries that we could give the gospel of Christ to. We are as Christians suppose to be on "Active Duty".  If you are not actively doing the Lord's work then what are you doing? A soldier in the military can lose their life at any time during deployment so he makes the best of the moments he has . A soldier in God's army can be taken home at any time as well. We are not promised tomorrow, so shouldn't we be taking every opportunity to reach lost souls? Are you being an "Active Duty"  Christian or simply an "It's my Duty" Christian? Be active, save souls with joy in your heart and serve God with your whole heart and mind , don't treat His command to us like a chore or a mere duty that must be accomplished.

A Lasting Purpose

Those of you who are reading this and have a wonderful place to call home, understand that after a long trip you get tired of traveling and want to get back home to your own space. I have a home that moves with me everywhere, and wherever he is that is where I call home. My husband is here to stay even though states, jobs, and temporary homes may pass by so quickly. And again we are facing yet another job layoff in a few weeks ,but I am sure that God will provide us another job and another 'home", but that doesn't stop the ache of leaving another church family and the longing to have a space of our own again. Sometimes I wonder how long I can go on moving from place to place like this, and then the Lord quickly reminds me that this world was not His home , He traveled many  a place and did not call one place his own, He sacrificed everything for the ones he loved, and His temporary home was not filled with love for Him. There is so much more that I should be thankful for instead of feeling sorry for myself . One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalms 68:19 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation . Selah". One of our ladies Bible study topics last night was "Fulfilling our Purpose". What is my purpose? What is yours? I will tell you what it is not, it is not a high paying job, a perfect dream home, a top of the line car, or a fatty retirement. God tells us our purpose is to bear fruit in (John 15:1-8) he also tells us that age doesn't matter, young or old we are never finished with His command (Psalm 92:13-14). So are you fulfilling your purpose with the right spirit ? (Gal 5:22-23)

Dear, Japan Your Soda is Yummy

So I recently introduced myself to a new store, and I have to say that I may be addicted. My love for this place stems from yearning to travel and learn new things about other countries, as well as an overdose of watching the travel channel on TV. This blog was inspired by Courtney one of my best friends who has recently been stationed overseas in Japan with her husband and baby boy. Just how does my friend fit into this post you may ask? Well then , I will be pleased to tell you what I found in World Market, my new favorite place to shop  that made me miss and think of my beautiful friend. While perusing the aisles I happened upon a whole collection of foods, snacks, and beverages from Japan. I was thrilled with my discovery so I dragged my husband to said aisle and started loading his arms with multiple items.  My husband was more concerned with the lack of ability to read Japanese labels than thrilled with the possibility of trying something new, as I was. Of course there is a English sticker label on the back of the package, but my darling husband only looks at pictures on the front......I failed to inform him of this most crucial element simply for my pleasure. Yes, I am a horrible woman to him, but I made it up to him in the German Chocolates section where he literally looked like a big kid in a candy store. One of our purchases was a quite fruity and not too bubbly type of soda called Ramune. Shirakiku Ramune drink comes in a ton of flavors, we chose Pineapple and Lychee flavored drinks, we both preferred the Pineapple because Lychee was a tad too bitter. The awesome part about this drink is the way the glass bottle is sealed , there is no cap because the opening of the bottle is sealed with a clear glass marble. The marble is held in place by the pressure of the carbonation, and to open the bottle the drink comes with a device to press down on the marble until the pressure is released, and then the marble falls into the specially designed neck of the bottle. When you release the marble there is loud pop and as the marble plops into the drink there is a most awesome display of bubbles in the bottle neck. I had no clue that a beverage could be so much fun. PS. Courtney have fun with all the new experiences in Japan , after all if I can have a thrilling time with a simple foreign soda I'm sure you can have even more fun living there.  Love, Laura

Wrapped around your heart

To My Husband:I am writing this to say that I am going to be with you anywhere you want to be , today , tomorrow , and forever. We will see highs and lows, have tears and laughter, lose dreams and achieve new ones. And I know right now it feels like we must start over from the beginning on all the dreams we lost last year. I also know it will try our patience and our love to rebuild them again, but God has given us a new year and has given us His strength to make it through. I love you , always have and always will. This crazy whirlwind , roller coaster ,  life will never change my love for you...... I will always remain wrapped around your heart because your heart and your love is one of few constants in my life. As you always say " I choose to love you ".........And I must say, you are one of the best choices I ever made.
                 Love, Your Wife

Friends with a Pig

Mmmmm! Tastes like swine flu

Most of my blog followers know that my husband has the flu, in fact he not only has it, he has become good friends with it, and a yo-yo  fever for four days. During one of his "I'm feeling better, so I can crack jokes and watch cartoons moments", he was watching a cartoon starring a pig , and on a commercial break he snorted out a little laugh and said"HA! MAYBE I HAVE THE SWINE FLU". In response to this new revelation and diagnosis brought on by a cartoon , I of course rolled my eyes and explained away his diagnosis with another cartoon , saying " If the swine flu where real ,Winnie the Pooh would never be friends with Piglet for fear of contamination". At the time my statement settled the swine flu issue, but now that I think of it , Winnie the Pooh does carry around a big pot of honey, perhaps it is to put in his tea when he becomes sick?........ So maybe swine flu does exist.......... Shhhhh don't tell my husband.

My Favorite Otter Pop flavor is ........ Pickle!

Of all people my husband knows best that I love those individually bagged pickles at the gas station , but my loves grows far beyond the fact that they have no calories and are salty and tangy at the same time. My favorite part of having a bagged pickle is saving the pickle juice for last and then sucking it out of the bag as my husband laughs hysterically at my pickle pucker face. And lo and behold I have come across a treat that leaves me a bit confused and excited . I have been alerted by the web that there is a pickle of a Popsicle called Bob's Pickle Pop or the Pickle Sickle , this Popsicle has a website, theme song , and even an I Phone app. I have not tried one as of yet ,but will add it to my list of things to do before I start pushing up the daisies or croak, as my Dad likes to put it. If I have peaked your interest you can check out the Pickle Pop website at http://www.bobspicklepops.com/ .

Still Here!!

I apologize for not posting in such a long time ....... I know I missed posting for Christmas and New Years and my two Year Anniversary ,but things have been so busy. Jeff and I find ourselves in Arizona now and he is currently working for an electric company as an apprentice. But Jeff still has the desire to work in law enforcement or a military environment . So we will be speaking with an army recruiter this weekend to see if that is something we are interested in doing . Of course we have many reasons for considering the military, and a major one is that we enjoy time spent with military couples and we strongly feel that the Lord can use us in such a position. Many have tried to discourage us by reminding us of that great fear "deployment". I choose not to dwell on that fear. I am not naive I know that my husband could very well be sent somewhere dangerous, but I believe that the Lord will continue to dwell in both of our lives and give us both strength for that journey as well. I would love some input from those of you who love Jeff and I , and would greatly appreciate prayers for guidance as to what we should do.