Not a hero....

I am normally not one to jump on a bandwagon and get all up in arms about stuff i hear in media....except this. The recent "POW" who was released. He isn't a hero in my eyes. I have read NUMEROUS articles on this and if that many people and soldiers are saying the very same thing through so many outlets it is hard to not be believe them as truth.

That gentleman who was released is a fool. He walked away from his unit...AWOL. Yet some say he deserves a POW medal. A deserter doesn't deserve recognition he deserves the punishment that comes from walking away from your unit. Him walking away caused lives to be lost trying to find him. They had to create new missions to try and find this man, and lives were lost. Someone lost their son, husband, fiancee, boyfriend, best friend, battle buddy all because he walked away.

I remember at the start of the war in 2003 us wives on base were invited to go a meeting about deployment and what this all will mean for our families. I remember watching a video and the man on the tv was wearing a red rag on his head and he said: "I will get you America from the inside out." 11 years later  I can still hear his accent laden voice saying that and the anger in his eyes. I also remember in that meeting they were listing off what will happen and what is expected if you spouse become a POW. Article three of the POW code of conduct states:

Article III

If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

I remember listening to the speaker read off each article and the explanation  It was a little scary and a lot to digest. It also made the deployment seem more real. Obviously this man didn't follow this rule. 

I never have liked our current president. I feel like his goal is cause harm to our nation not make it any better. He is doing a good job at it. Don't get me wrong I am still proud to be an American, I just don't agree with our government at all. After this gentleman's release it became known that we traded him for the release of some big wig terrorists. Hello, does anyone remember when it was started that will not enter negotiations or talks of trade with known terrorists  But Obama did it any. I think that this gentleman who was released will cause harm to this country. In time he was "held captive" how do we know he didn't plan an attack on our great nation. He was the one who walked away in the first place. Were his motives pure and honest...it doesn't seem like that. I am curious to see how this all places out.

The definition of a hero is this: a person of great strength and courage. Hero's are those who serve our country honestly, those who stand in the face of danger in hope to save another (like the kids at SPU who subdued the gunman from harming more) our first responders etc. Not some jackhole who walked away from his unit...

Mother's Day

Today Joe and I dropped our son off for a C.A.P. interview then I had a fabulous date with our daughter to the American Girl Store (an experience every young lady should have) It got me thinking about what it truly means to be a mother.

This is what I try and follow as a mom:

1. Available. We have to be available 24/7 for our kiddos. They have so many dreams and goals, we need to be available to help those take flight. Available means putting down the phone, shut off the computer and focus on them.

2. Listen. We need to listen not just to what their mouths are saying, but what their heart is saying. We need to pay attention and listen to their precious hearts.

3. Communicate. Have an open relationship with your kiddos (healthy boundaries of course) Let them speak their mind freely then if need be correct them or give parental advice. Allow yourself to open up and speak freely as well. They can glean from your experience.

4. Apologize. This is one of the most important things we can do when it comes to a healthy relationship. Pride can get in the way and we think cause we are parents we don't have to apologize. If we expect our kiddos to make thing right when they mess up we should do the same.

5. Fun. Do fun things and get to know your kiddos outside the seriousness of life. They need to laugh and be kiddos. They need to be silly, blabber on and on, get "high" off soda. I like when my kiddos get all wound up and the giggles and snorts come out.

6. Fail. We have this rule in our house" You will fail and be ok with failing, BUT  you need to pick yourself up, and learn where you went wrong. Then when the problem arises again you already have tools to make sure you succeed." You will be stronger in the long run!

7. Love. Love with every ounce you have, not with money or stuff. Just your words, hugs, and kisses will do. Always be quick to say "i love you"

8. Dates. Go on "dates with your kiddos. Get to know them as the little people God created them to be. They have beautiful personalities and talents. This is one of my favorite things to do with my kiddos!!

9.Example. Try to be the example your kiddos will follow into their adulthood. Teach them morals and kindness. An example of love and loving people will make this world a bit better.

10. Breath. I am not a perfect mom, and I don't have perfect kiddos, but they love me just the way I am and think I am fabulous. I think the same thing of my kiddos!!

I would never ever in my life trade the job of motherhood for anything else. I believe that my whole purpose in life was to be a mom and wife. I love it so much. I am blessed with the kiddos I have and love watching them grow up into adults. I enjoy the hard days, you know the ones where you are so frustrated that you wanna pull your hair out and wish unpleasant thoughts ( we all have them) to the days that are pure bliss and almost perfect and every day in between. We will rob ourselves the joy of motherhood if we live through our children, make our dreams comes true through our children but if we walk along side them, listen to them, and their dreams then teach/equip them as to what they can do to make them flourish (even if they change) then we will see their true potential. It is beautiful watching our son going after his dream of flying. He said he never ever wanted to be in the military, well for the last 3 years that dream has changed and he wants to fly and serve our country. Our daughter changes her mind almost daily, the one we are stuck on now is music. We shall see what comes of it. I am glad to be alongside them watching and listening! Thank you Lord for my family.

January 21, 2000

January 21, 2000...a Friday night. A young soldier comes home from work to his very pregnant fiance and says "lets do this". So they got "dressed up" and went down to a small chapel to devoted their lives to each other...though at the time they expected this to be temporary but deep in their hearts past all the fears and the world stacked against them they hoped this would be forever. 14 years later their hearts are still united as one!

 

 

Happy Anniversary to my one and only love. Our deep friendship is is the glue that holds us together!! We are blessed to have made it thus far. 

This is mine and Joe's song. Our favorite movie when we first started dating was Hope Floats ( we still love that movie). We dubbed this our song in 1998 sung by Garth Brooks, but to be honest Adele does a much better job!! 

Goodbye 2013

I am thankful to have walked through such a difficult and challenging year. As I was walking through it there is no way I would say that sentence. It all started at the beginning of the year. It was as though someone hung me upside down from my toes and shook my whole world, all while poking in me in the side with a giant stick. For the first time in my life I experienced anxiety attacks. I was broken down to my core. The previous year the Lord challenged me to real, the me that he created me to be. I thought I was doing good, which i was I just needed a jolt. I don't believe that God created the chaos and havoc that came through this year. I do believe that this was a year that He chose for me to grow the most. It became very clear that I was living life in box that was being dominated by a checklist of rights and wrongs. I expected life and the people in my life to work within my system. How did that work out for me? I learned that life in Christ is not a rule system, but a relationship that has freedom. As I walk with Christ and make him the ruler of my life then naturally I will seek to obey him. It also takes faith laying down my system of operations and take on His. It hasn't been easy at all. I know I am not putting all the blame on myself for stuff that happened this year. I am owning up to my part. Through all of this I learned so much, I learned to let go and let loose. When I started to do that I enjoyed life a whole lot more. I started to really get into dirt track racing, now it will be part of our life as Joe's racing season starts in a few months. I love going out for drink with my husband, especially on Karaoke nights. (Yes, Joe sings) I love watching kiddos dream and watching them come true. I don't live my life through my kiddos, they drag me along for the ride as their dreams start to become reality. I have learned to go with the flow. I enjoy being spontaneous. There is a time and place for planning things. It is fun to fly by the seat of your pants. I am happier and more content as I battled this year. The best confirmation came in December at my dad's 60th birthday party. A man by the name of Mike Jones, flew up from California to surprise my dad. My parents had't seen him in 31 years, I supposedly saw him last when I was 4, but I don't remember him. So foe me this is the first time I met him or spoken to him. He loves Jesus and isn't afraid to let you know that. When I was talking to him he looked me right in the eyes and said "God has been talking to me about you and I want you to know that you are on the right track." I stood there dumbfounded, he continued on saying things that I had only talked to my husband about or things I kept to myself. I can't remember word for word what he said except that he end the conversation saying "I know you are being real, what you see is what you get." The two sentences I remember word for word made a profound impact on my life. He just spoke the confirmation I need at the end of a very very hard year. It was like God giving me a pat on the back. I hope I never forget that encounter. He is a wonderful man of God. I have become real and I will continue on the path laid before me. Walking in freedom is more enjoyable then being imprisoned by self made rules. I no longer over look things and shove them under a rug in hopes they go away. Instead I deal with it right then. It is easier to say I am sorry and please forgive me. It is easier to speak up when I things aren't ok or is something is really bothering me. It has made judgment of other people go away, and the list goes on. So as I shut the door on this year, I will crawl through the window on 2014. We have lots of dreams for this year, we will see where life takes us. I know that this year I won't walk through life being ashamed of who I became, but walk in the freedom of who I am continuing to be in Christ. Happy New year!