Texas, our Texas March 14, 2012

March 2nd ~ Texas Independence Day….here at Fort Wainwright, our family celebrated the day by wearing our Texas t-shirts (with long-sleeved shirts underneath to accommodate the Alaskan weather), by eating tacos, and by greeting everyone with a hearty “Happy Texas Independence Day!”  We proudly display our Texas star on the front of the house…not just on March 2 but everyday of the year.  My kitchen is decorated “Texas”, complete with a Texas flag kitchen rug, cowboy boots on top of the frig, and a framed picture of bluebonnets in a Bluebell ice cream container.  No one ever has to ask where we’re from, and we have a lot fun being proud of our home state.

After having moved around a few times with the military and meeting many different people from all over the United States and the world, I am happy to announce that no one seems as vocally proud of who they are and where they are from as we Texans are!  I have yet to see any outdoor decor announcing the state of, say, Idaho.  Not that people from Idaho are not proud, but there is something about being from Texas that just brings it out.  Upon moving to Alaska, though, I have found that our motto “everything’s BIGGER in Texas” isn’t quite as well received although several fellow Texans here have pointed out that Alaskans cannot truly prove that Alaska is bigger.  No one is quite sure that it’s really land underneath all this ice.

Needless to say, people have suggested that we have brainwashed our children with this deep love of Texas.  I want to, however, set the record straight.  Besides the fact that Texas really is God’s country…that God blessed Texas with His own hand…that the stars at night are big and bright…there are two other reasons why we make Texas such a big deal in our house.

Many, many times, when I have asked a former military kid where they are from, I hear one of two responses, “I’m from nowhere.  We were military.” or “I’m from everywhere.”  When Scott first answered the call to become a chaplain in the military, one of my first fears was that our children would not be able to tell people where they were from, so I made it my mission to make sure that they had a place to call HOME. I know that “home is where the heart is” and that wherever the four of us are together is home, but there is just something undeniably special in being able to call somewhere “home” (lucky for us…it’s the greatest place on earth).  And that is one of the reasons why we sing the state song every time we cross into Texas and why we planted bluebonnets in our Oklahoma flower bed…to remember that no matter where we go…no matter where we live…there will always be another place we can truly call home.

Which leads me to the second reason we make Texas such a big deal…I use our love of Texas to help teach my children that this world is not their home.  Though we tease and joke (although I don’t think Texas being wonderful is really a joke or anything to tease about), the message that I really want my children to hear is very serious.  They have a better, perfect, heavenly home waiting for them.  As we travel and live all across the United States, and maybe even the world someday, I want them to remember that none of these places are truly home, not even Texas.

Psalm 84:5 says, “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion!”  Highways to Zion…what an amazing way to express our journey here on earth.  I want my heart and the hearts of my children to be set on their heavenly home with Christ Jesus so that all of our moves, all of our moments, and all of our motives will be leading the way to Zion.

p.s. By the way…the stars at night really are big and bright ~ deep in the heart of Texas

  

6 Months of Darkness December 21, 2011

is not really the case here in Fairbanks.  This Thursday is the official date for winter solstice this year…the time in which the earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun, bringing less daylight to the northern hemisphere than any other day of the year.  Here in Fairbanks, we are anticipating sunrise on December 21 at 10:58 a.m. with sunset following at 2:40 p.m. ~ the official length of daylight being 3 hours, 41 minutes, 26 seconds.  Tomorrow, though,  is the last day in which we will lose daylight (16 seconds to be exact)…because beginning on Thursday, the sun will be out just a little bit longer everyday (starting with an added 4 seconds on Thursday) until the summer solstice in June when Alaska becomes the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Now…all the technical stuff aside…

When people found out that we were moving to Alaska, some of the first responses we got were “Oh, how will you be able to handle the dark…I’m not sure I could live with 6 months of darkness.”  After hearing all of these comments, I was a little nervous about it myself.  The kids and I tried to guess what it would look like…how dark it would really be…and for how long.  We would often have conversations back in September and October asking each other at different times of the evening and night, “Do you think this is how dark it will be?”  Now that we are one day away from the darkest day of the year, I am happy to report that it is not so bad after all…and it really, truly is beautiful for several reasons.  First, when the sun does come up, we get the opportunity to actually see it because we’ve been up for hours…and let me say, I think God may have saved His most brilliant color palette for the Alaskan winter sky.

After this beautiful sunrise, the sun moves horizontally across the sky, just above the horizon until sunset a few hours later.  So we are virtually experiencing one gorgeous sunrise that blends into a gorgeous sunset with nothing in between.  Amazing!

And of course, there is always the spiritual application that God has laid on my heart.  Here we are in the middle of the darkest time of the year, and God still provides a glimpse of His amazing glory…even for the briefest period, it has been enough to take my breath away on many days this December.  I am in awe of His handiwork and at times stand in wonder at the beauty that surrounds me.

Isn’t it just like Him…to supply even a moment of beauty in the midst of our darkest hour.  We all experience seasons of darkness in our lives, but if we look very closely, we will catch a glimpse of something beautiful right in the middle of it all.  Those are the moments that push us forward, knowing that in just a little while, the sun will shine longer, and the season of darkness will cycle through to a season of light.

Which brings me to Christmas…in our darkest hour, in our darkest season, He sent His Son, to be born of a virgin, to bring light into our world…a moment of hope…a moment of light…His glory forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb6kG5oXTRU&feature=share

Just in case you were wondering October 29, 2011

Sunrise — 9:24 a.m.

Sunset — 5:41 p.m.

I heard the weather guy say that we had lost 5 minutes of daylight, making only 9 hours and 38 minutes of daylight that particular day.

I also saw another pretty cool thing…maybe it looks this way in Texas and I just never noticed….

I watched the sunrise at 9:15…it came up just above the roof line of the neighbors’ houses across the street.  Then throughout the day, it followed a path directly across that same roof line never going any higher until finally setting around 5:45.  I have never seen or noticed horizontal movement of the sun…pretty interesting and lovely all at the same time.

  Sunrise Saturday morning 10:25 a.m.

View from the computer desk window

 

Preparing For The Season October 29, 2011

Since arriving in Alaska  two months ago, I have been advised of and implemented a number of strategies to prepare for the upcoming winter season. I have purchased a new set of Blizzak tires, perfect for the Alaskan driving conditions and have already had them switched out with my “summer set.” I scheduled and completed an appointment to have a block heater and auto-start installed on the pickup along with other winterization tasks for the vehicle two weeks ago. I cleared out the garage of all moving boxes and other items so that the pickup fits in the garage with the door closed, and the garage heater is working properly.

I have purchased snow pants, coats, gloves, and hats for the kids. I finally crossed snow boots off of my shopping list and have even purchased dog boots for Libby so that her little paws won’t get caked with snow pack when she goes outside this winter.  I am still debating about a doggy coat but have one sitting in my online shopping cart just in case.  I have begun training her to be an inside dog as I was told there is “no such thing as an outside dog in Alaska unless ‘Alaskan’ is in their name.”

Three weeks ago,  I heard a lady explain that she got all of her Christmas lights put up and that if I have any lights or other decor that I am planning to display this holiday season, I had better get started. I asked someone else about my candy cane lights. I really do not want candy cane poles all along my yard from now until April. She assured me that there should be enough hard packed snow by Thanksgiving that I will be able to stick the poles in the snow and don’t even worry about getting them actually in the ground.

I have attended the Welcome to Winter briefing offered here at Fort Wainwright and sat through two hours of detailed information about winter survival kits, staying active even when it’s dark and -40 degrees, and how to keep my children and pet safe from contact frostbite. I think…I hope…I am ready.  With all of this information and all these tasks accomplished, I feel pretty good about things, but I still don’t quite know what to expect.  All I can do is stay ready and face the winter day by day.

As I have been preparing, God has spoken to my heart about preparing for the winter seasons of our spiritual lives.  In His Word, He tells us that we will experience times much like the seasons of earth…times of new growth, a fresh start…times of sunny days and blue skies…times of change…and yes, times that appear cold, dark, and lifeless.  Jesus Himself said, “In this world, you will have trouble…” so it should be no surprise when we enter a period of winter.  The key, though, is to be prepared for it.  Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us to prepare for these times, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!  It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,   yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”  During the times of life that seem like spring and summer… the times when we feel like we have not a care in the world…those are the times that we should celebrate the season but also keep in mind that a new season will come.  We must be vigilant to stay connected to the Lord during the times of plenty so that we are already connected and prepared during the times of drought.  We must be in His Word during times of growth so that we are prepared with strength and comfort in times when we feel like we are lying fallow.  Just like I needed a new set of winter tires BEFORE the first snow, I need to be prepared for whatever season is coming BEFORE it arrives.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:   a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to      uproot,   a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,   a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,   a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,   a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,   a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”

And so the question I must ask myself is “Am I prepared for my time?”

October 18, 2011

Moving… Moving… Moving far from home…

Moving two cars, two kids & a dog…..all riding with HER of course

Moving sofas to basements because they won’t go in THIS house

Moving curtains that won’t fit

Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours

Moving away from friends, Moving toward new friends

Moving her most important luggage…her trunk full of memories

Often waiting… Waiting… Waiting…

Waiting for housing

Waiting for orders

Waiting for deployments

Waiting for phone calls

Waiting for reunions

Waiting for the new curtains to arrive

Waiting for him to come home for dinner…AGAIN

They call her ‘MILITARY DEPENDENT’, but she knows better.  She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book …

Handle the yard work …

Fix a noisy toilet …

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts…

She can file the taxes…

Sell a house…

Buy a car…

Or set up a move… All with ONE Power of Attorney

She welcomes neighbors that don’t welcome her.

She reinvents her career with every PCS.

Locates a house in the desert, the Arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all ‘home’.

She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty…

They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career alternatives,churches, and friendships.

They don’t have 15 years to get to know people.  Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other.  They connect over coffee, rely on the spouse network, accept offers of friendship and favors, record addresses in pencil…

Military Wives have a common bond…

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands.  His commitment is unique.

He doesn’t have a JOB.

He has a ‘ MISSION ‘.

He’s on-call for his country 24/7.

But for her, he’s the most unreliable guy in town.

His language is foreign…

TDY

PCS

OER

AEF

ACC

ACU

ABU

BAH

PME

EPR

SOP

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long-distance link to keep them informed… the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments…

She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, refuse to move to Siberia, but she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to the flag, a wedding picture…

And she goes. She packs. She moves. She follows.

Why? What for? How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind, but actually it is because she has lost her heart…

**It was stolen from her by a man, who puts duty first, who longs to deploy, who salutes the flag, and whose boots in the doorway remind her

that as long as he is her Military Husband, she will remain his military wife…

And would have it no other way.

(borrowed from a friend)…

** one adjustment …  My heart was not stolen by a man who puts duty first….I gave it to a man who puts God first…and for THAT reason…I do all of these things, even while I am missing him as I type these very words.

By His Very Breath September 13, 2011

Job 26:13 By His breath, the heavens gained their beauty.

I shared this verse with M & J earlier today after we had experienced our first glimpse of the Northern Lights last night. I talked with them about how it was this same breath that breathed life into man. Tonight, upon seeing the Northern Lights display again, J said, “It is amazing that the same breath that created this gave us life.” This comment began a little dialogue.

Mom: Yes, I just pray that I am as beautiful as these lights.

J: I think God thinks we’re even more beautiful.

Mom: I don’t know…my sin is pretty ugly.

J: But Mom…you’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb…you’re beautiful to Him.

Wow! I don’t know which was the more spectacular display…the lights or my son’s wisdom.

God Bless the U.S.A.! August 29, 2011

  1 + 5 + 5 = DAY 11

Our last and final day on the road took us from Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, Canada to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA!  The scenery continued to be beautiful as the day started out at 37` and a little misty and then cleared off to spectacular 68` when we arrived in Fairbanks.  What a way to end our trip!  Highlights of the day were the fantastic pastries from the Hungarian chef, the gorgeous Kluane Lake outside of Haines Junction, and of course, the end of the Alaska Highway at Delta Junction, Alaska.

 The end of the Alaska Highway — Mile 1422

Besides finally arriving at Fort Wainwright, our favorite part of the day was arriving back in the United States of America.  We whooped and hollered (Texas-style) and sang “God Bless America”.  The border patrol agent wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about letting us in as we were about getting back in, but we didn’t have any problems whatsoever.  He just thought we seemed a tad eager about going through the gate.

Our excitement about “being home” got me to thinking, though.  Canada is a beautiful country.  In fact, Mary said, “I wish I could say the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen is in the United States, but I think I would have to say it’s in Canada.”  Banff, Lake Louise, the Icefields are all beautiful beyond words, but nothing felt as good as being back on our home turf, even though we are about 4,000 miles away from the place we consider “home.”  So my thoughts ventured into the spiritual…I wonder if I am as enthusiastic about thoughts of heaven.  Am I as eager to share with others about my home in heaven, to invite them to join me there?  I want to be like the men and women spoken of in Hebrews 11:13-16:

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

The only difference is I have received the things promised.  The Messiah has come and has brought the New Covenant…all the more reason for me to long to join Him in the city He has prepared.

But until then, I will live in this city…the one He has prepared for this season of my life, and I will live to the fullest!

p.s.  Thanks for following us on our Great Adventure to The Last Frontier.  I will continue to post pictures and thoughts about our time here, so stay tuned!

10 Down and 1 To Go August 28, 2011

photo taken at the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

Yeah! We are nearing the end of our journey to Fort Wainwright, Alaska. We were scheduled to travel to Whitehorse, Yukon today…to Beaver Creek, YT tomorrow …and then to Fort Wainwright; however, I decided to drive just 1 1/2 hours more today and a little longer tomorrow so that we will reach our destination one day early. We are all anxious to be there even though we are looking at another week of hotel stays. At least we can unpack our suitcases a little…do some laundry…and stay out of the car!

It was another day of wonderful scenery but still no bears. In fact, the only animal I saw was a beautiful red fox wandering along the roadway.  Oh, wait…there was one bear…Joseph had a good time leading me into this rest stop with my eyes closed…only to have me open them to this greeting.

After arriving at our hotel this afternoon, we enjoyed a FABULOUS dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.  The chef is from Hungary, and he prepared authentic Hungarian cuisine.  The kids had Hungarian goulash stew, and the adults tried the cabbage rolls.  Everyone had a clean plate!  More amazing than the food, though, is the view from our room.  These mountains are part of the Kluane Mountain Range.

Last but not least, today, our 10th day on the road, was my dad’s 70th birthday.  I am so blessed to have a father who loves the Lord and follows Him and who passed that love on to me, teaching me the truths of God’s Word all my life.  Second, I am grateful to God that He allowed both of my parents to come on this amazing trip with me, not only for practical reasons but also for the time that we will hopefully hold close in our hearts forever.  We have sung songs, laughed, marveled at God’s handiwork, and even cried a little along the way.  Thanks, Mom & Dad, for the help, but more than that, thanks for the memories!

 

Into the Yukon August 27, 2011

Our morning started out with Joseph saying the blessing at breakfast:  Dear God, Thank you for this day.  Please keep us safe as we travel today, and please help us to see wildlife.  Bless the food.  Amen.

Then we were on our way.

The first surprise of the morning was the man at the FULL-SERVICE gas station.  He was so kind to fill up the truck and send us on our way!  We made our daily picture to begin the journey at the historical Mile 300 marker in Fort Nelson.  Then it was “North to Alaska.  Go North, the rush is on!”

 

Within an hour and a half, J’s sweet prayer was answered.  We began seeing caribou in several places on the way from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake.  They were dark, dark gray (almost black) with furry antlers.  The worker at the construction stop said they are Woodland caribou.  Yes…the construction stop…we were stopped twice today for about 20 minutes each time.  The first stop was for mowers, and the second stop was for gravellers.  The mowers were great…the gravellers made a mess!

Just past the mowers construction stop, we saw stone sheep grazing on the roadside.  We were in awe.  They seemed without a care in the world.  The cars driving by didn’t seem to bother them at all.  Oh how I wish that I could be more like that.  When life comes rushing at me, I would just trust and continue on my way, knowing that I am in His hands.

  

We crossed the western Rocky Mountains and marveled at the beauty.  God is amazing and the most wonderful artist… the deep jade/blue color of the rivers, the striations in the rock formations, the trees that seem to point straight to the Father.  It takes one’s breath away!

             

I just couldn’t resist stopping at Milepost 422 in Toad River.  We had fun trying to get Libby to cooperate…maybe you can see her…she’s the lead moose!

Then westward and onward we went.  We were diligently looking for bears since the big sign said “WARNING You are entering Bear Country!”  Joseph was very excited…Mary, not so much.  You can just imagine how surprised we were when we drove up on a very unexpected animal here in Canada….For a brief, agonizing moment, I thought we had been tele-ported back to Oklahoma!

Alas, we didn’t see any bears, but there’s always tomorrow…and the day after that…and the day after that.  If we don’t see one by then, we will just have to see one on post.

Day 8 August 26, 2011

Nothing especially eventful today…

The beginning of Day 8 at Mile 0

The trees are already changing colors here...BEAUTIFUL!

The natural gas pipeline over the Alaska Highway

Eating at Triple Gs ...felt a little like home

And there you have it…Day 8 in a few pictures.  We are all tired, a little stir crazy, and anxious to arrive.  If you have been praying for us on this trip, please pray for rest and the strength to finish strong.  Until tomorrow…