That laughter is what makes it all worth it.

The long months of a deployment evaporate as I stand there, a smile on my face, my heart completely full. We're doing something right.

I had wondered, at times, if this seperation would be hard on my little one. If she'd still share that special bond with her papa.

But it didn't take long for them to pick things up again.

Yes, there were some adjustments to be made.

But the love was still there.

The love that started the moment she was first placed in his arms on that hazy hospital morning.

The love that started there, that continued through long nights, family trips, holidays, a first birthday and months of video chatting from far away.

No, it didn't take our girl long to start laughing with her Father again.

To re-forge that bond they had so tightly formed.

And that, my friends, makes my heart feel full.

That is why this post is a bit on the rambling, sappy side.

Because my heart can't help but be full to overfilling this evening.

Another day I'll post about the harder side of re-unions. The struggles. The frustrations.

But for today, I'll focus on the love.

The love of a father and his daughter.

Have you experienced the love of your Father up above lately? When was the last time you truly laughed? When did you last experience unbridled joy?

I have trouble concentrating. I’m anxious. I’m extremely excited.  I’m in a tizzy as I try to get everything done on time. I have trouble sleeping. It does kind of remind me of being a senior in high school, ha! Only this time, I’m waiting for my husband to come home. I’m excited, and nervous, about having him back in our every day lives. Oh how wonderful it will be. But, oh, what an adjustment we have in front of us.

Just as this deployment was a new situation for us, a homecoming will be new as well. I’m sure we’ll have our own, interesting challenges awaiting us. My husband will be drastically changing his time zones. He’ll have to adjust back to having a little one underfoot. He’ll, really, have to get to know our daughter all over again. She’s changed so much since he’s been away. He’ll have to adjust back to America, the land of plenty, with everything you can think about at your finger tips. It’s hard to imagine what it will be like. As for me, I’m so extremely excited to have him home again. I’m busy fixing up our house, running errands, making lists of meals I want to cook, dreaming up family vacations for us to go on this summer, and looking forward to some dates with my hubby!

As my days are focused on the up-and-coming homecoming, I can’t help but think of my Jesus. Oh, how happy He must be for us now! And, oh, how he wants this same response from me. Do I anticipate spending time with Him everyday? Do I make myself look nice, when I come into His present? Do I wait expectantly for Him, in every part of my life? It’s certainly some food for thought.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name” (Psalm 104:4, HCSB)

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103, NIV).

And isn't that the truth for me as well? There have been times when I've kicked and screamed my way through life. Times when I insisted that I know best, when I refused to listen to any other voice of reason. But my Father up Above knew better. He saw the big picture. He knew what would ultimately be in my best interest. And so, He reigned me in. He helped me through difficult times. He held my hand when I needed it. He encouraged me, uplifted me, and, ultimately, made me stronger. Yes, those times of growing were hard. Yes, I  didn't like it. But, my, am I thankful for a patient Savior that knows what's best for me.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4, NIV).

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6, NIV).

"See how happy the man is God corrects; so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty" (Job 5:17, HCSB).

God definitely taught me a lot, about depending on Him. I’ve also found that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was. I really wasn’t sure I could handle this house and the parenting thing on my own, but I did. I really think we’ve come out stronger at the other end, which is saying a lot. So, as I wait out these last few days of the deployment, I have nothing but thankfulness in my heart. Thankfulness for my wonderful family and friends, that have given us so many prayers, love and encouragement. Thankfulness for my husband, who has empowered me with his prayers and encouragement across the miles, and thankfulness for my Savior, who has strengthened me on this journey.

So, instead of being impatient, I’m trying to be thankful, and looking at all the love in my life.

 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4, NIV).

What are you thankful for today?

Windsor Castle, April 2002

Our lives are filled with memories. There are times when I look at my little girl and wish I could freeze that moment, keep her this young, this vibrant, this lovely for ever. I'm sure she has a marvelous life in front of me, but it's already hard for me to think that she, one day, may life that life far from me.

My mother must have felt much the same. Before she even felt ready, I was out the door, on my way to college for the adventure of a life time. Four years of college passed, with summers at home, and then, I was permanently moving to a different state. Two years after that I was marrying the man of my dreams. And thus, goes life.

Now, a thousand miles seperate me from the mother who raised me. We talk often on the phone, sharing in each others lives, and posting pictures online.

But still, time and miles seperate us. There many days that I wish I coulid hop over for a cup of tea, or have Sunday Super together as a family.

But this, for now at least, isn't our reality.

Still, this lady that I grew up calling "Mom," is important to me. It is, largely, because of her, that I'm me.

She's one of the best moms, and friends, that a girl could ask for.

When I was a senior in college, she and I went on a wonderful adventure together. We travelled to England, and saw many of the places we'd dreamed about in books. We visited the Tower of London, Walked through Windsor, saw Shakespeare's birth place, and drank many pots of tea.

It was a Beauty Full Memory, one I'm sharing in honor of Mother's day (which is coming up on May 13th!) and as a part of Love Feast Table's Fancy Friday Link Up.

Do you have any Beauty Full Memories? What mother figures has God placed in your life?

This, my friends, is my prayer for each of you today. The military life isn’t always easy. Frequent moves, deployments, changing family dynamics, can all cause a great amount of stress on our shoulders. I pray, today, that you are encouraged and strengthened.

You’re not alone. We’re all on this journey together. Endure and stand strong. Keep your eyes on the ultimate prize:

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne” (Hebrews 12:1-2, HCSB).

The goal is Jesus. The very reason we live these military lives is Jesus. He placed us here, so lean on Him to get you through each day.

Stand strong!

Life can be hectic with your husband gone. Bills have to be paid, appointments have to be kept, children have to be car-pooled around, day in and day out. Sometimes, it seems, you never have a moment for yourself. If I could say one thing to you, it would be this: rest. Don’t feel guilty about dropping the kids off at the neighbor's house, just so you can eat a meal in peace. Take that bubble bath. Watch that late night movie. Paint your toes. Enjoy the peaceful moments when the house is dark and Jesus is the only company by your side.  Our tendency is to focus on everything we don’t have, on our husbands who are far away, on all of the extra work we have on our plates, instead of seeing the quiet evenings for what they are: moments of rest. These moments are truly precious. The work God is doing in you, day in and day out is precious. You are facing a hard task, but you are never alone. Rest in the one who made you.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, HCSB).

"LORD, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future.... I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely. (Psalm 16: 5,8-9, HCSB)

 Rest, dear friends, rest.

Love,

Meg

This post was written as part of the "My Mother Letter" Link up Party. Hop over to see all of the other letters!

In a house, this is understandable. Good enough really is good enough. To be honest, I'd rather spend time outside with my toddler, versus having an immaculate house.

But good enough, isn't good enough when it comes to my heart, my soul.

I can try my best.

I can live a good life. Help those around me, make sure I don't steal, or curse, or commit adultery.

But it's not enough.

I can't get to heaven on works enough.

The outer rooms of my heart may be decently clean, but threre's a level of silt that never goes away. There are those dark corners, those closets, where sin resides. Those tiniest areas that never, quite, get fully cleaned.

And those areas are enough to keep me from heaven, unless I let Jesus come in.

Jesus' death and resurreciton cover those bits that I can never quite reach on my own.

Because of His sacrifice, my heart is completely clean. There's no longer any hidden crevices. He has access to it all, and, because I asked, He's wiped it all away. It is no more.

"As far as the east is from   the west, s o far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12, HCSB).

"'Come, let us discuss this,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool'" (Isaiah 1:18, HCSB).

Sigh.

It’s a quick downhill battle, one that we’re so talented at as women. I really think women are bigger gossipers because we share our hearts. We talk a lot, anaylyze out loud, and, in the process, make judgments of those around us.

I would be so completely hurt if I overheard someone gossiping about me. Yet, I find myself falling into the same exact trap. I gossip about others, often as a well-intentioned friend.

But where to draw the line? Perhaps, if I asked myself these questions, I would hesitate before gossiping:

Who am I talking to?

Why do they need to know this information?

 Can they empathize with me, without knowing the full story (in order to protect other people?

What am I getting out of this exchange?

If the person I’m talking about was standing here, would I still say this?

What’s at the heart of the matter?

What does Jesus think about this?

Asking these questions, and saying a quick prayer, might make all of the difference in the choices I make. What about you? Is there anything else you would add to this list?

I’ll leave you with some verses on the power of the tongue. They’re definitely something I needed to read today:

“And my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness,
Your praise all day long” (Psalm 35:28, HCSB).

“The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just” (Psalm 37:30, HCSB).

“A wicked person listens to malicious talk;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue” (Proverbs 17:4, HCSB)

“The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble” (Proverbs 21:23, HCSB).

“If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and he deceives himself” (James 1:26, HCSB).

^“So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell” (James 3:5-6, HCSB).

I’ll be honest, and say that I’ve had some very carnal days as of late. Days when I’ve looked at myself, looked at the world around me and criticized. And so, to combat those things, I thought I’d share some of the things I’m thankful for. Here goes:

A pretty Spring scarf, sent from my hubby:

Easter Lillies, because spring flowers are simply marvelous :)

Scrapbooking fun, because every girl needs a hobby :)

And mommy-time complete with lunch and a manicure, because even mommies need a break!

I'm also thankful for all the people in my life, who have helped us through this deployment. From prayers, to encouraging words, to a listening ear, it's all meant so much.

So, even though my little girl cried in town this morning, and is currently fighting her nap, even though my house looks less than perfect, and my hair is a mess, I deliberatly chose to be thankful.

 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful " (Colossians 3:15, NIV).

What about you? What can you be thankful for today?