Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas time with the camels.

Jason:

Merry Christmas All.  Thank you for all the letters, gifts, and electronic messages I have received during this special month.  I received an early Christmas box from Jama this week, and for some reason I couldn’t keep from opening the box, maybe because it was wrapped in Christmas paper :)  One of the wrapped gifts I found inside was a CD, filled with a mix of her new favorite songs from the year.  This week my favorite song is from this CD, everyone should take a moment to listen to “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman.  I believe I have heard this song before this week, but it was pretty much perfect timing to have it given to me.  This past week Melissa and I shared our Anniversary together…talking on the phone...twice.  It was a challenge for both of us, and we both felt like we were stuck in some bizarre isolation storm of some sort.  Once again, we found we can’t solely lean on each other for comfort during a storm, but we need to lift our frustrations up in prayer to calm things down.  I love the fitting words of this song, “Oh no, You never let go, Through the calm and through the storm…In every high and every low.”  How true.  Jesus never lets go, it’s just as times we let go of Him.  Even though bad storms circle around all of us at times, don’t forget to lift things up in prayer.  Happy Birthday Jesus, and thank You for calming our storms.  “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  Mark 4:39
 
Enjoy the song, it's what I have enjoyed all week.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Jesus, I Come

Jason: 
 
It’s over half way through December, and Melissa and I are near our Anniversary on the 19th!  In lieu of celebration, even though we are a sunset apart, my favorite song this week is “Jesus, I Come” by Shelly Moore Band.  This was the song my pretty bride was walking to on her way to find me under our wedding day willow tree two years ago.  I had never heard this song until a few weeks before the wedding as we finalized our music selection for our memorable day together.  Melissa had this song in mind, and once you listen to it, there is no question why not!
 
This past week I’ve had some time to catch up on reading and watching some videos.  I finished a documentary series called “The Long Way Down.”  Melissa sent me the DVDs to watch, and it’s been a great escape to follow this week.   A little background of the story, actor Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman team up once again for an epic motorcycle journey, this time from the northern most point of Scotland all the way down to the southern most point of Africa!  Their documented journey took them over 15,000 miles through 18 countries, viewing some of the most amazing landscapes, animals, and cultures.  The adventure was so much fun to watch, but I wish Melissa was watching with me, just as we watched the first series together titled “The Long Way Round” (which was their motorcycle trip from London to New York-going East!)  What hit me the most this week was when their journey was complete 85 days later, and how much Charley was saying he missed his wife and children.  When the excitement hit of Charley holding his family in his arms he shared of how much he had dreamed of holding them while he was away for so long.  I can definitely relate, and I have definitely been dreaming of holding my wife in my arms too!  It’s hard to believe that I have been away from Melissa for 101 days now, with nearly 101 more days to go.  Soon enough ;)
 
On my off day I read through an entire book titled, “Heaven Is For Real,” by Todd Burpo, which was suggested to me awhile back by my sister Jama.  If you don’t know the story, you really need to read the book!  A four year old boy was hours away from dying due to a burst appendix.  It turns out little Colton really did die, briefly, and spent that time with Jesus in Heaven.  The descriptions of Heaven and Jesus from the boy are magnificent.  However, what is more inspiring are how valid his experiences are in relation to theology, stuff that a four year old could not possibly come up with on his own.  After reading the book, I am even more excited about the time I too can be with Jesus!  I’m also so blessed to have a wife full of faith in the Lord!
 
Awhile back I read about the coming of God’s Kingdom in the Gospel of Luke 17:34, which Jesus states, “I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed.  One will be taken and the other left.”  If that is not motivation to know Jesus, then I don’t know what is.  Don’t be the one left behind, or your spouse.  Now listen to some of the words to the song, “Jesus I come, Jesus I come.  Into that blessed will to abide, Jesus I come to thee.”  I pray our married family and friends, and Melissa and I will continue to grow with the Lord in (y)our hearts, with a greater will to worship and adore.   Then, whenever our day comes we can worship with Jesus together in Heaven, a place beyond our knowledge, dreams, or imagination!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Vegas.

Melissa:

I have finally gathered up motivation to sit down and write an update from my point of view! There has been a lot of different things I've been learning over the past couple months.

1. It's okay to ask for help. I've had many stupid things go wrong in the house while Jason's been gone that I've had to deal with, so I've called the base family housing fixer people several times for various things. My oven broke... at the worst time too. There was a dead crow in my yard, which freaked me out and I was NOT about to touch it. Gross.

2. I need to keep extra batteries around the house for the smoke detector. I woke up at 4 in the morning TWO nights in a row because two different smoke detectors were beeping. Naturally, I just got fed up and took it all the way off the wall.

3. I now know how to change the air filter, turn on the grill, clean the grill, clean out my drains, change my own wind shield wipers, and I put up my own tree by myself and Christmas lights on the house by myself. This might sound silly, but it's an accomplishment to me.

4. I have learned, or re-learned, that I make myself entirely TOO busy!! School, work, church stuff, volunteering, and just trying to see people!

5. I think God thinks I'm strong with all that I've had to deal with and handle. Dealing with a difficult class this year (weird, and nasty personalities), dealing with Jason being gone, and on top of all that,
dealing with our recent news of moving! (Which is exciting... but scary).

6. Change makes me sad.

OH! and we got a new little precious piggy! Her name is Moo Moo and she is such a cute little pig fully of silly personality! :)
Moo Moo
Paper Jason and I 

Mighty to Save

Jason: 
My favorite song this week may be familiar to you, a song called "Mighty to Save."  There are many different bands and artist who have given their best at this song of praise, but this week I have been enjoying the adoration from the band Newsboys.
 
The week has been a little more stressful than most.  Work has been about the same, but outside of working outside all day, I have been patiently waiting for paperwork to arrive in my email box in order to complete my Air Force Re-Enlistment.  Yep, I have given the oath for 5 more years!  Monday night I completed all necessary paperwork as I was sworn back in by Major D., an Air Force Chaplin deployed here in Kuwait.  It was an honor to have Major D. perform the oath for two reasons.  One, my Air Force career started off from what I believe as an answered prayer, so it was great to have an officer that is also a believer continue that tradition for me.  Second, the Chaplin has pretty much been the only officer that has continuously taken an interest in our team members and our work at the job site.
 
Melissa and I have been planning on me reenlisting for several months now, but we have been waiting for the guarantee of our next home to be written into the contract.  For those who do not know, we will be moving to Vandenberg AFB in California next July.  Unfortunately, the contract took way more work than anticipated on my part to ensure everything was correct and documented.  Being away from home station only heightened the stress level due to the fact I had to correspond through email once a day because of the time difference.  Long story short, I received the corrected contract in my mail box then printed it 10 minutes before I reenlisted!  After the oath, as I was walking back to our office with my signed contract in hand I felt a rush of comfort and ease.  Comfort because I knew the paper work was finished, and ease because I knew what was in store for our lives the next few years…to an extent.
 
That night while lying in bed I thought about an even greater contract than my reenlistment.  The contract Jesus has already signed for every believer with His blood.  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Jesus has made a contract with us; to save us from sin, and grant us eternal life, so long as we have faith and believe in Him as our savior.  This contract has nothing to do with any amount of work we do, but is given to us by his saving grace.  Listen to chorus of this week’s song, and think about that amazing contract we have in our heart, "He is MIGHTY TO SAVE, forever AUTHOR of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave!"
 
Enjoy the song, it’s what I have enjoyed all week.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Hallowed be Your Name

Jason:

I've been away from home a few days shy of three months now.  While most days are moving right along, some days are very slow, and now getting quite cold.  I almost forgot what the winter months feel like!  This past week I've been missing home, especially now were through Thanksgiving, and December is here full of special occasions.  Melissa and I will be celebrating our two year Anniversary on the 19th, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and well....New Years Eve is you count that.
This week I found myself listening to a comforting song, one that reminds me of Vegas, particularly worshiping at Spring Meadows Church with my pretty wife.  The song is by Phil Wickham, titled "Divine Romance."  I first heard this song performed at our church as Laif played it on his guitar while the offering baskets were passed around.  I asked Laif after the service that day if he had wrote the song, and he replied with a little smile and a chuckle, then followed with an "I wish!"  I absolutely love the words and harmony to the song, and I can't help but think of "Hallowed be Your Name" from the Lord's Prayer while I enjoy this escape in my ears.  Recently I finished a book on the Lord's Prayer where I read that by beginning your prayer with "Hallowed be Your Name" you are beginning with God and his desire to be glorified.  Simply put, we FIRST show love to God, and in RETURN he continues to bless us.  I believe the words to this song are just like when we pray "Hallowed be Your Name."  Some days are very frustrating for Melissa and I while I'm away from home, and some days are a little lonely even though I live with 33 other guys!  But praise God, glory to Him for all the family and friends I have at home in the States, and praise for all the friends I have here.  As Phil Wickham sings, "I rejoice in this divine romance, lift my heart and my hands, to show my love."
Enjoy the song, it's what I have enjoyed all week.