Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour pan… set it aside.

Take apples, sugar, and cinnamon and set aside.

• 6-7 apples – cut/peeled and cored
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 5 teaspoons sugar

Then, in a separate bowl mix:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder

Add the following to the flour mixture:

• 1/4 cup orange juice (I use freshly squeezed, its about one orange)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of melted butter

Last but not least, throw in:

• 1 cup broken walnuts

Pour half of batter in cake pan (or tube pan).  The batter is thick! Add about half of the apples to the first layer of batter.  Pour remainder batter on top of first layer of apples, then top cake with the rest of the apples.  Bake at 350 degrees for aproximately 40 minutes.

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’” (Genesis 12:1)

As a military wife of 15 years, I have often struggled with the frequent moves to new and unfamiliar places.  I have craved some “normalcy” and to lay down roots for our family. When I was a child, I had always imagined living within a very close proximity to my family, with my parents playing an integral role in the lives of my future children. I have lived a life quite the opposite of this childhood dream, where most of the time we have been several states, if not entire continents, away from my parents. 

When I reflect upon Genesis 12:1, I am reminded that Sarai, much like me, was also called to follow her husband to a faraway place. She left her family and all that was familiar, and went by faith to where the Lord directed them, in order to fulfill God’s larger purpose. God had mighty plans to make a great nation from the seed of Abram and Sarai. Their faith began with a directive to leave the familiar and travel to the unknown, and continued with a promise to bless their yet unborn seed, even when they were past childbearing years. 

The Lord has required faith of me as a military spouse as well.  He has required me to move to yet unknown places with the promise that He has plans to give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Our military moves have granted me the immeasurable blessing of meeting so many wonderful people with whom I have been ministered by, or with whom I have been able to minister to. 

With each impending move, I will embrace the unknown and walk by faith knowing that God has something extraordinary waiting for me on the other side.

Lisa is the proud “hooah” wife of an Army soldier for the past 15 years. She has  a heart for military wives and especially encouraging and strengthening military  marriages on the foundation of Christ. The Army has enabled her to plant seeds  of friendship all across the world. Her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology  has blessed her with the opportunity to minister to military couples through  counseling. In this season of her life, she dedicates her time to homeschooling  their two children and serving with the Military Wives ministry at her church.  You can follow Lisa on her blog at: www.hearts-in-formation.org

I have to remind myself on a daily basis to BE STILL, and remember that God is God and He is in control.  How many times do I want to control a situation, or use my own judgement to answer lifes questions? Um…do you want me to answer that? Let’s just say–enough.

I think many people like to be in control–especially military wives. After all, we have a lot of responsibility.  We pay the bills when husband is away, we take care of the home-front when our man is gone, we like to be in control of where our kids are or what they are doing.

 The fact of the matter is we should not only pay the bills, but we should pray over our finances, asking the Lords direction on when and where we spend our money.  I’m guilty of having the attitude of “we have this much money in the bank, let’s go on vacation.”  Yet, I didn’t pray about it.

What about kids (if you have kids)?  Did you pray about what school your child should go to, or your child’s bad attitude? Before complaining about your child’s attitude, maybe you should pray about the problem and how you should respond.

Can’t sleep? Pray about it, read your Bible.  Seek God.

The moral of this story is, BE STILL.  Don’t let your mind wonder too much.  Angry, bitter, alone, depressed, don’t know which way to turn? Be still, and know that GOD is God.  He will direct your paths if you let Him.

Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  Proverbs 3:6

Here’s the recipe:

4 cups sliced, fresh strawberries
½ cup sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick mix (or generic biscuit mix)
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
Whipped cream, to taste

Mix strawberries and ½ cup sugar, set aside. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Stir Bisquick mix, milk, 3 tbsp sugar, and butter until soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Split warm shortcakes, fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping.

Enjoy!

“Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes He calms the sailor.” – (unknown)

I have always loved the story of Jesus rebuking the storm in Mark 4:35-41. When I was a child, I used to hide when storms came. I was very afraid of thunder, and I was too little to understand that noise was the only real threat thunder had to offer. It didn’t matter in the midst of the storm, though. All I knew was I was scared and needed shelter.

I have come quite a long way from the frightened child hiding under her bed from the thunder, but some storms still scare me. Some noises still leave my soul greatly jolted and deeply disturbed.

War is the storm of my adulthood. The storms of deployments and uncertainty still leave me searching for shelter. There are many days when I wish I could hide from it all, and come out when the storm is over. It is an abiding faith that allows me to keep from running and hiding. I can abide because Christ Jesus abides with me in His Word.

Can I “consider it joy” when I face these trials? Not on my own. I can consider it joy when I rest in the knowledge that the trials I face day in and day out are not put there for my defeat. According to James 1:2 those trials are put before me to help me grow in endurance.

Does this mean I should embrace war and fear and never pray for it’s end? Of course not. It means I need to walk toward the trial with confidence and remember that the Lord will not put me through more than He will enable me to handle. I trust that whatever He calls me to endure, He will certainly equip me to handle. I pray for war to cease, but I also pray for the grace to embrace with faith whatever reality God has placed before me.

When I ponder the story of Christ and the disciples in that tiny boat being tossed all around I have to wonder what the outcome would have been had the disciples asked Jesus to help their faith before they asked Him to stop the storm.  There is nothing wrong with crying out “Lord, please stop the storm!” The scripture passage clearly shows that the Lord rebuked the storm, and not the disciples. He did gently admonish them for their lack of belief. They were supposed to assume that Jesus did, most definitely, care for them and their lives.

I am still practicing. It’s still my propensity to yell out “Lord, please stop the storm!” instead of crying out “Lord please give me the faith I lack!” first. What if I asked the Father to still my soul before I asked Him to still the storm? I pray one day this will be my response and it will feel as natural as taking my next breath. Instead of being tossed about helplessly in the boat, it is my sincere prayer that I will abide with the Lord in the eye of the storm.

About the Author:
Claire Shackelford began writing when she found herself attached to the Army at the hip—at one point her husband and two sons were serving. It was then she began writ­ing about her jour­ney through sep­a­ra­tions and deployments from a Christian perspective. She never faced deploy­ment with her hus­band, but she has been through 2 now with her old­est son. Claire holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and she serves as a ministry leader with Christian Military Wives as well as on the Board of Directors for Christian Military Fellowship.

Starlett (Star) Henderson, co-founder of Army Wife Network, home of Army Wife Talk Radio, has been an Army wife for 16.5 years. She is a National Guard Army wife. Her journey with the military began writing daily letters to a friend at Basic Training in 1990. She joined the Army in 1993, and later married that “friend” in 1995. Her husband is David, and they have two children: Thomas (15) and Tara (8).

WIB: So Star, what do you love about military life?

Star: It’s all about passion for each other, for our “mission” and our faith.

That’s reason #933 in the book. Can you share with us the poem you wrote to go along with it?

There was an American girl,
who wanted to give life a whirl.
She married a soldier, to love and to hold her,
and wound up seeing the world.
That lucky girl became Army Wife,
who always stands proud no matter the strife.
She counts it a blessing and goes on professing,
“Nothing beats this passionate life.”
–STARLETT HENDERSON

I love that, and I think a lot of women will be able to relate to exactly what you said. And there are a thousand other things to love about military life in this book, as well. Tell us how the idea for the book came about.

In 2006, Tara and I met Kathie and Holly virtually. By the end of 2008 we were talking publisher(s) through this idea of a book, similar to Barbara Kipfer’s 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, but for military.

Kathie and Holly came up with the idea, which grew out of their need to remind members and family and inform communities why the military experience is held dear and revered, especially in the long run. They spent the last two decades uplifting military spouses, their Soldiers, and themselves (Kathie’s a veteran) despite the challenges this life holds.
They thought the idea of consolidating the insights they learned and utilized as personal touchstones was worth looking into. It was. It ended up being a “ready-made” gratitude journal with room to explore the reader’s own reasons for committing to the military lifestyle.

What did you like most about working on it?

This book had appeal to me personally, because I’ve never been able to fully articulate how much I love the military and why. This was me putting those reasons down for my parents, my husband’s parents, my children, and my friends (so many are not affiliated with the military). It was really a personal testimony, even if that’s not readily apparent. I think it is in my acknowledgements. I was in JROTC growing up, but I shocked everyone when I came home with a signed contract to join the Army Reserves without consulting David (my serious boyfriend by then), my parents, or my friends. This is a belated articulation of the reasons why I joined, and why I’ll never regret that decision. I think one of my first blog explains that a bit more too.

It was also a huge deal professionally (a coup really) and an opportunity to demonstrate my ability to commit to and finish such a project. I honestly saw this as something I’d be crazy not to accept. I will say, working with our mentors Kathie and Holly made it all feel right. I have no problem saying “no” to ideas or people for the right reasons. The fact that it was going to be hard wasn’t a good enough reason to skip this opportunity.

You’ve been active military and a military spouse for years—so as you collected contributions for the book, did anything anyone said surprise you? What was it?

I mostly enjoyed meeting happy military couples in their retirement years being grateful for the time they dedicated to the military and having rich full lives to show for it. The wounded warriors and Gold Star families who we read about were surprising in their fervor and belief that their sacrifices were tragic but served a greater purpose. They still serve, and that is something to me. Loving them and all they stand for is the least I can do.

Let us not mourn that such men died, but rejoice that such men lived.
–GEN. GEORGE S. PATTON JR.

I will not forget Paul Johnson, who serves still, as an emblem of patriotism and love for this country.

Paul Johnson was a high school class mate of mine, and also a fellow JROTC cadet.  That is a bond that is hard to explain, and also hard to shake. His mother was so proud of me and the message of this book.

It’s surprising that they hold no bitterness (most Gold Star families), which can only mean that they truly love their country, serving its leaders and needs without regard for themselves. I wanted to honor that with my own military service and now the book.

How do you hope this book will affect readers?

I want those who have no idea about the military to understand that some of the reasons to love military life is that it affords its members the opportunity to serve their nation and their neighbors in an organized and professional manner. It is a choice for people who want to have a career or even a piece (time-wise) of a profession they can believe in and respect.

For more from Star, visit http://www.lovemilitarylife.com/starsintr

Photo of Star and David Henderson courtesy of KLSmith Photography

Women have come back around to taking pride in their homes and families, as well as their careers. The Proverbs 31 woman has gone from being an unacheivable myth to becoming a desired goal in the lives of many. We’re taking Titus 2 to heart and learning from the mentors God has provided in our churches and in our families. I recently attended a class on canning at my church and was so blessed by what I learned.

Canning is the process of preserving meats, fruits, vegetables, jellies, and preserves that has been around for ages. Yet in recent years, it has almost become a lost art. However, the trend is back and more women are canning food than ever before. With the internet providing ample resources for tips and recipes, canning is easier than ever.

Proverbs 21:20 says, “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” How often do we assume that what we need will always be available for us? Yet when a blizzard or bad storm approaches, the stores are wiped clean in a matter of minutes. God tells us in His Word that we are wise if we store up our food and resources. Over and over in the Bible, God warns us against laziness and encourages us to work hard and prepare for our futures. We dont’ know what lies ahead and we need to be prepared for what may come.

Whether you have a garden or you like to buy fresh produce from your local market, canning is a great way to store up fruits and veggies for the future while it’s fresh and in season. Meat purchased on sale can be canned and stored, saving your family money. Jellies and preserves can be made using your fresh fruit and stored for gifts to be given throughout the year.

Besides the financial benefits and the security of being prepared, canning can offer an afternoon of sweet fellowship with other women. If you are a pro at canning, invite some ladies over to teach them how. If you’re new at it, ask someone in your church or family that knows how to do it to show you. Pull your resources together and share in the harvest. It can take a few hours to can a batch of jars, depending on what you’re canning, so take advantage of the opportunity to spend time with the women in your life. It’s an investment into your family, your finances, your friendships, and your future.

For specific canning information, visit the official USDA canning site at http://foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html

“Someone just called, I think he said he was your father-in-law, but I’m not sure because of his foreign accent,” Brent said as he searched for his car keys. “Oh my gosh, that was my father-in-law. Great! How will I explain a man’s voice answering the phone at 10:30 p.m.?” My mind scrambled. “I’m dead! No matter what I say, he’s going to think the worst. His son is overseas risking his life and now he thinks his daughter-in-law is unfaithful. I’m not sure I can fix this one,” I told Brent.

Brent had graciously offered to stay at my house to watch my son, Nico, while I drove the babysitter home after our Friday night Bible study. This way I wouldn’t have to awaken my two-year-old and then spend the next hour trying to coax him back to sleep. It was innocent enough, but for my father-in-law, the situation must have appeared questionable. My father-in-law did not understand the attraction of Bible study and certainly did not approve of a man being in his daughter-in-law’s home while his son defended our country overseas. The painted picture did not look good. The only thing I could do was to call him back and try my best to explain the situation.

Part of me resented having to defend myself for something I did not do, but my over protective, Italian father-in-law was old-school. The way the situation appeared, it would be difficult for anyone not to perceive the worst. Even though I held low hopes of my father-in-law understanding the situation, I had to try. I dialed the number, and my father-in-law picked up the receiver before the first ring finished. I attempted to dig myself out of an untrue scenario. He sincerely thanked me for returning his call after he heard my story.

To this day I still don’t know if he believes me, but I placed myself in my husband’s combat boots. If I were called away from my family for an extended time and phoned my home at 10:30 at night and a woman’s voice answered, regardless of how innocent it was, my mind would instantly doubt my husband’s faithfulness. Doubt is an ugly precursor to jealousy and mistrust. Both can destroy a marriage, and divorce is increasingly becoming the home front’s newest casualty of war.

Looking back, having a man alone in my home was not a good idea. Not only for the misconception it evoked, but because all men have sexual drives. This is something I’ve come to realize as I’ve “matured” in age (and hopefully in wisdom also). Naively placing myself in a situation where I am alone with a man may cause him to be tempted, even though my intentions are innocent. I know many women who become lonely after months of no male companionship. When they find themselves alone with a man who is not their husband, temptation knocks at their door as well.

I realize some readers may be saying, “Hey, my spouse trusts me. I can be alone with the opposite sex without a problem.” The motto that my husband and I stand by is “avoid the situation.” Friendships with the opposite sex are not healthy for your marriage. Having coffee with a male friend, although innocent, may open the door for a relationship to start later on. You may think it harmless at the time, but he is having other thoughts, and they are not about swapping recipes!

Increasing job-related demands throw stress on our deployed men and women, and meeting those demands requires one-mindedness and concentration. Doubt is a grenade that wounds healthy marriages and distracts soldiers from the tasks that accompany defending our country and staying safe. Keep war from reaching the home front by assuring your spouse with words and, more importantly, actions that your marriage is free from infidelity.

Lord, please help my actions reflect my faithfulness to my spouse. Help me to overcome imagining untrue situations due to loneliness. Plant friends in my life to keep me accountable when loneliness does prevail. If temptation confronts me, give me the wisdom to quickly walk away and lean on you for strength.

DO YOUR ACTIONS reassure your spouse that he or she is the first person you wake up thinking about and your last thought before going to bed each night? Looking back, have you ever planted seeds of doubt or mistrust by naive actions? What changes can you make in your relationship to strengthen each other’s trust? How do you reassure your spouse that your marriage is secure?

You can find Called to Serve: Encouragement, Support ,and Inspiration for Military Families at www.dhp.org/military  or visit Penny’s military support site at www.calledtoserveministry.com.

About the Author:
Penny Monetti is an author and dynamic speaker who travels to military installations and organizations nationwide offering hope and encouragement for military spouses. She has been a guest on national radio and television talk shows and is certified to help trauma and crisis victims—specifically combat veterans and their families dealing with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Penny is a member of the military advisory board for Missouri Congress woman, Vicky Hartzler, who serves on the House Arms Committee. She resides with her husband, Lt. Colonel Tony Monetti, a B-2 Stealth bomber pilot and a Senior Advisor for the 394th Combat Training Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base. Penny is a nurse at Kanakuk Christian Sports Kamp and a community leader, but her biggest achievement is raising three beautiful children-still in progress. Her heart is passionate for military families, especially the military spouse, and she is honored to share her life experiences drawn from the military life that she has lived and loved for over 24 years.

On the back cover, it states that this Bible study is for women that have felt inadequate, threatened, or pushed into situations that seem overpowering.  It’s a nine week study, so I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit that many weeks to a study.  Normally, I pick a Bible study that is short and to the point.  Still, I couldn’t help thinking that, indeed, I am a hurried, harried, and pressured military wife.  My husband is no longer in the military; however, my heart will always be that of a military wife.  The things our family deals with daily are because of my husbands military background.  PTSD and TBI play a big part of our lives still–a stressful part of our lives to say the least.

I picked the book up, looked at it, and set it back down.  I walked around the book store, glancing at other Bible studies and music CDs. Eventually, there I stood, looking at Esther again.  I decided to buy it.  On January 19, 2012, I started the study of Esther.  It has been a little harder than I thought it would be.  Right now, I only have two nights under my belt with a third one that will be finished tonight.  I admit, its sort of difficult learning the names of the Kings and places the story of Esther talks about in the beginning of the book. Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes and Darius…Wow, what names to learn.

I’ve already learned a couple things I didn’t know about the book of Esther.  One funny little thing I learned is that the book of Esther talks about a seven day party.  Every military wife likes a good party, and, if you are like me, you like being the hostess of the party, decorating and making sure everything goes well.

I’ve been warned that the book of Esther in the Bible never mentions God.  To me, this is weird–and I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before.  I’m wondering what I will learn from this Bible study.  I know God has really laid it on my heart to read this book and to study the book of Esther. I just don’t know what His plans have to do with me reading this book.  I hope I will learn more about my relationship with Christ, and I am hoping to be encouraged. Lord knows, right now–I need the encouragement.

Every so often, I will write a follow up article to let you know how I am doing with the study.  Have you read the Beth Moore book, Esther? If you have, did you learn anything? Please share your experiences with me and other military wives interested in learning about the book of Esther.

You can follow along with me on my Esther adventure by going to my Facebook Fanpage or by following me on Twitter.

I hated running.  If I’m being honest, I hated all things exercise. But even more, the thought of running seemed like torture to me.

A few years ago, I found myself with two kids in preschool and a few hours to myself.  In an effort to “better myself” in the New Year, I focused on two things during my time off:  devotions and exercise.  My husband was deployed and I was an ocean away from “home,” so what else did I have to do?

Walking was the only exercise I knew, so walking was what I did.  It dawned on me as I was walking one day that the pain of exercise could end much quicker if I jogged my two miles instead of walking them.

It was embarrassing.

My legs were jiggling, my jacket was tied around my waist to hide my “end,” the moms with strollers were passing me and I was out of breath by the time I got to the bottom of the hill.  I couldn’t fathom having to turn around and go back to the top!  I walked the rest and promised myself to jog a little more each day.

It took a few months, but I kept embarrassing myself on the trail until I made it to three miles. Three miles turned to five, five turned to eight, and just nine months after my first run, I did my first half-marathon.

I thought it would be fun to document my experience for all of you other non-runners out there, so sit back and enjoy my misery:

Mile 1:  Take off, and I’m feeling good.

Mile 3:  Gawk at the leaders who have already reached the five-mile turn-around point.

Mile 4:  I realize that my ankle is hurting, but I am determined NOT to walk. Out of sheer boredom, I start counting the number of people who are going past me in the other direction to see how many are ahead of me.

Mile 5: I’m 480 of about 1500. Let’s just say I ended the race at a number much higher than 480.

Mile 6:  I’ve determined that I must have unknowingly sprained my ankle, and it’s killing me. My knee begins to hurt.

Mile 8:  I’ve diagnosed my ankle to be broken in six places, my knee will certainly need replacement, and I’m going to kick the race coordinators in the shins for making me run past my favorite store without stopping.

Mile 9:  As I’m going uphill, David Cook’s “Permanent” song comes on and I can’t help but think of two friends who recently passed away.  Tears start to fall, and I am gasping for breath and trying to calm down so I can keep running. (Note to self: Eliminate all potentially emotional songs from music source before racing.)

Mile 10:  Keep running, keep running…

Mile 11:  Are we there yet?

Mile 12:  Dear Lord, please make it end!

Mile 13:  I’m sprinting and smiling! Oh yes, it’s that exhilarating! And then I feel like I’m going to puke.

Mile 13.1:  I’m FINISHED!  Somehow, I didn’t puke.  However, I am very dizzy, my legs hurt, and I desperately need water.

There you have it, my first half marathon. Miraculously, my ankle was fine, my knees didn’t need surgery, and the race coordinators weren’t around for shin-kicking.  I was so glad that I participated and knew it was only the beginning of my passion as a proficient jogger. However, the next day, if you heard the sounds that came out of my mouth each time I tried to sit, stand, kneel, walk, twist, turn, blink, breathe, climb up stairs, or stumble down stairs, you might question my desire to do it again.

About the Author:

Melissa Fisher loves traveling, running, working with teen moms through Young Life, and is currently working on a master’s degree in Counseling. She lives with her two young children and her husband who is an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force, and they have just started a PCS from Phoenix to Las Vegas. Her blogs can be found at http://fourfunfishers.wordpress.com/ and http://www.teenmombiblestudy.com.