Thursday, August 4, 2011

Deployment Dare

Thanks to the Web site ExcellentorPraiseworthy.com, you don’t have to wait until your husband is home to try the love dare. The people at ExcellentorPraiseworthy.com have adapted the book into 40 online chapters of a “Deployment Dare” — just for military couples during deployment. Suggestions are written for both the deployed member and the spouse at home, so either one can participate, as long as there is Internet access, but it’s not necessary for both to do it at the same time. It may be helpful to also have a copy of Love Dare, but not needed, so don’t let that stop you if you don’t have it!

If you're ready, then let's go! :) Together we will get through some of the most challenging days with the help of our Savior, our significant other, and each other. I'll post the "Deployment Dare" every TWO days to help with any difference in time zones or if your husband/wife has trouble communicating on a daily basis. So, this will take us 80 days to complete! I hope you'll join me!

Below you will see our first Day, with some comments. Please feel free to comment as well below the post. I'll add Day Two's tomorrow. :)

Operation Tank You
Click on the following link and read through Day One's Challenge.

How do you plan to show patience? Was there a piece of scripture that spoke to you? What are your thoughts on the relationship between patience and deployments?

Comment below and let's really show our support for one another. Afterall, we're all in this together.

Lois Arbogast- Love that you're doing this! We did it during Rich's first deployment and then did the 5 Love Languages last deployment and found both a great way to keep connected and focused on God together during our times apart. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and get some friends to do it with, as well!

Operation Tank You- Looks like we're on the opposite schedule of you. We did 5 Love Languages last year and loved it! It really made us open our eyes and realize some of our little squabbles were simply because we didn't know how to "read" one another. After reading the book we both went "Oh, now THAT makes sense!" We loved reading the same book at the same time and going through it together. We look forward to doing this one together now.

Amber Brewer Stone- I always think of the movie "Bruce Almighty" when I think about asking God for patience. He doesn't give you patience, he gives you oppurtunities to be patient in. God gave me a chance to practice this with Stephen today. We are switching the tags on our Accord from California to Tennessee (our home state) and it was something that he was supposed to do before he left. Instead of getting frustated with him in an email, I decided to do it and not complain to him in an email that he didn't do it before he left. Somedays it's baby steps.:)

Operation Tank You-I love that you said that Amber. My husband also "forgot" to do several things before leaving for his deployment. It left me with a lot of headaches and having to call my mother in for help. I was pretty upset and discouraged, wondering how I was going to get it all done before I had to head back home, but instead of letting it out on him, I thought of it more as me being able to help him, something I don't get to do when we're so far apart. It actually felt good sending the e-mails to him after I started checking items off the list. I even surprised him with a few things he hadn't thought of.

Operation Tank You- Patience. It's not something I have much of when it comes to midnight phone calls, failing internet connections, and missed calls. Often I become quickly frustrated, shut down, and then find myself on the verge of what seems to be endless tears. Although we have more communication now then let's say the Vietnam Era, living in a instantaneous world makes it more difficult during deployments.

Reading Day One's piece on patience really struck home.

Yesterday, my husband tried to Skype with me since I was with his entire family on their yearly vacation trip to the beach. We came back to the house just in time, but of course my internet was down. Once it was up, his was down. It became a back and forth until I finally just opted to receive his Skype call on my cell phone. I would have loved to seen him and shared everything with his family, but instead of becoming angry or frustrated, I opted for an alternative. I guess that's what I have to do with my attitude as well. When I feel the stress building, OPT FOR AN ALTERNATIVE.

After our call, I felt a lot better. I was able to talk to him for a good while and it was nice to relay the information then back to his family. We would've both loved to have seen one another, but we certainly will take what we can get.

I think the littlest tyke in our party said it best when he said, "Don't be angroid". Angroid- The combination of being angry and annoid.

So, I ask you, what attitude will you choose next time?

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