I Thank God for You

During this season of thanksgiving, remember to recognize God's abundant gifts. Give thanks to God for the blessings that we often take for granted when we focus on all that we want and do not have.

I also give thanks to God for you----for your prayers, your service, and for your leadership in the military and beyond.

May God bless you with abundant life! Jesus said "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Thoughts for my soldiers and families and a Thanksgiving Prayer (2012)

Thoughts on THANKSGIVING DAY 2012Please have a blessed, safe Thanksgiving today as you gather around the dinner table with family and friends to share delicious meals, warm laughter, and happy memories of Thanksgivings. I know I feel extremely blessed this year as God has given me a new husband, career, and new family. However, if your day is not filled with cherished memories and thoughts like this, know that you are not alone, you are loved and you are one of God's unique and special creations that deserves love and respect (this includes from yourself.) For many families who might read this, this year's Thanksgiving celebration will not be complete.  A familiar voice will not be heard and a chair at the table will remain empty because someone far from home is serving our country.
Then today is also the perfect day to remember all of the members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Airforce and Coastguard (men and women, Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard) who gather in mess halls or tents far from home with friends and battle buddies to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, even if it is only the chicken and dumplings MRE (one of my personal favorites.)
So, as those of us who are blessed to be with our families celebrate and give thanks, let us remember in the homes with an empty chair at the table and offer a special prayer for our courageous brothers and sisters whose service and sacrifice, we pray, will make the world a better and safer place. My thoughts and prayers this Thanksgiving are also with our military families who have an empty chair that will remain vacant and for those servicemen and women who have come back to us, may their sacrifice not have been in vain.THANKSGIVING PRAYER  Dear God, as we have our health and plentiful nourishment, help us remember those that hunger. As we sleep soundly in our beds at night, help us to remember the homeless. When we are with friends and family and loved ones, help us to remember those who are friendless and alone. As we enjoy our freedom and the American way of life, help us to remember those that risk their lives or pay the ultimate price for our abundance. And in remembering, help us to destroy our complacency and let our hearts be moved and reach out by word and deed to those who cry out for what we often take for granted.

Amen.

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Stress Proof Your Day in 8 Easy Ways!!

Whether someone close to you has ended up in the hospital, your finances are a mess, your significant other is driving you crazy, the baby won't stop crying or your boss is breathing down your neck, stress is all around us. Ironically, stress can empower or defeat us. It all depends on how YOU react. Some stress can be healthy & inspire us to new heights when we try something exciting and new, encourages us to ask for what we want (maybe a raise), or even just helps us to get out of bed in the morning.
Here's 8 things you can do right now to lessen the cortisol (stress hormone) & keep your smile shining bright:
1) Exercise - whether you like to swim or hit the weights or run, this is the best way to destress while working (preparing to pass your APFT) AND 150 minutes/wk builds new brain cells!! (Psychology Today - April 2012)
2) Sleep - especially when the Army is not in control of your schedule - most studies show that anything under 5 hrs/nite on a prolonged basis can cause hormonal imbalances & can cause anger issues (this could explain alot on deployments!)
3) Set Goals & Reach Them - If you hate planners like alot of Joes I know, start with one attainable goal each day & check it off your list: focusing on the positive forward momentum in your life creates more of the same!
4) Give It Away - Just like the Red Hot Chili Peppers said (yes, I am dating myself), acts of kindness make us feel better! This can be done easily during the holidays with kind words, homemade cards, small gifts, flowers, food, or the best gift...love. Try it & see how good you feel! I
5) Find Good Social Support - You can incorporate #4 with this one & leave nice compliments, etc. for friends on facebook. Might seem simple but by building your "network" you are actually building your resiliency! Studies show that your brain reacts the same to physical & emotional pain, however those with greater social support in their daily lives have lessened slower reactions to pain (in the brain.) :)
6) Reinvent Yourself! - take negative experiences such as spilling tea all over your foreign dinner guests (that was me 2 days ago) and turn it into a positive (we got to know each other better...faster). 7) Focus on the "good stuff" - literally right down (whether in an email or journal or facebook) at least one thing each day that is good.
8) Deep Breathing/Meditation/Prayer - depending on your spiritual practices...I saved the best for last...studies show that these 3 physiologically regulate your emotions and lessen the negative 'fear' activity in the amygdala...you can call it combat meditation, etc. If it helps you. :) These are used training SWAT teams, special forces, and by professionals in psychology.

Next time it all seems a little much, try several of these and see how you feel. It may surprise you how much little changes can make big impacts shedding unwanted stress.

Please Take Time to Pray Today

I know that we get really busy with life, deployment, kids, jobs, stress, trying not to be stressed...please take a few minutes today on the Sabbath to pray. As the Benedictine Nuns I hung out with this summer reminded me, God will not speak to you if you do not make quiet time in your life to hear God.

You can turn off the car radio on the way to work to pray or take a few quiet minutes at lunch to listen to God. There is no "recipe" for a good prayer and everyone does it a little differently, but I try to do a few things each time I pray. Here's an example: Feel free to give respect for God's power in your life, Thank God for all that God has done in your life, Confess any item that has been weighing heavy on your heart, and lastly ask God's help with problems or situations that are beyond your control. Remember that it is ok to be mad at God. God understands. The most important thing is that you pray, in whatever form that takes.

Blessings,
2LT Lane

Stress of the Holidays Got You Down? Look here for help!

Its that time of year again when its easy to let the Holiday Blues get us down. Is your husband gone on his first deployment? Having family problems that seem overwhelming with the added responsibilities during the holidays? In the military, we are often far from family and friends with not enough money to get all the presents for people we feel like we should or even be able to see the family we want to...it can all be overwhelming  After 7 years active-duty, I am not sure my husband got to spend ANY holidays with family. We appreciate them so much more now. Please know that there are local FREE resources if you need to talk!!






Are you feeling desperate, alone or hopeless? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-273-TALK end_of_the_skype_highlighting (8255) and press “1″ for veterans, a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.

If you are in the Nashville/Clarksville area, and your problems are serious but not an emergency, please call SAFE (931) 591 3241 during business hours to schedule an appt to talk to someone for FREE. They have couselors, social workers, pastors, etc. available to meet with you 7 days a week. No insurance is required to meet with service members, veterans, and their families.  
Their main office is in Clarksville, TN at 510 College St.across from APSU main campus.
//thesafenetwork.org

They can meet with you regarding issues including (but not limited to):

Children & Families

Grief

Loss and Guilt

Mental and Emotional Health

Depression

PTSD

Readjustment

Substance Abuse

Suicide

TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and mTBI

 

Whether its the professionals with the Suicide Prevention Lifeline or the confidential counselors at SAFE or your chain of command or a friend or significant other or those of us in chaplaincy...please talk to someone. We do care about you, and it will get better.

 

 

Who Are We?

 

We are mothers, brothers, wives, husbands, sisters, and fathers.

We are God's beloved creation.

We are strong, challenged, fighting, trying, loving, crying, missing, and needing.

We are your neighbor.

We are citizens.

We are men and women.

We are diverse.

We are employees and parents.

We are the cop that works the beat in your neighborhood.

We are driven.

We are multi-taskers.

We are family.

We are on the front lines so you can sleep soundly in your bed at night.

We are experienced.

 

We are United States Army Reserve Soldiers.

 

 

 

We are Chaplains in training.

We are well-rounded.

We are creative and resourceful.

We are driven out of our love for God, country, and soldiers.

We are family.

We are musicians.

We are learning and growing.

We are well-intentioned.

We are motivated.

We are United States Officers.

We are United States Army Reserve Chaplain Candidates.