Mark loves to spoil me! Here is a bouquet of flowers that he sent me today. He is such a sweetheart!! 
This is Mark (on the right) and SPC Hartman (on the left) working hard in their plywood building in Iraq. Hartman is one of the soldiers that Mark is in charge of.
This is a joke that was in the weekly newsletter that I get from Mark's company. I thought I would share it.
Four strangers traveled together in the same compartment of a European train. Two men and two women faced each other. One woman was a very wealthy and sophisticated 70 year old lady who was decked out in the finest of furs and jewelry. Next to her Sat a beautiful young woman,
nineteen years old--who looked like something right off the cover of a fashion magazine. Across from the older lady was a very mature looking man in his mid-forties who was a highly decorated Sergeant Major in the Army. Next to the Sergeant Major sat a young private fresh out of boot camp.
As these four strangers traveled, they talked and chatted about trivial things until they entered an unlighted tunnel, and there they sat in complete darkness and total silence, until the sound of a distinct kiss broke the silence; following the kiss a loud slap could be heard throughout the cabin.
In the ensuing period of silence the four strangers sat quietly with their own thoughts.
The older lady was thinking, “Isn’t it wonderful that even in this permissive day and age there are still young women who have a little self-respect and dignity?”
The young woman, shaking her head and greatly puzzled, asked herself, “Why in the world would any man in his right mind want to kiss an old fossil like that when I’m sitting here?”
The Sergeant Major, rubbing his sore face, was outraged that any woman could ever think that a man in his position would try to sneak a kiss in the dark.
The private, grinning from ear to ear, was thinking, “What a wonderful world this is when a private can kiss the back of his hand and then smack a Sergeant Major in the face and get away with it!”
So I got this whim to cut my hair. And when I want it cut, I usually just get the normal trim. Well this time I got the itch to do something completely different. So here it is.
Okay, so I don't usually do this but I have been so moved by these two authors that I really need to share them with every person that I can. Eric and Leslie Ludy are a married couple who have really fought for younger people. Through books, music, speaking events, and ministry they have dedicated thier adult life to teaching young adults and youth what a Godly marriage and life should look like. I am totally confident in speaking for Sarah on this, these two people have an amazing gift from God. Although thier books are generally written towards late teens, early twenties, any person in a relationship or wanting to understand how God intended relationships to be need to get their books...ALL OF THEM!!!!! Later
So I found this website called Yearbook Yourself. If you have ever wondered what Mark and I would have looked like in the past, here you go...these pictures range from the 1950's to 2000. Enjoy!
-From Mark- As much as I am embarrassed to say it, I think that I look cooler in these pics then I did in real life when I was in High School. I can totally rock a mullet. I think, after I get out, I am going to grow on for real!!! (Just kidding honey!!)
I have a problem. One that some people will think they have to help me with. On the other hand, some people will think that I am whining and should not bother being concerned with these matters, which I should just worry about me. Then there will be people who will tell me, as I have heard all too many times, that I am being over zealous and that I need to get my head out of the clouds.
I have been in the army for over four years now, and as much as my heart has been torn by my service, I have truly grown and enjoyed my time in the service. I would do it all over again, and I don’t regret it all. During my time in uniform, I will have served a total of 27 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have seen some great men and women lose their lives to this operation, and heroics that most people will only see in the movies. I have on numerous occasions made comparisons to what the Army is and what the Church should be. That is where my problem begins.
A good friend of mine is a pastor at the church that I go to when I am back home. He just finished a message of the Armor of God that was absolutely amazing. You can listen to all six messages here. This is a great series and if you haven’t listened to it, I HIGHLY suggest that you do.
“So what’s the problem Mark?!” Okay, here is goes. The original men and women who made up the church were fearless, like we can’t even imagine. One man when into the heart of an empire to share who Jesus was, another welcomed banishment, countless men and women being stoned, burned, or tortured just to have one more opportunity to utter a few words about their King. We, as a community of believers, have pushed this ethic that we don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, that we want to go out of our way to make every person feel welcome, that we should appeal the wants and desires of all people so we can grow our church. Now those are all good things, to an extent. But at what point in time do we stop embracing evil? When do we look at the corruption amongst us, stare it straight in the face, and say “You have already lost and have no place here.”? We have become so concerned with teaching young boys and girls compassion, but we have failed to teach them how to fight, tooth and nail, for what is right. We see a soldier in uniform, and we go and shake his hand and tell him how brave he is and we think we could never have enough courage to fight in a war, but we are already there. The war started long before we signed up, and we are closing our eyes to it.
It isn’t Satan who is winning in influencing our children and young men and women to embrace wrong morals and ideas; it is our own indifference and need to appeal to everyone that has cost us countless souls. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Instead we go around and blame the media that we allow our kids to watch for hours, or the porn that is on the internet. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. The line is clearly drawn in the sand, and if we refuse to intensely show which side we are one, people will never know which side to pick. We have people who have been given gifts of leadership who refuse to lead out of fear of failure. These things can not be embraced with a pat on the back and a comforting “Better luck next time.” We must seek out those who are fearful, grab them collar, and get them back in the fight by any means necessary. There is no longer an excuse that should be acceptable to us as the body of believers for mediocrity, failure, or fear. I will no longer live without a quake-in-my-boots fear of God, a lay-it-all-on-the-line commitment to the cause of Christ, or die-if-I-must defense of Truth and Scripture. I pray that you will make the same commitment.
I was recently asked how being so far away from my husband has affected my marriage. Well I will tell you that being away from Mark is, by far, one of the most difficult things I have ever had to deal with. I have just learned to take it one day at a time.
This is my wonderful husband in Iraq (he is in the middle), along with a couple other soldiers from his company.
So, I am new at this whole blogging thing, but I thought I would give it a try...so here it goes!
