This month, HSB's The HomeFront e-newsletter was not published as usual due to unforeseen circumstances. Since the HF Team desires to share with you all that the Lord has laid on our hearts to share, we have posted the newsletter on the HomeFront military blog. You can read all the sections there.
As I like to do, I am posting my thoughts with the additional verses and meditations here. Don't forget to stop by the HF writers' blogs listed to the right and also the HomeFront blog.
Joy in the Lord
One of my favorite hymns is "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee." Every time I hear the beautiful notes Beethoven wrote and sing the verses, I feel my spirit soar. I am drawn into a worshipful spirit as I am reminded of the promises and love letters God has given me, and all of us, in His Scripture and in the world around. These He has given to us freely and in His perfect love.
"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10) (NIV). This is a verse that not only is easy to learn, but speaks deeply to our hearts. As I was looking at this verse for this month, I pulled out my Webster's Dictionary to see the definition of joy. I love what it says. Joy is defined as gladness to rejoice or to be glad. Taking it one step further, the word glad is defined as to be pleased or satisfied. How can we be pleased or satisfied in the Lord?
Though I think it there are many parts to the answer, I believe the key is based on the time we spend in His Word. The more time I spend in the Word, the more I not only learn about myself, but the more I learn about our God. He teaches me about His immutable and everlasting love, mercy, and forgiveness. When I spend time reading His love letter to us, I begin to find joy! This joy rises above my circumstances and gives me a strength that can only be found in Him. The joy of the Lord becomes so apparent in everyday life! Our circumstances may not change, but we are changed when He, through His Word, opens up His arms and gathers us close to Him. Then our joy returns and we find the strength that only comes from Him. We become joyful despite the struggles we are facing, whether they be a financial need, a health concern, or watching a friend, family member, or child choose to walk down a path away from the Lord. We find joy because, through the knowledge of God's Word, we draw closer to Him and find our strength. That joy comes from our relationship with the Source of joy. There is joy in the journey!
Memory Verse: Nehemiah 8:10 (NIV): "The joy of the Lord is your strength."
Additional Verses:
Psalm 19:8 (NIV) "The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart."
Psalm 43:4 (NIV) "Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight."
Psalm 81:1 (KJV) "Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
Application:
Again, spend time in God's Word. Start out with 5 or 10 minutes a day and build from there.
Spend time just praising Him. Put aside the requests to just focus on Him.
Play your favorite (or your kid's favorite) praise music in the house, the car, or wherever you can.
Sing along, loudly! Remember, just make a joyful noise, it doesn't matter if you can sing or not. (Have your kid(s) memorize Psalm 81:1) 
Father's Day Tribute
As we come upon Father's Day, let us bring honor and joy to our husbands with our words and deeds. As we start each day with the need to teach our children's minds, let us not forget to teach their hearts as well. As I have been reminded of lately, we should also daily pray for our children. I encourage you to pray for your children together (if you are able), with your husband. Praying scripture over them is a wonderful way to pray specifically for them and watch as God fills your children with His wisdom, bringing joy to you and your husband.
An example would be praying Colossians 1:9-10.
"Heavenly Father, we have not stopped praying for ______ and asking You to fill ______ with the knowledge of Your will. We pray for spiritual wisdom and understanding for ______. Strengthen us with Your wisdom and discernment, to nurture our gift(s),_________.
We pray that _____will live a life worthy of You, Lord. We ask for Your guidance to help us teach him/her/them how to live in You. We lift up our child/children ________, that he/she/they may grow in the knowledge of You, bearing fruit through good works and pleasing You in every way. Amen.
For Father's Day:
Proverbs 10:1 (NIV) "A wise son brings joy to his father."
Remembering our fallen soldiers
As another Memorial Day approaches, I feel somewhat at a loss for words. I have always loved our veterans and been so thankful for all the men and women over the generations that gave their lives for our Freedom. I get very sentimental thinking of all their sacrifices and their families' sacrifices.
It hit especially close to home 3 years ago when my husband lost a dear friend in the attack on the 507th Maintenance Company in Nasiriyah. It came home again a couple of months ago, when my brother shared that one of his Ranger buddies had been killed trying to stop a carjacking. For those reasons, I dedicate these words, which my brother wrote in an email, to Marty Ratazack (75th Rangers), and Robert J. Dowdy.
"I have lost fellow soldiers in places that no one ever mentions or cares about or maybe ever will. It's the essence of being a soldier, complete, selfless sacrifice. Many of them are "unknowns" to a country that is too busy going about their lives to notice or care. You don't care that anyone else will care, you do it because it's what soldiers must do. That is the essence of serving. It's done even for those who never stop to think about it and that's ok." (Mark Isbell, former Ranger and Grenada veteran)
Well put, Mark. God bless our beautiful Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines. God bless their families.
Psalm 30:5 (KJV) "Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."
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9:55 AM, May. 28, 2006
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