Music Mix-up Post 21 (UBC #27)

This is the last Music Mix-up post in July, so this will be the last patriotic one I do for a while.  I have enjoyed looking for these songs, and I hope you have enjoyed listening to them as much as I have.  The first song is, "Letters from War," by Mark Schultz.

The first time I saw this music video was actually at an Air Force Basic church service.  I cried.  And I know I wasn't the only one....
    This second song I heard just a couple of weeks ago, but I thought it went so nicely with "Letters from War" that I had to do them together.  May I present, "Letters from Home," by John Michael Montgomery.  I tried to find a way to publish the music video but I couldn't do it, but if you click on the link you can watch it.  The music video is so well done, and I love it, but this video works just as well.




Both of these songs are so touching.  In today's day of technological advances, we sometimes forget how comforting a letter in the mail can be.  If you have a soldier, or you know someone who does, or even if you don't.... send a letter.  It could make all the difference in the world.
    In His Love,
       Christy

Music Mix-up Post 19 (UBC #13)

Since last week was the fourth of July, I thought I'd continue doing patriot music for this month. :)  One of my most absolute favorite patriot songs is, "God Bless the U.S.A.," by Lee Greenwood.




This song inspires me.  It makes my heart swell with gratitude and pride for all of the service men and women who are and have served our country.  And for their families too.
    I debated on whether or not to do two songs or not, but I decided to go ahead and do two.  This song is in honor of my brother, who is leaving for Afghanistan this week.  In honor of him and everyone else who left today, may I present "American Soldier," by Toby Keith.



I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! My prayers are with all of you who are serving.
   In His Love,

Sadness.... (UBC #4)

Today my brother left.... He was home for 17 days.... 17 days of sunshine and rain.... fun and work.... hugs and movies.... fireworks and mosquito bites... I will treasure the memories that were made in my heart always...  I know he needs to do what he has to do, but I will miss him while he is gone.
    This song has been running in my mind for the past few days.  It seemed fitting.  "I'm Already There," by Lonestar.






  In His Love,
    Christy

Music Mix-up Post 7

Well, this week seems to have flown by, and it seems to have crawled by at the same time.... Ever had one of those?  You get to the end and say, where did the week go, but during the week, it felt like it would never end?
  Anyway, for whatever reason, I was really missing my brother this week - maybe because some of the dads were harassing me earlier this week, just like my brother... But I turned on the radio, and I thought, maybe they were playing a patriotic song over on the country station, so I switched over there, and this song was playing, and I thought I would share it with all of you this week.  May I present, "An American Soldier," by Toby Keith.




    I know I say this a lot, but this song always makes me want to cry.  I just want to dedicate this blog post to all of you who either are service men or women, or those who are related to them.  Without you, life would not be the same.  Thank you for your sacrifice. 
   I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
      In His Love,
        Christy

Luke

This morning I was talking to my mother and found out she had gotten a call from my brother Luke this morning. He was in the hospital. Turns out he had had another seizure. He's had two before.... One after his airway got blocked when he was state-side. The other occurred in Germany after a fight not too long ago. Both times he had been fighting. But not this time. They were all out doing training and he and the people he was with were cleaning their "track." It's like a tank, but isn't quite. It's what they ride around in while doing their job.
Anyway, they were cleaning it to bring it out to the field and then they were riding it back in to their "tent city" and he just suddenly had a seizure (they think). His body was flaccid, his jaw was rigid, and he couldn't open his eyes. My mom was talking to the captain that was with Luke - he is the physician assistant for their battalion - and he told her that they had taken him to a local hospital. The doctors there were running some tests - a CT, an MRI, and an EEG. The first two turned out normal. I still don't know about the last one. They also did a spinal tap to see if he had an infection of some kind. They don't really know what is going on..... The Captain said that the hospital wanted to keep him for a few days but the battalion is going back to their base soon, so the Capt. is going to try and have Luke transferred to a hospital near their base or have Luke released to him, with a close checkup when they got back to base as he is at a German hospital, not an Army one.
So, needless to say, I have been praying for Luke a LOT today. This has the possibility of ending Luke's career in the Army. It's all he's ever wanted to do since he was 6, I think. God has worked mightily in his favor and opened so many doors for him. It was amazing to watch. And now this happens. Now, I know that God has a plan. And I choose to believe that God already knew that this was going to happen. I mean, nothing is a surprise to Him. Everything is all written out in His book for us before we were born. It was interesting - earlier this month I was reading in Exodus, when God was talking to Moses about all the plagues that were going to happen. And everything just seemed to get worse, and I could just about here the Israelites grumbling, and saying, "This isn't working, God. Whatever You are doing, quit. It is only making things worse!" At least, I could see myself saying that. I have said it. And I've gotten hung up on the part of the verse were God says, "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart" and I've missed the second half of the verse, that says, "But I will gain glory for Myself from Pharaoh and all his army." (Exodus 14:4) So easily I get caught up in the "this is so bad" attitude and miss out on everything that God is doing.
So, I just pray that Luke would be able to see how God is working this out for him and for His glory. And that the doctors would have wisdom and know what to do. I appreciate y'all praying for him and for us. This is all much easier to say than it is to do.

In His love,
Christy