Posts Tagged With: army

Huh. Imagine that! (Five Minute Friday)

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Sharita

Hi friends! It’s Five Minute Friday time!

Each Friday, I link up with Lisa-Jo Baker. She gives us a prompt. Then we write. For five minutes.

Easy-peasy, right?

Let’s get to crackin’.

Today’s Prompt: IMAGINE

AND GO!
Five Minute Friday
***

If you would have asked me two years ago to imagine how today, May 31, 2013 would feel, I probably wouldn’t have even been close.

See, two years ago, my wonderful husband became a drill sergeant at Fort Benning. We heard that it was an extremely difficult assignment, (on step below deployment) but we were up for the task.

Now, two years later… We have come to the end of our time as a drill sergeant family “on the trail.”

And through it all, God sustained us.

My husband worked almost non-stop for 2 years, away from home more than he was here. But God kept us going. Huh. Imagine that.

I cried more tears from frustration that I want to admit, but God made our love grow deeper. Huh. Imagine that.

My Beloved has worked cold, hot, hungry, frustrated, exhausted for hours (ok DAYS) on end. But God gave him a heart of integrity and perseverance. Huh. Imagine that.

We prayed more than we ever have in our entire lives, and God heard our prayers. Huh. Imagine that.

This experience hasn’t been easy, but the my Beloved has trained hundreds of men, turning them from civilians to infantrymen soldiers. Through it all, God has helped our commitment, desire, level of patience and appreciation for each other grow richer than ever. Huh. Imagine that.

Friends, it doesn’t matter what you are going through. Remember when you are weary, worried, or worn, God is there. Stick with Him. Cling to Him. And when it is all said and done, you will see that He never left you, never forsook you.

And with inexplicable joy in your heart, you can say, “Thank you, Lord! Mission Accomplished.”

Huh. Imagine that!

****

Today, we praise the Lord for sustaining us– we are gleefully imagining the next season of our life as an U.S. Army Infantry family. When has the Lord surprised you in your life journey? I would love to hear all about it!

Imagining and Experiencing Victory in Him,
SGK

“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!” ~Ephesians 3:20 MSG

We are down to hours of beginning a new, off the trail season of life. Thank you, Jesus for sustaining us!

We are down to hours of beginning a new, off the trail season of life. Thank you, Jesus for sustaining us!

Categories: Five Minute Friday | Tags: , , | 8 Comments

Finishing Strong

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Sharita

I personally believe that there is no other feeling in the world than accomplishing a huge goal and finishing strong.

Think about it…

When you cross the finish line of a race after weeks (or months!) of training… When you hit SUBMIT on that last paper for a really tough class… When you walk across the stage and receive that diploma that has been years in the making… When after 9 months, that little baby is finally laid in your arms for the first time…

Yep. There’s no other feeling in the world.

And interestingly enough, sometimes a strong finish is a beginning of a new season.

Which is exactly where we are today.

The Knobloch family (as in my Beloved, our baby girl Charis, our pup Justus and I) are preparing to celebrate a strong finish in what has been a very challenging (yet blessed!) season of our life.

The last 24 months have been very intense during our time as a drill sergeant “on the trail.” And now…we have just two (that’s right, count em, TWO!) days left!! THANK. YOU. JESUS.

My sweet husband has been in the army as an infantryman for going on 10 years… Which includes three deployments totaling about 45 months in an Iraqi desert. I asked him where our two-year stint of drill sergeant-ness fell on his scale of challenging seasons of the army. His response? This was by far the most difficult.

Not only were the hours crazy (typically working 12-24 hrs per day,  7 days per week for weeks on end) but we were also learning what it meant to be a family in the military who desired to treat Christ as our Commander-in-Chief.

Um yeah. It was not an easy task.

In addition to the crazy hours and tasks of the hubs being a drill sergeant and my call as a minister/blogger, we got pregnant, had a miscarriage, experienced some really sticky leadership situations, got pregnant again, and welcomed a baby into the world… among about 14 bajillion other intense life events.

Now, I’m not saying all these things to say “Oh look how big/bad/awesome/tough we are.” Because honestly, there were a few moments that I wanted to curl up in a closet and just pray for May 2013 to HURRY UP. It was freaking hard. Instead, I share these details with you because through all the frustration, tears, uncertainty… God was there.

God has been with us every step of the way. He has used these last two years to mold us, shape us, grow us in mighty and powerful ways. He has been preparing us for our next season of life, whatever that might look like.

Today, we rejoice in hope of finishing strong– and celebrate God’s faithfulness and goodness!!!

In what seasons of life do you feel closest to God? How do you feel when you finish strong? Are you preparing to “finish” a season of life? I would love to pray for you in that– just let me know by leaving a comment below, sending me a message on Facebook or an email via sharita {dot} knobloch{at}gmail{dot}com.

Also, we would like to say thank you to each of you that has encouraged us and prayed for us in this season. We are so grateful! As we countdown these last two days of this challenging season, our hearts are full of joy, relief, gratitude and anticipation of what this next season of ministry and army life (and family life!) will look like in our new army home in Fort Lewis, Washington.

So today, we praise God for helping us to finish strong– and that His love, presence and faithfulness is ALWAYS a reason to celebrate!

To the Glory of God Alone,
SGK

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” ~2 Timothy 4:6-7 NIV

When the going gets tough... The tough get Jesus. (And perhaps create an elementary school-type paper countdown chain, complete with a Bible verse for each day left on the trail as a drill sergeant.)

When the going gets tough… The tough get Jesus. (And perhaps create an elementary school-type paper countdown chain, complete with a Bible verse for each day left on the trail as a drill sergeant.)

Categories: army | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Final Answer… Finally!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Sharita

Are you good at waiting?

I don’t mean waiting tables… I’m talking bout the waiting that requires patience. Perseverance. Persistence.

Honestly, it’s not my forte.

I remember the days of my youth that I would spend WAITING for an answer– perhaps from my parents about attending a sleepover… or an answer from a scholarship committee… or a grade to come back on a test.

Waiting was painful. I would say that it was the equivalent to watching paint dry or grass grow– but at least those activities I had a general idea of what the outcome would be.

I also remember the times of waiting for a final answer  when my patience ran out (what little there was to start with!) and I took things into my own hands.

Rarely (ok, almost never) did it turn out well. I usually ended up disappointed. Stressed. Embarrassed. Or in the case of waiting for answers from the parents– grounded.

Good times. Not.

In adulthood, we are often faced with the challenge of waiting for “big” answers… Waiting those two minutes for that test to turn pink/blue/two lines/happy face/etc to determine if parenthood is in your nearish future. Or waiting for that job callback. Or waiting for payday. Or waiting for a call from the doctor with some test results that you never thought you would have to face. Or waiting for… Well, you can fill in your own blank.

We wait for that final answer. And when it FINALLY arrives– Relief, glee or sadness fill our hearts, depending on what that answer is…

Yep, it's not this easy, folks. Nice try, though.

Yep, it’s not this easy, folks. Nice try, though.

One of my favorite quotes about this waiting game is by Henry Blackaby: “Waiting is one of the hardest yet most important things we will ever do as Christians.”

Ain’t that the truth!?!?!?

My hubby and I have been contestants in this challenging “Waiting Game” for many months now… Recently, we have received some EXTREMELY profound (AND EXCITING!) answers– Finally. But before we get to it, here are a few lessons we have learned in the process and would like to share with you…

Remember, when you are waiting for that “Final Answer” from God…

1. He is Sovereign over ALL. No circumstances, feelings, or worldly influence has the ultimate and final say in what happens… yes, our choices can sure influence the outcome, but ultimately, God has control over it all.

2. He will NOT forget about you. Yes, He has billions of children to watch over– but God is the ultimate multitasker. Just because an answer is taking longer than YOU think it should take, know that He hasn’t forgotten about you… You don’t fall through the cracks or get erased from His Heavenly planner or iCalendar. And on that note…

3. His timing is PERFECT. He sees the big picture. He knows in what ways/areas you need to grow. Hang in there and keep praying.

4. He ALWAYS answers. It might not be yes… it could be “No” or “Not Yet” or “I have something better in mind.” After all, we are only human and can only see/understand/control so much. When we are faced with an answer that we may or may not be thrilled about, we have three words for you: TRUST, TRUST, TRUST.

Over the last year or so, God has written these truths on our hearts. We have been hoping, praying, waiting for answers for months… We have fallen short several times– but God never gave up on us.

He gave us answers. We are overwhelmed with His peace.

Today, we invite you to celebrate with us as we receive those semi-final answers– FINALLY!

We have been waiting to become parents– and while we still have a few short weeks to go, it looks like this is really going to happen for us. Thank you, Jesus!

We have been waiting for my Beloved to get picked up for promotion… And as of  January 1st, 2013, I am now married to a Sergeant First Class with the United States Infantry. Congrats, darling– I am SO proud of you!!

We have been waiting for orders for our new duty station… This has been a faith-growing experience, since the Army rules kept changing over the last several months as to when we may or may not know where we are headed next. Plus, a majority of Brandon’s peers had orders before us and we have been fighting the voices of this world to “Take control” and “Make things happen.” God told us to wait. It was hard. But we did.

And now we have an answer. In mid-summer 2013, we shall be relocating to Fort Lewis, Washington. That’s right. Washington state. 2,800 miles from our current home. The land of mountains, rain and raspberries. (And coffee. And seafood. And lots of other cool stuff!)

We couldn’t be more thrilled! Thank you, Jesus for this answer!

What are you waiting for today? Do you struggle with waiting? How do you cope? We would love to hear from you– comment below.

So yes, my sweet readers– waiting is one of the hardest things we will ever do as followers of Jesus… But as we wait to finally receive that answer, remember– waiting is also one of the most important things we could ever do for Him. In Him. With Him.

Worth the Wait,
SGK

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” ~Psalm 27:14

Categories: patience | Tags: , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Jesus, Marriage, & Hamburger Helper

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Sharita

Ahhh, marriage… Tis so much more than that beautiful white dress, the romance of a honeymoon and those sweet moments of snuggling on the couch.

Marriage also includes challenges, growth, conflict, and on days when all of those things are present, sometimes hamburger helper for supper.

Truth in marriage. Just kidding.
We love each other. Kind of a lot.

Before I dive into today’s blog post on marriage, I have a disclaimer: First of all, the following story is not a “wawhoo-they-have-a-great-marriage” story. It is actually a “wawhoo-we-worship-an-incredible-God-and-we-are-so-thankful-He-is-the-center-of-our-marriage-and-yes-we-still-have-a-long-way-to-go” story. Also, I am not a huge advocate of airing “dirty laundry” in public forums like a blog for all the world to see, but this was such a remarkable testimony to God’s faithfulness that I couldn’t NOT share. (Plus it’s not really that dirty of laundry anyways.)

Oh, and a bit of background for those of you who might be new to this locale: My sweet hubby Brandon is a drill sergeant with the United States Infantry. We have been married for two wonderful (and educational) years.

A couple of weeks ago was “FTX” time in my husband’s training cycle as a drill sergeant. FTX stands for “Field training Exercise” which is code for “let’s go do profound infantry things out in the bushes for a week so these boys can officially be soldiers.” As a wife, sometimes I think FTX actually stands for “Frequently a Time of Exasperation.” But I digress. So he left for FTX with the intention of coming home at least one night out of the 4 or 5 nights that he would be in the field. However, due to some new “rules,” this theory was flushed away on day one… I took it well (thanks, Jesus!) and prepared myself for a week of flying solo.

That was Monday. By Tuesday morning, his phone had died, because someone didn’t take his wife’s suggestion to make sure it was fully charged on Sunday night “just in case.” (I’m a huge advocate of communication.) So, the week wore on with no way to communicate– not a half-second “I love you” text or “Yep, still alive” text. I spent my time working and hanging out with Jesus to stave off loneliness and attacks by The Enemy.

Long story still long, my dear husband was planning on being home mid-day Thursday ish. I went to work. And came home. No sign of him. No word from him. I started on supper, confused, a wee bit frustrated (seriously, it wasn’t bad at this point.) I was making a simple, homemade version of hamburger helper (not out of the box, but very similar.) As I was working over the stove, my phone rang. It was my husband. My heart flopped with glee! Finally!

I answered and he sounded exhausted. I excitedly asked if he was en route homeward. Negative. My heart sank. My frustration with his job in the army grew. It had been a rough day (ok, week) for him. But as we talked, my womanly (pregnant) hormones took over. I could hear my voice rising as I stirred supper faster and faster. Brandon asked for me to pray for him– for patience to make it through the next several hours, with his co-workers, with the entire situation. I snapped back at him “Um, I HAVE been praying for you. ALL WEEK.” (Classy, I know. Sigh.)

His voice cracked as he said “No, seriously, Sharita. I NEED you to pray for me.”

My heart switch flipped. The tears were rolling as I dropped my spoon on the counter and headed to the living room. I knelt down on my knees, leaning on the couch. I started to pray. Out loud. On the phone.

Guess what? Jesus. Showed. Up.

I learned that it is impossible to be ticked off when you are legitimately in the presence of God. I prayed for us with my beloved on the other end of the line. By the time I got done, my heart was lighter. My tears had stopped. His voice sounded stronger.

This post is not to say that our marriage is perfect (it’s not) or that we have it all figured out (we don’t.) But it is a testimony to the power and presence of God… How do you invite Christ into your everyday life? Has He shown up and shown out lately? In what ways? I love to hear from you… Leave your comments below.

I praise God for His incredible faithfulness. What could have been a knock-down-drag-out-pouty-tearful-unChristlike moment in our marriage turned into a sweet, redeeming memory of focus on God and love for each other with a simple prayer that all started with  Jesus… And hamburger helper.

Jesus is OUR helper,
SGK

“I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.” ~1 Corinthians 7:29-31 MSG

Categories: God, marriage | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Finders Keepers

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Sharita

Hey all! It’s Friday, so here’s the dealio…

I link up with Lisa-Jo Baker for Five Minute Friday. Five Minute Friday

We write. For five minutes.

No over thinking or excessive editing. We just go with it.

Let’s get this party started.

Todays Prompt: CHANGE

Annnddd… GO!!!!

******

I can hear the hum and occasional clank of our washer and dryer in nearly room of our house. It’s a new model, but when you are regularly washing army gear, laundry is not a quiet experience.

However, it’s important.

There have been a few “close calls” in our household when my beloved comes home late, but still needs his clothes washed for the next day. (And by next day, I really mean when he goes back to work in four hours.)

Praise the Lord my beloved is a man who knows how and plus/minus does his own laundry. But sometimes, we forget a very important step.

To change it over when that fateful washer timer buzzes.

Personally, few things are more disheartening than getting ready for work and realizing that the washer is still full of wet laundry– that we need to wear immediately.

Fortunately, this is an easy fix. Just change it over.

The concept of changing things around doesn’t just apply to laundry. Change is important in our life. When we change, we are growing– even though sometimes growing pains are, well, painful.

I love the feeling of changing my hairstyle… of course sometimes it doesn’t go as planned. (i.e. see my senior pictures from HS) The challenge of changing to a new state/home/neighborhood every 2 to 5 years as an army family provides initial nerves but a thrill of adventure…

And strengthening of our faith.

We can embrace the change in our world because we have the chance to follow a NEVER-changing God. He’s always constant. Always faithful. Always there to guide us as we change, adapt and grow.

Change in life can be a very good thing, just like when we remember to switch over the laundry from the washer to the dryer. We get fresh dry clothes.

And if we are really lucky? We get a little bit of BONUS loose change left in the bottom… and we all know the rule with those kind of surprises… finders keepers.

STOP!

***

What did you think my friends? What kind of change challenges you most in life? When have you embraced change and found that “bonus” surprise after it was all said and done? How does God keep you growing? I would love to hear all about it. Leave a comment below!

Til we meet again on Monday… May you be richly blessed!

Change is a good thing,
SGK

“Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.” ~Matthew 4:17 (MSG) 

Categories: Five Minute Friday, God | Tags: , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

P.A.R.K it!

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Sharita

(Insert obnoxious/festive cell phone ring here) 

“Hey beloved! How are ya? When will you be home tonight?  Oh… So… You won’t be coming home at all? A private did WHAT?!? Sigh… (Gulp.) Ok, honey. Yeah, I miss you too… Love you… See you when I see you.” 

As a drill sergeant spouse, this phone (and/or text) conversation happens more often than I would like.

In life, things happen. Plans change. Circumstances shift.  This doesn’t just apply to drill sergeant spouses. All of us are faced with life experiences that shake up our daily plans, from changes of schedule to a flat tire to a kid who just won’t take a nap.

We ALL have a choice on how to react… And reacting appropriately can be HARD.

For me, there is a fine line on how to react when I get news that totally jacks up my plans and/or hurts my heart. On one hand, I could go off the deep end, tears abundant, spewing words I don’t mean, tearing up a box of kleenex. (See: Last year when we first started our duty as drill sergeant.) OR I can just be complacent and not care. (See: When I am in a “mood” or when Satan has a grasp on me.)

Neither of these are healthy. SIGH.

A couple of months ago, I was again struggling with this. I had a lot of emotions churning in my heart during the aftermath of our miscarriage, and the army life/schedule wasn’t helping much. I bounced back and forth between the crazy-lady-off-the-deep-end reaction and the blatant, mean “I-don’t-give-a-poo” bad attitude.

Satan loved it. But God didn’t. And it broke my heart. I was desperate and turned to God, begging for guidance to help me find a “happy medium” of reacting lovingly with compassion, but not being a spineless, complacent jellyfish.

He told me to P.A.R.K it… Literally…

P~ Pause and take a deep breath (or twelve… whatever it takes.) Then close your eyes (easier to keep the tears at bay) and begin to Pray.

A~  Ask the Lord what He wants you to do in this situation, what He wants you to learn and how He wants you to react.

R~ Respond and React appropriately. This step is important… following through with what He has told you to do is vital for rectifying the situation.

K~  Keep praying and Keep in touch with God. Reacting in the moment isn’t the only part of this process. For me, I must keep asking God for guidance and strength as well as continuous reminders that my sweet husband and the army are two separate entities… 

Then repeat as necessary.

I have held this acronym close to my heart for the last couple of months, and as we prepare to pick up another basic training cycle in a matter of days, I am ready to engage it again. Even after we are off the trail as a drill sergeant couple, I know that we will continually be faced with life decisions and changes that require a reaction. P.A.R.K has proven successful for us and I would encourage you to try it out!

What circumstances do you struggle to react appropriately to? How do you cope? Would “Parking it” work  or do you have your own method in place? I would love to hear from you– don’t be shy, leave a comment below.

Today, let’s be encouraged that God is the One who instigates the changes and circumstances in our lives. And we have a choice: We can drive on, plowing through it without a second thought and reacting out of raw emotion… or we can PARK IT. Which will you choose?

Parking it and setting the emergency brake,
SGK

“When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst.” ~Lamentations 3:28-30 MSG

Categories: attitude, God | Tags: , , , , , | 16 Comments

A Real-Life Love Offering

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Sharita

Yesterday, my husband reenlisted in the army.

For how long you ask? Six. Whole. Years.

So for all of you wonderful friends that ask when we are “getting out” of the army? It’s gonna be a while. The signed paper says so.

I wasn’t in a great mood yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I love (and support) my husband with all I am. And my crappy mood really had little to do with the whole re-enlistment thing. But it was just one of those days.

I was/am fighting a cold that my husband contracted from the germy privates he is training, which he so generously shared with me. (It happens every red phase. Almost all of the wives/families in our company are ill. Airborne, anyone?)

In addition to feeling like poo, the reenlistment ceremony was at 1300 yesterday afternoon. (That’s 1pm for all of you non-military folks.) Yeah, right smack dab in the middle of the day… Which really jacked up my schedule. I really don’t enjoy when the army messes with my battle plan, especially when it involves me missing out on the majority of a day of work on a week that we have a huge project to work on.

Oh. Did I mention the ceremony was outside? In the sun. At 1300. In Georgia. And I didn’t dress appropriately because it was only supposed to get up to 75 and was about 47 when I left the house that morning. But the 86 degree temp and sweat through my long sleeved blouse proved otherwise. Sigh.

As I sat there trying to sweat as un-awkwardly as possible, I was overcome with emotion. Now, before you think I am softy, I should clarify what kinds of emotions. Pity. Annoyance. A tiny smidge of pride. Fear. This reenlistment kind of snuck up on me– and not that I ever planned that we were getting out of the army, but talking about it and actually signing the paperwork (for six years!) are two different discussions.

I was just in a grumpy (sweaty) mood most of the early afternoon. But suddenly I was struck with the thought…  I sure am being an ungrateful little heifer today. It was like a Jesus lightening bolt. Every had one of those?  I remembered Easter was just two days ago. Jesus did A LOT more than just sit in the sun and agree to follow the army for (at least) six more years.

He gave us His life for us. Bled for us. Hung on the cross. Died.   It was a real-life love offering for you, me and all of mankind. A sacrifice that I can’t even comprehend.

Now I’m not downplaying my beloved’s reenlistment contract or his commitment to our country/family. After all, it is a big life event– and if it matters to us, it matters to God.  I love my husband with everything I have, second to Jesus. I will support him and follow wherever God leads us in the army. But it is Christ’s love for us that helps me realize the sacrifice required to love another person.

America!

People always tell me “I don’t know how you do it.” Well, I don’t know either. Other than Jesus. He is a constant reminder of HOW I am supposed to live, love and honor my husband, no matter how many years we will be serving in the United States Infantry, where we go or how we get there.

I do it because Christ died for me. This is my way of giving my God-chosen husband my own real-life love offering.

Can I get a Hooah,
SGK

“This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.” 1 John 3:16 (MSG)

PS: Do you have something or someone in your life that you regularly give a “real-life love offering” to? I would love to hear about it… Comment here. 

Categories: 2012, America, army, attitude, gratitude, hope, loyalty, marriage | Tags: , , , , , | 12 Comments

True Love’s Gift (Five Minute Friday)

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Sharita

“It’s finally Friday… Free again… Finally Friday… Time for a ‘wild’ weekend…”

Oh hey. Didn’t see you there. (Ok, maybe I did, but I really wanted to finish the chorus.)

Today is Friday, in case you didn’t get my singing memo. And Friday in this gal’s blogging world specifically means it’s FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY.

For those of you newcomers, on Fridays I link up with The Gypsy Mama… she gives us a prompt and we write for five minutes flat. No more, no less. Just letting the words flow. No editing, no over-thinking. Challenging, fun and theraputic. My kind of Friday fun.

Ok, enough yammering on my part. Let’s get this Friday party started. Todays prompt is GIFT. 

Ready?

GO! 

His comings and goings make my heart pound. “When will he return?” As an army wife, specifically the spouse of an infantry drill sergeant, this question is often in my mind. God has called me to this role and while it is a challenge… it is also a gift.

Someone once asked me what the best part about being an army wife was… I knew they were expecting an answer something similar to “living new places” or “excitement” or “steady paycheck.” But without hesitation I replied, “We never take each other for granted.”

Now that is true love’s gift.

My husband and I have been apart during our relationship more than we have been together in the same zip code. Just this morning, I kissed him goodbye as he prepares to pick up another basic training cycle. He will be home off and on for the next several weeks, but our “quality time” will be rare.

True love’s gift as an army spouse can be wrapped in many different packages, in different shapes and sizes…

It’s getting up early on a Friday to cook breakfast for him before cycle picks up.

It’s helping him bottle his home-brew.

It’s the front porch conversations.

It’s the sideways hugs before we drift off to sleep.

It’s the words of comfort as he holds me when I cry.

It’s sharing a moment of prayer together.

It’s loving each other unconditionally, no matter what challenges are in our midst.

Being married to a soldier is a challenge… but such an incredible gift. Very similar to True Love’s Gift on the Cross. Blessing. Sacrifice. Hope. Trust.

That is True Love’s Gift.

STOP! 

Five minute Friday posts always get my heart to pounding… I still think it should count for some kind of cardio workout :-)

 I’m gonna go cool down and hit the showers… God’s most wonderful blessings to you and seriously– thank you for stopping by! (PS: If you are feeling super motivated, leave a comment here.)

Thankful for True Love’s Gift,

SGK

[ Never Take Love for Granted ] Do you know the saying, “Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well”? It’s true. Otherwise, you may one day come home and find your barrel empty and your well polluted. –Proverbs 5:15-16 (MSG) 

Categories: beautiful, believe, blessing, Five Minute Friday, gifts, God | Tags: , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Creatively Crafty

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Sharita

I am not a crafty person. I don’t mean the kind of sneak-crafty but I rather Pinterest crafty. Unless God Himself comes down from heaven and suddenly blesses me to paint neatly and draw straight lines, you will never see any of my “work” on Pinterest (or any other cute-crafting site for that matter.)

For some of you who know me well, you might dispute the claim above. But let me clarify– while I am not crafty– I am creative. I do believe there is a big difference. In my case, I can use limited resources to reach a goal in a unique way… but that doesn’t involved crafting a super cute wreath that anyone would ever want to hang on their front door.

I do like attempting to craft– at least in a creative kind of way. It can be a stress reliever and really gets me pumped up about life. But I have to have a goal, usually involving other people. Let me give you an example.

My creative side got motivated on Monday afternoon. (Mainly because I want to procrastinate on anything that required writing and/or dish-doing.) I had been thinking about doing something for the girls in our Foxtrot company (I am Family Readiness Group leader) for several months. Apparently, Monday was the day.

So I got to work. As FRG leader, I pretty muchly have zippo for a budget, so my goal was to make something close to free-ish. I rummaged through my box of random, leftover craft supplies. Talk about a box of craziness. Ribbon, acrylic paint, puff paint, super glue, fake googly eyes, felt, toy army soldiers, scraps of material, pipe cleaners… You name it.

It took a little while to figure out how I was going to make them all a legitimate copy of the Drill Sergeant Spouse’s creed for little to no moolah. (Plus it was late in the afternoon and I wanted to avoid the store if at all possible.)

I found cream colored and silver shiny cardstock leftover from our wedding invites. I was out of black printer ink (naturally) so printed in blue. But I wanted this little project to look “army-ish” and last I checked, “cream” wasn’t exactly an army color. I dug around in my paint… Had green acrylic paint… Only brown puff paint…. but no black. Sigh.

Fortunately I remembered my elementary art days that black paint comes from mixing random colors together… So I grabbed the brown, green, red, blue and yellow in hopes of creatively achieving my mission.

I wanted to give the background paper a camo look. Sponge painting. But we didn’t have a sponge. (Seriously– this is how my “craft” projects usually go.) I dug around under the sink and found a green SOS pad. I chopped off an end, went to work mixing and dipping paint.

Then… I didn’t have glue. (Super prepared, can’t you tell?) I had used all of my rubber cement on the last crazy project but failed to replenish my supply. I made a frantic phone call to a neighbor asking about the glue situation. She was confused, but said yes, she could solve my adhesive issue. (Whatever happened to just borrowing a cup of sugar?)

Long story still long, I was able to create this makeshift masterpiece, thanks to the laminating efforts of my husband and his buddy. (Apparently army guys are experts at hand laminating stuff… They got really excited about helping me finish this project until my husband’s friend stopped mid-lamination and mumbled something about doing arts and crafts. I sweetly reminded him that they were drinking beer as they laminated, so it was still very manly. Problem solved.)

The final project wasn’t perfect. But they were made for my Foxtrot girls with love… It made me think about how God made us– we aren’t perfect  but we are made with love. I am so thankful that God made me creatively crafty.

Thankful for Miscellaneous craft boxes,

SGK

“Live creatively, friends…” -Galatians 6:1 (MSG) 

PS: Have you done anything super creative or crafty with limited resources lately? Share it here! Maybe it will be my next “project.”

Categories: accomplishment, army, challenge, creation, Drill Sergeant, joy | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ohhhh Baby…

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Sharita

Here are my top five reasons why I know that A) God is always in and control and B) Has a remarkable sense of humor.

  1. He made the Platypus. A mammal, with a bill, that lays eggs. That’s hilarious.
  2. He allows us to use phrases like “army logic” and “productive Monday” and “jumbo shrimp.”
  3. He somehow distorts how long two minutes is depending on which side of the bathroom door you are on.
  4. Kansas Jayhawks. (Sorry, KU fans… Just kidding. But seriously.)
  5. He thought it would be legit to send my husband to Ranger school right about the time we found out we are going to have a baby.

That’s right, America. The Knoblochs are procreating. Ohhh, Baby.

I don’t want to get into too many details (I mean, I do have some dude readers after all) but let’s just say this whole having a baby thing is a lot for this army wife to handle. Yes, we were kind of trying. (And by kind of trying, I mean me giving control completely up to God to let HIM decide when we should have a baby… which for me as a person who LOVES control, says a lot.)

Apparently now is good. Or, more specifically, sometime mid-October-ish when the kid actually shows up.

Please don’t mistake my blatant and excessive sarcasm as negative… This is a good thing. For real. I am excited to be a mama. But it’s just kind of a lot to take in knowing that my husband is doing his army thing with no form of communication except snail-mail letters for at least the next 9 weeks and me literally 1,000 miles from family.

Um, yeah. Yikes. YAY!

I don’t find it ironic at all that my “word” for 2012 is “Dependence.” I think God knew I was getting comfortable, handling things really well, and said that it was time to shake things up a bit and bring me back to Him.

For those of you who don’t know me super well, yes, this is our first child. And yes I am excited, scared, overwhelmed, moody, easily brought to tears, thrilled, exhausted… Just FYI, that cycle of emotions usually repeats itself every 18 seconds. Super fun.

With this news, I ask for your prayers… Please pray for this tiny blueberry of a baby, for it to grow healthy for God’s glory. Pray for my preggo emotions, that I can keep my mind focused on Christ and He can calm ALL of my anxious thoughts. Please pray for my fears to transition to faith and that I can fully relax and enjoy this beautiful blessing God has given us!

And please pray for my husband’s safe and successful (and swift!) journey through Ranger school, so he can get back here ASAP to help me grow this baby by rubbing my feet, handing me Kleenexes when I cry at diaper commercials and feed me items drenched in ketchup. (Ketchup and egg drop soup are current cravings. Bizarre.)

Source: cafepress.com

So today, let’s celebrate as I  continue to try and process this exciting scary awesome news. I trust God knows what He is doing (and I just have to keep reminding my hormonally emotional brain this fact!) We can depend on Him in all things, no matter what kind of life surprise He gives you. Yeah, even those surprises that make you want to faint, scream, throw up, celebrate and shout “Ohhhhhh BABY!!”

I trust you Jesus,

SGK

“I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.” Psalm 131:2

Categories: adventure, army, baby, dependence, excited, faith, fear | Tags: , , , , , , | 15 Comments

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