A Son At War:#5-

I've got to get a handle on this. I turn the computer on first thing in the morning and check for word through e-mail and see if he's on facebook or skype. There is 6 to 7 hours difference between us depending on what Daylight Savings time is and I'm wondering what his night was like and his day. They are under orders not to reveal  to people back home when there have been attacks but like every where else there are leaks.

I try to go about my day, carrying my computer with me from room to room as I clean so I wont miss him. I hate to go anywhere for fear of missing him but I realize I cannot become a hermit for the next year. I know when he gets into a routine we will find our own routine for communication.

When we skype the connection is not usually good, the picture is not clear, the sound is not good and the call drops frequently. It's very frustrating, especially when you know our soldiers who are providing communication, are charged eighty something dollars a month for Internet. Even with all that, I am thankful to be able to see his face, kind of and hear his voice, most of the time.

How ever we choose to communicate, letters, e-mail, phone calls, skype, texting or face to face. When communication stops the relationship breaks down. How do we think God feels when we go through out our day and won't take time to talk to Him? How would you feel if your child got up in the morning and left the house without speaking to you?How would He feel if we were desperately waiting on a word from Him like I did from Garrett? His word ( Bible ) is available to us, we just must chose to sit down with it and give Him our attention, He is waiting to speak to us through prayer. There is no relationship more important than the one we have with the living God, He has already given His life for us and has risen to new life that awaits all those who belong to Him.

Preparing For The Holidays: Step two-decorating

After the house is cleaned it's time to get out the decorations, ours come out of the basement. This part of the process is not enjoyable and the grumbling echoes all the way up the stairs. It's funny how many things your family members can realize they forgot they need to do at that moment. After all the boxes arrive upstairs I am left to take my trip down memory lane. Each box opened reveals treasures, carefully wrapped in tissue paper. Some older and some acquired more recently but treasures all the same. As each one is unwrapped, admired and put in it's special place, I remember. Maybe it's one of the boys coming in from school with an ornament clutched in their little hand they made that day and his smile as it was placed on the tree or in another place that said we valued it. Some are gifts from friends and I am reminded of the blessing they have been in my life. For some it's a remembrance of special places we've been and things that are special to us. What ever the boys were into that year, I know you all have those karate Santa's , Santa's with basketballs or maybe even super heroes. I realize again just how quickly the years have passed. Then there are the ones that honor loved ones lost, I see their faces and fell the emptiness their passing has left in my life. Year after year they are a part of our Christmas just as they will always be part of our life.

Then I begin to prod my husband, it's time for the lights! He doesn't enjoy it even though he's a master at it. We put colored lights on the tree and white on everything else. My favorite thing is to sit in the dark living room watching the tree twinkle. The glow it cast across the room is magical.

My favorite decoration though is the Nativity, the very reason for Christmas. I have a small collection and they are placed all around the house. I imagine all the emotion Mary must have been dealing with during the birth of her son. Knowing that one day she would give Him up for a world that would not even realize the significance of it. Yes I do love all the Christmas decor but nothing more than that original Christmas light that came into the dark world when it all begin and still shines to this day.

A son At War: part four- Waiting For News

It's very early in the morning, Bubba and I are awaken from a sound sleep by the ringing of the phone. We both are throwing off the cover and out of the bed in one motion, racing for the phone. It must be Garrett, thank goodness we weren't going for the same phone, it could have been disastrous. It is Garrett and the sound of his voice is music to our ears. Over the next year our lives will revolve around the phone and computer for e-mails, instant messaging, facebook and skype. Waiting to hear his voice and see his face, even if it's fuzzy . Just to know for now he's okay.

It is not lost to me the sacrifice of those who have gone before us. The days when all they had to look forward to was a hand written letter and by the time it arrived their soldier's situation would have changed many times. The worry with nothing to comfort them but their faith. The same faith that will get me through this year. I have it so much better and so does my soldier. He can let me know something he's longing for from home and I can have it to him in a week or so.

We are thankful for technology but more than that we are thankful for our God. The God of yesterday and of tomorrow. The God who will spend everyday with my son in that war zone and who in the midst of it all will show him amazing things. In this and this alone I have peace.

Preparing For The Holidays: Step one- cleaning

Let the games begin! Or preparing for the holidays which ever seems to fit your approach. For those who don't know the "holidays" are the time from Thanksgiving until New Years Day. It's a time for decorations, celebrations, reflections, family, food, gifts, parties and whatever else we can fit in. It's even a time people will go to church when they won't go other times and for regular attenders there will be special music, plays and everything above only centered on the birth of Christ.

The holidays don't just happened, you women know what I'm talking about! Men, you don't have a clue! It takes a lot of work and preparation.Because there is so much I think it's best to tackle it in steps, so the next few weeks on Mondays I'll let you know my thoughts on the matter at hand, today it's cleaning the house.

 Nothing like company coming to motivate you to clean, I mean the kind of cleaning you do for special gatherings. Not just regular vacuuming and dusting, you actually move things and dust and vacuum under them. After all who knows what relative or friend coming will move things and look? We don't want people to think we have dust bunnies and cobwebs, do we? Hands and knees cleaning the bathrooms, you know how really gross those can get in a short time. If company comes and stays for any amount of time you know they're going to have to go to the bathroom. What's worse than worrying about what they are doing in there, like looking behind the shower curtain, or what they are thinking? Like " I wonder when was the last time Margie wiped down the base boards in here?"

It isn't that I'm a slob but on the other hand I'm not June Clever either. I know you can relate, we just get comfortable with our own dirt. When company comes we want things in order, to sparkle and shine. We don't even see the cobwebs in the corner and the dust on the baseboards, we don't mind it, we just live with it. That is until someone else is coming and we don't want them to see it.

With all the things about the holidays we get distracted from what it's really about. Thankfulness that a Savior was born and is coming back. If you are a first time believer you don't have to worry about the mess in your life, Jesus is only too happy to help clean it up if you are willing to let it go. If you already belong to Him, you know better. We need to clean up that sin we've grown comfortable with and get ready for His return!

A Son At War: Part Three - From A Brother's Heart

The time is at hand and Garrett is on his way across the ocean where his life will be threatened for the next year. We stay near the phone and computer waiting for any news along the way, I am thankful for technology like never before. Graham hasn't had alot to say during this whole process and I have to admit it was bothering me. Did it not matter to him at all what his little brother was heading for? The following letter Graham wrote on his blog the night Garrett left tells it all. As I read it chills ran over me and my heart was filled to bursting. I hope it touches you too.

Aug 7, 2010   //   by Graham   //   Blog, Life  //  No Comments

Dear Enemies of our Country, Living in the Desert,

Consider yourself warned. In a matter of hours, a plane will land delivering hundreds of brave, courageous men and women. Among them, you’ll find one smaller and younger than most. Be careful not to judge what your brain interprets through your senses. What you won’t see by his outer appearance is what you should fear most. Beneath the tree-like exterior and metal chest protector lies the most offensive weapon to your mission. His heart. You may think it’s mere tissue and fluid, but trust me, there you will find the courage to stand face to face with this challenge, the endurance to bear your hatred, the determination to end such threats to our way of life, the confidence to know he is well-trained and well-prepared, and most importantly, the unfailing love for a family he leaves behind that drives him to bring this fear to your door.

Consider yourself warned. He and his companions have taken an oath to never accept defeat and to never quit. I agree, along with every kindergarten student in our great land, that “sticks and stones can break bones, but words can never hurt you.” But it is not these words you should find frightening. It is the hero who utters them.

Consider yourself warned. If these are not reason enough, I share the most horrific in my conclusion. He has and is being prayed for by numerous believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And as a follower of the Messiah, he carries with him a power far greater than any weapon your hands can craft. Nestled beneath his armor and flowing through his veins is the assurance that the God that allows you to taste the air He provides will see Him through these trials. The God that created this universe by the commands of His voice will one day destroy all enemies of His kingdom. Even if He allows defeat in this battle, take heart that the last laugh is already had.

Consider yourself warned. You will soon witness a force that you have yet to face. I write to you proudly and with great confidence in my words. I say again, consider yourself warned.


Graham Culbertson, Brother

To read more from Graham go to www. GrahamCulbertson.com

Son At War: Part three

Crying makes me sleepy and as we begin the trip home without Garrett I am emotionally exhausted. It's Sunday and I know I should be going to my Father's house to worship Him but all I can manage is to go crawl into bed. The sleep that last night would not come, now over takes me.

Garrett will still be in the States for a few weeks of training before heading to Iraq so for now we don't have to think about his safety. He will have a four day leave while in Mississippi and we will go down for that. It's something to look forward too. Some say the second good-bye will be worse than the one we just endured, I wont miss a chance to be with my son no matter the pain that may follow.

A Son At War: part two

We walked into the main room of the armory filled with Soldiers, their bags and families whose faces looked like mine. They were tear stained or had that look that the dam was fixing to break. I had gained temporary control but lose it again as I look into the faces of all those loved ones whose hearts were breaking just like mine. I need something to do, I had brought some things to make this terrible gathering more pleasant so I go to find where to put them. This early in the morning there was bound to be coffee served so I brought flavored creamer. Do you remember the Calgon commercials " take me away "? Was it too much to hope for that flavored coffee would take our minds off the good-byes just hours away? We try to comfort each other with hugs and words of encouragement, the minutes tick by and the tears flow. We are given as much time as possible to be with our Soldiers, Bubba is roaming around the room with his camera trying to capture moments that are too quickly slipping by. My Soldier is moving through the room talking to different people and I am left standing alone watching with tears that I am convinced will never stop. Then I see one of my comrades coming toward me with open arms that envelope me with the understanding that only someone going through the same thing can have. She is my comrade because we share a battle faced by the families left behind on the home front and at this moment we share our tears and dread of the good-byes that are coming way too fast.

Then it begins, our Soldiers have to move into military mode. There are task to complete, list to check off, bags to load , formation and loading. Families are left to themselves as they will be for the year ahead, parents, children, siblings. Facing what they can no longer push aside, good-byes. I am almost in a panic to get my arms around my son one last time and trying to find one of his friends who did not have family there. "He has no one to hug him and say I love you " I thought. So I am frantically searching for him. He has already boarded the bus but the Commander calls him off for me. His face was confused and surprised as I wrapped him up in my arms. He was not my son but he was someones son and I couldn't bear the thought of him going off  without that last hug.

The bus begins to pull away as we walk along side trying to keep eye contact with our Soldier, waving, crying and realizing He is in Gods hands now. Families are left to console each other as we watch the tail lights of the bus moving out the drive onto the highway. The moment I feared has come and little by little those left behind head home to begin the year without their Soldiers.