Wow, everyone was really quiet last week! Book clubs are a whole lot more fun when people talk, so please take a moment to comment, even if you are behind in your reading. If I make the questions too hard, just say so, or share what you want too! 
We had some great participation for the introductions – remember, there are no wrong answers! What did you think of the first two chapters of GOD Strong? How hard is it to be strong? How easy is it to lean on God? Or is it?
I’m writing this in the midst of packing. We are heading out tomorrow to pay a little visit to South Carolina where I have a series of meetings on Friday that may begin a brand new adventure for our family. While I am excited, I am also nervous. After singing and praying with my son tonight, I was laying down with him as he fell asleep like I always do, and I felt a wave of overwhelming sadness of saying goodbye to a 7-year long chapter of our lives and opening the door to a new one. And boy did the fear come rushing in! Are we making the right decision? Is it the right thing to do? Will it be good for our family? Will we make new friends? Will we find a new church? Questions, questions flooded my mind and my heart was pounding hard! And yet, I know, that God has paved the way for all of it and that we need to trust Him to make a way as we go through it.
This week as we read Chapters 3 and 4, we’re going to be talking about two serious issues that we often face – fear and loneliness. In fact, in our poll that’s currently up, the #1 answer right now to what’s the toughest thing about deployment is “feeling like I’m all alone.” And friends, I have struggled with BOTH! But what I have learned, as God has graciously and patiently taught me, is that these emotions -fear and loneliness – are not from Him. But He does offer the solutions.
So this week, your assignment is to read Chapters 3 and 4, if you have not already done so and then be sure to answer the questions below.
1. What are some of the fears military wives face? Deployment, fear of something happening to our husbands, fear of failure… I would say that these are probably some common ones. Can you think of any others? What do you think about being able to trade our fears for faith that God is greater than those fears? What are some fears you’d like to trade today? Is there any part of the chapter that hit home the hardest for you?
2. The more I talk to women, the more I hear of our struggles with loneliness. Even in women who believe they have good friends, tinges and waves and seasons of loneliness hit them like rocks chipping away a beautiful piece of artwork. What causes loneliness? What is it that convinces us we are all by ourselves?
Looking forward to hearing your responses. Have a fantastic rest of the week!
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Hi, I'm Jocelyn Green and I totally missed the introductions post but I hope you'll let me chime in here anyway.
1. As a newlywed Coast Guard wife, I was whisked away from Washington, D.C. to Homer, Alaska two days after we got married. It was such a shock. My biggest fear was that I didn't have my own purpose anymore, other than to follow my new husband around wherever he was stationed. I was so haunted by the idea that God didn't have great things for me to do– he just had great things for my husband to do, and I was along for the ride. Over time, God showed me I was wrong (thank goodness!). Ephesians 2:10 clearly tells us that he has a job for each one of us, single, married, civilian, military, etc.
2. Loneliness can happen in a room full of people, and it can certainly happen even when hubby is home. I think loneliness happens when we feel like no one around really "gets" who we are or what we're going through. It's a tough one because the lonelier we feel, sometimes the more we withdraw, perpetuating the cycle. But if we reach out we'll find that there are plenty of others who can relate to what we're going through.
Jocelyn Green
1. Whate fears do I have? That the PTSD my hubby faces everyday will not get better (even though it has, it ebbs and flows). [I prayed for his physical safety and had to face that fear when he was injured, but I didn;t pray for his heart and mind.]My fear that PTSD won't get better is part of my surrender that I have to let God take care of.
2.What makes us convinced we are alone? For me it was when my mother found a boyufriend and would not help me with my daughter. I then had no safety net even though my hubby had returned from deployment. So if someone needed to pick up our daughter, it had to be me. When my mother got so wrapped up in her boyfriend I felt abandonded by her and alone like I had never felt.
Joy Heldt
My greatest fear is that my children will not be content at a new base. With kids at different ages, they cope with change and relationships in various ways. What if I can't get them involved in the right activities? I have to daily hand that off to God. I can't micromanage my children's reactions.
Casey Pitts
I think my greatest fear is that I won't have what it
takes. I'll be
getting married in December, the same time my fiance is commissioning.
I'm afraid I won't have what it takes
or that I'll let my fiance down. I think a lot of the time, this fear
can drive me. I have to remind myself a lot that God is in control and
will be with me. The funny thing is that I've seen God work countless
times already in my life. Why can't I seem to remember them? Sometimes I
feel like an Israelite, in that I
seem to forget God's awesome works so quickly. So I'm working on resting
in God, allowing myself to be me, not superwoman
and continuing to
seek God.
I'm rather independent, or try to be, to a fault. Part of it is just my
personality, but the other part of it is wary of depending on anyone and
getting let down. So I don't admit that I'm lonely very often, but I
definitely have my moments. The special thing about those moments though
is that, if I look to God, He has always been there for me, in a very
real sense. Sometimes I just dreadfully want someone with skin on, but
even still, God touches me like no one else can. That has been so
encouraging to me
Enjoying reading everyone's thoughts here. Thanks for sharing! 
Looking forward to this next week.-Priscilla
Priscilla
I think one of the fears I have being separated from my boyfriend is worrying about keeping the fire alive in our relationship. My boyfriend is in the process of completing training right now for his Air Force career which can be very stressful, and I've feared at times how I can be there for him even though I'm far away. Am I supporting him enough as I should?
I sometimes have bouts of loneliness and I get into a rut of feeling sorry for myself. It makes me sad that my friends and relatives can be with their significant others or spouses as much as they want; that they can go on dates and be with each other all the time, but I'm separated from the one I love. But it helps that my boyfriend and I make it a priority to pray together every night before going to bed, and that makes our relationship very strong.
I think the common thread between fear and loneliness is doubt and anxiety, and that is caused by the Evil One tearing us apart from the Lord. I believe that fear, loneliness, doubt, and anxiety are not "of God" and when we learn to place our trust in Him, then we can start to rest easy in His arms. When I sense these other emotions to start getting the best of me, I just pray, "Lord, I put these in Your hands, I hand all my fears and anxieties over to You" and I just go about with the rest of my day.
April
Hey April, I've felt like that too, but, and I'm sure you've heard this already, God always brought us through, and in some ways even strengthened our relationship through it all. Hang in there
Hey, are you on facebook? If you are and want too, friend me, my name is Priscilla Sangrey. Maybe we could talk more 
Priscilla
Hi Priscilla-
Thanks for reaching out! I tried finding you on facebook, but couldn't for some reason. Is that how your name appears on Facebook?
April
April
I'm not sure why my name didn't come up; that is how I have it on facebook. Awhile ago, I had adjusted my security settings. Maybe that is causing a problem. What's your full name? I'll try to friend you.
Priscilla
Hi Priscilla- You can try and find me although I think my security settings are up as well, April Dornidon.
April
April
Yeah, I couldn't find you on facebook either. I went in and tried to figure out which settings to change, but couldn't. I'm not sure what else to do. Thanks for trying though.
It was good to meet you. 
– Priscilla
Priscilla
1. What are some of the fears military wives face? All those you listed are some of the main ones. Can you think of any others? With this deployment just ahead, I keep going back to the one that something is going to happen to my husband. It hasn't turned into an uncontrollable fear, just something that's in the back of my mind.
What do you think about being able to trade our fears for faith that God
is greater than those fears? I think it's absolutely true. God didn't give us a spirit of fear. That's Satan and one of the ways that he tries to get us to not do what God has asked of us. What are some fears you’d like to trade
today? Deployment, my job, children, and the list could go on and on. Is there any part of the chapter that hit home the hardest for
you? All of it. I worry about so much when my husband isn't home.
2. What causes loneliness? For me, it's when my husband is gone. I have some really great friends and a wonderful church, but in my mind they can't replace him. And I let the sadness over take me. I try and stay busy, but there are times that nothing helps except depending on God for his strength. What is it that
convinces us we are all by ourselves? We allow self-pity to control us. I truly believe that hinders a lot of our ability to serve others (selfishness and self-pity). We can't get past ourselves and I'm the worst at it.
Karen, Army, 30s
I have found also that as military wives, we don't want to admit to ourselves or anyone else that we need help. Then we end up isolating oursaelves which only perpetuates the loneliness. It can get to be a vicious cycle, but when we learn to reach out it can stop the cycle and minister to us and others.
Joy Heldt