Veterans Day Chain Email is Partly Truth, Partly Fiction

A Fallen Airman and a Fly-by-Night Ending 

Why you can't believe everything you read in a patriotic chain email and why it matters--especially today, Veteran's Day.

When it comes to war and heroism, truth is usually stronger than fiction. Most made-up stories of what people do in risking their own lives--or their reputation-- to save another, usually don’t hold a candle to the real deal. So, why, I'd like to know, do people keep spreading stories-- stories that are either patently untrue, or are only partially true, in order to advance their cause of Truth, Justice and the American Way?  Because ultimately, no matter how good or true the cause, nothing good ever comes from a lie that's used to "flavor" or enhance it.

The Venue:  Chain email sent to thousands--perhaps millions of people today on Veteran's Day--to (allegedly) stir up feelings of patriotism and favorable feelings about Christianity.

The Story:  Resident in Albuquerque, NM writes in to a local newspaper to complain--in a highly sarcastic letter-- about fly-by of jets from a local Air Force base (Luke Air Force Base)  that were headed for a fallen serviceman's (Captain Jeremy Fresques) memorial service.

Fallen serviceman responds to said resident with moving and patriotic tribute to both his fallen serviceman and to the armed forces in general, ending the letter--allegedly--with the closing sentence: "Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you ... Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom."

The Problem: While most of the story is true, neither the real name of the Lt. Col. (Lt. Col. Scott Pleus) who wrote the response, or the evangelistic final closing sentences of the letter was. Somewhere along the line--I can only imagine it was the original sender of the chain version of the letter--added those sentences intended to make the Lt. Col a "God fearing man" when, in fact, he never indicated whether he was a man of faith or not. Also an important piece of information was conveniently left out:  the man who issued the complaint about the fly-by later issued a sincere letter of apology and, on top of that, was a veteran himself.

Service Dogs Trained to Combat PTSD in Veterans Getting Good Results

Pups with a Purpose : It Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog…But This Dog Can Help With Cryin' all the Time  

 (and other PTSD-related issues)

Fido Finds a Friend in the Pen

Service-dog programs like Puppies Behind Bars and and Canines for Combat Veterans are having "pawsative" effects on our wounded warriors—helping them to reintegrate into society with greater ease by supplying them with prisoner-trained pups that are wired to please.

Petco may be "where the pets go" but "real" dogs—those who cost a small fortune to train but perform a service above and beyond the call of wagging tails or licking faces—go behind bars.  "Bars" as in prisons, not drinking establishments.  Programs such as Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us—a part of  the larger Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) service dog training program —are providing much needed companion canines to PTSD-identified veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Dog Tags" employs a rather unique training model: they use prisoners to raise puppies which then become service dogs for qualifying veterans. Puppies Behind Bars' first Dog Tag pup, Pax, was paired in February 2008 with Sergeant Bill Campbell, an Iraq War veteran who suffers from common symptoms of PTSD—including panic attacks, severe depression, memory loss, nightmares and fear of public places. Today, there are 81 PBB "incarcerated" puppies being trained inside six New York area prisons. 

Veterans and Volunteerism: New Report claims Possible Cure for "Inner" Demons of PTSD might be the "Outer" Cure of Helping Others

"Recognize our usefulness.  We are not charity cases. We are an American asset." - A veteran from Iraq and Afghanistan 

America’s “Sea of Goodwill” in the form of volunteerism still exists … but it’s missing its most valuable asset: veterans. So claims the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, in the foreword of a recent report: All Volunteer Force: From Military to Civilian Service.

It makes sense. After all, veterans are not only armed to the teeth with survival and other practical, battle-honed skills. They’re also used to laying down their lives for others. In fact, you could call them “The Ultimate Volunteer.”

That desire to serve, to give sacrificially for their country doesn’t go away when they’ve traded the battlefront for the home front. Far from it. In fact, studies show that most veterans, if given the opportunity, will happily don the uniform of civic service. After all, these boots are made for walking … not resting.

Homefront Heroes: Wings for Women Founder Talks about the Stresses of Military Life

Guest Blogger Alane Pearce talks about the trials and tribulations of military life––except she does more than talk. As the founder of the military spouse support group, Wings for Women, she offers real solutions for military spouses and their families who have a critical need of  networking and support when facing the battle of isolation, loneliness and stress on the home front.


When Mama Ain’t Happy...
By Alane Pearce Military Spouse and Founder of Wings for Women Military Spouse Conferences

Military life can be hard. Our military personnel make great sacrifices to protect our country and others around the world. They work long hours and spend extended periods of time away from their families to fight for the freedoms that allow us to enjoy an American lifestyle. What many don’t realize is the stress and strain that this puts on the military spouse.

Military spouses are strong, but they can’t bear the burden of military life alone. The pressures of deployment, single parenting while married, tight budgets, lack of continuity and other stresses bear down on this strong woman’s soul.

This is why I founded Wings for Women Military Spouse Conferences--to help military spouses deal with the stresses of military life. The Wings for Women Conferences--two-day events that will run in military cities across the nation (as soon as we have funding for them) feature general sessions, dynamic speakers and military lifestyle breakout workshops designed to inspire and encourage military spouses towards emotional healing.

When Hollywood Had Heroes: What Got Jimmy Stewart Through 20 Combat Missions

Jimmy, my main squeeze

 The Golden Era: A Time When Hollywood Was Patriotic and Actors—Gasp!—Read the Bible

The oft-quoted maxim, “They don’t make them like the used to,” surely must apply to my man Jimmy, who was–and is–my favorite actor in the whole wide world. As someone else once said, “He was a prince of a man.”

In fact, I’d always vowed that when Jimmy Stewart died, I’d wear black for a week. I was completely serious. Unfortunately, I was on an outdoor adventure travel writing assignment in Washington state when Jimmy Stewart slipped the surly bonds of this earth, and I doubt my then-editor would have taken too kindly to my sending photos of myself dressed in black hiking gear. 

But I digress. My point here is that Jimmy Stewart was far more than a consummate actor, dedicated family man and all-around standup guy. He was also a rarity among today’s celebs—a decorated war veteran who served his country with great distinction.

Just as important, he loved God–without embarrassment. Brig. Gen James Maitland Stewart acknowledged his dependence upon his Supreme Commander during his time in the trenches (more like the air ways since he was, after all, an Air Force man) and, as such, he found particular comfort in the famous “Soldier’s Psalm”: Psalm 91.

Read the following letter Jimmy’s dad wrote him—a letter that he found so emotional, he was apparently unable to read it to his son aloud.

My dear Jim-Boy,

Soon after you read this letter, you will be on your way to the worst sort of danger. Jim, I am banking on the enclosed copy of the 91st Psalm. The thing that takes the place of fear and worry is the promise of these words. I am staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience. I can say no more. I only continue to pray. Goodbye, my dear. God continue to bless and keep you. I love you more than I can tell you. – Dad

When Silence Isn't Golden: For Soldiers Suffering from PTSD, "Tell it Like it Is" Talk Therapy Works Best

Well, I talk about it

Talk about it

 Talk about it

  Talk about it  

- Funkytown

  When it comes to finding the most effective therapy for PTSD-identified soldiers, the lyrics of the hit single, Funkytown by the disco band, Lipps, offers some pretty sage advice: Talk about it, talk about it, talk about it... then talk about is some more–but only with someone you trust (admittedly made a little more difficult after Ft. Hood). Granted, the lyrics are hardly profound.  Yet according to Jim Dooley, a former combat veteran and now a mental health counselor with the VA, talking about the terrible things you've seen is the only way to navigate oneself out of the dark tunnel of quiet despair.

      Dooley is not alone in that advice.  The Journal of Traumatic Stress (not something you'd read from to your child at bedtime) just published the results of an interesting study that more or less concluded that for soldiers to truly heal from their emotional war wounds, they need to talk about the specific act of killing. This is opposed to simply dancing around the issue–something most mental health counselors and others apparently tend to do, alleges the lead researcher of that study.

"The truth? You Can't Handle the Truth": Why Soldiers Won't Talk About What They've Seen

"The truth? You Can't Handle the Truth." - from A Few Good Men

"A Marine asking for help is pretty rare. Being willing to get help...that's almost admitting that you're failing, that you can't do it by yourself–that you need somebody else to help you." - Cpl. Dan Gay, U.S. Marine Corps

    Wounded warriors.  There are a lot of them–certainly more than the V.A. can handle.  Yet even if all the resources in the world were available to help soldiers suffering from PTSD, chances are good that many–if not most–of them would still go untreated.  The question is, why?

       Simply put, it's because most returning soldiers make very few deliberate attempts at seeking help–even from, or more accurately, especially from–those they love. If they reach out at all, it's through unconscious ways––like suicide victim Jeff Lucey did with this mother when he asked her to listen to the lyrics of a song that he believed expressed the acute pain he felt, but could never seem to share. Once again, the question I had was, why? (Read Jeff's story.)

6 Reasons Why a Soldier Doesn't Talk

I've listened to a lot of the experts, and this is what they tell us–indeed the soldiers themselves will tell you if you press them (I've talked to a few)–about why they won't talk to family, friends or mental health professionals:

New Study Shows Soliders Who Get Blamed for Killing Suffer More from PTSD

 "We need as a culture to find ways to not blame soldiers who are ashamed of killing." - Shira Maguen, psychologist, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center

The Journal of Traumatic Stress just published the results of a study that conclude that soldiers who reported having killed in combat, or who gave orders that led to killing, were more likely to report the symptoms of PTSD, alcohol abuse, anger and relationship problems.  The study was based on data from health assessments conducted on about 2,800 soldiers who returned from Iraq in 2005 and 2006.

What does this mean?   According to Shira Mguen, a psychologist at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and principal investigator in the study, it means this: "That mental health professionals need to incorporate killing more explicitly into their assessments and treatment plan for veterans."  Mguen goes on to say that treatment would include finding ways to discuss the impact of killing–be it through public forums and/or  private treatment–to reduce the stigma and shame of it.  

What Heroes Do. Play this song for your children as a bedtime lullaby.

This new tune by Bryan Ragsdale, an aspiring country music artist and veteran is currently being offered for free on his website.  It's a really nice country song (without twang overkill)...very uplifting and a great tribute to all our heroes.  Plus the guy can actually sing. Found it on A Soldier's Perspective.

"Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?": 14 Things NOT To Say To A Military Wife

 I found this funny–and largely true–list posted on a blog titled, A Soldier's Perspective.  As always, I'm going to issue the typical disclaimer about this site which is: "Not all the views expressed on this site reflect the views and opinions of Hope for the Heroes," but this is a helpful blog in many ways. 

Like I said, this list is great. It also reassures you that yes, people really can be that ignorant. (In case you had any doubt.) I've included the first 5 out of 14 things NOT to say to a military wife.  You can read the rest on this guy's blog. After reading this, please read the inspiring story of Katie–a military wife who I interviewed about how she manages to deal with the angst of being away from her husband while he's stationed in Iraq. I found Katie to be delightful...she's savvy, spunky–and seriously wise for a 20-something. Now try and find that combination!

 1. "Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?" (This one ranks in at number one on the "duh" list. Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds —but thanks brilliant, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.)

Left Behind. A military wife shares the heartache–and the honor–of being married to a soldier.

It was a typical Saturday night, when single young girls everywhere gather together at karaoke hangouts to let loose after a long, arduous work week. Unlike many of her party-lovin’ peers, 24-year-old Katie Martin* was not particularly “on the prowl” … she just enjoyed belting out a good tune. That was until she happened to glance over at the “tall drink of water” with broad shoulders and a wink in his eye. It was a furtive glance that caused her to remark to her friend: “Wow … he’s cute!”

So cute that two and a half years later, Katie and Cody Larson* were hitched. Unfortunately, just one day after they tied the knot, her husband booked it to Baghdad—more accurately, he headed for pre-Baghdad training. It was his second deployment. 

 Since then, like most military wives, Katie has struggled with depression, loneliness and a host of other emotions that test her resolve to “remain strong” for her husband. In that regard, she fares better than most. Partly because she always knew she’d marry a military man. But also because she was raised in a family—and a state (Nebraska)—that understands the concept of sacrifice, something that many of her peers have had little training in.

Not to be left out of the equation, however, is Katie’s strong faith in God.

Katie’s Military Wife Survival Guide: 7 Things You Simply Must Do to Keep Your Soldier–and Yourself–Happy.

(1) Buck up...it’s temporary. After all, you can do anything for a year.

(2) Accentuate the positive, de-emphasize the negative.  Certainly there’s enough bad in the world to dwell on if you want to.  One way?  Read the Bible. Pray. And when it gets really hard? Pray some more.

(3) Find a friend (a female friend, not a male confidant...that’s inviting danger) who can empathize with you–without allowing you to wallow in your "widowhood."

(4) Get physical.  You need endorphins and you won’t find them at the aquarium or sitting alone at home. Walk, run, ride, rope (if you're a cowgirl)...whatever kind of exercise appeals to you will work wonders to help combat depression.

USAF Lt. Col Pamela shares what keeps her grounded so that she can fly high, fly straight.

Elizabeth L. Gardner, WASP, at the controls
of a B-26 Marauder

411God user USAF Lt. Col Pamela flies a KC-135 air-to-air refueler in support of operations in Afghanistan. She e-mailed us to tell us how much Hope for the Heroes meant to her during her stint in the Air Force.

"I'd grab a cup of java joe and open your daily email when I arrived reporting for duty every day...let me tell you, those emails really helped me start my day on the right foot! I especially appreciate your emphasis on seeking God early and getting my "marching orders" for the day from Him--the Supreme Commander in Chief!  Because of these emails, I believe I was able to stay cheerful during this deployment. Why? Because I made sure I got God's direction first so that I could approach each day's challenges with the confidence in knowing I was exactly where I was supposed to be!"

WW II WASP's flew high and looked good. Today, they're low-key on the lipstick, high on hitting their target.

Granted, women warriors in today's Air Force aren't as coiffed and couture as yesterday's WASP's (check out those eyebrows), but that doesn't mean our present-day G.I. Janes are plain. They're just more...well, motivated to be taken seriously–with or without waxed eyebrows and Ruby Red lipstick. After all, today they're actually flying planes in real combat vs.flying one on a coffee run for the major commander. Seriously, *American WW II lady fliers really did fly non-combat missions, but it wasn't to get java for the Head Joe but rather perform such essential military duties as ferrying aircraft from factories to military bases, as well as towing drones and aerial targets. Read more about WWII female flyers...

*American women were the first to fly in actual combat conditions while assigned in England

Posted by: jenni keast

The Battlefield of the Mind: In the war for our souls, words are containers for power

Did you know that words are containers for power? They carry either faith or fear. They also produce after their kind. There's particular power in the spoken Word–after all, the worlds were framed by God’s speaking it into existence. This is why the enemy of our soul, aka, the devil, does everything in his power to make sure we speak that which is contrary to God’s Word. (Nix that image of the guy with a bad sunburn, a long gnarly tail and a pitchfork....the devil is real and he's relentless.)

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

Keep in mind that God Himself said, My words are life to all those who find them and healing to all their flesh.” I don’t know about you, but I much prefer life over death. I would far rather have faith vs. fear, joy vs. depression, a sound mind vs. an unbalanced one–be these maladies the results of war or simply the impact of a life lived as a "series of unfortunate events." Since I've had all of the above at one point or another in my life, I know of what I speak.

Lost in Translation: Music that Doesn't Soothe the Savage Beast

Photo Credit: Nancy Palmieri / AP

 

Lost in Translation: Music That Doesn't Soothe the Savage Beast

A story of a needless death … and the choices we make in this life that impact the next.

"And I'm saying, "It's about him. He's was telling me...he was walking beside me and I was listening to these words [lyrics to "45"], and I knew it was describing him. He was falling apart right before our eyes."- Joyce Lucey

Crying the blues—or even a rock song that evokes the blues—can be cathartic for some, catastrophic for others. For 23-year-old returning Iraq war soldier Jeffrey Lucey, it was clearly the latter, making one wonder if he had ever been warned—post-release—that it would be best to stay away from strong emotional triggers like war films, graphic news stories, violent video games and even super sad suicide-inducing songs like Shinedown's "45."

In these times of doing what you're told
You keep these feelings, no one knows
What ever happened to the young man's heart
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart

And I'm staring down the barrel of a 45,
Swimming through the ashes of another life
No real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a 45
– “45” by Shinedown 

When I read the lyrics to this song, I assumed it was about what many people think it's about: suicide. Yet when Brent Smith, the lead singer of Shinedown, wrote those words, he claims he was not thinking about suicide. Rather, he contends that it’s actually a song about hope, about fighting against the odds. But there's that title, "45," and those lyrics, "No real reason to accept the way things have changed." Then the seeming "solution": "staring down the barrel of a 45." Where, I have to ask, is the message of "hope" here?

Smith's response is that "45" wasn't meant to be a literal term for a gun, but rather a metaphor for the world and the life we’re handed—the good, the bad and the ugly.

"It's a gift to be alive," says Smith. "And even when you're in that dark place [like I was] … it's about understanding that while it's not always going to be good, still you have no one to blame but yourself if you don't move forward."

Unfortunately for Jeff Lucey, Shinedown's message of life being "a gift" must have been lost in translation. If he did consider life to be a gift, it was one he made the fateful decision to return to its Giver. Just a short time after making a point of playing the song "45" for his mother during an afternoon walk, Jeff hung himself in his parents' cellar with a garden hose.

I'm not sure whether Lucey was ever officially diagnosed during his 3-day stint at a VA hospital, but it seems he had all the classic signs of PTSD.

Whatever the official diagnosis, clearly Jeff Lucey couldn't—or wouldn't—make the adjustment to a once-familiar world that had become more foreign than the "ashes of the other life" he had left in Iraq. In that emotional state, anything could have been a trigger. However, in my opinion, there should have been some foresight—and ultimately culpability—on the part of the songwriter that maybe, just maybe, someone on the verge of suicide wouldn’t see these lyrics as a metaphor. (I certainly didn't.) Rather, that a deeply despondent person listening to this song might actually do as the writer seems to suggest: "not accept the way things have changed" by "staring down the barrel of a 45" and pulling the trigger. Or place his head in a noose, as Lucey chose to do, and kick away the chair beneath him. Read or watch Jeff Lucey's story…

Opting Out: A Shortsighted View

Right now, it's hard not to think about Jeff's grieving mother, Joyce Lucey, and how "45" will forever re-play in her head—a siren song that she believes lured her son to an even darker place than the one he already inhabited. Only this place—entered into by one fateful choice—was a far country, an afterlife of finality from which there is no return. I can only hope that somehow, someway, God intervened before this young man passed into eternity. There's nothing more frightening that leaving this life in a state of hopelessness, believing (falsely) that death will be the panacea for despair. Because it's not. The Bible tells us that there is both a heaven and a hell, and there are no shortcuts to heaven by way of suicide. If there were, then any of us experiencing a degree of pain or suffering that we subjectively consider "too much to bear" would choose to opt out of our life. In doing so, we would each be free from the misery of being human—a state where whatever joys we experience in life somehow fade in comparison to our present darkness. Peace would be ours at last.

Sadly, this is a lie perpetuated by the Father of Lies (satan), who would love nothing more than to lure us into a false belief that by ending our life here, we'll find a better one on the other side. Often this is not a conscious belief (because the sufferer may not even believe in an afterlife); however, even the unconscious thought or feeling that “ending it all” will finally end the pain is nonetheless believing that there’s a better alternative to life itself.

The enemy is highly skilled at such deception (he's had centuries of practice), which is why satan's minions will walk through any door we open to ensure that we take a shortsighted view, convincing ourselves that our best days are behind us. Before long, we wear hopelessness and despair like a heavy cloak that we cannot discard. (Feelings of despair are always preceded by thoughts of hopelessness, which is why the apostle Paul admonished to us “cast down vain imaginations and every [emphasis mine] thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5). Why does the devil do this? Simply put, because "misery loves company." Which is why ignorant people making the commonly heard platitude, "He's finally found the peace he couldn't find in this life" (or words to that effect) after someone kills himself, really need to—excuse my crudeness—shut their "pie hole." All they're doing is fueling the falsehood—a very dangerous falsehood—that only serves to fuel hell's agenda.

“Only a Breath Away”

The simple truth is that there is no peace on the "other side" if you don't choose life on this side. Every decision you make in this life reverberates into the next one. And lest you be under the mistaken impression that “heaven is ‘up there’ somewhere,” it’s important to note that the so-called “veil” separating the two worlds is not as thick as you may think. As a physician who considers it his calling to help usher his dying patients into the next life—often experiencing the very sounds and smells of heaven himself (and sometimes, frighteningly, that “other place”)—once shared with me, “eternity walks beside us … it’s only a breath away.” That thought should give us pause. Dr. Reggie Anderson’s fascinating book, Appointments with Heaven (it reads like a combination of To Kill a Mockingbird, In Cold Blood and Heaven is for Real), offers life-changing insights into what really awaits us beyond the grave. … depending upon that one critical choice we make on this side.

That “choice” isn’t just the decision to keep sucking air, holding onto this earth by a shoestring of slim-to-none hope. By choosing "life" I mean choosing the Life-Giver Himself, Jesus, who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [where Heaven exists] except through me." Hear that? No one. That’s what Jesus Himself said. So if you don’t choose Jesus, you’re choosing eternal separation from Him. And, trust me, that’s no place you want to be because that truly will be the cessation of all that is good in this world. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. ... When I am in the world, I am the Light of the World” ( John 8:2).

Really, the whole of our existence, and the war that rages against each of us from the cradle to the grave, can be summed up in this verse: "The thief [satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Jesus has given us the victory in this war for our souls, but we still have to daily choose to walk in this victory. That’s where the battle lies. “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life [emphasis mine] to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (I Tim. 6:12). (For more on how to fight that good fight, read my blog post titled, “The Battlefield of the Mind.”)

So today, if like Jeff Lucey, you're teetering on the edge, debating whether to take the plunge into the Great Unknown because you've believed the lie that there's no hope and the world would be better off without you—and that you would be better off without it—I beg you to stop and ask "the God of all hope" to come and reveal Himself to you.

If you're desperate enough to end your own life, then you're desperate enough to cry out to the Living God, the Father of Light in whom "there is no darkness or shifting shadow."

Don’t Waste Your Pain

When Jesus Christ hung on the Cross, He took upon His own flesh the deep pain you're experiencing right now—the sin, the shame, the fear, the hopelessness—bearing it all so that you no longer have to. Even before the foundation of the world, knowing that He would one day suffer the punishment for our sins—yours and mine—He had you in mind—calling you a "perfect gift" … one who was "fearfully and wonderfully made" as He knitted you together in your mother’s womb.

"My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139: 15-17).

Do you hear that? Your days were already written out in God's book before you even took your first breath. This means that you have many more days left to fulfill—days filled with peace, hope and a divine purpose as you experience the joy of being intimately acquainted with your Creator. You can choose to waste the pain you feel by taking it to its ultimate and irreversible consequence, or you can choose to give it to God … asking Him to one day use it to help others. Trust me, He will.  

The Right Side of Eternity

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer. 29:11). After those words were spoken over Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, it would be 70 years before that “bright future” would actually transpire. Until then, the Israelites suffered a hellish existence as slaves of the Babylonians. (For some, better than others.) But the promise of a future redemption helped them to “hold on” … giving them that critical big-picture view that while they would “suffer for a season,” freedom was around the bend.

That freedom did come for the Israelites. And, as we read numerous times in the Good Book, it will come again … once and for all upon the triumphant return of Jesus Christ. On that glorious day, our returning Messiah will sit upon the throne in Jerusalem, ruling and reigning as the world watches “all nations come to His light.” But this just isn’t a “some day” promise for a sin-weary world … it can be for us now as individuals. In the midst of your own personal hell, Jesus gives you the “blessed assurance”—divinely authored by the Creator Himself in your personal “Book of You”—that yes, you can live a life of deep peace and abiding joy. It’s a simple exchange. He laid down His life for us, and, in return, we give our hearts completely to Him … the One who knows and loves us more than we can possibly imagine. “In this world, you shall [emphasis mine] have tribulation. But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”

In conclusion, I solemnly urge you to consider the tragic end of Jeff Lucey and learn from it. Don’t close your book before it's supposed to end. Let the world read it; let them see what a life given over to God and surrendered to His unfathomable love—even in the midst of the trouble that comes to us all—looks like. Choose life. Choose Jesus. Instead of gambling with your eternal fate, choose to be on the right side of eternity where one day, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever" (Rev. 21:4).

Did you know that words are containers for power? You can help keep depression at bay, and allow hope to fill your heart—displacing all those dark thoughts that come to us all. Find out how! Read more...
 
Posted by: jenni keast

k-love interview

Check out a recent news story/interview on Hope for the Heroes that aired on k-love radio.

memories that still haunt

This is a good reminder to us all that the things our veterans have seen remain vivid in their minds for years and years.

Germans in the Woods from Rauch Brothers on Vimeo.

86-year-old World War II veteran Joseph Robertson fought at the Battle of the Bulge. Over 60 years later, he still cant forget one soldier he killed there.

it's live!

Hopefortheheroes.com is live. Take a look, and help us get the word out. You can also follow us on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook.

sunday's the big day

The 411God Hope for the Heroes calls will start going out Sunday, November 1st. If you have friends or family in the military, let em know so they can sign up for a call, email or text. By the way, it's free.

website coming soon...

Check out the new Hope for the Heroes website launching November 1st.

www.hopefortheheroes.com