reflection – Strength 4 Spouses

Making it to the Finish Line in Pregnancy

Sep 9, 2019Strength 4 Spouses13 Commentsdeployment, Faith, family, military life, reflectiondelivery, faith, pregnancy, pregnancy after loss, third trimester

Making it to the finish line? I once thought, in terms of pregnancy, you are pregnant for nine months, make it to the glorious end, and out comes your precious new bundle on your due date. I never knew how difficult the end of a pregnancy could be until I experienced it for myself. It…

Strength 4 Spouses Year 2 Recap

Jul 31, 2019Strength 4 Spousesmilitary life, reflectionblogger, blogoversary, goals, history, recap

Strength 4 Spouses is a place where military spouses, veterans, and those who support the military can find encouragement, inspiration, and resources to help them find their strength through the ups and downs of all phases of military life. While there are many ways to find strength in this lifestyle, Strength 4 Spouses focuses on…

Review of “Heal Yourself with Journaling Power”

Jul 19, 2019Strength 4 Spouses1 Commentholistic healing, Personal Development, Product Review, reflectionbook review, healing through writing, holistic healing, journaling, self-development, self-help

Synopsis “Heal Your Self with Journaling Power” is an easy to read self-help book by multi-award winning author Mari McCarthy. She gives you rationale throughout the book as to why journaling is important and how it can improve your life in multiple ways. Included in the book are stories from others who have used various…

Drop the Rank Talk

Jun 7, 2019Strength 4 Spouses2 Commentsmilitary life, Personal Development, reflectionfriendships, identity, military life, military spouses, rank

Every so often, it happens. Each time it does, I immediately get annoyed and have one question that I continue to ponder, “why does rank need to be thrown out there?” There’s always one person in a group of military spouses who feels the need to throw out their spouse’s rank awkwardly in a conversation-even…

Pregnancy after Loss

May 30, 2019Strength 4 SpousesFaith, family, healing, Infertility, miscarriage, Personal Development, reflectionanxiety, faith, pregnancy, pregnancy after loss, pregnancy loss

Pregnancy and infant loss are two of the most devastating situations moms can face. It takes so much strength to recover from that type of tragedy. When a woman does get pregnant again after loss, how is the next pregnancy for her emotionally? This month’s post in the “Finding Your Strength” series will detail what…

7 Meaningful Ways to Volunteer in the Fort Bragg Community

May 21, 2019Strength 4 Spouses3 Commentsfamily, military life, Nonprofit Organizations, Personal Development, reflectionFort Bragg, military families, military life, military spouses, nonprofits, volunteerism, volunteers

Over the last 3 years, I have found my own strength in military life through volunteer service to the local military community. The great thing about Fort Bragg is that there are ample opportunities to volunteer, no matter what your schedule may be. Many special events need volunteers throughout the year, while other organizations simply…

4 Ways to Support Military Couples without Children

Apr 27, 2019Strength 4 Spouses6 Commentsfamily, Infertility, marriage, military life, miscarriage, reflectioninfertility, military couples, military life, military spouses, support

Do you have any kids? This is the dreaded question that many frequently face, even more so as a military spouse. For some reason, society thinks if you are a military spouse, you are very fertile and drive a minivan packed with kids, but that’s not always the case. There are many military couples out…

Personal Growth through the Decades

Mar 12, 2019Strength 4 Spouses2 Commentscareer, Education, family, military life, Personal Development, reflectioncareer, family, life lessons, military life, personal growth, self-development, self-reflection

Do you ever look back at your life and reflect on the ways in which you have grown through the decades? Life is such an amazing adventure and learning occurs in many different stages throughout every year of life. If you had to group your learning into decades, what would each decade represent? What are…

Military Spouse Career Struggles & Knowing Your Value

Feb 26, 2019Strength 4 Spouses1 Commentcareer, Education, family, healing, military life, Personal Development, reflectioncareer, career change, military spouse, military spouse employment

God knew it would take something BIG to get me to walk away from my career. While I don’t believe that he is the reason tragedy strikes good people, I do believe that he will redirect your path as necessary. I remember telling my husband, “I’ll do everything to build my life with you. I’ll…

A Season of Waiting

Feb 22, 2019Strength 4 Spouses2 CommentsFaith, family, healing, Infertility, marriage, miscarriage, reflectionfaith, family, hope, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, waiting

It seems like I have spent many seasons of my life in waiting. While all of my friends were getting married, I was still wrestling with broken relationships and dreaming of my Mr. Wonderful. I waited for what seemed like forever for the man I now call my husband. We married later in life and…