Pete Peterson talks about having a Biblical approach to a career transition; Dale Holland answers questions about being an OCF Local Leader; and Courtney Taylor shares a roundup of OCF ministry news.
In this episode, pastor and author Dr. Gary Phillips discusses a topic he has titled “Basic Training for the Family: Biblical Principles for Navigating Cultural Minefields.”
In this episode of Crosspoint, we talk with Planting Roots Director Kori Yates about deployment and tactics for dealing with this season of life when your spouse is deployed.
Anne Borcherding talks about what it means for a military spouse to embrace the calling of the spouse who is serving in uniform, and she candidly shares the struggles she and her husband faced in the early years of their marriage.
What does scripture say about addiction? Can a Christian have an addiction? What does a biblical approach to recovery look like? Isn't Jesus enough? Our guest is Dr. John Thorington—a licensed professional counselor and is also certified as a Sexual Recovery Therapist by the American Association of Sex Addiction Therapy.
What comes to mind when you hear “Acts of Service?” How about “Words of Affirmation” or “Quality Time?” You might recognize them as 3 of the 5 love languages from the popular book first written by Dr. Gary Chapman back in 1995. In this episode, OCF managing editor Karen Fliedner chats with Jocelyn Green about Finding Your Love Language…at the intersection of faith, family, and profession.
This episode focuses on coping with transition, not just from the perspective of military families, but specifically, from the perspective of military kids, or third-culture kids. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Dave Sanders—a Christian Ministries Professor at Judson University.
When the pressures of the military life and life in general seem overwhelming, who's your support system? Do you have a person or group that, like you, is running this most difficult of races, that you can rely on, and who in turn can depend on you when times get tough?
I long to do great and noble things, but God reminds me it’s in the humble things that He can be extraordinary through me. Ultimately, I desire to be like Helen Keller: to do humble tasks as though they were great and noble.
Those who have laced up boots or buttoned an Armed Forces uniform in service to our nation know all-too-well the difficult and tough terrain of the transitional military life they lead.
Take time to examine your own support system, or if you do not have one, get started now. The health of a marriage can often hinge upon the strength of the support system that has been established.
In preparation for our move, I found myself wondering what our new neighbors would be like. OK, I was obsessing over it. We have grown to love the people we live next to, and trying to imagine unfriendly neighbors peering at us while grilling out on the deck was making my stomach hurt.
Like you, my husband, Steve, and I know what it’s like for our marriage to have to go into survival mode during extended periods of separation. We know the pressure of caring for children in the midst of huge transitions. We know the challenge of supporting each other when our own personal resources are depleted.
If you want to be the Christian military leader God has called you to be, I believe a must-have is a strong support system that loves, supports, and sustains you.
When PCSing, the most common strategies teens use with one another involve simple avoidance, picking a fight to create distance so it’s easier to leave, disconnecting through moodiness or hyperactivity, or adopting the “It’s all cool” act. This is why we need to build a RAFT.
The chain of command—everybody has one. Everybody knows where they are in that chain, and it honestly clarifies and simplifies your life as a military member.
Men have a lot in common with wolves. We mark our territory, strut in front of females, and bristle in the presence of another alpha male.
Marriage is hard enough for the everyday civilian. But add in the unique challenges of deployments, frequent moves, and high-pressure situations, and it’s no wonder military marriages are under stress.
We’ve been through a lot in our four short years of marriage, but it’s been exciting to look back and see how God has been a part of it all, especially in the last two years. God poured out countless blessings on my husband in the pursuit of his dreams, making it through the arduous training without any major injuries or setbacks. I couldn’t be prouder of him!
Even after two deployments, I still don't understand how mankind can be so cruel and thoughtless.
If your military family is a typical one, chances are you have moved about once every two to three years. With the many stresses associated with moving, one of the most difficult decisions can be whether to buy a house or rent one.
There are certain moments in a lifetime you never forget. For me, the memories of formally giving a father’s blessing to my children in person continues to give me joy as I recall each event.
Jump on in! Living completely sold out to God is a lot like doing a cannonball into a pool--not on the edge of toe-testing mediocrity.
Thriving Christian marriages reveal prayerful planning and purposeful intention.
When Rob shared his vision with me, I had been an Army wife for nearly eleven years—all of our marriage. I would have described myself as supportive of his career. I understood a fair amount about the military, had attended countless functions, and attempted to make the most out of each move. Wasn't that enough? What else did he need from me?
Couples in resilient marriages are intentional and vigilant in building successful relationships.
Father's Day is the perfect venue to consider those who first loved us--especially our Father in heaven.
Challenges are unique for married-to-each-other military with families when duty calls
A deployed chaplain shares his thoughts leading up to Christmas.
Balance the roles of Christian officer and Christian spouse.
Lack of contentment comes from entertaining lies.
Four keys to a godly marriage.
A chaplain shares his insights about young, deployed service men and women.
Every God-fearing dad in some way strives to image our heavenly Father.
A prayer for military wives.
How deployments affect the holidays.
Looking ahead motivates us to live, work, and plan while we wait--and it is the key to living in the present with energy and hope.
Practical ways to share your faith with your children.
Ms. Ryan's Second Grade Class asks some questions about life in Iraq.
In Part 1, we ask: What do you think of when you hear someone mention stewardship? Money, talents, or ownership? For many, money is the first thing on their minds and that often leads to uncomfortable feelings.
There are three things you need to believe if you are to give the way God wants you to give.
When our four children were young, my wife and I wondered how we could teach them financial responsibility.
It's important to be a proper steward of the finances God entrusts to Officers's Christian Fellowship.
In Part 2, knowledge and tools are great for your head, but you also need a heart to shape experience into judgment and wisdom. Learn to understand the numbers and balance them with what you value in your heart.
In Part 3, financial goals are the basis of personal financial planning. A great many people are working hard to save and invest, but do not have a plan, or at least not one sufficiently specific to assess progress.
In Part 4, the essence of planning is found in your knowing the return you need and the risk you can accept.
In Part 5, to get beyond tithing and on to gifting you need to multiply His blessings. This is the purpose of investing, and the better we do it, the more we can give back to His work.
In Part 6, God expects us to use what we need then multiply and return the rest. The blessings of stewardship are in the giving. Knowing when and how to do it is our responsibility.
God through the prophet Malachi told the Old Testament Jews that they were robbing God.
God gives us the power to become rich, but it may be in terms of our riches in eternity with Christ Jesus and not in our human, earthly terms. What is important is what drives us.
The adjustments families need to make can be improved by a good understanding of the stresses of separation and a strategy for thriving.
A military dad shares what he experienced at Spring Canyon's Father Teen Adventure.
Each themselves military officers, what's it like as a Mom and Dad to watch your child deploy?
Mothers share the responsibility of raising children to know and love our Lord.
A paraphrased version of portions of Proverbs 31.
Insight into the daily sacrifices of military children.
Sometimes the heroes are the ones who stay behind.
You've heard the horror stories about what can go wrong when your husband leaves... but it doesn't have to be all bad.
LTC Frank Gray's letter to his son explaining why he is back in the Army.
The Wesley family shares some lessons they learned through deployment.
All fear vanished and courage rushed in.
OCF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our CFC number is 10531. OCF is also a member of these organizations:
Copyright © 2000-2023 Officers’ Christian Fellowship. All Rights Reserved.
OCF is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our CFC number is 10531. OCF is also a member of these organizations:
Copyright © 2000-2023 Officers’ Christian Fellowship. All Rights Reserved.
