Battlefields & Blessings Giveaway

Note: I may earn money or products from the companies, products, or links mentioned in this post.

Several months ago I was contacted by Jocelyn Green to review a book she co-authored. Veteran’s Day is the perfect day to talk about this book, because of the stories it holds. I hope you get a chance to read this or win a copy below.

Published: November 11. 2009
Book Description:
“Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan is a 365 day collection of inspiring stories of courage perseverance and faith based on first-hand accounts of more than seventy individuals who have served in the war. Through multiple, never-before-told stories, readers will uncover the personal challenges of the battlefield. In Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan you will discover the experiences and perspectives of deployed soldiers, chaplains, military wives and parents, organizers of humanitarian efforts, and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.” – Amazon.com

My Rating:

My Review:
In the Tradition of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books, Battlefields & Blessings is a book full of short stories. Stories about courage, faith, and miracles. Stories about heroes, people who did their duty to serve God and their country. Stories from soldiers, chaplains, military wives and more. Stories that will break your heart, but also lift it up.

Through this book, you will get a glimpse into the eyes of the people who serve our country, the men and women who have laid their lives down for our freedom, and the people who are living in danger every day while we are at home going about our business. You will see just a little bit of how they live, how they survive and how they get through each day. You will see how God has protected and watched over them, and brought them safely home.

I was so blessed to be able to read this book and learn about the lives of those who fight for our freedom. Being a military wife, it hits home for me because I know of the sacrifices military families make. This book has 365 short stories, one for each day of the year if you want to read them that way. There are verses in the side margins to go with each reading and also a prayer for each day. I know that if you read this you will be as blessed as I was to learn about these heroes, these men and woman who have fought and died for our freedom.

Excerpt From the Book:
“No sooner did my son graduate from boot camp than we were notified he would be deployed to Iraq. I knew this moment was coming, but I still wasn’t ready for this. In early March, all the military moms and wives in our area got phone calls from our men. “Pray for us,” said William. “I don’t know when we’ll talk again.” About a week later, the war officially began. I’ll never forget it—the war started on William’s nineteenth birthday. Then it was four months –112 days—without any communication. I searched for every broadcast there might be, looking for a glimpse of my son or information about his unit. For long stretches of time I was just glued to the TV because I didn’t want to miss something.  It was so unbelievably difficult. When the first casualties list came out on April 7, 2003, it was devastating. You grieve for the families who have lost their sons or daughters and plead with God you won’t be next. It takes your breath away. You are literally gripped to see any pictures on TV, to get any news reports. You’re starved for some assurance. You don’t want to leave home because you don’t want to come back and see a black sedan waiting for you. Every time there’s a knock on the door, your stomach drops to the floor. Then Mother’s Day came. And while I obviously would have preferred to have my son with me on that day, I did receive a very powerful gift. I was watching the right news broadcast at the right time. “I just talked to a Marine who just had his nineteenth birthday the day the war started,” the reporter said. My heart skipped a beat. “Just last year around this time he was going to his senior prom.” While he didn’t say his name and I never saw him on that television screen, it was enough. I knew that was William, and now I knew he was alive. My son was still OK.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Prayer: Lord, help me not base my confidence on my own understanding when I should be trusting you instead.

–by Deborah Johns, Blue Star Mom, director of military relations for Move Forward America

Interview with one of the authors, Jane Hampton Cook about the book:

Jocelyn Green at a book signing.

Thank you Jocelyn Green for sending me one free copy to read, and one to giveaway. You can visit Jocelyn’s site and see more books she has written here: www.faithdeployed.com

Giveaway:
To win this book, please leave a comment with why you think this would be a good book to read.
Giveaway ends: November 18th
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