Red Friday: An Update from Afghanistan (A Prayer Request)

Now that's a sight for sore eyes right there.

It's Red Shirt Friday and every Friday my blog wears a red ribbon, turns red, or we ourselves wear red while my brother-in-law, Zach, is away fighting in Afghanistan. He and my sister Anna have a little girl, my goddaughter Maddie, and they have another little girl on the way.

Zach does get to use the phone and videophone to call home but he can never say when. The guys wait in line sometimes for 2 hours to call home. Anna's phone is glued to her.

I pray for all of them every day, for his safe return and for their strength while he is away. It is tough on them. For the first couple weeks he was away, little Maddie had night terrors. She would wake up screaming and tear up her room. She is only 2 1/2 but boy does she love her daddy. You can see it in her eyes, even when she looks at the giant cardboard cutout of him.


She's telling him what she's drawing. She looks like an angel.

That is a Flat Daddy of Zach, by the way; a life-sized cardboard cutout of him. Anna got it after Zach's first deployment, before Maddie was born, but boy has it been helpful.

My sister works and holds down the fort quite well while he's away but honestly I don't know how she does it. She's got the strength of a battalion of men. Talk about wearing a cape.

The update from Afghanistan makes me scared and prayerful. This is from Anna this week:

Pass this on to family and friends. Ask that everyone say their prayers. The 3/4 Marines are taking many casualties and are constantly under pressure from local Taliban. Our good friend was injured, MEDEVAC'd and is now recovering, and many, many of Zach's other friends are sustaining life altering injuries..Zach is doing OK. Sends his love. Nothing new, just misses being home and his family.

The troops and their families need our prayers (or kind thoughts-- whatever it is you have in your heart) for strength and healing.

There is a reporter embedded with Zach's company. John Cantlie has been blogging about it for two weeks on his blog, Fast Features.

I can't read it.

It scares me too much and makes my imagination go wild and as soon as I open it I start crying. I will read it when Zach comes home safely or maybe I will make myself read it before then. But do, please, feel free to click on it and read about Zach's company and what's happening over there.

(By the way, no, they are not coming home early. Everyone is coming home when they were scheduled in November hopefully, not "early" as reported. The Marines, anyway. I'm not sure about anyone else.)

Finally, I didn't get to post on the 4th of July and I feel bad about that (was hugging the bowl after catching some awful bug from the kids but these things happen).

But I want to wish everyone a very belated Happy 4th of July!

Thank you to all of our servicemen and women past, present and future for the freedom we enjoy as Americans today. Including you, Zach, and all of the men and women you fight alongside of every day. You are in our hearts and in our minds.

I love you bro. Stay strong, little root.

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

My sister, my Goddaughter Maddie & the Flat Daddy of my brother-in-law, a Marine currently serving in Afghanistan.

Sending all my love, prayers and heartfelt thanks to those who gave some, to those who are giving some right now, and to the families of those who gave all.

Aidan told me he prayed for you today, Zach.

Come home safe.

Prayers Needed

Today I am wearing a red shirt because it's Red Shirt Friday. I heard about Red Shirt Friday on Facebook and until my brother in law comes home, me and my blog are participating.

It's official.

Last night, my brother-in-law made his way into Afghanistan.

He's right at the front and he wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

He is a Marine.

He is also a husband, a daddy, an uncle, a Godfather, a son, a brother, and a grandson and to add to his titles he recently found out he's going to be a daddy again, too, so come November, right when he's scheduled to come home, he'll be a "father of two."

Right now he's real important to this country but back home he is real important to a lot of people.

So he needs to come home safely. As do all the men and women he's fighting with.

So I am asking today, on Red Friday, this Good Friday, or this weekend if you are at church and celebrating Easter (or even perhaps in the daily rotation?) will you say a prayer for him and his safe return?

And if you can spare two prayers, will you pray for the strength of my sister who will be waiting with her baby girl and little tiny bean on the way for him to come home safely?

She reads this blog and will hear your encouraging thoughts and words. She sure could use them.

I know inside she feels like her cape is crumpled but I can assure you (and her) that it's fastened on quite tightly and perfectly pressed while she's at it. That's just how she rolls. (And by the way, military moms and wives wear bright, beautiful beddazzly capes and I think sometimes they're also made of steel.)

There is not much I can do from here, half a world away from my brother-in-law and three states away from my sister.

But I sure can pray and gather prayers from my friends. So if you can spare one, two, or perhaps, 6 months worth...

Cause even strong people need prayers sometimes.

And if you're waiting for someone too or you just want to show your support for troops, you can wear a red somewhere today, or on a Friday, any Friday too! With me! Target (the red shirt Mecca) is having a sale on fitted red tees for $8 of which I have partaken.

OOH OOH! IDEA! IDEA!

I have an idea! If you perhaps choose to wear red after reading this (which you don't have to of course but think about it), I would love love love it if you would take a quick picture with your phone cam and email it to me or Tweet it or tweet me and I will post it here in future Red Friday posts -- and even in the Moto Mail my brother in law gets every day if you'll let me!)

It's a tough job out there and I hear morale ain't so high, so support back here will hype him and his guys up for sure.

I mean, could you imagine being able to send him a laugh pictures of random people (well not random to me of course!) wearing red supporting him and his team? It'd be so awesome! He'd think I was nuts which he already does! OMG the possibilities are endless! You could wear red and then hold a sign saying, "Hi Christie's brother in law!" or something equally as catchy. Or you could dress up all your little people in red and take a picture! Or even the dog! Or the fish!

OK I'm getting out of control.

Perhaps because we all need a laugh and a prayer at some point.

Anyway. Thanks, friends. Your prayers are so greatly appreciated, you have no idea.