what is it about Mark Schultz?

This week I have heard 2 songs by Mark Schultz that just made me weep. I don't know what it is about his writing ability but he has the capability of pulling at my heart strings. Go grab a tissue before you listen to these songs.

"Letters from War": At the end of the video I just can't help but weep. I've been in that position of greeting a soldier home from war and it is by far the most amazing feeling ever.

She walked to the mailbox
On that bright summers day
Found a letter from her son
In a war far away

He spoke of the weather
And good friends that he'd made
Said I'd been thinking 'bout dad
And the life that he had
That's why I'm here today
And at the end he said
You are what I'm fighting for
It was the first of the letters from war

She started writing
You're good and you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday
Make it home
Make it safe
She wrote every night as she prayed

Late in December
A day she'll not forget
Oh her tears stained the paper
With every word that she read
It said "I was up on a hill
I was out there alone
When the shots all rang out
The bombs were exploding
And that's when I saw him
He came back for me
And though he was captured
A man set me free
And that man was your son
He asked me to write to you
I told him I would, oh I swore"
It was the last of the letters from war

And she prayed he was living
Kept on believing
And wrote every night just to say
You are good
And you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday
Make it home
Make it safe
Still she kept writing each day

Then two years later
Autumn leaves all around
A car pulled in the driveway
And she fell to the ground
And out stepped a captain
Where her boy used to stand
He said "mom I'm following orders
From all of your letters
And I've come home again",

He ran into hold her
And dropped all his bags on the floor
Holding all of her letters from war
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home

"When You Come Home": Is a journey through life about a mother and her child. It gets me every time.

My first day of recess
They all laughed at me
When I fell off the swing set
And scraped up my knee

The nurse called my Momma
To say I'd be late,
And when she gave me the phone
I could hear Momma say
"I'm so sorry, son.
Oh I think you're' so brave"

And she was smilin when she said:

When you come home,
No matter how far,
Run through the door
And into my arms
It's where you are loved,
It's where you belong
And I will be here
When you come home

I waved good-bye through the window
As I boarded the plane,
My first job in Houston
Was waiting for me

I found a letter from Momma
Tucked in my coat
And as I flew down the runway
I smiled when she wrote:
I'll miss you, son,
You'll be so far away

But I'll be waiting for the day

When you come home
No matter how far,
Run through the door
And into my arms
It's where you are loved,
It's where you belong,
And I will be here
When you come home

Well, I don't think
She can hear you now,
The doctor told me
Your mother is fading,
It's best that you leave

So I whispered,
I love you
And then turned away.
But I stopped at the door
When I heard Momma say,
I love you, son,
But they're callin me away

Promise me before I go

When you come home,
No matter how far,
Run through the door
And into my arms;
It's where you are loved,
It's where you belong,
And I will be here
When you come home,
When you come home.

have you forgotten?

September 11, 2001, is a day that I will never forget. I remember being at work and having the radio on. We didn’t get the full story of what was going on but we knew something wasn’t right. I ended up going home for my lunch break and turned on the TV. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was horrific. I couldn’t break away from watching the events unfold. I wept. I tried calling my parents because they were on their way to Maine. They had been hiking that morning and I finally reached them on their cell phone.

The days following I just sat and watched the stories as they flooded in about the people who were lost on that day. I felt such sadness and yet so much pride in my country. I remember picking up newspapers and magazines and seeing the devastation and yet there were pictures of a nation coming together as one. I used those newspapers and magazines to do something that became quite therapeutic for me. I made 2 scrapbooks. The first one was black and it contained pictures from the dreadful day. The second one was red and it held pictures of hope and promise; pictures of flags, pictures of people helping one another, pictures of our soldiers, police and firefighters. I don’t know if you remember, but in the newspapers after 9/11, companies were taking out advertising space to write their letters of condolence to those who lost loved ones. It was amazing to see people in our country coming together to express love and concern for those who were mourning. I clipped all those letters and notes and put those in my scrapbook. Another thing I did was with a friend of mine. We got together and made pins to wear. We made yellow ribbons and red, white & blue ribbons. It helped us heal during a time of such hurt. It also was a way for us to show our patriotism. We also took time to write letters to our elected officials, police, firefighters and service members. It was through these tragic events that I met my husband.

I have to say I thought that I was a pretty patriotic American before I met Art but in all honesty I had no clue to what it was really like to be patriotic until he was deployed just 5 months after we were married. That year of him being gone was awful but it was a time I would never change. I learned so much about myself and my relationship with God. I felt such pride in my husband and such pride in my country for which he fought. It killed me to watch the news and not know of Art’s well being every moment of each day. It hurt me to hear people arguing over whether or not we should be in Iraq. Bottom line was…my husband is there, it doesn’t matter how he got there, let’s support them! Still to this day I get very emotional thinking about it and reliving those moments. I really believe the only people that can truly understand this level of pride are those who have protected our freedoms and their families. You haven’t a clue until you are actually faced with it. I will always be a proud Army wife and even more proud to be an American because of Art’s sacrifice for me and all of you.

As we reflect today on the events that took place 7 years ago let's not forget our military men and women who are defending the freedoms that we take so easily for granted...you can have an opinion and share it because of those who guard your freedom to do so. Those out in the world that protest the war are only able to do so because of the men and women of the military that preserve that freedom.

Thank you to all the Soldiers, Marines and Airmen for your sacrifice to our country. Thank you to all the spouses and family members...you have the toughest job in the military.

Thank you also to our police, firefighters and other servants in our communities. You face dangers daily and we thank you for your sacrifices on behalf of our safety.

Below is a video from when Art was deployed. It's made up of pictures from his unit. Take a moment to see some of the faces that have protected us.


This next video is a reminder of the events that happened 7 years ago today. To see some of the pictures and footage is haunting. It brought back many thoughts for me and caused me to cry. But maybe that's what we need...we have gotten back into our own way of life, often forgetting what did happen on 9/11/2001 until it is remembered today. Have you forgotten?



The Psalm below is one that I would read almost daily the year that Art was gone. It was so very encouraging in some of my darkest moments. It's the Soldier's Psalm.

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."