Military Wives and Coaches Wives

Encouragement for Military Wives

One theme throughout Lessons from the Sidelines is that while the coaching life is unique, it’s not as individualistic as many assume. I’ve discovered that there are significant overlaps within the military and ministry lifestyles to how the coaching world functions. In fact, as a new coach’s wife, my most helpful and insightful mentors were the wife of my Young Life Area Director and the middle school pastor at our church, who had been a co-pastor and/or pastor’s wife for over two decades at that point in addition to a faculty wife.

I sat down with Nichole Carrabbia, a military wife and a certified life coach, to discuss what it looks like to pursue your calling when your husband’s career requires you to move constantly, some of the fun similarities between military and coaching lifestyles (and a few of the not so fun ones).

Nichole and her husband have moved 12 times over his 23 years of active duty service. They have 4 children. During our conversation, Nichole and I were really honest about the tensions that rise up when you’re trying to obediently pursue God’s call for your own life and also raise the children he’s entrusted to you, who are only young for a short while.

As you listen to Nichole, I hope you’re encouraged most by her reminders that with God, all things are possible and that as we take courageous steps to build community, we can lean on him to guide us, but we have to listen to each other and look for those common spaces as well.

If you’re looking for a life coach, I encourage you to check out Nichole’s website and take her initial assessment. Learn more about Nichole’s programs here.

Buy Your Copy of Lessons from the Sidelines Here

Lessons from the Sidelines front cover final

As the wife of a football coach, Beth Walker encourages women whose families are in the public eye to pursue their own callings even as they support their husbands’ careers and ministries. Through her personal stories as well as interviews with other women who are also living just outside their husbands’ limelight, Beth shows it’s possible to do both.

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