We still have more than a month to go, but before you know it Yule will be upon us again. While we sit at home sipping hot cocoa around the fire, shoveling the snow or snuggling into a down comforter, remember on this Veteran’s Day that many of our troops will be stationed in much hotter and much more dangerous places during the Yuletide. Instead of a quiet, dark time for reflection, they are faced with challenges many of us couldn’t imagine. There are plenty of civilian and religious organizations that support American troops by sending them care packages and cards, or donating food for their struggling families, throughout the year. Today I’m going to highlight one such group

In exciting news for minority faiths, USA Today reports on the first Buddhist chaplain of the US Army. For those of you who keep up with the news, you’ll remember that back in 2007 one military chaplain who tried to change his denomination from Pentecostal to Wicca was not only denied, but removed from the chaplaincy altogether. So the inclusion of a Buddhist chaplain gives us hope that perhaps, one day, there will be military chaplains representing all minority faiths. If you or someone you know is Pagan and is either in the military or thinking about joining, may I recommend our award-winning book by the wife of a two-tour Iraq War veteran and a member of a Gold Star family, Stefani