Dear Diary: Expect the Unexpected

Military motherhood can feel like carrying everything at once, pregnancy, a toddler, a home to run, and a husband who is away more often than he is home. In this episode, Samantha Phillips shares the raw reality of solo parenting through deployment, the impact it can have on marriage, and how faith became an anchor during an uncertain season.

Trinity Douglas sits down with Samantha for an honest conversation about what military wives are really holding together behind the scenes. Samantha opens up about raising a toddler, preparing for a new baby, navigating long stretches of separation, and learning to keep going when life doesn’t go according to plan.

They discuss the unexpected nature of military life, the emotional strain before and during deployment, rebuilding connection after a service member returns home, and the importance of giving both spouses grace. Samantha also shares how prayer, church, Bible study, and community helped her through some of her hardest moments.

This episode is for every military wife, mom, or woman who has ever felt unseen, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin. It offers encouragement to keep going, ask for help, and remember that strength can be found even in the most difficult seasons.

Follow Samantha:

Instagram: @Samantha.lee.phillips

In this episode of Deployment Diaries, I sit down with my mom for a conversation I think a lot of military spouses and their moms will understand.

We talk about what it’s like watching your daughter get married, move away from home, and step into military life where plans change quickly and goodbyes become part of the routine. We talk about our courthouse wedding, navigating distance, starting over somewhere new, and the reality that no matter how independent I become, sometimes I still just need my mom.

This one is for the military spouses learning how to build a life away from home and for the moms learning how to support them from miles away. 🤍

Military life has taught me that I can do life alone, but that doesn’t mean I want to.

In this solo episode, I’m talking about the lonely nights, unexpected chaos, time apart, and the strength you build when your spouse is gone. Because sometimes being strong isn’t about not needing someone. It’s knowing you’ll be okay on your own while still wishing your person was beside you.

In this episode of The Deployment Diaries, I’m sitting down with Gracie to talk about something that can feel especially hard when you move somewhere new: making friends as an adult.

Most episodes of The Deployment Diaries will feature military spouses, active-duty service members, and people directly connected to military life, but I wanted to start this conversation with an outside perspective too. Gracie isn’t a military spouse, but she has intentionally built friendships with military spouses, taken the time to understand parts of this lifestyle, and learned how to show up for friends through moves, trainings, deployments, and changing schedules.

We talk about putting yourself out there, finding community in a new place, what makes a friendship feel safe and genuine, and how non-military friends can support military spouses even when they don’t fully understand what they’re going through.

Whether you’re a military spouse starting over in a new town or simply someone trying to find your people, this episode is a reminder that meaningful friendships can grow in unexpected places.

Follow Gracie on Instagram: @_gracie_collins

In the very first episode of Deployment Diaries, I’m sharing a little bit about who I am, how I found myself navigating military life at 25, and why I wanted to create this podcast in the first place. After getting married, moving to a new state, and still learning how to find community and trust God through constant change, I realized there weren’t many spaces talking honestly about both faith and military life. This episode is the beginning of learning, growing, and figuring it all out together.