Here Comes the Sun

 
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

2012 is almost over.  And I can honestly say that I'm not sad.  The words of the Beatles' song above kind of sums it up for me.  The winter, 2012, is moving out and I'm seeing the sun through the clouds as 2013 nears.

2012 has been a hard year--good, but hard.  The first 2 months of the year were pretty much consumed by studying for and taking the Bar Exam.  Then I had a month of rest.  In April I found out we were expecting Baby #3 and suddenly I was consumed by pregnancy, morning sickness, and every virus you can imagine.  The misery lasted for most of my pregnancy until my blood pressure ultimately went nuts and prompted my doctor to deliver our baby at 37 weeks.  But the next day, child #2 ended up in another ER across town.  Thankfully, by the end of Thanksgiving week, we were all home.  Then 2 weeks later, Mommy got the flu, then the boys got the flu, and we spent the next 2 weeks in quarantine--right up until Christmas.  Ugh, nothing has been easy this year.

But, 2012 was also a year of blessings:

•  Even though we "lost" our church at the end of 2011, in January we found a new church home at The Mount.
• After 3 months of studying like a crazy woman, I DID pass the February Bar exam. I am now officially a nurse attorney.
• Our month of rest in March included a 10 day trip to Hawaii.
• My April-November misery resulted in the birth of our beautiful daughter.
• Despite being MIA from work for most of 2012, at the end of the year I still have a job.
• As it turns out, my boys and I now have immunity to at least 1 strain of the flu this season.
• And I could go on...

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged much this year, but to be frank, I was barely surviving for most of the year.  I spent many months sick in bed and was barely able to keep up with my 2 boys.  Thus, I didn't keep up with housework, blogging, work, and things that I normally do.  Life was literally on hold as we waited for Baby G.

My theme for 2012 was "Family." Although that theme didn't run through my blog as much as I wanted it to, this year really did end up being about family.  Expanding our family, vacationing with our family,  finding a new church family, and enjoying the gift of family.  If there's one thing that I learned this year, it's that I love being a mommy and spending time with my family.  It may not be the easiest job.  And it may take all of my energy.  But my family is worth it. 

I hope you had a fulfilling 2012.  I look forward to sharing with you in 2013!

He's Either Incredibly Smart or He's About to Get Fried...

Our cat, Lou, is obsessed with the fireplace.  But this is the first time I've actually seen him inside the fireplace when the fire was burning.  I did wonder what he expected me to do if his plan didn't work.

Happy Anniversary

It was this day 8 years ago that I married my college sweetheart.  So today, I want to tell Dear Husband that I love you so much.  The last 8 years have definitely been eventful with 3 babies, 3 graduate degrees, 3 places to live, changing churches, and adopting pets, but I'm so glad that I got to share these years with you.

I'm not one of those girls who periodically needs a "girls weekend."  I don't need social functions where I get dressed up.  I don't need "me" time away from the family.  And I don't need my own pursuits apart from you.  I just need to be with you. 

We do everything together.  We make decisions together.  We travel together.  We plan together.  You and I are perfect together.  And I'm so thankful to have married my best friend.  I love you!  Happy Anniversary!

3 Car Seats in a Row

I've heard many people say that once you have 3 children, you might as well have 4.  They typically support this statement by saying that once you have 3 children, you have to upgrade the cars and the house in order to "fit" the expanded family.  It's apparently at the 3 child point where most mothers bite the bullet and go for the (da da da dummmmm)--THE MINI VAN.

Maybe I'm an insecure snob, but I just don't see myself driving a mini van, ever.  I am well aware that they are practical and mom/child friendly, but I just don't want a mini van.  I have friends from all walks of life that rave and rave about their mini vans.  But I still don't want one.  So, when I found out that baby #3 was on the way, I was determined to find a way to fit my 4 year old, 2 year old, and infant in the back bench of my Dodge Charger. 

We bought the Charger when Baby #2 was born with the knowledge that it could be useful should we have Baby #3, because it is equipped with 3 car seat harnesses in the back.  Plus, the backseat is huge.  So I have to confess that I was floored when Dear Husband and I couldn't fit our booster, our front facing car seat, and our rear facing infant carrier across the back.  Thus began my mission to find the "solution" to the 3 car seat dilemma.  After all, it's a lot cheaper to buy an expensive car seat than a new car.

The rule of thumb for properly placing 3 car seats in a car is that they must all fit in the back without touching each other and with enough room for any child in a booster seat to buckle their own seat belt.  Thus, you've basically got to find the narrowest car seats on the market.  Unfortunately, as the genius government has forced cars to get smaller, the safety "idiots" have made car seats larger and have discontinued many narrow seats.  This means that mommies and daddies have to either get creative or look to our friends the "Europeans" for some help. 

To start my car seat project, I chose a Graco Snuggle ride infant carrier so that I could use the bases that I already purchased when my boys were babies.  So seat 1 that needs to go behind the front seat passenger is the infant Graco seat.  (I went ahead and purchased the entire travel system so that it was both "girly" and clean compared to my old travel system.)

 Graco Spree Travel System, Ariel

Next, I searched online for the narrowest front facing car seat I could find.  That's when I discovered the Evenflo Tribute.  It's 17 inches wide, available at Walmart, and priced very reasonably compared to some of the other 17 inch seats.  This seat fits nicely behind the driver's seat.


 Evenflo - Tribute 5 DLX Convertible Car Seat, Saturn

Lastly, I had to find the perfect booster seat for my 4 year old (who weighs enough to meet the 4 years/ 40 lbs requirement to safely ride in a booster seat).  Finding a narrow booster is easier said than done.  Mainly, because most boosters have arm rests that rub alongside the infant carrier base or the car seat.  While the armrests are removable from these seats, safety experts warn that if you have to remove the arm rests to make the seats work, then the booster seat doesn't really fit. 

After purchasing 2 narrow booster seats that still didn't fit in my car, I discovered every mommy's secret weapon.  First used in Europe, the Bubble Bum is a small inflatable booster seat that has finally been approved for use in the U.S.   This seat is awesome and affordable (thanks Amazon).  It's a sturdy and narrow booster seat that is small enough to fit in the back seat of a Porsche. And it fits perfectly in my Charger.

Bubble Bum Car Seat Booster

So I have officially solved the car seat crisis for mommies with sedans and 3 children of car seat age. None of my car seats touch.  My son can easily buckle his own seat belt.  We now have an inflatable booster that we can easily pack and travel with.  And the best part of the story is that Mommy is still driving her fun little Dodge Charger and is living happily ever after...  So much for the mini van and the need for 4 kids.

She's Here!

After waiting 37 weeks and 3 days, our baby girl has finally arrived!  She was born on November 20 at 2:04 pm.  Weighing in at 7 lbs 3 oz, our baby girl has a head of black hair and she looks a whole lot like her big brother.  What a blessing to have this little one join us right in time for Thanksgiving!

I wish I could say that Baby G's birth was without drama, but births in our family are always a little crazy.  When I went to my OB for my 37 week appointment, I pretty much experienced deja vu when they told me that afternoon that I had preeclampsia and would need to be admitted to the hospital sometime in the next 24 hrs.  (This all happened with pregnancy #1.)  Anyway, I was admitted on Tuesday morning, started on my day's worth of Magnesium (can you say one permanent hot flash?), and Baby G was born a few hours later.  Thankfully, my blood pressure and labs were stable this time around, so Baby G and I were able to move to the Mother-Baby unit the next day.  That's when the craziness happened.

I got a phone call that evening from my mother informing me that my youngest son had somehow reached onto a shelf and had ingested someone's prescription medication.  Per my school nursing instincts, I requested that she call poison control and follow their advice.  Poison control then directed my mom to take my son to our local children's hospital for further care.  As a result, Dear Husband left the baby and me at our birth hospital and drove across town to spend the night at the children's hospital with our 2 year old.  Poor daddy got very little sleep as they monitored our little one all night long and had to restart his IV 3 times (thank you nurses for catching the infiltration and saving his arm!).  Anyway, on Thanksgiving morning, Dear Husband called and said that all was well and that he and our little guy had been discharged and were heading home. 

So as it turns out, we had lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  We didn't get to enjoy a big family dinner with turkey and stuffing.  And we didn't get to enjoy a day of relaxation and football like we had hoped.  What we did get was a reminder of how precious life is, how precious children are, and how wonderful it is to be a family of 5.  Watching my healthy 2 year old bounce off the walls of my hospital room on Thanksgiving afternoon while my 4 year old posed for pictures holding his baby sister was priceless.  

A Better Day

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you unto myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:3

I'm officially 37+ weeks pregnant at this point.  That means that I'm safely within the "full term" parameters and will be allowed to deliver Baby G should labor progress.  I say progress, because I've been having contractions for approximately 15 weeks now and am looking forward to seeing those contractions turn into real active labor.  Oh how the waiting is killing me.

Sometimes I just sit around and talk to Baby G about what fun she's missing on the outside.  I tell her about her brothers and how they're about to give me a coronary.  I tell her about her pink and green room with all the flowers and frills.  I tell her about the fun outfits, hair bows, and shoes that I've been collecting for her.  And I tell her how much fun it's going to be when we get to do girly things together.  Despite all of these conversations, as of right now, she seems to be content where she's at.

Thinking about how exciting it is to prepare for a new baby makes me think about the conversation that Jesus had with his disciples prior to his death when he told them.  "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you unto myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:3. As is evident from their behavior prior to the crucifixion, the disciples had no concept of what Jesus meant by this verse.  They couldn't fathom the greatness of their home in heaven that Jesus had prepared for them, because they were too comfortable with their earthly home.  And yet, Jesus, knowing full well what the future had in store for his followers, repeatedly told them about the joy set before them in heaven.

It has occurred to me that I am too often "comfortable" with life on earth and, like the disciples, am not really getting Jesus' point.  Just like Baby G, I get comfortable knowing that my parent is there, yet I don't get to experience the joy of being in the glorious, physical presence of my Father.  Yes, God has given me an earthly existence with glimpses of Himself through His Word, His creation, and His Holy Spirit.  But in Heaven, I will finally get to see and be with my Creator.  It is there that I can fully enjoy Him.

At the latest, my doctor has promised that I will finally get to hold Baby G on November 30.  And when she's in our arms and can finally cuddle with her Daddy, I will not forget how glorious it will be to someday be in my heavenly Father's presence when He allows me to enter my eternal home.  Until then, let me not grow complacent and comfortable with my life on earth.

While meditating on John 14:3 this morning, I just wanted to sing this song as I contemplated the future that my Heavenly Father has prepared for me.  Oh what a day that will be!

My Very Own Curious George

I've heard that the Curious George type of child really does exist.  And now I believe what I've heard, because I have one.  My "middle child" is adorably sweet and charming, but he gets into EVERYTHING.  Whereas my oldest child is a thinker and has learned to follow rules extremely well, his little brother is a doer and likes to be a helper by doing things without being asked.  Unfortunately, his helpfulness usually results in a huge mess for Mommy to clean up.

For example, the boys aren't supposed to mess with Mommy's cleaning supplies or Lysol wipes.  But a few weeks ago, my 2nd child decided he would "help" mommy by cleaning the refrigerator.  Unfortunately, he just coated everything in my fridge with a layer of carpet cleaning solution--the brand that I happen to be allergic to.  As a result, we had to clean out and throw away almost everything being refrigerated AND Mommy's arms broke out into a painful itchy rash. Ugh!

This same child is very fascinated by the baby things that Mommy has purchased and organized for his new baby sister.  One day, I actually found this boy crying inside the crib with his chocolate milk.  To this day, I have no idea how he managed to climb inside the crib.  On another day, he took it upon himself to change the diaper on one of his sister's dolls (the same doll that I played with 28 years ago).  When I went into the nursery, he had the doll and all of my baby supplies laid out on a big cardboard box.  And of course, he had covered the doll in baby lotion.

The older he gets, the more discoveries my little guy seems to make.  I probably have hundreds of stories I could tell about things he has "innocently" done around our house.  Sadly, it just occurred to me that I haven't done a very good job actually documenting his little interventions.

That said, last week I made a discovery that made me laugh and laugh.  While I was sitting at my desk, my little guy was busy turning himself into a monster with Mommy's make-up (see below).  Thank goodness he got into the box of eye shadow that I was about ready to throw away.

Every day is a brand new adventure with my little guy--kind of like watching a new episode of his favorite show, Curious George.  But you know what?  I wouldn't trade the headaches and the crazy hours I spend cleaning up after him for anything.  It's all part being a Mom!

It's a Surprise!

I should have known something was up when Dear Husband called to see how I was feeling on Wednesday afternoon.  Don't get me wrong, he regularly calls me to say "hi" but he doesn't usually call me at my hair appointments to ask how I'm feeling.  Anyway, since Baby G "dropped" on Tuesday, I was feeling a lot better on Wednesday.  Until the contractions started.  So I called him back an hour later to inform him that my contractions had started back up and were every 15 minutes apart.  He told me to pack a bag and agreed to meet me at church 3 hrs later.  This seemed like an odd response, but I was a little too distracted to argue.

Anyway, I eventually made it to our Wednesday Bible study at church and was running late thanks to the fact that my youngest child took a really long nap.  I noticed that my pastor's wife was waiting for me in the toddler drop-off room, but since she has a toddler I didn't think much of it.  But when we headed upstairs, I was in for a big surprise!

Our sweet friends at church threw me a surprise baby shower!  There was food, an amazing homemade cake, a fancy diaper cake, balloons (despite a local helium shortage), paper flowers, and a box full of goodies and gift cards.  It was so much fun and really special to get to enjoy the experience with Dear Husband who has never experienced a baby shower.  We were overwhelmed by the kindness of our church family.

It's amazing to think that it was about this time a year ago that we were given an ultimatum by our former church leadership--either plan on helping the church move to west Texas or find a new church.  I remember being in shock and being depressed during the entire holiday season wondering if we would ever find a new church "home," let alone find new church friends whom we could trust. 

Wednesday night was a great reminder that God can use those bad experiences in our lives to lead us to a new place for ministry and fellowship.  I'm so thankful for our new church family.  Baby G already has so many people who love and care about her.  It's really exciting to bring a new life into this world knowing that she's surrounded by all this love!

Tomorrow we're at 36 weeks!  It won't be long now...

I Offended the Dog

The other day, I made the executive decision that our dog was no longer sleeping on the bottom bunk bed with my youngest son at night.  This decision was necessary, because every morning I kept finding chewed up toys or trash in the boys' room.  Plus, almost every stuffed animal in their room is now missing an ear or a nose.  I figured that if the dog couldn't control himself, he would just have to spend his nights alone.  I didn't have a clue at the time that this decision would have such a detrimental effect on the dog.

Before I went to bed the other night, this is what I found:

My dog was cuddled up asleep with a Dole monkey.  Our oldest son refuses to sleep without his Dole monkey, so we purchased a few back-up monkeys just in case we ever needed them, and somehow the dog managed to commandeer a monkey for himself.  This is just so pitiful.

Since the puppy couldn't sleep with his boys, I guess he chose the next best thing.  And for some reason, the dog's monkey still has all ears and appendages intact!

To "Friend" or "Follow": Why I Don't Do Most Social Media

"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." I John 2:17

For those of you who know me, I don't tweet or do twitter or Facebook or post or whatever they call it these days.  I know that I'm missing out on the "it" trends when I refuse to embrace some of these new communication tools, but I have well thought-out reasons for abstaining from the Twitter/Facebook realm. 

I don't Tweet because I'm not into pithy one-liners.  In fact, when I am short and to-the-point, I'm often criticized as being too blunt.  So in my own opinion, since I can't be inspirational in a sentence or two, then Twitter is not the appropriate media for me.  That said, it's not appropriate for most people.  I mean, have you read other people's tweets?  Last week I perused tweets from many of my fellow church friends, and I was bored.  Like I care that you went running this morning or had a bagel for breakfast.  Here's my take on Twitter: if you can't be inspiring or encouraging in a phrase or two, then shut it down.  For those of you who are pithy geniuses, please continue to enlighten us...

As for Facebook, I have lots of reasons for not joining Facebook nation.  For starters, it's a privacy issue.  Yes, I am aware that I post information about myself regularly on my blog for all to see, but I have a little more control over what is on my blog.  I'm very intentional when I make posts, so there's plenty about my life that you'll never see on these pages.  Plus, the conversations that I have on my blog are very minimal.  Secondly, I don't have time for Facebook.  I don't need more emails rolling through my in-boxes.  I don't need to have to deal with gossip and fodder from high school "friends."  And I don't really have time to be distracted by other peoples' pages or walls or whatever they call it.

The other night, I watched The Social Network on cable (thank you FX and TNT for editing out the bad language or scenes from popular movies).  Anyway, as I watched the movie, I can honestly say that I am relieved that I have not joined Facebook.  The intent of the website is for people to get into other peoples' business.  And the guys behind it clearly did not have the best interests of anybody but themselves at heart.  They knew that Facebook would be a hit, and they knew that they could sucker people into "following" the Facebook trend so that they could make money.  And now the whole world is trending and "friending" each other.

Sometimes abstaining from the "it" trends has huge advantages.  I can honestly say that I feel slightly disengaged from worldly chatter because I'm not always in the know.  And I'm not obsessed with social media (as were all the people at church who moaned and groaned about their 21 day "unplugged" challenge when they gave up Facebook), thus it's one worldly thing that is a non-issue in my life.

I'm posting this purely to inform you why I do not engage in all the new social network trends. (I get funny looks from people all the time when I say I'm not on Facebook!!)  I don't care if you use all forms of social media, but my life is easier and less distracting because I don't.  For those of you who do utilize these tools, I just have to ask: Do your "Friends" and "Followers" know that you love Jesus as a result of what you post?  If yes, keep it up.  But if you're not sharing Jesus with these tools and are purely participating in this media out of personal or political motives, please reconsider how and why you're "connecting" with others online. 

Remember that the world is passing away, and our time on earth is short.  We've been called to share Jesus with others.  So please use your tools and time wisely to encourage others and to share the Good News of the One who has saved you!  If that is your goal, then Friending and Following might just be for you.

Where's My Glow?

It's been awhile since I've shared a pregnancy update.  I guess I figured that no one would care to read about my aches and pains and ailments. But surprisingly, people keep asking me to my face how I feel.  I still haven't figured out the best way to respond to that question, because I really just assume that they're being nice.  I'm not sure if anyone wants to know the REAL truth.

Last week I told my pastor (whose wife is 6 months pregnant) that I was day-to-day.  Yesterday I told someone, "well, I'm feeling great today."  But honestly, I think it's safe to say that overall, physically speaking, I'm miserable.  I've had most pregnancy "symptoms" that you will read about in a textbook.  From numbness in my fingers to morning sickness (yes, still!) to contractions that have me doubled over in pain to constant congestion I'm pretty much just enduring these last few weeks.  And I apparently look like I could give birth any minute, because you should see the surprised expressions I get from people when I tell them that I'm actually due in December.  Thank goodness that this isn't my first rodeo.  In about 5-6 weeks, Baby G should be in my arms and my body should be doing it's job to revert to my "normal" state. 

Recently, Dear Husband and I re-watched the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting.  I have to be honest that the first time I watched it, the movie seemed strange and disjointed since it followed so many characters.  But now that I'm pregnant and can totally relate to Elizabeth Banks' character, it's a pretty funny movie.  I love the message it sends--even though we think we know what to expect when we're expecting, the "expecting" experience is an individual and unpredictable experience for every future mommy and daddy.  And we don't all get our glow while being pregnant. 

I have to remind myself of that fact every day.  Because when I see other extremely pregnant women who only have a little "bump," or when I see pregnant women out running, or when I see pregnancy photography of women who really do glow, it's kind of depressing.  I definitely don't have a glow yet.  But I'm confident that the little girl growing inside of me will be my glow very soon.

He Got a Score

After my previous post, I hope my readers don't think that I have an unrealistic view of my own children.  So lest anyone think that I have a conflated opinion of my own children and their behavior, I thought I would share this morning's discovery.  I was reminded that we are not the perfect neighbors either...

It all started a few mornings ago when my boys were playing in the backyard.  I had tried to sleep in late that morning because I had worked most of the night before in order to meet a deadline.  But somehow, my conscious awareness reminded me that the little boys needed some supervision.  So, I sat in bed with my blinds pulled up so that I could see what they were up to in the backyard.  I must say, I was unprepared for what I found.

Both boys (who were still wearing their PJ's) were working on their golf game in the backyard.  My right-handed swinging 2 year old was attempting to hit golf balls around the backyard with MY golf club (which happens to be right-handed).  Meanwhile, the 4 year old was swinging his own left-handed club and was driving balls off of the back porch.  And just to give you a frame of reference, we have a covered back porch that overlooks a wide backyard that slopes towards the backyards of 3 homes behind us.  Of course, the yard that my son was aiming at has a pool on the other side of the fence.  My little guy was essentially chipping balls off the back porch and trying to get them over the fence towards that neighbor's pool!  (It's my fault because he and I were watching some guys in NY on TV hitting balls at a driving range off of a platform into a harbor the other day and he thought this was very cool).

I was horrified when I saw what the boys were up to.  Although most 4 year olds can barely make contact with a golf ball, my 4 year old is surprisingly good at not only making contact, but also driving the ball pretty far.  (He certainly didn't get his golf skills from me).  I could tell based on how hard he was hitting the ball that not only was my son eventually going to hit the ball over the fence, but he might also be able to break a window on the house behind us.  Of course, this is not okay. 

After that ordeal, both Dear Husband and I had discussions with the boys and explained that golf is not to be played in our backyard.  It is a fun game to be played on a golf course or a driving range.  I honestly thought that was the end of the issue.

But this morning, I heard my oldest son yelling "I got a score! I got a score!"  He came running in the house from the backyard excitedly yelling about his score.  When he came to tell me about the "score." I also noticed that he was holding a golf club.  So naturally, I asked him if he hit a ball over the fence.  He looked at me funny and said, "Well, yes!  That's how you score!"  Uggghhh...

So we're turning into annoying neighbors too.  It's almost 4pm and I still haven't found the golf ball.  But the good news is that I haven't seen any broken windows in our neighbors' houses either.  I guess it's time to reinforce our family's own boundaries.  And maybe it's time to sign up our son for his own private golf lessons.

A Menace Next Door

I'm starting to understand how Mr. Wilson felt about his neighbor, Dennis.  (You remember Dennis the Menace, right?)  Well, Mr. Wilson was just a law-abiding, minding-his-own business sort of guy who was constantly getting a migraine due to Dennis, the boy next door.  I'm learning that Dennises come in all shapes and sizes.  And now I have a whole family of Dennis-type children living next door.  Talk about your worst nightmare. 

We've had new neighbors for all of 1 week, and I've already been searching for a new house online.  I'm seriously conflicted.  I know that the good, Christian thing to do would be to love on and engage the new family next door.  But I'm really struggling with my attitude this week.  Maybe pregnancy is getting to me; maybe I'm an overly protective parent; or maybe I just believe that children should be taught manners.  Whatever it is, my head and my heart are really at war over this issue.

Let me just start be explaining that the family next door has 3 children--2 boys who are older than mine by a few years and a girl who can't be more than 4 years old.  For whatever reason, the parents of these 3 kids feel that it's acceptable to let one or all of their children play in the front yard, the street, the neighbors' yards, the neighbors' garages, or the grassy area in our cul-de-sac unattended.  (And I'm talking, the 4 year old girl is literally wandering by herself through peoples' yards during the day).  Despite the fact that I've never been introduced to the children or their parents, the children felt that it was acceptable to come talk to me the other day and to ask to get in my garage and play with my boys' motorized police car when we were not home.  (Seriously? My 2 year old is going to have to fend off a 7 year old in order to ride in his car?)  This family is such a nuisance that I've actually considered putting a lock on the inside of my fence to keep them out of my backyard.  Because clearly, this family has no boundaries.  (Yet, they, themselves do have a HUGE backyard to play in.)

Am I being ridiculous here?  Should I expect that a 10 year old child should know not to walk behind my car when I'm pulling out of the driveway?  Should I expect that a 7 year old knows not to talk to strangers?  Should I expect that a 4 year old girl is not going to be allowed to roam the neighborhood by herself during the day?

I have learned a huge lesson from this ordeal.  I've learned that my children are going to learn manners.  They are going to learn NOT to take what isn't theirs.  They are going to learn that in the interest of safety, they are never allowed out front without supervision.  And they are going to learn not to talk to strangers. 

And for those of you who might think that your quiet neighbors next door are being rude or unfriendly, just remember that sometimes being a good neighbor means minding your own business and watching your own children. Sometimes the best neighbors are the ones you never see...

Spanking: The Newest Felony

In many places, Texans are viewed as being a little old-fashion or rough around the edges.  After all, our state has legalized hunting, prayers in public, and spankings.  Last week, there was a huge uproar in the news about a school district not far from here that had a policy allowing the district to spank students.  While there were many questionable aspects to this story (like why was a grown man spanking a high school aged girl?) the fact that the district revised it's spanking policy and did not do away with it altogether just proves how traditional values still exist in this state.  And while 49 other states do allow corporal punishment for the purpose of parental discipline of children, one state has decided to make it a felony for a parent to inflict pain on their child.  No joke...

ParentalRights.org just published this news story:

...And on September 12 Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed into law Senate Bill 234, making Delaware the first state to outlaw corporal discipline of children by their parents.

Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Patricia Blevins (District 7), SB 234 adds the infliction of “pain” to the definition of “physical injury.” While physical injury is understandably prohibited under Delaware law, now any parent who knowingly causes their child pain can face up to a year in prison – two years for a felony if the child is aged three or under.

A 2010 Zogby poll found that 85.1% of Americans agree with “parents having the legal option to give their child a modest spanking.” However, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which oversees implementation of the eponymous convention, has interpreted that treaty to outlaw all corporal discipline. Still, many of the nations who drafted and ratified the treaty continue to disagree with that interpretation, instead honoring the same standard recognized here in the United States.

Except that now Delaware parents who exercise that right will be breaking the law.

It's easy for me to read a story like this and be both appalled and surprised that a law like this could pass in the USA, a country known for its freedom.  But when I start discussing politics with most people, I realize that these types of laws should not be shocking to anyone.  Why?  Because we, as Americans, take it for granted that our elected officials are going to pass good and reasonable laws.  And most Americans are just plain dumb when it comes to politics (Have you ever watched the "Waters' World" segment on The O'Reilly Factor?).  Many Americans vote on personality and good looks instead of on policy.  And most Americans don't have a clue what is going on at their state level, let alone who their local representatives are.

The good news is that it's never to late to make a difference.  Maybe we should all do a better job keeping track of our local politics.  Or else we could all fall into the felon category for doing what is best for our children.

The Grace Effect--A Must Read

For the last 2 weeks, there have been some rather disturbing stories coming from the Middle East.  There have been assassinations of Americans, protests in the name of religion, and violence.  Of course, this should not come as a shock to anyone--especially evangelical Christians. 

I'm surprised that in light of these events, we haven't heard more from our local atheists.  It's likely that atheists would use these events to demonstrate to us how organized religion is the problem with politics and societies.  After all, aren't all these protests supposedly about a movie insulting another religion?  If there wasn't conflict between religions, would this violence still be occurring?  Yes.  In fact, the violence is indicative of what happens to nations with little evangelical Christian influence.

A few weeks ago, I heard Larry Taunton on the radio discussing the concept of "common grace" and it's effect on a society.  In his recently written book, The Grace Effect, Taunton explains that common grace is "the idea that when there is a significant Christian presence in a given society, it brings tangible benefits not just to the Christian, but to society as a whole."  For example, in the United States, it's not uncommon to see people marching in protest.  But it's rare for these protests to turn violent, bloody, and literally explosive like they do elsewhere in the world.  Taunton points out that the moral sensibilities of our culture stem from a strong tradition of Judeo-Christian values that do not promote violence or chaos.  Instead, he says that our entire country and culture has benefited from the influence of Christianity.

This conversation was enough to peak my interest so that I bought his book.  But when I read it, I literally couldn't put it down.  Mr. Taunton used his family's experience trying to adopt a Ukranian child as the illustration for his contrast of a godless society versus a society that has been touched by "the grace effect."  This book made me laugh. It made me cry.  It gave me a whole other view of Communist Russia.  And it made me take a serious look at the international adoption process (which legally speaking is very fascinating).  But more importantly, it made me realize what an amazing impact that we, as Christ-following Christians can have on our communities and culture and why we should take a true interest in fighting the anti-religious left that seeks to turn our nation in to the next godless regime. 

The Grace Effect is a must read.  To learn more or to order your own copy, visit http://graceeffect.com/.  I promise that you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy the Work Week

I heard an interesting conversation on the radio recently while I was sorting through medical records for work (yes I can multitask).  It was a conversation between a radio talk show host and his guest, who was a friend of the late President Reagan.  The guest (whose name has completely slipped my mind) is apparently known as being a very strong Christian and also a wise economist.  The guest was discussing America's economic crisis, but he also addressed a huge problem that he sees in our country.  That problem is the concept of RETIREMENT.  He said that we create our own problems when we view work as something that we do until the ages of 60-65 and then retire.  Mainly, because we were created to work.

I guess I had never considered the truth that we, as humans, were created to work.  But if you go back to the garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 2, it clearly states that "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it."  This was before sin.  In God's perfect creation, man was made to work the garden and name the creatures in it.  There's never any mention of the concept that man was created to sleep in, play golf, or to indulge in Creation.  Instead, he had a job to do--and he was given a helper to assist him with that job.  It wasn't until after the fall of man in Genesis 3 that the work became toilsome and hard. 

This point about us as humans being created to work is interesting to me in light of the John Piper book I just finished reading entitled, Don't Waste Your Life.  In it, John encourages believers to not waste their lives working so that they can spend the last 30 years in stagnation and personal serenity.  Instead, he encourages all believers to view their lives as tools for the ministry at all stages of life.  He specifically calls out to those in the workplace and retirees to stay busy doing kingdom work.

As I reflected on the radio conversation I heard and the book I read, it occurred to me that I have been blessed by examples of godly men in my life.  Both of my grandfathers have stayed busy post-retirement working and making a difference in the lives of others.  One actually went oversees on short terms missions and has faithfully led Bible studies in his local nursing homes for years.  The other has worked in a variety of jobs--including a funeral home--and has been not only a glowing example of a godly father and husband, but has also been an encourager to others.  As if on cue, when my own father retired from 30+ years with one company, he went back to school and took a new job handling financial auditing for lots of local churches and faith-based non-profits.  And despite years of hard work, these men all seem happy.  It's because they're doing what they were created to do--WORK.  And not only that, but they're all doing God-honoring, kingdom work!

I used to think that I was a sick person because I like to work (this includes Mommy work).  But maybe I'm just experiencing the satisfaction of doing what I was created to do.  What an awesome truth to consider this week as I am mopping my floors, doing the laundry, bathing my toddlers, answering emails and meeting my professional work deadlines.  I can be filled with joy and contentment knowing that I am doing what I was created to do: to glorify God in my work! 

And to all you fellow kingdom workers in whatever vocation or household role that you fill, have a great week too, knowing that as you work, you are obeying your Creator!!!

Family Football--The First Home Game

Saturday night we enjoyed our first family outing as college football season ticket holders.  Everyone but our 2 year old dressed up in the required white attire (white dresses, dress shirts, and cowboy boots) for the first home game of the season. 

As is typical at these types of outings, you never know how 2 little boys are going to do.  Sometimes the experience is enchanting and exciting to them, and sometimes they're bored to tears.  But this outing turned out to be a blast for our 4 year old.  Mainly, because Daddy has been teaching him football (via the X-box) and also because we allowed him to bring his camera.

A few months ago, my little guy got his hands on my camera and took about 80 pictures of himself and his trains.  So, for his 4th birthday, Grandma and Grandpa bought our little guy his first REAL camera.  Then Grandma taught him how to use it.  Since that time, he has been honing his skills.  And I must say that seeing life through the lens of a 4 year old (literally) is quite interesting. 

So enjoy some ballgame photos courtesy of my 4 year old...

Ok, so he really like the band more than the football team.  And he really like the pony (who was too blurry in the pics to post).  And he was super excited by the fireworks that went off after each touchdown (didn't quite get the camera out in time).  And he was absolutely intrigued by the tailgating sorority/fraternity students who were slightly intoxicated and dancing everywhere (we kept the camera in the bag when we saw them).  And he was super excited by the famous SMU Boulevard Tailgate festivities (It's like a huge red, white, and blue festival in the middle of campus where thousands of people are dressed in dresses, shirts & ties, and  cowboy boots and are enjoying Texas' finest foods--it's a rather unusual form of tailgating). 

He was really bummed when we decided to leave a little early.  But we promised him that he can enjoy more college football at the home game on the 15th.  As it turns out, season tickets have been a great success already!  Thanks Dear Husband for the brilliant idea!

Sing Like Never Before

Sometimes it's a blessing when a song gets stuck in your head.  This week I've been singing the words to Matt Redman's 10,000 Reasons.  I just wanted to share this song of praise...

Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name.

The sun comes up its a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again.

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes.

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forever more.

 Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name.

To listen to Matt Redman's original version, please check out the You tube link below:

When Worldly Wisdom is Wrong

"And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.'"  

Mark 12:41-44

I love the story of the widow and her offering as described in Mark 12.  Oftentimes this story is used to explain to us how we don't give enough; how we ought to be willing to give all we have instead of a percentage of what we think we should give.  But I took away another lesson from reading this story this week.  That being: the widow did something incredibly right, yet incredibly stupid from a worldly standpoint.  She was being obedient to God, even if it didn't make practical sense.

I can only imagine what would happen if a widow approached me as a lawyer and asked me to give her wise counsel.  Can you imagine how fast her family would go after my license if I recommended that she give all of her income into the church offering plate?  Or better yet, what if I recommended that she give away her husband's life insurance money to a charity?  I'm betting that even Dave Ramsey would think that I'm a terrible person.  And of course, I could never tell someone else to do that from a financially prudent standpoint.  

But when the widow in Mark 12 gave everything away, she was being obedient to God's call on her life.  She was literally giving God all she had and trusting Him for her provision.  Despite doing something that was financially risky, Jesus commended this woman for her faith and obedience to Him.

I was really challenged today.  Have I been obedient to God's call on my life, or am I hesitant to follow His call because it doesn't seem prudent from a worldly standpoint?  Or, have I wrongfully judged another person for doing something risky, when it was their response to God's call on their life?  It's so easy to see life through a worldly lens.  But I've been called to have a renewed and transformed mind in Christ--a mind that isn't constrained by worldly wisdom.

The Desire of My Soul

"In the path of your judgments, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul." Isaiah 26:8

I've been feeling rather convicted lately.  For the past 18+ weeks, I've been physically ill, tired, and rather miserable.  I have allowed my physical misery to permeate my life and to affect my attitude, my housework, and my relationships.  I have been consciously aware of my bad attitude and have been struggling in my heart and mind with the knowledge that this is sin.  As a result, I haven't really shared much this summer on my blog about what's going on in my head.  Instead, it's just been so much easier to vent out the frustrations of a typical pregnant woman.  I'm sorry.  That is not the intent of this blog.

This week, I hit a wall when I confronted my bad attitude as sin and as completely contrary to what God wants for me.  I'm supposed to be rejoicing in Him and in the amazing gift of life that He has placed inside of me.  I have no idea why God has allowed me to experience 3 yucky pregnancies, but who am I to question His plan for me?  When I came across Isaiah 26:8 this week, I was reminded that my attitude has been so completely opposite of what it should be.  Instead of focusing on my earthly misery (which we're supposed to expect anyway), I should be passionate about Jesus and should be focusing on His greatness.  After all, I would be anticipating eternal suffering if it were not for the redemptive act of Jesus' sacrifice for me on the cross.

Despite my woes and gripes over the past few months, I must say that I'm slightly surprised and discouraged that only one person called me out on my bad attitude.  (Thanks for the verse mom--I did read and appreciate it even though I never said anything.)  Instead, people have sympathized with me, joined me in my complaining, or have avoided me as much as possible.  While this might be socially appropriate, I'm pretty confident that it's not the tactic that the Apostle Paul would have used if he were around.  Instead, he would have told me to quit sinning and to rejoice in all that God has done!  

God has been good to me.  God gave up the life of His only Son for me.  God redeemed me from eternal suffering and punishment.  And God has given me bountiful gifts and blessings like my sweet children.  How can his name not be the desire of my soul?  And how can we not encourage each other to focus on the the greatness of God?!

A Sense of Mission: What We Can Learn From Paul Ryan

 "The disarming thing is his sense of mission is greater than his sense of ambition," says Ryan adviser David Smick, a Washington economic consultant. "This is disconcerting to his critics." 

~ excerpt from Fred Barnes: How Ryan Recasts the Race (Wall Street Journal, Aug. 20, 2012). 

I know that a lot of Christians (and people in general) think that following politics is a huge waste of time.  But I feel that we can learn a lot from politicians, and we can better preserve morality in our society if we pay attention to the nauseating world of politics.  

This morning, I heard Fred Barnes (an opinion writer for the Wall Street Journal) say something about Paul Ryan, the Republican Vice Presidential Candidate that really made me think.  He quoted David Smick, who said that Paul Ryan's appeal to people is that "his sense of mission is greater than his sense of ambition."  This missional attitude to serving our country is extremely appealing to the everyday person who is naturally distrustful of government officials who focus on polls and public appeal rather than public good.  Not only that, but it is threatening to critics who have committed their life's work to serving ambitious politicians.  The critics are finding it hard to cut down someone who is truly committed to doing what is best for others--not himself.  I guess Paul Ryan just represents the concept that sometimes the cause is greater than the man.  And the man who understands this and still fights for the cause, is truly hard to overcome.

As I contemplated the impact that Paul Ryan is having on politics, it occurred to me that if Christians had this same missional approach to life, we too could have an astounding impact on society.  If we truly lived our lives so that our sense of mission was greater than our personal ambition, the world would likely look very different.  If, instead of striving for material success in our jobs, Christians worked with a commitment to excellence and ethics, we could really change the workplace.  If, instead of striving to build mega churches and hit attendance quotas, our churches took their task of serving their communities and reaching out to the needy seriously, our churches might see healthy growth.  And if, Christian families aimed to raise godly children instead of "well-adjusted" individuals who can survive in this world, maybe our young people would be less tempted to cave into worldly pressure.

I think we all have personal ambitions that we have had to deal with in our lives.  For me, I had to understand that my professional success is meaningless if I'm not fulfilling my duty to be a submissive wife and a committed mother (following the example of the Prov 31 wife).  And yet still, I have ambitious ideas that I am understanding will have to be sacrificed if I'm going to truly live a missional life for the glory of God. 

It is my hope and prayer that someday people will say about me, "her sense of mission (for God's work) was greater than her sense of ambition."

The Smart Mommy

I heard something the other night that made me smile...

My oldest son was having a discussion with his father about building a train track in the living room.  I didn't hear all of the conversation, but at some point my husband told my son to go ask Mommy if it was ok.  Usually this happens when our little guy is negotiating really hard and my husband doesn't want to be the bad guy.  Although on occasion, Dear Husband does punt the ball on these kinds of questions when he's too wrapped up in a ballgame while working on his laptop.  (Who says men can't multitask?)  Anyway, my son didn't seem too happy about having to go ask mom. So he asked our favorite three letter word--"Why?"

Since we have informed him that most educated questions begin with 4 letters, he followed up this "why" with "is it because Mommy's really smart and is a nurse?"  I'm not sure what Dear Husband said in response, because I was too busy laughing to hear the rest of the talk.  I just figured I needed to absorb the moment when my son thinks I'm smart.  Unfortunately, I'm sure that this too shall pass.

A Marriage Legacy

In our small group this week, we discussed the issue of marriage and divorce.  To put the conversation in context, our leader asked each of us to describe our parents' marriages and the types of homes we grew up in.  Nothing about this request seemed that unusual to me until I started hearing all the other responses.  Out of a room of 16 church members, Dear Husband and I were the only married couple to have both come from a home where neither of our parents is or has ever been divorced.  Not only that, but we both come from families where none of our grandparents or aunts and uncles have ever been divorced.  Plus, neither of us ever even contemplated that our parents might ever get divorced.  We were both surprised to hear that this is not the norm family situation--even among church people.

Needless to say, our group discussion was actually different from what I expected this week.  We essentially discussed Sunday's sermon on the topic of Marriage, Divorce, and Re-Marriage (To hear this week's insightful sermon on marriage, please go here: Marriage, Divorce, and Re-Marriage), and I clearly took away a different application than many in my small group had taken.  I was encouraged by the emphasis that God's Word has on how good marriage is for people.  And I was surprised by our pastor's endorsement for young marriage.
 
All through law school, I heard people talk about how surprised they were that I was married (I started law school at the age of 24 and graduated when I was 28).  Everyone seemed to think that my marriage was doomed for failure because I had been such a young bride at the age of 22. Besides, it is common knowledge that few marriages survive law school--especially when both spouses are in two different schools in two different cities at the same time.  To many of my peers, my marriage was an anomaly.

That said, I've never really worried that I was married too young.  Since my mom was married when she was 20 and my mother-in-law was married at 18, I have had really great examples of how young love works.  It honestly never even crossed my mind that getting married at the age of 22 was risky.  Probably because it wasn't.  I am married to a Christian man who, like me, is committed to a life-long marriage.  For us, this is what marriage is supposed to be--this being reinforced by the examples of our families' marriages.

So while the rest of our small group has committed to starting legacies in their families for healthy marriages, Dear Husband and I have committed to continuing the legacy that has been passed down to us.  Thank you to all of our family members who have demonstrated to us what marriage is supposed to look like.  To come from families who have lived out God's design for marriage is truly a blessing.  Plus, it has made our marriage stronger.

The Birthing Class: Do You Really Need It?

Last night I was wandering the halls of a local hospital in search of a bathroom. (Why was I there?  It's a long story--and no, I wasn't there for myself. I was just accompanying someone else who is currently fine.)  Anyway, as a pregnant woman, I became desperate in my search for a bathroom when I realized that the one closest to my waiting room was blocked off.  Thus, I began a long, long trek down multiple hallways until some nice girl pointed me in the proper direction.  Ironically, this bathroom was located near the L & D suite. 

Anyway, while I was on my journey, I noticed a husband and pregnant wife who were leaving the hospital with their arms full of stuff--but with no baby.  I actually felt a stab of pity for them.  2 years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the hospital twice in preterm labor and still leave with no baby. (Thankfully, the 3rd time was the charm when I brought home the cutest little boy.) 

A few minutes later as I was exiting the bathroom, I noticed another couple walking out loaded with things and no baby.  And then, as more couples started leaving the classroom nearby, it occurred to me that these poor souls were taking a birthing class!  I laughed so hard and just wanted to yell "suckers!" to those poor people. 

Don't get me wrong, I think there is definitely a time and place for birthing/parenting classes (i.e. if you're having a home birth or are really committed to no drugs).  And some parents who don't have a clue about childbirth probably need these classes.  But generally speaking, these classes can also be deceiving and can fill daddies and mommies-to-be with unrealistic expectations of the birthing process.  They can also be a huge waste of time and money.

I did not take a birthing class. In fact, my wise doctor informed me that it wasn't really necessary.  Either way, he was still going to deliver my baby.  As it turned out with my first baby, no birthing class could have prepared me for the crazy events that took place.  Plus, my husband really felt better NOT knowing what was going to happen.   He figured that the class would gross him out.   So, as shocking as it sounds, this type-A couple (who were also law students at the time) decided to wing it.  And we survived.  Or more importantly, our son survived, thrived and was sleeping through the night in a matter of weeks. 

So I guess the moral of the story is this: if you want to take a birthing class to be prepared, do so at your own risk.  You'll probably learn some useful things.  But you could just as easily read a book, watch TLC, or wing it like I did.  If you have the time and money to devote to positions, stretches, and breathing techniques (which I never needed), then go for it.  But just remember this: having a baby is unpredictable.  Very rarely does a birth--especially for a first-time mom--go as planned.

If you read my bio you might argue that as a registered nurse, I didn't need the classes because I already knew everything that would be taught at the class.  While it is true that I have a good handle on the stages of labor and the basics of childbirth, nursing school did not even remotely prepare me for the events of my first childbirth experience.  Quite the contrary is true--having a child made me a much more competent nurse (and now attorney).