A Christmas Blessing

This was the benediction at the Nine Lessons and Carols service this weekend. I thought it was beautiful. A blessed Christmas to you!

Now, may the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the Magi, the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas. And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you now and always. Amen.

Prayer in the Apostles' Epistles

Hebrews 13:18
18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.

- a request from another author to pray for our pastors and missionaries

James 5:13-18
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[a] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

- prayer is necessary in all situations, from joy to grief to sickness to forgiveness
- the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective

1 Peter 4:7
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

3 John 2
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Jude 20
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

- praying in the Holy Spirit is a vital part of our faith

Santa Claus 2018

Prayer in Paul's Letters

Haven't forgotten about these posts, I just haven't had the time to pull it all together until now.

Let me begin with noting that the instructions about prayer in 1 Corinthians are a bit strange. But all Scripture is God-breathed, so there are some useful nuggets here...I'm just not going to dig into a ton of details. You can read the commentary of your choice for that. :)

1 Corinthians 7:5
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

- this verse is given in the context of the sexual relationship in marriage

1 Corinthians 11:4-5
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 5 but every wife[a] who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.

1 Corinthians 11:13
13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?

- I find the many opinions on these verses . . . contradictory. I'm going to say that prayer should be done in an attitude of respect and leave it at that.

2 Corinthians 1:11
11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

- Prayer is one of the most important ways we can support the Word of the Gospel going forward around the world. Pray for the Lord's missionaries around the globe and for believers in your own neighborhood, that all the world may know the Good News of great joy, which is for all people.

2 Corinthians 13:7-9
7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.

- Pray for the restoration of broken believers.

Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love[f] toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

- a beautiful, truth-filled Scripture to pray

Ephesians 6:18-19
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

- pray at all times, stay alert, pray for pastors and missionaries

Philippians 1:3-11
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,[d] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

- another beautiful prayer of Paul's to pray over those in your sphere of influence

Philippians 1:19
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

- pray for the persecuted church

Philippians 4:6
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

- one of the most often-quoted verses on prayer, for good reason!

Colossians 1:3
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

- thank God for the believers in your life

Colossians 1:9-14
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks[a] to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

- a Scripture prayer to pray over your children and other believers

1 Thessalonians 1:2
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly[a] mentioning you in our prayers,

- be thankful for other Christians and be constant in your prayers

1 Thessalonians 3:10
10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

- pray earnestly

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

- a prayer I offer over my loved ones

2 Thessalonians 3:1
1 Finally, brothers,[a] pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored,[b] as happened among you,

- another reminder to pray for God's leaders and His church around the world

1 Timothy 2:1-2
2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

- pray for all people, including our government leaders and those of other countries

1 Timothy 2:8-9
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,

- another reminder to pray in an attitude of respect; God is our friend and Father, but let us not forget that He is a holy and just God

1 Timothy 4:4-5
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

- prayer makes God's creation holy

1 Timothy 5:5
5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,

- this is from the instructions to the church on determining which widows need the church's support

2 Timothy 1:3
3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

Philemon 4-6
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.[a]

- sensing a repeated theme yet?

Philemon 22
22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

- prayer leads to acting in faith

8 Months!

All's well on the home front. We are looking forward to the holidays, working through schoolwork, and preparing for baby's arrival in a little over six weeks!

Halloween and Thanksgiving 2018

Before I get more behind on pictures: highlights from Halloween and Thanksgiving!

Poptart's Shower

My cousin, aunts, grandmother, sis-in-law, and friend hosted a beautiful shower for our baby boy. The party had a woodland theme and the decorations were adorable and the food delicious! Poptart's nursery is stocked, from sweet baby boy clothes to diapers to blankets and books and toys. We look forward to welcoming this much-loved little baby and are thankful for our friends and family who care for us so well. This was a time to rejoice with those who rejoice!

7 months and 4D ultrasound

Thought I should get this seven month photo posted before I hit eight months next week. ;) Baby and I are doing well, keeping up with our checkups and lots of extra ultrasounds but everything is looking great. I got back to walking this month and that and yoga are keeping me feeling good. I was dealing with some really bad back pain and then realized I was just not prioritizing walking like I had in previous pregnancies. Getting in the habit of walking again helped baby settle in a better spot and the back pain is pretty much gone--yay!

I took the kiddos to a 4D ultrasound just for fun last week. We got some precious pictures of Poptart! He had his hands and feet up close to his face, but he moves around so much that we got some sweet pictures of his face, too.

Charleston

This fall the Gent and I had a chance to return to Charleston, South Carolina. We last traveled here the last few days of our honeymoon, so a lot of life has happened since then! Thankfully the food was as delicious and the architecture as beautiful as we remembered. We enjoyed a restful few days (thanks to Bebe and Papa Rick for taking care of the munchkins!) and are thankful we had this chance to get away before Poptart's arrival.

(dinner at Magnolia's--one of our favorite's from our honeymoon, strolling Rainbow Row, shopping at the market, and enjoying room service)

Friday's Food for Thought

From Paul David Tripp's book Parenting. Controversial? Yes. Should we talking about this more? Yes.

Thoughts On Three Precious Sons

The Gent and I spent a lot of time in prayer and consideration before we felt the Lord tell us to move forward with growing our family (again). To be honest, we thought we were through after Nora. We had always talked about 4 or 6 kids and felt like four was it (I mean, four kids under four was an absolute joy that I would not trade for anything, but it was also an intense time). Our beloved David, our resurrection baby, was not a blessing we asked for, but a gift who was entrusted to us. It is no coincidence he was due right around Easter. His life and death have thinned the veil that separates us from heaven forever.

When we first found out baby Poptart was on the way, we honestly hoped baby would be a girl. We just thought it would be easier all around. But the Lord knows just what our family needs and He has once again blessed us with a precious son. I still have the same concerns that initially made me think a girl would be easier.

It is very painful for people to celebrate that Jacob is finally getting a brother. I want to tell them all that Jacob already has a brother. I remind myself often that many people don't know our story and they have their own sadnesses that they carry and that it is natural and kind for people to be excited about babies. I worry that Poptart will feel pressured to fill David's place in our family and I don't want that pressure to be put on any child ever. Our children are all about two years apart. Nora and Poptart will have four years between them, because that is David's place in the middle. I worry that someone will say something hurtful in front of Jacob along the lines of "you're finally getting a boy." I have a firstborn son. He was not birthed from my body but he is fully and completely my first son. And why are people so obsessed with the Gent "finally getting his boy?" See the complaints above.

Forgive my sensitive mama heart and celebrate with us. We already have two much-loved sons. We are abundantly blessed that the Lord has given us this third son. Feeling Poptart kick and squirm and seeing the incredible, beautiful love his siblings already have for him is a gift. We didn't think we would get to do this again. We are blessed indeed.

Fred Rogers Before Congress

My kids have very little screen time. One thing I do allow them to watch is Mr. Rogers Neighborhood (streaming on Amazon Prime). If you haven't seen this clip of Fred Rogers testifying before Congress, take a few minutes and watch it. It will warm your heart this Friday! Link here.

Poptart's Doctor Report

Just wanted to let you know our appointment went well today. Baby's blood flow numbers were down a tiny bit. The doctor is pleased and says things are moving in the right direction and we are not to worry. We go back in a week. My titer level (amount of antibody-E circulating in my blood--we rely on this test along with the ultrasound) is very, very low, under 1.

The doctor said he doesn't see a need to induce until 39 weeks. He also mentioned that if I just wanted to wait for labor to begin on its own that would be fine with him up until 41 weeks. So it sounds like we have more options about labor than we were originally told.

IF baby's numbers start climbing and we get close to the anemia numbers (which stress baby's heart) we would treat with intrauterine blood transfusions until 34 weeks. After that point we would deliver early. That's the just-in-case plan and our doctor said several times he does not see that happening. I'm 27 weeks 3 days today and baby is measuring in the 90th percentile; the ultrasound measurements guessed 2 lbs, 12 oz.

We are thankful for reassuring news today. Thanks for continuing to pray with us.

Baby Update

We had another check-up for baby this week. The high-risk ob has been monitoring the blood flow through baby's brain by ultrasound--if it starts getting faster that's the first sign of a potential problem with this antibody-E. Well, after several weeks of good reports, today's scan showed that baby's blood flow has gotten faster. We go back Monday at 8:30 for another scan. Please pray that the blood flow will slow down a bit (today's number was 50, around 30 is better) or stay the same. The doctor says that baby is perfectly healthy and growing well and there are not currently any problems. There is potential for a problem to develop and we need to be proactive. Thanks for praying with us.

Thoughts on Femininity and Crassness and Other Controversial Things

If you've been reading along here for a while, you won't be surprised by my thoughts below. I'm a traditionalist in many things, and what I refer to as a "true feminist." I believe women and men of all races and nations and colors and socio-economic statuses and abilities are created in the image of God. Every life from the tiniest preborn baby to the oldest person in the nursing home is sacred, because we are His image-bearers. Every life is sacred because every person has an eternal soul. Every life should be treated equally under the law, and every life valued equally. That does not mean that men and women have to do everything equally. It is okay for men to be inclined toward some interests and women inclined toward another. That doesn't make men better than women any more than it makes women better than men. It just means we are all people who are gifted by our Creator in different ways and it is our job to be wise stewards of God's good gifts.

But as a mother of three girls I want them to know that it is okay to embrace your femininity. The Lord has filled your heart with a desire to nurture and guide and given you a love for beauty and that is a good thing. Do not disregard the gifts of our gracious God who loves you. You represent something that is quickly disappearing in our world. It is painful for me to meet some women (not all of them, but some) who work with my husband and witness their brashness and hear the crass words that come pouring out of their beautiful mouths. I have no respect for men or women who cannot express themselves without profanity (see, I warned you I was a traditionalist).

I want my girls to know that yes, you can be anything you want to be. But no, you cannot do it all. All the best gifts require sacrifice. Remember the stories Jesus told about the treasure and the pearl?

Matthew 13:44-46 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Yes, you can study hard and become the best in your chosen field. But it may not leave you time to be the wife your husband needs or the mother your children need. It is okay for you to decide that the Lord has called you to put others first in your life and set your own plans aside, for a season or forever. Your Daddy and I chose to do that for you. Daddy is a great lawyer and he could move to a more prestigious city and work much longer hours and make a lot more money, but he wants to be home for dinner every night and come to your ballet recitals and coach your brother's baseball team and teach your Sunday School class. Mama considered several careers but decided that what she really wanted was to be a mom who genuinely enjoyed her children and spent her days with them. I didn't want to have babies and then hand them off to someone else to raise until they were old enough to be sent to school for someone else to teach. Is it a sacrifice for us to make these choices? In some ways, yes. But being your Mama and Daddy and raising you to know and love the Lord is more valuable than any other career we could choose. So when it is time for you to choose a career, I want you to think long and hard about it. I don't want you to be locked in to a particular path because you've taken on a ton of debt. Pray for guidance, find what and who you love, and be wise.

Poptart: 6 months

Well, here we are! I didn't think it was possible but the kids are getting more excited about their baby brother every day! Poptart is the recipient of daily hugs, kisses, and stories. Life is moving right along and so are preparations for baby. My sweet cousin and aunts are planning a baby shower and Honey is sewing bedding for the nursery. We are doing some home renovations (hoping they are wrapped up in the next two weeks) and then we'll get the nursery put together. I have a goal of having the house sorted out by Thanksgiving but my list keeps growing. We shall see...

Today, We Remember

Mama's Recent Reads

The Austen Escape, Katherine Reay Because sometimes you need a sweet story with nothing objectionable in it.

Home, Marilynne Robinson And sometimes you need thoughtful fiction.

The Day the World Came to Town, Jim Defede When bad things happen, look for the people helping. On 9/11, U.S. airspace was closed and all planes were ordered to land. A small town of 10,000 in Newfoundland, Canada took in 7,000 passengers and cared for them for days.

Teaching from Rest, Sarah Mackenzie I re-read this book every year before I start teaching. "If God expected you to get thirty-six hours' worth of work done in a day, He would have given you thirty-six hours to do it. If you have more to do than time to do it in, the simple fact is this: Some of what you are doing isn't on His agenda for you."

Parenting, Paul David Tripp. The best book on parenting I've ever read.

God and the Transgender Debate, Andrew Walker. Thoughtful, compassionate, Biblical, and grace-filled.

A Crazy, Holy Grace, Frederich Buechner. Buechner's reminders of the ever-present grace of God even in hard times: a blessing.

22 Weeks!

Baby Poptart had his 22 week anatomy scan with the high-risk doctor today. Baby is looking great! He's growing well and the Gent and I had so much fun watching him dance around on the ultrasound screen. He will be our most photographed child before he's ever even born. We are oh so thankful that the antibody-E has not been causing any problems. Since the doctors are telling us we need to deliver early, we anticipate meeting our little boy in just 16 short weeks. EEK!!! I have so much I want to get done before then. Of course, I know all I really need are diapers and a car seat. :) Jacob felt his brother kick for the first time today and HE IS SO EXCITED. Can't wait to see these sweet boys together.

Living Room Re-Do

The pictures are dark because I took them before the sun was really up this morning, but you get the idea...

We decided to take our house off the market about a month ago and stay put for a while longer. In the meantime, I "needed" new living room furniture. Our old sofa was too low and squishy for this pregnant mama, and it never quite fit our living room (too large). I love the way this room has turned out! After living in our house for 7+ years, I feel like we finally did the living room right. Now we are getting ready to embark on some renovations (including a new master bath and closet) that we hope will help the house sell next spring. Until then, we will get to enjoy it! Glad we still have some love to spare for this old house.

20 Week Baby Picture

Here's baby boy's sweet profile at 20 weeks. He's growing well and showing no signs of anemia. Our anatomy scan is next week so we'll have lots more pictures then. His kicks are getting stronger and the Gent was able to feel one a couple of nights ago. Jacob touches my belly constantly--he (along with the rest of us) is so excited about his baby brother!

Poptart: 5 Months

Over half-way with this sweet baby boy! I am feeling good and baby's check-ups have been going well. We've been cleared to go from weekly appointments with the specialist to every two weeks. Not sure how long that will keep up but it is nice for now. I've been making a little baby registry and collecting fabric samples for the nursery. We're also getting ready to tackle some minor home renovations so I'll be nesting (and living in drywall dust) for the next four months. Never a dull moment around here!

Homeschooling in Real Life

I keep getting asked how I "do it all" so I thought I'd write a little about that.

For starters, I don't "do it all." Any type of schooling (public, private, home, or a combination) is going to leave something out because perfection does not exist in this world. And I have a housekeeper so someone else cleans my house twice a month.

But here's how our typical school day goes:

We start school by 9am. We begin with circle time: prayer, calendar, and during everyone's kindergarten year we say the Pledge of Allegiance so they all learn it.

Next is Nora's preschool. I read her a library book (usually off the Honey for a Child's Heart booklist) and we go over a concept. Right now we are doing letters. Some days we read an alphabet book; this week we are using large felt letters that she can trace while we say the letter name and sound.

Then Sophie and Nora play while I do math with Annie and Jacob.

Then Annie and Jacob do "sustained silent reading" (go read the Ramona books if you don't know what this is!) while I do Sophie's math and Nora plays independently.

After that we all do handwriting together, working on age-appropriate levels. Nora's goal for this year is to learn to write her name. Then we do memory work together (Bible verse, history facts, and poem). This is more for the older kids but Nora and Sophie can join in.

Then Annie and Jacob do spelling and grammar.

Recess for 15 minutes. Whew.

It is usually about 11am by this point. After recess, I do Sophie's kindergarten program (Five in a Row) with her. The other kids often want to listen in.

Next is one-on-one reading lessons with the older three children.

If we have time, the older two kids do history or science (we alternate days) to finish up our day. Then lunch. Sometimes we have lunch and then do history or science.

After lunch we read-aloud our literature book (medieval lit this year) and then our fun chapter book (right now, C.S. Lewis's The Silver Chair).

Then quiet time for two blessed hours. Mama collapses for about 30 minutes and catches up on email and other messages, then gets her chores done.

After quiet time comes tea time (snack and poetry reading).

Then it depends on the day: piano practice, ballet or gymnastics class, or free play.

That's pretty much our 9-5.

Of course, life never goes as planned. The first morning of school this year, the dog threw up. Then Nora was sick the second day. We have field trips about twice a month. A foster parent friend has a crisis. There are always interruptions. We just pick up where we left off and try to make it up by the end of the week.

All the little moments add up to lots of learning and I love getting to be part of it!

First Day of School 2018

Cincinnati!

Honey and the kids and I went to Cincinnati this summer to visit friends and eat Graeter's ice cream. We also enjoyed a fun-filled day a the zoo! Hurrah for summer!