Hale and Hearty Words

March 18, 2013 · 6:00 am

Why You Need A Good Umbrella

Let’s start with the fun stuff. I was supposed to announce the winners of last week’s contest in a post already, but I’ve had limited internet access this week and wasn’t able to post. So, belatedly, I wish hearty congratulations to the two winners of the baby items giveaway–

Katie Beth and Lori!!

Girls, email me your mailing addresses & I’ll get those certificates to you asap!

When it rains, it pours, right? We’ve been hearing this little phrase a lot lately.

The transmission in our car died and our car was in the shop for a month having that replaced, plus the shocks & struts. $Cha-ching$
Our dog began limping again on a knee that was completely replaced in doggy surgery four years ago.
The hose to our kitchen sink sprayer sprang a leak and my sweet, wonderful, talented husband tried to fix it himself, but being good at a great many things, handy-manning is not one of them. So, I was without a kitchen sink for a few days.
Our TV died.
Our oven died.
Our laptop died.
We had a medical emergency with a close family member.
My three year-old opened the pantry to get a snack and the cabinet door fell off. Just fell off.
My doctor broke his hand skiing and won’t be able to deliver our baby.

Most of this all happened within a week.

My first response to the deluge of chaos was my go-to “seriously?”

Followed by these thoughts:

What are we doing wrong that God is allowing all of this stuff to happen? (He’s punishing us.)

Why is everything falling apart all at one time? (Life is unfair.)

What about that whole “working for goodness for those who love Him” thing? (Not trusting in what I know to be the truth.)

All of these thoughts were sinful. Flat out.

But then I had this thought– what are my blessings? Yep, I started counting them. And they outweighed the chaos, of course.

Here’s the thing, though. I actually said to my husband, “We’re under attack right now and we need to get ourselves right before the Lord. Something is wrong. I don’t know what, but we need to fix it.”

Then Sunday rolls around and our Sunday school lesson speaks to me in such a way that I know God has been hearing my prayers these past few weeks and he’s reminding me that even in the pouring rain, I’ve got the best umbrella.

The jist of the lesson centered around the idea that our circumstances often affect how confidently we trust Jesus. When things aren’t going our way, we’re tempted to lean toward several spiritual dangers.

Note that this is exactly what I did without even realizing it.

Danger 1– We doubt what we believe. When things don’t go our way, we give more power to what we think is supposed to happen rather than to what God promises.

Danger 2– We believe that God is treating us unfairly and we forget that challenges in our lives help mold us to be like Christ.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Danger 3– We believe that God is punishing us for things we’ve done in the past. This thought forces us to change our behavior, thinking that we can somehow “stop” the punishment in favor of blessings, putting emphasis on our works instead of on the two things we know to be true of Christ’s sacrifice for us– grace and mercy.

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

I am often especially guilty of Danger 3– thinking that God is punishing instead of realizing that although he allows consequences for our actions, I have been forgiven through the greatest atonement.

When the rain is pouring down, the umbrella that keeps me dry is the knowledge and faith in the saving grace of Christ.

No matter what happens in my life, no matter what the circumstances, everything points back to Jesus. I’m being molded and shaped to be more like him. My faith is being strengthened.

God’s blessings are prominent among the raindrops.

After all, it’s the rain that makes the flowers grow.

Share with me: Which of the three dangers above are you most likely to lean toward when raindrops are pouring in your life?

**The Sunday school material we use is The Gospel Project, Spring 2013, Lifeway Publishers.

8 Comments

Filed under The Christian Walk

Tagged as Jesus, rain, Romans, umbrella

March 7, 2013 · 6:00 am

Twelve Tips for Tackling the Third Trimester Plus a GIVEAWAY!

The first trimester— you still can’t believe you’re pregnant.

You can’t wait to start showing.

If you’re like me, you suffer through some serious morning sickness and wonder if you’ll even be alive by your due date.

The second trimester— life is glorious.

Your energy is back, your appetite is back, and everybody thinks you’re so cute.

You actually start to believe that maybe Michelle Duggar has the right idea and you could have a zillion babies, too.

Then the third trimester hits.

You feel giant. Perfect strangers say things like, “You look like you’re about to pop!” and yet you have to explain that you still have eight weeks to go.

You’re outgrowing the maternity clothes, but refuse to spend money on more because you dream that in a few short weeks you’ll be back in your pre-pregnancy clothes. (Yeah, right.)

You’re uncomfortable, swollen, and r.e.a.d.y.

And you wonder if you’ll be alive to see your due date.

Supposedly the third trimester, like the other two, is only three months long. I have this sneaking suspicion that it’s more like eight.

If you want to keep up with me and my family as we approach this baby’s due date (very soon), make sure you’re following me on Facebook! Click the button on the right of the blog. Can’t wait for you to meet him! 🙂

No, this is not my belly. I don’t do pregnancy belly photos. 🙂

So here are some tips for making it through those last few weeks and enjoying this special time. Yes, it too, is special.

Eat what you want. Yeah, I said it. Don’t concern yourself too much with weight gain, especially in the last trimester (unless your doctor is concerned about your weight gain.) Instead, enjoy yourself, eat what you want when you want because it makes you feel better and your appetite matches Big Foot’s. Just let that thought about losing the weight after baby comes stay at the back of your mind. The far back.

Get your thank you notes written. Baby gifts will begin pouring in, and not only is it proper to get that thank you note in the mail, if you think you’ll have time after baby comes, you’re fooling yourself.

DO NOT cut your hair. Women in their third trimester tend to feel pretty yucky when they look in the mirror. Instead of seeing the beauty that God created, they see swollen, unattractive versions of themselves. To cope, many women head straight to the salon and make a drastic “change.” DON’T DO IT! Not only will you probably be upset with your new “do” once baby has arrived and you wish for the longer hair you had that you could just throw in a ponytail, your hormones post-baby will change and affect your hair once again. Wait at least 3-4 months after baby to make a drastic hairstyle change.

Get a pregnancy massage. They are heaven. Find a nice spa with a certified masseuse and let the pampering begin. After all, at no other time in your life will you be able to justify the need like you can in your third trimester.

Get over your fear of needles, especially the epidural. I’ve heard more women talk about their fear of the epidural specifically because of the needle involved. Let me tell you two things from experience– the epidural needle is as long as a sword. (Okay, not really, but it’s long.) And the epidural is the greatest invention known to man. When you are in the throes of your contractions, you WILL NOT CARE about the needle in your back. In fact, it will be welcome relief. If you are having a c-section, trust me, you need that epidural. You don’t want a c-section without it, so learn to deal with the idea of a needle. I’ve never loved a needle so much!

Think about who and when you want visitors at the hospital. Family, friends, people you barely know… everyone wants to see your new baby, and they tend to show up at the hospital, sometimes when you don’t want them. Both of my older sons were born on Fridays, which meant we had hospital visitors all day on Saturday with both births. With my first son, I thought I might die. I was so tired and the revolving door of people I had to make small talk with almost killed me. Plus, I felt like I barely held my own brand new baby! With my second son, I knew what to expect, so I told my husband and nurses when I got too tired for visitors. A sign was placed on the door and I got a quick nap. Remember Mama, you have to take care of yourself first, so don’t worry about hurting people’s feelings. This is about you and your new baby! Discuss these sorts of things with your hubby ahead of time so you are both on the same page.

Pass the long days with that nesting instinct. When it kicks in and you feel the urge to clean everything, do it. You won’t be cleaning again for awhile. Just be careful around cleansers that contain chemicals, don’t climb on anything, and don’t overdo it.

Write letters to your baby. Journal or describe this time in your life. Even if you’ve been pregnant before, this pregnancy is special and distinct, so document it.

Don’t obsess about when the baby is going to come. I’m a planner. Both of my older sons were induced, but this time I’m looking at the unknown of going into spontaneous labor. Yeah, it freaks me out a little, but there’s one thing I know as truth– no matter when or what happens, this baby will come in God’s time, God’s way. It’s out of my control, so I’ve got my bag packed and important people on speed dial. No sense in wasting energy on wondering when. Instead I’ll make brownies or something.

Make plans for your older children. When baby comes, things might happen fast. You should have their bags packed, too, plans made for who they will stay with while you are in the hospital, and plans for how they will get to and from school, etc. Also, don’t forget to include your older children in this special time. Let them make cards and banners to welcome baby. Let them help fold the mountains of baby blankets you’ve washed 10 times already. Let them talk about what they will teach the baby and how they will help you once the baby arrives. The more they are involved, the easier the transition will be.

Don’t be afraid to explain what’s going on to your older kids. My oldest son is nearly seven and he has lots of questions. Using common sense and age appropriate responses, we’ve explained some basics and answered his questions about things like how Mommy will feed the baby when he’s born. Don’t over-share with little ones, but don’t confuse them, either. God’s miracle put the baby in my tummy and the doctor will help take it out. Yes, it will hurt a little, but there’s medicine to help. And Mommy will need lots of help from Big Brother when she gets home from the hospital with the new baby!

And last but not least, give in to the hormones. The third trimester is like an emotional roller coaster of hormones, and you might as well have a good cry every now and then. Let the tears flow, but don’t forget the tears of joy over the miracle God has done in your life through this child. Get excited! Anticipate, but don’t stress! Have a good, cleansing cry, and then eat some chocolate!

**********

Baby showers can be lots of fun. My favorite gift to give at a baby shower depends on the mom’s situation.

For first-time moms, I love to give the Boppy pillow. I couldn’t live without mine when nursing or bottle feeding baby, and I think every mom should have one. Great invention.

For mom’s on their second go-around (or more), I like to be practical with the gift. Diapers, wipes, baby bath items, burp cloths, etc. The more practical the better, because you know mom and dad need it, especially diapers, which aren’t cheap.

******* GIVEAWAY!!! *******

Are you expecting? Know someone who is and need a great baby gift?

I have two great giveaways for you!!

First giveaway— a FREE gift card for a car seat canopy of your choice from CarseatCanopy.com! (You pay tax and shipping).

Second giveaway— a FREE gift card for a baby carrier/sling of your choice from SevenSlings.com! (You pay tax and shipping.)

There will be TWO lucky winners (one for each prize)– I’ll announce them next Thursday, March 14th.

To win, follow instructions below!

Share with me: To win, leave a comment answering the following– what’s the best baby gift you ever received? What’s your favorite baby gift to give?

Thanks and good luck!

4 Comments

Filed under Family

Tagged as baby, birth, contest, giveaway, pregnancy

March 4, 2013 · 6:00 am

Making Molehills Out of Mountains

He is jealous from me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions Eclipsed by glory

and I realize just how beautiful You are And how great Your affections are for me.

–How He Loves, David Crowder Band

The verse above is how the song How He Loves begins. If you’ve ever heard it, that very first phrase can really penetrate your spirit if you let it.

He is jealous for me.

He loves me. He desires my heart, my praise, my time, and my faith. He wants to bestow his presence and his peace on me.

God has let his jealousy for his people play out over and over throughout the Bible, giving us stories that test and develop faith, and most of all, show how God’s love and promises are revealed in his jealousy.

Mountains play quite a role in displaying God’s desire to have the full attention, focus, and hearts of his people.

Over and over, God used the mountains to send a message.

Mount Ararat— God sent the promise of no more destruction in a rainbow to Noah and his family.
Mount Horeb (Sinai)— God told Moses just how jealous he was, and instructed that he be the only God to whom the Hebrews bowed and worshiped.
Mount Carmel— God showed the 450 prophets of Baal who was the most powerful.
Mount Moriah (Mount Zion)— God commanded the full obedience and love of Abraham in the form of the sacrifice Isaac. But God provided Abraham with a ram, saving Isaac and showing just how deep God’s jealous love can run.

Many of us have had spiritual mountains in our lives.

They come in the form of trails and tribulations that have challenged our faith. We have to traverse these mountains, overcoming the hardship. When we reach the summit, we often see God revealed.

They come in the form of spiritual highs where we feel close to God, and valleys of trouble where we wonder if God is there at all.

They come in the form of moments when God reveals his jealous love for us, demanding our time and attention.

It’s these mountains– the small moments, that we often ignore or sweep to the side as insignificant, reducing them to molehills.

Let me give a couple of examples from my own life.

About two years ago I was able to take a tour of the Mormon Temple in Atlanta when it was open to the public for rededication. Obviously I am not Mormon, but I have been fascinated by the Mormon faith for as long as I can remember.

When I returned home that night, I dove into my Bible, hungry for the truths to dispel the lies that had been fed to me that day. That night I prayed that God would use my interest in the Mormon faith in a specific way– that he would show me how I could be involved in leading people away from Mormonism and Joseph Smith’s Jesus and to the true saving power of Jesus Christ.

I had a moment that night while I sat alone in my bed praying– a moment that has been seared into my mind and my heart. I felt the power of God. I heard him saying, “Yes, my child,” as I prayed for the opportunity to work with anti-Mormon missions. I have no idea how God is going to bring it about specifically in my life, but I know he will.

That was a mountain for me. When I’ve shared that story before, I’ve gotten mixed feedback, like many people don’t want to believe that God would speak to me about such a thing as Mormonism. But Mormons need the real Jesus, too, right?

So I will not reduce that moment to a molehill. It wasn’t. It was a mountaintop where God said, “I want all of my people to know my son.” I’m only a willing participant in that moment.

The second example I want to share has been happening a lot lately.

As I near the moment we expect to meet our third child, I haven’t been sleeping much. I’m having all the normal symptoms of a woman in her last month of pregnancy– trying to find a comfortable position to sleep is one of them.

I’ve been waking around 4 am every morning. I’m frustrated by that. I’m tired. I’m exhausted, really.

So I prayed about it and asked God to help me get some more sleep. You know what he said? He said NO.

Instead of tossing and turning and hoping for a couple more hours of sleep, I’ve felt compelled to get up and spend those wee morning hours with Him.

He is jealous for me. He wants my time and attention and he’s let me know. He’s fed me in those moments, given me rest through his word.

This is another mountain for me and I will not reduce it to a molehill.

God is jealous for us. He wants us– our whole hearts and our devotion. He won’t accept anything less.

So when he displays that jealousy at a mountaintop moment, don’t reduce it, cast it off, or ignore it. Take it for what it is– God’s unending love reaching for you.

Share with me: Do you have any mountains in your life where God has displayed his jealousy for you or for others?

Hey– are you expecting a new baby, too? Know someone who is? Check back on Thursday for an awesome giveaway!!