Mon-19-May-2008 - Misconceptions of a Happy Mama
The last few weeks have been busy for me, and I’ve been mulling this over in my mind.
I wonder why people think we want a large family?
Some must think I have it all together; that I'm never baffled, perplexed, or just plain 'ol scared.
I love children so much I want more; that I'm never frusterated, or worn.
I must be a really good person.
I must just not have any issues when I’m pregnant – it must be just so easy for me!
Or I’m a bit naïve – can’t I envision a future with many mouths to feed?
I look at the people in the Bible that were used of God, and I start to feel a bit better, because none of these ideas are true about me.
When you think of me, think of Peter. He had the courage to jump out of the boat, but he started to sink pretty quickly when swamped with doubt. I do that. Me and doubting Thomas might have been good friends, but I'm a bit rash like Peter, too.
When you think of me, think of Moses. He didn’t find speaking easy, but God said He would put words in His mouth and help him. Moses still didn’t think it would work! It's so hard for me to walk forward without knowing exactly what's around the corner.
When you think of me, think of Moses’s brave mother. She had her baby, and trusted God for the future. I have no idea what to do with a 3yo. Honest, I don't. Or a 4yo, or a 5yo . . . getting the picture? I just praise the Lord I've come this far. May He led me all the way!
I had the chance to tell someone recently why we want more children. It’s not because children are our passion (though each child we have we quickly become passionate about!). It’s not because we sat down and thought “what is our life missing?” And it’s not because we felt like we should seek to be more responsible and maybe even grow up some and thought a child or two would do the trick.
We want children because God says children are desirable. He says they are blessings. And we trust His perception better than our own.
When I'm changing my 4th dirty diaper of the the day, do I "feel" abundantly blessed? Not really. But my life is not, cannot be based on my feelings. It's too easy to wax romantic or pessimistic according to if it's raining or dry. When Jonathan does something to annoy me, he doesn't "feel" like my Beloved. But he is. And I try to proceed accordingly in life, because I know my feelings will lie to me.
If it feels right, do it . . . that's a painful way to live your life.
It won't always feel right to cook dinner. Or to put down your book and vacuum. And it might not feel right to wipe running noses and carry the umpteenth glass of water to my husband while he sprawls on the couch with a headache. It most certainly doesn't feel right to iron! Bleck! And since most of my ironing is going to be worn by my husband and not myself . . . that starts feeling even more optional.
I think a lot of the world sees a child as about as much blessing as a flat tire. You almost can’t avoid one forever, they make you thankful for life when it’s going smoothly, but you sure don’t want a bunch of ‘em. Who on earth would?
Why give up that freedom, the right to my own body, the right to my own comfort, the right to have quiet time? Why give up such a lovely life that me and my husband had? Why? When my example of serving others is Christ, who poured out His life for others and ended up killed? He gave everything, and then He died. He suffered painfully of the very people He came to serve and bless.
Oh, that I might grow to be a little more like Him, each step along life's way. That it might become easier to put others first. That I might slowly grow and be stretched and find joy and peace even in the absence of earthly recognition, and if I have appreciation, that I don't rely on it! Oh, that my life might might please God Himself . . . .
~Ashley~
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Thu-15-May-2008 - On Harry Potter & the Twilight Series
On the right side of my blog I had two links about Harry Potter, Harry Potter? and More on Harry Potter. The second one is broken, so I need to figure out if Voddie Baucham moved his blog about it or what.
I have these links because as a follower of Christ, I often wonder where to draw the line. I have on my wall a cross-stitch that says "Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely . . . " You know the verse? I have never read Harry Potter. Is there really some benifit to reading about witches and wizards and things?
I find little squares blinking on blogs : GOD IS MY KING
and a little ways below it:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Does anyone else not see any sort of incompatibility here????
What about if we had:
GOD IS MY KING
and,
BAAL TEMPLES ROCK
The latest craze that I have become aware of is the Twilight series. It's about a vampire who falls in love with a human girl. It sounds quite riviting - so much so I have to guard myself. It really pulls at my emotional, romantic, female side. Is there not anything troublesome that a Christian could devote so much time into reading about something that is not, cannot be a godly topic - a blood drinker's romantic life - to the point that there are a bunch of CHRIST-FOLLOWERS that wish people that drank blood (vampires) were real???
That have "I love Edward Cullen" next to "I love Jesus Christ".
How can this be? The more I think about it the worse a taste I have in my mouth. No one seems to notice, no one seems to care. No one seems to recognize the incompatibility.
The vampire - Edward Cullen - is so smooth. He always says the perfect thing, of course, because he's scripted to do so and edited and when they put out the movie they will go over and over each sceen until it's positive to make every female in the audience swoon. In his "devotion" to this human girl he has to constantly "retrain" himself - it all sounds so courageous and impressive. I watched a clip yesterday -he says he is the "Ultimate preditor - everything about me, my voice, my looks, my smell, attracts you to me" or something along those lines.
I'm sorry, that's satan's line about sin. Everything about sin looks attractive to us and wants to draw us in.
So what will it be next? A demon that is so smooth and powerful and good looking that every reader wishes he were real and in love with them? (Hmm, wasn't there one on that Buffy show a few years back?)
What about a "well-written" book about two men or two women falling in love? If it's a "well-written" book we can read it and enjoy it anyway, right? Even if we don't agree with the premesis of the book?
Where do we draw the line? As a follower of Christ?
Is there really nothing out there to read besides this type of thing? I can hear people say "it's so well written" . . . is that to be our guide? Would it not be better to stay away from these types of things and read poorly written things? How often do we read the Bible - a HP book is huge! Surely as Christians we should read the Bible several times through while in the process of reading this series, right?
No, I fear that while everyone waits on pins and needles for the next book about spells and wizards and magic, the Bible is not read with the same eagerness.
Where do we draw the line????
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Thu-1-May-2008 - We Hate Children
An excellent sermon. I've never heard anything by this preacher before, but I enjoyed this sermon. WOW!
Go to this LINK to hear the sermon.
"In spite of all the professed concern for children in our day, the truth is, we hate children...We hate children because we see nothing wrong with killing those that are inconvenient, untimely, disruptive or who have physical defects or even are not the sex we desired...We hate children because we refuse to have them...We hate children because we love ourselves...We hate children because we hate God and distrust Him."
We have absorbed so much from our culture . . . and this is one of them. We really don't trust God that children are good things . . . so sad! The world has been under-populated for over 30 years . . . WOW. I did post about the documentary Demographic Winter? If you don't realize that the population myth has been debunked, please go watch this beautiful clip about the very scary future of Europe.
Blessings,
~Ashley~
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