14 hours ago
Christmas is just three days away! This is a special Christmas to me. This time last year I remember thinking how special it would be to be pregnant at Christmas time.
As the day that we celebrate our Savior's birth draws nearer, and as this little boy's movements become more distinct, I find myself wondering about Mary. It warms my heart and makes me smile every time I feel my son kick and squirm inside me. How must Mary have felt, knowing that the baby that kicked and squirmed inside her was God Himself?
I haven't been through childbirth yet, but I imagine that when I do give birth to our son, Derek and I will both be filled with joy, and overwhelmed at this gift that God has given us. When I think of how Derek and I will feel, I wonder how Mary and Joseph must have felt bringing Jesus into the world, because they knew. They knew Who He really was. As they looked at that newborn baby boy, their emotions must have been even more overwhelming, because they knew He wasn't just a gift to them - He was God's gift to all mankind.
It is special to be pregnant at Christmas time - because every time I look down at my ever-growing belly and think of my son, I also think about another girl, in another time, who must of looked down at her belly the same way and thought about her Son - God Incarnate, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
And I think about what He endured to save her, and me, and any person who puts their trust in Him. His sacrifice is the greatest Christmas present of all time. No other gift could compare.
Such a gift calls for no less than a life devoted to Him. So as my boy presses against my belly and makes me smile again, I pray for help to serve Jesus better, and I pray for my son to grow up to serve and know Him as well. Because that is what life is all about.
As the day that we celebrate our Savior's birth draws nearer, and as this little boy's movements become more distinct, I find myself wondering about Mary. It warms my heart and makes me smile every time I feel my son kick and squirm inside me. How must Mary have felt, knowing that the baby that kicked and squirmed inside her was God Himself?
I haven't been through childbirth yet, but I imagine that when I do give birth to our son, Derek and I will both be filled with joy, and overwhelmed at this gift that God has given us. When I think of how Derek and I will feel, I wonder how Mary and Joseph must have felt bringing Jesus into the world, because they knew. They knew Who He really was. As they looked at that newborn baby boy, their emotions must have been even more overwhelming, because they knew He wasn't just a gift to them - He was God's gift to all mankind.
It is special to be pregnant at Christmas time - because every time I look down at my ever-growing belly and think of my son, I also think about another girl, in another time, who must of looked down at her belly the same way and thought about her Son - God Incarnate, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
And I think about what He endured to save her, and me, and any person who puts their trust in Him. His sacrifice is the greatest Christmas present of all time. No other gift could compare.
Such a gift calls for no less than a life devoted to Him. So as my boy presses against my belly and makes me smile again, I pray for help to serve Jesus better, and I pray for my son to grow up to serve and know Him as well. Because that is what life is all about.
I don't think the world hates me enough.
That may seem like an odd statement to those who don't know where I'm coming from. But as a Christian, the Bible promises that the world will hate me (Matthew 10:22).
Or at least they should hate me, if I'm doing my job right.
But if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I'm very hated. I just go about my daily business, the world goes about theirs, and we don't think about each other very much.
I would hope the people I encounter on a daily basis would be able to tell that I'm a Christian by the references I make to my faith in daily conversation (few as they are), or by the way I live my life. I would hope they would be able to tell that something is different.
But that's not really enough, is it?
Jesus commands us to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). But they can't really be made disciples if I'm not willing to say something, can they?
I really struggle with evangelism. I hate that I struggle with evangelism. How hard is it to just ask someone what they believe? How hard is it to just say what I believe? How is it that something that is the most important thing in my life is so hard to talk about with others? Something is wrong here.
I could go into the whole, "not everyone has the gift of evangelism" thing. And although I think that it is true that some have a real gift for reaching others with the gospel, it's not a good excuse. Because evangelism is something we are all called to do, whether we are good at it or not.
I'm not good at evangelism. I'm not sure exactly what it is that I'm afraid of. I think I'm most afraid that I'll try to reach out to someone by telling them about Jesus, and they'll ask a question that I won't know how to answer, or I'll stumble over my words and make the gospel seem weak. I'm afraid I'll let everyone down and misrepresent my Lord if I don't say the right thing.
But then, I'm really placing all the emphasis on what I can do to bring others to Christ when I think that way, when in reality, I can't do a thing. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts people of their sin, the Holy Spirit is the one who opens their eyes and brings them to Jesus. Don't I think He's big enough to use my words, flawed as they may be, for His ultimate purpose?
I wish I could say that this is something I will get better at, but I honestly don't know. I feel as if fear rules me in this.
I do know, however, that perfect love casts out fear. God has shown me His perfect love by sending Jesus to live, die, and rise from the dead in order to save me - and it's wrong of me not to share that perfect love with others.
I wish the world hated me more. Because if they did, it would mean that I would be doing my job - I would be speaking about Jesus to those I know, sharing with them how they can be saved, and reflecting the glory of God to those around me.
Unfortunately, I fall woefully short of doing any of these things. The world and I go about our business, not thinking about each other much at all. And I'm not even sure how to fix it.
Lord, please help me to be bold in telling others about You. I have not been following your command to "go and make disciples", and I don't even know where to start - but You do, and I pray You would show me what to do, and what to say. Forgive me for ignoring your clear commandment in this are, and thank You for showing me grace, even when I continually fail.
Does anyone else struggle with this? And what has helped you become a brighter light for Christ?
That may seem like an odd statement to those who don't know where I'm coming from. But as a Christian, the Bible promises that the world will hate me (Matthew 10:22).
Or at least they should hate me, if I'm doing my job right.
But if I'm honest with myself, I really don't think I'm very hated. I just go about my daily business, the world goes about theirs, and we don't think about each other very much.
I would hope the people I encounter on a daily basis would be able to tell that I'm a Christian by the references I make to my faith in daily conversation (few as they are), or by the way I live my life. I would hope they would be able to tell that something is different.
But that's not really enough, is it?
Jesus commands us to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). But they can't really be made disciples if I'm not willing to say something, can they?
I really struggle with evangelism. I hate that I struggle with evangelism. How hard is it to just ask someone what they believe? How hard is it to just say what I believe? How is it that something that is the most important thing in my life is so hard to talk about with others? Something is wrong here.
I could go into the whole, "not everyone has the gift of evangelism" thing. And although I think that it is true that some have a real gift for reaching others with the gospel, it's not a good excuse. Because evangelism is something we are all called to do, whether we are good at it or not.
I'm not good at evangelism. I'm not sure exactly what it is that I'm afraid of. I think I'm most afraid that I'll try to reach out to someone by telling them about Jesus, and they'll ask a question that I won't know how to answer, or I'll stumble over my words and make the gospel seem weak. I'm afraid I'll let everyone down and misrepresent my Lord if I don't say the right thing.
But then, I'm really placing all the emphasis on what I can do to bring others to Christ when I think that way, when in reality, I can't do a thing. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts people of their sin, the Holy Spirit is the one who opens their eyes and brings them to Jesus. Don't I think He's big enough to use my words, flawed as they may be, for His ultimate purpose?
I wish I could say that this is something I will get better at, but I honestly don't know. I feel as if fear rules me in this.
I do know, however, that perfect love casts out fear. God has shown me His perfect love by sending Jesus to live, die, and rise from the dead in order to save me - and it's wrong of me not to share that perfect love with others.
I wish the world hated me more. Because if they did, it would mean that I would be doing my job - I would be speaking about Jesus to those I know, sharing with them how they can be saved, and reflecting the glory of God to those around me.
Unfortunately, I fall woefully short of doing any of these things. The world and I go about our business, not thinking about each other much at all. And I'm not even sure how to fix it.
Lord, please help me to be bold in telling others about You. I have not been following your command to "go and make disciples", and I don't even know where to start - but You do, and I pray You would show me what to do, and what to say. Forgive me for ignoring your clear commandment in this are, and thank You for showing me grace, even when I continually fail.
Does anyone else struggle with this? And what has helped you become a brighter light for Christ?
I recently joined the Blogging For Books program which is run by Waterbrook Multonomah Publishing Group. I've confessed that I'm a bookworm, and this program allows me to get books for free if I agree to post a review about them. How can I pass that up? If you're a fellow book-lover you should check out the Blogging For Books website and sign up too.
Several months ago I heard about the book Radical by David Platt. The sub-title particularly caught my eye "Taking Your Faith Back From The American Dream."
Now, I am pretty fiercely patriotic, so when I saw the sub-title, I wasn't sure what to think about this book. I get rather defensive whenever it appears that someone is criticizing one of the things that I think makes America great, and that includes the freedom that we enjoy in America to work hard toward our goals and provide a good life for our families.
I was expecting it to be one of those anti-American, liberal-minded type books, but something made me read the first chapter anyway (it was available to read online).
After reading the first chapter, I realized that the topic of this book really wasn't even close to my initial impression of it, so I decided to request it for my first book to review, and I must say, I found it challenging and not anti-American at all.
David Platt clearly states early on in the book that "Certainly hard work and high aspirations are not bad, and the freedom to pursue our goals is something we should celebrate." That helped to clear up the initial impression I had received from the title, and the rest of the book focused instead on warning American Christians to not let the American Dream distract us from our higher loyalty and calling as Christians - which includes glorifying God (instead of ourselves and our own abilities), reaching the world with the gospel, giving of our resources in order to further the gospel and help the needy, personally working to bring the knowledge of Jesus to those who don't know Him, and not being afraid to give our lives in these biblical pursuits.
I think the underlying points that Platt brings to light in this book are valid and biblically sound, but I sometimes take issue with the way he says them. For example, at one point Platt discusses the point that American churches sometimes focus too much on what we're called not to do, instead of the things we are called to do as Christians, and he states that when we change our focus in this way "All of a sudden, holiness is defined by what we do." I feel as if that statement almost sounds like a works-based philosophy, but I know that in the context that is not what he is saying. There were a couple such instances in the book, but they were minor enough that they weren't a major issue - the underlying points were sound, and usually the issue was discussed in more detail somewhere in the book, which made Platt's position more clear. I just made notes in the book to clarify for myself for future reference.
Overall, I found this book to be very challenging. Most people are going to feel uncomfortable reading this book; I certainly did. Platt brings up biblical commands that aren't comfortable to consider - such as guarding against materialism, giving sacrificially, and going personally to "make disciples of all nations".
However, no one ever said that following Christ would be comfortable - in fact, if we're feeling comfortable, we probably aren't giving as much of our lives to Him as we should be. In our American church culture it is so easy to fall into that comfortable place, and David Platt brings a full-on, biblical attack against that kind of attitude.
I was convicted, especially by the chapter on materialism, and I find myself thinking of practical ways I can apply what I've read in Radical to my own life. I would recommend this book to any Christian who is feeling a little too comfortable or content in their current walk with Christ - it will challenge you, and it will lead you to think more deeply about what we are called to do as followers of Christ - and that definitely makes it worth reading in my opinion.
Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. This is my honest opinion on the book.
Several months ago I heard about the book Radical by David Platt. The sub-title particularly caught my eye "Taking Your Faith Back From The American Dream."
Now, I am pretty fiercely patriotic, so when I saw the sub-title, I wasn't sure what to think about this book. I get rather defensive whenever it appears that someone is criticizing one of the things that I think makes America great, and that includes the freedom that we enjoy in America to work hard toward our goals and provide a good life for our families.
I was expecting it to be one of those anti-American, liberal-minded type books, but something made me read the first chapter anyway (it was available to read online).
After reading the first chapter, I realized that the topic of this book really wasn't even close to my initial impression of it, so I decided to request it for my first book to review, and I must say, I found it challenging and not anti-American at all.
David Platt clearly states early on in the book that "Certainly hard work and high aspirations are not bad, and the freedom to pursue our goals is something we should celebrate." That helped to clear up the initial impression I had received from the title, and the rest of the book focused instead on warning American Christians to not let the American Dream distract us from our higher loyalty and calling as Christians - which includes glorifying God (instead of ourselves and our own abilities), reaching the world with the gospel, giving of our resources in order to further the gospel and help the needy, personally working to bring the knowledge of Jesus to those who don't know Him, and not being afraid to give our lives in these biblical pursuits.
I think the underlying points that Platt brings to light in this book are valid and biblically sound, but I sometimes take issue with the way he says them. For example, at one point Platt discusses the point that American churches sometimes focus too much on what we're called not to do, instead of the things we are called to do as Christians, and he states that when we change our focus in this way "All of a sudden, holiness is defined by what we do." I feel as if that statement almost sounds like a works-based philosophy, but I know that in the context that is not what he is saying. There were a couple such instances in the book, but they were minor enough that they weren't a major issue - the underlying points were sound, and usually the issue was discussed in more detail somewhere in the book, which made Platt's position more clear. I just made notes in the book to clarify for myself for future reference.
Overall, I found this book to be very challenging. Most people are going to feel uncomfortable reading this book; I certainly did. Platt brings up biblical commands that aren't comfortable to consider - such as guarding against materialism, giving sacrificially, and going personally to "make disciples of all nations".
However, no one ever said that following Christ would be comfortable - in fact, if we're feeling comfortable, we probably aren't giving as much of our lives to Him as we should be. In our American church culture it is so easy to fall into that comfortable place, and David Platt brings a full-on, biblical attack against that kind of attitude.
I was convicted, especially by the chapter on materialism, and I find myself thinking of practical ways I can apply what I've read in Radical to my own life. I would recommend this book to any Christian who is feeling a little too comfortable or content in their current walk with Christ - it will challenge you, and it will lead you to think more deeply about what we are called to do as followers of Christ - and that definitely makes it worth reading in my opinion.
Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. This is my honest opinion on the book.
It's hard to register for a baby.
When you go to register for your wedding it's so easy - you just pick things that you like. But when you register for a baby you have to think of everything you are going to need, and then there's quality and safety to consider.
Honestly, I had no idea where to start. I've never had a baby before, so I don't know what I need!
Thankfully several months ago I came across a list of baby things on Ashley's blog, For The Love Of Shoes And A Baby Too. So when I realized my baby shower was just a month and a half away and I needed to register, I copied the list I found on her blog and took it to my mom.
My mom not only took care of me when I was a baby, but she took care of my twin brother and sister - she had three of us under three years old for a while there! I knew she could help me figure out what I really needed and what was just icing on the cake, and the list was a great place to start.
My mom and I tweaked it a bit, and I thought I'd post the modified list here - just in case any of you need a starting point in the future! Please feel free to copy this list and take it to your mother, or someone else you know, for tweaking as well - it won't hurt my feelings at all!
Things For Baby
4-8 bodysuits and onesies
8 one-piece pajamas
2 blanket sleepers
1-3 sweaters or jackets
1-3 rompers or dress-up outfits
4-7 socks or booties
1-3 hats
1 bunting bag or fleece suit (for winter baby)
Crib, cradle, or bassinet
Firm, flat mattress
2 washable crib mattress pads
Bumper pads - breathable
4 fitted crib sheets
6 light receiving blankets
2 heavier blankets
Music box, sound machine, or CD player
Crib mobile
Baby monitor
Nightlight
Dresser
Storage baskets
Swing and/or bouncy chair
Contoured changing pad for table with safety strap
Changing pad cover
Diaper pail
Diaper pail liners
Vaseline or Diaper cream
Diapers
Unscented Baby Wipes or Handi Wipes
Soft baby washcloths
Baby bathtub
Baby soap
Baby shampoo
2-4 soft hooded bath towels
Baby grooming items (hairbrush, comb, clippers, toothbrush)
16 bottles and nipples both 4 and 8 ounces
Bottle brush
Dishwasher basket for small items
4-8 bibs
Burp cloths/cloth diapers
High chair
2-4 pacifiers
Infant car seat and stroller
Diaper bag
Changing pad
Baby carrier/sling
Pack 'N' Play
Medical items for baby
2-3 week's supply of pads
Nursing pads
Pump
Nursing gown
That's the list. Hopefully some of you will find it as helpful as I did!
Derek and I already have several of the bigger items (thanks to family members and hand-me-downs), so I didn't have to register for everything on that list!
Looking at the list of things we need for baby always makes me anxious to (1) meet the little guy, and (2) go shopping! But I'll wait until after our baby shower . . .
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