4 hours ago
I read a funny verse a couple months ago.
I was reading in the gospel of Mark about when Jesus was betrayed and arrested. And these two verses caught my eye:
"A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind."
Mark 14:51-52
I believe every verse in the Bible is in there for a reason, even the ones that don't seem to fit - we just have to figure out the reason why. So I found myself wondering who that young man was, and why it was important for him to be mentioned there.
I told Derek about that verse and my puzzlement over it, and he whipped out his Life Application Study Bible and looked it up for me. Then he told me what his footnotes said, and the story started to make more sense.
In the footnotes, it noted that Christian tradition says that the young man in those verses was Mark, the author of the gospel of Mark. He is also known by the name of John Mark.
Well, that caught my attention, because I remembered that John Mark was who Paul and Barnabas argued about when they parted ways in Acts. I never fully understood why Paul didn't want John Mark to come with them on the missionary journey, and I never understood why Barnabas was so adamant about defending him. It always seemed like such a shame to have them separate over something like that.
So Derek did a bit more digging for me and this is what his Life Application Bible had to say about John Mark:
"Mistakes are effective teachers. Their consequences have a way of making lessons painfully clear. But those who learn from their mistakes are likely to develop wisdom. John Mark was a good learner who just needed some time and encouragement.
Mark was eager to do the right thing, but he had trouble staying with a task. In his Gospel, Mark mentions a young man (probably referring to himself) who fled in such fear during Jesus' arrest that he left his clothes behind. This tendency to run was to reappear later when Paul and Barnabas took him as their assistant on their first missionary journey. At their second stop Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
It was a decision Paul did not easily accept. In preparing for their second journey two years later, Barnabas again suggested Mark as a traveling companion, but Paul flatly refused. As a result, the team was divided. Barnabas took Mark with him, and Paul chose Silas. Barnabas was patient with Mark, and the young man repaid his investment. Paul and Mark were later reunited and the older apostle became a close friend of the young disciple . . .
. . . Barnabas played a key role in Mark's life. He stood beside the young man despite his failure, giving him patient encouragement. Mark challenges us to learn from our mistakes and appreciate the patience of others. Is there a Barnabas in your life you need to thank for his or her encouragement to you?"
I really loved reading that explanation, because it explained a little better the decision of both Paul and Barnabas to part ways, and it gave such a happy ending to the whole story.
Paul didn't want John mark to come because he had proved himself unreliable before (Acts 13:13). I always assumed Paul was right, Barnabas was wrong, and John Mark must not have been a very good guy. But after reading this commentary, I was able to see the story in a new light.
Paul had good reason to be hesitant about bringing John Mark - he had left them on their first journey (Acts 13:13). Barnabas saw Mark's potential - he wanted to be an encouragement to Mark by giving him another chance and helping him to grow, and that's why he was so insistent on bringing Mark. Mark wasn't a "bad guy", but just a young Christian who needed some encouragement and a second chance.
I liked reading about this, because it made me realize that neither of them was necessarily wrong in the argument - Paul had a good reason for not wanting Mark to come, and Barnabas had a good reason for wanting him to come. And a good thing came out of their decision to split - not only were they able to spread the gospel to two different parts of the world, instead of just one, but Mark was encouraged and grew through being allowed to go on the journey. Paul comments later on how Mark became helpful to him in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11), even calling him "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13).
This wasn't the first time Barnabas encouraged someone. He was such an encouragement to the early church that they started to call him Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" (his name was Joseph originally - Acts 4:36).
When Paul first became a Christian, the church in Jerusalem didn't believe that he was really a believer (Acts 9:26), which was understandable because of how he had persecuted them before. It was Barnabas who took him under his wing and introduced him to the apostles (Acts 9:27). Barnabas opened the doors for Paul to be accepted in the church at Jerusalem by being an encouragement to Paul and accepting him.
The quote that I shared above about John Mark asks if you have a Barnabas in your life that you need to thank for encouraging you, and I would encourage you to do that. But I have another question for you - can you think of someone in your life to whom you could be a Barnabas?
Barnabas is one of those quiet heroes. Those who encourage others aren't in the public eye - if you choose to step out of your comfort zone and encourage someone, you probably won't be recognized for it.
We'll never know what would have happened to Paul and John Mark if Barnabas wasn't there to encourage them. And you may never know the difference you make in someone's life just by being there to lift them up when they are down, by being their Barnabas.
At least you won't know on earth - but I think there must be great rewards in Heaven for those who choose to encourage others. I hope you step out in faith and choose to be an encouragement to someone today. It could make all the difference in the world.
I was reading in the gospel of Mark about when Jesus was betrayed and arrested. And these two verses caught my eye:
"A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind."
Mark 14:51-52
I believe every verse in the Bible is in there for a reason, even the ones that don't seem to fit - we just have to figure out the reason why. So I found myself wondering who that young man was, and why it was important for him to be mentioned there.
I told Derek about that verse and my puzzlement over it, and he whipped out his Life Application Study Bible and looked it up for me. Then he told me what his footnotes said, and the story started to make more sense.
In the footnotes, it noted that Christian tradition says that the young man in those verses was Mark, the author of the gospel of Mark. He is also known by the name of John Mark.
Well, that caught my attention, because I remembered that John Mark was who Paul and Barnabas argued about when they parted ways in Acts. I never fully understood why Paul didn't want John Mark to come with them on the missionary journey, and I never understood why Barnabas was so adamant about defending him. It always seemed like such a shame to have them separate over something like that.
So Derek did a bit more digging for me and this is what his Life Application Bible had to say about John Mark:
"Mistakes are effective teachers. Their consequences have a way of making lessons painfully clear. But those who learn from their mistakes are likely to develop wisdom. John Mark was a good learner who just needed some time and encouragement.
Mark was eager to do the right thing, but he had trouble staying with a task. In his Gospel, Mark mentions a young man (probably referring to himself) who fled in such fear during Jesus' arrest that he left his clothes behind. This tendency to run was to reappear later when Paul and Barnabas took him as their assistant on their first missionary journey. At their second stop Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
It was a decision Paul did not easily accept. In preparing for their second journey two years later, Barnabas again suggested Mark as a traveling companion, but Paul flatly refused. As a result, the team was divided. Barnabas took Mark with him, and Paul chose Silas. Barnabas was patient with Mark, and the young man repaid his investment. Paul and Mark were later reunited and the older apostle became a close friend of the young disciple . . .
. . . Barnabas played a key role in Mark's life. He stood beside the young man despite his failure, giving him patient encouragement. Mark challenges us to learn from our mistakes and appreciate the patience of others. Is there a Barnabas in your life you need to thank for his or her encouragement to you?"
I really loved reading that explanation, because it explained a little better the decision of both Paul and Barnabas to part ways, and it gave such a happy ending to the whole story.
Paul didn't want John mark to come because he had proved himself unreliable before (Acts 13:13). I always assumed Paul was right, Barnabas was wrong, and John Mark must not have been a very good guy. But after reading this commentary, I was able to see the story in a new light.
Paul had good reason to be hesitant about bringing John Mark - he had left them on their first journey (Acts 13:13). Barnabas saw Mark's potential - he wanted to be an encouragement to Mark by giving him another chance and helping him to grow, and that's why he was so insistent on bringing Mark. Mark wasn't a "bad guy", but just a young Christian who needed some encouragement and a second chance.
I liked reading about this, because it made me realize that neither of them was necessarily wrong in the argument - Paul had a good reason for not wanting Mark to come, and Barnabas had a good reason for wanting him to come. And a good thing came out of their decision to split - not only were they able to spread the gospel to two different parts of the world, instead of just one, but Mark was encouraged and grew through being allowed to go on the journey. Paul comments later on how Mark became helpful to him in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11), even calling him "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13).
This wasn't the first time Barnabas encouraged someone. He was such an encouragement to the early church that they started to call him Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" (his name was Joseph originally - Acts 4:36).
When Paul first became a Christian, the church in Jerusalem didn't believe that he was really a believer (Acts 9:26), which was understandable because of how he had persecuted them before. It was Barnabas who took him under his wing and introduced him to the apostles (Acts 9:27). Barnabas opened the doors for Paul to be accepted in the church at Jerusalem by being an encouragement to Paul and accepting him.
The quote that I shared above about John Mark asks if you have a Barnabas in your life that you need to thank for encouraging you, and I would encourage you to do that. But I have another question for you - can you think of someone in your life to whom you could be a Barnabas?
Barnabas is one of those quiet heroes. Those who encourage others aren't in the public eye - if you choose to step out of your comfort zone and encourage someone, you probably won't be recognized for it.
We'll never know what would have happened to Paul and John Mark if Barnabas wasn't there to encourage them. And you may never know the difference you make in someone's life just by being there to lift them up when they are down, by being their Barnabas.
At least you won't know on earth - but I think there must be great rewards in Heaven for those who choose to encourage others. I hope you step out in faith and choose to be an encouragement to someone today. It could make all the difference in the world.
Note: Since writing this post we have had a second gender reveal party, and we came up with even more gender reveal party games! So be sure to check that out after you finish this post!
When I was trying to plan for our gender reveal party, I googled "gender reveal party games" to see what would come up. The results were somewhat disappointing. There were no actual articles on games for gender reveal parties, and most of the results were just recaps of gender reveal parties on personal blogs that had minimal game ideas.
I decided right then and there that after our gender reveal party, I'd do a post on the games we did. My mom and I brainstormed, and Derek helped me refine some of our ideas. Here's what we came up with:
Voting Board:
This isn't technically a "game", but I saw the voting board idea on several blogs and decided we'd do it too. We had the guests vote for what they thought the baby was, and write there name on the appropriate side of the board. We also had them pin on a pink or blue ribbon to represent their guess.
This is how we split up the teams for the rest of the party. There was "Team Blue" and "Team Pink" competing against each other in other games, which worked out rather well - the competition makes the party more interesting, in my opinion.
Jelly Bean Guessing Game:
We bought pink and blue jelly beans, counted them out, and put them in a jar; then we added a few more jelly beans of the color related to the baby's gender. We told guests as they arrived that there were slightly more pink or blue jelly beans depending on the baby's gender, and then we had them write their guesses for both colors on a piece of paper and put it into another jar. It was fun to see people examining the jar, trying to figure out which color had more jelly beans.
After the reveal, I went through the papers, and we awarded one prize for the person who guessed closest to the amount of pink jelly beans, and one prize for the person who guessed the closest to the amount of blue jelly beans. We decided to give away $5 Starbucks giftcards for this game, since there were only going to be two winners, but any prize would do. You could also only give a prize to the person who guessed the correct amount of the correct color, but we just thought we'd give prizes for both.
Boy/Girl Outburst:
I went through all the cards in our Junior Outburst game and pulled out the cards that had to do with boys or girls. Then we played a short game of Outburst with the Blue Team vs. the Pink Team. I think if you want to have the cards you read be related to boys and girls, the junior version of Outburst works best. You don't necessarily have to use only the boy/girl cards though - I just felt it helped the game fit into the purpose of the party a little better.
We gave mini candy bars to the team who won - even though it was a really small prize, I think it was just fun to win something. I got mini Hershey bars for this prize, and I colored the "HE" and "SHE" in "Hershey" blue and pink accordingly, and everyone thought that was a nice touch.
Nerf Gun Shooting Game:
The beauty of doing the Team Blue vs. Team Pink thing is that you can pretty much do any team game and fit it into the party. Since we had alot of men coming to the party, we wanted to think of a game that we knew they'd like. And all men love Nerf guns. If you doubt me, just giving a couple of Nerf guns to the men in your family for Christmas, and see how long it takes them to start shooting at each other . . .
So, once again, we split into Team Blue and Team Pink, and did a shooting competition using Nerf guns and empty pop cans. Each person got five shots at five pop cans. We then recorded the amount of pop cans each person knocked down on a dry erase board, and when everyone had a chance to shoot, we gave the team with the most points a prize. This game seemed to be a hit - the women and men both had fun seeing how many cans they could hit. We just gave out mini candy bars again, so it doesn't have to be a big prize - just give them something to win.
The Pinata/Candy Hunt:
They way we chose to do our reveal moment also became a sort of game. Weeks before the party, when I was trying to think of a creative way to reveal the gender, my husband came up with the idea of using a pinata. I thought that was a brilliant idea, so that's what we did.
I originally thought I could just buy some pink or blue candy and let the breaking of the pinata be the reveal - but then I started wondering where I was going to get pink or blue candy in the fall. If it was Easter time when we had the party, this would be no problem, but the time of year made it hard to think of where to look. I was considering buying some pink or blue cellophane and wrapping regular candy in that, which would have worked fine - but then we came up with a better idea.
I decided to just use regular candy, but to tape a little card on the back of one of the pieces with the gender inside. Then the person who found the candy with the card on the back could be the person to reveal the gender to everyone else. We also decided to award a prize (a $5 Starbucks giftcard) to the person who found it, as a little added incentive.
It turned out beautifully, I think because it got everyone involved in looking through the candy. With most of the guests being adults, I didn't think there would be much of a desire to gather up the candy after the reveal moment if we just did pink and blue candy. But alot of our guests did rush to the candy when they had the chance to find the revealing piece of candy!
My sister found the candy with the card and was able to read it to everyone. I think it was fun to give someone else the chance to announce our news, instead of Derek and me announcing it.
Guessing Correctly:
The team that guessed the gender right at the beginning of the party also received a prize after the reveal. We did full-size candy bars, because everyone loves candy and they weren't too expensive to buy. They went over very well, I think. Any small prize you'd want to give away would do - just make sure you over-estimate the number, because you never know how the teams will be split.
It took alot of planning, but we wanted to give the guests something to do at the party, besides just eating and visiting. The prizes we chose to give away added a little excitement and competition to the games, and were also part of our "Thank you" to our guests for coming. Many of our guests told us how much fun they had after the party, so overall, I think the games were a success!
On Saturday Derek and I had our gender reveal party!
When the guests first arrived, we had them vote for what they thought the baby was and pin on a pink or blue ribbon to go with their guess.
For the food we mostly did finger food or snack-type food. The party was in the middle of the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. My family offered to bring some food to the party, which was so sweet of them - it took alot of pressure off of me. We ended up with a nice spread!
Ignore the fact that I forgot to take the guacamole out of the package until after the picture. Whoops!
The menu included a veggie plate and fruit salad, tortilla chips and potato chips with accompanying dips, and potato rolls with tuna fish salad. To drink we just had lemonade, iced tea, coffee, and water.
Later on, after the reveal, we ate dessert. I made a blueberry and cherry pie (to stick with the boy/girl, blue/pink thing), and we also had an apple crisp with ice cream, and an adorable cupcake arrangement!
For decor I just did regular fall decorations. We had the party in the late fall, so it seemed appropriate, plus I can use them again for Thanksgiving. Derek liked that I just went with a fall party theme, instead of the pink and blue decorations. We didn't want it to feel too much like a baby shower, and he thought skipping the pink and blue decorations helped with that. It definitely had a normal party atmosphere, instead of a baby shower atmosphere, which probably made the men more comfortable.
We played several games as well. We split everyone into "Team Pink" and "Team Blue" depending on their guess. I'll explain the games we did in more detail in a seperate gender reveal party games post.
For some of the smaller prizes for the games, I bought mini Hershey bars and colored the "HE" blue, and the "SHE" pink in the word Hershey. We also gave away full-size candy bars and Starbucks giftcards. More on that to come.
Finally it was time for the big reveal! We decided to reveal the gender using a pinata. My wonderful husband, Derek, came up with that idea weeks ago - I thought it was pretty brilliant!
I filled the pinata with candy and on the back of one piece of candy I taped a little card with the gender. Whoever found the piece of candy with the card got to open it and reveal the gender to everyone else.
Alot of the guys had fun taking a swing at the pinata. My brother took the first swing and actually knocked the pinata off the string without breaking it! So we grabbed one of Derek's heavy-duty straps that we use to secure things to the back of the truck, and we hung it again.
When it broke there was a mad rush for the candy. My sister ended up finding the candy with the card on the back.
And it's a BOY!
Team Blue celebrating!
After the grand finale, we just ate the dessert and got to visit with everyone.
My grandma, mom, and me.
I also discovered that several of our family members ignored the clear statement on the invitations not to bring gifts, and they brought us presents anyway. It was actually very sweet! We got a pack of onesies, a wipe warmer, two sleepers, a baby carrier, a guardian angel figurine, an on-the-go diaper changing set, a pack of diapers, and several sweet cards! It made me feel pretty special to receive a few gifts (even though they disobeyed the "rule" to give them to us), so thanks to our families!
Overall, it went very smoothly, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves! Derek and I certainly did.
Click to read about our second gender reveal party, and more gender reveal party games!
When the guests first arrived, we had them vote for what they thought the baby was and pin on a pink or blue ribbon to go with their guess.
For the food we mostly did finger food or snack-type food. The party was in the middle of the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. My family offered to bring some food to the party, which was so sweet of them - it took alot of pressure off of me. We ended up with a nice spread!
Ignore the fact that I forgot to take the guacamole out of the package until after the picture. Whoops!
The menu included a veggie plate and fruit salad, tortilla chips and potato chips with accompanying dips, and potato rolls with tuna fish salad. To drink we just had lemonade, iced tea, coffee, and water.
Later on, after the reveal, we ate dessert. I made a blueberry and cherry pie (to stick with the boy/girl, blue/pink thing), and we also had an apple crisp with ice cream, and an adorable cupcake arrangement!
For decor I just did regular fall decorations. We had the party in the late fall, so it seemed appropriate, plus I can use them again for Thanksgiving. Derek liked that I just went with a fall party theme, instead of the pink and blue decorations. We didn't want it to feel too much like a baby shower, and he thought skipping the pink and blue decorations helped with that. It definitely had a normal party atmosphere, instead of a baby shower atmosphere, which probably made the men more comfortable.
We played several games as well. We split everyone into "Team Pink" and "Team Blue" depending on their guess. I'll explain the games we did in more detail in a seperate gender reveal party games post.
For some of the smaller prizes for the games, I bought mini Hershey bars and colored the "HE" blue, and the "SHE" pink in the word Hershey. We also gave away full-size candy bars and Starbucks giftcards. More on that to come.
Finally it was time for the big reveal! We decided to reveal the gender using a pinata. My wonderful husband, Derek, came up with that idea weeks ago - I thought it was pretty brilliant!
I filled the pinata with candy and on the back of one piece of candy I taped a little card with the gender. Whoever found the piece of candy with the card got to open it and reveal the gender to everyone else.
Alot of the guys had fun taking a swing at the pinata. My brother took the first swing and actually knocked the pinata off the string without breaking it! So we grabbed one of Derek's heavy-duty straps that we use to secure things to the back of the truck, and we hung it again.
When it broke there was a mad rush for the candy. My sister ended up finding the candy with the card on the back.
And it's a BOY!
Team Blue celebrating!
After the grand finale, we just ate the dessert and got to visit with everyone.
My grandma, mom, and me.
I also discovered that several of our family members ignored the clear statement on the invitations not to bring gifts, and they brought us presents anyway. It was actually very sweet! We got a pack of onesies, a wipe warmer, two sleepers, a baby carrier, a guardian angel figurine, an on-the-go diaper changing set, a pack of diapers, and several sweet cards! It made me feel pretty special to receive a few gifts (even though they disobeyed the "rule" to give them to us), so thanks to our families!
Overall, it went very smoothly, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves! Derek and I certainly did.
Click to read about our second gender reveal party, and more gender reveal party games!
Today I just wanted to reflect on how powerful our God is. I've been continually amazed over the past couple months by how He's been working not only in my life, but in the lives of those around me.
As you all know, Derek and I had trouble getting pregnant with this baby. Nothing I've been through has been quite so stressful, or painful.
I recently read this on a new blog I found: "I don't know how to explain the feeling of thinking, fearing, that you might not be able to conceive a child as a woman. It's such a sinking feeling. It's easy to obsess over. It makes you feel inadequate." That's exactly right. It can be a dark place to be.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
I know the Lord accomplished great things in my life through those months of infertility. He taught me to lean on Him, and trust that His plans, whatever they might be, were best. He taught me to look for the ways He was going to use this situation, and I felt assured that there is always a purpose, even when it's hard to see. I wrote several posts on my struggles, and I trust that He has used those posts to encourage others when they needed encouragement.
(If you are interested in those posts, see Babies And Being Content, The Fertility Factor, and To Trust Him (And A Good Cry) - that last one was actually written after I found out I was pregnant, but it's full of the lessons I learned during that time.)
One thing that really helped me through all those months of waiting were my "infertility buddies" as I like to call them. These were ladies that were going through much the same thing that I was, and we would spend time talking or e-mailing, encouraging each other and brainstorming on what to try next. I know the Lord placed them in my life - He knew that I would need them.
One of my infertility buddies was Amber. Amber and I went through almost every step of this struggle together. Amber was my very first follower and blogging friend, and we hit it off and ended up e-mailing each other regularly after that. She was the one who told me about the effects of the birth control pill (if you're pro-life, you need to click on the link and read that post), and we went off the pill at about the same time. We both realized we were having problems ovulating, and then we both ended up talking with our hubbies and deciding to try for babies right away. We both prayed for each other.
Then, by the Lord's grace, I got pregnant. His grace and goodness, not only in giving us this baby, but in the countless ways He showed me His faithfulness in the months prior to that, still amaze me.
". . . Pray for one another, that you may be healed." James 5:16b
Being pregnant only made my burden for my "infertility buddies" heavier. I know so many of you had prayed for me through those frustrating months, and my heart was heavy for my friends who weren't pregnant, but wanted to be. I started praying even harder for those I knew who were still trying, including Amber, who was being told by her doctors that she probably wouldn't be able to get pregnant without fertility treatments. (I hope you know that I still pray regularly for my dear friends who are still waiting for the Lord to grant them a baby - you know who you are).
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11
God is bigger than a prognosis. He can do anything He pleases, and He likes to surprise us.
Amber is pregnant! No, she didn't do any fertility treatments - in fact she had nearly given up hope of conceiving and had determined that she and her husband may just have to adopt all their children. But the Lord had other plans, and His plans are always the best plans!
(Amber just announced her pregnancy on her blog - head on over there and congratulate her, if you're so inclined!)
After I had written this post, I was made aware of another blogging friend with an amazing story of God's grace and plan in this area. You might all remember Jaime? She moved from a Blogger blog to a Wordpress blog earlier this year. She and her husband have walked through infertility for several years, and she became a mother to her sweet little boy, whom they adopted. I couldn't believe it when I read it, but after they had decided it was time to adopt again, Jaime found out she is pregnant! Amazing, what our God can do . . . head on over to Jaime's blog to read her full infertility and pregnancy story and congratulate her too!
These are just two stories (three, counting mine) of how the Lord has worked in mighty ways in the lives of ladies I know. There are other stories that I'm not at liberty to share right now. Maybe sometime in the future.
I just wanted to encourage you ladies who are still longing for a baby, and wondering if that day will ever come when it's your happy story on your blog. God is more powerful than a diagnosis. He is the Great Physician. He is the Giver of Good Things. Whether He chooses to open your womb, or whether He chooses to reflect His ultimate plan of love and redemption in your life through adoption, He knows what He's doing. He is powerful. And His plans and timing are always perfect.
"He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
He seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.
He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD."
Psalm 113:7-9
As you all know, Derek and I had trouble getting pregnant with this baby. Nothing I've been through has been quite so stressful, or painful.
I recently read this on a new blog I found: "I don't know how to explain the feeling of thinking, fearing, that you might not be able to conceive a child as a woman. It's such a sinking feeling. It's easy to obsess over. It makes you feel inadequate." That's exactly right. It can be a dark place to be.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
I know the Lord accomplished great things in my life through those months of infertility. He taught me to lean on Him, and trust that His plans, whatever they might be, were best. He taught me to look for the ways He was going to use this situation, and I felt assured that there is always a purpose, even when it's hard to see. I wrote several posts on my struggles, and I trust that He has used those posts to encourage others when they needed encouragement.
(If you are interested in those posts, see Babies And Being Content, The Fertility Factor, and To Trust Him (And A Good Cry) - that last one was actually written after I found out I was pregnant, but it's full of the lessons I learned during that time.)
One thing that really helped me through all those months of waiting were my "infertility buddies" as I like to call them. These were ladies that were going through much the same thing that I was, and we would spend time talking or e-mailing, encouraging each other and brainstorming on what to try next. I know the Lord placed them in my life - He knew that I would need them.
One of my infertility buddies was Amber. Amber and I went through almost every step of this struggle together. Amber was my very first follower and blogging friend, and we hit it off and ended up e-mailing each other regularly after that. She was the one who told me about the effects of the birth control pill (if you're pro-life, you need to click on the link and read that post), and we went off the pill at about the same time. We both realized we were having problems ovulating, and then we both ended up talking with our hubbies and deciding to try for babies right away. We both prayed for each other.
Then, by the Lord's grace, I got pregnant. His grace and goodness, not only in giving us this baby, but in the countless ways He showed me His faithfulness in the months prior to that, still amaze me.
". . . Pray for one another, that you may be healed." James 5:16b
Being pregnant only made my burden for my "infertility buddies" heavier. I know so many of you had prayed for me through those frustrating months, and my heart was heavy for my friends who weren't pregnant, but wanted to be. I started praying even harder for those I knew who were still trying, including Amber, who was being told by her doctors that she probably wouldn't be able to get pregnant without fertility treatments. (I hope you know that I still pray regularly for my dear friends who are still waiting for the Lord to grant them a baby - you know who you are).
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11
God is bigger than a prognosis. He can do anything He pleases, and He likes to surprise us.
Amber is pregnant! No, she didn't do any fertility treatments - in fact she had nearly given up hope of conceiving and had determined that she and her husband may just have to adopt all their children. But the Lord had other plans, and His plans are always the best plans!
(Amber just announced her pregnancy on her blog - head on over there and congratulate her, if you're so inclined!)
After I had written this post, I was made aware of another blogging friend with an amazing story of God's grace and plan in this area. You might all remember Jaime? She moved from a Blogger blog to a Wordpress blog earlier this year. She and her husband have walked through infertility for several years, and she became a mother to her sweet little boy, whom they adopted. I couldn't believe it when I read it, but after they had decided it was time to adopt again, Jaime found out she is pregnant! Amazing, what our God can do . . . head on over to Jaime's blog to read her full infertility and pregnancy story and congratulate her too!
These are just two stories (three, counting mine) of how the Lord has worked in mighty ways in the lives of ladies I know. There are other stories that I'm not at liberty to share right now. Maybe sometime in the future.
I just wanted to encourage you ladies who are still longing for a baby, and wondering if that day will ever come when it's your happy story on your blog. God is more powerful than a diagnosis. He is the Great Physician. He is the Giver of Good Things. Whether He chooses to open your womb, or whether He chooses to reflect His ultimate plan of love and redemption in your life through adoption, He knows what He's doing. He is powerful. And His plans and timing are always perfect.
"He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
He seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.
He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD."
Psalm 113:7-9
It is the first thing everyone asks you when they find out you're pregnant - do you know if it's a boy or girl? Apparently, the answer is what people want to know, and these days couples have been coming up with more interesting ways to reveal whether they'll be shopping for pink or blue items.
Gender reveal parties are a fairly recent trend - basically the parents-to-be keep the gender a secret until the party, then invite people and reveal the gender in some creative way. The gender could be revealed by cutting a cake with blue or pink icing on the inside, opening an envelope with the answer on the inside, opening a bag containing pink or blue balloons, or any other fun thing you can think of.
I have read several blogs about different gender reveal parties, and they all looked like such fun, so after we found out we were going to have a baby, I decided that I'd like to do one too. Derek was on board with the idea as well, so that was all the encouragement I needed. We're finding out the gender on October 26th, so we decided to do our party on October 30th, and I realized I needed to start brainstorming for ideas.
What better tool for brainstorming than Google, I ask you? So I sat down in front of the laptop and got to work.
I'm still working out all the details, but as I was searching the web for ideas, I came across a few different articles against gender reveal parties. I was kind of surprised, but I read the articles to see what the complaints were.
One person stated that they thought gender reveal parties were just an excuse to get more gifts. I clearly stated on our invitations that no one was to bring us gifts, so that one I dismissed. There's the baby shower still, and I agree that asking people to bring gifts for the gender reveal party and the baby shower is a bit much.
Other sites argued that gender reveal parties are narcissistic and obnoxious. They said it presumptuous to think that people are going to care that much about your baby's gender, and it's rude to ask everyone to give up an entire afternoon/evening to come to your party.
I guess in a way I can see their point. Maybe it is narcissistic to hold an entire party just to tell the gender of your baby. And maybe people really don't want to have to come to another party for you, and you shouldn't expect them to.
Derek and I hardly ever have barbecues or parties at our house, even though we'd like to have people over more often. But it seems weird to throw a party for no reason, other than the fact that we just wanted to have a get together. So when the gender reveal party idea presented itself, I jumped on it, because it was a good excuse to have my close family and friends over for some good food, games, and other party stuff.
Plus from everything else I read, it just looked like alot of fun. Personally, I love going to these kind of things, and I wish I knew more people getting married or graduating or having babies so that I could be invited to more parties. Maybe other people don't like going to these events as much as I do, but the thought never crossed my mind.
I don't think motivations for throwing a gender reveal party would always qualify as narcissistic. In my case, I'm not really expecting people to care about the gender as much as I do - to me, it was just a good excuse to have a party. I don't want anyone to bring me gifts. And I only invited my close family and friends who I thought would really like to come (my apologies if any of you really don't want to come, and please don't feel obligated to make an appearance).
What do you think? Do think the gender reveal party trend is narcissistic or obnoxious, or do you think it's just a fun idea? Would you throw a gender reveal party? I'm curious to know what you all think.
Photo credit.
Does anyone else have as much trouble with patience as I do?
I just realized this past week how impatient I can really get. I started thinking about it more after a Community Bible Study lecture last Wednesday - it was mainly on how we are sometimes called to wait for certain things in life.
But with today's culture, it's so hard to wait, is it not? We don't have to wait long for almost anything these days, and it makes it harder to cultivate the habit of patience.
After that lecture, I was a little more conscious of my impatient attitude. There are the long lines at the grocery stores. The slow people in the buffet line that sorely tempt you to line-jump. The frustration when the internet is a little slower than you think it should be. That irritation at the driver that's going 45 mph in a 50 mph zone (the nerve)!
Is it really that big of deal if I have to wait an extra 48 seconds for a web page to load? Or if I'm 5 minutes later getting to my destination by going less than the speed limit? Would it kill me to just be patient with the slow buffet-line people or check-out clerks?
I feel like I'm living in that old Alabama song, "I'm In A Hurry (And I Don't Know Why)".
The final nail in my proverbial coffin was Thursday night, when I read this passage:
"Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
He also told them a parable: 'Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.'"
Luke 6:38-42 (Emphasis Mine)
You know why this passage was so convicting this time I read it? It is because I realized that even though I have very little patience with other people, I expect them to be patient with me.
I get annoyed when that impatient driver shoots past me in the passing lane. I expect people to just deal with it while I count out my change to the cashier. And I think they're pretty rude if I see an eye-roll or hear an impatient remark (not that I'm ever that obvious - I just stew in my impatience on the inside).
Funny how we expect people to wait for us, but we don't graciously give them the same courtesy.
I don't know about you, but on this issue, I have a big old log in my eye.
"For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." More scary words.
I can't really expect others to be patient with me if I'm not patient with others myself, can I? I don't want that same measure I use on other people to be measured back to me. But it will be - that's what Jesus assured us of when He said that.
The only thing that can change would be my own measure.
I also know how important patience will be when I have this sweet baby. I'm not sure you can be a really good parent unless you have patience with your children, and it is important to me to be a good example to my children as well. I don't want them to grow up with an inability to wait because of my own failure in this area.
My new goal is to work on cultivating patience. Not only will this make me and my family generally happier and help me avoid the unpleasant experience of having my own impatient measure used on myself, but it is obeying God's command to be patient with others. And pleasing God is what ultimately matters in life.
And you know, patience is a virtue, after all!
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
-John Quincy Adams
I just realized this past week how impatient I can really get. I started thinking about it more after a Community Bible Study lecture last Wednesday - it was mainly on how we are sometimes called to wait for certain things in life.
But with today's culture, it's so hard to wait, is it not? We don't have to wait long for almost anything these days, and it makes it harder to cultivate the habit of patience.
After that lecture, I was a little more conscious of my impatient attitude. There are the long lines at the grocery stores. The slow people in the buffet line that sorely tempt you to line-jump. The frustration when the internet is a little slower than you think it should be. That irritation at the driver that's going 45 mph in a 50 mph zone (the nerve)!
Is it really that big of deal if I have to wait an extra 48 seconds for a web page to load? Or if I'm 5 minutes later getting to my destination by going less than the speed limit? Would it kill me to just be patient with the slow buffet-line people or check-out clerks?
I feel like I'm living in that old Alabama song, "I'm In A Hurry (And I Don't Know Why)".
The final nail in my proverbial coffin was Thursday night, when I read this passage:
"Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.
He also told them a parable: 'Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.'"
Luke 6:38-42 (Emphasis Mine)
You know why this passage was so convicting this time I read it? It is because I realized that even though I have very little patience with other people, I expect them to be patient with me.
I get annoyed when that impatient driver shoots past me in the passing lane. I expect people to just deal with it while I count out my change to the cashier. And I think they're pretty rude if I see an eye-roll or hear an impatient remark (not that I'm ever that obvious - I just stew in my impatience on the inside).
Funny how we expect people to wait for us, but we don't graciously give them the same courtesy.
I don't know about you, but on this issue, I have a big old log in my eye.
"For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." More scary words.
I can't really expect others to be patient with me if I'm not patient with others myself, can I? I don't want that same measure I use on other people to be measured back to me. But it will be - that's what Jesus assured us of when He said that.
The only thing that can change would be my own measure.
I also know how important patience will be when I have this sweet baby. I'm not sure you can be a really good parent unless you have patience with your children, and it is important to me to be a good example to my children as well. I don't want them to grow up with an inability to wait because of my own failure in this area.
My new goal is to work on cultivating patience. Not only will this make me and my family generally happier and help me avoid the unpleasant experience of having my own impatient measure used on myself, but it is obeying God's command to be patient with others. And pleasing God is what ultimately matters in life.
And you know, patience is a virtue, after all!
"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
-John Quincy Adams
First of all, in case you missed it, congratulations to Brittney Galloway at Far More Than Rubies - she just announced that she and her hubby are going to have a baby! I'm so happy for you Brittney, I know you're going to make a wonderful mom!
Thought I'd better throw the above paragraph in there, because if you're anything like me and get way behind in your Google reader, you may have missed it! And it's super exciting news - very happy for you, Friend!
On to the regularly scheduled programming . . .
I have fond memories of the songs of my childhood.
My sweet mom must have gotten so tired of listening to kid's music tapes all the time. We didn't listen to the radio much in the car growing up - we mostly listened to our children's Bible tapes, some of my mom's Christian music tapes, and Christian radio. My mom was careful to make sure that we were listening to and watching good, pure things when we were young, and I so appreciate her desire to protect our minds now that I'm going to have a sweet baby of my own.
I plan to do the same with my kiddies. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't seem appropriate to be listening to songs about break-ups, hook-ups, drinking, or other bad stuff that sometimes get played on the radio when there are innocent, impressionable young minds listening. Nope, I'm going to constantly suffer through children's music too.
At least these days we have more resources to help us as parents. I plan on burning a couple "child friendly" country music CDs or playlists, filled with nice, innocent songs, and Derek and I could listen to that with the kids in the car sometimes. Plus there are way more Christian music radio stations now, which will be quite helpful too.
But I mainly want my children to listen to songs about Jesus. I want to teach them about Him and His love for us from a young age.
I'm so not up on all the new Christian child resources out there now. But here are some of my favorites from when I was a kid.
The Donut Man. I was very pleased to find out that Donut Man music is still around! It seems like all the really good ones disappear over time. These tapes (well, they're CDs now) are filled with fun Bible-related songs and even memory verses.
I think one of my favorites was The Centurion's Secret song, which told the story of the Centurion soldier who asked Jesus to heal his servant.
I also loved the whole Good Shephard album - lots of good songs on that one.
There are apparently a bunch of new ones too, and ones that we didn't happen to own when I was little, so the Donut Man website will be a good resource I think.
Another fun one is Psalty the Songbook. Just so happens that this one still exists too! I looked on the website and can not for the life of me figure out which album we had when I was a girl - we only had one Psalty tape. But just trust me, these are also good ones (especially the "Kid's Praise" albums - I have a feeling it was one of those).
One year for Christmas we each got a new Bible Song CD. We'd all listen to each other's CDs (weren't we so good at sharing?), and one of my favorites was my sister's CD. She got one of Steve Green's Hide 'Em In Your Heart albums. Basically it's just Bible verses put to music. Even to this day I still remember some verses because of those songs. I think this is an especially good thing for Christian kids to listen to, because it's just God's Word - and His words do not return empty but always accomplish the purpose for which He sent them (Isaiah 55 10-11).
Oh my goodness, Google is a wonderful invention! I wasn't sure I was going to find any of these CDs anymore, because they were made a long time ago - but with the help of Google I've found every one!
This one is just fun. The Rappin' Rabbit tape was one of our favorites as kids, just because it was so different from our other tapes and fun to listen to - but it still included good, godly principles in each of the songs. Unfortunately it appears that they are no longer making this one, but you never know, someone might decide to re-release it someday.
And that, my friends, is my "Bible Music For Kids" resource list. What kind of songs did you listen to when you were a child? Do you think they influenced you even as you grew up?
It's so refreshing to know that most of these are still available to buy. Makes me want to search for other items from my childhood before they all disappear.
Maybe I'll have to do another one of these posts on children's books . . .
Thought I'd better throw the above paragraph in there, because if you're anything like me and get way behind in your Google reader, you may have missed it! And it's super exciting news - very happy for you, Friend!
On to the regularly scheduled programming . . .
I have fond memories of the songs of my childhood.
My sweet mom must have gotten so tired of listening to kid's music tapes all the time. We didn't listen to the radio much in the car growing up - we mostly listened to our children's Bible tapes, some of my mom's Christian music tapes, and Christian radio. My mom was careful to make sure that we were listening to and watching good, pure things when we were young, and I so appreciate her desire to protect our minds now that I'm going to have a sweet baby of my own.
I plan to do the same with my kiddies. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't seem appropriate to be listening to songs about break-ups, hook-ups, drinking, or other bad stuff that sometimes get played on the radio when there are innocent, impressionable young minds listening. Nope, I'm going to constantly suffer through children's music too.
At least these days we have more resources to help us as parents. I plan on burning a couple "child friendly" country music CDs or playlists, filled with nice, innocent songs, and Derek and I could listen to that with the kids in the car sometimes. Plus there are way more Christian music radio stations now, which will be quite helpful too.
But I mainly want my children to listen to songs about Jesus. I want to teach them about Him and His love for us from a young age.
I'm so not up on all the new Christian child resources out there now. But here are some of my favorites from when I was a kid.
The Donut Man. I was very pleased to find out that Donut Man music is still around! It seems like all the really good ones disappear over time. These tapes (well, they're CDs now) are filled with fun Bible-related songs and even memory verses.
I think one of my favorites was The Centurion's Secret song, which told the story of the Centurion soldier who asked Jesus to heal his servant.
I also loved the whole Good Shephard album - lots of good songs on that one.
There are apparently a bunch of new ones too, and ones that we didn't happen to own when I was little, so the Donut Man website will be a good resource I think.
Another fun one is Psalty the Songbook. Just so happens that this one still exists too! I looked on the website and can not for the life of me figure out which album we had when I was a girl - we only had one Psalty tape. But just trust me, these are also good ones (especially the "Kid's Praise" albums - I have a feeling it was one of those).
One year for Christmas we each got a new Bible Song CD. We'd all listen to each other's CDs (weren't we so good at sharing?), and one of my favorites was my sister's CD. She got one of Steve Green's Hide 'Em In Your Heart albums. Basically it's just Bible verses put to music. Even to this day I still remember some verses because of those songs. I think this is an especially good thing for Christian kids to listen to, because it's just God's Word - and His words do not return empty but always accomplish the purpose for which He sent them (Isaiah 55 10-11).
Oh my goodness, Google is a wonderful invention! I wasn't sure I was going to find any of these CDs anymore, because they were made a long time ago - but with the help of Google I've found every one!
This one is just fun. The Rappin' Rabbit tape was one of our favorites as kids, just because it was so different from our other tapes and fun to listen to - but it still included good, godly principles in each of the songs. Unfortunately it appears that they are no longer making this one, but you never know, someone might decide to re-release it someday.
And that, my friends, is my "Bible Music For Kids" resource list. What kind of songs did you listen to when you were a child? Do you think they influenced you even as you grew up?
It's so refreshing to know that most of these are still available to buy. Makes me want to search for other items from my childhood before they all disappear.
Maybe I'll have to do another one of these posts on children's books . . .
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