Being a Mother

"Being a mother is an awesome responsibility. It requires spiritual discipline, self-sacrifice, and flexibility. But as a mother, I do not carry this responsibility alone, for God works with me, giving me His strength and compassion when I am weak and tired, blessing both my children and myself. Motherhood may be a demanding life, it is true - but it is also one of great delight, an opportunity to experience God's grace and joy."

From Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

Book Review: Girls Gone Wise

I recently had the opportunity to read Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary Kassian. In this book, Kassian takes the reader through Proverbs 7, and contrasts 20 characteristics of the Girl Gone Wild with the characteristics of a Girl Gone Wise. The Girl Gone Wild is manipulative, undisciplined, self-indulgent, and is hunting for a man. The Girl Gone Wise is self disciplined and giving. Her desire is to serve others, to be productive, and to glorify God. She lets the Lord determine her steps; she lets Him direct her love story. A wild woman does not care for the ways of the Lord. Her heart is not set on Him, but a wise woman has her heart set on the Lord. He is central in her life.

The Girl Gone Wild is so common today. We see her wildness everywhere - on television, in the movies, at school, down the street, and in the magazines. Because we are so accustomed to seeing wildness all around us we can quickly become desensitized to the wildness that is deep in our own hearts and lives. However, as Kassian points out, there is a certain amount of wildness in each of us. Her desire is to help the reader be discerning and able to distinguish between wild versus wise behavior. She encourages women to be wise in their thoughts and actions and to have a godly perspective on womanhood. She wants her female reader to be a Girl Gone Wise in a world gone wild.

One of my favorite chapters was about appearance. Kassian takes an approach to this topic that I rarely hear or read about. She goes beyond just saying that women should dress modestly so that men aren’t tempted to sin with their thoughts; she gets to the main reason for appropriate clothing. She takes the reader back to Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned, felt ashamed, and tried to make clothes to hide their nakedness. Their sin made them guilty, vulnerable and exposed, so God provided clothing for them. The shame that we have in our fallen condition demands a covering. Clothing does not remove our shame, but it does declare that we are fallen and need to be redeemed. We need Christ’s blood to cover our sins. Our clothing bears witness to this, and it also points to a future time when all believers will be clothed with imperishable garments (Revelation3:5).

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild is an appropriate book for all women, whether young or old, married or single. Christian women will be encouraged to go against the culture, to be godly, and live wisely in this world that wants us to be wild. This is definitely a book to read, keep in your library, and share with others. I encourage you to read it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

I received a copy of Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild from Moody Publishers via NetGalley. The book will be available in bookstores on April 1, 2010.

Bonnets and Booties

I like to crochet, and I like all things pretty and girly. As soon as I found out that I was pregnant with a girl I started crocheting baby bonnets and baby booties. Here is one of my favorite sets that I made for Adelaide.

My Three Month Old

Adelaide

Adelaide thoughtfully turns her head for a side view.

Baby Booties

Today I am participating in the "I Made It!" blog party at Everything Etsy. There are lots of great homemade projects over there today.

Learning to Live Within New Limitations

Last week was a rough week. I went to church on Sunday morning and then spent most of the rest of the week recovering. As time goes on it becomes harder for me to attend church. My body doesn't want to move in the morning. That is when my muscles are usually the weakest. Getting myself moving, getting dressed, making myself presentable, going to church, sitting through a service (even though reclined), hearing all of the sounds, and talking afterward is now more than my nervous system can handle, and it takes more energy than I have to spare. I can no longer do that all before noon and still recover in one day.

For over a year now I have only been able to go to church about once a month, but now even those once a month Sunday mornings are a thing of the past. It's sad. I love going to church. I love being with God's people, and I love hearing His Word preached.

It is so strange to realize that I am, for the most part, one of the shut-in church members now. If it weren't for Will (and other friends and family who take me out occasionally) I wouldn't be getting out at all. On a good day the farthest I go on my own is to the thrift store, which is just here on campus. (Yep, I keep my drivers license so that I can drive 1/2 a mile to the thrift store every once in a while!)

I'm not worried about starving spiritually. There are still a lot of things that I can do to ensure that I am learning and growing in my walk with Chirst. I read my Bible and pray. I learn a lot fromWill. I read books by different Christian authors. I have some seminary wives classes on DVD and MP3 that I can watch and listen to. I can listen to sermons online. I have Christain friends who build me up and encourage me in my faith. I certainly won't starve, but I do miss going to church regularly.

For my disabled friends, what do you do about church? How often can you go? And what do you do when you can't? I'd like to hear how some of you work around the physical limitations and how you still have fellowship with other belivers even while homebound/mostly homebound.

One Hundred Fifty

William loves his baby sister, absolutey loves her. He likes to play with her. He likes to help change her clothes and change her diaper. He brings her toys. He bounces her gently in her bouncy seat. If Adelaide is crying then William sings to her and she stops crying. If there is a bottle nearby, William will take the bottle and feed Adelaide. William is thrilled to be a big brother. The only thing he doesn't like is the fact that we only have one baby. He wants more, and he asks for more babies several times a week.

Here is a recent conversation concerning the topic of more babies:

William: "I never had a baby before. I am so glad that God gave us a baby. I love Adelaide. I wish we could have 150 babies."

Me: "We don't have room for 150 babies."

William: "We can just buy a bigger house."

William doesn't know how much 150 is; he just knows that it is a LOT and that he wants a LOT of babies. Will and I have told William that when he grows up he can be like George Müller and take care of orphans. We pray that William will always have a love for children and babies, and that he will demonstrate God's love for others by caring for orphans.