Refreshed!

Last weekend was just what I needed. I am incredibly tired in the body but re-energized in the spirit!

The classes were excellent. There is so much that we can learn from the story of Gideon. From putting our trust in God, to choosing our friends (pick Phurah!), there were many lessons to apply to our lives, as well as the amazing scriptural links that reminds one of just how amazing God's word is!

It was also nice to spend some time with brethren and sisters that I have not seen for a while. But, as is always true at these weekends, you realize you didn't have a chance to talk to half the people you wanted to talk to! Not enough time! Can't wait for Bible school now!

My little Munchkin was very well behaved, so I was able to listen to most of the classes, but as I was not able to write notes very easily, I realized afterwards that I was rapidly forgetting all the interesting points and connections that were made! So on the way home I tried to write down as much as I could.. and now want to go through my husband's notes. It is so frustrating how much like a sieve our minds are!

Moody Trees

Today is a restless and moody day.

Maybe it is because of the weather, as it is overcast and windy. The wind is moaning around my windows and making the trees move uneasily, as if troubled by sad thoughts.

Maybe they are wondering why they should go through the effort of growing leaves now that spring is here. Maybe wondering who would care.

Nobody seems to pay any attention to them.

Then they think that maybe the change would be good. Something to brighten things up a little.

But then wonder if it is really worth the effort.

It just takes so much energy just to stand.

I wonder if it brightens up their day when a little bird lands on their branches. It probably makes them feel less isolated and gives them the feeling of being useful.

What they really should do is reach out instead of just passively standing there, waiting to see what life will throw at them next.

I am really excited to go visit my sister this weekend. A youth weekend with my friends and amazing bible studies are just what I need right now!

Who else besides Ways of Zion is effected by the weather?

Confessions of an EXcluder

So, after all my resolutions to be INcluding rather then EXcluding, I did exactly that which I had just spoken against so eloquently,

My flesh desperately wants to justify my actions! I have a very good reason why I did it!

But... the honest truth is that there is no excuse.

I did it without thinking. I didn’t do it on purpose.

But what lame reasoning is that?

Ariel vs Little Mermaid

What is in a name?
Six months ago, at my baby shower, my mother prayed that my little one would know the difference between Ariel (from “The Little Mermaid”) and Ariel (she pronounced the Hebraic way which sounds more like Ari-al). She was comparing our hope for Jerusalem (Ariel is one of the names for Jerusalem), and a Walt Disney character.

At the time of the baby shower, I was convinced that my little boy was a girl, which is one of the reasons why she mentioned Ariel. But there were more reasons then just that and the obvious play on words.

The other day I was asked by someone who had attended my baby shower if my mother hated the “Little Mermaid” and referred to the prayer she had given. She was half joking but I realized she really wanted an answer. I was surprised that she had remembered (as it was from half a year ago), and stumbled out an inadequate reply (as I had not expected the question). This is more or less (more on the less side) what I told her:

Disrespecting Little Mermaid
The honest truth is that, yes, my mother does not like the movie “The Little Mermaid.” As there were people in the room at the time I was asked the question who grew up loving her and there are probably people reading this right now who love her too (http://www.littleariel.com/) I had to preface my comment with the words something along the lines of:

“Little Mermaid lovers, PLEASE DON’T KILL ME!”

It may just be a good thing that my blog site doesn’t have my mailing address..

More seriously now, this blog is not an Ariel-Bashingfest.

But, as a side note, my mother does not like “The Little Mermaid” because of her blatant disrespectful attitude to her father. One can argue that Tritan was “old fashioned” and that Arial HAD to behave in the way she does to him, just so that he would listen. But this flies in the face of verses such as “Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father” and “Honour thy father and thy mother, as YHWH thy God hath commanded thee.” (Lev 19:3, Deut 5:16)
If I had spoken in such a fashion to my parents I would have been in BIG trouble. If a child does not learn to respect his parents that are here on this earth, how will he learn to respect the father that he cannot see?

What my real point was (and the main point that my mother was making) is making a comparison with what one CAN fill a little child’s mind with, and what SHOULD fill a little child’s mind.


So What Should Fill a Child’s Mind?

Parents can decide to fill their children’s minds with the things of this world, it’s philosophies and dogmas (which often fly in the face of God’s word) thinly veiled with sugar icing (who doesn’t like sugar icing??).

Or they can decide to fill their minds with the things that God loves. Making such people as David and Joshua their heros, and stories such as Esther and Ruth the ones that they want to hear over and over and over again!

Once children develop a taste for the one it will make it that much more difficult to develop a taste for the other.

What better thing can a child crave then the kingdom of God?

Modestly Breast-feeding

I, who rarely wear shorts except with my one-piece-swimsuit, who doesn’t feel comfortable wearing tank tops, and whose cleavage (never mind belly button!) has never seen sunlight, breast-feed my baby.

Depending on the company I will often try leave the room to feed my child in privacy. This is certainly my preferred way to breast-feed.

But life goes on. Finding a private (and sanitary!) place to feed is sometimes impossible or not expedient and so I have now breastfed (with a covering of course) while talking to men (while inwardly writhing with embarrassment), breastfed while sitting beside a busy road (valiantly ignoring all the curious looks from passing traffic), and breastfed in restaurants (smiling sweetly at the waitress as she gives me weird looks while taking my order).

But despite all the embarrassment I am glad that I have persevered.

Breastfeeding is for me one of the sweetest and most intimate times that I have with my baby.

Who is #1?

The other day a kindly, warm-hearted woman told me that especially for the first year of a child's life, he (my five-month-old baby boy) will be the center of our life. Everything will revolve around him as he is number one in our household.

My first reaction was "WHAT?!?!?!"

Afterward I realized that I could have possibly stated my opinion just a little less forcibly.


But I completely disagreed with her.


Now don’t get me wrong, babies do effect what you can and can not do as far as safety issues are concerned. So, no you can not take your baby hang-gliding, white-water rafting, or swimming with sharks.

They also take up a lot more of your time and energy (so that project that used to only take an hour or two will now take a couple of months or possibly even years to complete).

But as far as living a normal life.. I don’t think a baby should be allowed to change things that much.

I say “should be allowed to” as it is the parents’ choice. Parents can choose how much say their child has in family decision making.

This is especially true with things that involve our spiritual lives.

The cute little pink ball of flesh should NOT be ruler of our home!


What is our Focus?
Skipping Bible class so that he can keep his sleep schedule, missing Sunday school as it will otherwise be too long of a day for him, or any other excuse that pleads that doing the work of God will disrupt the baby’s life is, in my opinion, being very short sighted.

Yes, for the first couple of months the mother will not get very much out of the classes as she sits in the nursery (or in the drafty hallway if there is no nursery), but there is a lot more at stake here then just comfort or instant personal gratification.

Yes, the baby is going to hate being forced to get up early on Sunday mornings, and will get cranky towards the end of Wednesday evenings, but we are thinking beyond the present.


The Big Picture
The most important routine we can instill in our children is that the time around God’s word is of utmost importance in our lives.

By example we are teaching our child from a young age the life lesson that one has to make personal sacrifices for God and His work.

To balance out the sacrifice there are also good things that happen when we focus our family’s life around God and His house. One of the best being the friendships that are developed.

Our children, from a young age, will start creating friendships with those who are being raised in the household of God. Starting out with the sharing of slobbery toys and squealing together, these friendships are potentially eternal.

By making the opportunities to spend time with those who share the same hope it also gives mothers the opportunity to strengthen each other and help each other through the ups and downs of raising God’s heritage. Sharing stories, commiserating and giving each other tips, some of the best advice I got was not from outside sources.


In my household our child is not number one.


God is the center of our home.


May our son always know this to be true.

Exclusion

Have you ever been part of a conversation where you are left with the strong feeling of being deliberately excluded?

The inside joke is an obvious one. You see the glances and then the laughter and know that it is pointless to ask what was so funny, as the standard reply is "oh, sorry, it's nothing" and then they laugh some more. At this point your options are either to laugh weakly and act as if you know what is going on, or to pretend as if it doesn't bother you.

Then there are the more subtle ones where someone will mention an event and you catch the words "we" and "all of us" but then realize that you were never invited. If you don't catch on right away, and start to get all excited about going, they will then realize their mistake and change the pro-nouns or be even more specific by naming all those who are invited (which does not include you).

There are also the times where they will talk of "everyone" being invited but realize that you are not "everyone" as you don't have something that is needed for the activity (and you know that they know it). For example "everyone" is invited to go horse back riding (but you don't own a horse), or "everyone" should wear tie-dyed shirts (when they know you don't have one).

But then..

You are in a group of friends and someone makes a reference to something that reminds you of the time that you and your friend did that funny thing and can't resist reminding your friend about it. Then when you see the blank expressions of those who don't know the story, it just cracks you up even more!

Or you are in a conversation with a group of people and you and your friends have already made plans to go do something and as you are talking about it you realize that someone in the group got the impression that they are also coming. Even though you would love that person to go, you realize there is not enough space in the car for them, and so try move the conversation on to something else so that you don't hurt their feelings. Only afterwards do you admit to yourself that you didn't really want that person to come along.

Then there are those times where you invite everyone to go swimming at the pool and only at the pool remember with feeling of sinking realization that one of the people that was part of the group is not there because they can not swim... and is in fact afraid of the water.

Exclusion is hurtful.

We all hate it...

Yet we all do it.

It is just so easy to do.

We do it out of selfishness or thoughtlessness, which is inexcusable.

This week reach out and try find someone that you can INclude into your group!