I spent most of this week working on Baby Arya’s nursery. It’s almost complete, except for a few things Daddy will be adding next weekend. Here’s a preview of the room’s theme:
I can’t wait to post the final product of both kids’ finished rooms!
Archive for August, 2010
Cribs
Aug 28
6 Years
Aug 19
I spent most of today’s naptime doing something I’ve never done before. I took plenty of pictures of it, but they won’t be posted until Arya’s nursery is complete and I do a big entry on that. As I was importing the pictures onto my laptop, it occurred to me that I’ve used the same camera and memory card since December of 2004. That’s almost 6 years!
The camera was a very generous Christmas gift from my boyfriend, who I’d been dating for about 6 months. At the time I was 18 years old, a sophomore in college, and living with my parents.
Six years later and I’m married to the aforementioned generous boyfriend, living 8 hours away from the rest of my family, and growing a family.
That camera lens has captured a lot of life change in the last six years. It would be amazing if it could capture six more.
Preaching by Practicing
Aug 15
When my siblings and I were young, my mom would help us to tithe. I always thought it was odd because we had no allowances, yet my mom would put a single dollar in three offering envelopes with our names on them. She would hand them to us during service and we’d put them in the plate as it came by. I can’t remember how old I was at the time – maybe 8 or 9 – but one day I followed her to the bank and she asked for brand new, crisp, $1 bills. She explained to me that she only put the most perfect bills she can find in our offering envelopes.
The first time I heard a message on Malachi 1 as a teenager, I finally understood what my mom was doing with her $1 bills. She wanted to give God the best in everything, even down to to cosmetic condition of the tiny offering her children gave, and she wanted those children to have an example of it so that they could do it themselves. There are other things my mom did that I never really noticed or appreciated at first, but now see in a different light.
She is constantly singing while working around the house. When cooking or doing dishes, a hymn is coming out of her mouth. My siblings and I realized that if we were in the kitchen while she cooked, and if we steered our conversation the right way, we could say a word or phrase that reminded her of a song and she would sing it. We still sometimes do this to her when we are at the house and share knowing grins when it works. She never once explained it in words, but in constantly singing she showed us that worshipping God isn’t just something you do twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday; it’s a constant thing that flows out of what’s in your heart.
She quoted scripture to us often. I remember anytime I would say that I was bored or tired, she would quote Proverbs 6:6-11, in this I’m-kind-of-kidding-but-I’m-dead-serious voice she does so well. She seemed to always have a verse of scripture to prove her point. It wasn’t until later that I realized that in order to know what the Bible said about something and where to find it, she needed to have been constantly in the Word. She hadn’t just read it once and filed it away; she had meditated on it.
I could go on and on about more ways she did it, but my mother practiced what she preached and preached by practicing. As Xander gets older and begins to think about the things of God, I pray that I can be the same kind of mother mine was.
Also: I miss my mommy.
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Let’s pretend today isn’t actually a Thursday.
Wallpaper by Tunrade Schumann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Staying Cool
Aug 12
going…
going…
gone!
My new favorite Xander pronunciation: “Spoticle”
He eats popsicles faster than I do! But then again, I was taking pictures at the same time.
Swords
Aug 10
A few months ago, Nic posted a comment about something I’ve actually thought about doing. He mentioned all the different styles of Bibles available now and how they’re a little representation of your Christian personality. I’d had my Bible for a while (It was the second thing I bought myself after setting up my first checking account; the first was a DVD of The Princess Bride. And there’s my 17-year-old self in a nutshell) and that was before the new Bible styles came out, so I didn’t have any firsthand experience with the subject. This weekend I went through the process of choosing a new one, so now I’m qualified to judge others. That was sarcasm.
1 – Translations
This is the least obvious thing to anyone looking at your Bible from the outside, but when your Bible study group starts needing volunteers to read aloud it quickly becomes very obvious.
Most people use the NIV. It’s New (it was in 1973, anyway); it’s International so surely it’s the must-have for anyone who speaks English. It’s a thought-for-thought translation and it remains the best-selling Bible translation year after year. You win, International Bible Society Biblica. You win.
The guy with the NASB means business. It’s a word-for-word translation, but he probably also supplements his study times with the original Hebrew or Greek. He knows something you don’t know, and he’ll usually let you know it.
The NASB guy’s arch nemesis is the ESV guy. If you get the two of them in the same room for a Romans study, watch out. Things will remain civil, but it will get intense.
Every once in a while you hear someone read out of the KJV. Maybe that person is a closet fundamental and is secretly thinking they’re better than you. Maybe they just got used to it as a kid and never switched. Maybe they forgot their Bible that day and picked up the first one they could get their hands on from the bookcase in the corner of the room where you’re meeting before anyone could see (preposition win!). Whatever the reason, it’s a little startling to hear.
The Message Guy. We don’t know what to think about The Message Guy. His Bible has an author’s name on the spine and that’s odd. The Lord’s Prayer ends with “Yes. Yes. Yes.” and that makes us uncomfortable. We don’t care that he’s new to this; that he didn’t grow up memorizing verses in return for gold stars; that he doesn’t know the difference between propitiation and expiation. Everyone knows it’s more of a commentary and not an actual Bible; what’s wrong with him?
The person with an HCSB: Trail-blazer? Scholar? Hard Core Southern Baptist? Time will tell.
2- Study Tools
The options are astounding when it comes to extra study tools. There are themed study Bibles like The Kids’ Study Bible, The VeggieTales Study Bible, The Women’s or Men’s, The Collegiate, The Grandmothers’, The Apologetics, The Rainbow Study Bible (which I had as a young teenager and loved), and on and on and on. These scream “I got this as a gift!”
Commentary Bibles like the MacArthur, Zondervan’s NIV Study Bible, The Scofield, or ESVSB are usually in the hands of someone who has – or wanted to start having – or wants you to think he’s having – some serious Quiet Times.
3 – Covers
The person with a Bible fanny pack is either under the age of 10, over the age of 40, or just really careful and organized. They never forget to bring their Bible to church.
The person with a hardback Bible has either had it for a long time or will keep it for a long time. He or she is the one to go to when you need a volunteer for an event.
Most people have a plain black, brown, or some other modestly-colored leather-covered Bible. You can’t automatically see the translation or study type, and their name is usually engraved on the front. There are all kinds of stories of how and why and from whom they got it, but it’s usually not that person’s first Bible. It says, “I’ve been at this a while.”
And then there are the new ones. Italian Duo-Tone, Bloom Collection, Bug Collection, Mossy Oak brand camouflage. Thinline, Slimline, Compact, Pocket-sized, Large Print, Jumbo Print, and on and on and on. As a marketing move, this was genius. Everything else in our lives nowadays are customized and individualized, so why not the covers of our Bibles? Bible publishers found a way to stick the words “limited edition” on the Word of God and not change anything important.
For a guy looking for a potential date at church, the cover style of her Bible is a pretty good indication of the girliness of a girl. On the flip side, you can tell whether a guy values fashion, education, or recreation based on his Bible cover. But watch out; the more pocket-sized the Bible, the less often it probably gets read.
The Point
I ended up choosing the same Bible I had already been already using but in a fancy new cover. A Zondervan NIV Thinline with a seaglass & chocolate cover. It’s pretty. I like the NIV Thinline for its readability and portability, and when I need a commentary or other translation there are apps and websites I use. (The notebook is always with my Bible because I don’t underline or highlight; not my style).
The day after my shopping trip, I was reading a Voice of the Martyrs magazine we had received in the mail. There was a story in it about a Middle Eastern woman who had become a Christian and was given a Bible in her language by a missionary. Her husband and entire community were devout Muslims and she was afraid of what would happen if she was found out so she hid her Bible in the oven, the only place where she knew her husband would never stumble upon it.
I had just walked through aisle after aisle of Bibles, in a Christian bookstore that was one of hundreds in a chain run by the largest Protestant denomination in America, choosing the type of English and the amount of study tools and the size and the shape and the color I wanted. Anytime I want, I can open up an app on my phone that lets me read any translation and see what others say about a verse and share it on my Twitter. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, there are people whose language has just one translation of the Bible and they put themselves in mortal danger just to be able to own a copy and read it in secret.
I am so thankful to live in a place and time where I can have so much access to the Word of God, and I hope I never take for granted how precious it is.
Baby Arya’s birthday is rapidly approaching, and I can’t wait to meet her. Her final nursery preparations will happen next week and then it’s just waiting until her arrival, which has already been scheduled. As it draws to a close, I’m amazed at how different pregnancy #2 has been from #1.
Xander was unplanned (by us, anyway). I didn’t find out until I was almost 10 weeks along, and I had no morning sickness in the first trimester. Actually, I felt great all through the pregnancy except for a little lower back pain and a day of acid reflux in my third trimester. My body didn’t swell up, my hair grew at a rapid pace, and my skin was smooth and even. I craved fresh vegetables. Most of the pregnancy occurred during the winter.
Arya was planned. I took an early response pregnancy test one day and it was negative; the next day I took one and it was just barely positive (which has made this pregnancy feel so much longer). I had nausea for the first 4.5 months. The lower back pain is worse, I’m taking medication for acid reflux, and my hips hurt. My hair is growing at its normal pace, my skin has broken out a few times, and my rings are currently on a chain around my neck because my fingers have swelled up. I crave fresh fruit. Most of this pregnancy was in the summer. It is hot.
One constant about both my pregnancies that I hope is also true of all future ones is that I don’t gain weight outside of what my body needs for the baby. Even with the different “symptoms” of pregnancy, my body has been very good about letting me know when and what to eat, when and what to drink, and when to take it easy. I’m very thankful for that.
I’m looking forward to when Arya joins us and seeing all the ways her personality is different from that of her brother.
A Higher Standard
Aug 7
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Romans 6:15
Jesus preached a message of love and inclusion. That’s a popular half-truth (aka: lie) our culture tells us.
Yes, Jesus preached on the love God has for each and every person. He preached on salvation by faith, not by works. He preached on that salvation being available to all people, not just the religious. He preached against the hypocrisy of religious leaders. He dined with people society looked down upon. He healed the sick, regardless of the day of the week. But He didn’t stop there.
Jesus also preached repentance and righteousness. Salvation is available to all, but only through Him. His definition of adultery was so strict that it included even looking at a member of the opposite sex the wrong way. He really did say to love Him more than you love your family. He commanded evangelism. He said, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
I’ve been reading the gospel of John lately, and it struck me that time and time again as Jesus heals the sick, he tells them to go…and sin no more. He didn’t heal the paralyzed so they could keep sitting on a mat; he did it so they could live a different life by walking. In John 5, he even went so far as to say, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” Wow. And in the popular story, when He saves a woman about to be stoned, He tells her that He doesn’t condemn her…but that’s not the end of the story. His last words were, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus forgave my sins, not so that I can live like I want without fear of condemnation, but so that I can live a better, changed life – that the marked difference in me would point others to Him. He took me as I was, but he didn’t expect me to stay there.
I am called to a higher standard. I am called to grow in my knowledge of scripture so that I can live a life without sin. Not sin as I or my culture defines it, but sin as He defines it in His Word. Lost people around me will do lost things, but I’m not lost. I know Truth and I want to live according to it.
For me, today, that means giving up something that’s not quite sin and not quite not, in order that I can live above reproach. If my moral standard doesn’t continue to raise, then I’m not growing in my relationship with Him. So today I’m raising the bar a little higher.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 2:9-12
Wednesday Wallpaper
Aug 4
I haven’t been a very consistent blogger. I used to do a weekly desktop background, so I’m going to try to pick that up again. Here is something quick and easy, because naptime is almost over, using one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
-Hebrews 4:12
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Wallpaper by Tunrade Schumann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Order
Aug 4
Yesterday, when Xander got up from his nap, I was still doing some laundry so I didn’t have time for a “together” activity yet. I told him to go play in his room for a little bit and he did. After several minutes had gone by, I went in to sneak a peek at him and this is what I found:
A 2-year-old with a clean room (minus the unmade bed) and organized play!
For the last few months, Xander has been very good at cleaning, organizing, and helping out around the house; he even initiates it sometimes. When he finds trash, he puts it in the trash can. He puts dirty clothes in the hamper. After meals, he puts his dishes in the sink or dishwasher. He even puts his sippy cups on coasters. Yes, coasters. No, I’m not kidding. I’m sure part of it is his own personality – for instance, if he spills a little of his food at the dinner table, he won’t take another bite until it’s wiped clean – but there are a few things I’ve deliberately done in the last year to help him stay organized and help me stay sane. These are the things that worked for us:
Model It
Our house isn’t very large so I’m not able to store away everything I want to, but everything does have its place. I wish I could say I’m organized 100% percent of the time, but I do my best to let him see me clean up and put things back in their place. Xander knows where the remote controls go after we’re done, and on which shelf in the pantry certain foods belong.
Be Consistent
A little after Xander turned one, I started letting him watch me put away all his toys before each naptime and bedtime. When he was a little older, I had him help me as much as his age and attention span would allow. He’s now at the point where all I have to say is “clean up” and he gets right to it, singing the Clean Up song from Barney (tangent: he only knows the first two words so he repeats them over and over…but it’s a descending minor third, the universal interval of childhood…that was for free). He’s even starting to take the initiative. There are some days when I’m worn out and don’t have the energy to clean up, but most of the time I stick to the twice a day cleanup routine. It works for us.
Organize Playtime
I use a “one toy in, one toy out” method with Xander. While he’s playing with his toys, I have him put back what he just played with before he starts on a new one. When a little boy has a bunch of toy cars, jumbo lego blocks, puzzles, books, and a workbench with “wood” pieces, it is chaotic to have them all out at once. It also makes cleanup a daunting task. With the one in/one out method, I stay calm and he stays happy.
A Place for Everything
Storage cubes and bookshelves are my best friend. I organize his cubes by type of toy, and his bed has drawers on the bottom where I store some more (I also organize the books on his shelf according to height and he’s starting to catch on…but that’s just my particular brand of crazy). He knows where to find what he wants and knows where it goes when he’s done. For example, if he wants to create a traffic jam on his rug, he knows that the last drawer under the bed is the place to find anything that drives.
When Arya joins the party in 6 weeks, I’m sure things will get chaotic again for a bit. I may need to do a follow-up post once I figure out how to keep two kids organized. But for now, I’m enjoying our peaceful days.
Also, the current state of our study makes me a big, stinking hypocrite for writing this post. I’m owning up to it.
