I am not completely sure whether Paul was born at 37 weeks
or 40 weeks. Before we left for Africa, I had an ultrasound in America. We
found out that Paul was a boy (yay!) and that based on his size, his due date
should be December 27. When I got to Africa, the doctor told me that they
didn't base due dates on the size of the baby according to ultrasound, but on
the menstrual cycle alone. That put my due date at December 9. We had an
ultrasound in Africa, and the doctor said that his size, although not very big,
was perfectly fine for a healthy birth. The doctor even told me that if I
didn't go into labor by December 9, he was going to induce. It made me a little
nervous, wondering if it was really too early to be inducing, since the
American doctor had given me a different due date. That last week the doctor
also gave me a prescription for a pill that was supposed to help me have
contractions, which I obediently took without thinking too much about whether
or not that was a good idea.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
What was it like to have a baby in Africa? Part Two
July, 2007. Five months pregnant. Getting on the plane to
the tiny country of Togo, West Africa--not for a visit, but to spend years,
perhaps a lifetime, building a life there. I was excited, nervous, afraid; not
sure what to expect. I felt like I was jumping off a high dive (not something I
normally like to do.) I had an idea of what difficult struggles I would face
when I got to Africa: things like dangerous snakes and spiders, demonic
activity, angry thieves with machetes, etc. I was wrong.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Why should we discourage people from gaining or losing assurance of salvation, based on how they live?
I do not EVER question my salvation. I say that boldly, with assurance, and with absolutely no pride attached. I do not look at my works to determine whether or not I am saved. I am 100% confident that when I die, I will go to heaven. No question. Why?
James 2:8-26: Part Two
Verses 2:17, 20 and 2:26 all tell us that faith without works is dead. Many people assume that this means that if a person does not do good works, he doesn’t really believe in God. They say he isn’t really a Christian, because he must not truly believe. His faith must not be real. I would like to show you another usage of the word “dead” in Scripture.
James 2:8-26: Part One
A true believer in Christ knows that in order to be saved from hell, from the penalty of our sins, one must believe in Jesus Christ, whose death paid for our sins and made salvation possible for us. There are no good works that we can do to earn salvation; it is a free gift to those who believe. Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. Faith alone is all it takes for us to receive salvation from hell, and eternal life in heaven! What is faith?
Sunday, June 24, 2012
What Was it Like to Have a Baby in Africa? Part One
I get asked this question a lot. Frankly, I have no idea how
to respond, at least in oral conversation. How do I explain what it was like,
in a five minute conversation with someone? How much do you want to know? What
details should I share? I don't blame people for asking; I'm glad that they're
interested in my life. But I usually don't know what to say, so I respond,
"Fine."
Part One: Why would you do that?
Monday, June 18, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Ready for Wherever
Battery powered fans. Plenty of contact solution. Oral B dental floss (Bill is picky about his brand.) Sturdy American-quality kitchen matches. Preschool workbook for Paul. Wall borders beautifully decorating our living room and Paul's room. Seeds for the garden. Yankee candles for Christmas. We came back to Africa prepared to stay longer, all set with everything we needed (things we found that we missed after the first term.) And here we are leaving already! But we go where God wants us. Like turtles, we can make a home wherever we find ourselves. And I am learning the value of making that home special, in the present, no matter where the future takes us. Taking advantage of ministry opportunies. Enjoying life. Cultivating relationships with my husband and sons.
The Theme of My Blog
It seems like most people who write blogs stick to one
theme—something that defines them as a person, something that they enjoy. As I
came up with the title of my blog, I tried to think of which subjects I most
wanted to write about. Parenthood? Homeschooling? Africa? Life as a missionary
wife? Theology? Bible devotions? Political and social themes? 19th
century literature? I could have separate blogs for each subject, but that would
be too complicated and it would probably take me years to go back to some of
them. So I decided to write about what matters to me.
Why I Dislike Blogs
Ever since elementary school, I’ve considered myself a
writer. For a person who thinks a lot but doesn’t talk much, writing has always
been a way for my thoughts to mean something. It has always been a dream of
mine to be published, but I never discipline myself enough to complete a
project for publication. When I first learned about blogs, they sounded like a
perfect outlet for an aspiring writer. People could see my work, without my
having to go through a publisher! I could get immediate feedback, modify a few
things, and build up a repertoire of articles that I could be proud of, even if
they were never published. Or, I could use the exercise to complete articles
that I could send off to a publisher.
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