Taking a Stand

Let me preface this post by reminding you that I am not a theologian, nor am I a professional writer. (As if you could forget either of those facts.) I just had an "ah-ha" moment yesterday that has caused me to do some critical thinking and I wanted to express it here.

This week in Bible Study, we got into a great discussion about being IN the world, but not OF it. (John 15:18-19 & John 17:15-16) During this talk, one of the ladies made an excellent point. She said that somewhere along the way, our society has equated holding certain beliefs with being judgmental. And, somewhere along the way, this has become a bad thing.

The most frequent place we see this is the debate about homosexuality. I believe that it is wrong because the Bible says it's wrong. (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, & 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.) But holding that belief often means that I am labeled as casting judgment on others.

I want to clarify that this post is not meant to be about whether homosexuality is right or wrong, though I'm sure that's what a lot of readers will focus on. I think that as humans, we put sin on levels that God does not. I am a sinner and though that may not be the particular sin I engage in, I am no better or worse than someone who does. I could have chosen any number of hot topics that most Christians are considered judgmental towards, including premarital sex or abortion.

Instead, these ramblings are more to make myself and others think about why it's considered being judgmental to take a stand. And, moreover, whether Christians should care and how we should respond. At what point does believing in something turn into judgment? Is it when the conversation shifts from the sin (homosexuality) to the person practicing it (the homosexual)? Does it turn into judgment when an action is taken, such as voting against gay marriage? Or is it just being judgmental because it is not the popular opinion? Am I being judgmental when I say that adultery or stealing is bad (other things listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)? Or is that simply having good morals because those things are still considered wrong by the majority?

(And on top of all that: Am I hypocritical AND judgmental because I would vote against gay marriage, but watch, and thereby support, shows that have gay characters? Hmmm...)

Is being called judgmental even a bad thing?

A common defense used by those being judged is Matthew 7:1-2, which reads: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." Most people fail to quote the rest of Jesus' words in that passage, which are: "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

In my opinion, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't judge. It means that we should be prepared to be judged ourselves and therefore take a good look at our own faults before pointing out other people's. Hmmm...about those shows I watch...

What do you think? C'mon - according to Stat Counter there are 276 "unique visitors" that read this blog. Don't worry, I don't know WHO you are, just that you're reading. SO, go ahead and comment (politely)!

I guess the bottom line for me is that it does bother me a little, but nowhere near enough to stop standing up for the Truth the Bible teaches. I'll continue to strive for the "love the sinner, hate the sin" approach. After all...

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." John 17:15-16

Thankful Thursday

1. Ladies' Night Out. For the past three years, I have been planning my small group's monthly Ladies' Night Out. Every other month we go out to dinner somewhere and the month in between I try to plan an activity. We've gone bowling, been rock climbing, painted pottery, raced go carts, gotten pedicures, and gone to the movies, among other things. Whatever we end up doing, though, it's always a lot of fun. Everyone enjoys a couple of hours of girl time away from the husband and kids. (Of course, we usually end up talking about nothing but husbands and kids, but it's still a nice break!)

2. Audrey's smiles. She is grinning more and more these days and I LOVE it. I can almost always get a big smile out of her and that makes me feel so good.

3. www.parenthacks.com I've forgotten how I came across this site, but it's a great resource for parents with kids of all ages. Their tagline says it all "Parenting tips from the real experts: actual parents."

4. The TLC show 18 Kids & Counting. I don't agree with all of their theology (they are very conservative Baptists), but I do think that they have an incredible ministry and are doing an amazing job of raising children to love the Lord and put others first. The mom Michelle is a big inspiration and I get such a kick out of watching them manage their huge household. As I said on my Facebook status the other day, they make me want to have a whole house full of children, and then I get AJ up from a nap and reality slaps me in the face.

5. That it's almost the weekend! I am soooooo ready for it!

New pictures are up, including Audrey's 4 month perspective shots, so be sure to
check them out! Have a great weekend!

Last October 19th

One year ago today I saw a faint pink line that changed our lives forever. It seems like eons ago. I remember taking the test early Sunday morning and then waking David up to see if he saw it. It was so light, we both decided it wasn't actually there and got ready for church.

I honestly didn't think much about it as we went about our day and then spent the afternoon at my brother and sister-in-law's house. We got home and David had to go to the office for a little while. I decided to try a digital test while he was gone just to be extra sure. It read: P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T. I'm surprised it didn't follow the word with "...you dummy! How can I make this more clear?"

Well, several more tests later, I decided to believe the results. I quickly ran around the house and decorated the kitchen table with baby things I'd been collecting for months. When David called and said he'd be a little longer, I was secretly thrilled because I had time to go up to Publix and buy balloons and flowers. Everything was just perfect, including his facial expression, when he walked through the door. We were...and still are...ecstatic about this baby!

Last October 19th, this onesie was part of the decoration for our big news.
Now, it's too small for our sweet Baby Girl!

Thankful Thursday

1. My father-in-law...and mother-in-law, too, of course. His birthday was on Tuesday and it just reminded me how thankful I am to have such great in-laws. They have been an amazing source of support and encouragment to David and I and are settling into the grandparent roll quite nicely (read: Audrey already has them completely wrapped around her finger.) We are so thankful for them and all they do for us!

2. Audrey's latest "trick." She started doing this adorable thing with her mouth today that cracks me up! She sucks in and then "spits out" her bottom lip over and over again really fast. It's just awesome that she is discovering new sounds and fun things.

3. Health insurance. Long story short, I took Audrey in for a weight-check and to get someone to look at a rash she has developed on her face. Everything turned out fine, but it's so nice to have reassurance and, more importantly, the ability to go get that reassurance without worrying how we're going to pay the bill. No matter where you stand on health insurance issues, you have to admit it's ridiculous what health care costs when you don't have it.

4. A good tailor. As most women know, there is hardly a pair of pants out there that fit perfectly straight off the rack. I'm not sure who these clothes are made for, but they certainly aren't for pair-shaped people like me. Once I get them big enough to go over my thighs and behind, they're gaping in the waist - even post-baby. Enter my magical tailor. I don't take every skirt or pair of pants to her to alter, but every once in a while I'll spend the extra money on something I know I'll own forever. She does a great job and I'm thankful for it!

5. www.mylifeisaverage.com I saw this on a friend's Facebook status this week and checked it out for myself. It's a random compilation of quirky yet average things that people write in and share about their day. There is some pretty funny stuff on there!

9 Months Up, 9 Months Down

I have a confession. I gained five pounds too many during pregnancy. Okay, that's a lie. I gained more like ten pounds too many during pregnancy. And if I'm totally honest, the number was probably more like twelve. But not fifteen. Fifteen just sounds ridiculous and overindulgent and irresponsible. All adjectives I refuse to use to describe my weight gain during the time I was growing a human.

I mean, don't get me wrong, my OB didn't have to forklift in a livestock scale or anything. In fact, the doctor never addressed it, so it must not have been too terrible. But, I had this number in my head. You know - this totally appropriate, healthy, and respectable number that I could actually say out loud one day as I joined in with other women swapping war stories about our pregnancies. As the months wore on though, the gap between what the scale said and "the number" was getting smaller and smaller and I was...not. I'm not sure when I just quit caring. I think it was somewhere around the end of month eight. I had passed the glucose screening test and was healthy by all other accounts. It was unbelievably hot outside and the thought of going to the gym to work out in front of other people was both outrageously funny and tear-jerking.

So, I trudged on (and I do mean trudged) and delivered a healthy 8 lb 6 oz baby (without an epidural, lest you dare forget) ten days early. Do I think my baby suffered because of my 10ish extra pounds? Not a bit. Do I think she weighed too much as a result? Nope. Do I think exercising more would have better prepared me for an easier delivery? No. I think that's a big fat lie some stupid exercise video company made up. I could have been running five miles a day and I don't think it would have made a lick of difference in those moments. Sure, giving birth does involve cardio, but there aren't too many other aspects of the birthing process you can train for. I'll avoid getting too graphic, but really, I don't remember using my quads, biceps, calves, etc. much during the process.

Here is the thing no one told me, though. It's AFTER you have the baby that it matters. That's when you need to be in good health so you can manage on little sleep. That's when you need your strength and energy the most to help you carry around the baby and the carrier and the diaper bag and your purse and the camera bag. That's when you don't have the time to do work out much, so it would help if you didn't have much to work off.

I think my recovery time was pretty normal. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I took it easy for six weeks and then was able to pick up with a pretty decent physical activity level. However, other than the first few glorious weeks of weight-dropping, the loss is S-L-O-W. And I can't help but think that I'd be done by now and back to pre-pregnancy weight if I hadn't gained those extra 10ish pounds. Of course, they say as long as you're nursing, your body usually won't let go of the last five or so. But still, I'd love to be down to the last five instead of where I am.

And speaking of nursing, the whole "you-can-eat-whatever-you-want" thing? More lies. Nursing only burns about 500 calories a day. That's less than a small DQ blizzard, people. I'm not saying it's right. I'm just stating the facts.

The other thing is that while I'm nursing, I can't afford to go crazy and drop the weight like I've done in the past. I have another person that is relying on my nutritional intake and I have to be careful so that my supply isn't adversely effected. Everything I've read says I should be losing about a pound per week. Ugg. Yes, I know - I should only be taking about that much off per week anyway. But, I'm a "get 'er done" kinda girl. Every time I've lost major weight in my life, I've always buckled down and gotten it over with quickly...and kept it off for a long time, so no lectures on "but you'll just gain it back!" Now I'm having to pace myself, which is frustrating.

So, the one piece of advice I have in the midst of these ramblings: You CAN believe them when they say "Nine months up, nine months down." And I personally think that should be extended for as long as you're nursing. I'm not even at month four yet, so I'll get there. Eventually.

Ah, patience...why don't you come wrapped in a shiny colorful wrapper that I can just pop in my mouth and savor?

Thankful Thursday

Sorry for the dry spell. I've been working on a couple of posts, but am not ready to publish them yet. In the meantime, here is this week's list:

1. David's job. We have so many friends and family that are out of work right now and it just makes me realize what a blessing it is that David has a job. Yes, he travels too much and yes, the stress and pressure he is under is immense at times, BUT we have a steady paycheck coming in, which is less stressful than not having one at all.

2. An Angel of a baby, even if she still isn't back to sleeping through the night. She rarely fusses these days and when she does, I can usually fix it pretty easily. I picked her up from nursery today after my Bible study and they were all raving about what a doll she is. She sure is, thank you very much. See? It's not just me...

3. Special K Protein Shakes. Delicious and nutritious, these new meals-on-the-go are awesome! They are under 200 calories, have 20% of your daily protein and fiber intake, and contain crazy amount of vitamins. I can only vouch for the chocolate flavor, but it is good!

4. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The thing works miracles, plain and simple.

5. Breathable Bumper. You may remember that we're rebel parents and allow Audrey to sleep on her stomach. Even though she doesn't crawl yet, the kid can inch-worm her way around the crib at night. Because of this, we removed the bumper to help make sure she doesn't get her face smushed up against it and risk suffocation. However, after many nights of Audrey's limbs getting caught in between the crib slats, I went on the hunt for a product to help. I found the Breathable Bumper at a nearby baby products store (it's not yet sold at Babies' R Us.) Now, though, she is getting her arm stuck down between the mattress and the crib rail even though there is no visible gap there. My sister-in-law suggested stuffing her decorative bumper down between there to help so we'll have to try that. If it she didn't suck her fingers to soothe herself, duct tape would definitely be in order!

That's all for now! Hope you have a great rest of the week and weekend!

Thankful Thursday

Things are still not going all that great in the feeding department. Audrey is eating better, but still not as well as she was about a week and a half ago. She hasn't slept all through the night since around then either and for the past two nights, she has gotten up twice. Please continue to pray that this issue gets resolved quickly. I am starting to get very tired, which only exacerbates the frustration I'm already feeling!

In an effort to focus on the positive, here is this week's list. You'll notice it has six items instead of the usual five. Pretty good for someone who is running on minimal sleep, huh?

1. A husband who appreciates me. After getting up twice on Tuesday night to feed Audrey (something I haven't had to do since she was about six weeks old), I came downstairs on Wednesday morning to find a note from David thanking me and telling me I was the best wife and mom ever. It means the world to have him acknowledge the sacrifices I'm making.

2. Audrey's first LOL's! On Tuesday night she laughed out loud on purpose a few times. It is the most precious sound! I was hoping to post a video of it on here, but we haven't been able to make her do it again. (Though not for lack of trying. It's amazing what idiotic things you'll do to provoke a laugh from a baby!)

3. My brother and sister-in-law closing on their new house! They sold theirs yesterday and closed on their new one today. Congrats, y'all! We sure do wish it was closer, but we're really happy for you guys.

4. Fall Series' Premiers. Yay for mindless TV entertainment!

5. October & Autumn. I know the official start date of fall was September 22nd, but something about it being October and this amazing weather just makes it more real.

6. "Momraderie" - (Unlike "Momfidence", I did make this one up myself.) In the midst of all this eating drama, I have really been encouraged by a number of other nursing moms. I reached out to several sweet friends who either are where I am, have been where I am, or, at the very least, can definitely imagine being where I am. They listened, shared their stories, offered some tips, and gave me gentle reminders of things I already knew ("if she's happy and content, you're doing fine!") It was such a huge blessing and I appreciate these ladies so much!

That's all for now. Hope you have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!