April 27, 2011 8:30 am Uncomfortable contractions timed at 3 minutes apart, 45 seconds long. 9:00 am Friends pick up boys; we head to hospital. 9:15 am Admitted to triage, give consent for pain assistance if labor goes long. 9:30 am Triage nurse determines I’m at 9 cm.; I cry in relief. 10:25 am Beautiful baby boy born; The Preacher catches with teary eyes, for the fifth time. Baby and mama just fine. No obscenities, hyperbole, or wailing was used in the delivery of this baby; I am just amazed as the next person. 8 lbs. 14 oz. 21 inches And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done…the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. 1 Kings 15:11, 14b
I’m grateful to report that I survived my past week as a single-parent while the Preacher was out of town for a Pastor’s Conference. It was only 4 days and 3 nights, but at 33 weeks pregnant with four kids, it felt a bit more like weeks! I have no major disasters to report except for a bloody nose, some shattered glassware, a tipped-over grocery cart, later-than-usual bedtimes, more-dramatic-than-necessary fights, and a disturbing amount of chicken nuggets consumed. Oh, and there was that particular situation where a certain four year old feared he would not make it to the restroom in time, and frantically broadcasted the news to the entire store while wailing and clutching his backside. That’s all, really. Otherwise, my children were a blessing. My oldest, who turns 9 this coming week, rose early, served up breakfast to his brothers, administered band-aids, packed lunches on school day, gave […]
Who do your boys admire? emulate? talk about constantly? want to be when they grow up? What a blessing it is when our little men seek to be like their fathers, grandfathers, pastors, and teachers. Sometimes my boys’ heroes are men they’ve only met in words on a page: Jesus, Martin Luther, David Livingstone, King Tirian, George Mueller, Odysseus, the Apostle Paul. The books our boys read shape their idea of heroism. It forms who they become. If this is true for our children, it is true for us, as their parents. We are formed by the books we read and the people of honor we encounter. Clearly this begs the question: What are our kids reading? What are we reading? What are they most captured by? What are we most enraptured by? If time spent is any indication, it would prove that books and literature do not serve as […]
First a story: I made some failed chocolate-covered sea salt caramels (read the candy thermometer wrong, and made hard candy), that I now sheepishly serve as chocolate-covered toffee…salty toffee…something like Skor bars, I say. When a certain occasion a few weeks ago demanded that I make a salted caramel cheesecake, I resourcefully turned to my hard-as-rock caramels toffee for a crunchy topping. Instead of turning to my food processor as I would normally, I handed the failed chocolates in a plastic Ziploc bag, along with a mallet, to my four year old. What ensued was one of the most efficient and well-loved exertions of preschool energy upon hard candy. That boy loves to whack and pulverize. This was no less than a dream come true…and I got a bag of toffee bits just like I wanted. Do you find yourself overlooking potentially fun or educational tasks for your kids at […]
My final guest in this week’s celebration is my sister-in-law Abby, from The Chou Life. I think you will see why I am blessed to also call her my friend: While many readers of GraceLaced are connected with Ruth solely via the blog world, I have had the blessing of calling her my sister-in-law for the last six years. She is a faithful source of biblical exhortation, hospitality, conviction, and laughter. Ruth lives what she blogs, and I always appreciate her (only slightly) older and (much) wiser advice. Since the birth of our third child last summer, an issue often on my mind is how many children we should have. While the “you have your hands full” comments are endless, I somehow feel that three kiddos aren’t really that many. God has given me the desire for a lot of children (and how and/or whether that desire will be fulfilled […]
I’m so pleased to introduce today’s guest blogger, Beth, from ‘Tis Mercy All. Beth and I have several things in common, among which are having five children of the same gender, attending a UMS school, and a love for God’s Word. You’ll find the latter to be at the heart of how she knows…that indeed ’tis mercy all: What fun to help celebrate Ruth’s 500th post by writing a guest post! I’m Beth from Texas, and I praise God for the similarities Ruth and I share. Our hearts beat in sisterly time when it comes to Jesus, family, His calling on our lives, and His Word. There are many commonalities between us, but my favorite is that we have both been blessed with the unique privilege of having five children of the same sex – for Ruth, it’s boys, for me it is girls. Ruth posted several months ago on […]
A Psalm of Ruth Lord, I have laid out my desires before you. Nothing of my heart has been hidden from my creator. I have pleaded with you day and night, year after year That we may taste the joyous fruit of a little doe That our home would be filled with the sound of a girl’s song That four young men would grow up protecting a sweet sister. But your answer to your servant is like a winter’s snow: Still, silent, and beautiful, but bitter to my bones. Your purposes are not yet known to my heart and your ways are a mystery I cry out to you for comfort and for assurance in this death of a dream Yet You, O God, are sovereign and holy You are ever enthroned upon my weary heart For You are worthy Who can count Your mercies and Your loving ways? Your […]
I was surprised and humbled to be interviewed by Stacey, over at Sweatpant Couture, for the Mom2Mom feature today. Seeking to carry out the Titus 2 mandate, Stacey posts a weekly interview with a mom, well-known and unknown alike. If you’ve ever wanted to read more about my life as a mom, here’s your opportunity! You can read the interview here….it’s amazing how much I’ll share when someone asks. {grin} Sweatpant Couture is also hosting a little giveaway for one of my posy pins sets. So, make your way over there, and join in the fun. And….totally unrelated: Check out this uber pink tutu I made for a special order birthday present… One little girl is all girl today!