Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Of six.

I am a mother of six. It is funny that before I was pregnant I always imagined myself with five kids and I wondered if it was because I really did have five, just two removed from me. That was it, because now I see myself with six. I had my five month ultrasound today and was blessed with a disk containing 39 photos of my babe. I dislike ultrasounds. I love when they are all done and everything is settled but I really can't bare to look at the technician for fear of misreading a look or facial expression. I am not liking that I have to wait a whole month now to see the doc, as my last appointment was yesterday. But this baby is kicking and moving so I shall not let myself worry. I love that he or she is breech because it is interesting how every babe has their own way and own little personality even in the womb. God has plans for this babe, even from the beginning. And this is the first time that we will find out the gender of our sweet babe. It is stressing me out a bit, haha, but only because I am making myself wait. Hopefully we will plan a great gathering to make it even more fun. Half way through a busy week and glad another task is out of the way.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Full up.

There is joy. And then, there is fullness of joy. Life is not grand. My laundry situation is still not working well. My husband doesn't understand me often. I am still impatient. I swear. But, there is a place where all of that starts to not matter again. A place where you know that your God has a good plan for your life. A place where you find that you have just stepped into the middle of one of those significant plans. This is probably going to be a marker year. I just had one of those for me, but I pray that I am right and that this is one for the whole family. I cannot believe what is going on, and that in a good way. I didn't know why there was this pause of growth. I have turned from frustration and digging, and I have found good soil. And some things are about to grow. I am full tonight. God let my heart bend to those plans.
I think I have just stopped climbing the path and am now putting down roots. This is a resting spot and not physically. Still work to come, but fullness of joy. I am so grateful my God. Mahal na mahal LORD.

Monday, June 3, 2013

What Families Need (in a church).

Families need:

A safe place to land. A place where there are rules and bible-based standards, and where parents know their kids are safe away from them, until they are picked up again. A place where kids feel cherished and are led by people who have compassion for them, people who know the value of the next generation. A place where there is understanding of what the bible alone says towards children and who believe it in word and actions.

A place to grow. Where all family members can use their individual gifts, whether a parent or not. There is a definite command to teach our children, but within the church we also have a calling. We need to be supported in those callings even now- not when our kids are grown. That may mean putting up with kids running around in the background. And, even kids have callings on their lives at young ages too. Let them grow together with us, and teach them.

A place where there is fellowship.Where there are people willing to host whole families for lunch or coffee dates. Where people are willing to bear with young children's noise in order to engage a conversation beyond small talk. A place where people play together, as well as pray together, and therefore have the opportunity to speak into each others lives. When there is space for the kids to be kids, we will leave with hearts filled.

A place of truth. A place where biblical principles are sought out and there is continual thirst for change at every age from birth to death. A place where there is a humble understanding that no one has ever "arrived" at perfection, and where people are able to teach each other in stages of understanding and life. Kids are not the only ones who need to be taught. Father's need mentoring. Mother's need encouragement.

A place where we are welcome. There will be no teaching if there is no babysitter.... or will there be? We need Home Groups. We need bible study and fellowship in a place where there is a bed to put the baby down and a place for kids to play together. A place where shift work and multiple children defy all odds and we can hear the word of God during the week. I am teasing here, but really, we want to be part of the whole and not just segregated into our generational or gender groups. All of us can add a little, remind someone of youth, teach someone from wisdom, extol another with words of encouragement, be shown an untarnished side of a child's thinking, be rebuked in love to a place of repentance at a wrong thinking, or draw someone into a first understanding of grace.

Overall, we need to be invited. We need to feel welcomed. We don't want to impose our children upon anyone, especially when there are stares at the child chattering that they see grandma, auntie or a friend across the room, or people randomly commenting that kids sat through church in silence way back when. We don't want to sit alone cutting up food and wiping dirty chins at church potlucks. We don't want to be told that back in the day the moms took care of Sunday School or the dads were harsher at disciplining. And I assure you, our kids are still being disciplined but we might see that differently one to the next. We don't want to be excluded from all meetings and input and ministries because right now it is seen as our job alone to raise kids. We want to hear what God thinks about children in the heart attitudes of people surrounding us. We want you to know that most of us don't show up for ours or our kids salvation at church, but to be encouraged and to have fellowship with other believers. We don't want to be left behind as everyone rushes off to restaurants, when we know to follow means a large bill and the stress of shushing kids for at least another hour. We also want you to know that we are growing and able to be part of the body- if we have babies, we are no longer babies and are ready to be ushered in to ministries and  leadership of the church. If we are not invited, who will be trained? If our kids are not invited, who will be taught up next? If people fail to see the importance of teaching up the next generation, and the next, and the next, the church will die out with them. If people continue to regard themselves as done, having put in their time, and having their own lives to live; they will live their own lives indeed, but will not share in anyone else's. There is unity in understanding each other, young or old. We do not deem to be more important. We just want you to remember us and not overlook what we also need to thrive. We want you to remember your youth and your beginnings. Who mentored you? Who spoke into your life at a young age? How old were you when you began to lead? To teach? To lead worship? To Pastor? What did you need when you had a young family? We are part of you all, not separate. Please don't forget any longer. 





Farming children ;)

Sunday has become a joy again. I do think of winter to come though. I have had hopeful thoughts that all this traveling to town for Sunday Service will work out easy enough. Yesterday I realized that this is a time of cultivating. Cultivating is hard work, but it is important. It is work that makes strong, both the worker and what is being grown. It is so worth it.