As a parent, I am sometimes amazed and perplexed at what works and what does not. And also just how resistant to change I really am. This journey is packed full of surprises and the more I learn, the more I discover how little I really know!
My nine month old is entering toddler-hood (Holy squeakers, Bat Man!) and as he is making the painstakingly slow and at the same time incredibly progressive leap toward independance, I marvel at the seeming contradictions of his development. He wants to be glued onto my hip, yet he tries to leap off of me as a skydiver out of an airplane!
And I'm no child expert, but I've noticed it is during those rapid growth times that he is the most clingy by the way.
As he learns to crawl and pull himsef up as most babies do, I find myself having to be more of a participant than I had anticipated. I thought parents just looked on as their kids sailed through their milestones. I thought my more structured, time and attention-demanding days were far ahead of me. Boy was I wrong! And it could be the relatively high needs nature of my baby, but I find that he demands I be not only his resident cheerleader, but also his coach! Strategizing and anticipating his every next move, all the while keeping the momentum going, I am in for much more of this kinder-care whisperer thing than I bargained for!
And talk about staring our own weaknesses in the face! In parenthood, I am finding that the more rapidly my child goes through change, the more I fight having to change in my own life. We humans, especially we Americans, hate change. We like our nice comfy jobs, our already-worn spot on the pew, our nice cozy cars, and oh, especially our quiet, yet caculatingly social suburban lives. I kick against the goads when dealing with complacency. It is as the Crystal Lewis song "Tomorrow" goes..."Tomorrow is much easier to deal with than today. But when tomorrow comes, I still won't want to change....I want to do right. I want to do right. What is it that's keeping me from change?"
Today as my fussy infant was wanting my attention turned upon him and away from such optional tasks as the laundry and dinner, I discovered something incredibly basic and yet incredibly profound! If I could just lay on the floor, on his eye level (as opposed to just sitting on the floor, head and shoulders towering above him), I could REALLY find out what motivates him. And he listens and responds to me more! Could this easy exercise be the missing puzzle piece to the monotony of my housework-playgroup-strolleride-floortime day?! Can I really tap into the highest motivators of my child just by putting myself in his shoes, as it were, and thus see him fly through his miletones of development?
I don't know. But I do know this: Babies want what we all want- someone to listen to us. To understand us. To relate to us. And if this is what it takes to know my child well and to be able to minister to his needs, then stick a Sherlock Holmes hat on me and call me a pragmatist...because I'm going with what works!!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Passover Part 2
Many people know that Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled the feast of Passover as the Passover Lamb, the Messiah of Israel. However, the depth and the extent to which he COMPLETED this feast to the fullest needs to be more talked about and celebrated.
The Exodus Passover required a lamb to be sacrifieced and its blood to be smeared on the doorpost and doorframes of the home. God said this was to be a sign to the PEOPLE that when He (God) sees the blood on the doorpost, He would pass over that house and the life of the firstborn (children, as well as cattle) would be spared. (Exodus 12:13). Why did God say that it would be a sign to the PEOPLE that when GOD sees the blood, He would pass over? I find this interesting. Could it be that God was wanting the sign to point to something or Someone in particular? After all, isn't that what a sign does? Point to something else? God also told the Israelites that they are to observe the Passover throughout all their generations. If the children of Israel grew up looking for a sign, the sign of the promised Messiah, this would be God's insurance that they would have what they needed in order to recognize Him when He came.
Many Chrisitans today know that the way in which the Israelites painted the blood on the doorposts would create the shape of a cross. But did you also know that this doorway, or gate, if you will, itself was also fulfilled by Yeshua of Nazareth? For Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Many people today criticize those who believe in Jesus for being narrow-minded and intolerant. If they are narrow-minded in the sense that they are telling the truth that there is only one prescribed way to enter into eternal life, that being through Jesus' atoning sacrifice alone, then what the critics say is true. But not because Christians themselves are intolerant or biggoted. It is what Yeshua Himself said. Yeshua said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6).. Now, either Jesus was evil, he was a liar, or He was telling the truth and fulfilling God's Passover. (Since his works were not commensurate with being either evil nor a liar, then one is left to look at his claims for being who he said he was.)
If I were going full speed ahead and were going to go off of a cliff, I would be very grateful that someone was there to tell me to turn or go another way. I would want a sign of warning. I would not argue with the sign or be angry at the person who put up the sign. I would hope that I would follow the specific instructions for a detour so that I would not be in peril. Such it is with the Kingdom of God (God and His ways).
God Himself was very specific in His instructions to the Israleites in slavery in Egypt as to how He wanted their faith to be applied. The blood of the lamb on the doorpost would be a sign to THEM and HE would see it and spare their lives. The application was the blood of the lamb. That was the provision for the remission of sin. For according to the Law, everything is cleansed by blood and without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). The Jews of Jesus' day knew this. And they had been told the story of the exodus every year since they were able to talk. So if Yeshua was God's only provision for the cancelling of man's sin debt (for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God), then He truly IS the NARROW GATE, stained with blood. For He is the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the earth.
I have often heard it said that as believers in Yeshua, we must have His blood over the doorpost of our hearts. This is a description of something very real which happens in the spirit realm and in the hearts of men. All sin (from the Greek means 'to miss the mark') which was inherited through Adam, requires a payment in God's eyes. Man was given a conscience at birth and has silenced that conscience through habitual sin and justifying of one's own actions. (I was taught, if you have to justify it, it is SIN!) Yet, God is not bound by space and time and His righteous justice demands a payment. When we sinned 20 years ago, to the Lord, it is like it was yesterday. Yet before the first man sinned....God made a provision for it! He was specific in His prescription for the forgiveness of sin. And man cannot take the credit. Nothing we could do in our own works could be good enough to earn the forgiveness of God. And we cannot first make ourselves clean enough to come before a holy God. The Apostle Paul in his book to the Ephesians puts it this way: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, lest any man should boast". 2:8 (emphasis mine). It was faith (trust) in God's word and promise in the Passover provision and it is that same trust that is required for us to have our sins washed away today. Trust requires confession and it requires action.
Many pray and ask God to forgive them, accepting Messiah's blood alone as payment for their sin. They are thus in relationship with God and are given Holy Spirit to live inside their hearts and to guide them. They are then children of God, living by new standards and called out to be holy, serving the One true God. Just as the children of Israel were called out of Egypt, out of bondage to slavery to become a called-out people dedicated to service to God, living by new guidelines and laws. So too, we are called out of bondage to sin, called to be a holy people, unlike the rest of the world. And God writes His law on our hearts so that we have a spirit that desires to do His will rather than sin.
Whether we realize it or not, every Passover, (and everytime we take communion in church), we are rehearsing this ancient yet important mandate, as a foreshadowing and at the same time, a looking back, to how a loving awesome God wanted so much to have us restored to close personal fellowship with Him and give us a life that is abundant and full of joy. I can think of no better reason to have a feast!!
The Exodus Passover required a lamb to be sacrifieced and its blood to be smeared on the doorpost and doorframes of the home. God said this was to be a sign to the PEOPLE that when He (God) sees the blood on the doorpost, He would pass over that house and the life of the firstborn (children, as well as cattle) would be spared. (Exodus 12:13). Why did God say that it would be a sign to the PEOPLE that when GOD sees the blood, He would pass over? I find this interesting. Could it be that God was wanting the sign to point to something or Someone in particular? After all, isn't that what a sign does? Point to something else? God also told the Israelites that they are to observe the Passover throughout all their generations. If the children of Israel grew up looking for a sign, the sign of the promised Messiah, this would be God's insurance that they would have what they needed in order to recognize Him when He came.
Many Chrisitans today know that the way in which the Israelites painted the blood on the doorposts would create the shape of a cross. But did you also know that this doorway, or gate, if you will, itself was also fulfilled by Yeshua of Nazareth? For Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Many people today criticize those who believe in Jesus for being narrow-minded and intolerant. If they are narrow-minded in the sense that they are telling the truth that there is only one prescribed way to enter into eternal life, that being through Jesus' atoning sacrifice alone, then what the critics say is true. But not because Christians themselves are intolerant or biggoted. It is what Yeshua Himself said. Yeshua said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6).. Now, either Jesus was evil, he was a liar, or He was telling the truth and fulfilling God's Passover. (Since his works were not commensurate with being either evil nor a liar, then one is left to look at his claims for being who he said he was.)
If I were going full speed ahead and were going to go off of a cliff, I would be very grateful that someone was there to tell me to turn or go another way. I would want a sign of warning. I would not argue with the sign or be angry at the person who put up the sign. I would hope that I would follow the specific instructions for a detour so that I would not be in peril. Such it is with the Kingdom of God (God and His ways).
God Himself was very specific in His instructions to the Israleites in slavery in Egypt as to how He wanted their faith to be applied. The blood of the lamb on the doorpost would be a sign to THEM and HE would see it and spare their lives. The application was the blood of the lamb. That was the provision for the remission of sin. For according to the Law, everything is cleansed by blood and without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). The Jews of Jesus' day knew this. And they had been told the story of the exodus every year since they were able to talk. So if Yeshua was God's only provision for the cancelling of man's sin debt (for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God), then He truly IS the NARROW GATE, stained with blood. For He is the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the earth.
I have often heard it said that as believers in Yeshua, we must have His blood over the doorpost of our hearts. This is a description of something very real which happens in the spirit realm and in the hearts of men. All sin (from the Greek means 'to miss the mark') which was inherited through Adam, requires a payment in God's eyes. Man was given a conscience at birth and has silenced that conscience through habitual sin and justifying of one's own actions. (I was taught, if you have to justify it, it is SIN!) Yet, God is not bound by space and time and His righteous justice demands a payment. When we sinned 20 years ago, to the Lord, it is like it was yesterday. Yet before the first man sinned....God made a provision for it! He was specific in His prescription for the forgiveness of sin. And man cannot take the credit. Nothing we could do in our own works could be good enough to earn the forgiveness of God. And we cannot first make ourselves clean enough to come before a holy God. The Apostle Paul in his book to the Ephesians puts it this way: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, lest any man should boast". 2:8 (emphasis mine). It was faith (trust) in God's word and promise in the Passover provision and it is that same trust that is required for us to have our sins washed away today. Trust requires confession and it requires action.
Many pray and ask God to forgive them, accepting Messiah's blood alone as payment for their sin. They are thus in relationship with God and are given Holy Spirit to live inside their hearts and to guide them. They are then children of God, living by new standards and called out to be holy, serving the One true God. Just as the children of Israel were called out of Egypt, out of bondage to slavery to become a called-out people dedicated to service to God, living by new guidelines and laws. So too, we are called out of bondage to sin, called to be a holy people, unlike the rest of the world. And God writes His law on our hearts so that we have a spirit that desires to do His will rather than sin.
Whether we realize it or not, every Passover, (and everytime we take communion in church), we are rehearsing this ancient yet important mandate, as a foreshadowing and at the same time, a looking back, to how a loving awesome God wanted so much to have us restored to close personal fellowship with Him and give us a life that is abundant and full of joy. I can think of no better reason to have a feast!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Forgiveness
Shortly after the birth of my son, one of my best friends and I were sitting around talking about baby names. A preschool teacher for many years, I think she would like to have a baby someday. We were talking about how working with kids for so many years, we both kinda got turned off by some names simply because we had to deal with difficult children who turned us off to ever using their names for our own kids.
"Ryan is a brat!" She would say. And I would retort with an equally bratty name.
"I worked with an Amber who was impossible", I would say. After all, with my more than 8 years of experience working with special needs kids, I had a few I had thrown out myself.
I had worked for one particular agency and special needs school during the time leading up to and after my missions trip to Russia in 1998 when my group went to minister in orphanages and to help the persecuted Russian Jews escape and go to Israel.
The prayer preparation for that trip was intense. And it was what I was born to do. It was the only time I had a clear open air vision from the Lord. The vision was of me on a map of Russia, behind a group of Jews, pushing them up and out of Russia by way of Finland. I had never heard of such a thing before, so after I had the vision, I asked the Lord to show me in His word what He meant and He immediately led me to Jeremiah 16:14-16 where the prophecy came through Jeremiah that God would bring His people the Jews out of the land of the North (Russia) and out of all the lands to which He had scattered them and bring them home to Israel. (The largest emmigration to Israel from any nation in the world second to the Egyptian exodus by the way was that of millions of Jews leaving Russia in the 1990's).
Just weeks prior to that trip, I was working summer school at the school for difficult kids. If the children became violent to self or others, we had to intervene by way of putting hands on them(retraints). Well, one such student became agressive during lunch and my coworker and I had to remove him from the area via a backwards escort. During the procedure, the kid (I would say he was about 12 years old) tripped me on purpose, twisting my ankle. I went down like ton of bricks on my left ankle. I pulled most of the tendons in my left ankle and although surgery was not necessary, I would spend weeks in physical therapy and be off work. I also had to wear a large boot for 6 weeks. My upcoming trip to Russia was in jeopardy.
Through hard work, lots of prayer and the comfort of knowing one of the people going on my trip was a massage therapist, I went to Russia. Interestingly, while we were there, a precious Jewish woman to whom we were ministering twisted and sprained her left ankle. (My hurt ankle was also my left) So when the time came, our director told us girls to lay hands on her and pray for healing. My faith was high and I was not about to let the devil have victory. She was subsequently healed and by the next day did not need any pain medication.
During and upon our return home, I did a lot of questioning God why He allowed such things to happen. Nevertheless, I know what Jesus commands regarding forgiveness and so as an act of my will, regardless of how I felt, I forgave the student who had caused my injury.
During the conversation on baby names with my friend, the story came flooding back to me and at the pinnacle of that conversation, I was stunned as shivers ran up and down my spine when I relized the name of that little boy. I must have sooo forgiven and forgotten because during the decision to name our son, I did not object to my husband wanting to name our son Benjamin. (It is Hebrew for 'son of my right hand', the shorter version, Ben, meaning 'son'). I actually liked the name. The name of the boy who injured me almost 10 years earlier you ask??
His name was Ben.
"Ryan is a brat!" She would say. And I would retort with an equally bratty name.
"I worked with an Amber who was impossible", I would say. After all, with my more than 8 years of experience working with special needs kids, I had a few I had thrown out myself.
I had worked for one particular agency and special needs school during the time leading up to and after my missions trip to Russia in 1998 when my group went to minister in orphanages and to help the persecuted Russian Jews escape and go to Israel.
The prayer preparation for that trip was intense. And it was what I was born to do. It was the only time I had a clear open air vision from the Lord. The vision was of me on a map of Russia, behind a group of Jews, pushing them up and out of Russia by way of Finland. I had never heard of such a thing before, so after I had the vision, I asked the Lord to show me in His word what He meant and He immediately led me to Jeremiah 16:14-16 where the prophecy came through Jeremiah that God would bring His people the Jews out of the land of the North (Russia) and out of all the lands to which He had scattered them and bring them home to Israel. (The largest emmigration to Israel from any nation in the world second to the Egyptian exodus by the way was that of millions of Jews leaving Russia in the 1990's).
Just weeks prior to that trip, I was working summer school at the school for difficult kids. If the children became violent to self or others, we had to intervene by way of putting hands on them(retraints). Well, one such student became agressive during lunch and my coworker and I had to remove him from the area via a backwards escort. During the procedure, the kid (I would say he was about 12 years old) tripped me on purpose, twisting my ankle. I went down like ton of bricks on my left ankle. I pulled most of the tendons in my left ankle and although surgery was not necessary, I would spend weeks in physical therapy and be off work. I also had to wear a large boot for 6 weeks. My upcoming trip to Russia was in jeopardy.
Through hard work, lots of prayer and the comfort of knowing one of the people going on my trip was a massage therapist, I went to Russia. Interestingly, while we were there, a precious Jewish woman to whom we were ministering twisted and sprained her left ankle. (My hurt ankle was also my left) So when the time came, our director told us girls to lay hands on her and pray for healing. My faith was high and I was not about to let the devil have victory. She was subsequently healed and by the next day did not need any pain medication.
During and upon our return home, I did a lot of questioning God why He allowed such things to happen. Nevertheless, I know what Jesus commands regarding forgiveness and so as an act of my will, regardless of how I felt, I forgave the student who had caused my injury.
During the conversation on baby names with my friend, the story came flooding back to me and at the pinnacle of that conversation, I was stunned as shivers ran up and down my spine when I relized the name of that little boy. I must have sooo forgiven and forgotten because during the decision to name our son, I did not object to my husband wanting to name our son Benjamin. (It is Hebrew for 'son of my right hand', the shorter version, Ben, meaning 'son'). I actually liked the name. The name of the boy who injured me almost 10 years earlier you ask??
His name was Ben.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Passover Part 1
This is my son's first Passover. It is also my husband's first to lead a seder. As Messianic followers of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, we have been afforded a deep richness to the traditions which many secular, traditional, or Orthodox Jews do not see. But having one-upmanship over secular and religious Jews is not our goal in this important Feast of God. What is important is that the central message or theme, gets conveyed to all who are present.
The Passover was instituted by God when the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. God told them to pack their things, to take a lamb (1 per household), sacrifice it, and smear its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. God said He was going to smite all the firstborns of Egypt. But if they had the blood on their doorposts, the angel of death would "pass over" them. They must have been thinking, what a strange thing to do to save our children and preserve our people. Nonetheless, they didit because God told them to do it. Because of their faith, even the faith of those Egyptians who housed Israleites and obeyed the command to place the blood of the lamb on their doorposts were saved, God spared them and preserved His people. He brought them into the Land of Israel, the Promised Land. They began by purging their homes of leaven (symbolic of sin). And they ate unleavened bread during the week leading up to the events of the sacrifice.
Now, thousands of years later, as believers in Jesus, we have been given the understanding of the big picture and how this first Passover was a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all the world. The Lamb of God, as John the Immerser declared Him to be, had come to live among his people, became endeared to them (as the little lamb in Moses' day had become to those who obeyed), then gave Himself as the Sacrifice to end all sacrifices. The one which would not only cover, but take away the sins of the world, God's only provision to have a relationship with Him and live eternally in Heaven with Him. At the very first Passover, God told the Israelites to observe Passover throughout all their generations. He said to teach it to their childrena dn to their children's children. What a loving, wise God! He wanted to ensure that Jewish people down through time would have the opportunity to hear and observe these things so that they may have the opportunity to see their Sacrifice Lamb, Yeshua of Nazareth, in the traditions they practice every year and in the scritputres. They are to be without excuse.
Why did God command the purging of leaven prior to the sacrifice? True, they did not have time to let the yeast rise before the hasty preparations to flee Egypt. Could it be that an omniscient God knew that down through time, sin would be disregarded and even exalted as good? Yet His treatment of it was so severe. The head of the house, the husband, was responsible for the purging out of sin in his household. This is a far cry from how husbands in the Body of Messiah today treat sin. The scriptures say we are to hate sin. We are to love righteousness. Say that in the public arena today, or even in church or synagogue and you risk harm to career, reputation, even your very physical safety. Yet God said to get rid of it. John the Immerser came before Messiah and told the people to purge their lives of sin as well. He said "repent!" (turn around!) for the Kingdom of God was near. Then he announced the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. That Lamb was Yeshua, Jesus of Nazareth. Approximately three and a half years later, that Lamb was sacrificed. Well after the people of Israel had grown fond of Him (just as the Israelites in Egypt had gotten well-acquainted with their Passover lamb.) Yeshua said that His blood would be poured out for the forgiveness of sin. In Jerusalem on Passover in the first year A.D. (or if you prefer, in the common era), Yeshua was beaten and then hung on a cross, a Roman execution stake. A horrible death. We get the word excruciating from the word crucifixion, but the way. At the same time Jesus was dying for the sins fo mankind, totally separated from the Father, the High Priest in the Temple- God's authority figure on earth, declared the people of Israel to be clean before God. Their sins were washed away.
There are traditions for Passover which have been passed down through time which even the rabbis do not know where they originated. Yet they are done without question. Such is the tradition to take the middle matzah (piece of unleavened bread) and break it, hiding one piece until later during the dinner when the children are released to search for the missing matzah, the winner earning herself a prize! This is interesting because Yeshua Himself said He would be in the ground three days. He was then resurrected. And He also said if any man is to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, he must become as a little child. The prize? Eternal life with the Father in Heaven, never to be separated again. Not to mention the abundant life Jesus promises here on earth.
The Passover was instituted by God when the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt. God told them to pack their things, to take a lamb (1 per household), sacrifice it, and smear its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. God said He was going to smite all the firstborns of Egypt. But if they had the blood on their doorposts, the angel of death would "pass over" them. They must have been thinking, what a strange thing to do to save our children and preserve our people. Nonetheless, they didit because God told them to do it. Because of their faith, even the faith of those Egyptians who housed Israleites and obeyed the command to place the blood of the lamb on their doorposts were saved, God spared them and preserved His people. He brought them into the Land of Israel, the Promised Land. They began by purging their homes of leaven (symbolic of sin). And they ate unleavened bread during the week leading up to the events of the sacrifice.
Now, thousands of years later, as believers in Jesus, we have been given the understanding of the big picture and how this first Passover was a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all the world. The Lamb of God, as John the Immerser declared Him to be, had come to live among his people, became endeared to them (as the little lamb in Moses' day had become to those who obeyed), then gave Himself as the Sacrifice to end all sacrifices. The one which would not only cover, but take away the sins of the world, God's only provision to have a relationship with Him and live eternally in Heaven with Him. At the very first Passover, God told the Israelites to observe Passover throughout all their generations. He said to teach it to their childrena dn to their children's children. What a loving, wise God! He wanted to ensure that Jewish people down through time would have the opportunity to hear and observe these things so that they may have the opportunity to see their Sacrifice Lamb, Yeshua of Nazareth, in the traditions they practice every year and in the scritputres. They are to be without excuse.
Why did God command the purging of leaven prior to the sacrifice? True, they did not have time to let the yeast rise before the hasty preparations to flee Egypt. Could it be that an omniscient God knew that down through time, sin would be disregarded and even exalted as good? Yet His treatment of it was so severe. The head of the house, the husband, was responsible for the purging out of sin in his household. This is a far cry from how husbands in the Body of Messiah today treat sin. The scriptures say we are to hate sin. We are to love righteousness. Say that in the public arena today, or even in church or synagogue and you risk harm to career, reputation, even your very physical safety. Yet God said to get rid of it. John the Immerser came before Messiah and told the people to purge their lives of sin as well. He said "repent!" (turn around!) for the Kingdom of God was near. Then he announced the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. That Lamb was Yeshua, Jesus of Nazareth. Approximately three and a half years later, that Lamb was sacrificed. Well after the people of Israel had grown fond of Him (just as the Israelites in Egypt had gotten well-acquainted with their Passover lamb.) Yeshua said that His blood would be poured out for the forgiveness of sin. In Jerusalem on Passover in the first year A.D. (or if you prefer, in the common era), Yeshua was beaten and then hung on a cross, a Roman execution stake. A horrible death. We get the word excruciating from the word crucifixion, but the way. At the same time Jesus was dying for the sins fo mankind, totally separated from the Father, the High Priest in the Temple- God's authority figure on earth, declared the people of Israel to be clean before God. Their sins were washed away.
There are traditions for Passover which have been passed down through time which even the rabbis do not know where they originated. Yet they are done without question. Such is the tradition to take the middle matzah (piece of unleavened bread) and break it, hiding one piece until later during the dinner when the children are released to search for the missing matzah, the winner earning herself a prize! This is interesting because Yeshua Himself said He would be in the ground three days. He was then resurrected. And He also said if any man is to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, he must become as a little child. The prize? Eternal life with the Father in Heaven, never to be separated again. Not to mention the abundant life Jesus promises here on earth.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Just One New Mother's Observations
As a new mother, I am constantly astounded at how complex and precise the design of parenthood is. Just becoming a mother is a miracle in itself. I mean, in order for conception to take place, there must have been a master blueprint and thus a master Designer. At birth, the female baby has all the eggs her body will ever produce. Conversely, males must produce sperm over time. For conception to happen, the levels of hormones must be at precise levels, the egg must have been prepared and travel a long distance (for a single cell that is!) through the woman’s fallopian tubes. Out of millions of sperm cells, only ONE can penetrate the egg bringing the second set of chromosomes to make the full set of blueprints, if you will, needed to create a whole human being that has never existed before. Amazing.
However, the awe-inspiring event does not stop there. It would seem that an intelligent, caring Creator designed babies to be cared for in their mothers’ wombs while they grow and develop and get their eating, eliminating, and oxygenating needs met, all the while the mother is continuing to get her physical needs met. Furthermore, this close proximity encourages her to become very bonded to the baby further ensuring the infant’s survival and well-being.
Once the child is born, certain instincts and reflexes in the mother and child help them along in getting this very basic and necessary relationship established. For instance, did you know that as soon as the baby is delivered, if given the opportunity, the newborn can “scoot” down the mother’s chest and immediately start to suckle at mommy’s breast? That is not to say that both babies and moms don’t need help in “learning” better breastfeeding, because they often do. And some mothers cannot breastfeed for medical or logistical reasons. They are not to be thought of as anything less than terrific mothers. In fact, compensating for the fact, they oftentimes become even more attentive and in tune with their babies.
To explain the awesomeness of the creation of the human being, the scriptures put it this way:
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139: 13-14).
LIQUID GOLD
Breastmilk itself is a miraculous substance. Our Childbirth preparation teacher called it “Liquid Gold”. I myself didn’t realize this until I became a breastfeeding mother, but did you know that breastmilk is an actual living substance? Unlike man-made formula, its counterpart, breastmilk actually contains elements that will not only nourish but also protect your baby for years to come, if not for the rest of his or her life. One drop of breastmilk contains approximately 1 million white blood cells, a necessary element in maintaining a healthy immune system and fighting off disease (www.askdrsears.com).
Some might say, “Well, yes, according to the theory of evolution and survival of the fittest, this would work to ensure the survival of the species”. Perhaps, but another amazing fact about breastmilk is that it operates on the principle of supply and demand. In other words, if baby needs more milk for increased appetite, say right before a growth spurt, baby suckles more and mother’s breasts actually produce more milk, meeting the demand. Now THAT’S what I call cost effective! Moreover, breastmilk has special proteins and amino acids to help with brain development; it also has a natural laxative effect, as well as a sleep-inducing protein for the baby. And as the mother breastfeeds, her own body releases a hormone called prolactin, which relaxes her, giving her a peaceful feeling while she feeds, and thus further enabling her to bond with her baby. This loving foundational relationship contributes to the best possible life for the baby. Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother are noteworthy too: this natural act works to decrease the risk of breast cancer, cervical, and uterine cancers. Not only that, but the actual act of producing milk through breastfeeding is said to burn between 400-1000 calories a day!! This in light of knowing how women struggle with their appearance and the extra baby weight after birth points to a more thoughtful and compassionate design than apes and monkeys could conjure. So who said God could care less about my saddlebags!
The prospect of there existing a creator of life is even evident in the fact that SOMEONE thought it would be funny for babies to spit up half of what they eat. So the joke’s on us. Literally. It is this Creator that I went to for help when I faced challenges of breastfeeding a preemie baby. I was very determined to give this as a gift to my child. However, at one point my milk supply was so low, less than half of what I fed Benjamin was breastmilk. So I went to the Creator who created the female body including the miraculous breastmilk. With the undying support of my loving husband as well as the help of lactation consultants and through prayer and perseverance, I was able to get our baby to total breastfeeding. It has been well worth the struggle to overcome.
These are just some of many of this new mother’s observations. Along with information I have acquired through common scientific knowledge and exposure to parenting resources through my medical provider, I have learned so much by gleaning information from experts such as Dr. Sears (askdrsears.com). But the real glue, the cement that has solidified most of my viewpoints have come from the word of God and also from one of the most common, yet joyful, challenging, and yet rewarding events a woman could go through- the reality and experience of having a baby.
However, the awe-inspiring event does not stop there. It would seem that an intelligent, caring Creator designed babies to be cared for in their mothers’ wombs while they grow and develop and get their eating, eliminating, and oxygenating needs met, all the while the mother is continuing to get her physical needs met. Furthermore, this close proximity encourages her to become very bonded to the baby further ensuring the infant’s survival and well-being.
Once the child is born, certain instincts and reflexes in the mother and child help them along in getting this very basic and necessary relationship established. For instance, did you know that as soon as the baby is delivered, if given the opportunity, the newborn can “scoot” down the mother’s chest and immediately start to suckle at mommy’s breast? That is not to say that both babies and moms don’t need help in “learning” better breastfeeding, because they often do. And some mothers cannot breastfeed for medical or logistical reasons. They are not to be thought of as anything less than terrific mothers. In fact, compensating for the fact, they oftentimes become even more attentive and in tune with their babies.
To explain the awesomeness of the creation of the human being, the scriptures put it this way:
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139: 13-14).
LIQUID GOLD
Breastmilk itself is a miraculous substance. Our Childbirth preparation teacher called it “Liquid Gold”. I myself didn’t realize this until I became a breastfeeding mother, but did you know that breastmilk is an actual living substance? Unlike man-made formula, its counterpart, breastmilk actually contains elements that will not only nourish but also protect your baby for years to come, if not for the rest of his or her life. One drop of breastmilk contains approximately 1 million white blood cells, a necessary element in maintaining a healthy immune system and fighting off disease (www.askdrsears.com).
Some might say, “Well, yes, according to the theory of evolution and survival of the fittest, this would work to ensure the survival of the species”. Perhaps, but another amazing fact about breastmilk is that it operates on the principle of supply and demand. In other words, if baby needs more milk for increased appetite, say right before a growth spurt, baby suckles more and mother’s breasts actually produce more milk, meeting the demand. Now THAT’S what I call cost effective! Moreover, breastmilk has special proteins and amino acids to help with brain development; it also has a natural laxative effect, as well as a sleep-inducing protein for the baby. And as the mother breastfeeds, her own body releases a hormone called prolactin, which relaxes her, giving her a peaceful feeling while she feeds, and thus further enabling her to bond with her baby. This loving foundational relationship contributes to the best possible life for the baby. Benefits of breastfeeding for the mother are noteworthy too: this natural act works to decrease the risk of breast cancer, cervical, and uterine cancers. Not only that, but the actual act of producing milk through breastfeeding is said to burn between 400-1000 calories a day!! This in light of knowing how women struggle with their appearance and the extra baby weight after birth points to a more thoughtful and compassionate design than apes and monkeys could conjure. So who said God could care less about my saddlebags!
The prospect of there existing a creator of life is even evident in the fact that SOMEONE thought it would be funny for babies to spit up half of what they eat. So the joke’s on us. Literally. It is this Creator that I went to for help when I faced challenges of breastfeeding a preemie baby. I was very determined to give this as a gift to my child. However, at one point my milk supply was so low, less than half of what I fed Benjamin was breastmilk. So I went to the Creator who created the female body including the miraculous breastmilk. With the undying support of my loving husband as well as the help of lactation consultants and through prayer and perseverance, I was able to get our baby to total breastfeeding. It has been well worth the struggle to overcome.
These are just some of many of this new mother’s observations. Along with information I have acquired through common scientific knowledge and exposure to parenting resources through my medical provider, I have learned so much by gleaning information from experts such as Dr. Sears (askdrsears.com). But the real glue, the cement that has solidified most of my viewpoints have come from the word of God and also from one of the most common, yet joyful, challenging, and yet rewarding events a woman could go through- the reality and experience of having a baby.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
My favorite movies
(in random order)
-Life Is Beautiful
-Chocolat
-Sense and Sensibility
-Strictly Ballroom
-Fiddler on the Roof
-The Bourne… (trilogy)
-The Prince of Egypt
-Life Is Beautiful
-Chocolat
-Sense and Sensibility
-Strictly Ballroom
-Fiddler on the Roof
-The Bourne… (trilogy)
-The Prince of Egypt
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