Outrage at rising death toll

Warning: depressing content ahead...

Maybe I shouldn't be depressed. Afterall, "...the days are evil" (Eph. 5:16).

The Sacramento Bee reports that seven children have died "on CPS' watch" over the course of the past year. These were children who the county knew about. The implication being that the county could have prevented their deaths (although one of the children died while in foster care placement).

The problem here is not CPS. The problem is parents -- aka human beings who have failed in fulfilling their responsibility to protect their children (among other neglected responsibilities, no doubt).

Goodness, I sound prideful. Like I've never let my children fall out of trees and break their arms, tumble down a flight of stairs (twice in one weekend), or run into the street as I shout "Stop! Stop! Stop! Now!" (apparently they didn't stop at the first command).

So we all make mistakes. None of us are perfect parents. We don't need the government deciding who's doing a good job and who's not, right? Or snatching more kids from their homes?

I'm just depressed because I wish someone had snatched up these seven.

Why our dog is NOT a member of the family

• obviously, he's a dog. See Genesis 1, Psalm 8.
• we may return him to the SPCA anytime we see fit for no other reason than "it just didn't work out."
• we lock him up when we have company.
• we will not accrue exorbitant medical bills on his behalf, no matter how good our vet is :-)
  

I can't think of any other reasons at the moment. I just wanted to make that clear. We really love Woody, he's a good dog for our family. He's useful for scaring the "@#&*" out of people that come to my door during the day.

Rocks in my dryer

...isn't that a great blog name! I stole this post from her blog. Linked from Amy...

Here's one mom's thoughts on mothering a dozen of kids:

First, and perhaps most obviously, many people with larger families encounter negative attitudes almost daily. Snide comments from strangers, nosy questions about their private lives, or unsupportive extended family all combine to make the members of a big family feel more like a circus side-show than legitimate members of society. The announcement of a new pregnancy is very often not met with joy, but with condemnation (if you are on the receiving end of such an announcement, be the exception and offer a simple congratulations). I could compile quite a list of all the obnoxious things that have been said to those of us with a passel of young’uns, but I'd rather not go off on that tangent. You'll just have to take my word for it that for many people, there does not appear to be any sort of regulatory gizmo betwixt their brains and their mouths. Yet I persist in believing that it's really not that difficult to be kind, or at the very least, silent!

Along those same lines, it often seems that families with lots of children are viewed with a more critical eye than those with the standard two. If a child acts up, it is of course because they come from such a large family and obviously don’t get enough attention. If their clothing is threadbare, it is because the parents must be financially strapped. If the baby has a dirty face, it is apparent that no one cares enough to clean it. Whereas a smaller family might be given the benefit of the doubt (all children throw tantrums at times, like to wear one item of clothing until it consists of three strands, and smear food upon their faces), for the larger family it becomes an opportunity to criticize. A mother pregnant with her second child is offered sympathy as she struggles with morning sickness and fatigue, but ask a mother pregnant with her fifth if she was offered any. This makes it difficult, even in a church setting, for those parents to share any difficulties they are having. I personally struggle with painful varicose veins that are aggravated during pregnancy. However, asking for prayer has sometimes been met with the attitude that such are my “just desserts” and so why would God heal me? I suspect the same attitude crops up when rebellious children, or money woes, are the issue.

Parents of large families are not out to prove anything. We’re not vying for your admiration, we aren’t trying to win any awards, we don’t view childbearing as some sort of contest (someone asked my husband during our last pregnancy if we were trying to “beat the Duggars”), and we don’t think you’re less spiritual than we are if you have fewer than we do. We aren’t asking anyone for special treatment, but it doesn’t seem too much to ask for common courtesy. Resist the urge to count out loud as you see us go by. Don’t marvel that we do, in fact, know all of our offspring’s names (even—given a minute or two—their birthdates)! And for the love of all the little green men on Mars, don’t ask us if we know what causes that. We do. And we enjoy it, although not as often as is (oddly) assumed.

Almost as difficult to deal with, in a way, are the effusively positive attitudes. Yes, this seems like a really strange thing to say in light of the previous paragraph, but having to decline imminent canonization is not pleasant. People who squeal, gush, flatter and insist that I must be, I simply MUST BE the most patient/organized/disciplined/loving/spiritual being ever to walk the earth wear me out. I have stopped volunteering the information regarding the numbers of my offspring mostly due to these reactions. I don’t have time to field a barrage of OMG!’s from the checkout lady at Wal-Mart while my ice cream melts. Plus, I don’t think it wins me any friends in the line behind me.

Please don’t put me on a pedestal. Honestly, it’s really lonely up there. We are called to be iron sharpening iron to one another, and in order to do that we have to be able to get close to somebody. When the comments run along the lines of “You’re my hero!” and “I could NEVER do what you do! You’re a saint!” I have to wonder what, exactly, the commenters think I am doing that gives me that status. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just a woman trying to do her best with the family God has given her, and I deeply value the support of friends who don’t expect me to have all the answers. You might be surprised to learn that the average mom-to-a-gob lives her days in much the same way as you do: she gets up, sees what needs doin', and does it. One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.

I don't think I qualify as a "mom-to-a-gob" yet. Maybe someday... How many do you think constitutes a "gob?"

So telling...

Did you hear that McCain and Obama are going to be interviewed by Rick Warren?
Here's my stream of consciousness:

My first thought:

"I wonder what kind of testimony of the gospel they'll give? Of course, I know they're not Bible-believing Christians..."

but then I read this:

Warren's event "will focus on how they make decisions and on some of Mr. Warren’s main areas of focus, like AIDS, poverty and the environment."

then I thought:

"eeek...that's the 'evangelical pastor's' 'main areas of focus'? How silly of me to think there might be gospel content."

then I read this:

"He said that both had readily agreed, perhaps reflecting how each candidate is courting the evangelical audience to whom Mr. Warren ministers."

then I thought this:

"do we really need any further evidence that the label 'evangelical' is completely useless? Abandon ship!!! Reformed and Bible-believers first!!! Last man to the life boats gets labeled an evangelical!!!"

This is why I don't get much done these days:

well...maybe i'll rethink the fan club idea...

Fun post from Ref21 on the reformed movement. Here's the gist, by Carl Trueman:

"I find myself disturbed by the account of the man who loves Piper, and company, has embraced the doctrines of grace with zeal, but who continues to attend at Adventist church, apparently on the grounds that that is where he can be a kind of missionary for Calvinism. But the church is surely not a mission field; rather, it is the place where Christians are fed and watered and grow to maturity. Put bluntly, you don't get fed at conferences and through reading books in order to go to church to evangelize the couple next to you in the pew. To the extent that the Reformed revival does not make this connection, or leaves it optional, to that extent it is not really Reformed or biblical...

Thus, one test as to whether the new Reformed revival is really a movement of substance and not simply a disparate collection of personality cults is to see whether the church is being built up and strengthened. Thankfully, there is evidence that this is the case: for example, the church planting endeavors of the SBC; and Hansen's own conclusion - that the revival is at its strongest in the small churches, working away week by week in the routine matters of preaching the gospel and being the church...

What a great prayer for our small church!

I found a nugget from Desiring God

I've been reading David Wells' The Courage to be Protestant off and on (mostly off) - - I find it hard to mentally engage in intellectually challenging materials since I'm often interrupted by my sweet children. Anyway...I came across this great video of Wells from Desiring God on what it means to be "in the world but not of the world." I think I'll start a David F. Wells fan club.





This is a good week for indulging in such marginally productive activities. Phillip is off visiting family in L.A., the girls are sick, and the weather is so horrid I can only bring myself to exit the house for the brief few minuets it takes to toss some water on my grass and plants so that they don't shrivel up and die. Oh, I also had to take the garbage cans out and pick up the dog poop (we sure miss you, Phillip).

I don't mean that Wells is marginally productive. On the contrary, I think his point is vital to our true productivity in whatever calling God has placed us. We all should investigate ways we've been influenced by our culture and whether those ideas or practices aline with Biblical doctrine. Anyone have any examples to share -- either personal or hypothetical? (this is a plea for stimulating conversation, preferably in electronic form...)

Speaking of reformed theologians of British decent, I just learned that Derek Thomas will be the featured speaker at the 2008 Refomation Bible Conference, hosted by Covenant Reformed Chruch. Mark your calendars now!

Here's to NOT Becoming Jane

While Russell was busy last night inventing ways to stop Democrats from raising taxes, I watched Becoming Jane, a "biographical" take on the life of the famous novelist. I use "quotes" because I'm not sure how factual the movie is. For Austen's sake, I hope very little!

Here's a link to the Screen It! review of the movie. Screen It! is a great resource (thanks Mumpers) for finding out what's in a movie before you subject your eyes (or your children's) to Hollywood fare.

Basically, my problem with "Jane" is that she "fell in love" with a man of poor character and bad reputation. The idea that "falling in love" is something that just happens and we have no control over it -- poppycock! And the boring, rich, ugly guy -- she didn't really even give him a chance. Now, I'm not saying she should have ignored her feelings and subjected herself to a love-less marriage, but sometimes feelings take time to develop, and she might have found much to admire in the guy.

Young ladies -- please!!! -- fall in love with Godly character! It alone is "passion worthy."

I have other problems with the movie too -- like I don't think it should have been PG -- glad I watched it after the kids were in bed!

I see a theme developing

John Piper quotes this hymn in his book "When I Don't Desire God."

Is it just me, or is there a connection between:

a) Piper's book,

b) Russell's Sunday School lesson (James 1:2 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials"),

c) Smokey's sermon (Php 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!), and

d) our Sun. night Bible study (Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.)

...ok, so maybe "d" is a stretch, but, trust me, I can make it fit. I'm greatly burdened for friends who are encountering providences which may be challenging in the midst of which to find joy. I hope, by the spirit, this hymn will encourage me when God brings it on!

It's one of my favorites. It's impossible to play/sing this hymn without a piano/organ, but the tune is beautiful. I think verse 3 is my favorite:

If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trust in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee
These never ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee
O’er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness.

Be patient and await His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whatever thy Father’s pleasure
And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost want are known
To Him who chose us for His own.

God knows full well when time of gladness
Shall be the needful thing for thee.
When He has tried thy soul with sadness
And from all guile has found thee free,
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care.

Nor think amid the fiery trial
That God hath cast thee off unheard,
That he whose hopes meet no denial
Must surely be of God preferred.
Time passes and much change doth bring
And set a bound to everything.

All are alike before the Highest:
’Tis easy for our God, We know,
To raise thee up, though low thou liest,
To make the rich man poor and low.
True wonders still by Him are wrought
Who setteth up and brings to naught.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,
Perform thy duties faithfully,
And trust His Word: though undeserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need
The soul that trusted Him indeed.

Who's having more fun?

Grandkids or grandparents?


Who's most relaxed?




*** Baby Paul Update***

He's now 13 lbs, 3 oz. That puts him in the 80% percentile. It's a nice change from my scrawny girls!