So there's another house-to-rent chance. As of yet, it seems certain, but I am still wary and won't be quite at ease that we ARE going to rent it (even though both parties have said as much) until we sign papers. And that might not happen for a bit, because the landlords don't know when they are moving out exactly, but it'll be around 2 months from now.
Prayer that this would work out this time would be wonderful, and at the same time that I would not fret and worry as I am so wont to do! :) Trusting in God to provide materially and being *at peace* no matter what happens is something that seems to keep popping up in my daily life that I am more aware of than before.
To the ladies in partic: In a different vein, Luke has asked me to give the "chapel" talk to his 8th grade girls this week on biblical femininity. I really only have tomorrow to work on it, and although I've given it some thought, I still need some resources for things important for junior-high aged girls. I'm going to do an overview of what it should look like in young girls, and later during the year hit on some things to work on, something like that. Naturally, the Bible is where I'll start and end, but if there are any good blogs I could peruse or any quotes anyone has, or general advice, I'd love to look it over. Thanks!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
New Horizons
That's a cliche title, but I feel like we're living cliche days . . . it's all happened before.
There's a home for rent that seems to be in our future, and if the Lord is willing we will be renting it in a mere few months!
We were "burned" earlier after accepting to rent a dream house. The circumstances of the burn are unimportant, but the gist is that we were crushed. At least I was. I know Luke was disappointed, but I was *crushed* when I heard it wasn't going to work.
As I said in my last post, God seems to be teaching and reminding us through disappointment and other random struggles that He is in control and we need to lean on Him for every big and little thing. Lots of "golden opportunities" seem to be waved beneath our noses, and we look around for any potholes, but when we step to reach for it, we sink a few inches, or feet as the case may be. We realize we forgot to say "please," and were snatching, rather than holding our hands open to be filled.
God gives freely, and we need to receive freely. Grabbing never gets you anywhere, ultimately, and certainly trying to hang on will lead to disappointment. But holding your hands open means God can give and take without scarring. God gives and takes, but the amount of pain depends on whether you trust Him to give you good things and more good things, or replace good things with great things.
Watching Beowulf bob his little blond head up and down as he struggles to hold it steady to look around the room while sprawled on his tummy on the floor reminds me how very much I love him and how very sad I'd be if anything happened to him. It reminds me of fears I had while pregnant, fears unfounded but nevertheless fears of things going wrong. It reminds me of fears I had during childbirth, and afterwards, and even now I still struggle with fear for him. I am constantly reminding myself to open my hands and keep giving my baby back to his Creator.
But through disappointments I've learned (or re-learned?) that better things have ALWAYS come from them. If something amazing you want or desire is taken away, something far better is found in its place. When an opportunity falls through, a far better door (or window or kitchen cupboard) is opened for you to walk through.
It's cliche, but it's true.
There's a home for rent that seems to be in our future, and if the Lord is willing we will be renting it in a mere few months!
We were "burned" earlier after accepting to rent a dream house. The circumstances of the burn are unimportant, but the gist is that we were crushed. At least I was. I know Luke was disappointed, but I was *crushed* when I heard it wasn't going to work.
As I said in my last post, God seems to be teaching and reminding us through disappointment and other random struggles that He is in control and we need to lean on Him for every big and little thing. Lots of "golden opportunities" seem to be waved beneath our noses, and we look around for any potholes, but when we step to reach for it, we sink a few inches, or feet as the case may be. We realize we forgot to say "please," and were snatching, rather than holding our hands open to be filled.
God gives freely, and we need to receive freely. Grabbing never gets you anywhere, ultimately, and certainly trying to hang on will lead to disappointment. But holding your hands open means God can give and take without scarring. God gives and takes, but the amount of pain depends on whether you trust Him to give you good things and more good things, or replace good things with great things.
Watching Beowulf bob his little blond head up and down as he struggles to hold it steady to look around the room while sprawled on his tummy on the floor reminds me how very much I love him and how very sad I'd be if anything happened to him. It reminds me of fears I had while pregnant, fears unfounded but nevertheless fears of things going wrong. It reminds me of fears I had during childbirth, and afterwards, and even now I still struggle with fear for him. I am constantly reminding myself to open my hands and keep giving my baby back to his Creator.
But through disappointments I've learned (or re-learned?) that better things have ALWAYS come from them. If something amazing you want or desire is taken away, something far better is found in its place. When an opportunity falls through, a far better door (or window or kitchen cupboard) is opened for you to walk through.
It's cliche, but it's true.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
3 Months Old
I obviously have not kept this up-to-date, since my baby boy is 3 months old, in exactly 3 hours!!
Beowulf Arthur Nieuwsma was born June 10th 2010 at 2:07a.m.
It's always the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, isn't it? At least an overwhelming majority of babies seem to come in the darkness. Maybe it has something to do with mother being active during the day, so by the time the baby comes it's well into the night.
At any rate, I had an excellent birthing experience! Beowulf was 8lbs 14oz, 21 inches long. Despite his impressive size it took only 9 minutes to push the bear out. I had an excellent OBGYN who gave me clear instructions before I began pushing. My mother said that she had never heard anyone describe it so well, it's exactly what needs to happen, but no doctor ever explained it as clearly. I was so grateful for that!
Recovery went well, and I am feeling fit as a fiddle, aside from my middle. There's extra skin and stretched muscles there. That's what sit-ups are for! :)
Beowulf is such a wonderful kid. I am blessed to say that in his first 3 months, he hasn't ever had his days and nights mixed up! I think he was so "active" during the day (with various people holding him during his naps, keeping him from being in a deep sleep for no more than 2 hours) that at night when he was in his crib, he would sleep generally 2-3 hours straight before needing to eat. There were rough nights, to be sure, and I had to go through baby blues during the time when I was getting the least amount of sleep, but that was only a few short days (and long nights).
We began training him to sleep through the night (6 hours was our goal) just before he was 3 weeks old. He didn't get the hang of it until around 3 1/2 weeks, but he was definitely sleeping 5 hours straight fairly quickly. That was a HUGE difference to me from a mere 3 hours. Heaven!
Now, he can easily sleep 9 hours, and a few times I've had to wake him before he sleeps 10 hours long. Beowulf just went through a growth spurt, which meant he was waking at 4am or 5am and was HUNGRY. Also, he cut his naps during the day in half because he was hungry, but once I shortened time between feedings, that seemed to help after a few days. He's back to normal nap routine (which doesn't mean that every nap is 1.5-2 hours, but usually only one might be shorter) and his nighttimes have been much better. Tonight was a bit rough. It was shortly after 11pm before he fell asleep. Before his growth spurt, he would be asleep anywhere between 10 and 10:30pm and would stay asleep until 6 or 7.
Luke is back teaching at school, and is the Assistant Director of Prayer Rock Academy. I'm so proud of him, he was been working hard every evening, and even though the last few evenings have had a few hours cut out of them, due to an evening class and a few meetings, he had consistently been finished with work before midnight. He loves teaching just Latin and Omnibus for 7th and 8th grade. It's great that he has 3 boys in the 7th grade, since last year he taught 3 girls all their 7th grade subjects. This year he has them as 8th graders, but only for two classes. They are all a delight, and he is loving teaching them Eusebius and Wheelock's Latin.
My grandparents are visiting from tomorrow through Tuesday morning. I am so glad to see them again! We didn't get much time with them while we were in Idaho after Beowulf was born. Partly because our schedule was off since Luke and I were sick for a few days, and Beowulf was also keeping me up at night every few hours...he was messed up due to our traveling and relocating from Luke's parent's house to my family's farm halfway through our vacation. And then in the afternoons and evenings we often had engagements away from the farm, so my poor grandparents didn't see much of their newest great grandson. But now, he's more alert, definitely responsive with lots of ah-goos, boos, smiles, chuckles, squirms, drooling, some squeaks and a few screams of joy.
God has been SO good! There are always things that seem to look pretty bad, but often putting things in perspective helps. Last year, we thought that some situations were looking pretty dire, and this year similar frustrations continue or new ones develop, but seeing how God provides and carries us through hardships (of which we have had to endure little) is strengthening and encouraging. His mercy endures forever, and His promises are sure.
We are learning, as we watch Beowulf grow, to cling to God's promises regarding children in the Old and New Testament. Being a parent, and realizing the responsibility it brings with it has been some of the scariest stuff to handle, but knowing that it is only through the power of the Holy Ghost that we can be faithful and faithfully train, love, and discipline our son, and only through His power will Beowulf follow Christ and His law.
Beowulf Arthur Nieuwsma was born June 10th 2010 at 2:07a.m.
It's always the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, isn't it? At least an overwhelming majority of babies seem to come in the darkness. Maybe it has something to do with mother being active during the day, so by the time the baby comes it's well into the night.
At any rate, I had an excellent birthing experience! Beowulf was 8lbs 14oz, 21 inches long. Despite his impressive size it took only 9 minutes to push the bear out. I had an excellent OBGYN who gave me clear instructions before I began pushing. My mother said that she had never heard anyone describe it so well, it's exactly what needs to happen, but no doctor ever explained it as clearly. I was so grateful for that!
Recovery went well, and I am feeling fit as a fiddle, aside from my middle. There's extra skin and stretched muscles there. That's what sit-ups are for! :)
Beowulf is such a wonderful kid. I am blessed to say that in his first 3 months, he hasn't ever had his days and nights mixed up! I think he was so "active" during the day (with various people holding him during his naps, keeping him from being in a deep sleep for no more than 2 hours) that at night when he was in his crib, he would sleep generally 2-3 hours straight before needing to eat. There were rough nights, to be sure, and I had to go through baby blues during the time when I was getting the least amount of sleep, but that was only a few short days (and long nights).
We began training him to sleep through the night (6 hours was our goal) just before he was 3 weeks old. He didn't get the hang of it until around 3 1/2 weeks, but he was definitely sleeping 5 hours straight fairly quickly. That was a HUGE difference to me from a mere 3 hours. Heaven!
Now, he can easily sleep 9 hours, and a few times I've had to wake him before he sleeps 10 hours long. Beowulf just went through a growth spurt, which meant he was waking at 4am or 5am and was HUNGRY. Also, he cut his naps during the day in half because he was hungry, but once I shortened time between feedings, that seemed to help after a few days. He's back to normal nap routine (which doesn't mean that every nap is 1.5-2 hours, but usually only one might be shorter) and his nighttimes have been much better. Tonight was a bit rough. It was shortly after 11pm before he fell asleep. Before his growth spurt, he would be asleep anywhere between 10 and 10:30pm and would stay asleep until 6 or 7.
Luke is back teaching at school, and is the Assistant Director of Prayer Rock Academy. I'm so proud of him, he was been working hard every evening, and even though the last few evenings have had a few hours cut out of them, due to an evening class and a few meetings, he had consistently been finished with work before midnight. He loves teaching just Latin and Omnibus for 7th and 8th grade. It's great that he has 3 boys in the 7th grade, since last year he taught 3 girls all their 7th grade subjects. This year he has them as 8th graders, but only for two classes. They are all a delight, and he is loving teaching them Eusebius and Wheelock's Latin.
My grandparents are visiting from tomorrow through Tuesday morning. I am so glad to see them again! We didn't get much time with them while we were in Idaho after Beowulf was born. Partly because our schedule was off since Luke and I were sick for a few days, and Beowulf was also keeping me up at night every few hours...he was messed up due to our traveling and relocating from Luke's parent's house to my family's farm halfway through our vacation. And then in the afternoons and evenings we often had engagements away from the farm, so my poor grandparents didn't see much of their newest great grandson. But now, he's more alert, definitely responsive with lots of ah-goos, boos, smiles, chuckles, squirms, drooling, some squeaks and a few screams of joy.
God has been SO good! There are always things that seem to look pretty bad, but often putting things in perspective helps. Last year, we thought that some situations were looking pretty dire, and this year similar frustrations continue or new ones develop, but seeing how God provides and carries us through hardships (of which we have had to endure little) is strengthening and encouraging. His mercy endures forever, and His promises are sure.
We are learning, as we watch Beowulf grow, to cling to God's promises regarding children in the Old and New Testament. Being a parent, and realizing the responsibility it brings with it has been some of the scariest stuff to handle, but knowing that it is only through the power of the Holy Ghost that we can be faithful and faithfully train, love, and discipline our son, and only through His power will Beowulf follow Christ and His law.
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