The Little Things in Life

A couple of weeks ago it was a beautiful day and I really needed to get some homework done on a Saturday. So, I decided to go to Quizno's downtown and treat myself to lunch. This way I could use one of their tables in the beautiful sunshine to read. I ordered a sandwich instead of my favorite- the black and bleu salad. It was good. Plus, I was in a sandwich mood. And it was such a gorgeous day. Of course, you can't help but people watch. So, every now and then I would look up to see who was walking by. One particular interaction was precious to me. There was a young man with a young boy. I am not sure how old the man was. He could have been anywhere from early twenties to our age. Anyway. They walked down the street to greet another man who appeared to be our age to mid thirties. This man was wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses. The best description I can give of him from outside appearance and manner is that I imagine any four or five year old boy would love to spend some time with him. I watched the men shake hands and then the little boy shake the man with the leather jacket. And off they went. I read some more, enjoyed the beautiful day. After a while I looked up from reading to see this threesome walking down the street together. This time the little boy was in the middle just talking away and holding the hand of the man in the leather jacket. It was such a precious site to me. The little boy was thrilled to be walking with this this new friend. He was so happy to be himself in the presence of this grown man. And I have to think this man was touched by the want of this child to hold his hand and to be near him. And I watched them walk by.

Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kindgom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:1-5

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Hi, Sissy! Guess where I spent the night on Sunday? Robbie and Laura's house! (Not their new one, the old one). I did get to see the new one too, which was fun to see the progress. I also got to pray with the intercessors at Good Sam on my way up. It was good to be with them and to see them all. On my way back to Gainesville, I stopped at the Uniform store to make a return (this was the whole reason for my trip). I made my exchange and decided to look around for a bit. As often happens when put one on one with a stranger for a time, she started talking to me about her problems. I listened to her with one ear and to the Lord with the other. I was not sure exactly my purpose to hear these things. I did not receive anything to speak to her. So, I just continued to listen and did my best to empathize with her without egging her on to remain in a bitter state. I prayed for her family while I was in the store and then some more throughout the day. In fact, I will continue to pray for them since I will probably see her again next year when I use the store credit. On the way out, I thanked her for helping me and told her I hope the best for her family. Those encounters are always interesting, don't you think?

We started Newborn class night. I am really excited about it. I am happy to begin to apply these things with the bits that I know and will learn at clinic. Our teacher was at one of the first births that I attended as a student. During this particular birth, I accidentally got nailed in the face and my glasses were knocked off. I had forgotten about that, actually. She let me tell the story as we went around and introduced ourselves. I like to add it to my list of birth stories:). So, I have a little treat for you. I finally signed up for facebook this past weekend after being asked one too many hundred times if I am on it. I needed a picture for my profile (esp since they gave me the man profile:(. So, Kendra took a picture of me after church. But like you, we had some troubles figuring my camera. So, we accidentally made a video. Enjoy!

Gentle Birth Choices

So, lately whenever someone asks me what one book I would recommend for them during their pregnancy my answer is: Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper, R.N. I like it because she explains birth from a different perspective than most Americans are used to, and she explains the physiology of the process very well. The other plus is that you can pick which subject you want to read instead of reading the whole book. I have picked just a few interesting facts to quote from her book. Oh, and before I get started I don't like the book because it recommends midwives. I am a midwife (student) because I believe what the book says:). And on that note...

The majority of the industrialized nations that have good statistics have one thing in common that the United States lacks- midwives, and lots of them, who see birth as normal and natural and are the gatekeepers for all pregnant women.

Many doctors throughout the world feel that if birth is allowed to proceed normally, at least 75% of the time it will take place without any complications that require intervention. But in hospitals in the US, interventions are routinely used in more than 90 percent of all births.

Ironically, the countries with the highest number of obstetricians and the lowest number of midwives have the highest cesarean rates.

Dr. Edward Hon, inventor of the electronic fetal monitor has said, "when you mess around with a process that works well 98 percent of the time, there is potential for much harm."

Dr. Josie Muscat is an OB on the island of Malta who states that 98 percent of all births at his clinic are natural and without complications when women are not disturbed with medical procedures during labor but instead encouraged with love and support.

For many women, early social conditioning creates the belief that they are unable to give birth normally. This misconception must be replaced with an understanding of the philosophy of gentle birth and the science behind it. When women realize that their bodies really know how to give birth and that their babies know how to be born, they gain confidence. Only then is gentle birth a possiblity.

Allowing labor to begin naturally is the best way to assure that they baby is ready to be born.... Babies who are born even two weeks prematurely have a much higher chance of dying within the first year of life.

Endorphins increase during pregnancy, reaching a peak during labor. These endorphines... have a major effect on the perception of pain and feelings of well-being. They are the body's natural painkillers and tranquilizers, which aid and enhance the birth experience. Runner's describe a similar response in long-distance running, which they refer to as a "runner's high."

Pretty interesting, mmm? Check out your library and see if they have it. This info is just from Chapter One!

A Night on the Town

Having been to Gainesville you know that downtown Gainesville is only a couple of blocks wide. Still, we had a fun night enjoying ourselves. The occasion was the French Film Festival. They are showing french films at the Hippodrome for free during the festival. Kendra had invited Hannah and I to join a couple of others with her to go to one of the films last night. We decided to meet for supper at Emilianos to eat before the film. This was our first stop for the night. We had fun ordering tapas and eating together. Then, we sent one of the others, Karen, ahead to save seats while we took care of the bill. So, we walked down to the Hippodrome, our second stop for the night. But, they were full. Karen was inside and we were outside. So, we walked to Starbucks. This was our third stop for the night. And I learned something that amused me. I have never had Starbucks coffee before. Do you want to know how I realized this? I decided to get a decaf latte. I thought I was treating myself. So, I tasted my first sip and thought it was terrible. (I mean rotten or something) So, I asked Kendra what a latte is anyway? She explained and then told me that the coffee itself has a different taste. Then, I realized it was the coffee I did not like, not the latte. So, apparantly I don't like Starbucks coffee. We enjoyed talking. One of the girls is from England. We listened to her talk about the way of life there. We all shared our "we saw the queen" or in my case "i was sleeping when the queen rode by" stories. Then, we walked back over to the Hippodrome for some King's cake and to pick up Karen. The cake was delicious, and the remaining three of us decided to stay for the 9:30 show of La Faute de Fidel. Have you seen it? I liked it. We had some good laughs. And now I have been inside of the Hippodrome. We walked to our cars and then I was home within two minutes. I love living near downtown!

Driving Along in My Automobile

Today was cold out, but nice and sunny. I was happy to get to play some tennis. On my way to the courts I was listening to the radio. The dj was interviewing a singer, Brandon Heath. During the interview he gave choice A or B to the following question. During your last visit to Florida you either A) were abducted by aliens or B) caught your pants on fire. There was a pause. Then, Brandon slowly laughed. "Hey, you must have inside information on that one." The dj laughed and reminded him that interviews could be dangerous. Obviously the answer is that he caught his pants on fire. But the funny part is how it happened. He was at a resteraunt with some others. He happened to have matches in his pants pocket. Somehow they rubbed each other and actually started a fire. First, he smelled it. He said to the others- "hey, something's burning." Then, he realized it was him. So, he got up and "yelled kind of like a girl." Then he started hitting his pocket with something to put out the fire. The funny part is that no one knew what was going on. The fire was not flaming, just burning to this point. Finally, he was able to explain what was happening when he showed them his burned pants pocket. I wish you could hear the story from him, because it was obviously funnier hearing it. But this was the best I could do. It was a nice laugh for the day and I thought you'd enjoy it! So, remember: no matches in the pants.

When You are Tempted to Quit

Last night I had a hard time sleeping. And I had a hard time being awake before that. In fact, it was a hard day. I gave myself the day off since I was feeling down in a way that needed to be addressed. I drove out to the gardens since we do not have a beach nearby. It was a gorgeous day. That is always good for a soul, to enjoy the day and all. Still, the day ended badly. My unhappiness: to be here alone, to be single, to be away from my friends and family, to not understand. Temptation was with me. I was not alert like the Bible tells us to be. I did not resist. I just gave in to unhappiness and self pity. I imagined all sorts of ways my life could be better. So, I woke up unrested for my clinic day, obviously not looking forward to going. One of my temptations these days in such times is to forget to call out to God- that He is merciful and compassionate and here to help me. Generous and more than enough no matter how trivial my problems may seem. He knows. Just as He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He also is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18).

In my desperation, I decided to read in some Corrie ten Boom. Which one this time? I grabbed Tramp for the Lord and opened exactly to the title of one her writings. The Title of the reading: When You are Tempted to Quit. I did not remember this one. So, I read on.

She talks of the enemy's persistance in attempting to discourage us. She says it is often not the big things that cause her to grow weary, but the number of small things that add up. She tells of a time she almost quit her work to the Lord because of a series of inconveniences. The final straw? No desk in her room.

She says how self pity sank in. She fell straight for it. I love to hear of the thoughts that filled her mind. The pattern of question sounds so familiar to me when I am tempted. They are the questions that give seed to doubt. Hers: "Why must you always live out of your suitcases? Stay at home and then you won't have trouble with customs officials, passports, luggage, plane connections, and other things. Every night you can sleep in the same bed, and there are no earthquakes in Holland. After all, you are no longer young. You've lived like a tramp for many years. Let someone else do the work. You've earned your reward ...Everyone will understand!" She was over 80 years old. Who wouldn't agree with her desire to rest? So, what does Corrie do? She wrote a letter to a friend telling of her retiring. She says that she is tired of traveling. She needs a desk- a big one- in front of a window in her room and an easy chair- a very easy one- on the right... She had it all planned out.

Fortunately she asked the Lord what He thought about all this? So, she picked up her Bible. She opened to Romans 10. It talks of the people needing a preacher to hear the His words so they can believe. That happened to be her job- preaching to give His word that others may believe. She thought for a bit. She remembered it is not our job to give God instructions, but to report for duty. So, she wrote her friend again. She wrote: "Forget that last letter I wrote. I am not coming home to Holland. I refuse to spend the rest of my life in a pasture when there are so many fields to harvest. I hope to die in harness." ... What a lady.

Once again, God uses the Dutch watchmaker who died when I was three and I have not met, to inspire me to continue in His ways that are opposite to the ways of the world I live in. Sometimes there is not a person who can help us to make sense of His leading when it makes no sense to us. After all, who can understand the mind of the Lord? (Isaiah 40:13) But, thank you God for Corrie ten Boom. Thank you for each other. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who helps us and guides us. The Comforter. Thank you that when we don't know or understand you lead us still (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Just for Kicks

At the beginning of the term we had to make an adjustment in our diet for Nutrition class. We were supposed to pick something that was a weak point for us. Then, for two weeks we were to make a change. We were allowed to cheat, but had to write it down. I chose to limit myself to three sweets a week. I did not think that would be too hard since I occasionally knock them out all together for a week. We had to write a journal about our experience. I came across mine the other day. I had to laugh at a few of the entries- and I was not trying to be funny. This is my real journal. I will pick the funniest ones to share with you.

1: This is my first day of limiting myself to three sweet per week for two weeks. I forgot I was doing this and had a delicious piece of dark chocolate. It was yummy, but very small. So, if I had remembered, I would have waited to eat something bigger.

2: I really wanted an oatmeal raisin cookie today. I don't even love them, I just have them. I was even telling myself that it is not even a sweet- it is practically bread:). But I decided to stick to my plan. I ate a big chunk of whole grain bread dipped in olive oil and basil instead. It was delicious.

3: Passing up on the cake at graduation was not as hard as passing up the chocolates I bought for graduation presents. They are so yummy. I kept thinking it would be okay if I cheated as long as I wrote it down. But I decided not to since self control is good to practice.

4: Cheated today. Debbie and I were on the road and I was hungry. We had a healthy lunch, but snickers for snack. I did pass on the incredible Lindt dark chocolate ball though.

It reminded me of the time I gave up sweets for the month and found the fig newtons you had surprised me with in the fridge. That little accented voice in my head said, "it's not a cookie, it's a newton."

So, there we have it. Although my tolerance for sweets has gone down over the years, I like my dark chocolates. Yeah, and apparantly I even like Snickers and oatmeal raisin cookies when I can't have them:).

The Shadow and the Gold

We finished our first term of our second year on Tuesday. It was my last Interpersonal Relationships and Communication Class ever. Because of this, our teacher decided to end the night with an activity. It is called the Shadow and the Gold. Have you heard of this? You have to sit in the middle of the class and say something about yourself that gets in the way from growing, or that trips you up in life. We were supposed to say at least two, preferably three. Then, three people also say something they see. Then, after everyone goes, we have to go back up and say two or three things we see in ourselves that we like. Again, three or more people chime in. If you have ever done this, you know it is a difficult thing to do. First, to share about yourself. Then to hear from others what they see. We were technically allowed to pass (we would not fail), but he strongly encouraged us to participate. Something neat happened to me though. The Lord prepared me to let the others see me. I do not remember if it was before our teacher stated the activity or just before my own turn. I just recall Him puting it in my heart to let others see me. This in itself is something that gets in my way- my unwillingness to be seen. It is also something I have not wanted. So, I listened to Him. I remembered His words to me and that He was with me. I agreed to be willing to let the others see me and to be as honest as I know how. So, I was not nervous. I walked up and sat down.

First, we worked on the the shadow. The things I shared about myself : my tendency to become defensive in situations that require vulnerability (including midwifery school and all that comes with it), my stubborness, and getting stuck in a negative mindset sometimes when I have a hurdle to jump. What did they say about me? One: that I have it so together that she is concerned I do not have enough fun... Two: that I am always composed, but she thinks I should relax more and cuss and get drunk and stuff... Three: I used to be quiet- she used to think I did not want to be known, but thinks differently now... We made our rounds. Then to the Gold... For myself: that I am genuine, that I am loyal, and that some of the things that people complain about or don't like doing that I actually LOVE doing them and that I enjoy life so much. Then the others: My teacher: that the way I live matches with what I believe and that He sees a lot of integrity and believes this is an important quality to make me a great midwife... classmate/friend: that even though I am little, I am one of the strongest women she knows... next: even though my beliefs are strong that I don't exclude others who do not share the same beliefs and that I accept everyone... next: She's just so doggone nice:).

The judgements that I have perceived along the way in midwifery school for living the way that I do (a very different life and very much unappealing to those around me) has been my one of my biggest challenges of school. So, it was good to hear some high compliments, especially who it came from. But as nice as it is to hear, I remember that ultimately it does not matter what compliments or complaints are said about me. It matters what He says about us. And as I sat in that chair on Tuesday night, I knew that I am approved and esteemed by the One whose judgement counts. I knew that His power is made perfect in weakness. I knew that my Redeemer lives and that one day He will stand again on the earth. I knew that the things that others see that are gold is the work that He has done in my life and that He is worthy to be praised. And one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Until then, may we be found faithful.