Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Well, for those of you not following the weather in NE Mississippi, I can summarize what it's been like with one word, and you might be able to guess what it is from this post's title:  RAIN.  haha!

It is truly a blessing from the Lord because everything here was SO incredibly dry last week, so even though we are a little wet, we are rejoicing in God's provision, since He alone is able to control this gift.

For the past few days, there has been 3-6 hours of steady, ground-soaking rain each day.  Today though, there was about 4 hours of heavy rain.  Not like the torrential rain where your windshield wipers can't possibly keep up, but just a heavy rain.  However, since we have been getting so much rain already, the ground is saturated, and this heavy rain caused a bit of flash flooding today near our house.

Enoch and I were home playing/cleaning, and around lunchtime, he started getting fussy for his 2nd nap, so I brought him into the laundry room to grab a clean diaper.  As we walked past the kitchen window, I glanced over and saw this:

The creek had taken over our back yard!!

So I went outside and assessed the situation.  Let's just say that at first I was a little nervous.  After a few minutes of looking though and realizing that we were still about 1' above the current water height, I got a little less worried and just enjoyed observing the amazing power of water.

This is our side yard

This was where the water wasn't draining at all in the front of the house.  Thankfully though the house's foundation was still 5" above the water (it's a little higher than the porch).

Here's a video to show how fast the water was moving from the side of our house to the back:




One other highlight of the rain was that Enoch and I both got great afternoon naps!  Mine was 1.5 hrs, and his was a little over 2!!  :)  And in case you were wondering, the rain slowed down a lot this afternoon, and the flooding is no where near as high as it was earlier.  :)

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Munchkin Fresh Food (Fruit/Veg) Feeder

Here's my review of the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder.  We bought ours at WalMart, but you can also find them at Amazon and maybe Target??  Although I would have never bought this after just seeing it in the store, we had a friend recommend it to us.  She is a grandma who's just recently had two young grandkids, so she's been through this stage less than 1 year ago.  She recommended trying it because it's a great way to give babies fresh foods AND it can also help with teething (when you use frozen fruit)!

It's a handy little contraption that has a mesh bag, lockable top, and holding ring for making it easier to feed your baby fresh food.  With this device, you can feed your baby fruits and vegetables that you don't want to have to mash/cook.  It seems that they should be naturally soft foods though, and foods that can sqiush through the small holes in the mesh.


Here's a video of Enoch eating some frozen blueberries out of it.



As you can tell, he is a fan of chewing/sucking on it now, but the first few times I tried to use it, he was a little hesitant about how the mesh bag felt on his tongue.  I would suggest continuing to try it if your little one doesn't take to it immediately.  The blueberries worked well this time after they had a few minutes to defrost so that he was able to suck out some juice and blueberry filling. :)

One other note that I would add in about this is that it can be quite messy (depending on what kind of fruit/veg you put into it)!  As you saw in the video, Enoch got SO purple from the blueberry juice.  So, this is certainly not the kind of thing I'd take in the car or to a restaurant.  In our house, it will mainly be reserved for before bath time when Little Man is already naked.  Giving it to the baby when he/she is in a high chair could also be good, but once it falls onto the ground, it picks up any little debris it can find (because it's wet and juicy), so you might also need use a paci clip to keep it up on the high chair (depending on how much of a pitcher you have).

Overall, I'd give this 4 stars out of 5.  It's handy to use, and it did make Enoch's sore gums feel better, but it's pretty messy and is really only useful to me at home.



**I have NOT been compensated for this review in any way.  I simply wanted to share my thoughts about this product.  I hope it has been helpful.**

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Fighting Sin

When Paul says to put to death the deeds of the body “by the Spirit” (Romans 8:13), I take him to mean that we should use the one weapon in the Spirit’s armor that is used to kill. Namely, the sword. Which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

So when the body is about to be led into a sinful action by some fear or craving, we are to take the sword of the Spirit and kill that fear and that craving. In my experience that means mainly severing the root of sin’s promise by the power of a superior promise.

This is from a really good post by Piper this morning here on fighting sin.  He goes on to list a handful of his most used promises from Scripture that are powerful in killing the lure of sin's promises.

I appreciated this insight into his life, and I think this is one of the few lasting ways to kill sin.  I'd encourage you to go and check out his post and pick out one or two for yourself.  My favorite is Phil. 4:19, so I think I'll work on memorizing it today.

 This is Piper's final encouragement:

Be constantly adding to your arsenal of promises. But never lose sight of the chosen few that God has blessed in your life. Do both. Be ever-ready with the old. And every morning look for a new one to take with you through the day.

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Bloodlines

I stumbled upon this audio interview (from Nine Marks) through one of the blogs I follow.  It is basically Mark Dever interviewing John Piper about Piper's new book, Bloodlines (which you can read in full via pdf here, thanks to Desiring God Ministries).  Bloodlines is all about racism, the cross, and the Christian life (as the book's subtitle says).

Here is the "about the book" excerpt from DG Ministries:

Genocide. Terrorism. Hate crimes. In a world where racism is far from dead, is unity amidst diversities even remotely possible?
Sharing from his own experiences growing up in the segregated South, pastor John Piper thoughtfully exposes the unremitting problem of racism. Instead of turning finally to organizations, education, famous personalities, or government programs to address racial strife, Piper reveals the definitive source of hope—teaching how the good news about Jesus Christ actively undermines the sins that feed racial strife, and leads to a many-colored and many-cultured kingdom of God.
Learn to pursue ethnic harmony from a biblical perspective, and to relate to real people different from yourself, as you take part in the bloodline of Jesus that is comprised of “every tongue, tribe, and nation.”

This topic of racism and how Christians are to "deal" with it has been on my mind a lot since we decided to move to the South.  I can name a handful of issues that I have already noticed relating to racism here, both in the existing culture and also in my reactions to it.  So, to say the least, the audio interview (the first link above) was incredibly edifying to me.  I would encourage you to listen to it, no matter where you live, no matter how many races you interact with daily, no matter how un-racist you believe yourself to be.

After listening to the audio and watching the video (below), I am convinced that I will be reading this book soon, not only because of the topic, but also because Piper is an excellent author, and I am interested to know more about his take on how the gospel applies to this topic.



Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

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FFF: 9 Month Update

Hugh & Enoch celebrating 9 mos of life!

I can NOT believe that my baby is 3/4 of a year old!!!  Where has the time gone??  There's an old saying, "The days are long, but the years are short," which I can absolutely agree with, almost everyday that I'm a parent.  I've tried to embrace this quip though by enjoying each and every "long" day that I have with Little Man, knowing that each day is a gift from the Giver of good gifts, and knowing that I want the "short" years to be filled with purposefully spent days.  :)

I'm pretty sure that I didn't type up a 8 month update (so sorry!!), but I'm gonna chalk that one up to a crazy eighth month!  We were so busy visiting family, traveling, packing, tying up relationships, moving, unpacking, etc. that the time flew!  Enoch did pretty much stay on the same schedule he's been on for the past few months though (nursing 4x-5x per day, eating 1-2 jars of baby food (veggies & fruits), napping 2x per day (9-10:30 and 1-2:30), and sleeping from 6 pm til 6 or 7 am.

We can definitely say that having a schedule/routine is beneficial for Enoch because between moving and traveling, we've seen how being "unscheduled" doesn't work well for him.  And having a schedule also helps him readjust within a day or two after being off.  So we are thankful that we settled into a schedule with him early.  (Although I should say that after the out-of-state move, it took him 5-6 days to get his bedtime/awake time back to normal.  His naps never really suffered, but he struggled with falling asleep, and he was waking up at 4:30 or 5:00 for awhile there.)

Enoch has adjusted well to our new house.  The linoleum is pretty slippery, but I think he'll figure that out soon (for instance when he tries to stand up and his foot slips or when he bends way over and looses traction with his hands).  He likes playing in the stroller while we do things (housework, organizing, cooking, etc.), but I've noticed that he gets SO much more sweaty here than he used to... maybe the killer humidity?  ;)  And I think he's also finally getting used to the noises (for instance, his bedroom is right beside the kitchen (the fridge/oven part, to be exact), so for awhile there I couldn't cook/clean the kitchen after he went to bed.  (that was rough!)  Now I try to be quiet in there during his naps, but he's pretty resilient after he goes to bed.  :)

Since our move, we have also changed our family schedule again (and it could be subject to change in the Fall once Hugh is teaching classes).   For now, Hugh has started taking Enoch for some "man" time in the mornings (rather than in the afternoons).  Usually they go outside and play under the shade tree or go for a walk.  It has really been a helpful change for me because it gives me a little free-time each morning for exercising, showering, or whatever else I want to do before family worship and Enoch's first nap.  On most days, Hugh is still able to get out the door early enough to make it to the office before it's too warm (he's riding his bike), and it gives them some nice (cool) time to play together outside.  (Hugh really enjoys it too!)  Here's a video that Hugh took of their typical man time:

Things Enoch likes:

   -grabbing/touching everything
   -talking
   -getting out of the house... he just loves seeing people!
   -being tickled
   -Daddy time
   -going for walks
   -turning the pages in a book
   -grabbing grass & dirt
   -helping Mama with chores and decorating
   -listening to us sing
   -watching cars (especially those with trailers)
   -biting

Enoch being ferocious while he chews on this foam "B"

(as you can see, he left some marks!!)

Things Enoch doesn't like:

   -being alone

Things Enoch's not quite sure about yet:

   -swimming in the pool
   -dogs
   -our linoleum

New Skills:

   -standing while holding on to an object (or a parent)
   -eating Cheerios (not perfectly consistent at this yet)
   -reaching


Here is Enoch standing up:

And here's an attempt to eat Cheerios (he doesn't actually eat one in this video, but you can see his strategy/skills)  

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Discerning True Salvation

I just love stumbling across excellent blog posts that explain difficult issues plainly with sound doctrine!!  I read an exceptional one a few weeks back, and it has taken me forever to get around to sharing it.  I wanted to go ahead and post it up though because I think it's a good reference for parents (and non-parents alike).

The original article that I read (by Brian Croft from Practical Shepherding) was about how to discern the conversion of a child.  He based his 5 points on Jonathan Edwards' 5 marks of true conversion (aimed at adults), which the Resurgence republished here.

I enjoyed reading each article, and I feel like they are both helpful in many ways.  First, I think that we should each be seeing these 5 marks in our own lives if we claim to be a Christian.  For me, the mark of hating sin is convicting because I can still clearly identify sin in my own life, and I know that my heart doesn't hate it fully yet.  Oh that Christ would continue breaking me of my fleshly nature.

Then, I also think that if we have a brother or sister in Christ who is not displaying these marks, we should encourage/sharpen him/her and try to strengthen his/her faith (or lead them to true saving faith, depending on their relationship with the Lord).  Lastly, when it comes to adolescents, I think these marks can help identify true conversion and can also guide us as we interact with young people and know what to expect from regenerated youth.  I found Croft's article (and revision of the original marks) to be insightful and to give a good starting ground for us to stand on as Enoch matures and grasps the gospel more and more.

Just to whet your appetite, I'll post Edwards' Five Marks of True Conversion here in short form, but please go and check out both articles.  I think they'll be beneficial to you in one way or another (or maybe multiple ways).  :)

1. You love Jesus
2. You hate sin
3. You love God's Word
4. You love [and are ruled by] the truths of Scripture
5. You love believers

These may seem short and "easy", but I would challenge you to read through each point again and pause to think upon it briefly.  These 5 marks are things that you will not seek to do in and of yourself.  You MUST be born again.  Without the purification that Jesus offers and the help of the Spirit, these marks are impossible to carry out to the true depths that Christ calls us to.  In the redemptive work of Christ alone can we be reconciled to God, deny ourselves (and our sinful nature), and seek to be ruled by God, loving what He loves and hating what He hates.

We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.      (Colossians 1:9b-10)

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A Few Firsts

Last week was a big week of firsts for our Little Man!  He had a few firsts that I just wanted to write down so that I could remember (and to share with all of our family & friends).  So here they are (in no particular order):

First Accident Involving Blood

Yes, I know.. it's sad to hear, but our baby boy has now spilled a little blood.  :(  But he is okay now!  Let me try to be brief in telling the story.  We were out to a church-wide lunch at a family's home north of town.  It was really a good time, and after everyone ate, we all stayed and talked for a few hours.  (As a side note, Hugh and I really enjoyed it!!)  To keep Enoch entertained at one point, I had given him a little 4 oz tupperware container with Cheerios in it.  (He loves to pick it up, shake it and throw it.)  Anyway, he was sitting in my lap at the dining table playing with it, being such a good boy.  [The scene seems quite picturesque, right??]  Well, he ended up throwing his head down and hitting his jaw on the tupperware container (which was on the table), forcing his bottom teeth through his top gums just a bit.  [I still get a little squeamish just typing it...]  Anyway, he took in a REALLY big breath/gasp before he started wailing (which I don't blame him for one bit, but Hugh and I always joke that the bigger the breath/gasp, the bigger the booboo).  So I turned him around to comfort him in my arms, and after a few seconds, I realized that this was a pretty big booboo because he wasn't calming down.  So I opened up his mouth to check, and sure enough, there was blood!!  Mommy and Daddy played ER in the kitchen for a few minutes though (meaning we wrapped a paper towel around an ice cube and let him suck on it), and then he was only a little pitiful (I think he gets that residual state of pitifulness from me).  :)  This morning when I checked, I could hardly tell that his gums were bleeding yesterday.  I'll attribute that to a baby's ability to heal quickly + a little breastmilk (which our midwife called liquid gold and claimed could heal almost anything).

First Time to Eat Cheerios by Himself

So, after Enoch calmed down from his first bleeding booboo, we sat back down at the table.  He was feeling a little restless though, so this time I gave him a few Cheerios to play with.  We've been letting him play with Cheerios for a few weeks now (since our recent trip to visit Great Grandma Mary), but the ability to get them from his hand into his mouth had evaded him thus far.  Well, I don't know if having his first accident matured him or what, but sure enough, he learned how to transfer Cheerios from his hand into his mouth yesterday afternoon too!  He ended up eating around 5 all by himself!!

(I realize as I type "all by himself" that this is the first of many things he will begin doing without parental help, which is a little sad from a sentimental point of view, but as Hugh always likes to point out, helping our children mature into responsible, God fearing adults is a higher/better calling than trying to keep them at a certain stage for the rest of their lives.  ;)

First Time to "Swim" in a Big Pool

Okay, so this didn't happen yesterday; it was technically this past Tuesday, but I still wanted to include it.  :) We went over to a play group on Tuesday with some other ladies that I had met at church the prior Sunday.  The pool was in the back yard of one of the grandparents, and it had a nice big shallow end (around 3') for the kiddos to play in.  Enoch wasn't thrilled at first, but as long as I held him he was okay.  By the end of our swim (which lasted about an hour) he was enjoying it and laughing some.  He did NOT like the floaty made for babies, but maybe next time he'll warm up to it.  And I'm also happy to report that he didn't poop in the pool.  What manners!  :)

First Time to Stand Solo (while holding onto the couch)

While Hugh was playing with Enoch this weekend, he taught him how to grab ahold of the couch while standing to keep his balance.  I think both boys really enjoyed playing like this!  I'm hoping to upload a video for the FFF post this week.

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