FFF: Kisses at Dinner

Well, as predicted, we've been really busy this week with packing & preparing our new home to move into!  And to be honest, I had nothing for the FFF post this week... until dinner time.  :)  BUT Enoch must have known that the FFF post was lacking because after dinner tonight he totally had a video-worthy moment...

After we had said "all done" and cleaned off his hands and face, he was in the best mood.  Out of the blue, he looked over at Hugh, puckered his lips (which he's never done before), and made his kissing sound ("mmm..") like he was just waiting for Hugh to give him a kiss. (This is what we do to him sometimes, so I think it's hilarious that he picked it up and started doing it to us!!)  And then he did it to me.  And then he repeated about 20 times.  It was precious!  So, of course, I caught a few seconds of it on camera and thought I'd share.  Hope you guys enjoy!

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FFF: A Few Firsts

Well, this has been a big week for our small family!  Let me tell you the 3 things that were firsts for us:

First up on the "firsts" list from this week... WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!!   I haven't posted anything on here during the month-long process of buying because there were a few long shots and hurdles that we had to come through before we could close on this house.  I hope to do a detailed post at some point about the process of buying this for sale by owner home as well as some details about the home itself.  For now, I'll sum it up by saying we love this house because: it has enough space for our family to grow into (4 bedrooms, 2 baths); it is close to campus; and it will allow us to "host" international students because of the layout (this has been a goal of ours for a few years now).  However, before we can move in, we need to clean, paint, repair, and probably clean some more.  :)  So, I am going to go ahead and just say that for the next 2 weeks or so, blog posts will probably be sparse.  Sorry!  I'm going to try and keep up with the FFF posts and the Reading Together posts for sure because they're both so fun, but if they show up a day late or are really short... you'll know why.

The second "first" for us this week was Enoch taking his first independent steps!  Hugh has been practicing standing and walking with him every evening (and usually every morning too) for the past few weeks, and it has really given Enoch the help he needed in figuring out how to coordinate his feet. At this point, Enoch can take 5-6 steps toward Hugh, but he still falls a lot, and he doesn't have very much incentive/confidence to do it on his own when Hugh's not practicing with him.   It's also really hard to get it on video because he think falling toward Hugh is a game, and so he'll fall 3 times for every 1 time he'll walk.  So, this video is from a few nights ago when he was just learning how to coordinate 2-3 steps at a time (I didn't get a video of the 6 steps he took from tonight).

And the third "first" from this week is also in the video below... Enoch has officially said his first word (with an attached meaning) - "Dada."  He says it non-stop when Hugh gets home from work in the evening, and if Hugh doesn't immediately pick him up and carry him everywhere he goes until dinner time, Enoch pouts...  It's pretty cute.  :)

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R2g: Gladys Aylward {Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God}

This is the third chapter in Noel Piper's book that we are reading together: Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God.  This chapter looks into the life of Gladys Aylward, missionary to China.  She was a short, uneducated, poor English woman who God moved to the Shanxi Province in China (see map below) against many odds.  It seems that she was gifted with the ability to share the gospel, and her short stature and dark hair made her naturally at home with the Chinese.  She eventually became a full-fledged Chinese citizen and adopted the name "Ai-weh-deh" which means "the virtuous one."  And even though she dropped out of school at 14 and was not a good student, she was able to pick up the Chinese language quickly when given the incentive of hard work.

"The fact that I learned not only to speak, but also to read and write the Chinese language like a native in later years, is to me one of God's great miracles"  (p. 85)

As I read the story of Gladys' life, I was continually shocked by the many ways the Lord provided for her.  I thought I'd recount a few of my favorites for this chapter's review.

• After learning the language, Gladys had a desire to travel more and share the gospel in remote villages around her, but she had no money or means of safe transport.  At the same time, the government banned foot-binding {meant to keep women's feet small}, and the local mandarin {possibly similar to a mayor or governor in the US} appointed her to go from village to village inspecting children's feet to enforce the ban.  He not only gave her a donkey to ride and soldiers to protect her, but he also paid her a stipend to live on!  This was her response, "As I look back, I am amazed at the way God opened up the opportunities for service.  I had longed to go to China, but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that God would overrule in such a way that I would be given entrance into every village home [not just every village]; have authority to banish a cruel, horrible custom; have government protection; and be paid to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as I inspected feet!"  (p. 87-88)
• Later, after the local mandarin knew and respected Gladys and her God more, he called on her to stop a prison riot.  In those days, Chinese prisons were horrid and criminals were all housed together, no matter the level of their crime.  The riot that had broken out involved one man with an axe {how in the world he had an axe in prison, I'm not sure} who had killed and wounded several other prisoners.  When they arrived at the prison, the guard told her that the soldiers were too afraid to deal with the riot but that he knew she could because, "You {Gladys} preach the living God everywhere.  If you preach the truth -- if your God protects you from harm -- then you can stop this riot" (p. 89).  So even though Gladys knew nothing about prisons or stopping bloody riots, she entered the prison, took the axe away from the murder, and ordered the other prisoners around.  Shockingly, they obeyed her, the riot was stopped, and her God's reputation was given much credibility.

There are a handful of other amazing examples of God's provision for Gladys and her deep faith in Him... Like the time she led 100 children through the mountains seeking refuge for more than 2 weeks during the Japanese invasion... Or the intense conditions she faced when she traveled through Europe and Siberia in order to make it into China.  However, those stories are not well summarized here due to their length and detail.  So, I'll end with a quote from a letter Gladys sent to her mother in the hardest part of the Japanese invasion of China.  In my opinion, it clearly shows her devotion to God's calling no matter the cost:

Life is pitiful, death so familiar, suffering and pain so common, yet I would not be anywhere else.  Do not wish me out of this or in any way seek to get me out, for I will not be got out while this trial is on.  These are my people, God has given them to me, and I will live or die with them for him and his glory" (p. 94-95).  

I also appreciated Noel Piper's conclusion to this chapter so much, that I thought I'd include it here as well for those who are just following the blog posts but aren't able to be reading the actual chapters with us.  I think it is so challenging!

Gladys Aylward had every reason to say she couldn't go to China.  She could not have afforded it.  She could not have survived the trip through Russia.  She could not have led 100 children safely across the mountains and the Yellow River.  No, she couldn't.  But God could.  If we think we can't do what God is asking us to do, we're right.  But God can.  (p. 102)

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For those of you reading along, what parts of Gladys Aylward's life were most encouraging or inspiring for you?   How do you relate to her story?  How were you challenged by Noel's conclusion?

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In Response to Evil...

... let us pray.

Sometimes I find that words, even for prayers, are hard to come by in the aftermath of evil.  This is especially true when you are touched by the evil and/or when you can relate so closely with those afflicted.  I am often comforted by the truth in these verses when I find that words simply will not come:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  (Romans 8:26-27)

In relation to last week's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, I found this response of prayer from Kevin DeYoung helpful in lifting those affected up to our Gracious God.  It is soaked in truth and full of Biblically centered pleas to the Father.


A prayer for Sandy Hook and for us all 

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FFF: Commands

I caught a quick video this week of Enoch eating and obeying/using commands.  In the video, you can see how he typically responds when I ask him to drink some milk, and you can see his version of asking for "more."   He learned the milk command about a month or so ago, but saying "more" has just happened in the past few weeks.  {And I should also note that he is not always this calm while eating.  While we strive for this type of behavior, sometimes it's a struggle... most notably in the evening when he's tired.}




For those wondering, this is what "more" should look like:

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Enoch Live: pajamas all morning

point proven  ;)

Why my baby gets to stay in his pajamas all morning...

• he's snuggly;
• he's warm and comfortable for his first nap;
• if he's rowdy while eating breakfast, he doesn't get applesauce on his good clothes;
• and lastly, there's just not much cuter than a little boy in footie pajamas!

... although a naked little boy with a cloth diaper on is definitely a close runner-up... but in the winter time it's probably not wise to leave your babies naked for too long, no matter how cute they are.  ;)

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R2g: Lilias Trotter {Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God}

I enjoyed reading about Lilias Trotter over the past week from Noel Piper's book, Faithful Women & Their Extraordinary God.  While I had never before heard of her, it seems that she lived a truly meaningful and faithful life for the Lord.

Here are a few of the highlights I picked out from this short biography of her life:

• She chose to serve the Lord first and foremost and allowed her giftings (art) to be a means, not an end in itself.  This seemed like a hard decision for her, and I often find myself faced with similar decisions.  I love the way Noel summarizes this decision, "Much later, she realized even more strongly the importance of focusing on Jesus, rather than on all the good things he gives us"  (p. 46).
• She was creative and full of new ideas in fulfilling her ministry to Muslims in Algeria.  She and her dear friend Blanche came up with numerous ways to meet and visit Muslim women.   They also traveled to desert outposts, where missionaries had not yet been and sought to send more missionaries there to follow-up with their work.  Additionally, Lilias was among the first to begin writing biblical material for Arab women, even though the vast majority were illiterate during her lifetime, because she knew the Lord would bring literacy and she wanted solid material for them to be able to study and learn from.  I appreciated her response when she was criticized for being so forward-thinking, "And do not let us feel 'it is all premature'.  Faith is generally premature; it deals with things 'not seen as yet'." (p. 53)
• I also appreciated Noel's emphasis on how unlikely Lilias was to be a single, female missionary in Algeria.  She was 'older' before she began her missions work; she didn't know anyone in Algeria nor did she know the language (Arabic); she was physically frail due to her heart and required extended times of rest; she had received no formal training about being a missionary or living in a different culture; and, at that point in history the team of women were being pioneers in reaching Muslim women with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And yet with all of these hurdles, Lilias was faithful and the Lord made a way and blessed her ministry for thirty-five years!!  That is so encouraging to me and reminds me of this passage from the Word:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

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For those of you reading along with me, what aspects of Lilias' life stood out to you the most?  Were you encouraged?  Challenged?  Share you thoughts below with a comment!


I'll leave you with a piece of her artwork as well as a challenging quote:

Take heed to the ministry which thou has received in the Lord that thou fulfill it. (p. 63)

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