Crunchy Christian Mamas in 2012 - Page 26

[lilyka]

You would be welcome in my home any day!! And no corner but a place of honor. :) 

remembering the martyrs is a huge part of our daily lives.  I too have often wondered if I would stand under pressure.  So many martyrs went to their death, suffering horrible torture day after day without a word.  Seriously, i would at least wail and scream.  The stories that get me the most are the ones where the tortures used a persons children to get them to succumb.  We have an icon of St Sofia and her three daughters.  They told her to bow down or they would kill her daughter.  I am afraid I would probably drop right then and there.  But she says to her daughter "Be brave!  You are about to meet your heavenly groom".  What a role model!  All three of her daughters were killed while she watched and then when she still refused to convert she was killed as well.  Honestly, beat me, torture me slowly, feed me to lion I don't really care...but hurt my children?  Could anything hurt more?  

I have a really  great book of children martyrs.  What a blessing to their parents that would so bravely stick to their faith.  many of them well aware of the trials they were about to face.  How do I instill in my children that sort of absolute devotion to God?

Please keep praying for me friends.  Christmas is really hard for me.  I do not like sharing my kids with a sociopath.  He has been on the war path today.  He is controlling and manipulative.  Today (as happens every year or so) he contacted my priest to try and use him to manipulate me.  My priest is very wise and I am not concerned (I have his blessing and instruction to only contact ex in writing so as to avoid being manipulated and to avoid temptation to sin by being bitter and filled with anger ;-) he has a policy of not dealing with my ex unless it is crucially important to me or my children...nothing has come up) but my poor priest.  He must tire of this drama.  Pray for him as well.  He is so dear to me and is one of the only people I am sure truly loves me.  I hate that he gets dragged into this.  On the up side, he perhaps knows more than anyone that I am not just creating drama or being whiny or uncooperative.

I am pretty sure I am starting a new job on Christmas morning (no worries.  All I had planned was a massive pity party so being crazy busy and super focused is really SUCH a blessing), my high school is refusing to release my transcript because the woman is petty and vindictive (my request got lost in the mail or at the school.  i am taking the high road and assuming it was the mail.  She is assuming I am lying and just waited until the last minute.).  All this stress is causing my irregular heartbeat to act up.  Oh and my tenants are moving out which means I am $1000 short on income this month.  AWESOME! and I may or may not be starting school in two weeks.  

In other news....there really are bigger problems out there.

There has been a lot of talk about what happened in Connecticut this week.  I just read this article and wanted to share it with you guys.  It is really amazing.

Here are some highlights but it is really worth reading the whole thing.

 Here is the link:

http://roadsfromemmaus.org/2012/12/17/where-was-christ-in-the-newtown-massacre/

 

"The truest answer to violence is love. The truest answer to death is life. The only prevention for violence is for the heart to have no violence within it. We can legislate all we like, but the violent heart will still find a weapon and the opportunity to use it. We cannot prevent evil through any system devised by mankind. But we can grapple with evil and defeat it, but only with love—real love, too, not just some sentimental feeling, but self-sacrifice."

" if you look at the icon of the Nativity of Christ, you will also see that the manger is shaped like a coffin, that the myrrh brought by the wise men is the kind of thing that will be used to anoint the dead Jesus, that the swaddling clothes are very much like burial cloths. In the true story of Christmas, Herod rages and the road to the Cross is already begun.

And that is our answer. We stare evil in the face, and we say again and again: Christ is risen!"

[Nazsmum]

Christ is risen!!! Messiah is control of all things.

lilyka- Thanks, I will be coming one day.

Can you give the name of the book of children martyrs? I was 10yrs old when we moved to a new town. I was an ODD BALL in the town. MOST of the town was from one church one denom and I was, well me .  One boy on the playground come to find this out...He made me an outcast right away. He would pick on me and tell other kids weird stories about me. I was bullied in many ways for not believeing like like them. He was what maybe 10 or 11?? It was crazy. My point of view changed. It made me walk closer to the Lord. Yes, I did really start believeing in Jesus at age 4. I really walk with Him...But at the point we moved I had to really hold on to Him. It made me a stronger person. It made me see children in a way most don't....All of us are presented with the Gospel in do time. No matter the age. We never know what tomorrow will bring.

This is why I really get upset at all of this false teaching in the children's ministry We need to teach our children the pure simple word of God/Jesus. Who cares about all the other things??? Do they KNOW that Christ is risen???

OK OK I'm calm now. I'm praying for you, lilyka. I think it is great that you are going forward with your plans of school and everything. The Lord knows what you need. You are in His hands. The hand of the Lord is the only place to be. Best place.

You are all in my prayers. It is hard being a mom and living in this world.  I'm think of the verse in Luke about preg and nursing mothers in the end...I know it is in Luke. (I will find it later.) But even if you are not preg or nursing it is hard. As moms whom are believers we see the truth of a sinful world. Our heart are with the parents in CT.

Sorry to talk like this. Blessings to all

[lilyka]

Glory to God! I got my transcript sent today.  It was a battle of epic proportions.  Seriously.  That lady has it in for me for reasons I am unsure of.  And I eventually got to the right person and within minutes I had my transcript.  The official one should hopefully be on the way.  I am scheduled to take my placement tests Thursday.  Pray for me.  It has been 20 years since I have done any of that stuff. LOL  All I have left is to settle the matter of my job.

The name of the book is Let the Little Children Come.  If you want to order it I have ordered from the company in the link and they are really good.  I would recommend reading the stories ahead of time because they are not sugar coated or dumbed down  but the very point of this book is to chronical their martyrdom.   They are organized according the feast of each martyr (these children are celebrated and commemorated in our church) and make for a nice addition to daily devotions.

[Nazsmum]

OK, Thurs I will pray. Thank GOD for the transcripts. You will do fine

[DeeGee 1873]

Hello all,

I know it has been a few (okay, many) weeks since I checked in, but I am in need of some prayers and comfort. So, baby #3 was born last week. Sweet little Jack! But the weeks and hours leading up to his birth were really tough.

In mid-November, my little boy caught chicken pox. While I was pleased that he had caught wild pox, the timing was not great, and I really stressed about bringing a newborn home to a sick household. Just as he got over it, one by one the people in my household came down with the flu (first my daughter, then my husband, then my son and me). I started having prodormal labor in late November, at about 38 weeks. It was exhausting and just really sapped my energy. I was having consistent but not patterned contractions basically all day long, easy enough to sleep through at night, but distracting and occasionally very painful. Sometimes, the contractions would get stronger and seem to form a pattern, and I would start to stress about how "I couldn't go in to labor because . . . . ". There was always something wrong, someone was sick, my doula was with another mom, my kids had something important to do that day. Over and over again, I would get my hopes up that labor was about to really start, and then I would get it in my head that it was inconvenient to be in labor right then and I would get so stressed that I wouldn't be able to focus. My doula was convinced that the reason that labor wasn't sticking was really a mental and emotional thing.

So Jack was due December 7th, and that day came and went. I finally went into undeniable, can't ignore this or stop this labor in the early hours of the 12th. We went to the birth center mid morning, but they couldn't really admit me because the midwife could not read my posterior cervix well enough, but she encouraged me to stay at the birth center and do some work to get baby to rotate to a better position and descend some. I labored all day, in serious pain but making little progress. Late in the day, I went to a chiropractor, and a quick adjustment made things pick up dramatically. Back at the birth center, the midwife let me labor in the water and things were a little easier to deal with, but by 10 pm, I was exhausted and the midwife was concerned that at the rate I was progressing, labor would be really long. We decided to break my water (which had happened naturally during my last labor just minutes before I felt like I had to push, so we hoped that breaking my water would change things up dramatically this time). The next hour and a half were intense and really painful. I was really not wanting to be in labor in more AT ALL when I finally felt the urge to push. I delivered Jack's head quickly, but then my midwife got serious. Jack's right shoulder was stuck and the cord was wrapped around his neck. The midwife was doing everything she could to get him out, really "going in" after him, and I remember her telling everyone that I had to get on my hands and knees, NOW. As I turned, his shoulder began to come unstuck and the midwife pulled him out quickly and they resuscitated him. The pushing phase was only about 10 minutes but it was a terrifying 10 minutes and it could have been really bad (I am so grateful that the midwife did not have to break his clavicle to get him out, knowing what I know now about shoulder dystocia).

I am just beginning to work through all of this. But right now I am feeling, just broken. Like my body failed me and then I failed mentally and emotionally. I wasn't brave or steady at all when labor got tough, my doula had to tell me over and over again to not fight the contractions. And those last minutes of labor being so frightening will stick with me a long time. Every time I look at that sweet face, I think of how scared I was in those last few minutes.

Anyway, I need some prayer. I am just sad and tired right now. And I am annoyed at my family and husband because I have not gotten the level of rest or care that I expected following any labor, let alone such a difficult and long one. My parents came in town and basically sat around and watched, never offering to change a diaper or do anything around the house, leaving it to husband and me. And I have had to beg and badger and demand things of my husband. He acts bewildered and annoyed when I ask for pretty much anything, weather it be to wash the dishes or vacuum, like he is annoyed to have do anything beyond keep the older kids entertained while I take care of baby Jack. And HE is complaining about how tired he is and how he doesn't feel well since he has a lingering cough following the flu. And I just can't believe that my normally kind husband would be so insensitive as to complain about being tired with how I am clearly feeling.

Thanks in advance for any support or prayers that you can offer.

[Nazsmum]

JackBlessings

I was just thinking about you the other day. I remembered you were due in DEC. I will pray that you heal and get some rest. Take care of yourself.

[Nazsmum]

Originally Posted by lilyka 

  I am scheduled to take my placement tests Thursday.

So how did it go??

Tomorrow starts the madness. Everyday till the 25th I have a party/dinner or something. My husband is in the Christmas concert this year. AND a b-day party...This is going to be "FUN"  Maybe I can get some Ice Cream.

[lilyka]

Tests went most excellently.  Ahem....97 in reading, 99 in writing and 59 in math which is not spectacular but got me into college algebra which is what I needed.    So woohoo!  I am officially accepted and can enroll on the 31.  My new boss is awesome and is being super patient with all my last minute school stuff.

Now comes the marathon.  I do not have a day off until the Jan 4th.  Yuck.  

[Nazsmum]

 GREAT!!!! You rock!  College algebra  for that one. My Prof was sssooo weird. The test had more to do with his dog then math...NOT A JOKE. All the word prombles had his dog in themThe last day he had the dog with him. That dog looked just like him. It is a good thing you live in SD and not in NJ.

Is everyone ready for Christmas???

[mamaecho]

Just wanted to say HEY!!!

[Nazsmum]

Merry Christmas!!!!

[John16n33]

Merry Christmas!  We are still trying to finish Dd's present from 'Santa', everything is built but I ran out of paint today and I still have to paint the little refrigerator.  Other than that Dh just has to attach the oven door and the sink faucet.  Phew, we're cutting it close.

Dd is singing with the rest of kids church at the candlelight service tomorrow nigh and Dh is coming to watch.  I don't know whether Dd is more excited about singing or the fact that her daddy's going to church lol.

[Nazsmum]

We are just about done w/gifts. I started early this year.

Happy Monday

[Nazsmum]

Christmas was TO TO much. Today is the first day without something to do..

lilyka- How is the new job?

John16n33- Student teaching?

Lewprivette- How are you doing?

mamaecho- HEY! How are you? Husband?

WHERE IS EVERYONE???

[John16n33]

Still nothing on the student teaching front.  I did have one teacher who has agreed to be my mentor (did I already mention that?) but it has to be approved by the principal and the school board which it hasn't yet.  Schools don't go back in session until the 7th so we will see.

[Nazsmum]

How was Christmas???

[John16n33]

It was good!  I am getting my best Christmas present today though, my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins vacationed on the Big Island for Christmas and they are headed home today.  But they have 7 hour layover in Honolulu so I get to see them for a few hours.  My Uncle wants to treat us to dinner, and I am soo excited!

How was your Christmas?

[Nazsmum]

My christmas was nice. We had dinner at my parents and nice gifts. My parents gave us the FREE CAR this year SSOO I was not expecting anything from them. But they gave us a giftcard for dinner and they will watch the kidsMy father is so great!!! He is so kind to me. My in-laws are anyother story. I will not tell you that story. It is to sad to repeat.

Enjoy your dinner. 

[Nazsmum]

OK, Here is what is going on w/ me and church. I have written the pastor many times now. We did talk a little. I talked to the Sunday School SUPER...I can't tell you what she said. Many of you would be MAD. (She said things that are shocking for a christian to say) I am trying to get together with my #1's Sunday School teacher....I keep e-mailing her she does not get back to me. I am so I don't know....mad? sad? bewilded?  Do I need to change me? I'm I in the wrong? WHY is the Lord letting this happen to me. I leave one church because of AIG and now it shows up here.

Thanks for letting me vent. I'm going to hind under a rock for a while.

[John16n33]

I'm sorry to here that Naz, I think I somehow missed the post about what started all this. But I will be praying that it all gets worked out and you can find comfort in church soon.

Speaking of finding comfort in church I am dealing with my own spiritual battle now.  I think I mentioned before that I was raised Mormon, I am actually baptized as a member of the church, but I left the church when I was 13 or so.  There are many reasons I left, mostly because no one in my family that said they were LDS were following the teachings other than my grandmother, and my aunt had recently left the church and she is the one I always attended with.  Lately though I have been feeling a pull toward the church again.  I am seeing people and getting to know other military families that are walking the walk and not just talking the talk, so to say.  I am feeling that I need to investigate this and make sure that I am leaving for right reasons, instead of reasons that my 13 year old mind found.  My problem was never with the doctrine, but in my ward sometimes if I had questions about the doctrine they were just swept under the rug.  Looking back though I think a lot of it was things that the bishop or missionaries didn't feel comfortable talking to me about without my mom or an adult member of my family present, so they told me to ask my family.  When I asked my family they were the ones who swept it under the rug, and looking back a lot of it was because if they told me the truth (like about not drinking alcohol) they would look like they weren't good members.  Does that makes sense?  Anyway, I am on this little journey.  I am not saying I am going to become an active member again, I just want to make sure I am making these decisions based on adult mindset instead of a kid mindset.  (PLEASE ONLY COMMENT TO THIS IF YOU HAVE SUPPORTING WORDS).