The Weeks Go On

It's been a week since I wrote.

The Ladies Book Day was a great success. My presentation went very well, and with a little scrambling and a couple of phone calls to my brother (who works the audio/video most Sundays at church), the PowerPoint made it to the projector screen. Everyone was mucho impressed by my technical skills, just because I made a bunch of slides. So because I did that, the woman organizing the women's retreat next month asked me to find out about whether it's possible to record speaking sessions. Like I know? So now I have to ask some other people who actually know and report back to her.

The possibility of making it to the retreat next month is becoming much more real. Lizzie is just about down to nursing only twice a day--first thing in the morning, and last thing before bed (except brushing teeth.... usually). This has to do with the retreat in that I can drive up in the morning, stay for the day, and then come home, and not have to worry about Sam having a total disaster on his hands.

This week she dropped the mid-day feeding, and has been drinking whole milk from the sippy cup. OK, really, she's drinking flavored yogurt smoothies mixed in with her milk from the sippy cup, but still! We're making progress. And as the day goes on and she drinks more and needs refills, I add more milk so the flavored yogurt to milk ratio goes down. I don't think we're totally there, though, because today she was having a really rough afternoon, and begged to nurse before going down for her nap. Of course, darling. She is cutting more teeth; she has 12, and is apparently working on the canines (eye teeth) that have to come in between the front and the molars. So I have a feeling these are the worst, because not only do they have to come through, but they have to push between the other teeth that are already there - possibly bringing pain not unlike having orthodontic braces adjusted. My poor baby; no wonder she hasn't been sleeping as well.

Sam had a 3rd interview with the company that he's been talking with. There are still no solid signs that they're ready to hire him, but at least they keep calling him back! We're now praying that they offer him a job, and offer him the one we want: without travel. Hopefully we'll hear more next week.

Tomorrow is the last week of our Believing God Bible Study. It has been fantastic. This is the first time I have actually done every single day of homework, and filled in all the blanks. This is the third time I have attempted this particular study, and the first time I have made it past week 6 or 7. I have never made it to the last week. I am processing what has happened in me, so maybe I will manage to articulate it better in another post. Or maybe I won't have to; maybe the coming months will just show a more active faith. Maybe you'll watch me take God at his word, and see fruit along with me.

Actually, this week has started something pretty amazing in regard to faith and believing that 'God's Word Is Alive and Active In Me' (point 5 in the pledge of faith from the study we've done). For almost 2 years I have been a part of an online forum of women; it is set up for pregnant women who are due in a particular month. They compare symptoms, issues, hormones, questions, doctors appointments, and birth plans. Then their babies are born and the forum stays there for women to discuss everything under the sun pertaining to their labor and delivery, feedings, parenting, the cute things their babies do, and life as a mom. They joke, cry, tell stories, and share a bond of motherhood. I depended on them to "get" me when I had questions, concerns, and experiences to share while I was pregnant and a new mom.

This forum has been remarkable; there is nothing that can be a breeding ground for more drama than a bunch of overtired, hormonal, insecure women on the internet. However, by some amazing miracle, there are at least a couple hundred women who are part of one particular month's forum, and there is a depth of understanding and respect that is hugely unexpected and unusual. At the moment, there is a discussion started when one Christian woman asked one Orthodox Jewish woman, out of pure curiosity and desire to understand, about her faith and practice. It has nearly 100 responses, and every one of them has been thoughtful, respectful, and beautiful. Following that discussion, a thread has opened up a place where the Jewish woman has asked, 'what is your religion?' and well over 100 women have also shared their particular perspectives and stances on faith, religion, and how it affects each one's own life. Through all of it, every one has been careful, honest, and purely offering her own view. There is no name-calling, no defensiveness, and no drama. I am honored to be among such strong and dear women.

In the course of the religion discussion, I befriended one of the women who is in a stage of seeking. She's on the verge of believing; she wants to trust the Lord. I am praying for her, and doing my best to encourage her to look to Jesus, and read the Bible. So far she has been greatly encouraged and comforted by the scriptures I have shared with her. My prayer is that she will come to know Jesus truly, and will have her eyes opened to the truth, discerning any lies for what they are. Besides the joy of knowing that someone is so close to trusting Jesus, I have so enjoyed having a passion in my heart to share the truth of the Gospel. It is not hard. The Word is alive in my heart, and with the Holy Spirit at work, drawing her to the Lord, it is the easiest thing to find the verses that come to my mind while I type. It's easy to have faith when I pray. It's easy because I know that God is involved. It's not me trying my hardest. I am not arguing, just opening the word via links on biblegateway.com and saying what is in my heart, gently, with compassion.

Another comforting thing is this: All I need to do is what is in my heart to do. I don't need to save her. I don't need to convince her. That is the Holy Spirit's job. If she believes, then I will rejoice. If she does not, then I will trust that I have done what I could. If I say something that she does not agree with, and she "unfriends" me, then so be it. If she goes one way and I go another, but we talk about Jesus from two different perspectives, that's great. If I don't see fruit, that's fine. If I do, then glory be to God!

Well, the little girl who has not been sleeping so well has just gotten up. Sam turned on the radio in her room and it's playing "Agnus Dei" - "Aleluia, for the Lord God Almighty reigns."