Week #1 With Our Katherine

One week ago we brought our baby girl home from the hospital.

Since then she has tried on new outfits,

had a bath,

snuggled with and gazed a lot at her daddy,

spent a lot of time being cute and small,

been held daily by her biggest fan,

received much affection from both of her siblings,

slept quite a bit,

mastered pacifier sucking,                                            taken up "reading,"

 and graciously hosted many visitors.

Having Katherine home has been wonderful.  As far as babies go, she is a delight and Baby Wise has helped  us to establish an amazing routine.  (I'll write about that book sometime soon.)  The greatest challenge of bringing home baby has been the little guy featured with me in this photograph:

I love this little boy to death; he's our family comedian, fully of joyful energy, adores his baby sister, and loves a good snuggle (among many other things!)  Bringing his sister home, though, has resulted in expected but sometimes very overwhelming disobedience. Our theme word this week has been self-control ... praying it and speaking about it for myself as much as Brian.  At times, he's fine, helping or playing like his normal self.  Then, Mr. Hyde emerges and it's like he's incapable of hearing my voice or Colin's or getting himself under control.

So right now I'm praying for wisdom and discernment about how to love an interact with him in a way that will fill up his little "love tank" and lead to a reduction in the act-out behavior.  I've done a lot of yelling this week, or speaking in harsh tones, given time outs and threats, and taken things away.  This approach helps in the short term, but leaves me feeling miserable when I tuck my little boy into bed at night.  Sure, he needs discipline, but I want to take it another step further and study my little boy to know how to best tend to his little heart during this time of transition.

So, while our first week has been really quite wonderful - the best newborn homecoming we've ever experienced; we've even been to the park, library, and grocery store - it's also had its moments!  I am thankful that God keeps interrupting me with the gospel, reminding me of my need for it (Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so, repent and believe; Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so, repent and believe!), and my need to extend mercy to my husband and children too.

Have a blessed Sunday.  I pray that God meets you in worship.  I cannot WAIT to get to church this morning!!

Jesus!

In an attempt to start catching up on how behind I am in my daily Bible reading, I jumped back into it this morning and, after some Leviticus, found myself in the first chapter of Mark.  We've been studying Mark in our Community Group this year, and every week we're baffled a little more by Jesus.  In the first chapter of his gospel, Mark provides these snapshots of Jesus:

• His coming is prophesied
• He's baptized
• He's tempted (physically and spiritually)
• He proclaims that God's kingdom is near
• He calls
• He exorcises a demon
• He heals
• He prays
• He preaches

My conclusion: This man came on the scene, and it was a BIG DEAL!  He's a man the likes of which the earth has never seen.

Later in scripture, He's described like this:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation — if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

This passage offers us not only a description of Jesus, who He is and what He's done, but also what it means for our lives if we put our faith in Him.  ONCE we were alienated from God, His enemies, BUT NOW because of Jesus, we've been reconciled to God.

This is the firm foundation upon which you, dear Christian, can and must stand every day.  We never escape our need for this good news, not one single moment of any day!  Be encouraged today, if you have placed your faith in Christ, you have the hope offered only by the gospel: you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  Colossians 3:3

Period.

Or EXCLAMATION!

Yes, today, let's live as those whose lives are defined by an exclamation point, because of what GOD has done by His SPIRIT through his Son JESUS!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life! For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him!

A God Story

Since I disappeared for the month of January, I missed getting to tell you that my dad moved to Rwanda early in the month.  He's been a professor of electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University for many years and was asked to direct a new master's program that CMU is opening in Rwanda.  You can read more about it here.  He and my mom will live there for the next one and a half to two years.  (My mom stuck around here to meet baby Katherine and help us after her arrival; she leaves to be with my dad on March 1.  I'm so happy for them and so sad for us.)

One of my father's colleagues is a young woman my age named Crystal.  They discovered a while ago that her father was at University of Illinois doing graduate work the same time as my dad WAY back in the late 70s.  :)  The families didn't know each other.  Since then, though, my folks have met Crystal's, who now live in Kigali, Rwanda's capital city, and my father has been attending their church there.

A couple of weeks ago, my mom made a discovery.

She's been furiously going through all of the closets, cupboards, and rooms of their house, preparing it for the tenants who will live there while my folks are gone.  There is a LOT of stuff in my parent's house; we'll pretend that it has nothing to do with tons of junk that my siblings and I still store there ...  a-hem.

The Rwandan Flag

But, back to the story.

One evening she'd spent quite a while going through photos that had been haphazardly tossed in boxes at some point.  She was on the last box and ready to just pitch it, but felt something telling her she should persevere and finish.  As she got toward the end of the box, she found a few photos from the day I was dedicated at their church in Champaign, IL.  As she looked at the picture she could hardly believe it: there were two African families in the photo and one couple looked very much like what she imagined Crystal's parents might have looked like 30 years ago.  She asked herself, Could it be?  Could Crystal and Heather have been dedicated on the same day almost 33 years ago?!

Contact with Crystal's mother seemed to confirm that yes, it was them.  For final proof, my mom checked my baby book and found this bulletin clipping:

When my dad wrapped up one of  his bi-weekly letters to family with this story, he concluded:

As I wrote to Anne (Crystal's mom), "if something like this were in a novel or movie, it would be dismissed as simply being too unrealistic."  I’ll close here for this time. 

Can’t come up with anything more to top that.

We can't come up with stories to top the work of our Sovereign God, can we?!

In his heart a man plans his course,

but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

I'm left wondering what God has in store for my parents as they begin this new adventure.  I'll keep you posted.

We're Home!

Yesterday Katherine was released from the hospital!

The kids are totally smitten with her, especially her big brother.

Today we're taking it easy, as we will for the next several weeks.  Katherine had a good visit at the pediatrician's and with the formula supplements at the hospital is still almost her birth weight.  Little piggy.  We've also had visits from a couple of friends, as well as having mom here this morning to take care of all of us ... and give me a nap.  After a somewhat rough night, it's been a good day!  I'm pretty smitten with our little girl, too.  :)

How Deep?

I heard this song this morning on Pandora; it's been a while since I've heard it.  I think we sang it fairly regularly at our church in Cambridge.  But anyway, what a beautiful reminder of the gospel on this Sunday morning!  A couple of weeks ago, our pastor preached on John 3:16 and challenged us to consider seriously  what it means that

God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

He spoke of the depth of our depravity and need to be rescued from sin & God's wrath (and that God made it possible!), but how we often take that salvation so lightly because we just want some little aspect of our life to be nicer, more comfortable, less difficult.  Oh the glory of the salvation offered in Christ!  This song declares it so well.  Listen to the song and may the Spirit fill you with joy in your inmost being with the truth that God has saved you, given you new life, and gone to great lengths to call you His own!

  How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

(REPEAT)

We're Not Home Yet

We had a little blip on the screen, our little Katherine came down with a fever on Wednesday night, so she had to be admitted to the NICU for observation and antibiotics.  Since then, the fever has come down and she's doing fine as far as everyone can tell.  The staff of the hospital has been great!  They have made room for me and several other moms to stay in the maternity ward while our babies are in the NICU.  It's been good to be close to Katherine.  The NICU nurses are just so sweet, caring for all of these little ones - and they've been busy the last couple of days!

Yesterday the doctor said it's unlikely we'll get home today (which was really discouraging news to me) but should be able to take her home on Sunday.  I've been tempted to get down, but really there's so many ways God has provided for us, for Katherine, for our whole family ... combating complaining with thanksgiving, and finding it to be a great remedy!  That said, I will be so glad to get home, be outside of the hospital, hang out Elizabeth and Brian, and settle into life as a family of five.

Anyway, here are some photos.  You gotta give the people what they want!  (Colin has a bunch of good ones from his camera too; I'll get those up when we're home.  I don't have any pictures of the grandparents on my memory card!)

Visits from family and friends

And  little fun mixed in!

She's Here!

Katherine Hope joined our family last night around 11pm!

She weighed in at 9lbs 4oz and measured 21 inches.

She's doing great and we're all so excited to have her to hold in our arms!

The proud older siblings.

And then there were five ...