Best Friends

Everyone had a best friend - I hope. That's the thing I miss most about childhood. Best friends. Kids get what friendship is all about. It's about spending time together. I think one of the closest relationships on earth is between two childhood friends. You did everything together. You shared everything. You knew everything about one another - and liked each other anyway. There was no jealousy. There was no envy. No gossip. It was about make-believe games or dressing up to play pretend. You cried together when you were scared and laughed together when you were happy. You called each other on the phone every day after school ... or, if you were lucky enough, just rode the bus home together and took it straight from there.

What happened to friendship as we got older (speaking specifically to female friendship, not dating or marriage)? We lost best friends and gained acquaintances. That's what happened. Our best friend got replaced by a busy schedule. We don't have time for deep relationships - or the energy for that matter. We have husbands to feed and children to raise ... there's no room for a best friend anymore.

Or is there? I think my greatest flaw is that I will always desire a best friend.

Because Calvin and Hobbes say it best ... "Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend."

Wednesday Wants ...

Things that sound really good:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Fall weather (including, but not limited to: jeans, scarves, and long sleeve shirts)

A good massage

Reading a good book on the couch with a working fireplace (but first I will need to find a good book ... and a working fireplace)

Double Cheeseburgers and french fries (not unusual)

Naps

Pedicures

A Lightbulb

I've been thinking more and more about my time in Africa since I found out I was pregnant. I think it has opened my eyes a little to how God was working while we were there.

I had a lot of doubts about why things were being put in our path. I had no idea why God would keep us out of certain areas ... or keep us from activities that we had planned to do ... or not allow us to do anything risky. We were all prepared to face a little risk, but it seemed like God shut all the doors to anything like that.

And we didn't know why.

Now that I know I was pregnant the whole time, I feel a little at peace. God was protecting something I didn't even know needed protecting. How awesome of a God is that? I'm glad He knew.

So ... why mToto??? Because it means "baby/child" in Swahili ... and our baby is already a world traveler, yet still under the careful protection of God. I can only believe that God will have a special eye on mToto for the rest of his or her life.

Two Pink Lines

So ... as most of you know, the reason I haven't been blogging so much is that we recently found out that I am pregnant. We weren't going to tell a lot of people, so I decided to break from blogging until I could share the news.

The unOfficial Story of mToto:

... Back in July a teacher (who also goes to my church) came down and told me about a weird dream she had where I was pregnant. Well, at the time we were seeing doctors to get on fertility drugs because I was diagnosed with PCOS (webMD it if you want), which made it hard to get pregnant. So - naturally – I freaked and went home early and took a test … and it was negative.

I was semi-relieved because I was leaving for Africa the next week.

When I got home from Africa, Brent and I saw my OB about getting on Clomid and Progesterone. I was sleeping all the time, and I thought it was a serious case of jet lag. The day before we started our drug treatment, I had to take another test … and it was POSITIVE! So - I took it again. Positive again.

I forgot every cute thing I was going to do to tell Brent we were pregnant and just walked into the room holding a stick - I had just peed on - speechless.

I went to the doctor the next morning and told her I couldn't be more than 1-2 weeks along ... because I had just gotten home (and I had taken a test before I left that was negative). So we did an ultrasound ... and SURPRISE ... 6 1/2 weeks along.

So – it turns out – I was pregnant when she had that dream. I was pregnant in Africa. (My test had been a false negative.) And the jet lag I thought I had ... not jet lag.

I’m now 10 ½ weeks along … and everything is going great!

What do you believe?

"They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm." 1 Timothy 1:6-7

We're doing lessons in FCA on something similar to this. The focus is debunking the myths of what it means to be a Christian.

We read this study that found most teenagers (and I would guess young adults) cannot clearly talk about their faith and what they believe. So we decided to start asking the kids - what is it that you believe? What does it mean to be a Christian? What's important to know? Are there any misconceptions floating around our culture?

For example:

I believe there is one God.

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder." James 2:19

I believe I can get to Heaven for being a good person.

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Prayer shows we have faith in God, and I pray for people all the time.

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:14-16


I'm sure you have heard many - if not all of these - before. Just something to consider ... do you know what you believe? It is part of the core message? Does it line up with scripture? Food for thought ...