Posts
We have a new page on the website dedicated to breastfeeding!
We are looking for an article on nursing in public for the next issue.
Many women are self-conscious about nursing in public, but it's even harder for Christian women. Churches often teach that breasts are very sexual and that sexual things are to be avoided. At worst, our bodies are made out to be dirty, shameful things to hide, and too often the best message we get is that they are beautiful, but only in the context of marriage as a "gift" for your husband.
God made breasts for nursing babies! Are they sexual too? Yes! So are mouths, hands, feet, and knees. In fact, I can think of a lot more sexual things to do with my mouth or hands than my breasts! ;) Which body part becomes the epitome of sexuality largely depends on culture. In some cultures in Africa, women walk around topless and no one bats an eyelash, but if they show off any leg, heads will turn!
Regardless of how our culture (at large and in the Christian community) views breasts, we can stand strong in the knowledge that not only are our bodies beautifully and wonderfully made, they are also useful for nourishing and comforting our children. Our babies' need for food and comfort is more important that any amount of cultural confusion.
So, nurse those babies (and toddlers and preschoolers!) where ever you are when they get hungry, even and maybe especially in church. And if anyone confronts you, remind them of two things: your state's breastfeeding laws and the fact that Mary most certainly nursed Jesus.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Journeys of Deliverance
This Passover season has me thinking about journeys of deliverance. A few days ago I read in Philippians 1:18-19 "...I will continue to rejoice, for I know that this will work out for my deliverance." How amazing to still be rejoicing in the midst of turmoil!
This is my second year celebrating the Passover. I am part of a dance group that presented a teaching Seder at a Celebrate Recovery group, and I had the Passover meal at a friend's house this evening. So, I have spent much of the last week re-reading the Exodus story, learning more about how it foreshadowed Jesus death and resurrection, and how he fulfilled the prophesies by becoming the atoning Lamb.
It's easy to see the parallel between God delivering the Israelites from Egypt and Jesus delivering us from our sins. What has been more interesting to me this week has been thinking about the journey that deliverance started. At first, the Isrealites probably only saw the physical aspect of their deliverance. They had been slaves and then suddenly they were free. All they had known their whole lives was bondage and servitude, and now they were only accountable to God.
The first thing God did was to give them instructions for how to remember their deliverance.
Exodus 13:9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.
Then he led them with a pillar of clouds and a pillar of fire. When the Egyptians came after them, they were afraid and asked Moses what on earth he was thinking bringing them out in the wilderness to die! They would have been much better off in Egypt as slaves, but at least alive.
Exodus 14:13-14
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Be still.
Now the Isrealite's physical journey became an emotional and spiritual journey as well. Be still. Learn to trust. God will deliver you, not only from your slavery, but also from your fear.
I find it interesting that God didn't rebuke them for their fear. He didn't chastise them for it or shame them. He only told them to be still, so they could see his hand at work. When they saw him working, they trusted him.
Sometimes Christianity focuses a lot on the beginning and the end. We want people to "get saved" so they can "get to heaven." We want to go straight from Egypt to the land of milk and honey. Sometimes we need to wander for 40 years though. God seems to like journeys- Moses, Job, Paul, Jesus. We find many of the climatic moments in the parts about deliverance and the grand finales. The meat of the story, however is in the middle. That's where we find God leading us, protecting us, guiding us, and helping us in big and small ways. Yet even the ways that seem so small and insignificant were very important to the people living out those moments, and important enough to God to not only help them through, but to have them recorded.
I read once that all behavior is rooted in either love or fear. Each of us struggles with different things from which we have asked God to deliver us. Addictions, pain, trauma, and many other things affect how we feel about ourselves, the world and God. They can damage our relationships, our moods, and our ability to live happy lives. Sometimes we just want God to "take it all away!" We want to get to the end already. That's fear talking. That's the fear that we can't handle these struggles, that they are too big and that we will drown beneath them. I have sometimes asked God what on earth he was thinking bringing me on this journey. I was better off in "de Nile!" ;)
Mark 4:38-40
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
1 John 4:16 and 18
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Be Still.
Going back to Philippians, Paul was rejoicing *before* his deliverance from that situation had happened. His rejoicing could only come from a place of love, not fear. Because he loved and trusted God, he had no fear that what was happening to him was just another step in the journey. That doesn't mean it's wrong to feel fear! Sometimes part of the journey is *getting* to that place in the relationship with God where the level of love and trust exist that will drive out the fear.
Maybe that's why God told us to remember how he led the Isrealites out of Egypt. When we take the time to remember how he has delivered us in the past, it can give us courage and hope. We see that he is faithful to his word and that we can trust him. Rather than desperately fighting against the fear, we can be still and open our hearts to his love and peace. We can enjoy the journey and look forward to where he will lead us next.
This is my second year celebrating the Passover. I am part of a dance group that presented a teaching Seder at a Celebrate Recovery group, and I had the Passover meal at a friend's house this evening. So, I have spent much of the last week re-reading the Exodus story, learning more about how it foreshadowed Jesus death and resurrection, and how he fulfilled the prophesies by becoming the atoning Lamb.
It's easy to see the parallel between God delivering the Israelites from Egypt and Jesus delivering us from our sins. What has been more interesting to me this week has been thinking about the journey that deliverance started. At first, the Isrealites probably only saw the physical aspect of their deliverance. They had been slaves and then suddenly they were free. All they had known their whole lives was bondage and servitude, and now they were only accountable to God.
The first thing God did was to give them instructions for how to remember their deliverance.
Exodus 13:9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.
Then he led them with a pillar of clouds and a pillar of fire. When the Egyptians came after them, they were afraid and asked Moses what on earth he was thinking bringing them out in the wilderness to die! They would have been much better off in Egypt as slaves, but at least alive.
Exodus 14:13-14
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Be still.
Now the Isrealite's physical journey became an emotional and spiritual journey as well. Be still. Learn to trust. God will deliver you, not only from your slavery, but also from your fear.
I find it interesting that God didn't rebuke them for their fear. He didn't chastise them for it or shame them. He only told them to be still, so they could see his hand at work. When they saw him working, they trusted him.
Sometimes Christianity focuses a lot on the beginning and the end. We want people to "get saved" so they can "get to heaven." We want to go straight from Egypt to the land of milk and honey. Sometimes we need to wander for 40 years though. God seems to like journeys- Moses, Job, Paul, Jesus. We find many of the climatic moments in the parts about deliverance and the grand finales. The meat of the story, however is in the middle. That's where we find God leading us, protecting us, guiding us, and helping us in big and small ways. Yet even the ways that seem so small and insignificant were very important to the people living out those moments, and important enough to God to not only help them through, but to have them recorded.
I read once that all behavior is rooted in either love or fear. Each of us struggles with different things from which we have asked God to deliver us. Addictions, pain, trauma, and many other things affect how we feel about ourselves, the world and God. They can damage our relationships, our moods, and our ability to live happy lives. Sometimes we just want God to "take it all away!" We want to get to the end already. That's fear talking. That's the fear that we can't handle these struggles, that they are too big and that we will drown beneath them. I have sometimes asked God what on earth he was thinking bringing me on this journey. I was better off in "de Nile!" ;)
Mark 4:38-40
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
1 John 4:16 and 18
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Be Still.
Going back to Philippians, Paul was rejoicing *before* his deliverance from that situation had happened. His rejoicing could only come from a place of love, not fear. Because he loved and trusted God, he had no fear that what was happening to him was just another step in the journey. That doesn't mean it's wrong to feel fear! Sometimes part of the journey is *getting* to that place in the relationship with God where the level of love and trust exist that will drive out the fear.
Maybe that's why God told us to remember how he led the Isrealites out of Egypt. When we take the time to remember how he has delivered us in the past, it can give us courage and hope. We see that he is faithful to his word and that we can trust him. Rather than desperately fighting against the fear, we can be still and open our hearts to his love and peace. We can enjoy the journey and look forward to where he will lead us next.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Lydia Schatz
On February 6, 2010, Lydia Schatz was whipped to death by her parents Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz. The Schatz family used punishment techniques from the book To Train Up A Child by Micheal Pearl, including whipping disobedient children with a 1/4 inch plumbing supply line. That is the implement that was used to spank Lydia for hours before her internal organs finally shut down.
This whole incident is horrific and appalling, but what is worse is that these methods are being marketed by the Pearl's No Greater Joy ministry as "Godly," even going so far as to claim that such beatings can save a child from their sins. That is the place of Jesus alone! God does not punish his children. Even if he did, who are we to take the place of God?! God disciplines us and the root word of discipline is disciple. He teaches, leads, guides, protects, comforts and offers mercy and grace.
For more information on the Schatz case, this blog by TulipGirl has an archive of news stories, blogs and articles. Scroll down just a few posts to find it.
The parenting page has parenting resources, and I will continue to add more. I also will be adding a Bible study on discipline to the site soon.
Psalm 23:4
"....thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Receive
Last night I went to the first yoga class I've been to in over 2 years. (note to self- don't do a POWER yoga class after being a yoga vegetable for a month and a yoga class drop out for 2 years. It hurts!) As we were finishing up the class and doing the last pose, final relaxation, I focused on my breath and the thought came to me that our breath is like giving and receiving. We receive oxygen and give carbon dioxide. We receive energy and give rest. We receive life and give life.
Obviously I'm not the first person to make the connection between breath and the ebb and flow of life, but it really hit home for me last night. The verse "to give is better than to receive" is often quoted. Not usually by someone who's giving you something. And while there is great blessing in giving, I think the blessing of receiving if often over looked. I'm not talking about material gifts or the attitude of someone who is demanding that they receive. I'm talking about the willingness and openness to receive what is readily available.
This last year has been the first time in my life that I have really observed the Sabbath. Observing the Sabbath never sounded very fun or productive to me. Get up early, get dolled up, go sit in church in a hard pew and listen to a boring sermon. I did it as a kid, dropped it as a teenager and quickly had the excuse that I "had to" work on the weekends. In food service and retail it's not an option. Besides, God knew my heart and I could worship him no matter what I was doing. Why go to church?
As I've realized this last year, I was missing the entire point of the Sabbath. It's about rest, rejuvenation, and connection with God and others. For me, it's about worship music and dance, long hot showers, a good nap, playing with my kids and a hike in the woods. I still don't go to church (and no longer observe the Sabbath on Sunday), but do attend a home fellowship every other week. For you it might be totally different, and that's ok. What feels restful to each of us will be as different as our personalities, the seasons of our lives, and God's calling for each of us. For me, as sundown on Friday approaches, I feel like a weight is being lifted off my shoulders. I no longer run myself ragged for weeks at a time. Each week I join in rest with my Beloved- it's my date with Him.
I'm learning to receive in other ways too. I'm a work at home mom, and while I love my kids and I'm so glad to be able to be home with them, I do occasionally experience the tug of war that lots of moms go through. I love to be home, but need to get away, but don't want to leave my babies, but really don't want to nurse the 4 year old again today. I do the occasional mom's night out, I go to a class on Wednesdays, and starting this week I'm doing yoga classes again. Those things are all a nice refresher in their own way, but I can't let myself depend on them as my "escape." Then my focus is on what I *don't* want to do, and I'll be counting down the hours until I get my relief. Then the "if-onlys" start. If only I could do more things out of the house, if only my kids were older, if only we had money for a babysitter.
I'm learning to receive the joy, the rest, the energy that is right before my eyes. Sometimes that does mean a few minutes alone. When the kids are busy playing, I take 5 minutes to do a few stretches, say a little prayer, do a meditation, or slowly drink and enjoy a big glass of water. However, I'm also discovering the rest in the chaos. When I'm playing and wrestling with my 4 year old, I can relish the hug I get before she gets away. When I'm nursing the baby, I can take that time to look into her eyes and laugh at those milky grins. When my daughter and I butt heads over doing something, I can turn from facing off to standing next to her and turn from being her adversary to being her partner. When the kids have dumped an entire glass full of water on the floor, I can watch their little hands splash in the water and see the delight on their faces. And on the days when I need some extra rest, I can see that as a sign they need a bath and jump in with them.
Of course, the ultimate place I receive is from the giver of life Himself. It's no wonder that one of the names for the Spirit of God is breath. He breaths his life into us and is always available to fill us up with his love, his joy, his rest. It only requires the openness to accept what he is already offering. As 1 John 4:19 says, "We love, because he first loved us." When we are open to receiving, we have the ability to give.
Take a deep breath. In..... Out...... Receive........ Give......
Obviously I'm not the first person to make the connection between breath and the ebb and flow of life, but it really hit home for me last night. The verse "to give is better than to receive" is often quoted. Not usually by someone who's giving you something. And while there is great blessing in giving, I think the blessing of receiving if often over looked. I'm not talking about material gifts or the attitude of someone who is demanding that they receive. I'm talking about the willingness and openness to receive what is readily available.
This last year has been the first time in my life that I have really observed the Sabbath. Observing the Sabbath never sounded very fun or productive to me. Get up early, get dolled up, go sit in church in a hard pew and listen to a boring sermon. I did it as a kid, dropped it as a teenager and quickly had the excuse that I "had to" work on the weekends. In food service and retail it's not an option. Besides, God knew my heart and I could worship him no matter what I was doing. Why go to church?
As I've realized this last year, I was missing the entire point of the Sabbath. It's about rest, rejuvenation, and connection with God and others. For me, it's about worship music and dance, long hot showers, a good nap, playing with my kids and a hike in the woods. I still don't go to church (and no longer observe the Sabbath on Sunday), but do attend a home fellowship every other week. For you it might be totally different, and that's ok. What feels restful to each of us will be as different as our personalities, the seasons of our lives, and God's calling for each of us. For me, as sundown on Friday approaches, I feel like a weight is being lifted off my shoulders. I no longer run myself ragged for weeks at a time. Each week I join in rest with my Beloved- it's my date with Him.
I'm learning to receive in other ways too. I'm a work at home mom, and while I love my kids and I'm so glad to be able to be home with them, I do occasionally experience the tug of war that lots of moms go through. I love to be home, but need to get away, but don't want to leave my babies, but really don't want to nurse the 4 year old again today. I do the occasional mom's night out, I go to a class on Wednesdays, and starting this week I'm doing yoga classes again. Those things are all a nice refresher in their own way, but I can't let myself depend on them as my "escape." Then my focus is on what I *don't* want to do, and I'll be counting down the hours until I get my relief. Then the "if-onlys" start. If only I could do more things out of the house, if only my kids were older, if only we had money for a babysitter.
I'm learning to receive the joy, the rest, the energy that is right before my eyes. Sometimes that does mean a few minutes alone. When the kids are busy playing, I take 5 minutes to do a few stretches, say a little prayer, do a meditation, or slowly drink and enjoy a big glass of water. However, I'm also discovering the rest in the chaos. When I'm playing and wrestling with my 4 year old, I can relish the hug I get before she gets away. When I'm nursing the baby, I can take that time to look into her eyes and laugh at those milky grins. When my daughter and I butt heads over doing something, I can turn from facing off to standing next to her and turn from being her adversary to being her partner. When the kids have dumped an entire glass full of water on the floor, I can watch their little hands splash in the water and see the delight on their faces. And on the days when I need some extra rest, I can see that as a sign they need a bath and jump in with them.
Of course, the ultimate place I receive is from the giver of life Himself. It's no wonder that one of the names for the Spirit of God is breath. He breaths his life into us and is always available to fill us up with his love, his joy, his rest. It only requires the openness to accept what he is already offering. As 1 John 4:19 says, "We love, because he first loved us." When we are open to receiving, we have the ability to give.
Take a deep breath. In..... Out...... Receive........ Give......
Monday, January 11, 2010
Welcome
You've discovered Joyful Breath- natural Christian living! This online magazine is here to:
To bring encouragement, news, inspiration and community to Christians who live a natural lifestyle.
To celebrate the wonder of God’s creation, our relationship with Him and others, and our interactions with nature.
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