The Unexpected

"Unexpected" is likely the best word for the National Youth Choir experience so far:

1) I was asked at all. I know there are better pianists than me in Nova Scotia, but I was still invited to accompany the group. I wouldn't have expected that even if I were a recording artist!

2) It turns out the music is all a capella. I learned it so I would be useful in rehearsal, and I am - sometimes. :) Anyway, there was lots of internal hype on my part, but I was able to calm down a lot.

3) I'm still loving the experience. Somehow, not really playing anything isn't hampering the fun factor or the experience of it all. It's wonderful!

4) Serendipitously, I'm really enjoying the conductor and apprentice conductor. The former had quite a reputation for being a task master, but it turns out that most of the reputation seems unfounded. His reputation for greatness is well-placed, as he is indeed fantastic, but he's also quite generous and flexible within his high expectations of this group. He's been a delight every day! I expected to feel a lot worse about myself by this time in the week, and everyone - especially this conductor who is so much greater than I am - is contributing to a content feeling.

5) After last night I expected a lot out of the choir today. They are honestly great singers, and they really started pulling together into a great choir by the end of last night, but some of the singers were lazy today. It felt like we were pulling teeth to get everyone on board. And as Mark said at the end of the night, if 39 people are there and one isn't, that one makes the difference between good and great. It was a good day, but I expected great. Maybe tomorrow....

6) I got to talk to Natasha way more than I expected. So, so, so good. :)

LE

We Are One

I was stricken yesterday with the events recorded in Joshua 22:21-30. In that part of the narrative, the two-and-a-half Israeli tribes whose land was east of the Jordan River were confronted by religious, political, and military representatives from the rest of Israel. The east-siders had built an altar, and the west-siders assumed that meant the east-siders would begin worshiping God their way, on their turf, possibly even including worship of other gods. They were ready to write off the east-siders if they didn't turn from their wickedness.

It turns out that the east-siders weren't being wicked at all. They suspected that the Jordan River would become more than a geographical dividing line, that the west-siders would think of themselves as a separate unit from the east-siders. Were that to happen, the east-siders felt they would be prevented from going to Jerusalem to worship, to share in the life of the Israeli nation. The altar was a reminder to both west- and east-siders that Israelis on both side of the Jordan River were still Israelis and should be accepted as such. People on both sides should be free to live as such, rather than treating one another like non-Israelis.

What struck me is how much this sounds like certain segments of the Church on North America (if not the West itself). I perceive there to be significant, understandable differences between the Church (meaning the universal group of believers in Jesus called the "Body of Christ" in 1 Corinthians 12) and the world (meaning those who do not believe). Scriptures are clear that faith line between the Church and the world is inevitable.

What the Scriptures do not say, however, is that faith lines between local churches, denominations, and individuals are inevitable. We have several humans in the Church, so we have many different experiences, understandings, and explanations of Jesus Christ. There are doctrinal and cultural dividing lines that separate some local churches, denominations, and individuals. Too frequently, these doctrinal and cultural divides have become battlegrounds more fierce than those created by our faith lines.

Why is that? As Christians, we even have a symbol - the cross - that should remind us that we have sisters and brothers in other camps around us. There are people in the family of God in Christ across our doctrinal and cultural lines that serve our God, who are not forsaking Christ. As the east-siders in Joshua 22 mentioned to the west-siders, natural dividing lines, whether geographical, doctrinal, cultural, or whatever, ought not to separate us. We aren't different people; we are one people. Our different camps/tribes aren't different nations; we're all the Body of Christ. There is no weaker, useless part of the Body, regardless of how unimportant or insignificant another that part seems. Each part has something to contribute, has equal rights in Christ, and has every opportunity for freedom to live as the people of Christ.

Since that is the biblical design, what can we do to extend peace to sisters and brothers in other camps, and how can we all join together to worship our great Lord together?

LE

Brief Update

Before I go to bed at this excessively late hour, I thought I'd offer a brief update about what's coming up with us:

Roya:
- still sleeping through the night (most often, anyway)
- still learning to hold her head up and turn it at the same time
- has had a few fussy days lately, but Natasha says today was good
- pining to say "Dad" very soon.... :)

Natasha:
- just gave the heads-up that she's ready to start getting involved in things again, slowly, but surely (so I've already asked her to sing for two occasions)
- still at her parents' house to visit them and her sister's fam who's up from Chicago
- has three students competing in four classes in our town's music festival next week
- will sing in Mitch & Rebecca's wedding this weekend
- will be home very soon!!!!!
- will celebrate her first Mothers Day in three Sundays

Lynn:
- had a good time preaching Sunday
- loved the freestyle worship time on Sunday night
- preparing for CBC choral competition finals with Camerata
- preparing for our town's music festival next week (accompanying)
- preparing to accompany for National Youth Choir, beginning 05 May
- preparing to stand with Mitch this weekend

Okay, that's about it for now. Stay tuned. ;)

LE

Wearying

I tend to be an opinionated person, and I seem to attract opinionated people. I can count my non-opinionated friends using my fingers. Nevertheless, Natasha has pointed out several times that one of the problems with our culture (faith-based and secular) is the overabundance of opinions. Everyone has an opinion, everyone thinks their opinion is right, and everyone acts on their own opinion, often to the exclusion of other opinions.

This occasionally rolls around in my mind when I read about worship and theology. Today, I read in the NLT, "But, my child, be warned: There is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever and become very exhausting!" (Ecclesiastes 12:12). This is another way of stating the common "much study wearies the body" phrase that my college roommate and I would quote when we wanted to put the books away and play. This verse struck me today, though, because of its fresh approach. Most other English translations say something like, "There is no end to the making of books," but this translation calls it what it is. Opinion making.

Opinion making is both a blessing and a curse in our culture, but I'm going to pick on believers for a moment. Our opinions about God and about faith are wearying. More often than not, our opinions aren't really as much about God and our faith as they are about us. We haggle, struggle, argue, and bicker trying to figure out what the Good News really means, when we could be sharing the Good News with others. And when we share the Good News, we often stick to the Roman Road or Spiritual Laws when we could be actually describing what's good about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection - a resurrection that means that Jesus is still alive. In other words, He's still living, and He's still active. The Good News wasn't Easter weekend; the Good News involves Easter weekend and is played out as Jesus lives among us every day! It gets very wearying trying to sort things out in our minds in our effort to understand God. While there is great benefit in thinking coherently about God, if we could figure Him out, then what kind of God would that be?

Most readers of this post are saying, "Hmmm...that sounds an awful lot like an opinion." It is. Sorry to weary you with it. Instead of studying this, just take it for what it is and move on to the next opinion. If this opinion is close to right, the Lord will bring it back to you. :)

Guys

There's nothing like "the guys." Things are good, but I really needed a good friend or two yesterday and today just for some peace of mind. Last night a very dear friend was just good, fun company. It was that kind of fun that says, "You know, we just need a breather from time to time." It was that good, innocent, very needed kind of night. Then today, a friend I wished I could call actually called me, and we had a good chat. It was meaty, but it was also real. One of those good kinds that leave you happy you could vent. It leaves me reflecting on how truly good it is to have those guys in your life that keep you firmly rooted in reality. It leaves me thankful that I have so many guys like that. There are many guys I can go forever without seeing, but in those needed moments, we know we're there for each other. This goes out to all those guys: thanks for being a Godsend!

LE

Victoria Park

There is little in our town more thrilling than Victoria Park in any season. In the spring when the snow is melting, the falls are overflowing, and the green begins to poke through the dirt and snow. In the summer, color flourishes while the waters recede. There's a flurry of activity in every area of the park. We especially like taking our "loop" around the natural part of the park. Then comes the fall with the change of leaves and crispness to the air. The smell of leaves in the fall will always be one of my favorites.

Then you take today: very wintry, very white, ice and snow everywhere! The sun was out, making everything sparkle. This is what we all experienced for Roya's first trip to Victoria Park earlier today! Everyone, that is, except Roya, who was snuggled into a white, overgrown snowsuit and pushed into our Baby Bjorn carrier, face planted in my chest. So, her first trip was more about being outdoors and letting Daddy take a few pictures. Still, it was fun! :)

LE

Filling You In

A good friend e-mailed me this morning to let me know our blog hasn't been updated after last week's big event. We were at the hospital with our new daughter, Roya Allison Erskine, till the weekend and have been adjusting to this new life ever since! Roya was born a week ago (Tuesday, 19 February) at 7 pounds, 10 ounces, 20 inches long. According to all the books and nurses, that's literally the exact average size. (It's about time something normal happened in our family!) As you can see, she is a beautiful little angel, and we're enjoying the new adjustment. She is nursing well, and both mama and baby are recovering well from the big day. She's already wrapped me around her little finger, so her toddler years should be interesting for me. :) Fortunately, we don't have to think about that right now. For now, we can simply enjoy our new family member's infant years. Hmmmm............

LE

A Week

It's an interesting feeling to be just over a week till the due date. (I know what the ticker up there says; our date moved from 13 Feb to 15 Feb months ago, and we never updated it. We figured, what's two days?) I'm not the mother, so I won't try to express any of the thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations going on with Natasha. However, as a dad who already loves his unborn baby and talks to her regularly, this next week (or more or less) are going to be crazy. I can't wait to hold this baby, but I can't even imagine the labor experience. We've received tons of advice and have read up, but this is just another thing that we won't really know completely until we go through it. I'm supposed to be the birth coach, but what do I know? I know a lot about what the three books I've used have to say (and some from another book), but I still don't feel like I know anything. Yet, I look forward to it wildly!! I have no idea how to be a dad, but I feel like I'm already on my way and have something in me that just kind of "knows." Every day I think, "Will today be the day I get the call, that I am awakened, that I am - whatever - with the news of labor?" Sometimes I think that's great, other times I think, "This is not the time. Just let me get one more thing done." When it's all said and done, who cares how much I get done? We have a fine home for our little daughter, we're trying our best to prepare ourselves as parents, and (most importantly) the Lord is faithful and good and will be to our little one. What's not to look forward to?! Still, I'm stressed. (For those in gen psych, that would be both eustress and distress in one stressful ball.) :)

LE

Pure childish stubbornness.

I am officially using this blog to vent out my current frustrations. Every now and then I get a flare of childish stubbornness and I've decided to share this one with the world.

Eating is the bane of my existence. Years ago, every time I ate, I just felt sick to my stomach. So what. I mostly ignored it and went on living in ignorance. Three years ago, things got bad and I had to eliminate all wheat (gluten), sugar, and dairy from my diet. I also had to eliminate red meat and all grains for the first little while. I had one year of marriage, learning to cook, getting used to my favorite recipes, and then... Nothing has been the same since!! Every year, every month, and sometimes every week our diet changes. We are constantly learning about new things and then trying new things. Constantly adjusting trying to find a way to make health a priority while considering budget and scheduling factors as well.

Somewhere in the midst of this pregnancy, I hit a wall of "I want to eat what I want to eat!" I want to eat comfort food like chicken nuggets and Lays original chips. I want to have ice cream and eat a dessert every now and then... I want to just eat something yummy and convenient rather than analyzing its nutrition content and spend 30 minutes preparing a simple snack! (slight exaggeration)

In some strange way, I have reverted back to my childhood days when I would sit at the table for hours with a pout on my face because I didn't like peas. Two things are different: 1) ironically I actually love peas now and hate everything else, 2) the culprit is not my mother but my husband!!

Is it so wrong that I long for routine? Is it so bad that I don't want to have to think so much about food? I want to just feel hungry and grab whatever there is to eat.

Just so you know, these rantings will all be moot in ~2 hours. I only feel this way for a short spurt and then submit back to the reality that my body has a mind of its own and cares what goes in it. Some things it accepts as nourishment, other things it rejects as poison :) Such is life :)

Respectfully submitted,
Natasha

Book #2 - INFIDEL

INFIDEL is an autobiography by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, currently working in the States against abuse and oppression towards Muslim women by Muslims themsleves, ~38 years of age. It is a fascinating read as it reveals the inner culture of many Muslim countries and traditions, and reveals the fascinating journey of Ayaan's life from a devout Muslim to one of the leading spokesmen (women) in the Western world against Islamic tradition and abuse/oppression towards its women.

After growing up in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Saudi Arabia, Ayaan was arranged by her father to marry a Muslim man from Canada whom she, of course, had never met. She said no, but it was legitimately inconsequential what she thought or wanted in that culture. Thus, in the midst of her travels through Europe to fly to Canada to be with her new husband, she fled to Holland where she applied for Refugee status and set out to begin her own life.

Ayaan describes her journey from piety to "secularized" as she encounters a culture that goes against everything she was taught, and yet functioned with peace and order as opposed to chaos and war. She became intrigued by government and Western tradition and began to recognize the "inhumanness" of her own Islamic culture (mutilation of female genitals, inequality between male and female, etc.) It pained me to read as she experienced a crisis of faith and slowly but surely left faith for reason. She began to exercise critical thought and the freedom of free speech. She learned Dutch language, became a citizen of Holland, achieved a degree in political science, and began working as a junior researcher in the Labor Party.

When 9/11 hit, a passion began to burn within Ayaan for the Western world to understand Islamic culture and stop tolerating something that completely opposed its core values. Her opinions led to explosions of conflict in the otherwise tolerant and peaceful Holland. She joined the Liberal Party and spoke out as an official member of Parliament. She made a short movie entitled "Submission" with a man named Theo Van Gogh, meant to bring awareness to her cause. At this point, Ayaan was already being protected by bodyguards, etc, but Theo was not. He was brutally murdered with a 5-page letter addressed to Ayaan stabbed to his chest. The country almost fell apart in confusion, outrage, and fear. Ayaan was taken to the US for hiding.

She was then offered a job in the States, left Parliament, and continues her cause to bring awareness and freedom to oppressed Muslim women. Her views are some of the most explosive and controversial in the present age, and every moment of her life is under strict security supervision, as most of the Muslim world is set out to kill her for the "heresies" she so boldly says.

A more than fascinating read!!! I highly recommend it!
Natasha

Book #1 - Epicenter

I have joined a fascinating group of women who gather together for my very first book club. I never imagined myself being a part of something like this, because in truth, I don't really like the act of reading... I do, however, love being exposed to some of the most interesting ideas, authors, etc. and the prospect of discussing them with a variety of women from different backgrounds and belief perspectives. (Truthfully, our belief systems are all quite similar, but the variations exist nonetheless).

The first book we decided to read is Joel Rosenburg's Epicenter. Joel Rosenburg is a fascinating man who wrote his first novel, The Last Jihad, just before 9/11. As the real life events following the strike began to unfold, Joel and many others started to watch eyes wide as the politically thrilling novel came true...

The facts are not exactly the same between novel and real life, but the lines of events are eerily similar. Joel has since written three other novels projecting political and economic events before they happen. He has traveled the world researching and interviewing political leaders influential to the series of events unfolding in our world today.

Many have asked Joel how he knows what's coming... down to incredibly intimate details, deaths, etc... In answering this question he often references "the third lens". He says that in order to understand current events in the world right now, you must look through the lens of politics, economics, and Scripture.

Joel has an incredible gift of understanding the prophecies in Scripture. This understanding combined with knowledge and wisdom regarding politics and economics allows him to see the state of affairs in the Middle East (the Epicenter) in accordance with the end times.

The changes taking place in our world right now are so fascinating!!! I have only reached the tip of the iceberg in what I have been able to see and understand, but I am convinced, both in my spirit as well as cognitively, that we are watching some of the very events recorded in Scripture regarding the end times unfold before our very eyes.

Natasha

Concerned

I'm writing this note because I feel a big mixture of emotions. I have a beautiful sister who is very intelligent and gifted. She hasn't made the wisest decisions to set herself up to succeed in adult life, but she's overcome most of those decisions. She is a living testament to how a person's commitment to excel can shock people who think high school dropouts can't do anything in life.

Tonight she told me she is pregnant, but she didn't want to tell me because I might be upset. I'll be honest; there are too many emotions running around inside me to be upset. I'm thrilled that there's a new life and that our daughter will actually have cousins on my side of the family. (Ben told me he and Lynn decided not to have children, though I hope that doesn't last.) I'm relieved that my sister won't experience the pain of infertility and the cost of trying to find treatment. I'm shocked that she lives at home with my mother, her boyfriend still lives with his parents, and they're making adult decisions like having sex without facing the adult responsibility of bringing a new generation into the planet. I'm hopeful that she's going to continue working to finish her diploma. I'm anxious that her current educational status will limit her career and family. I'm scared that her boyfriend might not commit to helping her raise this child, leaving my sister to face single motherhood at the age of 20. I'm bothered that she still hasn't been to a doctor and that she has no insurance, living in the US. I'm hurt that my sister still feels like she has to act perfect around me - a side effect, I'm afraid, of my over-involvement in her upbringing. Finally, I'm emotionally spent while I think about what this means for her and the family down south. This is exciting news, but I'm very concerned.

LE

Hallmark Christmas

Tonight in Nova Scotia we are preparing to celebrate the close of 2007 and to kick off another year. Snow and freezing rain have fallen most of the day, enhancing the close of the Christmas season with the wintry landscape that inspired "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." Dreamers and crooners everywhere fell in love with today, while somewhere an obscure poet wrote about how fitting this all is.

It is in this idyllic mood that we found ourselves at the mailbox today to read about a true Hallmark Christmas. Yes, for the few of you that actually know my dad, his Christmas letter arrived today. And in true holiday fashion, he entitled his epistle "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding." He's always been a poet - among other things.

Some of you have heard me say before that the movie "Big Fish" is about my dad. The first time I saw the main character on the movie I thought, "Hmmm..... He's just like him: witty, wise, active, charming, creative, and a windbag." Yes, windbag. They say today's wind came from a Nor'easter from New Brunswick. I know better. My dad, whom I love dearly, has finally begun to open his grinchy old mouth again.

Merry Christmas, Dad. I love you very much. This one's for you - :)

LE

December

A comment from a friend reminded me that we haven't blogged in awhile. It's easy to let Facebook pacify the update need when things get "busy." This will be a little more substantial.

For those who don't know yet, the biggest news in the last several weeks is that we found out our baby is a girl! She's very pretty, too! :) Her heartbeat is strong and fast, and she has a fixation with sleeping with her feet up over her head. Our more "realist" friends keep saying, "Her bones are like rubber right now." The rest of us tend to think that she might be a dancer, an athlete, or something. :)

This month has been much more active than we anticipated. I was happy to be involved in our community choir's Christmas musical last weekend. We had a fantastic time producing a Nova-Scotia-written musical based on the Fezziwig's from Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Tons of fun! (I'm glad it's over, though, because I have several more hours in my week.) :) This weekend is our joint performance with St. James Presbyterian of "Agnus Dei: Lamb of God Born to Us." (It's a Christmas concert of worship.) Next weekend (the 21 and 22 December) is Symphony Nova Scotia's performance of "The Messiah." Add to that Natasha's birthday on Monday, our anniversary next week, and Christmas, and this is an action-packed month!!!!

Before anyone asks, we have no idea for a baby name yet. We have a list going, but we probably won't give any hints yet.....

In other news, I've been thinking a lot about "testing the spirit" of people who claim and even manifest Spiritual gifts. I know a handful of people who are certainly gifted but who have some pretty serious issues that they refuse to face. (Lest anyone begin guessing or name-dropping, these are a handful of people from various places at various points in my past and present.) It always intrigues me how some of these people claim to be so in touch with God because of their spiritual gifts. Meanwhile, the fruit of their lives doesn't quite resemble love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - the fruit of the Spirit. It occurs to me that fruit is really the only way we can tell a "good tree" from a "rotten tree." Trees that bear fruit are rooted in God - not necessarily trees that manifest certain duplicable activities. Again, this is the beginning of some interesting thoughts that are going through my head. I'm looking for fruit in my life and in the lives of others. It's interesting what I see....

Vaca

Lynn and I are currently in Toronto Airport. My sister and brother-in-law are flying us to visit them. We are very excited for the opportunity to spend time with them and our adorable niece and nephew.

It is a little ironic that we are going to the States (Chicago, IL) where we will celebrate American Thanksgiving, when Lynn will be the only American there. It really makes us miss his family. We are already planning ahead for next Christmas in Delaware, and looking forward to some Erskine holiday fun :). There is talk of visitors coming when the baby is born... That would be exciting!

Well, hopefully we'll have some fun stories and pictures to post when we return from this vacation. You won't want to miss them! :)

Natasha

Some Long-Awaited Shots

Okay, folks, these aren't professional, but they'll give you a good start. Natasha is as lovely as ever!!

LE

Ramblings.

Speaking of not posting very much... It feels like forever since I last posted, likley because my mind has been so scrambled I don't know that I have anything of interest to say...

I am currently sitting in our family room on our rather uncomfortable but blessed couch in front of our propane wood stove that has been putting off beautiful heat on this cold day, drinking, not the usual herbal tea with honey, but rather Gatorade. (Gatorade has become my lifeline in recent weeks because of its electrolytes that keep me reasonably hydrated and a little more energetic.)

It was the most wonderful thing to wake up and see snow out my window this morning! I LOVE SNOW!!!! It remnds me of Christmas and hot aple cider, and decorating for Christmas, which reminds me of my birthday when we put up our tree, which then reminds me of our anniversary which happens in the midst of it all... December holds many exciting moments of twinkling lights and sparkling snow... The consumerism is a whole other thing, but I love the special family times, the parties and Christmas gatherings, the delightful presentation of everything, and the way our precious Atlantic provinces get white washed in sparkling snow. I just love it!!!

I think the Lord loves it when we celebrate; however I do think he gets a little lonely at Christmas time. He instituted so many feasts and festivals for the poeple pf Israel and then the Lord's Supper for his disciples... but they were all meant to be celebrations in remembrance of Him. I don't care if the world remembers Him so much because why would they remember and celebrate someone they don't know? I don't blame them for not being al about Jesus just because it's Christmas. But I do think I fall short of remembring Him during the season. It's not so much His birth... if it were all about His birth, then I would much rather celebrate His resurection!!! But I think He wants us, ME, to celebrate His presence, His promises, His Word... that He is among us and will never leave us nor forsake us.

I have been thinking about things like holiday seasons and other "in the world" issues because of our upcoming task of bringing up a child in the way that he/she should go. "As for me and my house, we wil serve the Lord."

Help us, Father to lead and guide our family in all wisdom and understanding by your Holy Spirit. Help us to be grounded in Your Kingdom, not the kingdom of this world with its upside down values and destructive habbits... but may your love radiate in our hearts that they might see you and glorify your name.

Well, in all things, God is at work in us! So here we go, one day at a tine.

(Natasha)

More Time

It seems more time passes between our posts lately. It reminds me of the summer, when we seemingly had so much free time! I remember thinking to myself, "The fall is going to kick in with a vengeance; I hope we're prepared for the adjustment!" It's been a good adjustment, but we're not posting as much. I could get into the philosophical implications behind how we spend our time, or I could whine about not having enough time. Instead, I'll face the fact that we have tons of time and give a brief update:

1) This is an exciting week because of the Symphony Nova Scotia Remembrance Day concert taking place Sunday night. We're performing Brahms' German Requiem, a requiem based on Scripture rather than on the traditional Catholic mass. It's a beautiful piece with some beautiful text! You can buy tickets online through the SNS website.

2) Natasha is no longer participating with the Cantabile Singers in town because she needs to spend more time taking care of herself and our unborn child. We're doing a music theater event, so stay tuned.

3) Post-Tropical Storm Noel (a name I frankly find funny - like "the storm formerly known as a hurricane) was a little scary, but it did little damage to our home. However, my favorite tree was almost destroyed. After a little yard work yesterday, I think it's salvageable. We lost no power, so that was a huge blessing!

4) Natasha's worship leadership at the Convention's pastors' wives retreat apparently went well. She enjoyed the speaker and times of worship. I'm glad she's home. :)

5) Baby seems to be doing well. We're going in for a check-up because we're having some weird pains. Don't panic though; no one else seems to be. Just pray. :)

6) I'm late to give a piano lesson, so that's all for now. :)

LE

Nothing Normal

If you know us at all, you know how frequently I say, "Nothing normal ever happens in our family."

Today's 24-week check-up was good, very good. Everything went smoothly until Natasha's blood pressure was low. That would seem bad, except that our doctor prescribed her to have caffeine! She recommended coffee, especially. I was elated; Natasha just looked at me as if to say, "Don't gloat." Who knew that after six years of attempting to make Natasha a coffee drinker that one day her doctor would prescribe it? While our prenatal coach says to limit caffeine, the doctor says, "Not now." This is indeed a good, good day. Maybe I'll eventually find a Keurig coffee maker in my home after all some day?

LE

Fall Update #3

Personal Stuff:

1) Most obvious of our personal updates this Fall is Baby Erskine growing in my womb :) Baby is now weighing a whole pound and is putting some fat on his/her little body. Baby moves around, sucks his/her thumb, and is slowly but surely taking over my body :) I couldn't believe it when I noticed my non-existent belly-button the other morning. Things are starting to get tight in there!

2) Also about Baby, Lynn and I have finished our first set of three prenatal sessions. There are 10 young couples in our class, all of whom are due right around the same time as us. The busy schedule has been a little tiring, but we've loved getting to know and share stories with other couples in the same or similar boat.

3) Other wonderful news is that the Lord is also providing the things we need for Baby when he/she arrives. It has been my personal favorite thing to write down very specific needs that we have and then leave them in the Lords hands, knowing that He will guide me in the purchasing, or provide some other way. I keep crossing things off my list because they just fell across my lap. Thank you Lord!

4) In general, we are growing and being stretched to be sure; but we are also in a safe place with loving friends and family nearby, and a supportive and caring church body. I've never known a church to be so in tune to our needs and ready to help. We are truly blessed, and so enjoying our new friendships here.

Well, be blessed!!!
Natasha