Advice for Emily O.

Emily writes:

As many of you have experienced, we're facing the imminent growth of our family. While this is blessed, awesome news--and an exciting time!--I'm at a loss as to how to transition to Sunday mornings in a way that will not resemble the Apocalypse.

Here's our situation: we've got two boys, the oldest almost three and a half, the younger nineteen months. Both do generally very well in church, though Younger Son is active and sometimes rubs off on Older Brother. I bring CPH books for them to look at, a calculator for end-of-service desperation, and crackers during the sermon. We have no pew-climbers, though I usually have to have a hand on Younger Son 90% of the time, and the noise level from them during services is between the "Cute--we love to hear them!" range (from members) and "You took Younger out at the right time" (from my, I suspect, more honest husband). We sit alone. People have started to offer their help, but it's been outside of church where we've really seen it (people offering to come over and watch the boys so I can do whatever. And they really come and really mean it, praise God).

So here's where I'm stuck. I know I can't sit in the pew alone with three little ones. People who have offered help are gracious, but no one is in church every single Sunday like we are. So I don't know if I should approach a few people to ask if they'd be willing to sit with us and then rotate help (which I think would be difficult for the boys to adjust to) or... fly-by-night and wait until someone approaches me and offers to sit with us. I don't want to take advantage; I also don't want to fall into the sin of Pride and end up resenting/dreading sitting through the Divine Service. So... help! Any and all advice would be much appreciated!

Marriage

Bethann S. writes:

Happy Anniversary!

By the way I had to spell check anniversary. Anyway, the reason for posting this is because Nov. 21st is our anniversary. And this year we decided to make it low key. Which was nice. I made him a nice breakfast and he made me dinner. We watched our wedding DVD & first dance. Wow! What two years can do to your figure! That again is not the point. 

There are days since and before Rachel was born that being in a marriage has been hard. You think that we should still be in that blissful state of the Honeymoon...but it didn't last long...first NO call....then the long wait in the mother-in-law's basement.....then moving....getting used to being in rural town.....then pregnancy in the hottest summer on record.....then a newborn....so needless to say marriage takes hard work. And like our Pastor said in our wedding sermon...marriage is not always happy. 

That is true and sometimes transitions in life can make us act like little children kicking and screaming but our spouses help support, and love us, even if we don't recognize it. And today as we watched our wedding DVD right there on the title screen...a quote that was printed on our wedding bulletin....a quote that I forgot...."There is no more lovely, friendly, & charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage." said by Martin Luther. 

So why then do we feel the need to have more when God blessed and instituted marriage for us?

Caring For the Barren Woman

I had the privilege to hear our Kristi and Katie Schuermann speak this week in Lincoln on Caring for the Barren Woman. There is so little discussion on barrenness and its affects on our sisters (and brothers) in the church. We are so quick to shy away from talking about issues of reproduction. I suppose we think it's just too personal of a topic and it is personal, but it's also a cross that our friends and loved ones carry with so much grief and such little support. Thank you to Kristi and Katie for being willing to speak out about this and to share their heartache.

They'll be presenting again tomorrow in Foster and Monday (11/7) in Omaha, details here. I'm so glad I went, please go hear them!

If you're not able to get there you can listen HERE to Katie interviewed on Issues, Etc with her husband. And you can purchase one of Katie's books, He Remembers the Barren, which I'm currently reading, HERE.