There are several decisions I've made about my life and Jude's that aren't mainstream and lots of people have said they could never do. Sometimes I get the impression that they think certain things are easy for me and wouldn't be for them. Generally, hard is hard.
With Jude, in pregnancy and delivery, I went as natural as possible. I took herbs and vitamins for all my needs and was blessed to be able to have him at home without any drugs. Of course I think it's a great way to go if you can, but I'm not here to preach about how to have your babies. My point is how big of an impact making up your mind beforehand makes on decisions, especially hard ones.
After about 2 hours of real labor with Jude (if not before) I was ready to get it over with. If I had been in a hospital and had access to drugs, I expect you could have talked me into drugs pretty easily. It hurt bad and all I could think of was making it stop. If I hadn't made the decision long before we reached that stage, I'm not sure what the outcome would have been.
Think of any hard decision - and especially hard in the follow through. Dieting, sexual purity, parenting, anything to do with patience or self-control! This is the kind of stuff we as a society battle over, don't we? In the heat of the moment - the dating scene, a child's tantrum, food temptation - making the right choice is soooo hard. If the choice, however, has already been made days/weeks before, then it's not much of a problem. If I don't buy or keep sugary foods in my house, then I don't even have to ask the question, "Will I eat this today?" It's easier on me as a parent if Randy and I have decided before hand what sort of behavior is acceptable and what is not with Jude (what's off limits, what's the goal lesson, etc.). If a couple agrees on certain boundaries BEFORE they become an issue, it makes purity a lot easier.
I'm very blessed with the opportunity to stay home with Jude and have a large say in how his life goes. I realize that that isn't always the case. I had a very low-risk healthy pregnancy and not everyone has that. My husband was out of school and working full-time before we even got married. Not everyone has that. Life is never under our complete control, try as we might. I am reminded daily how much I owe to God's grace and mercy on me. But, working my tail off to prepare for what kind of outcome I want pays off too. I never get everything just the way I want it, but I get so much closer than if I didn't try at all.
2012 is a great opportunity to try this idea out. Think of one outcome you'd really like to see come to pass next year. What things can you do/decide right now (beforehand) to ensure that result? A few things I'm thinking about is losing 30 pounds by spring-ish time, growing closer with the women of my congregation, and preparing to be a homeschooling mom. What are you thinking about?
With Jude, in pregnancy and delivery, I went as natural as possible. I took herbs and vitamins for all my needs and was blessed to be able to have him at home without any drugs. Of course I think it's a great way to go if you can, but I'm not here to preach about how to have your babies. My point is how big of an impact making up your mind beforehand makes on decisions, especially hard ones.
After about 2 hours of real labor with Jude (if not before) I was ready to get it over with. If I had been in a hospital and had access to drugs, I expect you could have talked me into drugs pretty easily. It hurt bad and all I could think of was making it stop. If I hadn't made the decision long before we reached that stage, I'm not sure what the outcome would have been.
Think of any hard decision - and especially hard in the follow through. Dieting, sexual purity, parenting, anything to do with patience or self-control! This is the kind of stuff we as a society battle over, don't we? In the heat of the moment - the dating scene, a child's tantrum, food temptation - making the right choice is soooo hard. If the choice, however, has already been made days/weeks before, then it's not much of a problem. If I don't buy or keep sugary foods in my house, then I don't even have to ask the question, "Will I eat this today?" It's easier on me as a parent if Randy and I have decided before hand what sort of behavior is acceptable and what is not with Jude (what's off limits, what's the goal lesson, etc.). If a couple agrees on certain boundaries BEFORE they become an issue, it makes purity a lot easier.
I'm very blessed with the opportunity to stay home with Jude and have a large say in how his life goes. I realize that that isn't always the case. I had a very low-risk healthy pregnancy and not everyone has that. My husband was out of school and working full-time before we even got married. Not everyone has that. Life is never under our complete control, try as we might. I am reminded daily how much I owe to God's grace and mercy on me. But, working my tail off to prepare for what kind of outcome I want pays off too. I never get everything just the way I want it, but I get so much closer than if I didn't try at all.
2012 is a great opportunity to try this idea out. Think of one outcome you'd really like to see come to pass next year. What things can you do/decide right now (beforehand) to ensure that result? A few things I'm thinking about is losing 30 pounds by spring-ish time, growing closer with the women of my congregation, and preparing to be a homeschooling mom. What are you thinking about?
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