Thursday, September 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Worth the wait!
Well, she's here!
She's beautiful (of course we think so), super-good so far and chunky with a bit of light brown hair.
I had an unfairly easy delivery (felt three contractions--GOD BLESS THE MAN WHO INVENTED EPIDURALS--and pushed three times) and feel great today.
She is the picture of health (How can ANYONE doubt God's power, much less existence?!!), weighing in at 8 lbs, 11.5 oz. She is 19.5" inches long and was born at 6:39 PM last night, after only about 5 hours at the hospital. :)
More details later but here is a picture for now.
Thank you all so very much for your faithful prayers and for feeling sorry for me a little bit. lol
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Natural induction
Okay - it's official. I'm over this. I have been so very blessed to have a great pregnancy so far, even considering the bed rest, but now I'm over it. I can't get comfy and everything hurts when I am active at all. I know I'm not due for three more days but JEEZ-A-LOU!
So, any suggestions? I have tried eggplant parmesan (last Thursday), walking, Metamucil, spicy Mexican food, several more private suggestions and I actually bought some castor oil today. (I don't think I want to go that route because of the horror stories I've heard.) I have also heard of red raspberry leaf tea. Maybe I'll go find some tomorrow.
Any other ideas?
So, any suggestions? I have tried eggplant parmesan (last Thursday), walking, Metamucil, spicy Mexican food, several more private suggestions and I actually bought some castor oil today. (I don't think I want to go that route because of the horror stories I've heard.) I have also heard of red raspberry leaf tea. Maybe I'll go find some tomorrow.
Any other ideas?
(This is a picture Tyler drew of me six years ago, when I was expecting Reagan and Tyler was 5.)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Memories
Where, oh where does the time go? I looked at older posts today and this is from my first, more than two years ago. I might have to go have a good cry. How did they grow up so fast?
Ordinary Things
Ordinary Things
I believe that God sometimes speaks to us through the ordinary things in our lives–even those things that are so ingrained in our daily routine that we hardly notice them at all.
As I arrived to work yesterday, my right hand reached to my hip where I usually find my corporate ID badge. As my hand fumbled and searched in vain my face flushed with the realization that my badge was not there, but rather hanging comfortably in its normal nightly resting place at home.
My first thoughts were of the hassle of checking in at the security desk, the delay it would cause and having to surrender my driver’s license. These thoughts were quickly replaced with thoughts of embarrassment resulting from the impending call to Human Resources, arriving late to my cube and the “special” ID badge I would have the privilege of donning for the day–you know, the one with a black rectangle where your smiling face should be and the wide red stripe at the bottom that serves as a beacon to tell everyone that you forgot your badge again.
As I passed through the turnstile and clipped the badge on my shirt I noticed two words in bold font on the badge in place of my name. The words were certainly not unfamiliar, in fact I had seen them on a similar badge that I wore two days before. The difference was that this time I heard a soft, gentle voice saying something to me. Very likely that voice had spoken the same thing on other occasions–times when I was simply too hurried or busy to notice. Maybe I was unable to hear because of all the other clamor in my life. Somehow this time was different. The two words were “Temporary Employee.”
Temporary was the word that caught my attention and I heard the quiet voice say “Son, the life you are experiencing now is just that: temporary.” Thoughts started racing through my mind and I realized how focused on the temporal I have become. Not only is my employment temporary, but so is the motorcycle I rode to work on, the garage that houses it, the home it is attached to, the clothes I hurried to put on, the bed I labored to roll out of and the list goes on. I thought about how I kissed my wife and son before I left home and about how temporary our very lives on Earth are. I thought of how my life seems to be spent flitting from one temporal thing to another.
However, temporal things are not the problem. The problem is my focus on the temporal to the exclusion of the eternal. I know in my heart that I should pursue the eternal with utmost priority, but find myself drowning in the Sea of Temporality. My heart knows that I should "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33), but it seems as though this reality is hidden from my fleshly eyes and like the crew of the Starship Enterprise, I have encountered a temporal rift and am stuck in a loop forever retracing my steps.
Although frustrated with my own frailty, I know our God is the One who holds everything in the palm of His hand; the One who knows all the stars by name; all knowing, all powerful, yet full of tenderness and grace; longing to pour mercy into the hearts of His children. It is this knowledge that give this struggling soul hope. May the Lord continue to use ordinary things to remind us all to focus on what really matters in this life and especially as they relate to the life to come. May we be able to recognize the things that are temporal and use them to ensure our lives are ever being changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God.
© Jeff Bogue, September 9, 2008 (Special thanks to Bill Williams for passing this along!)
I believe that God sometimes speaks to us through the ordinary things in our lives–even those things that are so ingrained in our daily routine that we hardly notice them at all.
As I arrived to work yesterday, my right hand reached to my hip where I usually find my corporate ID badge. As my hand fumbled and searched in vain my face flushed with the realization that my badge was not there, but rather hanging comfortably in its normal nightly resting place at home.
My first thoughts were of the hassle of checking in at the security desk, the delay it would cause and having to surrender my driver’s license. These thoughts were quickly replaced with thoughts of embarrassment resulting from the impending call to Human Resources, arriving late to my cube and the “special” ID badge I would have the privilege of donning for the day–you know, the one with a black rectangle where your smiling face should be and the wide red stripe at the bottom that serves as a beacon to tell everyone that you forgot your badge again.
As I passed through the turnstile and clipped the badge on my shirt I noticed two words in bold font on the badge in place of my name. The words were certainly not unfamiliar, in fact I had seen them on a similar badge that I wore two days before. The difference was that this time I heard a soft, gentle voice saying something to me. Very likely that voice had spoken the same thing on other occasions–times when I was simply too hurried or busy to notice. Maybe I was unable to hear because of all the other clamor in my life. Somehow this time was different. The two words were “Temporary Employee.”
Temporary was the word that caught my attention and I heard the quiet voice say “Son, the life you are experiencing now is just that: temporary.” Thoughts started racing through my mind and I realized how focused on the temporal I have become. Not only is my employment temporary, but so is the motorcycle I rode to work on, the garage that houses it, the home it is attached to, the clothes I hurried to put on, the bed I labored to roll out of and the list goes on. I thought about how I kissed my wife and son before I left home and about how temporary our very lives on Earth are. I thought of how my life seems to be spent flitting from one temporal thing to another.
However, temporal things are not the problem. The problem is my focus on the temporal to the exclusion of the eternal. I know in my heart that I should pursue the eternal with utmost priority, but find myself drowning in the Sea of Temporality. My heart knows that I should "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33), but it seems as though this reality is hidden from my fleshly eyes and like the crew of the Starship Enterprise, I have encountered a temporal rift and am stuck in a loop forever retracing my steps.
Although frustrated with my own frailty, I know our God is the One who holds everything in the palm of His hand; the One who knows all the stars by name; all knowing, all powerful, yet full of tenderness and grace; longing to pour mercy into the hearts of His children. It is this knowledge that give this struggling soul hope. May the Lord continue to use ordinary things to remind us all to focus on what really matters in this life and especially as they relate to the life to come. May we be able to recognize the things that are temporal and use them to ensure our lives are ever being changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God.
© Jeff Bogue, September 9, 2008 (Special thanks to Bill Williams for passing this along!)
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
THERE IS AN END IN SIGHT!
The doctor's office finally called today to schedule my induction. I do NOT want to be induced but I also don't want to go too far past my due date.
I'm due September 18, and they scheduled the induction for September 24. So, she'll be here in fewer than two weeks.
Thank goodness...I think.
When I think about the fact that there's going to be a baby in this house in fewer than 15 days, I could panic BUT when I think about being pregnant for two more weeks, I could cry. So, I guess either way is terribly frightening.
That's life, huh?
I'm due September 18, and they scheduled the induction for September 24. So, she'll be here in fewer than two weeks.
Thank goodness...I think.
When I think about the fact that there's going to be a baby in this house in fewer than 15 days, I could panic BUT when I think about being pregnant for two more weeks, I could cry. So, I guess either way is terribly frightening.
That's life, huh?
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Madelyn is here!
Introducing our new niece and cousin!
Madelyn Joy Tanksley, daughter of Jarod and Emily Kuykendall Tanksley, was born last night at 9:00, and weighed in at 8 lbs, 10 oz!!
Isn't she gorgeous?!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Priceless reaction
Well, the surprise couldn't have gone better. Mel and Callan and I got home from the airport just before Scott and the children got home from church. Here is their reaction. Priceless! (And the reaction is quite typical. Tyler is lost and Taylor does her, "Tahhh-ler!" lol Tyler later admitted that he was thinking it was Carley. He's a silly boy.)
This morning, Reagan told Mel that he knew Mel was here because, "I mean, how would Callan get here? Did you mail her?" lol Last night, he said, "Mel, I knew you were here because who would take care of Callan?"
And this is Callan's bed while she's here. How sweet is she in Carley's moses basket?!!
This morning, Reagan told Mel that he knew Mel was here because, "I mean, how would Callan get here? Did you mail her?" lol Last night, he said, "Mel, I knew you were here because who would take care of Callan?"
And this is Callan's bed while she's here. How sweet is she in Carley's moses basket?!!
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