To the Midwives…again!

I’m off to my weekly visit with the midwives. If all goes well though I won’t have to return for 2 whole weeks. Yippie! Who knew we would become such close, personal friends?

The great news is I am INCREDIBLY happy with the midwife group I am using, the Women’s Specialist of Houston.

The Women's Specialists of Houston consists of seven ob/gyn doctors and four
nurse midwives. The nurse midwives and doctors work together to provide the best
care for our clients. Together we develop a care plans for normal and
complicated pregnancies. If necessary, we will consult or co-manage your care
with one of our physicians. In some cases a woman may need to transfer to a
physicians care. The nurse midwives assist the physicians in gyn surgeries and
cesarean sections.

The nurses up front and the Certified Nurse Midwives themselves are all fantastic. They have spent so much time with me making sure I understand each stage of the pregnancy and letting me know why they are doing what they do. They have even drawn out pictures for me so I understand fully what is going on.

The question I have met from a lot of people is, “well, what if something goes wrong?” I knew the process they had in place, but wasn’t sure how seamlessly it would work until I was admitted to the hospital a few weeks ago. As they are located in the medical center, they just put me in a wheel chair at the midwive’s office and then wheeled across the sky bridge to St. Luke’s. There the midwife on call still attended to me until things progressed even further. Then they had the perinatalogist (beyond an OB) consult with me, but the midwives still came by during the day and followed up with my progress and had input into my care.

Now that I am out of the hospital I am back in the midwives care, but should any other serious issues come up they will consult with the OBs in their group (just down the hall) or I will go back under the perinatologist care if I am re-admitted to the hospital.

The personal attention I have received has been fantastic! They listen to me and then believe me when I share my symptoms and concerns. It is such a change from my previous OB where I felt like a number and if I asked a question I was treated like a moron.

So, even though bed rest and hospitalization hasn’t been fun or inexpensive, I am incredibly thankful for the fantastic care I have received! Hopefully this afternoon’s visit brings more good news.

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Bed rest, day 18.

It is getting harder and harder to stay down. The first week I couldn’t get up with the IV and constant ‘contraction monitor’ strapped to my abdomen. Then the 2nd week I had so many visitors I didn’t really have enough time to think about all the things I wanted to get up and do. But, week three has been a little bit more difficult.

Right now Sander and his mom are cleaning the house while I lie here trying to feel like I am ‘doing my part.’ I don’t know why, but I don’t want to look like I’m enjoying myself while others are working for me. I keep saying that I wish I felt sick or incapacitated in some way so that I felt more justified in receiving help. It is hard to just sit back and enjoy life when I feel physically fine.

Sander has been great though and given me the tough love I sometimes need. He will call from work and ask if I am still lying down. When I say yes, he’ll say, “your baby’s lungs and brain thank you.” I know that is what I am accomplishing by staying on bed rest, but it is hard to keep that picture in front of me all the time.

Oh – a big thanks to everyone who came by today with chocolate! I have been craving it every day this week and the spoons of Nutella just weren’t cutting it. Everyone came through – Janice, Victoria, Meredith’s awesome co-workers, and Tonya ALL brought me chocolate this week. Thanks guys!

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Bed Rest - Day 14

*I should have posted this on Tuesday...oh well. I've made it to 26 weeks and 2 days (& 18 days into my bed rest)!

I'm glad to report that it actually hasn't felt like I have been on bed rest 14 days. This means I am 25 weeks and 5 days along, getting closer and closer to those all important milestones of 28 and 32 weeks pregnant!

Since it has been about a week since I last emailed, I wanted to send a quick mass update. Yesterday I went for my follow appointment at the midwives and it was good news all around! Each day my contractions have gotten less, so that on Sunday I was even able to sit up and lie on my back for extended periods of time. The midwife confirmed that I haven't progressed any further than I was when they discharged me from the hospital, however, she seemed confused as to why they were getting better. I
suggested it could be because so many people have been praying for me! I truly believe they have helped me remain peaceful when I would normally be quite stressed, so I also believe they could be healing whatever is mysteriously "wrong" with me as well.

Today I have had more contractions that yesterday. I am not sure why as I am doing all the same things, but they are calmer than a few weeks ago.

So far I have had so many visitors I haven't been able to accomplish too much on my bed rest to-do list...what a shame = ). I have read Pride and Prejudice (I am ashamed to say this was my first time to read it) and have begun my Rosetta Stone Spanish
lessons once again. Thanks to friends I have a great stack of books to work through and crafts and food to keep me content for at least the next week. = )

Just wanted to pass on the good news from the midwife. I go back again in a week, but if things go well at that appointment, I will be able to wait 2 weeks for my next appointment. When I think of the possibilities we were facing in the hospital, compared to the good news we are now receiving, I am astounded. There has been such a change in tone from all the midwives and doctors! Praise the Lord!

Much love,

Whitney

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Baby Update

Hello! Here are the two updates just to fill everyone in...

From Sander on Thursay night:

Hi everyone,

I decided to just send a mass update. I know tons of you have called/texted to ask how she's doing - sorry we haven't been responding to many. The cell phone service isn't good in the room, and we've had doctors & nurses coming in and out all day. If this is the first time you've heard anything at all, we're also sorry - some of the texts wouldn't go through.

A bit more detail about the situation: Whitney's been having mild contractions for about a month. Unfortunately, some of her physical traits also make her at a slightly higher risk for pre-term labor. Our midwives & doctors have been aware the whole time and have been keeping pretty close tabs on her. Yesterday, she began having some more severe contractions. The midwives brought her in, and recommended that she be admitted to the hospital's antepartum (pre-delivery) department where a specialist could check her out and try to see what's going on. They were worried that she would go into labor, so they gave her some medication that was supposed to stop the contractions. That didn't work. So they've given her a stronger medicine that has helped but hasn't stopped everything. She also underwent tests that can effectively show whether or not she would give birth in the next two weeks. The good news is that she
came back negative on that tests, but since they can't figure out what's causing the contractions, they want to keep her in the hospital until Saturday. As far as we know right now, she could potentially give birth at any time, and any movement whatsoever seems to cause more contractions. If she gets to go home, she'll be on strict bed rest until the birth, and we need to do whatever we can to keep that from happening as long as we can. Even a week can make a huge difference in his chance for healthy survival.

Through it all, we've actually felt very much at peace. From the beginning of the pregnancy, we've been reminding each other how little control we have over the whole process. It's God, not us, who creates, sustains, and determines the fate of this little guy. It's so sad to have to experience this, but God's grace, comfort, and "coincidental" providence has already shone through in ways that would take way too long to detail out here. Your messages, texts, and emails have been so encouraging, and we're honored to have all of you asking God to heal Whitney and show Himself for all of His greatness. We know it's not some hocus-pocus that will convince Him to do what we want, but a way for us all to rally around a common cause and see what God's up to. Should our
situation take a turn for the worse, we know it's not because God's abandoned us, but because something much bigger is going on. Jesus was all about getting this message across, as with the blind guy in John 9 - the disciples are like "Hey Jesus, whose fault is it that this guy's blind? Did he sin or did his parents?" But Jesus goes, "neither - he was made blind so that the God's power could be shown through his life." And BAM, Jesus heals him, and tons of the people in the city turn back to God. The blind guy had to go through the pain and cultural shame of being blind his whole life so that God's power could be displayed. But it was amazing in the end, so keep your eyes peeled for whatever God's going to do in this situation. It's going to be sweet.

Again, we can't say enough how much we appreciate each of you and your care & concern for us. We're incredibly fortunate to have you all as friends and family, and don't take you for granted. We'll update again as we know more. Please feel free to forward this on if we've forgotten anyone (if you're one of the forgotten, we're sorry...).

Sander

Update from Whitney as of today, Sunday, January 25th:

I am still on side bed rest at the hospital, which means its somewhat hard for me to type. I have so much more to say of course, but just wanted to send a quick update. I am still at St Luke's, but hope to be out tomorrow. Everyone is really positive and think i am doing much better and not at risk for labor immediately (praise the Lord- such a turn around from Wed night!!). The perinatologist (specialist in antepardum issues) saw me again yesterday and thinks everything looks much better now that the contractions have
slowed down. Before he releases me though he wants to do anther test that is 99%
accurate for predicting whether I will go into labor in the next two weeks. He said my contractions are still too frequent and too early on in my pregnancy to not make him worried, so doesn't want to send me home without that test. You have to wait 48hr from his other exam or you will get a false positive, so here I am.

I already feel so much better as the IV is out (!!!) and I get to wear my own clothes now.

As far as they have told me I will definitely be on bed rest the next 10 weeks (I'm just 24 weeks along right now), but being through everything the last few days helps put it in perspective. 1) I talked to the neonatal doctors and DO NOT want to do anything to cause this little boy to have to face the world any earlier than need be, 2) just taking the IV out makes it all seem much more manageable, 3) being at home with my own things around me will be so much more relaxing than the hospital...I'll want to do whatever I can to stay home.

Amazingly enough I have been in pretty good spirits. I have been trying as much as possible to just keep my mind on today and not think of what I am missing. I found this quote yesterday on a bed rest website: "While on bed rest you have to develop the right state of mind. Be peaceful and calm and know life will be okay without you for a little while." Good advice as I probably tend to think I am more "needed" in life than I really am. I am also convinced everyone's prayers have made such a difference too. I am not usually this peaceful about anything, so I can definitely feel the Lord working. Its
actually pretty exhilarating, if that's the right way to say it. I am still thinking it out, but I really feel blessed to get this chance to sense the Lord so clearly and know He is here and at work!

Sander has been amazing and will be able to work from home somewhat, which will help so much. He wants to try and keep life fun and as normal as possible. I am so encouraged by him and he has really helped me feel so much better about the whole process. I'm so glad to have a friend like I do in Sander who is taking on this new challenge as something for us to take on together. That isn't something every husband is able to communicate, so I am incredibly thankful for it!

I certainly didn't think this would be me, other people go through these types of things... But, I am thankful the pregnancy has been uneventful to this point and that it could be much worse now.

I'll keep updating, but hopefully there won't be much to report anytime soon!

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Latest Project

I don't know if I'm "nesting" yet or not, but the last few days I have been fixated on finishing my to-do list. The latest project I completed can be seen below: our bedroom curtains. Now we finally have something to pull the room together. The fabric is my absolute favorite fabric in the house right now - brown linen with a metalic teal design.

Next project: recovering the kitchen chairs. Stay tuned!

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Yesterday

A note to take to heart as 2008 fades away and 2009 looms ahead...from the venerable Oswald Chambers:

You shall not go out with haste, . . . for the Lord will go before you, and
the God of Israel will be your rear guard —Isaiah 52:12

Security from Yesterday. ". . . God requires an account of what is past" (Ecclesiastes 3:15 ). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God’s grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.

Security for Tomorrow. ". . . the Lord will go before you . . . ." This is a gracious revelation— that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our "rear guard." And God’s hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience.

Security for Today. "You shall not go out with haste . . . ." As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness. But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the
past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.

Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.

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Stuff Christians Like

My friend just passed on this website to me and, yes, I laughed till I cried.

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/

Check it out and tell me what you think.

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We're having a baby boy!

Yippie! Sander and I are so excited and will now probably post much more on our blog. We weren't quite ready to post the news till now, and how could we blog without letting the news out? The baby looks healthy and the sonogram was so exciting. He was kicking, yawning, and refusing to move for the technician. Just what I expected from our offspring. = )

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House work and a wedding

Sander and I have been busy the last few weeks priming and painting the house. It has just been a rough couple of weeks as I started my job, classes, and we were working each night to meet a deadline for the painters and floor contractors. We had some problems a long the way with our painter (for the oil based trim), but God fought the battle for us. The trim isn't perfect, but it turned out better than we could have hoped for.

Sander's job was to roll...

I edged...and edged...

The floors are being refinished today and we should be able to move in starting Wednesday. I'll get some updated pictures then!

This last weekend we had a nice break from working on the house. We went to Lake Conroe for Jon and Britanie's wedding. It was great to see such an amazing couple join together...and the wedding was gorgeous! It was on an old river boat that cruised around Lake Conroe as we ate, danced, and celebrated their nuptials. The weather couldn't have been nicer and the ceremony was a great chance to remember the vows Sander and I made almost 3 years ago.

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We own a house!!

The deal is down - we are now officially property owners!! There wasn't a sold sign in the yard, which was a real dissapointment, but we took our official picture anyway. Tomorrow the work begins and the reality of what we just signed away hits.

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Recovering the couch

I decided to recover the awesome, yet olllld couch we have. First, saving money is always great, but the best part is I can pick exact fabric I want! Sander loves it too by the way...surprising but great! (Its from Ikea of course)

It is taking me WAY longer than I thought it would and the first cushion ended up smaller than the original. The feather form still fits, but it is more compressed and not as comfy. I'll tweak the others and maybe the small cushion will just blend in. Hopefully...

Old and New

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Last May 13

I was going through some old Picasa photos and realized that were were on the Isle of Skye one year ago today. It is shocking to realize how beautiful the day was, as Skye is NOT known for its good weather. *sigh* It really does feel as if we never really went...

In memory of one of the most fabulous days in Scotland, I've posted a few of my favorite pictures:

View from the B&B

Group shot outside the B&B

On the road leaving the B&B

Highland Coo

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Textiles, House, and Isaac

Last Friday the Fashion Design program at HCC had their big end of the year fashion show and awards ceremony. Sander and I went even though I was only showing a jacket in the show. I had thought they were only giving away a "best-in-show" award, but they added a lot more this year. As they began I was talking to my friend next to me and then we both heard our names. We went up but we had no idea why they had called us to the stage since we had been talking and not listening to the award ceremony. It turned out we each received a $500 Textiles scholarship from the Kingwood Quilt Guild! We were so surprised! Our Textile teacher nominated us for this award and it was a huge honor. It was a fabulous surprise and a way the Lord is obviously looking out us knowing what we need before we need it...as Sander and I were to find out this week.



As I mentioned below, we have an offer on a house. We found out this week what the seller was going to offer for repairs. They barely offered a 1/4 of what we requested. It was discouraging and something we had to think seriously about. But, we saw the scholarship and in several other random places ways the Lord had provided the money despite the reluctance of the sellers. It is easy to get greedy and want the extra money from BOTH places, especially as the list of repairs seems to grow each day. But we had to get to the point Thursday where we firmly knew the Lord had led us to this house and that if the seller wasn't going to provide, that was ok. All money belongs to the Lord anyway - and if we really need it, He will provide it. God has in the past and He will in the future.

It has just been a tiring week with major life decisions, Sander's work going insane, finals at school, Victoria visiting and planning her Europe trip, and baby/house sitting for a friend since Wednesday. Each hour has been fine, but taken as a whole, I am just tired. In some ways I am glad I'm not at the apartment this week though as it has kept my mind off all we have to do with fixing up our 1956 house. Since I'm not home I don't have to think about packing, etc. PLUS we haven't had to deal with people in the pool at 3am like we have every weekend since January - yippie!

Isaac has been a blast to babysit! He is such a good natured kid and does the funnest things. He has been fabulous and a great sport putting up with Sander and I instead of having his parents here. He even hung out with me Wednesday as I went to a party/final at school. He ate and entertained us all at the party with hardly any fussing. We have played at home, gone to a farmer's market, gone to parks, played at Sander's field day, and he has ate, Ate. ATE! = )

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Gracious Uncertainty

In the past few days I've begun to read My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers each day. Tuesday's was so inspiring to me, I have been thinking about it ever since. I don't know if I will ever get to the place of being completely gracious about the uncertainty of life - but I pray that I will. It seems SO freeing...probably because it is just the way God designed it to be! I am so grateful though that God has blessed me with ears to hear and eyes to see...at least in part - I have so far to go, but I am grateful and appreciative for all the grace shown to me in all my failings so far!

Hope this encourages you too:

April 29, 2008
Gracious Uncertainty


. . . it has not yet been revealed what
we shall be . . . —1 John 3:2

Our natural inclination is to be so precise— trying
always to forecast accurately what will happen next— that we look upon
uncertainty as a bad thing. We think that we must reach some predetermined goal,
but that is not the nature of the spiritual life. The nature of the spiritual
life is that we are certain in our uncertainty. Consequently, we do not put down
roots. Our common sense says, "Well, what if I were in that circumstance?" We
cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never
been.

Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life—
gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God
means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may
bring. This is generally expressed with a sigh of sadness, but it should be an
expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we
are certain of God. As soon as we abandon ourselves to God and do the task He
has placed closest to us, He begins to fill our lives with surprises. When we
become simply a promoter or a defender of a particular belief, something within
us dies. That is not believing God — it is only believing our belief about Him.
Jesus said, ". . . unless you . . . become as little children . . ." (Matthew 18:3 ).

The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not
uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next. If our
certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness,
become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are
complete and settled. But when we have the right relationship with God, life is
full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ". . .
believe also in Me" (John 14:1 ), not, "Believe certain
things about Me". Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and
graciously uncertain how He will come in— but you can be certain that He will
come. Remain faithful to Him.

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Kitchen Table

Here is the table I was talking about from Craig's list. I am going to use the fabric in the 2nd picture to make seat covers for the chairs and curtains for the kitchen window.

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Adventure

Today Matt Lauer is in Istanbul with the Today Show- I want to go back! He is going to 5 countries in 5 days. He was in Argentina, Amsterdam, Laos, now Turkey and Istanbul. It has been fun to watch, but seeing a place I have been was the best. I would love to go back and highly recommend Turkey, Istanbul, and the Agean coast to anyone thinking of an overseas trip.

After watching I got a little sad, thinking Sander and I are done with our adventure days. But, when I think about it, life is an adventure right now. We are settling into Houston and have accepted it as our permanent home for the foreseeable future, which includes making major life decisions. We've even decided to buy a house!

We have a contract in on a house, which if all goes well, means it will be ours May 15th - Yikes! It really feels surreal, but it has been an incredible growing experience for Sander and I together.

The house was built in 1956, so it has a few issues to be worked out, but it has original wood floors, lots of trees, and a big yard. The immediate neighborhood is really nice too, but the surrounding area needs some work. It is in an area of Houston that is revitalizing, but it is just hitting this neighborhood. Hopefully the schools will improve in time for our future (hopefully) children.

Sander is excited about re-doing the yard and the wiring - I'm thrilled to decorate! My after-school project will be recovering our 11ft couch with fabric from Ikea, my new best friend. That and Craig's list which as already given me an AWESOME formica table and chairs for $65!

I have to fit in all the re-decorating before the first of June because I'll be starting my new job at Thimble Fingers, a sewing school in West Memorial. It is a really creative place which provides studio time for kids and adults to come and work on individualized sewing/design projects. I am thrilled to start and get involved with this amazing business plan. As it progresses I will update here with lessons learned and if my enthusiasm continues after working 8 hours a day with little ones. = )

Today I am working on my final sketches for my fashion illustration class. I've been amazed at how much I have learned and my ability to sketch a female model free-hand AND clothe her. This last year has taught me so much - bring on the house so I can have room to put these new skills to work!

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Israel

I just got back from an amazing trip to Israel. We had some equipment being built near Haifa, and I was given the opportunity to go do the inspection. It was really and truly a gift from God, and while it was an incredible experience, it's also incredibly difficult to describe what it felt like...so I'm not really going to try here. I'd be glad to go into it all in person or on the phone or something.

So I got there on Sunday afternoon and headed straight to Jerusalem, where I stayed for three days. My hotel was on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus did a lot of His teaching. My room looked out to the courtyard of the chapel built where He ascended into Heaven.

I took the first three days to do some sightseeing, and the company I was visiting even arranged for a private tour guide - very cool. I spent the first day just going around Jerusalem - there's probably more history packed into the Old City than in the whole of America. The second day, we went out to the Dead Sea region and saw the Dead Sea, the caves at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and Mosada, the cliff-fortress-city that was the last stand in the Jewish Wars against Rome. The third day, we headed back out the Dead Sea and drove up the side of the Jordan River to the Sea of Galilee. We saw among other things the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the various villages where Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John came from, the town of Capernaum which Jesus used as a hub for His Galilean ministry, and the site where He fed the 5000.

Then it was off to Haifa (a city on the slope of Mount Carmel, where Elijah took on the prophets of Ba'al) and to real work. There, I spent two days in spirited negotiations making sure everything we designed and paid for was built correctly. The second evening, I took the train back to Tel Aviv and stayed on the Mediterranean coast, then caught a plane back to Houston the next morning.

It was an awesome trip, and one I'll never forget. Pictures are up on our picture site, which you can access from the link at the top. They'll say way more than I could ever write here.

Sander

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Toll Tag

http://www.txtag.org/

I just got my toll tag at the above address! It works throughout Texas AND I don't have to pay any extra charges like I do in Houston. Whoo hoo! Get yours today!

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WSJ & Christmas

As of Tuesday I officially finished my first semester of fashion design classes! It has been a whirlwind as I started just 3 days after we moved to Houston. With one project after another I haven't really had much time for anything else. I realized just yesterday how non-stop it had been. So, now I am taking the much needed "free-time" to make dentist appointments, get in touch with old friends, and check un-read emails that have stacked up for months.

One I came across was this article from the Wall Street Journal. I think it is appropriate anytime, but even more so as Christmas is coming. I wonder what a survey would say if they asked people how they see Christians and Christmas relating. (Our sermon on Sunday asked us what we thought the most important thing about Christmas was. Since we were in Church, of course we knew Jesus was the right answer. But, what the pastor pointed out was what is really the most important thing for us is what we fight for and protect. Is it the tradition of how/when you open gifts what you are going to fight for and protect? Or will you fight and protect how you celebrate and recognize Jesus' birth? To be honest, I realize what I fight for is what food I will eat [its tradition!] or what ornaments I will hang [they are my special ornaments and it isn't Christmas without them!].)

I thought this article and the sermon point were both really applicable to all of us at Christmas. What do you think is more important - your traditions and the "right" thing or reflecting who Jesus really is?

When people look at us, do they see Christ?

Written by Tony Woodlief
October 22, 2007 58 Comments

A few weeks ago the Barna Group conducted a survey of 16- to 29-year-olds (Christians and non-Christians) to assess their impressions of Christianity. The findings, especially as Christians once again find ourselves poised to descend into the muck of national politics, ought to be troubling.

Researchers offered respondents 20 perceptions of Christians — 10 positive and 10 negative — and asked which apply. While considerable majorities perceive that Christianity has good values and principles, and is friendly, an even greater majority think it teaches the same basic ideas as other religions — and that this is a good thing. Still greater percentages of respondents, meanwhile, perceive Christianity as judgmental and hypocritical.

Lest anyone conclude that this is simply the assessment of heathens, half of the Christians surveyed say that Christianity as practiced today in the U.S. is not only judgmental and hypocritical, but too political. It’s hard to write off the opinions of the non-Christians regardless, because the average non-Christian respondent to the survey has five Christian friends, while four out of five regularly attended church themselves (probably as children) in the past.

Most disturbing is that the perception garnering greatest agreement among respondents is that Christianity means hostility to homosexuals. More than any other image, this best defines what Christianity is to young non-Christian Americans (80 percent of young Christians, meanwhile, confirm that it is an accurate perception of Christianity).

I can sense some commenters to this post already thumbing their way to Leviticus. My goal is not to provoke an argument about what Christ does or doesn’t say regarding gays. My point is that our words and actions shape how others see Christ, and a highly-respected research organization reveals that a great many young people perceive Christians not as a body of grace-filled believers, but as a crowd of angry, hypocritical politicos. It puts me in mind of a vignette in Philip Yancey’s The Jesus I Never Knew, about a woman whose life has been destroyed by drugs and prostitution. When someone asks her if she’s thought of going to a church for help, she replies: “Church! Why would I ever go there? I was already feeling terrible about myself. They’d just make me feel worse.”

Regarding the homosexuality finding, when researchers delved deeper, respondents told them that Christians not only hate the sin, but make clear their contempt for the sinner. A majority of young Christians, further, say that their churches have elevated the sin of homosexuality so that it is somehow a greater sin than others, all while failing to offer meaningful guidance about how to interact with gays in a manner reflective of Christ.

All of this — the perceptions of how Christians behave toward homosexuals as well as the general perceptions about Christian hypocrisy and mercilessness — can be summed in what the researchers say was one of the most common unprompted perceptions, that “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.”

We get overwrought, especially in election years, about the state of the country, and the evils of politicians (who almost always come, it seems, from one party and not the other). What if we took four years off from national politics, and devoted them instead to the politics of our own hearts? It seems that — in the eyes of young Americans, at least — many of us Christians are decidedly unchristian in our behavior.

Perhaps the silver lining in this cloud is that non-Christians seem to sense that Christ would not approve. Maybe, despite our sins of anger and hatred, despite our forgetting that we are forgiven as we forgive, and our overlooking that we are saved by grace alone, so that no man may boast — perhaps we may at the very least not sully the name of Christ in our zeal to condemn.

I’m going to try to think less about what Jesus is going to say to other sinners on judgment day, and more about what he will say to me, and to all of us who claim to represent him.

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Sander and I are off tomorrow morning to hear this "definitive" speech by Romney. My sister Victoria works as the Bush Presidential Library and has miraculously managed to get not one, but TWO tickets to this invitation only speech. Romney has chosen to fill it with only his invited guests and the press. We'll keep you updated.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16933414

All Things Considered, December 5, 2007 ·
In a speech at Texas A&M University, Romney will try to dispel concerns
about his religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The speech
has been compared to John F. Kennedy's address to Protestant Evangelical pastors
in 1960, and he hopes it will give him an easier forum to explain a complicated
religion.
For example, last week during the CNN/YouTube debate, Romney was
asked an awkward question for a Mormon: Does he believe every word of the Bible?
"You know," Romney sputtered uncharacteristically, "yes, I believe it's the
word of God, the Bible is the word of God. The Bible is the word of God. I mean,
I might interpret the word differently than you interpret the word, but I read
the Bible and I believe the Bible is the word of God. I don't disagree with the
Bible. I try to live by it."
Romney did not say he believes the Bible is
inerrant, which evangelical Christians do. Nor did he say he believes the Book
of Mormon is a new revelation from God, which Christians reject. Such
theological shoals are difficult to negotiate in sound bites. And so Romney is
offering a summary of his faith on his own terms – uninterrupted – in a speech
in Texas on Thursday.
Shaun Casey, an expert on religion and politics at
Wesley Theological Seminary, says Romney will be talking to the people he needs
to in order to win the Republican nomination: the nearly 40 percent of white
evangelicals who hold an unfavorable opinion of the Mormon faith.
"He has to
show that his Mormon values are equivalent with evangelical, Christian values,"
Casey says. "The difficulty is he really can't drill down very far doctrinally
or theologically because of some of the historic differences and the historic
animosity between evangelical Christians on the one hand and Mormons on the
other."
You could hear that ambivalence at Bob Evan's restaurant in
Springfield, Va., where a group of men met to study the Bible on Wednesday
morning. While Mormons insist that their faith is Christian, Lou Preebee says,
they hold different views of the role of Jesus, salvation, the afterlife and the
Trinity.
"By definition, you have to wonder if Mormonism is an authentic
Christian faith. Most evangelicals would say definitely not," Prebee says,
adding that electing a Mormon president would send a signal. "It gives a
validation of Mormonism as a legitimate Christian denomination, which it is
not."
Computer programmer Eric Hughes is willing to consider Romney — and he
says Romney's speech could help or hurt his vote.
"Probably the biggest deal
breaker for me would be if he were to go up there and claim that fundamental
Christianity and Mormonism are identical," he said.
Why would that be a deal
breaker?
"There are so many chameleons," Hughes says, "I would love to see
somebody who can be completely open and honest with their faith."
Ralph
Weitz, a lay minister, says he, too, is troubled by the doctrines of Mormonism.
"But on the other side, the Mormon faith does bring some values to the
table, just like Kennedy's Catholicism did," Weitz says. "And he needs to
clarify how much he will be controlled by the denomination, versus a faith that
brings value."
In September 1960, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy made a speech to
Evangelical leaders in Houston, Texas. Like Romney, Kennedy faced questions
about whether he would follow the wishes of his church in public policy. He
declared he would not. And he warned about religious intolerance.
"For while
this year, it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed,
in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew, or a Quaker, or a
Unitarian, or a Baptist," Kennedy told the conservative pastors.
Kennedy
added: "It was Virginia's harassment of Baptist preachers, for example, that
helped lead to Jefferson's statute of religious freedom. Today I may be the
victim, but tomorrow it may be you, until the whole fabric of our harmonious
society is ripped at a time of great national peril."
But much has changed in
nearly a half-century. In 1960, political candidates were not expected to wear
their faith on their sleeve, as many do today. Kennedy also represented a
religion followed by nearly one-third of all Americans. Mormonism claims about 3
percent.
And yet, some evangelical leaders have been receptive to Romney's
message. Albert Mohler at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville
has not endorsed Romney, but says he finds him an "attractive candidate."
"I
find him attractive in terms of his policy positions," Mohler says. "And, I
think along with many evangelicals, I would find Mitt Romney very attractive in
terms of who he is as a man, as a husband, as a father. I think you're looking
at someone who really does have the kind of experience, who carries himself like
a president, and one that evangelicals could see in that office."
Mohler says
evangelicals who say they won't vote for a Mormon may reconsider:
"If, for
instance, there is a liberal Democrat, a Hillary Clinton, for example, at the
top of the Democratic ticket, I think an awful lot of evangelicals will
discover, 'Well, you know, a week ago, I didn't think I could vote for a Mormon.
But now, I think I will.'"
Mitt Romney hopes to make that easier for them,
starting with Thursday's speech.

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So much and so little has been happening here in Houston. We are settling into a schedule of work, homework, errands, and road trips. It hasn't been too exciting, thus no updates.

Fashion classes have been really fabulous so far. I am in an incredible art for fashion class with so many inspiring students. The creativity of all the other students oozes out

BLAH BLAH BLAH..........ugh.

Signed, Whitney

[Sander takes the wheel]
Right, so Whitney's in a couple classes that are really cool, and a couple that are not-so-really-cool. There's a lot of ooze in her art for fashion classes (as you've already heard), but from what I can tell, it seems to make them all work better. It's the class where she made that concrete silhouette, and since then she's made some more cool art projects, one of which was based on our experience in Istanbul. She has also just made a hat out of a shoe that she took apart, and it worked out great. She's consistently getting "top marks." In her sewing class, she's actually made a skirt and jacket...albeit a jacket from the 80's complete with double breast and shoulder pads, but that's because the teacher's old and doesn't seem to like to change her assignments from year to year. The other classes are boring and she'll take every opportunity to get out of them that she can, so we'll just leave it at that. Also, through a random friend of a friend, she's gotten to be a dresser at a bunch of fashion shows, the latest of which was a show by some big name designer at Reliant Park (whose name was actually so big it didn't fit in my head). Good stuff there.

Me...I'm back at designing offshore oil platforms and stuff. Not much to report, although I am in the midst of a pretty good practical joke on a co-worker. Can't say much more, but it's a good one. What else...I'm sick of the election and it's still a year away...I've started back up with New Testament Greek...I just killed a fruit fly that has been buzzing around here for days...my hair's growing at an alarming rate...oh, and my watch flew off my wrist and broke after 5 long years of faithful service and 3 real-life resurrections (literally, it stopped 3 times but magically restarted and I never changed the battery).

Oh, this is cool: we've settled down at Bridgepoint Bible Church and found out that the church was originally planted by the same guy that planted Grace Bible Church in College Station. So while we were "Central People" at A&M, we're apparently "Grace People" in Houston. Now we truly are spiritually healthy. Haha...

Good books I've read lately: The Weight of Glory by CS Lewis, The Passion of Jesus Christ by Johnny Piper (it's good for devotionals), and Many Waters by Madeline L'Engle. Those of you who went to Arapaho Elementary...who am I kidding...Mark if he's reading this, will remember that as the 4th book of the Wrinkle in Time series that Miss Loeliger read to us in 4th grade. And I'm happy to say it's even better than it was during story time. Word up for my sophisticated tastes. I'm currently in another book on the Balkans - The Fracture Zone - at the behest of a Serbian friend, but it's not too stellar. It's written by a journalist and you can tell with some of the weird things he says and the way he's not that great at telling a story.

Well, that's it for me right now. I'm going out to look for a new watch. Whitney's scampered off to watch the Project Runway Season Premier with her sister, we still miss Aberdeen, and we're looking forward to Pumpkin Pie.

The End.

Retractions: We actually have 100 senators, not 50. Still, 41% ignorant, partisan opportunists is a sad number.

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Happy halloween! or should I say Happy "Veggie Tales Fall Festival!"

Sander and I went as a nerd...aka himself, and I went as a hula dancer. Oh yeah. I got such a workout doing lunges all night as I womaned the throw the ball through this hole booth. It was fun, but so busy! It made me want kids and not want kids all at the same time.

More soon!!!!

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Our senators...= (

So here is the brief story:

Rush Limbaugh spoke against the men who lie and say they have served in the military. There are quite a few "fake soldiers" who claim to have served for one reason or another and he spoke out against the way they cheapen what is such a noble job.

However, someone seems to have only heard a snippet of that broadcast. That someone happens to be 41 US Senators...yes, 41 of the 100 chosen to represent our nation.

Check out the ebay auction for more info:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Harry-Reid-Rush-Limbaugh-Smear-Letter_W0QQitemZ260170172469QQihZ016QQcategoryZ4105QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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I love the British Parliament!

If only this is what we had to look forward to as election season comes upon us!!

Watch the video and tell me this couldn't be prime time tv??

Yeahhhhhh!!!! RabbleRabbleRabble!!!

Cameron says Brown 'looks phoney'
Conservative leader David Cameron has said Gordon Brown looks like "a phoney" as they went head-to-head in their first Commons battle since July. Leaders clash The clash came with the PM facing claims he "bottled" a snap election - and stole Tory policy ideas on tax. Mr Cameron said the PM was treating people "like fools" by denying opinion polls led to him to reject a snap poll. But Mr Brown pointed to the grammar school row and said he would take "no lessons" from Mr Cameron. Since his weekend decision not to hold a general election Mr Brown has sought to regain the political initiative with statements on Iraq and on his government's tax and longer-term spending plans. But those tax plans - on inheritance tax, "non-doms" and green taxes on flights - have prompted accusations from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats that their policies have been stolen. In the Commons, Mr Brown faced a volley of abuse from Mr Cameron, who accused him of lacking courage and "bottle". 'Flunk an election' The Tory leader mocked the prime minister for denying that he would not have called an election even if the polls showed he would have secured a 100 seat majority. "Do you expect anyone to believe that?" asked Mr Cameron, who added that Mr Brown's failure to hold a referendum on the EU treaty also "damages your credibility". "You are the first prime minister in history to flunk an election because you thought you could win it." He made fun of Mr Brown's book entitled Courage, saying: "Do you realise what a phoney you now look? Have you found a single person who believes your excuses for cancelling the election?" He pressed the prime minister to say if the draft pre-Budget report that was written before the Conservatives' conference had included plans to cut inheritance tax or on levying non domiciles. Mr Brown responded that the government had raised the exemption on inheritance tax on 10 occasions since 1997. He said the Tory leader would have to explain why the Conservatives' plans would only generate £650m rather than the £3.5bn that they claimed. Name calling Mr Brown said he would not take lectures from a man who had been for grammar schools, VAT on air fares and museum charges and then went against them. Mr Cameron said if the prime minister had questions about Tory plans he should "find a bit of courage, get a bit of bottle, get into his car, go down to Buckingham Palace and call that election". He added: "For 10 years you have plotted and schemed to have this job, and for what? No conviction, just calculation. No vision, just a vacuum. "How long are we going to have to wait before the past makes way for the future?" Mr Brown countered that Mr Cameron had said he was "a man who wanted an end to the Punch and Judy show" and "name calling". "We are the government that has created 10 years of economic stability in this country. We are the government that adopted a minimum wage against Conservative advice." Mr Brown said Labour had made the Bank of England independent and delivered record rises in investment in health and education. Lib Dems claim ideas "We will continue to govern in the interests of the whole country," he said. Earlier Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman, Vincent Cable, told BBC News 24 that Labour had actually stolen their ideas, rather than Conservative ideas. He said: "Most of these policies were set out by the Liberal Democrats. We had set out this policy on changing the basis of aviation tax, the Tories pinched it from us and now the government have pinched it from them. "I mean for the Tories to be bellyaching about it, it's like a gang of thieves complaining about their houses being burgled."

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Way to go, Poles

The Polish government has blocked an EU-wide day to celebrate the abolishment of the death penalty, saying it is hypocritical to celebrate abolishing one form of killing while still advocating abortion and euthanasia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7001538.stm

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Houston - The Projects

Hi!

It has been way too long since we have posted on here. Moving back to Texas has been even more of a challenge than we thought. We moved into our apartment on a Wednesday, and the follow Monday I started Fashion Design classes. It has been on hectic rush ever since with commuting, errands for the apartment and the classes, working on one of my many projects, visiting friends, seeing family, and more. We still haven;t worked out a great schedule yet to manage everything and still sleep and eat regularly, but hopefully we will soon. As for me and my classes, they are a surprise! A pleasant one in some ways as they are much more challenging and thought provoking than I thought they would be. Some are a waste of time, but I think that is required for any degree/school you attend. = )

The classes I really like this semester are Textiles, Art for Fashion, and Apparel Construction - all of which have on-going and time consuming projects. I just finished my first "little" project which required that I design a dress form from paper mache. We were then required to pick a prominent artist or designer and portray their philosophy or heart behind a certain piece of art they have created. I chose an early piece of Georgia O'Keeffe's art. The pictures are below. My inspiration for the base came from the way she chose things from her natural environment to paint, so I chose a piece of concrete with rebar sticking out as that is from my natural environment. I then have tulle coming from the base, out through the heart from inside of the form. This is to symbolise the intuition and soul she saw behind objects in nature (as well allude to her home at Ghost Ranch). The color shooting out from inside the form echoes the colors and forms of one of her early water colors of the prairie. I have also included Stieglitz, the man who first displayed her works in New York and later became her husband and lover. I have him behind the tulle as I have also included the Imagest poem In a Station of the Metro on the body of the dress form. I included that poetry, music, and other artists greatly influenced O'Keeffe, especially as she joined the inner circle around Stieglitz in New York. Imagest poetry was being written at the same time O'Keeffe started her career and shares a lot of the same qualities that she projects in her painting - get rid of any unnecessary fluff, get to the point, leave an image in the audience's eye, and then let them interpret the image for themselves. It is much more challenging and time-consuming than I ever imagined, but I am enjoying it as well.

We'll keep you updated on how the rest of this month goes!

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