Dearest Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends,
We recently posted a blog regarding the controversial issue of abortion. Our intent was to have a loving and honest forum for thoughts and concerns regarding this issue. Unfortunately, this is not what happened. We unintentionally gave birth to a great amount of dissension within our church family as well as our extended brothers, sisters, and friends. Please believe us when I say that this was not our intent and we really feel awful that this is what occurred. To clarify, I want to make a few simple statements regarding what Jade was attempting to say, but was gravely misunderstood.
We do NOT support abortion, NOR would we ever advise this course of action to anyone no matter what the circumstance. We DO support the persons who are going through the decision process of whether or not to abort with love, compassion, and encouragement. We will NOT make the decision for them, NOR will we judge, shun, or withhold grace from someone who has had an abortion because we realize that sometimes people make unChristlike decisions in their lives that seem best to them at the time given their life circumstances whether it is abortion, alcohol, drugs, sex, adultery, stealing, lying to their boss, or insulting a friend (we are/were all guilty sinners undeserved of Christ's grace). We WILL embrace everyone with compassion guided by grace, love, and humility.
We are deeply sorrowed at the direction that this discussion has taken. We are deeply sorrowed at the dissension and anger it has caused within our church family and beyond.
We humbly ask for your forgiveness for all of our part in creating this rift. I hope that each of you will receive and accept our apology. I know that we unintentionally cut deeply into many of you. Again, that was not our intent.
For the sake of unity in our church family and friends, we have deleted the posts and comments from both of our blogs. We pray that this will be accepted as our sign of our understanding of the covenant relationship we have with each of you and that we believe that relationship to be more important than anything else as it is a relationship, a community, bound by, in, and through Christ. We pray that this marks the end of the rift, or at the very least, the beginning of the healing process for the wound of which we were the knife.
We truly love you all!
humbly His, emman and jade chapman
13 September 2008
29 June 2008
Big Brother Caleb
Hello all,
We thought we would tell you a cute thing that happened today. I went to church this morning and Jade, Caleb, and Baby Zoe stayed home. Caleb has been very ill over the last week and although he seems to be at 100% again as of today, we did not want to risk spreading what he had to some other poor little unsuspecting children...as someone did to Caleb a week ago.
This past week has been very rough on Caleb and us. He was the sickest he has ever been by far...throwing up for five days and only keeping down Pedialite (most of the time). So that, on top of having a newborn made the week very stressful. We have not let Caleb touch Zoe all week due to his illness and it has been hard for him to stay away from her. He loves his baby sister very much and we constantly had to remind him that he could not touch or hold her.
So this morning...Jade was busy doing something in the kitchen. Zoe was asleep in our bedroom. Caleb was playing (so she thought). She heard Zoe make some noises on the monitor as if she was beginning to wake up. A couple of minutes later she heard some humming sounds coming through the monitor. She went to investigate and found Caleb laying next to Zoe in our bed singing to her. He had heard her begin to wake so he went into our room, climbed up on the bed, laid down next to her, and sang to her so that she would go back to sleep. And back to sleep she went....
God reminds us almost daily of how blessed we are to be Caleb's parents!
Love you all, emman
We thought we would tell you a cute thing that happened today. I went to church this morning and Jade, Caleb, and Baby Zoe stayed home. Caleb has been very ill over the last week and although he seems to be at 100% again as of today, we did not want to risk spreading what he had to some other poor little unsuspecting children...as someone did to Caleb a week ago.
This past week has been very rough on Caleb and us. He was the sickest he has ever been by far...throwing up for five days and only keeping down Pedialite (most of the time). So that, on top of having a newborn made the week very stressful. We have not let Caleb touch Zoe all week due to his illness and it has been hard for him to stay away from her. He loves his baby sister very much and we constantly had to remind him that he could not touch or hold her.
So this morning...Jade was busy doing something in the kitchen. Zoe was asleep in our bedroom. Caleb was playing (so she thought). She heard Zoe make some noises on the monitor as if she was beginning to wake up. A couple of minutes later she heard some humming sounds coming through the monitor. She went to investigate and found Caleb laying next to Zoe in our bed singing to her. He had heard her begin to wake so he went into our room, climbed up on the bed, laid down next to her, and sang to her so that she would go back to sleep. And back to sleep she went....
God reminds us almost daily of how blessed we are to be Caleb's parents!
Love you all, emman
16 June 2008
Introducing....Savanna Zoe Ioanna Chapman
See her? O.k. maybe you can not see her, but she is in there. Jade has NOT been overeating for the past nine months. Here we are just before we loaded up in the van and left home for The Farm. It is around 10 am and Jade has been feeling mostly consistent contractions since around 6 am.
So, we arrive at The Farm around noon. Mom and I unload while Jade sits around acting like she should take it easy because she is in labor. Ha Ha, Just kidding, actually she helped a lot still. She was not too uncomfortable at this point and she wanted to stay active. So that afternoon, around 4 pm she, Nana, and Caleb decided to take a 
walk and find a hill that our midwife, Carol Nelson, had told her about to try to help labor along. And she also ran into Carol during the walk and spent some time chit chatting, during which, Carol gave her another secret labor catalyst idea...rub your uterus during contractions. Who knew?
So while they are out having good conversation and a nice leisurely stroll. Guess who is left back at the cabin working hard trying to get the birthing tub filled with warm water in time for the birth....yep....poor little me. I am at this point figuring out actually why I was brought along on this little Summertown excursion...hard labor (no pun intended). It took around four hours to fill this thing. Whew!
So they all arrived back to the cabin around 6 pm and Jade began diligently rubbing her tummy during contractions. That, along with the good walk up that steep hill got things moving pretty fast. So Jade did what all women in the middle of active labor do ................ she had her hair done.
And, believe it or not, probably within one hour of having her hair done...Whaaalah, she had a baby. So, remember all you pregnant ladies, if you want to have a good, productive, and fairly quick labor...walk up a hill, talk a lot, rub your belly, AND get your hair done!
And now...the pictures for which you have been waiting....
Oops! How did that picture get in here?! Ha! Just thought I would share with you a picture of Baby Zoe's previous home. It is somewhat of a fixer-upper, but she tells us it was mighty warm and cozy.Here are the good pictures...I think?...
Here we all are...one bigger and HAPPIER family just before we loaded up in the van to leave The Farm and return home.
Hope you enjoyed the pictures AND my little, slightly sarcastic version of the birth story.
Love You All, emman
15 June 2008
Back Home!
Hello everyone,
Just wanted to send out a quick message to let you all know we are home now. And it feels great to be home. The cabin was nice, but a little small for three adults, an energetic two year old and a newborn. I have a new found respect for the Ingalls family on "The Little House on the Prairie."
Some Updates:
Jade is doing a lot better; no fainting since Friday. She went through this after Caleb's birth as well. Just something about giving birth that wipes her body out. Being a guy, I would not know much about that, but I can sure see how the whole process would take everything out of you for a while. Thank you for your prayers! She is really back to normal for the most part. Continue to pray for her while she heals completely from the tearing of some skin caused by Zoe bolting out with three pushes.
Caleb is in love with his baby sister. He is always wanting to see her, hold her, touch her, sing to her. One of his favorite songs is Bingo...you know, "there was a farmer who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o..." Whenever Baby Zoe (as he calls her) cries or fusses, he starts to sing Bingo, and almost always, she calms down. She recognizes his voice as much as Jade's. Amazing!
Savanna Zoe is great...as long as she gets fed when she wants it. She has some lungs when she wants you to know that you are not moving fast enough to the breast milk. Upon further examination she has dark brown (very dark, just on the brown side of black) hair and dark blueish gray eyes. Her skin is darker in complexion by far than any of us and she has a reddish tint to her face and skin. Now, how in the world did two blond haired and blue eyed (mine are more hazel actually) persons create a tan skinned, brown haired baby?
Answer...Jade, too, was born dark with black hair. Her family has a fair amount of native american genes believe it or not. In fact, Jade is a card carrying (although she lost the card) Cherokee of some sort (I think it is Cherokee, she also has Osage genes). I have a very little native american in me as well. So I guess all those genes got together and decided to create a baby. However, like Jade, we expect Zoe to lighten up and for her hair to turn light brown or blond and her eyes to turn blue before too long. In the meantime, we will probably get asked often if we adopted a native american baby. Either way, she is absolutely beautiful if I do say so myself and I could not have imagined a better father's day gift.
I know you will be upset...but I do not have time to post pictures yet. We will try to do so tomorrow.
I will have Jade post the birth story soon. God was so faithful and Jade was so beautiful throughout the process. I know you will be blessed to read about it.
Love you all and thank you so much for sharing life with us!
God bless, emman
Just wanted to send out a quick message to let you all know we are home now. And it feels great to be home. The cabin was nice, but a little small for three adults, an energetic two year old and a newborn. I have a new found respect for the Ingalls family on "The Little House on the Prairie."
Some Updates:
Jade is doing a lot better; no fainting since Friday. She went through this after Caleb's birth as well. Just something about giving birth that wipes her body out. Being a guy, I would not know much about that, but I can sure see how the whole process would take everything out of you for a while. Thank you for your prayers! She is really back to normal for the most part. Continue to pray for her while she heals completely from the tearing of some skin caused by Zoe bolting out with three pushes.
Caleb is in love with his baby sister. He is always wanting to see her, hold her, touch her, sing to her. One of his favorite songs is Bingo...you know, "there was a farmer who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o..." Whenever Baby Zoe (as he calls her) cries or fusses, he starts to sing Bingo, and almost always, she calms down. She recognizes his voice as much as Jade's. Amazing!
Savanna Zoe is great...as long as she gets fed when she wants it. She has some lungs when she wants you to know that you are not moving fast enough to the breast milk. Upon further examination she has dark brown (very dark, just on the brown side of black) hair and dark blueish gray eyes. Her skin is darker in complexion by far than any of us and she has a reddish tint to her face and skin. Now, how in the world did two blond haired and blue eyed (mine are more hazel actually) persons create a tan skinned, brown haired baby?
Answer...Jade, too, was born dark with black hair. Her family has a fair amount of native american genes believe it or not. In fact, Jade is a card carrying (although she lost the card) Cherokee of some sort (I think it is Cherokee, she also has Osage genes). I have a very little native american in me as well. So I guess all those genes got together and decided to create a baby. However, like Jade, we expect Zoe to lighten up and for her hair to turn light brown or blond and her eyes to turn blue before too long. In the meantime, we will probably get asked often if we adopted a native american baby. Either way, she is absolutely beautiful if I do say so myself and I could not have imagined a better father's day gift.
I know you will be upset...but I do not have time to post pictures yet. We will try to do so tomorrow.
I will have Jade post the birth story soon. God was so faithful and Jade was so beautiful throughout the process. I know you will be blessed to read about it.
Love you all and thank you so much for sharing life with us!
God bless, emman
13 June 2008
Zoe is here!!
After 10 hours of labor at "The Farm," Savanna Zoe Ioanna Chapman was born at 11pm on June 12, 2008. Zoe, weighing in at 8 lbs & 10 oz and a length of 20.5 inches, was born with a full head of black hair and has brown eyes. She is EXCELLENT and took to nursing on the first try. She is sleeping well, already!, and she is very alert. Praise God for a healthy baby!!!
Jade is a happy new mommy and doing as well as can be expected. Emman was beaming on the phone, "She made it look so easy!" However, she is wiped out and will be relying on our prayers and the Lord's strength to help her heal and recover quickly. She has been fainting when trying to get up, so please do keep her in your prayers.
They plan to return home on Sunday, or as soon as Jade is ready to travel again.
Specs again:
Peace <>< :: Nate
Jade is a happy new mommy and doing as well as can be expected. Emman was beaming on the phone, "She made it look so easy!" However, she is wiped out and will be relying on our prayers and the Lord's strength to help her heal and recover quickly. She has been fainting when trying to get up, so please do keep her in your prayers.
They plan to return home on Sunday, or as soon as Jade is ready to travel again.
Specs again:
- Savanna Zoe Ioanna Chapman
- 11pm :: June 12, 2008
- 8 lbs & 10 oz
- 20.5 inches
- status :: EXCELLENT
Peace <>< :: Nate
12 June 2008
On Our Way!
Hello everyone,
We are loading up the van and will be leaving for The Farm very shortly. Jade is doing well. The contractions are only slightly uncomfortable at this point and around five minutes apart averaging around 45 secs to a minute.
Please pray for a safe delivery and that God will make His presence known during this time. We will post again (most likely through Nathan) as soon as we get a chance after the birth.
Love You All! Pray unceasingly!
emman
We are loading up the van and will be leaving for The Farm very shortly. Jade is doing well. The contractions are only slightly uncomfortable at this point and around five minutes apart averaging around 45 secs to a minute.
Please pray for a safe delivery and that God will make His presence known during this time. We will post again (most likely through Nathan) as soon as we get a chance after the birth.
Love You All! Pray unceasingly!
emman
08 June 2008
He never lets go!
Brothers, Sisters, Family, and Friends,
I want to share something with you all that God put on my heart this morning. I was praying for several of you and God spoke into my heart and I feel impressed to share these words with you...
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
(Matt Redman, "You Never Let Go")
I know life is chaotic at times and sometimes your whole world seems to be crashing down around you. It seems that everything and everyone is out to get you. There is too much weight on your shoulders and you do not think you will make it much further before you crumble beneath it. You are hurt by those who should not be hurting you. You are frustrated, angry, upset, tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
And all you want to know is WHY! Why God, is this happening to me?
I do not have the answer and God may not be ready to give His answer to you. But I am led at this moment to encourage you.
He IS walking with you in the chaos and He IS ready and willing to carry you through it...if only you will let Him. God put it on my heart that some of you need to cry out to Him the words of this song on your knees. Remind yourself of the God you serve and that He truly is an Awesome God.
So click this link... You Never Let Go, bow your head, allow the words to sink into your heart, and listen as God speaks to you.
And remember Romans 8:35, 37-39...
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God. You may have turned your back or strayed away from Him, but He is still there...watching, waiting, and willing to wrap His arms around you again.
If you are fearful and feeling alone it may be because you are not focusing on God. You are focusing on the chaos...the storm. And just as Peter did when he took his eyes off of Jesus, you are sinking in the turbulent waves and allowing the swirling waters to overpower you and your lungs are filling up with water.
Take your eyes off of the storm and Seek out His face again. Reach out to Jesus as a drowning man, knowing he will no longer be able to stay afloat, reaches out one last time with all of his remaining strength and energy toward the one who can pull him out of the water and save his life.
Do this wholeheartedly, and you will find peace again, despite the chaos that surrounds you.
He does not promise to take the chaos away. He does promise to walk with you through the depths of it. So take His hand once again and follow His lead with every step.
I love you all...I am hurting because you are hurting, emman
I want to share something with you all that God put on my heart this morning. I was praying for several of you and God spoke into my heart and I feel impressed to share these words with you...
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
(Matt Redman, "You Never Let Go")
I know life is chaotic at times and sometimes your whole world seems to be crashing down around you. It seems that everything and everyone is out to get you. There is too much weight on your shoulders and you do not think you will make it much further before you crumble beneath it. You are hurt by those who should not be hurting you. You are frustrated, angry, upset, tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed.
And all you want to know is WHY! Why God, is this happening to me?
I do not have the answer and God may not be ready to give His answer to you. But I am led at this moment to encourage you.
He IS walking with you in the chaos and He IS ready and willing to carry you through it...if only you will let Him. God put it on my heart that some of you need to cry out to Him the words of this song on your knees. Remind yourself of the God you serve and that He truly is an Awesome God.
So click this link... You Never Let Go, bow your head, allow the words to sink into your heart, and listen as God speaks to you.
And remember Romans 8:35, 37-39...
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God. You may have turned your back or strayed away from Him, but He is still there...watching, waiting, and willing to wrap His arms around you again.
If you are fearful and feeling alone it may be because you are not focusing on God. You are focusing on the chaos...the storm. And just as Peter did when he took his eyes off of Jesus, you are sinking in the turbulent waves and allowing the swirling waters to overpower you and your lungs are filling up with water.
Take your eyes off of the storm and Seek out His face again. Reach out to Jesus as a drowning man, knowing he will no longer be able to stay afloat, reaches out one last time with all of his remaining strength and energy toward the one who can pull him out of the water and save his life.
Do this wholeheartedly, and you will find peace again, despite the chaos that surrounds you.
He does not promise to take the chaos away. He does promise to walk with you through the depths of it. So take His hand once again and follow His lead with every step.
I love you all...I am hurting because you are hurting, emman
02 June 2008
The Bridegroom
I have come to the fifth and final essential variable for a healthy and lasting marriage. This element is by far the most important and completely encompasses the first four. Some reading this will not agree with me for reasons you will soon figure out. And I am o.k. with those who disagree. But I lovingly pray that you will reconsider.
I can attest to this variable being one with the ability to powerfully and wonderfully transform your marriage in a way that no other variable is able to accomplish. I have experienced marriage with and without this variable. I can honestly say that had my first marriage truly embraced this variable, it would not have ended.
This essential element is one that, if newly introduced into your marriage, will change you and your spouse so deeply and completely that you may not recognize each other at first. Many of you may already have this variable in your life and will agree with me when I say that this element continues to shape and mold you and your marriage each and every day of your life towards health and complete fulfillment of all a marriage is supposed to be.
If you invite this variable into your marriage, you live as the benefactor of a promise to provide you with the wisdom, strength, and support you need to face the everyday challenges in your marriage. You are never alone with your hurts and despair. You always have a source of hope and love on which to lean, on which you can hold in the moments of frustration and pain.
This variable will not relieve your life of problems. Your days will not always be sunny. Perfection is not attained. But you will never again be alone on those dark days. You will never again have to navigate through the storms of your marriage by yourself.
This final essential variable is...
Christ.
Jesus Christ embodies all of the first four essential elements.
He models and perfects a Commitment that never fails and never gives up. A commitment from God Himself to love you, cherish you, and take care of you throughout your entire life and beyond. He offers the only commitment on which you can always count. The strongest and truest commitment that stands all tests of time and troubles.
He was sent to create an avenue of Communication from us directly to our God. He was sent to us as a divine source of communication for God's message to us. He models for us the way to communicate with love, acceptance, patience, and wisdom. He is God's fleshed out example of going to great lengths in order to communicate unconditional love no matter what the cost.
Christ came to Completely Sacrifice His time, His energy, His heart, and His life so that we could enter into a personal relationship with The Creator of the Universe. He sacrificed his life unselfishly and without regret. He sought only to give all He had in order to love us, despite our inability to love Him just as completely. Though He deserves a perfect unconditional love in return, He does not ask for it. He asks only that we would seek to love Him as much as we are able each and every day of our lives.
Jesus is the essence of Community. He is part of the three in one...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the original and perfect community. He was sent by God to establish intimate community between God and humans. He focused His entire ministry on creating relationships/friendships with people...creating a community of unconditional acceptance and love filled with joy, peace, and hope for each new day despite the chaos of life. He promises to never leave us, to always stand by us, and to support us no matter how bad life gets. He will always answer when we call, and He will pick us up and carry us when we fall. He is perfect community.
Jesus Christ will transform your marriage and put it on the road toward all that He exemplifies. When He is the foundation of your marriage, He is the source of support and hope and direction. When you seek to see your spouse through the lens of The Christ, you seek to see him/her as one for whom you would give your life, your time, your energy, and your whole heart without asking for anything in return.
He gives you the humility to put aside your pride and say you are sorry and truly mean it.
He gives you the love you need to offer, whether or not you feel your spouse deserves it.
He gives you the strength to stand when life's doubts/worries/problems attempt to overwhelm your marriage.
He gives you the wisdom to navigate through issues and guide your marriage down a lasting path.
He gives you the hope needed to hang on through the toughest times.
He gives you the faith to hold your marriage together, knowing He will carry you through.
I have a question for those who do not believe me? Have you had Jesus in your life? Your Marriage? Have you ever truly committed your life and marriage to Him?
I have a challenge for you...begin to love and treat your spouse as Jesus loves and treats His church and all those whom He befriends. Model Jesus in your marriage and see what happens. I promise you that your marriage will only get better. Seek to follow the example of Jesus in your life and your marriage will follow suit. Wounds will begin to heal and hurts will begin to fade. Love will begin to overwhelm and hope will begin to overcome.
You will find that The Christ is truly the solid foundation on which you will want to place not only your marriage, but your entire life.
For Jesus Christ is The Bridegroom...the perfect example of true Commitment, Communication, Complete Sacrifice and Community.
John the Baptist said it best...
You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent ahead of Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:28-30)
So also must it be in a healthy and lasting marriage...He must increase and you must decrease.
I can attest to this variable being one with the ability to powerfully and wonderfully transform your marriage in a way that no other variable is able to accomplish. I have experienced marriage with and without this variable. I can honestly say that had my first marriage truly embraced this variable, it would not have ended.
This essential element is one that, if newly introduced into your marriage, will change you and your spouse so deeply and completely that you may not recognize each other at first. Many of you may already have this variable in your life and will agree with me when I say that this element continues to shape and mold you and your marriage each and every day of your life towards health and complete fulfillment of all a marriage is supposed to be.
If you invite this variable into your marriage, you live as the benefactor of a promise to provide you with the wisdom, strength, and support you need to face the everyday challenges in your marriage. You are never alone with your hurts and despair. You always have a source of hope and love on which to lean, on which you can hold in the moments of frustration and pain.
This variable will not relieve your life of problems. Your days will not always be sunny. Perfection is not attained. But you will never again be alone on those dark days. You will never again have to navigate through the storms of your marriage by yourself.
This final essential variable is...
Christ.
Jesus Christ embodies all of the first four essential elements.
He models and perfects a Commitment that never fails and never gives up. A commitment from God Himself to love you, cherish you, and take care of you throughout your entire life and beyond. He offers the only commitment on which you can always count. The strongest and truest commitment that stands all tests of time and troubles.
He was sent to create an avenue of Communication from us directly to our God. He was sent to us as a divine source of communication for God's message to us. He models for us the way to communicate with love, acceptance, patience, and wisdom. He is God's fleshed out example of going to great lengths in order to communicate unconditional love no matter what the cost.
Christ came to Completely Sacrifice His time, His energy, His heart, and His life so that we could enter into a personal relationship with The Creator of the Universe. He sacrificed his life unselfishly and without regret. He sought only to give all He had in order to love us, despite our inability to love Him just as completely. Though He deserves a perfect unconditional love in return, He does not ask for it. He asks only that we would seek to love Him as much as we are able each and every day of our lives.
Jesus is the essence of Community. He is part of the three in one...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the original and perfect community. He was sent by God to establish intimate community between God and humans. He focused His entire ministry on creating relationships/friendships with people...creating a community of unconditional acceptance and love filled with joy, peace, and hope for each new day despite the chaos of life. He promises to never leave us, to always stand by us, and to support us no matter how bad life gets. He will always answer when we call, and He will pick us up and carry us when we fall. He is perfect community.
Jesus Christ will transform your marriage and put it on the road toward all that He exemplifies. When He is the foundation of your marriage, He is the source of support and hope and direction. When you seek to see your spouse through the lens of The Christ, you seek to see him/her as one for whom you would give your life, your time, your energy, and your whole heart without asking for anything in return.
He gives you the humility to put aside your pride and say you are sorry and truly mean it.
He gives you the love you need to offer, whether or not you feel your spouse deserves it.
He gives you the strength to stand when life's doubts/worries/problems attempt to overwhelm your marriage.
He gives you the wisdom to navigate through issues and guide your marriage down a lasting path.
He gives you the hope needed to hang on through the toughest times.
He gives you the faith to hold your marriage together, knowing He will carry you through.
I have a question for those who do not believe me? Have you had Jesus in your life? Your Marriage? Have you ever truly committed your life and marriage to Him?
I have a challenge for you...begin to love and treat your spouse as Jesus loves and treats His church and all those whom He befriends. Model Jesus in your marriage and see what happens. I promise you that your marriage will only get better. Seek to follow the example of Jesus in your life and your marriage will follow suit. Wounds will begin to heal and hurts will begin to fade. Love will begin to overwhelm and hope will begin to overcome.
You will find that The Christ is truly the solid foundation on which you will want to place not only your marriage, but your entire life.
For Jesus Christ is The Bridegroom...the perfect example of true Commitment, Communication, Complete Sacrifice and Community.
John the Baptist said it best...
You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent ahead of Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:28-30)
So also must it be in a healthy and lasting marriage...He must increase and you must decrease.
God Bless, emman
29 May 2008
The Plan
Many of you will be anxiously anticipating the phone call saying we are headed to The Farm in labor and later the phone call saying mother and baby are doing great and here's the stats. However, since we are going with a non-traditional method of childbirth in the U.S., our cell phone coverage and thus our ability to make those calls is limited. So here is the plan for those of you awaiting the news.
As soon as labor starts we are packing the last minute supplies (everything else is already loaded into the van) and heading to The Farm. We have the cabin for a week, feel very comfortable there, and have a 2 hour drive to get there, so there is no need for us to wait until contractions are 5 minutes apart and 60 seconds long. Once we know it's time, we are taking off! We will call our midwife as we head out the door and let her know our status and that we are coming, then we will call Emman's mother, Debby (or if labor happens in the next several days our friend from church, Joy, as Mike-Emman's father- is recovering from emergency surgery that he had this morning to remove a staph infection from his knee- please pray for both of them as he recovers), to let her know we are going so that she can load up her last minute things and head out the door for her 4 hour drive to The Farm. (Debby/Joy is coming down to watch Caleb. We want him to be a part of the birth as much as he wants to, but don't expect a 2 and 1/2 year old to sit patiently through labor and birth.) We will then call my parents to let them know it's time. Finally, we will call our good friend Nathan to tell him. He will then post a blog on this site on our behalf to let the rest of you know we are on our way to The Farm.
Since there is no cell phone coverage we will not be making any immediate "she's here" calls. Rather, after we have had time to become acquainted with her and everything is running smoothly with everyone, someone will make a trip into town and call Nathan. He will then post another blog on this site letting you all know if she is indeed a Savanna Zoe and her length, weight, date and time of birth and that everyone is doing fine, and/or any prayer requests we might have.
We are not sure how long we will stay after the birth. It may be 2 days or it may be the whole week. After we return and are feeling up to it we will post an update and make calls to people personally.
We just wanted to let you know what we are planning on so that no one becomes concerned if they read that we left and don't hear from us for a few days. Consider no news, good news. If something outside of normal happens we would be sent to the hospital and then we would be in town and could call and let you know there was something wrong. As long as we can't call, we are still on The Farm and everything is going great.
Of course we always appreciate your prayers and believe strongly in the power of prayer. So please pray even now for a smooth, normal, healthy birth. Once you read we are in labor, please pray then too and continue praying for labor, birth, bonding, recovery, and health for us all. Thank you!
God bless,
Jade
As soon as labor starts we are packing the last minute supplies (everything else is already loaded into the van) and heading to The Farm. We have the cabin for a week, feel very comfortable there, and have a 2 hour drive to get there, so there is no need for us to wait until contractions are 5 minutes apart and 60 seconds long. Once we know it's time, we are taking off! We will call our midwife as we head out the door and let her know our status and that we are coming, then we will call Emman's mother, Debby (or if labor happens in the next several days our friend from church, Joy, as Mike-Emman's father- is recovering from emergency surgery that he had this morning to remove a staph infection from his knee- please pray for both of them as he recovers), to let her know we are going so that she can load up her last minute things and head out the door for her 4 hour drive to The Farm. (Debby/Joy is coming down to watch Caleb. We want him to be a part of the birth as much as he wants to, but don't expect a 2 and 1/2 year old to sit patiently through labor and birth.) We will then call my parents to let them know it's time. Finally, we will call our good friend Nathan to tell him. He will then post a blog on this site on our behalf to let the rest of you know we are on our way to The Farm.
Since there is no cell phone coverage we will not be making any immediate "she's here" calls. Rather, after we have had time to become acquainted with her and everything is running smoothly with everyone, someone will make a trip into town and call Nathan. He will then post another blog on this site letting you all know if she is indeed a Savanna Zoe and her length, weight, date and time of birth and that everyone is doing fine, and/or any prayer requests we might have.
We are not sure how long we will stay after the birth. It may be 2 days or it may be the whole week. After we return and are feeling up to it we will post an update and make calls to people personally.
We just wanted to let you know what we are planning on so that no one becomes concerned if they read that we left and don't hear from us for a few days. Consider no news, good news. If something outside of normal happens we would be sent to the hospital and then we would be in town and could call and let you know there was something wrong. As long as we can't call, we are still on The Farm and everything is going great.
Of course we always appreciate your prayers and believe strongly in the power of prayer. So please pray even now for a smooth, normal, healthy birth. Once you read we are in labor, please pray then too and continue praying for labor, birth, bonding, recovery, and health for us all. Thank you!
God bless,
Jade
28 May 2008
No Marriage is an Island
You may have heard the phrase... "No man is an island." The phrase was written by a Christian, John Donne (1572-1631), in his Meditation XVII in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions. The entire sentence is...
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
He was speaking to the interconnectedness of mankind to each other. The phrase is commonly used to mean that a person is not meant to be alone.
I would like to submit to you my understanding that just like a man/woman, No marriage is an island. Marriage needs, and will only truly thrive in...
Community - which is my fourth essential variable for a lasting marriage.
What you must come to realize and accept is that no marriage can make it on its own. We need to invite others into our lives. We need the support, encouragement, wisdom, comfort, joy, and strength that comes from sharing life with a community.
Marriage needs community in happy times and in sad times.
Marriage is enhanced and built strong through friends with whom you can laugh, learn, and live life.
Marriage is held together and saved from defeat through friends with whom you can share your hurts and problems and receive support, comfort, and wisdom.
Community is not so hard to do during the good times. However, it is extremely difficult during bad times, which are the times in which community is so very important.
We tend to want to isolate ourselves, close off, and not talk to anyone when things are not so good. We trick ourselves into believing that no one else has problems and others will only judge us and look down on us. This false perception forces us to surround ourselves with thick walls. We deceive ourselves into thinking we do not need anyone and even if we did, there is no one we could trust to help us. And before we know it, our strength and wisdom runs out along with our marriage because we could not do it alone after all.
In actuality, all marriages have problems. If you know of a marriage that has never had a problem then you do not know that marriage as well as you think you do.
Perfect marriages do not exist, but lasting ones do!
Community is important, but the type of community is even more important..."Birds of a feather flock together." You must decide the type of marriage toward which you want to strive, and then surround yourselves with others who are striving toward the same type.
If you commune with couples who lie to each other, cheat on each other, disrespect each other, etc.; then the odds are you will begin to do the same. If you spend time with persons who see marriage as good only to the point that it satisfies their personal needs, then you will probably begin to think the same.
If you commune with couples who seek to love each other unconditionally, respect and care for each other through the good and the bad, and share a devotion and commitment to stay together through thick and thin; then you and your spouse will very likely portray the same.
Do not misread what I am writing. I did not say, "go find a community full of perfect couples that never have problems and never make mistakes." Remember...they do not exist. Just seek out couples who are putting their whole hearts into their marriage, and are seeking to learn from their mistakes so that they may live each new day with a marriage that is stronger and healthier than the day before.
So reach out and invite others into your lives. Your marriage will benefit. Open your hearts to accept Community. Take a chance and trust that Community to help you through the ups AND the downs of your marriage. You will experience comfort, strength, joy, wisdom, and hope that will be a vital part of your marriage and your life...if you are willing to accept it.
God Bless, emman
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
He was speaking to the interconnectedness of mankind to each other. The phrase is commonly used to mean that a person is not meant to be alone.
I would like to submit to you my understanding that just like a man/woman, No marriage is an island. Marriage needs, and will only truly thrive in...
Community - which is my fourth essential variable for a lasting marriage.
What you must come to realize and accept is that no marriage can make it on its own. We need to invite others into our lives. We need the support, encouragement, wisdom, comfort, joy, and strength that comes from sharing life with a community.
Marriage needs community in happy times and in sad times.
Marriage is enhanced and built strong through friends with whom you can laugh, learn, and live life.
Marriage is held together and saved from defeat through friends with whom you can share your hurts and problems and receive support, comfort, and wisdom.
Community is not so hard to do during the good times. However, it is extremely difficult during bad times, which are the times in which community is so very important.
We tend to want to isolate ourselves, close off, and not talk to anyone when things are not so good. We trick ourselves into believing that no one else has problems and others will only judge us and look down on us. This false perception forces us to surround ourselves with thick walls. We deceive ourselves into thinking we do not need anyone and even if we did, there is no one we could trust to help us. And before we know it, our strength and wisdom runs out along with our marriage because we could not do it alone after all.
In actuality, all marriages have problems. If you know of a marriage that has never had a problem then you do not know that marriage as well as you think you do.
Perfect marriages do not exist, but lasting ones do!
Community is important, but the type of community is even more important..."Birds of a feather flock together." You must decide the type of marriage toward which you want to strive, and then surround yourselves with others who are striving toward the same type.
If you commune with couples who lie to each other, cheat on each other, disrespect each other, etc.; then the odds are you will begin to do the same. If you spend time with persons who see marriage as good only to the point that it satisfies their personal needs, then you will probably begin to think the same.
If you commune with couples who seek to love each other unconditionally, respect and care for each other through the good and the bad, and share a devotion and commitment to stay together through thick and thin; then you and your spouse will very likely portray the same.
Do not misread what I am writing. I did not say, "go find a community full of perfect couples that never have problems and never make mistakes." Remember...they do not exist. Just seek out couples who are putting their whole hearts into their marriage, and are seeking to learn from their mistakes so that they may live each new day with a marriage that is stronger and healthier than the day before.
So reach out and invite others into your lives. Your marriage will benefit. Open your hearts to accept Community. Take a chance and trust that Community to help you through the ups AND the downs of your marriage. You will experience comfort, strength, joy, wisdom, and hope that will be a vital part of your marriage and your life...if you are willing to accept it.
God Bless, emman
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