Loving Hard

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

A woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do, and sometimes it’s tough, making changes, rearranging schedules to accommodate loved ones. This is what I had to do for today. My pastor-husband, who goes to work every day and works every day for our family and church family providing fresh food for our bodies and souls and moves my soul with how he works, asked me to get a sitter to watch the boys so I could serve with him at a funeral. I went to work immediately because this hardworking man hardly asks me for anything and I wanted to help him. Though Monday is a blogging day and the weekend’s activities would prevent me from choosing another writing day to get my post done, I get a sitter. With a misplaced button for my only decent suit, questionable pantyhose, a puffy mane, little makeup remaining, and a heart hungry to be with my boys, I go and I get more,

More strength to make changes for my family
More resolve to serve them
More love for my hardworking man
More praise for a God who gave me all them
More awe of my sitter, who fed and dressed my kids and cleaned my house too
More appreciation for my role as a wife and mother
More desire to do whatever God desires me to do

all because of Janice Tucker and her family. Today Janice buried Chucky, her firstborn son born with CHARGE Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting one out of every 9-10,000 births worldwide. Though Chucky had most of the issues that characterize CHARGE, including balance, breathing and swallowing problems and vision, hearing and speech loss, Janice, a young mother at 20, refused to put her son in an institution when doctors told her that she should; when they said this would be best because Chucky probably wouldn’t live past toddlerhood, Janice said, “That’s my baby. He’s going home with me.” And Chucky did and lived to see 25 years mostly from having a persistent, insistent and patient mom, a planner who arranged her family to meet Chucky’s needs. Her five other children and her husband who came after Chucky all loved and cared for him. Her mother and sisters and friends, his teachers and their neighbors all loved and cared for him. With hundreds of hospital visits, a tracheotomy, feeding tube, wheelchair and learning and living that wasn’t “supposed” to happen, God showed through Chucky and Janice and her family His grace is sufficient for all of us who have to make changes to accommodate our loved ones, that His strength shows up when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:9). And we can do all things through Jesus Christ, whether tough or small, routine or newly in, when we remain faced toward God and put all our trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:13).

Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

The book, the devotional I told you about last year that I wrote 14 pieces for, is available April 1, but you can click the link and pre-order it now through Amazon. I think the book is great not just because I’m one of the writers but because mothers need mothers, especially the new ones do to help them calm crying babies, soothe gassy stomachs, develop routines, maintain relationships, learn to breathe, and a ton of other stuff that only another mother could help with. This 365 day devotional with scriptures and prayers helps new moms negotiate a variety of issues they deal with as they adjust to life with a baby. Friends and family are irreplaceable, but Motherhood is like having 20 mothers serving new moms the real deal right in their own home. This is an invaluable tool that I think new moms would love to have.

The pieces are never preachy but point out how we learned and grew spiritually in our first year of motherhood. If you’re a new mom, get this book. If you know new moms, recommend or buy this book for them. I’m confident that you will be pleased.

Remember…

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

When you are down and just can’t seem to get up, remember what you know to do and what God can do. Remembering always gives me a different perspective and much hope. I pray remembering does the same for you.

Remember what you can do in From Pity Party to Praise and what God can do in Entertaining Angels.

Pass Your Test

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

I’m a word girl; you know that by now. Don’t ask me about scientific processes, dates from significant historical periods or how to figure out a geometric problem. I would look straight dumb in most of these instances. So you know I was elated when I went to college and had to take only a few science and history courses and no math whatsoever. I was okay with not passing a few tests and overjoyed not to take one math test, but as you know hard tests transcend the walls of academia. We face them every day, can’t escape them if we tried, and we decide based on our preparation if we will pass these tests.

I had one last night. Flynn and I had dinner with a young married couple we mentor. They were talking about an unexpected car expense they had from their car just dying on them in route somewhere. We encouraged them to be thankful that they had the money for repairs and to remember “that life sometimes throws you curve balls,” tests that you don’t want and don’t expect. On our way home we got a curve ball: ironically our car died on us in the left lane of the expressway in the middle of a snowstorm. With the words to our young couple fresh on our minds, we had to decide what the answers to our test would be.

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

With this verse ever present as we mentor young couples and our scriptural arsenal we decided to believe that our God would supply all our need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Though we didn’t understand why the car broke and the fees came when the income is low, we understood that we couldn’t by worrying add a single hour to our lives (Matthew 6:27). We chose to accept that God, who cloths the non-employed grasses with lilies and feeds the jobless birds, would take care of us who do work and are more valuable to God than these (Matthew 6:25-32).

Yes, I’m a word girl, but these glorious words sometimes sting like a fast curve ball pitched by the opposing team. They are like the phrasing of trick questions on dreaded tests that you have studied for but had no idea would show up like these. These words sometimes seem too hard to learn. But I like words and praise God for the ones with promises. They are so much easier to remember and eat even with their sting.

What tests have you had lately? How well have you done with them?

Friday Feature: Yeast Infections

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Rhonda J. Smith

The nagging itch had come again and there had only been three weeks since my last bout. I went to the doctor. She gave me a prescription. I filled it. I used it. I was better for three weeks then I started the itch, see doctor, and get a prescription and relief cycle again. I was suffering with chronic yeast infections—from Candida albicans (the same fungus that causes athletes’ feet and jock itch)—and all my doctor was doing was treating my symptoms. I needed to understand why I kept suffering so I went on my own quest and what I found out has allowed me to treat and prevent reoccurrences:

• I had an imbalance in my flora, which essentially means that I had too many bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria in my intestines. We all have good and bad bacteria that naturally occur in our bodies. When there is an imbalance we get an infection.

• Sugar, white distilled vinegar (found in salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce and tons of other condiments), dairy, fried foods, products containing yeast and fungi (mushrooms and aged cheese) are culprits for yeast infections. It’s not that I can’t ever have these things foods; it’s just that I had to cut them out for about three weeks to promote long term healing.

• During my three weeks, I ate low fat plain yogurt and used it like a prescription vaginal cream. Yogurt is full of good bacteria, or probiotics, the live cells that help restore your flora balance. I also took a probiotic supplement and do so almost daily to maintain my flora balance. I avoid regular yogurts, especially the ones with the fruit, because their sugar content counteracts the good bacteria. I ate bunches of raw and juiced vegetables and lean, non-cured meats.

• Using internal prescription medicines (antibiotics) kill the good and bad bacteria. This is the reason I would get better and eventually get sick again. If I ever have to take antibiotics I make sure to take some probiotics after my course of medicine.

I was able to restore my health by doing my own investigation and mainly using the teachings of two doctors who are Christians that I admire, Don Colbert, M.D. and Valerie Saxion, N.D. When my doctor saw that I was no longer having yeast infections, she said, “Whatever you’re doing keep on doing.” I then knew even greater that it was my responsibility to take care of my temple. I can’t ever expect a doctor to solely do that for me.