Titus Ryle
Born: February 7, 2012, at 4:49 p.m.
7 pounds, 12 ounces
21 inches long
“For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.” ~1 Samuel 1:27
Introducing…
Filed under Baby, Baby Bump, Life, Mommyhood, Secondary Infertility, Titus Ryle
Recommended Reading
Since I am not writing…well…anything these days… I thought I would point you to a few who are…
I saw this article shared multiple times on Facebook this past week:
Alarmed and Saddened (an article from World Magazine): I am very thankful to see that the Susan G. Komen foundation has chosen to cut its funding of Planned Parenthood.  Although, I do wish their reasoning was different.  One of the saddest comments made in the article (not surprisingly by the president of Planned Parenthood): “It’s hard to understand how an organization with whom we share a mission of saving women’s lives could have bowed to this kind of bullying.†Did you catch that? “…a mission of saving women’s lives” Hmmm…seems to me that if an organization were truly invested in saving the lives of women, they wouldn’t be killing them before they were born!
{Updated to add…}Â The above article now seems to belong in the too good to be true category…
Komen Caves Under Pressure: Because I shared the above link, I feel it necessary to link to this article as well. The Susan G. Komen foundation has agreed to reinstate funding to Planned Parenthood. Sad…but sadder still, not surprising.
An interesting question to ponder – Who is the author of Hebrews? Although the author is not identified in the book itself, here are some thoughts to consider from one of my favorite college professors, Dr. Will Varner:
Jude the Author of Hebrews, by Dr. Will Varner: Could the book of Hebrews have been written by Jude? Pauline Authorship of Hebrews?, by Dr. Will Varner: “…there are some Christians (and some teachers who should know better) who argue for the Pauline authorship of Hebrews with such zeal that you might conclude that it is a doctrine of the Faith!”
One for my fellow homeschooling moms:
10 Essential Supplies for Homeschooling Boys, by Jennifer Fink at The Homeschool Classroom: I am not homeschooling a boy yet, but I soon will be!! And, since my life as a mom (and before) has pretty much only known “sugar and spice,” I think I am going to file this one away for future reference.
A youth pastor, Grace Community Church, Voddie Baucham, the Family Integrated Church, and the Shepherds’ Conference…
Voddie Baucham and Shepherds’ Conference, by Austin Duncan at The Cripplegate: I have a rather warped sense of humor.  So, I found the fact that Voddie Baucham showed up at Austin Duncan’s Shepherds’ Conference seminar last year (a seminar that centered around critiquing Voddie Baucham’s book, and the Family Integrated Church model as a whole) hysterically funny!  Apparently, not everyone shares my sense of humor, and Voddie’s inclusion as one of this year’s keynote speakers has been a matter of concern and frustration for some. For the record, I listened to Austin Duncan’s seminar from last year, and while I see some of his points, he failed to convince me.  Which is, in part, why I appreciate his gracious words, and his encouragement to his fellow Shepherds’ Conference attendees in this post.  Because, “…if a pastor is unable to give a coherent explanation for why he believes in youth ministry, then he has bigger problems than who is in the speaking line up.”
And, on the topic of the Elephant in the Room (also known as The Elephant Room 2). If you haven’t heard about this yet, these posts may be of no interest to you… However, considering the far-reaching implications of what went on, it might be wise to read up on the events of the .
After the Circus Parade, by Frank Turk on Pyromaniacs: “Someone needs to check the date for Mark Driscoll’s shelf life as a reliable person.” The Elephant in the Room, by Voddie Baucham: I will admit to being (more than a little) concerned when I learned that Voddie Baucham still intended to speak at Harvest Bible Chapel’s Men’s Conference…given the events of the week preceding it.  However, I applaud his candid responses to those who questioned this choice, his clear disagreement with T.D. Jakes’ continued (and unchallenged) affirmation of modalism,  his ultimate decision (made in agreement with James MacDonald) not to go forward with this speaking engagement, and his explanation of everything (including the “race card”) in this post. Elephantiasis, by Phil Johnson on Pyromaniacs (Otherwise known as “James MacDonald Plays the Race Card”): Piggy-backing nicely off of what Voddie Baucham says in the above link…”The take-away message is this: If you’re an old white guy with any hint of Reformed theology in your confessional statement and you don’t think T. D. Jakes’s equivocations at Elephant Room 2 were sufficient to erase decades of concern about his Oneness leanings and his relentless proclamation of a false Prosperity Gospel—then you must be a racist.”
And, what could be better than playing the race card? It is, after all, the ultimate trump card… Or is it?
Even Better than the Race Card {tm}, by Dan Phillips on Biblical Christianity: Dan addresses another, even more egregious claim…and one I’ve seen played far. too. often. - ”The ‘God Told Me’ Card.”  This - not race – is the ultimate “get out of jail free” card. You can’t judge. You can’t criticize. You can’t disagree.  Why? Because you are no longer questioning a mere, sinful, mortal.  You are, it would appear, disagreeing with the very voice of God… Or so they would like you to believe…
Filed under Recommended Reading, Thinking Biblically
Baby Boy’s Bedroom
His (estimated) due date is Monday!! But, as of my doctor’s appointment this afternoon, it seems like our little guy is perfectly content to stay right where he is for the time being…
We do have  a nice little room ready and waiting for him…
But, since he seems to have no interest in it right now, I thought I’d give you all a little (photo) tour of his bedroom! 
As you walk in the door, you will see the armoire…with his animal friends looking on:
The top part of the cabinet contains the changing table…which is well-stocked with lots of wipes and newborn-sized diapers!
The bottom half is full of cute little-boy clothes… Many were shower gifts from sweet friends at church.  The rest…well, they were sweet gifts too! We were blessed with lots of hand-me-downs!! (In addition to what you see in the drawers, there are also two large, very full, very heavy Rubbermaid totes in the closet full of even more hand-me-downs…)
To the right is the crib:
That little rocking chair you see in the corner once belonged to his great-grandfather! Although, it will eventually be replaced by this one:
Here is another shot of the crib, showing the other side of the blanket (because I can’t decide which side I like best!):
I just ordered the letters for his name (it took me forever to find them!) – which will eventually hang above the crib…
I still need (read: want) to hang up a few picture frames…
And, although I love the floor in this room, I would like to find a decent-sized area rug…
But, basically, it is ready…
Just waiting for a sweet little boy to snuggle up in the crib…and to wear all of the tiny blue clothes in the drawers…and to use up all of those diapers!
Filed under Baby, Homemaking, Life, Mommyhood
Status Report {February 2012}
{I am stealing borrowing this from Lisa.}
Sitting…Â at my desk…that’s where the computer is!
Drinking… (decaf!) coffee…with a little bit of York Peppermint Patty-flavored creamer…Mmm.
Pretending…Â that my coffee is caffeinated, and hoping that helps me get through the rest of the afternoon with my eyes open!! (Sadly, I’m not that good at pretending.)
Looking…Â out the back windows on a day that can’t seem to decide if it wants to be rainy or sunny. Â Seems to have settled somewhere in between…warm, cloudy, and 100% humidity.
Wondering… how it is even possible that it is already February… but at the same time…
Realizing…Â that the month in which we get to meet our son is finally here!!!
Cleaning…Anything and everything!! (Can you say “nesting?”)
Packing…my bag for the hospital!!! I’ve put it off for too long…
Crossing…Â the last few projects off of my “Things To Do Before Baby Comes” list…
Enjoying…Â these last few days of being the mommy of an only child…
and…
Waiting… for this little one to arrive! His big sister was quite prompt…but, he seems pretty content with his current accommodations. So, I’m thinking we’ll be waiting a little bit longer!
Baby Bump: 38 Weeks
You may have noticed (or not) that I have not been the most prolific blogger these past few weeks. (Am I ever?)
It certainly isn’t for lack of activity! We have definitely been keeping busy around here. Â But, I have taken a bit of a break from blogging to focus on getting ready for the arrival of our boy!! Â As of today, assuming he comes on time, we only have about a week and a half left until we meet him! Â Which, of course, means it is time for another “Baby Bump” update!
38 1/2 Weeks!
I had an appointment with my doctor this afternoon, and everything (still) looks good. She completely surprised me by offering to induce me next week if I wanted! Oh, if only she had asked me yesterday! (I was having contractions almost all day long…about every 15 minutes. Not quite close enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, but intense enough to make me wonder if we might be meeting our boy sooner rather than later!)  I am so very anxious to meet him…and for that reason alone, I was very tempted to take her up on the offer! But, seeing as how she doesn’t anticipate him being huge, and although he would technically be full-term, he would still be a bit early…so, I (somewhat reluctantly) declined…
We will reconsider the induction if it becomes necessary. For now, we are content to wait, knowing that “…in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for [him], when as yet there was not one of them.” ~Psalm 139:16 (NASB)
Besides, we still have plenty to keep us busy while we wait!
Swinging with my girl. (Yes, I did!)
Hannah and I will be finishing up a few lingering school assignments, projects, and tests so that we can officially begin our “baby break.” Â (We intentionally didn’t take much time off at Christmas, so that we could take extra time when this little one arrived…to just enjoy him!)
And, we have been so blessed by the generosity of our family and friends…hand-me-downs, and so many thoughtful gifts at the shower our church threw for us… I have been busy sorting, washing, and putting away tiny baby boy clothes, and getting this little guy’s bedroom put together. I promise another post is forthcoming once the “nursery” is a bit more presentable.  His room was serving as our guest/storage room, so there are still a few random boxes in there that need new homes… However, I am under strict orders from my husband not to touch them. But, he has been extra busy these past few weeks while our pastor has been out of town.  So, once his life slows down a little bit (this weekend), we’ll get that taken care of!
But, until then…here’s a little peek at my birthday/Christmas/baby shower gift from my parents and grandparents:
Pretty, huh?
Oh…and I guess I should probably pack my bag for the hospital at some point…
I will definitely update with pictures, stats, and his name, once he arrives… But, I hope you all will understand if posting remains rather sparse for the next couple of weeks!
![[image]](http://mowser.com/img?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aquietheart.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F09%2FBlog-Button-11fb.jpg)
![[image]](http://mowser.com/img?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbadge.facebook.com%2Fbadge%2F319580563294.3253.360068127.png)
