Perfect Love and Life

An estimated 92 percent of all women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to have an abortion, according to research reviewed by Dr. Brian Skotko, a pediatric geneticist at Children's Hospital Boston. Our newest nephew was born with Down syndrome back in August. He is a ray of sunshine and has already endured a critical heart surgery and a week-long stay in the hospital due to an upper respiratory infection. He has endured all of it with determination and joy. He is the sweetest little buddy. I think when I read the statistic above it is just hard to believe, hard to really wrap my head around that. When I hold my nephew Dylan, he is smiling, cooing, laughing and eating like any other baby. He is 100% alive and 100% as lovable and yet for more than most parents who receive this diagnosis, those facts aren’t enough I guess. It speaks to the greater problem-our hearts.
 
While I can’t relate to aborting a baby that wasn’t in my plan or rejecting one because they weren’t what I had hoped they would be. Which by the way, is life ever what you thought it would be anyways? I see something sickening in my own heart. Something wicked and dark. When someone is annoying. Someone doesn’t have normal social boundaries. When someone’s insecurities are being vomited all over me. I tend to avoid these kinds of people and circumstances. I tend to not want to be put out. I tend to be too busy for such people. I tend to ignore these people’s phone calls. The common denominator is not wanting to feel burdened, inconvenienced or uncomfortable. There it is; it always resurfaces… that pesky idol of comfort that I all too often sit at and worship. These are the very people that Jesus befriended, loved and made a home for. It reminded of of this text from Matthew 5... (21) “You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’(22) But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. (27) You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. (28) But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  The root of the heart is wicked and in desperate need of cleansing.  A divine work is the only crow bar that will pry my hands off my golden calf of comfort.

I guess what Dylan has been teaching me personally, is that blessings often come in the way of things we would have never asked for. There is deep and beautiful life, perfect love to be found in some of the most surprising of places. Places I would never had the courage or knowledge to seek out on my own. It leaves me worship filled and grateful that God gives his children what they need even if it is in stark contrast to what they are asking for. God’s resolve in shepherding is absolute and with infinite knowledge. Oh to have a fraction of that strength to raise the little flock he has entrusted us with. And let me just say that this beauty and blessing must be fought for at times. There are so many choices in how we receive and are willing to look at what the Lord has given us. This kind of perspective is both a gift and a discipline.

A second truth. Life is God given and perfect in his own timing. In the article by Dr. Skotko I was reading he made the point that a lot of parents or women are uninformed which might lead them to opting to terminate a pregnancy. Dr. Skotko states, "I am concerned about mothers making that informed decision," he said. "Are they making it on facts and up-to-date information? Research suggests not, and that mothers get inaccurate, incomplete and sometimes offensive information." There was a video circulating about a boy name Zion born with Trisomy 18 or Edwards Syndrome and I knew I was going to cry but wanted to watch it anyways, because I was so taken with the couple’s desire to let God’s love and perfection be displayed in this baby. Life is always a gift, no matter how short or how long. No matter how it comes to us or leaves us. We are all on display for the King’s splendor.

Ecclesiastes 3 A Time for Everything
(3) For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: (2) a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; (3) a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (7) a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. The God-Given Task (9) What gain has the worker from his toil? (10) I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. (11) He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. (12) I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; (13) also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. (14) I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.

TODAY show investigates CSST Gas piping

We miss Brennen and his sweet soul on this Earth every single day. There is rarely a Hooper family gathering that a story or his name doesn't come up. Proud of Becky and Ken for carrying this torch and lobbying for safer options to pump gas through homes. Your Brennen and journey are both still so close to our minds and hearts. We love you Teels!

Never Trust the Silence.

I unloaded groceries and in a pregnant panic to relieve myself I left my two kids laughing and playing in front of the t.v., grocery bags on the kitchen floor.  Mid-stream I hear a glorious noise… silence.  As quickly as I began relishing this rare occasion in our house, I was stricken with the reality that silence with these people only occurs when they are into something thy shouldn’t be.   Once I finished my business I scurried out into the kitchen to this scene.

A $3 yogurt parfait from Central Market and a small mess earned me one trip to the bathroom by myself.  I say WORTH IT! It reminded me of the scent of smoke.  The warning signs that come before our sin engulfs us and turns into a raging fire.  It reminded me to not take sin lightly, as its end goal is death and nothing less.  Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards.”  We don’t wake up in complete rebellion to God overnight in one giant step anymore than we wake up Holy.  It is more often the journey of a  thousand small steps. For sin to take root, convictions have been silenced and urgings of the Holy Spirit supressed.  I have always heard that you shouldn’t have a secret life.  If we have things in our life that we are ashamed of, that we wouldn’t want others to see, this should raise a red flag that this thought or habit could be sinful and dangerous.  I had a friend that was walking through a difficult time in her marriage and it ultimately ended in divorce.  She kept the depth of her thoughts and struggle hidden until she finally chose to leave.  If only those first thoughts or feelings could have been spoken out loud to believers around her maybe encouragement, godly counsel and restoration could have been had.  Silence.  It can be a scary thing.  When we allow our weakness to be exposed and drag what intends to kill and destroy into the light, sin’s grip is loosened.  

David says this in Psalms 32, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away…” Sin management is exhausting business that eats away at our insides.  And while we may not have big plans for our less than holy thoughts and one-off sins, the evil one surely does.  John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy."

We see in the Garden of Eden, post apple consumption, both Adam and Eve had, for the first time, the inclination to duck and cover. 

Genesis 3: 7-8

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.  And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.  (8)And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD GOD among the trees of the garden.

Lord, give me the strength to trust the cross with my sin, strife and struggle.  Give me the courage to walk honestly in the light that it might be harder to enter back into familiar cozy sins.  Help me to be vulnerable and embrace genuine community that love me but more importantly love you and your church.  Thank you for loving me in spite of me not because of me.  Your grace is sufficient and sacrifice undeserved.

Some questions I have been pondering:

1)      Do I have thoughts I am grateful no one can hear?

2)      Do I have a habit or have I done something as an isolated event that I am ashamed of and hope no one finds out about?

3)      What is the worst thing that could happen if I told someone trustworthy the truth about me?

4)      What is the worst thing that could happen if I continue to hide and my sin escalates from thought/feeling to action? Or from action to habit?

Broken Bones & New Tunes

Two things. Davy broke her arm on Valentine's day. She has been so brave. I am once again confronted with the truth that we can't fix our kids or spare them from all the hurts of the world. That pain hopefully leads us out of this world and ushers us into an eternal one. I have just been praying for her and over her and we have had many sweet conversations about God as our healer and how obedience protects us.

 

Totally unrelated. Chris has told me two things about music ever since I have known him. 1) In the land of music the song is king. 2) Good music ALWAYS finds a way out. Well, suffice to say, this kid is king. Are you listening to the UK's Sam Smith? We can't get enough of him here at the Pearson household.
  Happy Thursday!

cup of coffee + 15 minute break = a good pick me up

The only thing getting me through the fact that the current SNL cast has been dismembered is my love for Seth Myers moving to Fallon's spot and Fallon taking over Jay.

From Crackle: Really?!

Preston James Pearson

Oh I fear I am so tardy announcing this little buddy.  He is so sweet, so snugly and I cannot get enough of him.  He is so simple and happy.  This delivery went smoothly.  I went to the hospital to be induced around 6 p.m. on October 2nd and went into labor naturally.  This made everything easier.  I only had to push through two contractions and that little buddy was in our arms at 8:52 a.m. the next day.  As always, grateful to be having babies in 2012 and not on the Oregon trail...the common graces of medicine and highly trained professionals. Babies are miracles and gifts from our God. We love you Preston.

ADVENT

This is the worship pastor from our Dallas Campus at The Village Church.  Jesus played a very minor role at Christmas for me as a child and the anticipation I felt was only for presents and not for Jesus, the word becoming flesh, fully God and fully human.  This video tells the story of advent so beautifully.  I get teary every single time my heart sits still and really takes it in.  Grateful this morning that he came and grateful that he is coming again.