Keeping Up With the Andersons

You might be wondering what this event is that keeps popping up...some friends at our bible college sat down and brainstormed about how to care for families in Australia, particularly with such a high abortion rate. We decided to pray. We know that God is in control, he made us, he knows us, he cares for us. What a good decision. So once a month we pray for Australia, our families, our governments etc. Why 90,000 kids? Because that is the recorded amount of abortions each year in Australia. Many lives terminated. What sadness. So, please come join me on the lawn at SMBC at lunch. Or you could pray right now. Pray for the parents and children of Australia. Pray for support for overwhelmed women who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy. Pray for a change of opinion in our country. Also pray for those who want children but can't have them. All these who suffer (usually in silence). I hope my little boy can bring delight to not just my heart but to many who need healing...everyone's hurting in some way. Every time I go to the shops someone cuddles him or plays with him. People who have lost children, who have just had a patient die, people who hurt. Next time you meet a stranger think about how you can be of comfort to them, how you can sit a while on a bench with them. My biggest comfort to them is the comfort of the new creation, where Jesus has brought death to an end. Please pray for me to be of comfort to people, as the Holy Spirit gives me power to speak words of life.

Well, our first Mothers' Day proper...Caleb is 6 months already. I've enjoyed reading all the stuff today's paper publishes about mothers. The inconsistencies always strike me - one page talking about trying to improve our stat of 49% of mums with youngest child under 6 in the workforce to at least match other developed countries (59%) by introducing paid maternity leave (which I wouldn't be eligible for!). The next page talked about middle class people working long hours to provide for their children and their children being the unhappiest and depressed group in Australia. Whilst I think work can be satisfying and necessary to pay the bills (in fact, a number of mums in my mothers group are working part-time or plan to return to work - because they enjoy it, or need to pay the bills, or because their husbands are now unemployed due to the economic situation), it is really strategic that parents have energy and time for their children, not just giving them the leftover 'grumpy' energy. The love of a childcare worker can never replace the time and love of a parent, or even better, a community of family and friends. My childcare worker friends would agree with me, even though they love their kids so much.

How do I make my time with Caleb fun and enjoyable, and even intellectually stimulating!? I see him as a little person who needs to know and grow...I try to see the world from his perspective. I have made myself a mini expert on all things to do with children's development...it's like rediscovering my childhood - thinking about how things work, lots of time to think about how to explain the world to a child, how to help him know God, how to meet with people and encourage them as we walk down the street and go to mothers group. And lots of cuddles. And I read to him, not just kids books but whatever I'm reading...at the moment I'm enjoying a book on God the warrior whilst reading Joshua...feel free to ask me about it.

And music - I always wanted to be a professional singer, and now I have an appreciative audience for all my musical blunders...in fact he plonks the piano and sings along with me....and he's trying to plonk the computer keyboard at the moment too. Whilst dancing to the music.

Kids are fun. Praise God for them. I'm happy to share mine with you. Come join me for some fun.

P.S. I love my working mum friends...and I will probably join your ranks at some point, but my priorities place my family before my work...so when I have the need to - I will be praying for a job with good balance...but til then I enjoy my busy 7-day job with my family, the opportunities it gives me to meet with people, help them, be helped by them, and look forward to my spare-time hobby of study and sleep