First Glimpse

Ok, so this isn't the clearest baby picture, but it's our first one for new Baby Boaz, and we were excited to get a glimpse and hear his or her little heartbeat again! The heartrate is clocking in at a brisk 183 beats per minute, and you can (not really) see the baby's heart beating between those two white lines in the middle of the picture. (We're taking the ob's word for it on that one!)Just wanted to share our little peek with you!

What I learned from my pastor... 11-29

Kevin wrapped up the series on Colossians this morning with a sermon entitled "Ultimate Life." This passage covered a lot of ground, from relationships between slaves and masters, to prayer and opening the door to the gospel, and greetings from Paul to individuals. But Kevin pulled it all together, showing how all of it revolves around our life in Christ. Our attitudes at work should reflect our faith in Christ. And we are called to pray for open doors so that we can share Christ with others, and to live a life that is available and shines a light that will draw others to Him. Kevin talked about how evangelism is not just a component of the Christian life, like reading your Bible, praying, or going to church. When we wholeheartedly follow Christ and allow Him to season our speech and our responses to life with His salt, we will naturally have an impact that shows the Good News.

As I read the final section of Colossians 4, where Paul sends greetings to a list of people, I wondered, "How are we supposed to apply this?" Kevin pointed out that Paul really invested his life in what really matters to God - the hearts and lives of others. Check out this passage that I normally skim over: It is full of people who encouraged, served, started churches, and were the very beginnings of a chain of faith that leads all the way to us, who today have been blessed to hear and believe the gospel!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Boaz Family!

We Are Thankful For...

We are so grateful we got to visit our families in Colorado Springs last week! Here are pictures of some of the people and things we're thankful for...

Time to play with grandmas and grandpas

Playing with buddies Keira, Lily, and Nick

Fun with little cousin Prisca

Yummy food!

Snuggles with Great-grandpa and grandma Gardner and GreatMom McNabb

Playing with cousin Kayla, Matt and Ben

And a little bit of snow! We are also thankful for safe travel and our excellent travelers, Naomi and Johnathan, who go through airport security like little pros!

Thanksgiving Feast

A post about Naomi's preschool Thanksgiving Feast by guest blogger Naomi Boaz:

I am singing Thanksgiving songs. I have a turkey hat on my head. I cutted a piece of paper and glued everything and then I weared it.

I ate corn and some turkey and stuffing. Johnny and Daddy and Mommy ate some food.

My favorite Thanksgiving recipe: Pumkin Pie

Ingredients:

Canned goods

Milk

Dough

1. Take ingredients and mix them all together.

2. Put them in a big pan.

3. Put it in the oven for 5 minutes.

4. While its baking, make a fall leaf out of dough.

5. While the pie is cooling, make some whipped cream.

6. Eat it and watch Mary Poppins.

What I learned from my pastor... 11-22

Colossians 3:20 is oft-quoted (by Mommy and Daddy!) around our house. This morning's sermon focused on this verse and the following verse 21. Kevin invited the kids in the congregation for a front-row seat! He talked about the reason why children should obey and the way they should obey.

The Gospel is at the heart of obedience - All of us have sinned and messed up the perfect picture of what a family should be. Because Jesus died and paid the price for our sins, we can have a relationship with Him. And when we love Him, we can show that by obeying Him - and that includes obeying parents. No parent is going to get it all right, but our love for Jesus is our motivation for obeying our parents.

Next, Kevin talked about the way to obey, and he borrowed Ginger Plowman's great definition of full obedience: It should be right away, all the way, and with a happy heart. Another mantra in our house!

Kevin also addressed parents, reminding them of Colossians 3:21, which instructs fathers not to exasperate or discourage their children by having unrealistic expectations, a lack of grace, harsh words, a lack of discipline, or by expecting perfect obedience without giving children the tools and training they need. The bottom line is that our kids need to know Jesus, because He is the only one who can give them the power to obey and love!

Johnathan Update #4

Yesterday we headed off to Dell Children's Hospital in Austin to meet with the neuromuscular team. First stop was for xrays of Johnathan's hips and spine. Johnathan was quite brave as the "robot" took pictures! Next, we met with the pediatric orthpedic doctor and orthotics specialist. The xrays showed that Johnathan currently has none of the bone problems that can rise from his CP - scoliosis and hip displacement are the ones they'll check yearly to make sure they don't become a problem. The orthopedic doctor checked his range of motion in his right arm and leg. The plan is now to work on his heel and hamstring tightness in a couple ways: He's going to wear a knee brace while he sleeps to help stretch out his hamstring. And during the day he'll wear an AFO (ankle-foot orthotic) on his right leg so that he can't walk on his toes. We'll combine that with physical and occupational therapy twice a week, and in six months Johnathan will go back to the orthopedic clinic to see how he's progressing.

If needed, we'll consider a heel cord lengthening procedure sometime in the future, but not until he's closer to age 6. Between now and then he'll be growing so quickly that his heel could tighten back up every time he has a growth spurt, so the orthopedic specialist said there is no point in doing that kind of procedure now. Because bones grow faster that his muscles can stretch out, Johnathan will likely need to work on these issues until he is done growing.

The final stop in our tour was at the orthotics clinic. Johnathan got his knee brace fitted. And he got a cast made of his right leg so his AFO will be custom fitted. He picked out a very cool pattern with firetrucks, tractors, and helicopters on it. He and Daddy are going to drive back to Austin tomorrow to pick it up.

Thanks to everyone who is praying for Johnathan! You can pray now that he'll tolerate all the new stuff he gets to wear, that the therapy will be effective, and for us as we navigate insurance issues.

What I learned from my pastor... 11-15

In the second part of Kevin's sermons about Colossians 3:18-19, he spoke to husbands and wives to flesh out what it means for wives to submit and husbands to love.

To husbands, he taught that knowing the Gospel is key to fulfilling your role to lovingly lead. Husbands are called to love their wives just as Christ loves us: unconditionally (no matter how helpful or respectful she is being), sacrificially (putting her needs before your own), and redemptively (leading her in her struggles to Christ, encouraging her with the Word, praying for her, and leading the family spiritually). Hasbands also lead lovingly by generally taking the initiative when his wife or family has a need, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual. It also means taking responsibility for the ramifications when a tough decision needs to be made.

To wives, Kevin pointed out that the call to submit can be lived out by showing respect for our husbands. This is frequently displayed in our communication with him - by our tone and words, how we speak to and about our husbands, by learning to understand him, and in demonstrating affection for him. And although in a healthy marriage decisions are primarily made together, it may sometimes mean that a wife needs to allow her husband to make the final call in a difficult decision and support his leadership. Just as the husband is called to love no matter how well his wife is performing her role, the wife is called to show respect to her husband even if he is not leading perfectly (and we all know he can't! And neither can we!).

If you're looking for a great book on this topic, we recommend Love That Lasts, by Gary and Betsy Ricucci.

Around the World in 2 Hours

We went to the Brazos Valley Worldfest this morning - It was so much fun! A&M students from around the world had cultural booths, international crafts, music, dances, and food. The kids went to many of the booths from over 30 countries and filled up "passports" with stamps from each one. They got to try all kinds of crafts, treats, and take home lots of international treasures!

The first thing that caught our eye was this Bedouin camp, complete with camels!

Then we visited cultural booths from so many different countries, trying crafts and snacks and getting fun stuff to take home. Our favorite was the China tent:

A student wrote Naomi's and Johnathan's names in Chinese calligraphy.

"Naomi Boaz" and "Johnathan Boaz" in Chinese calligraphy:

We'll file this next picture under "Evidence that Rachel is unable to say 'no'". When the very sweet Taiwanese student offered us "Tea Eggs," Naomi got so excited. She said, "We can have them for lunch!" They came from a big pot of hot tea leaves and cracked eggs. Their smell was... unique. Not like tea, or eggs. Under normal circumstances, I am a pretty adventurous eater - you can't travel to Africa and not be willing to try almost anything! But pregnant Rachel is a different story. I asked my valiant husband to take care of them - I didn't ask questions.

Naomi and Johnathan made Chinese fans, Dutch windmills, and ponchos. As their prize for filling up their passports, they chose these blow-up globes. It was such a fun morning!

Man in my Nose

This little, yellow plastic man has had a pretty dull life, I would imagine, selling ice cream from inside his Matchbox ice cream truck. Until yesterday, that is, when he took the adventure of a lifetime...

...into the depths of Johnathan's nose. Stories conflict about how long he was in there, but Johnathan asked me shortly after bedtime, "Where's ice cream man?" When I told him I didn't know, Johnathan provided the answer, "In my nose!" A flashlight revealed that, indeed, ice cream man was lodged sideways fairly deep in there.

When careful attempts to see if it was dislodgable failed, we thought a trip to the ER was in our near future. Kevin made plans to finish the Bible study he was leading next door and take JJ in. Meanwhile, Johnathan fell asleep, and I took the opportunity to try some tweezers, now that he was still. To my relief, a few swipes got the man out with minimal trauma.

Ice cream man will not be returning to his post inside the truck. I granted him an early retirement. Johnathan asserts he will not put things in his nose anymore. We'll see!

Cooking Lessons

A little cooking lesson from Naomi and Johnathan. Tamales and roast beef with carrots. Bon appetit!

The Boaz Family is pleased to announce...

...that we are expecting Boaz baby #3! The baby is due in June and showed off a sweet little heartbeat on our first doctor's appointment this week.

Naomi is thrilled and cannot contain her good news any longer. She is hoping for a girl.

Johnathan doesn't have much to say about it. He says he has a sister already. :-)

We are thankful and Mommy is just a little nauseous. By God's grace, we look forward to welcoming this new little one to our family!

What I learned from my pastor... 11-8

Originally, Kevin thought he'd preach just from Colossians 3:18 - you know, the good 'ole "Wives, submit..." verse. But somewhere along the way, he said he realized it was pretty tough to preach about this verse in isolation when really it's meant to work in harmony with the next verse addressed to husbands. So, this morning, Kevin preached from the entire Bible starting in Genesis and working through the New Testament... well, maybe not quite, but you get the picture. In considering the Biblical roles of manhood and womanhood, you have to go back to the beginning, when they were created. Kevin talked about how sin has distorted so much about how we perceive manhood and womanhood, resulting in the abuse and subjugation of women for centuries. Even our country, which was founded on Christian principles, hasn't gotten it right.

And in the church there is disagreement as well, between the ends of the spectrum of egalitarianism and complementarianism. Kevin explained why he believes that a complementarian view (that men and women were uniquely created with different roles - men to lead and women to help and submit) lines up best with the whole counsel of the Bible. But, he also pointed out that the way people perceive those roles has more often that not been distorted by sin.

Kevin encouraged us to read and study Colossians 3:18-19, Ephesians 5:21-33, I Corinthians 11:1-3 and 8-9, Titus 2:2-4, and I Peter 1:3-7 this week and examine our own views of our roles in light of those scriptures. And next week, he will address some of the practical working out of the wife's role of submitting and men being called to love. So we have to wait until then!

Johnathan Update #3

Johnathan was a trooper yesterday as he got his MRI. He couldn't eat or drink anything after breakfast, and although he reminded us most of the morning that he was hungry and "sirsty," he really hung in there on the drive to Dell Children's Hospital in Austin and the long wait. He had to be sedated for the MRI, and he had trouble getting down the yucky tasting oral medication. When he spit it up, the nurse gave him IV medication instead. All told, we spent 3 1/2 hours at the radiation clinic. When it was all done, Johnathan was very groggy and wobbly, but he eagerly slurped down 3 juice boxes and a bag of goldfish before he was released!

After the MRI, we went straight to the neurologist's office to discuss the results. The MRI confirmed what the doctor thought, and after a detailed explanantion of prenatal brain development, the doctor explained that as Johnathan's brain was developing before birth, a small "gap" or cleft occured on the left side in the area that affects his gross motor function (the technical term for this is schizencephaly). The malformation is small and appears to be localized to his motor development. The condition does fall under the umbrella term of cerebral palsy, but the doctor characterized it as mild. All this is good news, because the doctor doesn't expect that it should impact his speech or cognitive development, vision, or any other system other than the weakness he's experiencing on the right side of his body. And because he's young, the brain is still developing, and with intervention, we can hopefully minimize the impact it will have on his motor skills as he grows.


The next step is to meet with a whole team of specialists on November 18th. They will xray his hip to check for issues there and check everthing else out. We'll get to meet with the pediatric orthopedic specialist, a brace specialist, physical therapist, and a social worker who will help with accessing services Johnathan will need. Together we'll make a plan for what to do next. That may include bracing, physical therapy, and a possible heel cord lengthening surgery to get his heel to a normal range of motion. So our next update will come after that appointment.


Thank you so much to everyone who's prayed for Johnathan. A big thanks to Mrs. Diana and Mr. Jimmy, too, who took care of Naomi yesterday so she could have fun being a country girl, wearing boots and feeding horses and cows instead of sitting in a doctor's office with us!


Johnathan spent the night in our room so we could keep and eye on him as the medicine wore off. Today he's back to himself and had fun with Naomi on her field trip to the Children's Museum and having a little picnic in the park!

Johnathan Update #2

On Tuesday this week we'll return to the children's hospital in Austin so Johnathan can have an MRI to confirm the diagnosis of hemiparesis causing his toe walking. He'll have to be sedated and can't eat or drink for 4 hours beforehand, so you can pray he'll tolerate that as well as he can (Johnny spends a good part of his days asking for snacks and drinks, so the 2 hour trip to Austin may not be too pleasant for him... or us!). Later in the afternoon we'll travel to the neurologist's office in Round Rock to get the results.

What I learned from my pastor... 11-1

We were encouraged this morning to be at home in God's word this morning, as Kevin preached from Colossians 3:15-17. And when His word dwells richly in us, we can teach and admonish one another. It also results in an overflow of genuine worship. Kevin spent some time talking about our worship in song on Sunday mornings. Having grown up in church, I don't often think about think about this, but this morning I reflected, why do we sing in church? Kevin pointed out that singing psalms (songs from the Word, specifically from the book of, you guessed it, Psalms!), hyms (songs directed toward God in praise of Him), and spiritual songs (testimonies of what God does for us) glorifies God and turns our hearts toward Him. But singing together, like we do on Sunday mornings, also encourages us as we hear truth from the voices around us.