Book Review: Born for Life

When I am planning to travel  I  usually  find  a  couple  of  books  for my kindle.  I prefer hard copy books most of the time,  but when traveling   e-books are a great option.

I saw the title online, Born for Life: A Midwifes’s Story, and was immediately drawn to it. It is a gem of a book.

Julie Watson writes a memoir about childbirth, her own and the many women she provided care for in New Zealand. She began her career in maternity care as a nurse aid in a small rural hospital. Some of the scenes reminded me of my early jobs as a nursing assistant.

She includes practices that are now outdated and no longer recommended—sugar water for infants, high forceps deliveries and more.

When she was 37 years old she studied to become first a registered nurse and then a midwife. As she approached her training she wrote this about the Nurses Amendment Act that was passed in New Zealand in 1990 and made the independent practice of midwifery legal.

The emphasis was on the midwife and the woman being in partnership, making decisions together about the care given. It was a model of equal power, rather than of a health professional telling the woman what to do and what would happen to her. Power was now given to women, which was so different from my own [childbirth] experience.

Ms. Watson began her practice in a hospital setting and then moved on to become an independent midwife with her own practice. She attended women in the home and in the hospital. Like so many other places in the world her practice as an independent midwife was seen as a threat to the business of birth.

For women interested in midwifery, it is a fascinating read.

Childbirth

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Crowds and the Confirmation Hearing

Senate confirmation hearings can be boring. Not the hearing for Judge Kavanaugh.

While protests where taking place at the Capitol, groups of Students for Life were holding rallies across the country.

I watched the confirmation hearing for an hour last week and witnessed the loud protests and interruptions that were taking place.

Discussion, questions and clarification of released documents took place. The Judge was questioned and he remained composed, answering questions clearly. At times his brow furrowed as he took notes. At other times he smiled and shared a light moment with a Senator.

Judge Kavanaugh had an interesting exchange with Senator Dick Durbin. Senator Durbin thanked the Judge’s wife for attending the hearing. In turn the Judge thanked Senator Durbin for a book he had given. And then the Judge commented that his daughters would return in the afternoon to see democracy in action.

And here a little back-story is enlightening. On the first day of the confirmation hearing the Judge’s wife and daughters were present. When the hearing chamber became raucous, with chants and shouts, the girls were escorted out. The girls are 13 years old and 10 years old.

Many would wonder why a parent would bring his daughters into such a contentious hearing. And the Judge was having them come back. After observing Judge Kavanaugh’s demeanor and ability to answer hostile questions, I can imagine that he will guide his daughters.

Hard things are happening in the world. As parents and grandparents we have an opportunity to teach children and teens how to handle themselves in the face of adversity. It was the one take away that I had from watching the confirmation hearing.

The prompt for Five Minute Friday is: CROWD  Visit the link-up here.

Colorful Foliage and Flowers in Northern Michigan

A week ago my husband and I were in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We had six days mostly off the grid, reading and doing small projects. The day that we arrived it was raining. It rained a couple more days. One night we had thunder, lightening and a heavy down pour.

The benefit was all the bright green foliage, the wild flowers and the apple trees heavy with apples. When I took time to see the flowers, to pick apples and watch the birds flitting from tree to tree, I was refreshed.

wildflower

 

Sweet pea

 

wildflower

For I know the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does in heaven and on earth,
In the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain and
brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Psalm 135: 5-7

The prompt for Five Minute Friday is: RAIN   Visit this community of writers by clicking here.

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Book Review: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon

During the reign of Queen Victoria in England (1819 – 1901) women had less freedom, less rights than women today. Susannah Spurgeon lived during this time period (1832 -1903). Yet, she was well educated, developed her literary gifts and was an active partner with her famous husband.

I found it fascinating to read about her, the wife of Charles Spurgeon, in the setting of  Victorian  England.   Although I have heard  of  Charles  Spurgeon, I did not realize the extent of his popularity. I did not know that Susannah was vital to his ministry. Despite physical frailty she was a constant support for him.

The book, Susie: the Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon by Ray Rhodes, shines a light on the marriage relationship of a gospel centered couple, living out their faith.

Susie helped her husband with his sermons and assisted in getting them written down so they could be shared with others. She read theological books with him.

She was also a writer. The inclusion of quotes from her diary and devotional books showed that she was a wordsmith.

Both Charles and Susannah valued books. Susannah wanted to make books with sound doctrine available to poor pastors. She developed the Book Fund a program that reached out to hundreds of pastors. In her day Susie was a beloved woman of God, using her gifts for God’s glory. Ray Rhodes has done thorough research for this book. It is an inspiring read.

For information on purchasing this book click here.  #susiebook #moodypublishers

In full disclosure I received an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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When the News is Bad

Newspapers have been running stories about the sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church. The Chicago Tribune has had a series of articles about sexual abuse at Willow Creek Church. The lead article in the current issue of World Magazine addresses sexual abuse in Protestant churches. It is all around us.

It is grievous that that there is so much abuse and confusion about sexuality. I know that many Christians and Catholics are deeply saddened.   It is tragic that  God’s  plan  for  sex,  marriage  and family is torn and distorted in our culture AND the church.

What can we do? We must rush to the Lord in prayer. We can pray that the abusers acknowledge their sin and repent. We can pray for healing for the victims. We can pray for those in church leadership to be wise and establish boundaries of behavior that are enforced.

Prayer
photo courtesy of pixabay.com

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

As people of faith we can pray for our families  and  be willing to discuss sexuality with our children and grandchildren. The family is God’s foundational unit for passing along truth.

The prompt for Five Minute Friday is: RUSH.  Visit this writing community by clicking here.

Finding an Enduring Loyalty

The Five Minute Friday writing community looks forward to the prompt that Kate Motaung gives each week. We pause to think about the word and then write as ideas begin to flow. This week the prompt is: LOYAL

The dictionary offers this, as a definition of loyal: faithful to a cause, ideal or custom.

Over the years I have found a variety of causes to invest in.

During my college years, and after I graduated from the University of Michigan, I have been a loyal fan of the football team. My family is amused by my attachment to college football. I must admit that I am a little uncomfortable with the big business aspect, but I continue to cheer for my team.

After practicing as a labor & delivery nurse for a few years I was drawn to the Lamaze movement. I took Lamaze classes during my first pregnancy and later became certified as a Lamaze teacher. I taught for 18 years and received feedback from my students.

Sometimes students felt that the Lamaze techniques just didn’t work when their labor was induced. Interventions and the hospital environment were overwhelming. As induced labor and epidurals became more common, interest in the Lamaze method began to fade.

And then I made decision to leave the hospital labor/delivery unit and join a group of physicians and midwives that were attending home birth.  I observed that women were more able to relax and work with their labor in the home environment.   I loved working  in  the  home  environment and promoted home birth to my daughters.

But it is true that sometimes the hospital is needed. Sometimes interventions are needed that require the equipment in the hospital. I would like to see better communication and teamwork between home birth attendants and hospital staff.

Each of these ideals has limitations.

Currently I am reading a biography of  Susannah Surgeon  (book  to  be released September 4). Susannah and her husband, Charles, shared a faithful loyalty to the gospel. They worked together as a team with a love for the Lord God.

The best and most enduring loyalty is to the gospel, to God’s love and plan of salvation. I want this to be my passion.

You can visit the Five Minute Friday Community and read more reflections on LOYAL by clicking here.

We Are Loved

Our deepest need is to be loved. The Bible testifies of God’s love for us. God’s amazing love!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, O most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. Psalm 92:1-2

Jesus explained God’s plan of salvation to Nicodemus. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love.” John 15:9

Paul states the enormity of God’s love. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We are called to love God and obey his precepts.

Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Joshua 22:5

Jesus taught the two greatest commandments. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: you shall love your neighbor as your self. Mark 12;30-31

I have been musing on these verses. What does it look like to live out the two greatest commandments? I know that I often fall short. God knows our human frailty. That is why Christ died for us. When we stumble, we confess and we learn and we go on.

The prompt for Five Minute Friday is: LOVED Visit this community of writers here.

Midwife: With Woman

With my third pregnancy I chose a new medical practice. I chose a practice that included an ob-gyn doctor and a certified nurse midwife. Even though my previous births were cesarean sections, followed by complications I wanted the perspective of a midwife in my care.

During my prenatal visits I saw the doctor a couple times, but the majority of my appointments were with the midwife. We talked about my history and the current pregnancy. We discussed whether I should go into labor (some benefits for baby) or schedule the cesarean section (optimal for having all medical personnel ready).

Unfortunately I had both a horizontal and vertical scars on my uterus. At one time I was advised to avoid another pregnancy. We talked through the risks and eventually I agreed with the midwife that it would be better to schedule the surgery.

The day of surgery my midwife was in the operating room with me. Her role was emotional support. My husband was there too.

Midwives have a special place in childbirth care. Their training, skills and practice are focused on the health of women and infants. They are more sensitive to the emotional aspects of labor and birth.

The term midwife originated in Middle English, the combination of mid [with] and wife [woman]. To be a midwife is to be with woman.

Midwife: With Woman
Midwife gives Virgin Mary first bath: courtesy of http://welcomecollection.org

The prompt for the Five Minute Friday community is: WOMAN

Reading About Women: Fictional Characters and Real Women

The local library is a great institution. When I was a child my parents brought us to the public library regularly. I have always enjoyed reading stories.

Now I read widely to be informed, to learn and for enjoyment. I read to become a better writer. Today I picked up a book on canning and preserving in small quantities. I enjoy making jams and jellies from the berries in my yard.

I also picked up the latest book in Laurie King’s series about Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell. The title is Island of the Mad. I have read all the previous books in the series and appreciate Mary’s influence on the character, Sherlock Holmes.

Another series of books that I have thoroughly enjoyed follows the life of a character, Maisie Dobbs, from WWI through WWII. Maisie participates in WWI as a nurse.   Following the war she becomes a  private  investigator. The development of her character kept me reading.   Jacqueline  Winspear is the author of this series.

Recently I finished reading a fascinating story of a young woman fleeing from grief and loss in the aftermath of WWI. Emeline leaves northern France and finds a small town on the Mediterranean, a town on the border between Spain and France. The rich description of place and culture kept me interested. Laura Madeleine wrote Where the Wild Cherries Grow.

The Wonder Years, edited by Leslie Leyland Fields, is a collection of essays written by 40 women over 40. (This is a book that I picked up at a literary conference.) I recognized the names of some of the 40 women: Luci Shaw,  Lauren Winner,  Joni Eareckson Tada,  Madeleine L’Engle.   Other names are new to me. The writing is excellent.

Do you visit your public library? It has much to offer!

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Two Different Viewpoints on Faulty Vaccines

On July 27ththe Wall Street Journal published an article titled China’s Vaccine Scandal. Parents in China have led protests on behalf of their children. I read through the article noting several paragraphs.
     Over the past couple of weeks parents in China have learned that a compulsory public-health program injected an unknown number of children with substandard vaccines. They are understandably furious.  . . .
     Chinese are particularly angry because similar cases have happened in recent years, followed by promises to crack down. In 2010 and 2013 hundreds of children were hospitalized and several died from faulty vaccines. Chinese companies have used official connections to avoid accountability for producing a range of defective products that kill and maim.

Today, July 31st, The New York Times published an article titled Angry Parents Protest in China Over Bad Vaccines for Children. The tone and conclusion of this article was a little different. Here are a few paragraphs:
     The protest followed reports this month that hundreds of thousands of children across China had been injected with faulty vaccines for diptheria, tetanus and whooping cough. . . .
     While the vaccines were not harmful, officials say, they left children at risk of contracting illnesses that they should have been protected against. . . .
     Public officials say that the problems at the two companies [pharmaceuticals] could lead to a broader backlash against vaccines in China, where an aggressive immunization effort in recent decades has helped eliminate polio and drastically reduce the spread of other diseases.

These two articles demonstrate different perspectives on the same situation. Vaccine safety is extremely important issue. I pray that the government in the United States would look carefully at vaccine safety. The pharmaceuticals have been relieved of any liability for harm to children. Who is going to make sure that profit doesn’t become more important than the health of children?