Archive for Struggles
Struggles of the Basket Life: Sickness
Posted by: | CommentsAs I mentioned yesterday, trying to figure out what drugs are given to us is one of the many skills I have learned as a basketball wife living abroad. It is just one of the aspects of being sick while living overseas that I find challenging.
This past week I have been fighting some sort of stomach bug and have at times been “out of commission”. Thankfully, we have a teammate and his wife right next door and she has been more than willing to help when I need the time just to lay down and get myself together. I do miss our community at home though that is always willing to lend a hand. And not being able to run to the grocery store for general medicines is another component that is lacking when living abroad.
For me, the toughest part though is when the kids are sick. The language barrier makes me very hesitant to take them to a doctor. But then I wonder if I am keeping them from medical help when they really need it. It seems I am always second guessing myself. So a couple of things that help me to survive the medical life overseas are:
1. Focusing on preventative medicine. Having the kids (and us) getting plenty of rest, good food, exercise, fresh air and lots of water is even more crucial for me when we are overseas. Often at the first sign of illness, I may need to increase one of these areas.
2. Having general medical necessities on hand. I always bring over things like probiotics, thermometers, vapor chest rub, tylenol, ibuprofen, cough drops, multi-vitamins, antibiotic cream, band-aids, etc. For me, it is worth bringing over just so that I don’t have to run out to the pharmacy and try to figure out what everything is in a new language.
3. Keeping a good relationship with doctors back at home. We are very fortunate to have a pediatrician who goes to our church and has always been helpful through e-mail or phone calls when it comes to issues with the kids. During my pregnancies abroad, my doctor’s office at home has always been very helpful as well. For me, having the access to our doctors while away is a huge reason for selecting the doctors that we do.
4. Getting general well check-ups while at home. We try and see all of our respective doctors (pediatricians, dentists, eye doctors, dermatologists, etc.) while we are in the States in the summer to establish a good medical history. I then try and always bring the medical histories of each of us overseas when we travel.
Although adjusting health care from country-to-country is just a small inconvenience, planning ahead and being prepared has helped me to make a smoother adjustment.
Persecution in India
Posted by: | CommentsJohn Piper’s Twitter feed pointed us to this post on Justin Taylor’s Between Two Worlds blog. I am not sure what words can even do to express the emotions that go through me when I watch brothers and sisters in Christ being persecuted as these fellow sojourners in India are. May our prayers be lifted up for them and for all those whose blood is crying out for Jesus to return. May it put our own lives in perspective.
** Update the videos have been removed in order to check for accuracy of whether the videos are depicting persecution.
Technology Use
Posted by: | CommentsOn Friday, I discussed some of the ideas that go into our thinking about how our children use technology in an age where electronic media is all around us. I said then that I think a lot of how much our children are involved with electronic media comes from what they see their parents use. One of the comments then posed the question about how you set standards for your children but avoid raising children who act superior to those who choose to use electronics in a different way. I thought it was a great question and would actually go along with what I wanted to write today about our use of electronic media as adults.
One of the biggest things in the area of electronic media, as well with lots of other topics we have come across as parents, is that for us we consider this a gray area. We hold the Bible to be our standard for living and in many areas the Bible is silent. There are certain issues it is pretty clear on (murder, premarital sex, lying, etc.) but other areas where our minds are to be transformed by the word of God to think in such a way that we make good, discerning decisions for our family (Romans 12:1-2).
We have tried to emphasize with the kids when we are making decisions on gray area type things. The biggest thing for them to understand at this young age is that our personal decisions on these types of matters in no way earns us any favor with God. It doesn’t make us better than anyone else or anyone else worse than us if they don’t have the same conviction that we do. We also try to remind ourselves that these areas where we hold things with an open hand may change. Right now we have convictions on things like how we school the kids, whether we participate in things like Halloween or Santa Clause and whether our whole family travels together overseas for the basketball season. But since we do not know the future and are not necessarily completely informed in these areas, our convictions may change.
So more than anything for us as adults and the decisions we make for the kids, we want to focus not necessarily on what is just allowed. We can miss out on much of the Bible when we think God is trying to keep things from us when He gives us rules. Instead, He is trying to set boundaries so we can have the most joy and happiness in Him. So that is what our goal is when we try and set standards for how much we want electronic media to be a part of our lives. Here are some of our thoughts:
1. Is this electronic media keeping me from any of my responsibilities that God has called me to perform? For example, if I am watching television, on the internet, playing video games and listening to my iPod so much that I am not daily:
– asking my husband how I can serve him and caring for his needs,
– caring for the kids and meeting their needs and some wants,
– caring for the home through cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping and doing the laundry,
– feeding myself spiritually through Bible reading and prayer,
– and caring for my body by getting the rest and exercise I need
then I need to take a look at what place electronic media has in my life.
2. Is the electronic media opening any door for sin in my life? There are certain television shows, music, books, etc. that are not wise for me as an individual to read due to the specific struggles with sin that I have in my life. It is good to know our areas of weakness and avoid any media that might fuel that fire for sin.
3. Is the electronic media something that I can live without? We are told in the Bible that we are not to be enslaved by anything:
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.
- 1 Corinthians 6:12
A good way to see if something has you enslaved is to fast, or take a break from it, for a period. Often our enslavement is exposed when we try to get away from it for awhile. I know for me, the computer is a big draw! It is often hard for me to have the computer off for an extended period of time, so I know I need to do it more often so that I am not finding my joy in of e-mail, internet surfing and/or Facebook.
4. Does the electronic media cause me extra work that I am not willing to take from another area? We often think about this when we are purchasing something new. Not only does a new electronic item often take time away from others things, but if often requires maintenance (how many of us have spent hours trying to fix a computer problem?), extra money for problems to be fixed or accessories bought, and effort to upkeep the item. These are all considerations as well.
5. In what ways can I use this media as a blessing to others? Is the electronic media I am engaging simply for my own pleasure (I am not saying this is all wrong, we all enjoy some relaxation time) or can it be used as something to bring joy to others as well?
How about you? How do you define limitations with electronic media and technology in your life?
