Trick or Treat?

Well, today is the official due date. As my doctor said, there's a 50% chance either way. I'm shooting for this weekend, so I'm not really expecting anything to happen today, but she may surprise us. She'll either show-up today and be a Halloween treat, or not show-up and be a Halloween trick. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime enjoy this photo of a lovely autumn scene.

Leave Nothing

Have you seen this commercial? Not only is it just a cool commercial, I love the tag line "Leave Nothing". This tag line sums up my latest thoughts on faith.

I had a minor knee injury during my soccer days as a Freshman in high school. After I had recovered and had been playing again for a few weeks my coach approached me and put his hands on my shoulder. He said "Does this hurt?" and he kicked my knee. I said "No". He said "Then stop playing like it does." I remember, vividly, the next game I played and how great I played. No, didn't score a goal or even save any goals, but, man, I made some great plays. Those few words my coach said empowered me to do what we both knew I was capable of. That next game I left nothing in myself, I gave it all to playing that game.

I've witnessed several situations lately where people within the church have had to make difficult decisions about life and faith and how they work together. I've also watched how the "community" of the church has played a role in assisting people in making those decisions or carrying those decisions out. At one point I told CDK that as the church we have to do everything in our power to help people and be a part of community with them. I don't believe God called us to walk this road of Christianity alone and that if we sit back and passively watch others believers in our lives go on their merry way and never invest in them, then we are not doing what we're called to do. We can't leave any stone unturned when we are trying to work together as the body of Christ, we must put forth all our effort and explore every option of how to work through situations, good and bad ones. I think it's sometimes easier to let our excuses of "it's a personal issue" or "I don't want to intrude" cover our apathy. Shouldn't we care enough about each other to intrude? Especially when the stakes are high. Though my theory is that if we "intrude" (and I use this word to simply mean, being part of each others lives in an intentional way) in the everyday, small things, we will naturally be a part of the big things.

Christianity isn't an individualistic pursuit. Even Christ wasn't alone, he had his community of the 12 disciples. So why do we think we can do it ourselves? And how far do we actually take that? We've seen the results of taking it too far, cults like the Branch Davidians. And it's easy to see the results of our faith pursuits being too individualistic, just look at the number of denominations out there and new churches starting everyday.

I think that at the end of each day we should crawl in bed exhausted and think "Man, I played a great game today." And that game being the one of faith, one where we leave nothing lacking in relationships with believers and non-believers, one where we know that we did everything God asked us to do that day and he's smiling, because he knew all along we were capable of that, with his help. The only difference is that sometimes, unlike my knee, it will hurt. There will be hard days, there will be defeats, and there will be people who don't want us, or God rather, in their lives, but the end result is much more exciting than a great day on the soccer field.

A Muslim in Space

I'm assuming that some days it's hard enough to fulfill the tenants of Islam, without being in space. Praying five times a day, the washing rituals before prayer, eating halal food (depending on where you live), and others. This article had a bit of comic relief for me when they talked about how many times the guy would have to pray because of the speed of the shuttle's orbit and how a new version of the tenants were written for astronauts. I bolded the parts I found particularly funny.

Doctor to honor Ramadan rituals in space
By VIJAY JOSHI, Associated Press WriterWed Oct 10, 4:56 PM ET

A Malaysian doctor who will spend the last days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in space has vowed to follow the rituals of his faith even as he hurtles around Earth at 17,000 mph.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor lifted off Wednesday in a Soyuz spacecraft from Kazakhstan, en route to the international space station where he will spend about 10 days.

The spacecraft — which also carried an American and a Russian — will take two days to reach the station, a period coinciding with the last days of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Sheikh Muszaphar has said he will fast and pray in space, even though clerics said he could delay the fast.

"I am not sure how it would be done but I will share my experiences (with) all the Muslims all over the world when I get back," the 35-year-old Sheikh Muszaphar wrote in his Web journal. "After all, Islam is a way of life and I am quite sure I would not face much difficulties."

Sheikh Muszaphar is taking vacuum-packed Malaysian food, including skewered chicken, banana rolls, fermented soybean cakes and ginger jelly to mark the end of Ramadan.
A bachelor who has become a national heartthrob, the orthopedic surgeon will not be the first Muslim in space — Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman joined the crew of the shuttle Discovery in 1985 and there have been several others since.

Still, the mission initially presented a dilemma about fulfilling religious duties such as fasting, kneeling for prayers in zero gravity or facing Mecca to pray.

After all, praying five times daily on a craft that goes around Earth 16 times a day would have meant praying 80 times in 24 hours. Also, it is virtually impossible to face Mecca continuously in a craft traveling at such high speed.

Muslims are required to wash their hands, feet, face and hair before prayers — a luxury on the Soyuz where water is so precious that even sweat and urine are recycled.
To get around these problems, 150 Malaysian scholars, scientists, and astronauts brainstormed and published an 18-page booklet of guidelines for Muslim astronauts.
If he follows the guidelines, Sheikh Muszaphar can forgo fasting in space and make up for it when he returns to Earth. He can pray three times a day instead of five, facing any direction, and he can do without the ritual washing.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Muszaphar told reporters his trip will be an inspiration for his Southeast Asian homeland as well as to other Muslims worldwide.

"It's a small step for me, but a great leap for the Malaysian people," he said, rephrasing Neil Armstrong's words after the 1969

Long Awaited

Ok, sorry about the plethora of baby posts. I'm trying not to get to obsessed with this, but it's kind of hard, especially with only 29 days left. But, you've been asking, so finally, here they are, belly pics! I about 32 weeks in these pictures.

And finally, while I'm not particularly fond of showing my exposed skin in a picture (much less of exposing my skin anywhere!) here is a pic for posterity's sake. Plus I think CDK did a really good job with this one, so I wanted to show him off too!

FYI - don't forget to post your vote on the Baby Pool!