ABC's of Christian Childbirth: The Letter B

Be the Change

"I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:13-14 NLT


What is eternally significant about your pregnancy and birth experience? How does allowing the change in you that the Holy spirit wants to make effect your birth outcome and your life?

Let's talk about the first question... What is eternally significant about your journey right now? The choices you make throughout your pregnancy are opportunities to grow with the Lord. Allowing Him to infuse His Spirit with yours enables you to pour out the fruits that come with it.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

By embracing your relationship with Christ during your pregnancy and birth... you are setting the tone for yourself as a parent. Which will impact your son or daughter throughout their lives! I know this sounds big... it is. Not overwhelming... just important! It is important that the choices you make about your daily pregnant life leading up to your birth plan be focused on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For yourself AND your baby. 

What is the heavenly prize? Your salvation... and the salvation of your baby through your parenting... the salvation of those around who you witness your pregnancy and birth experience... You have the ability to allow the Lord to work through you to secure the eternal fate of many other people during your pregnancy and birth. 

Now for the second... How can the Holy Spirit's presence in your heart during your choices impact your pregnancy and birth outcome? Let's look at how being equipped with each fruit can help!  

Love-You love your baby and yourself. You will teach your baby before it is even born that you love him or her by singing or talking, rubbing your belly, rocking, or even just allowing the feelings of love that your have wash over yourself.

Joy-When you are experiencing joy over your pregnancy you are calm and keeping stress down. You are delighted that your are pregnant which makes having your baby even more exciting! Instead of living in fear or anxiety... you are allowing the Joy within you to sustain you!

Peace- Peace is having the ability to face a fear calmly... to overcome a situation with strength. To know that the Lord is there for you and to feel secure in that. You can be uncomfortable in pregnancy and labor but still be at peace... still be in sound mind to make important decisions.

Patience- Having patience is equal to having faith in yourself during pregnancy. Faith that together, your body and your baby know what they are doing and maybe, just maybe they are guided by something bigger than doctors or nerves. The Lord does work behind the scenes on our behalf all the time. Have patience over your birth.

Kindness- When you are experiencing kindness you are outwardly showing the world the mental state you are enhabiting. You are shinning with a glow that says, "This pregnant lady is not scared of herself and her birth..." and people want to know what you have that they can also recieve. This is your witness.

Goodness- Is wonderful... goodness. When things are good and when you are good, making proper choices and eating healthy you are taking care of yourself and you are experiencing a rare human emotion of complete faith.

Faithfulness- This is so important. To let the Lord do His job. To trust that He cares enough about you to carry you when you are weak. To listen to you when you need a shoulder. To fight for you when you are afraid.... faithfulness is everything.

Gentleness- Being gentle with your words to others will change something in you. It will help you grow for parenting. You will learn to speak and act with love and this will set the tone for when you spend endless hours caring for a newborn.

Self-Control- One of the most important.... this where your heart's placement is crucial. Are you capable of being still and knowing God is God? That He is there? Will you out-lash at others throughout your pregnancy or will you calmly handle your situations with grace? Will you give them to the Lord to help you with or will you find your own means of comfort?

If you are a Christian, you are having a Christian childbirth... Will you Be the Change for yourself and your baby? Will you take this pregnancy as an opportunity to allow the Lord to grow you? 

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Be Still

Assigned Scripture: Psalm 46

Blog Highlight: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1


There are no discussion questions with this week's Bible Study. If you have a copy of Christ Centered Childbirth... please read this very important message. Also Psalm 46 as she instructs.

If you do not have a copy, that is OK! Read Psalm 46. I will detail a little what she asks of us in this week's study together. She asks us to be quiet before the Lord. To allow Him entrance into what we are doing right now... reading this blog post, reading our Bible's, and communing with each other. To be open with each other if we feel led and to listen.

• Is there an issue in your pregnancy or life right now that keeps popping up and you would like some answers? Let us in, in prayer with you, and we can come in agreement against whatever is troubling you. We can also stand in prayer together for you to be blessed with wisdom. 
• If you feel led, after you have had a chance to sit quietly before the Lord, please share anything He is asking you to. Don't be shy, don't feel like it's not important!! Everything we are going through together in this Bible Study, for those of you who are still with me, is important. 

I would like to lift you all in prayer. Will you say this aloud? Pray this prayer with me over yourself and over each other. This is what I am feeling led to do. 

"Lord, in your Mighty Name, I want to lift up every pregnant family being touched by this book and this Bible Study. By this blog... and every family who will ever be touched by it. For the babies that will be blessed when their parents submit to your will. For the parenting that will be blessed. For the lives that may be changed. 

Lord I ask for health and salvation. For peace and understanding. For the unborn to be born in a place of safety. For their health to outshine and for your Hand to be seen in their births. For mothers to cry to you and ask in honesty for your help and strength. They know you are here with them, I pray they would embrace you. 

We thank you for these babies oh God, and we call our pregnancies blessings! We are proud to be involved in your creation process and we hope to be good stewards of your gifts! Bless us together. In Jesus precious name, Amen." 

Thank you for praying with me! 

Please remember to worship before or after this post with the song found at the bottom of the blog! :)

 

Add your name to the prayer list

Psalm 57:13

"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit." NASB

One of the most important things you can do for yourself throughout your pregnancy and childbirth journey is to learn the truth and receive it.  And never let yourself think negative thoughts about your birth and try to stay away from those with creepy birth stories! 

Why?

When you let the negativity in... you are doing yourself harm. A truth from the Bible about what you are going through is much better to pray over and speak over instead of allowing fear to dominate your thoughts. If you are familiar with childbirth education then you have heard of the fear-tension-pain cycle. This can apply to pregnancy and birth! If you are afraid, then you are tense. When you tense up you will experience more pain. When you are in pain you become more afraid! It is a vicious cycle to get caught in!! 

Rebuke that fear with positive Scripture and it will HELP you exit the cycle... stop the lies in their tacks before they have the ability to do any damage to you! 

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Seek Ye First!

Assigned Scripture: John 6:25-34

Blog Highlight: "But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” John 6:27

http://www.joyfulexpressions.us

My favorite thing Kelly J Townsend says in this week's study on page 241 of Christ Centered Childbirth is when she reminds us of the popular saying, "A Bible that is falling apart is usually read by someone who isn't!" What do you think of that?

Pregnancy and childbirth, just like any situation in life, warrant much use of the Bible. There are a million and one books out there that teach you about childbirth but only a few that teach you about childbirth in correlation with the Bible. Like the one we are studying... God has called childbirth educators and affiliates all over to bring His Word to attention along with the scientific research and statistics of childbirth. Wouldn't it serve you better to read these resources instead of the other ones that lack connection with the One who made you, made your growing baby, and provided you with the opportunity to be blessed with parenthood?

Seeking Him first is a better education for you. There are even Christ centered childbirth education classes out there for you to take instead of the one your hospital or local branded educators provide. www.BirthingNaturally.net is a great place to start to find local educators. If you would like help in finding one... you can also contact me and I will surly help you! 

It is important that the understanding of childbirth and pregnancy come from a place of fellowship with God. 

If we as Christian women would walk with God and learn with Him throughout our pregnancies and births we would find that the education we receive would help secure our faith in ourselves and our ability to birth our babies. This sets the tone for a better birth experience and certainly better birth outcomes! 

Discussion Questions from the Book:

1. In what ways are you spending time with the Lord?
2. Has the Lord made Himself known to you recently?
3. In what ways can we live out John 6:25-34 during pregnancy?
4. Do you have an intimate need right now?
5. Has God used you to help someone else? If so, how?

Please remember to worship before or after this post with the song found at the bottom of the blog! :)

Add your name to the prayer list

ABC's of Christian Childbirth: The Letter A

Abide in Him

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witness, telling people about me everywhere." Acts 1:8 NLT

Your pregnancy and your baby are a gift from God. Made just for you! How wonderful!!

Many people do not realize the vast amount of ways you can worship and honor the Lord. At the same time many people also do not realize the amount of peace that can come from abiding with the Lord in worship throughout your day, your struggles, and your joys!

What happens when you give up your struggle to the Lord and invite Him into your life and your pregnancy? God says, "I hold you by your right hand-I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, 'Don't be afraid. I am here to help you.'" Isaiah 41:13 NLT

There is great comfort in knowing that the Lord who is Mighty beyond our understanding, who created the vast universe is also detailed in caring about you, your baby, your pregnancy, your family, your life, and your birth journey. You are important to Him and simply acknowledging how important you are and then inviting Him in to hold your hand through your pregnancy is step in the right direction to establishing a relationship with the Living God. A wonderful leap of faith! Great peace is sure to fall upon you! 

If you are a Christian, you are having a Christian childbirth... Will you Abide in the presence of the Lord and give Him glory for your wonderful pregnancy? 

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Filled with confidence!

Assigned Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Blog Highlight: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." Ephesians 6:11


If you have a copy of "Christ Centered Childbirth" then the corresponding chapter with this week is chapter 7.


What do you know about the "Amor of God?" I love how she starts the Bible study off with this concept because it really is so appropriate for pregnant and birthing women. There will be so many times throughout your pregnancy and birth that you will need to be guarded with these elements in order to stay peaceful and joyful.

Pregnancy is a time of trial and I believe that if more women understood this fact, there may be less social negativity surrounding birth. I have watched youtube videos of women professing how pregnancy and birth are so disgusting and how they dread it and need drugs to get through labor. Women who have never even been pregnant or had babies.... how can they have this opinion on something they have never had to go through?

If we as Christian women... would put on the Armor of God throughout our pregnancies we would be shielding ourselves from this negativity. God will have the ability to nurture us and grow us. Pregnancy is such a spiritually sensitive time for women! Who knows this better than the Lord?

Discussion Questions from the Book:

1. What has the Lord recently done to give you joy and peace during this pregnancy?
2. How has the enemy tried to infiltrate your mind to bring doubt and discouragement?
3. What things have you done to "build the temple" growing inside you?
4. In what ways are you teaching your little one about the Lord. Song? Prayer? The touch of love?
5. How can the Armor of God help you during pregnancy?

Please remember to worship before or after this post with the song found at the bottom of the blog! :) 

Add your name to the prayer list

Introduction of Walking through "Christ Centered Childbirth" by Kelly Townsend: A Study

I am so excited to start this Bible study with you tomorrow.

If you have never read Christ Centered Childbirth, that is ok! This Bible study is easy to follow and I will post the correlating Scripture followed by the questions in the book!

If you have the book... you can follow along with us at the back of the book starting on page #238. This is where her weekly Bible study instructions start.

Feel free to jump is ANYTIME!!

What we will need to do:

1. Worship time together
2. Fellowship with each other
3. Scripture study together

These three things will help us grow together with the Lord! 

How can we worship together? In the back of Kelly Townsend's book she has included the words to a song prefaced by her requests on what to do with it. Before every post or sometime during your reading please sing this song aloud in prayer for God'd hand in childbirth. You can find the words to this song, if you do not have the book at the very bottom of this blog! The song is called, It is Well by the Passion Worship Band! :) 

I will be praying for this study as we do it and for each of you! Please pray for it also... that mamas and couples would join us! That we would learn, discover, and grow together! 

I am trusting God to flood the internet with Christian childbirth material and hopefully this will help! 

"See" you tomorrow for our first study together!! The content will be blog posted every Sunday and you may comment and fellowship in the comments as you are led! Please don't feel obligated to either... I will also be praying for the silent readers throughout and as long as this content is on the internet! 

Add your name to the prayer list


Blog Posts for This Study!

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Filled with confidence!

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Seek Ye First!

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Be Still

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Reflecting His Love

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Search Our Heart

Walking Through "Christ Centered Childbirth": Renew Your Mind