What to Expect–When Expecting?

Women are funny creatures. No, I don’t mean that they are walking comedians; although, granted, some are. What I mean is that they are so very different from men. The best way to see this is to pay attention when a woman you know is in a group with women they know. Or to listen to excerpts of their conversations with one another, as I do when my wife relays such information. It is true that God made both men and women in His Image, but the way they reflect that Image is very dissimilar to their male counterparts.

Take for instance the pregnant woman. A woman who is pregnant is very popular among those of the same gender. Watching the way older mothers interact with new mothers is very interesting. They all give anecdotal advice, sharing their experiences of their former pregnancies. Not only is this seen in one-on-one conversations or in celebrated group chatter, but through various educational materials—also written by other women. These materials cover a wide variety of topics, such as: What to do when experiencing morning sickness, how to cope with their new libido (either high or low), the plethora of books on baby names and their etymological roots, various oils and rubs to counter act stretching, how to determine if they are carrying a boy or a girl (before ultrasound), how to decorate the new baby room (after ultrasound), and a wide variety of other topics. All of this is to get the expectant mother ready. To give them first-hand knowledge of what to expect—when expecting.

There have been several people who have asked me, “Kris, why write this blog?” or another, perhaps more pertinent question, “What are you going to write about?” Like the new mother in the analogy above readers want to know what to expect—when expecting? Is this blog something that is going to interest me or will it be the long, dried out ponderings of an over-educated turd? Both questions are equally important and so I will use this opportunity (my first blog post) to try and answer these questions and others that normal readers may have on their mind.

First off, “Why write this blog?” The shortest answer is that I want to be a writer. Technically, I am a writer already, but my true desire is to one day be a published writer and from what I hear this is the place to start. A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a conversation that R.C. Sproul was having with one of his audience members (I want to say that this was on his website Ligonier ministries, but I’m not for sure). The one interacting with Sproul asked the question about being a writer. He was looking for advice, and since Sproul is a prolific Christian writer the assumption was that his thoughts on the subject would be sound. Sproul’s response was short and to the point “start writing.” Now I’m not quoting Sproul verbatim here, but merely paraphrasing what he was telling his interested conversant. Essentially, Sproul was telling him, “If you want to write, start writing. Write as long as you have something to say.” In short, “Just do it!” I know, I know sounds like a slogan for a famous tennis shoe, but I got the message. If I wanted to write, if it was something that I really wanted to do and be good at it, then I needed to do it. Plain and simple. Pretty straightforward advice. This blog, then is putting that advice into action. In the past people have asked if I had written anything yet. They were interested in hearing what I had to say. They had read other things that I had put out there and wanted more. The only way to truly hone a gift is by “practice, practice, practice.” You want to be good at something, then you need to put effort into it. So, this blog is my first legitimate step in that direction.

Secondly, “What can you the reader expect to find here?” Or as my title so quaintly puts it, “What to expect—when expecting?” As with anything in life, not everyone will enjoy what you are doing. Some may hate the way I write. They may feel that the way I express my views is to dull or to blunt. They may find my lame attempts at humor to dry or as I already said “lame.” What I write is not for everyone. The things I have to say, you may not want to hear. You may prefer to cover your ears, shut your eyes, and scream at the top of your lungs going “Blah! Blah! Blah! This guy does not make sense, he never says anything useful, so why waste my time?!” Unlike the slogan you are taught when you start working with people in the secular arena, “the customer is always right” my position is if you want to hear what I have to say “Great, keeping coming back. I’d love to have you.” However, I do not cater to the demands of others, unless those demands are meaningful, thought-provoking and true.

What you can expect, or what you should be expecting from this blog is the work of a Christian writer. I am a husband, a father, and a pastor, but everything I have to say will be done so from a biblical perspective. That means that yes there will be quotes from the Bible here. There will be discussions on theology, apologetics, politics, family life, work, entertainment, etc. King Solomon writes in the book of Ecclesiastes, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”[i] Everything that falls under that line of thought will be in some way addressed in this blog. Hopefully, as students of the Word and of life we can both benefit from this interaction.

[i] English Standard Version (2011) used by permission.