[Postmark -- Jablonné nad Orlicí, Czech Republic, 21 July -- on a postcard depicting Prague]

Dear Valerie,

Hope your plans are coming together: EGEATP. Such a helpful acronym when stuck in Frakfort airport all day!

English camp is going well. It is a privilege to be here.

Thanks for your prayers for us. We see His glory glimpse by glimpse and long to gaze!

S----

The prejudice is widespread that a termination for medical reasons is somehow on a higher moral plane than a run-of-the-mill abortion. (You can use newspaperlogin/123456 to login to read the article.)

On the subway, Peter asked, ''Shouldn't we consider having triplets?'' And I had this adverse reaction: ''This is why they say it's the woman's choice, because you think I could just carry triplets. That's easy for you to say, but I'd have to give up my life.''

Not only would I have to be on bed rest at 20 weeks, I wouldn't be able to fly after 15. I was already at eight weeks. When I found out about the triplets, I felt like: It's not the back of a pickup at 16, but now I'm going to have to move to Staten Island. I'll never leave my house because I'll have to care for these children. I'll have to start shopping only at Costco and buying big jars of mayonnaise.

When we saw the specialist, we found out that I was carrying identical twins and a stand alone. My doctors thought the stand alone was three days older. There was something psychologically comforting about that, since I wanted to have just one.

Please be nice
And stick around
To flush it twice
If it don't go down.

I have been pondering the idea of 'expectations', as in 'what kind of behavior should you expect from a 1 year old child?' This is the conclusion I have come to: when a child is born, his parents should EXPECT him to behave as an adult. Yes, that sounds weird...but if you are a Christian person, you believe that your child should grow into an adult that exhibits the Fruits of the Spirit--namely, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. (Galatians 5:22). So when that child is born, you should expect him to have a character that exhibits these fruits. If you do, than when you look at the child and see him exhibiting behavior that doesn't fit the picture, you correct him. It's a simple concept, but I think it's a very profound one. If you merely 'expect' your baby to act like a baby, he's not going to be trained to be anything different than a baby. Children are supposed to grow into adults, so all the training of childhood is aimed at creating a good adult. If a parent only expects their child to be a child of a particular age group, that's what they're going to get."

Last night, after Hubby and C3 left in the taxi for the clinic, I took the other boys to the grocery store to get some treats. While walking around, J8 mournfully asked, "Why did C3 have to get hurt? Why was my little brother hurt?"

It was hard to answer him without tears, "Well, we know that God has this all in His hands, and that God will use this in C3's life for His purpose."

Later in the evening J8 told me, "I think it's not just in C3's life, but God did this for me, too," and went on to explain some things in his heart.

Some forms of homosexuality today are of a similar nature [The previous section is about Henry Miller whose writing Schaeffer describes as "not just pornographic but...a philosophical statement."], in that they are not just homosexuality, but a philosophic expression. One must have understanding for the real homophile's problem. But much modern homosexuality is an expression of the current denial of antithesis. It has led in this case to an obliteration of the distinction between man and woman. So the male and the female as complimentary partners are finished. This is a form of homosexuality which is a part of the movement below the line of despair. But this is not an isolated problem; it is a part of the world-spirit of the generation which surrounds us. It is imperative that Christians realise the conclusions which are being drawn as a result of the death of absolutes.

You simply cannot have a uni-member body. You cannot have an un-integrated body. Such a thing cannot exist. This isn't so much a command to re-integrate what's been put asunder as to acknowledge that what is a whole cannot be sundered. To think otherwise is a vain imagining, a wicked denial of a plain truth. This is not to say, though, that there are no distinctions in the body. There are indeed many members, but we must look at the diversity through the lens of unity. The only diversity we may look at, however, is the diversity of gifts and roles. That is the only diversity that signifies. The differences between the sexes are on this order of diversity -- a clear and soul-deep demarcation between roles -- and never the twain shall be conflated. The role differences between masters and servants, while also clearly defined in Scripture, are neither innate (as with the sexes) nor supernatural (as with the spiritual gifts). The differences among the races are never in Scripture a matter of roles. Even in the old covenant, non-Jews were to be included in the covenant if they were circumcised. The Jew/Gentile distinction with regard to the covenant is clearly obliterated in the new covenant. Therefore racial differences are of no significance whatsoever in the Church. In Christ we are a new race, distinct only from those who remain in rebellion against Him.

Why do you worry and why do you fret?
Just trust in God, just trust in Me.
I've been with you so long, but you don't see yet
That all this time it's the Father you've seen.

So don't let your hearts be troubled!
I'm your Shepherd and you are My own.
I'm just going to find green pastures,
I'm just going to prepare your home.
If God didn't have a place for you,
Don't you think I'd have told you so?
So don't let your hearts be troubled!
I'm your Shepherd and you are My own.

Why do you puzzle and why do you fear?
You can find that place, you'll be there one day.
You've been given the answers, but you still don't hear:
You go through Me, for I am the Way

So don't let your hearts be troubled!
I'm the Way and the Truth and the Life.
I will lead you in the right paths,
Even through the dark of night.
If I hadn't planned to come back for you,
Don't you think I'd have told you so?
So don't let your hearts be troubled!
I'm your Shepherd and you are My own.

Why do you think that you can't find the way?
Why do you keep searching when you're holding the key?
I've said it before and again I will say:
It's the wise who are blind and the fools who can see.

So don't let your hearts be troubled!
There's no magic or mystery here.
Just open your eyes and follow
And the way will be made clear.
If there were anything else you'd need to have
Don't you think I'd have told you so?
So don't let your hearts be troubled!
I'm your Shepherd and you are My own.

Why do you think that you can't find a way?
Why do you keep searching when you're holding the key?
I've said it before and again I will say:
It's the wise who are blind and the fools who can see.

"The best time to stop a man from becoming abusive...is before he becomes a man. Teach boys that violence against women is wrong."

A Swedish court has sentenced Ake Green, a pastor belonging to the Pentecostal movement, to a month in prison, under a law against incitement, after he was found guilty of having offended homosexuals in a sermon, according to Ecumenical News International.

Green had described homosexuality as "abnormal, a horrible cancerous tumor in the body of society" in a 2003 sermon.

"Dream: I'm going to become a dentist who kids love going to. A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

"When kids think Man Ray is a poisonous jellyfish, clearly there isn't enough art in our schools."

"Develop initial cost-benefit analysis and research to define and validate opportunities, and prioritize the impact of the change efforts."

1. God -- He should sanctify me the way I want and when I want.
2. Parents -- They should have done a better job.
3. Spouses -- I should get one, he should be exactly what I expected him to be, and our marriage should be exactly in keeping with my dreams.
4. Children -- They should come when I want, and then behave as I want.
5. Friends -- I should have as many as I want, and of the right sort, and in the right place.
6. Churches -- First Perfect Church should be right next door to my house, no matter where I live. My leaders should lead exactly the way I want to be led, or, better yet, they should just get out of my way so I can lead the right way.
7. People -- They should follow my rules (which I may ever-so-carefully refer to as "the" rules, though I'm really more concerned with my own standards, not God's or anybody else's), and they should always admire and love me.
8. Circumstances -- I should never be sick, tired, lost, or otherwise inconvenienced.
9. Money -- I should have all I want, and all the stuff I want to buy, and not have to owe anybody else.
10. Self -- I should be as thin, as beautiful, as good as I wish to be at any given moment while simultaneously pursuing my own agenda and appetites.

Why do heathen nations rage? Why do peoples folly mind?
Kings of earth in plots engage, Rulers are in league combined;
Then against Jehovah high, And against Messiah's sway,
"Let us break their bands," they cry, "Let us cast their cords away."

But the Lord will scorn them all; He will laugh Who sits on high.
Then His wrath will on them fall; Sore displeased He will reply:
"Yet according to My will I have set My King to reign,
And on Zion's holy hill My Anointed I'll maintain."

His decree I will make known: Unto Me the Lord did say,
"Thou art My beloved Son; I've begotten Thee this day.
Ask of Me, and Thee I'll make Heir to earth and nations all;
Them with iron Thou shalt break, Dashing them in pieces small."

Therefore, kings, be wise, give ear; Hearken, Judges of the earth;
Serve the Lord with godly fear; Mingle trembling with your mirth.
Kiss the Son, His wrath to turn, Lest ye perish in the way,
For His anger soon will burn. Blessed are all that on Him stay.

Helen has been spending the whole day with me, as she often does, helping me with her skillful needle, and with the children, in a very sweet way. I am almost ashamed to indulge in writing down how dearly she seems to love me, and how disposed she is to sit at my feet as a learner at the very moment I am longing to possess her sweet, gentle temper. But one thing puzzles me, in her, and that is the difficulty she finds in getting hold of these simple truths her father used to grope after but never found till just as he was passing out of the world. It seems as if God had compensated such turbulent, fiery natures as mine, by revealing Himself to them, for the terrible hours of shame and sorrow through which their sins and follies cause them to pass. I suffer far more than Helen does, suffer bitterly, painfully, but I enjoy tenfold more. For I know whom I have believed, and I cannot doubt that I am truly united to Him. Helen is naturally very reserved, but by degrees she has come talk with me quite frankly.