Waiting in Wonder

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All material provided within this book is for informational purposes only, and in no way is any of the content to be construed as medical advice or instruction. The information provided within this book is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition, disorder, or disease, and no action should be taken solely on the contents of this publication. Consult your physician or a qualified health-­care professional on any matters regarding your health and well-­being. Developments in medical research may impact the health and nutritional information contained in this book; therefore, this book may not include the most recent findings or developments with respect to particular material.

Waiting in Wonder © 2013 Catherine Claire Larson All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—­electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—­except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Published in association with The Bindery Agency, www.TheBinderyAgency.com.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, niv®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “niv” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.® Scripture quotations marked nkjv are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-1-4002-3757-9 (HC) Printed in India 22 23 24 25 26 BPI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Pregnancy Week 12 The Wonder Within

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our sweet little one is about the size of a clementine this week (2.1 in. and 0.49 oz.), still no bigger than your palm. Yet, masterfully, God is already at work developing reflexes in your darling clementine. A gentle nudge to the belly might make him or her wiggle out of the way. Fingers and toes curl, and facial muscles make reflexive sucking motions that will one day allow him or her to find sustenance. For now, however, the digestive system is practicing contractions while the intestines are still forming. Interestingly enough, the intestines have grown so fast that they are tumbling outside of the baby and into the umbilical cord.

Soon, however, they will begin returning to their proper place—­inside the abdominal cavity.

Meanwhile, your uterus is growing too big to fit neatly behind the pelvis and is starting to push its way into your abdominal region. That’s why you may be noticing your clothes fitting a bit more snugly. That may be good news for you if you can’t wait to buy a cute little maternity outfit to show off your soon-­to-­be-­bulging belly. But if you’re not so eager to abandon your current wardrobe, try the rubber band trick.

Loop a rubber band through the buttonhole of your favorite pants and then back through the band itself. With the loop that’s created, latch it

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around your pant button for a bit of extra give. Wear a longer shirt and no one will be the wiser! You can go a few more weeks without having to buy new maternity clothes or dip into the stash you put away after your last pregnancy.

POINTS FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE

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Praise God for the friends and family you’ve been able to share the good news with so far and for those who have truly rejoiced with you.

Pray for your little one as he or she develops important reflexes for nourishment and protection. Pray that drawing near to God for spiritual nourishment and protection will also become reflexive for him or her.

Pray for wisdom as you make decisions about whether to continue working outside the home or about any other adjustments that this new baby may require.

MOMMY’S MEMORY VERSE If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

JAMES 1:5 nkjv

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Date:

What Starts Small [Jesus] told [the multitude] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. . . . Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31–32

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ince conception, cells have been multiplying at a dizzying rate. In fact, if your baby continued to grow at this rate after birth, he or she would be thirteen feet tall by one month. Yikes! Just eight weeks ago, your little one was the size of a poppy seed, about one millimeter. And now, although your little one is still small, the growth has been astronomical.

Jesus mentioned something else that begins small. He described the kingdom of heaven like a mustard seed growing from the tiniest of seeds to the biggest of garden plants. “The kingdom of God” is shorthand for God’s eternal reign over all. In the New Testament it is inaugurated with Christ’s coming (Matthew 2:2; Luke 16:16; John 18:37), but—­despite the expectation of the Jews (and even many of the disciples)—­Jesus explained that the worldwide reign of God would not come immediately in all its fullness. Christ inaugurated it, the church continues it (Matthew 24:14), and when Christ comes again, He will bring the kingdom in all its fullness (1 Corinthians 15:50–58). Talk about exponential growth!

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The kingdom of God is certainly not easy to grasp in a quick study. We know that while God truly reigns over all now, there will still come a day when “every knee will bow” and “every tongue will acknowledge” that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 14:11). How does that coming reality give you hope?

One of the lies of the modern world is, “It’s all about me.” The truth of the matter is, it’s not. Your child will have to learn that life does not revolve around him or her; we revolve around God. Write a prayer for your child to come to understand this important truth.

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