Happy Anniversary Love

While I generally spend my time at a different blog, Synod of Saints, I wanted to post quickly to wish my wife a very happy 2nd anniversary. That's right, two years ago today Rachel and I entered the sacred covenant of marriage. I am so grateful to the Lord for bringing Rachel into my life, and establishing our lives together. She is the delight of my eyes and the person whom I love and cherish above any other. She is my best friend, helpmate, companion in sorrow and joy, and the beautiful mother of our daughter (fellas there is nothing so wonderful as watching a wife become a mommy). No words and no expression can adequately summarize the tenderness, affection, and love which I have for you. Lord willing our marriage will continue to prosper under the gracious hand of God as we earnestly seek to reflect that sacred love between Christ and the Church. May we die to Christ every day, and live in unspeakable joy. Happy Anniversary Love!

Borg Updates

• As of Wednesday this week Evelyn is 4 months old! Kyle and I are continuing to have TONS of fun with our little girl. She has fallen into a good routine and is now sleeping 10 hours through the night consistently which makes Mommy very happy :)

• A week ago today was Kyle's last day of military duty! He is thrilled to be done :)
  

• Kyle gets his braces off on Tuesday! He has had them on since shortly after we got engaged; I hardly remember what he looks like without them :)

• Kyle registered for classes at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. In the spring he will be taking Practice Preaching and Soteriology.
  

• We have been doing lots and lots of packing this week. It's amazing, we have thirty some boxes of books alone! I've been feeling a little sentimental about leaving La Crosse and moving out of the apartment that we've lived in since we got married, but I'm also excited to take this next step in our lives. Kyle and I are both looking forward to getting settled in our new home.

Changes...

Evie in her bouncy seat at about 6 weeks.

Evie in her bouncy seat today :)

Newborn Evie in her car seat coming home from the Hospital

Evie in her car seat at 3 months.

It's so fun to see how much Evelyn has grown! I'm amazed how quickly she has gone from her little preemie size clothes to 3/6 month size. This morning I finished sorting through all of Evie's clothes making room for the next size up. She's pretty solidly in 3/6 month now! We are so thankful that Evelyn has been thriving, what an answer to prayer!!

3 Months Old!!

It's hard to believe that our little baby is already three months old; time is flying by! We are so thankful to the Lord for the blessing that Evie is in our lives. I LOVE staying home with her everyday; like Kyle says, she is my little buddy :) She is starting to be a lot more fun and responsive. Lately she has been studying everything, constantly looking around the room. A greater portion of her hours are spent awake and alert now. She definitely recognizes Mommy and Daddy, and she LOVES staring up at the mobile that Grandpa and Grandma Borg bought for her. It's so fun to see Evelyn's personality come out and to hear the cute little noises (or big noises) that she makes. Evie loves when we sing to her and she likes to constantly be in motion. It's funny because she'll get super antsy, kicking her legs and failing her arms all over the place like she just wants to crawl around on her own. Kyle and I really enjoy being parents, Evelyn is such a joy to us!

What's Going On

Well, I am beginning to be convinced that no one reads this blog, and I'm even more convinced that I will be the only one to ever write an updated blog entry. But that's okay.
So Evelyn is almost 10 weeks old right now. Time has flown by! She is growing and changing a lot. She just had a doctor's appointment today and she weights 10 pounds 10 ounces. Our once little girl has become a healthy (and chubby) baby!
Rachel's schedule is a mess. I will say this though, it is a wonderful thing to see a wife become a mommy. I love watching her with Evelyn...it's a great thing. Rachel does a lot (or most) of the baby care; changing diapers, staying up, feeding, reading to, etc. It's not like I am a bum of a dad, I get to cuddle with my girl every night, and I enjoy reading to her. I just can't handle poopy diapers, they are NASTY. Who ever would have guessed that such a cute child could produce such grotesque things. But we're thankful to the Lord that her digestive system works properly. Rachel is up a lot during the night with her. We have recently discovered that if she gets to sleep in between mommy and daddy she is a happy girl. How can we say no?
Well, hopefully Rachel will soon post some stuff on here about what it is like to be a mommy. Till then here are a couple of pictures.

Evie!!!

Evelyn Grace Borg

Rachel and I were surprised by a call on Wednesday night from our doctor. Rachel and not been measuring quite right during the duration of the pregnancy. Our doctor had us get an ultra sound on the 20th, 30, and 36th weeks of the pregnancy. We had just had our 36th week ultra sound and the doctors found that there was not a high volume of amniotic fluid and that Evelyn's abdomen was not developing at the same rate as the rest of the body. Our doctor called Wednesday and said they would have to get Evelyn out as soon as possible. Thursday morning at 7am Rachel was hospitalized and had inducement medicines given via IV. Well, only 60 hours after this Rachel went into labor. Evelyn Grace Borg was born at 3:18am, August 17 (97 years to the day of her great grandfather). She only weighed 4 pounds and 15 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. She has deep blue eyes (like all babies), and a head full of blonde hair. She is healthy and doing very well. We are SO thankful for the Lord's gracious comfort and provision, as well as for the prayers of so many brothers and sisters in Christ. We are truly blessed and have both fallen head over heels in love with our baby girl.

Week 32: Evelyn Update

First of all I have to apologize that I don't have a picture for this week, but I will post the information for week 32. Don't worry I will make it a point to post a new picture next week. I can't believe we only have 8 weeks to go!!

How Evie is growing:

By now, your Evelyn weighs around 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in Rachel's uterus. Most women gain about a pound a week during this time and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, Evelyn will gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

31 Weeks and Counting

How Evie is growing:

This week, Evie measures over 16 inches long. Her weight is about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!! I (Kyle) am already losing sleep...well so is Rachel, but it's more because Evie thinks it is fun to keep mom up with her all night long. After all, those nights can be pretty long and boring.

Week 27

The hecklers have won. Here's a pic of my radiant (and pregnant) wife!

Evelyn Update: 27 Weeks!!

How Evelyn's growing:

This week, Evie weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, Evelyn's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now.

Sabbath Thoughts on Worldliness

I’m not sure it would be an overestimation to say that one of the greatest threats against the church of America today is the strangling hold of worldliness. Far too many Christians are in good relations with the world around them. James seems rather pointed when he writes, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (4:4). First, notice that the moral command found in Exodus 20:14 is broken, not only in consequence to an extramarital affair, but in a spiritual love affair. Being that we are properly called the Bride of Christ, when we prefer the world and the things of this world over the love of God, we become spiritual adulterers and fornicators who stain the marriage bed in iniquity. If you have ever spoken with an adulterer who tries to justify their sin, the vindication usually sounds like this, “But she was more exciting than my wife,” or “I felt so good when I was with her.” It really is a pathetic display of foolishness to hear an adulterer try and justify why their affections went to someone else other than their spouse. Yet do our minds justify worldliness in the same manner? Do we dare look to God and say “I prefer the things of this world because they make me feel so good inside.”

Secondly, notice that James not only condemns those who are friends of the world, but he condemns those who wish to be friends of the world. The mere desire to be like the world is itself condemnable, and makes one an adulterer. In the words of the Psalmist, how many of us are, “envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:3). The unbelieving pagans of this world live for prosperity and riches, for health and comfort—which is why none of these will ever suffice to show someone the worth of the Christian life. How many Christians are defined by these very same things? What interests us more, our homes, cars, bank accounts, gadgets, books, and other meaningless stuff, or the communion we can share with the Triune God? It seems, to me, that the Christian life is defined in antithetical terms, or at least, the Christians who have done the most for this world have been those who strenuously oppose the comforts and materialism of life (whether it is the comfort of houses, riches, health, etc). “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20), or “Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in the skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews 11:36-38). Further, the author commends the readers by saying, “You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property” (Hebrews 10:34).

The distinguishing mark of a Christian is not one who embraces the things that this world does. Have you ever heard an unbeliever look at the home, bank account, car, collection of books of a Christian and declare, “Hallelujah! Christ is a great Saviour!” Again, it seems to me that the Christians who have done the most for this world are those who cast off the earthly comforts of life and live by an unswerving faith in the God who clothes the lilies of the field in great splendor than Solomon. The distinguishing mark of a Christian is not found in the way he possess the things of the world, rather, I think it is to be found in the way he scorns the things of this world and sheds earthly comforts.

Now, it must be commented on that I do not think any of these things: money, cars, homes, etc are inherently evil (they don’t posses souls how can they be?). But I do wonder if Christians are apt to justify these things too eagerly and zealously. Christ commands us, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to the Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). So quite practically, the question that must be asked is “How does your stuff turn the eyes of the world to God?” How does your stuff glorify God? I think it is on this question that our friendship, either with the world or with God, is to be determined.

James is incredibly practical and very straightforward. “Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Again, I am comfortable with making the broad generalization that Christians in America are too easily pacified and entertained by the things of this world. There lacks a definite distinguishing mark between the world and so many who profess to be Christians, plain and simple, too many Christians look and act exactly like the world. And if we read James with the utmost integrity, I think we will find that he is excluding a great number of professing Christians from being truly converted.

The Christian's Joy in Suffering

I was listening to a sermon by Mark Dever today on James 1 and he quoted a line from Robert Browning's poem:

I walked a mile with Pleasure
She chattered all the way
But there was nothing I could learn
From all she had to say

I walked a mile with Sorrow
And never a word said she
But, oh, all the things I learned
When Sorrow walked with me.

Weekly Update: Week 24!

How Evelyn's growing:

Evie is growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Evelyn's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. This information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Weekly Update: Week 23!!!!

How Evelyn's growing:

Evie is now around 11 inches long and probably weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). Her skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare her for breathing. She can swallow, but she normally won't pass her first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze Evelyn when she hears them outside the womb.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. This information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Call the Sabbath a Delight

I will admit that few topics have piqued my interest in the last couple years as much as the Sabbath principle. I just started reading Walter Chantry’s book, Call the Sabbath a Delight, and the introduction alone was enough to plunge me into the deep pool of conviction. He writes, “Whether or not people keep the Sabbath holy is not an incidental or insignificant matter. When God issued this fourth commandment he understood humanity much better than we do. Failure to practice this moral law is a root cause of moral decline, social disorder, and widespread human suffering. No successful recovery of mankind can be devised without the inclusion of the fourth commandment in the remedy” (12—italics mine). As you can see, he takes the Sabbath principle incredibly seriously.

However, I think he rightly notes that many Christians do not contemplate the moral law of God often enough, especially the honoring of the Sabbath. It is important for us to note that honoring this *day* (not two hours out of the day), is a moral precept right along with “You shall not murder.” It’s not just Chantry who takes the Sabbath seriously, it is God. But it seems so many of us have better things to do on the Sabbath, whether it’s getting household projects done, going to the beach (well maybe not in WI), sleeping all day, or, as Chantry also points out, we glue ourselves to the TV set on Sunday to watch sports, “Who has done more to destroy patters of worship than the professional athletes? You dare not say it again. Evangelicals themselves will fall all over one another to watch [sports] even on Sundays” (10).

A question Chantry asks is, “Is it practical to worship God for one whole day in each seven?” Or, as a pastor friend of mine often asks, “If there was a day set apart to worship God, a whole day, would you want it?” I fear for many the answer is just simply, “No.” We’ve grown bored with God, and we’ve grown bored with worship. We rush to church on Sunday mornings and rush to get home and identify ourselves once again with the unbelieving culture around us—there’s not much separate about Christians anymore these days. And Chantry cites this as one of the obvious reasons for the moral decadence in America. He says, “There can be no other answer to straighten out our crooked generation. Nothing but a weekly day of worship will begin to touch the ignorance which has gripped humanity. This alone, under God, can save families, churches, schools and governments from total moral collapse” (11).

How important is the Sabbath principle for you and your family? If you were asked the question, “Would you want to worship God for an entire day out of seven,” how would you answer? Is dishonoring the Sabbath one of the root causes of moral depravity in America, is it hurting families and churches?

Evelyn's Development

Below is some info on Evelyn's development. Tomorrow will mark week 22!! I've been reading these bulletins each week since we found out we were expecting. It's always super fun to read what's happening with the baby developmentally. I can't believe how fast time is going!

How Evelyn is growing (22 weeks):

Evie now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at around 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

Rethinking the Concept of the Church

Another post from the Borg family! How fortunate for our one two readers.

Having grown up in a largely evangelical culture Rachel and I have had to rethink our understanding of the church. After all, many in the evangelical world (this is one of those broad, sweeping, generalizations I tend to make) don’t have well formulated ideas on what the church is and how the Christian relates to the church. This is obviously a very important subject for every family to consider, after all, when Christ finished his earthly ministry on earth he left the church to carry out his work, and it’s plain that Scripture assigns a very important status to the church. The church was purchased by Christ’s giving of himself and shedding his blood (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25), the church is called the Bride of Christ (Revelation 21), the church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18), and it is the church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against (Matthew 16:18). Granted the church consists of all God’s elect, it spans the divides of denominations, it is bigger than any race, nation, culture, or language, it is present on earth and in heaven. But the church has always been manifested in a visible and tangible way on earth, and under the gospel it is in local congregations—and it is the local congregation that Rachel and I have grown to love and cherish. But it also appears that the idea of the local church is being attacked by pragmatism and postmodern thought (I read an article in Newsweek a few months ago about the growing popularity of house churches—how awful!). So in light of all this, Rachel and I want to ask the following questions and would love to hear thoughts on them!

1. How important is church in the Christian’s life?
2. What is the purpose of church?
3. Is church an “optional” thing for Christians?
4. When considering a move should churches in the area affect someone's decision?
5. Can church be supplanted with audio sermons on the Internet?
6. Are para-church organizations *just as* important as the church (i.e. Christian camps, Christian organizations, etc).
7. Is church membership important?
8. How do you teach your children to love and value the local church?
9. What should “church day” (i.e. the Sabbath) look like? Or, what are some things you and your family do to honor the Sabbath?
10. And one more “fun” one: Should solos be allowed in church?

Well feel free to comment on any of the above questions. Hopefully, if we are fortunate enough, Rachel will pipe in with some of her thoughts—I know she’s really wrestled with this stuff lately.

On a Somewhat Similar Note...

Kyle and I would like to announce the very exciting news that we are no longer the owners of a television. We actually haven't had access to TV channels since we got married (we just watched DVDs); however, this last Sunday we took the leap and removed the television set from our home. Jake and Jeff have been kind enough to "store" the TV and entertainment center for us until we can sell them. It's not that we view television as intrinsically evil or anything, we've just realized that it's a worldly distraction that we'd rather not battle against in our home (especially with the arrival of Evie). We desire to have a family that enjoys doing things together (reading, playing games, outdoor activities, singing, praying, etc) instead of spending our time in front of the TV.
I personally have LOVED this first week of not having a TV. It's bothered me for awhile that most Americans' living rooms are centered around the television. I want our home to be a sanctuary, a place of refuge, for our family and for guests. It already feels so much more peaceful without that extra noise and distraction. It's amazing how desensitized you can become to things without even realizing it. When I was staying in Austin a few weeks ago I watched a little TV, and I was appalled at some of the content/commercials. After not being exposed to much of that over the last year and a half, it was like I was viewing it with new eyes.
Again, we aren't suggesting that everyone goes and get rid of their televisions. This is just something that Kyle and I have been thinking about a lot lately and so we figured that we'd share some of our thoughts with all of you :) We would love to hear what you think!

~ Rachel

Is Disney a Bad Influence on Covenant Children?

This was originally published at Synod of Saints.

When we learned that we were soon going to be parents we began to revaluate some areas of our lives. This has been for the good and has led to multiple life changes. But when we learned on Friday that we would be having a daughter (Evelyn Grace; you can see the ultrasound video here), I began to think of other things. It seems that many people are concerned that if we protect our children from the world they will grow up to be socially inept, or that this protection will only encourage rebellion in later years of life (an objection I just don’t see in Scripture, c.f. Proverbs 22:6). And so many parents give their children a liberal dose of “the world” to make them well-rounded.

Though this post could relate to many things, music, mass media, public schools, etc, I pose the question for a specific purpose. It seems many people blindly accept the messages of Disney without really contemplating the meaning of the messages. It has led me to think, that many of the “beloved classics” are actually a bad influence on raising a child in the covenant—and this entails more than just some of the magic that is involved; that, I must admit, is one of the least of my concerns. Clearly Disney has produced a plethora of movies, and not all of them necessarily carry bad messages, but as we have considered them more and more, we have become more and more convinced that Evelyn will not be watching these beloved classics—at least not until she is old enough to understand her place as a true covenant child and distinguish between fantasy and reality.

For instance, consider The Little Mermaid. I haven’t seen the movie but I do know something about it. Ariel, in one of the scenes sings a song called, “Part of Your World.” In this song she is singing about the gadgets and gizmos that she owns. But the whole song seems to be one of dissatisfaction, and greed, “You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty! But who cares? No big deal, I want more.” Then she goes on to sing about the things she wants. Call me crazy, but this is strikingly pathetic, and greedy. It is the idea that one never has enough, and the only way to be happy is to get more, more, more. In the words of John Piper, “Stuff, stuff, stuff…It’s killing us.” This world is built on the need and desire for stuff, and her song seems to encapsulate this idea. Why would I ever find it cute to have Evelyn dancing around singing this song? It’s appalling!

Another common theme that seems prevalent in the Disney movies I have seen is disobedience, often against parental control. Just think, Ariel disobeys her father and goes to explore the world, Simba goes into the uncharted territories (after singing an incredibly individualistic song called “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”), Jazmine leaves the palace grounds to go seek adventure outside. Mulan pretends to be a guy in order to enlist in the army, breaking the civil laws of the land (something Robin Hood is notorious for too). Most of the time this breaking of authority, while being implied as “bad” is pictured and imagined in such a way as adventuresome. But it’s a direct violation of the fifth commandment! Children were killed in the Old Testament days for disobeying their parents (thank goodness for grace!). In the Law of God, disobeying parents is mentioned right alongside not committing murder, or adultery, etc. Is this something that I want Evelyn exposed to at such a young age?

The worst part of all this is that I am being dead serious. Need we mention that Beauty and the Beast seems to propagate free love? Who cares if a human loves some big gross beast, we ought to love whomever we want (this is of course founded on Disney’s backing of homosexual relationships). And Lady in the Tramp shows the fun and romance of having a “good girl” fall for a “bad boy.” Cinderella, though not horrible, seems to instill in many girl’s minds that they are Cinderella and should wait for Prince Charming (seems rather worldly), and how many girls never outgrow that childhood fantasy? In Pinocchio we here the ever annoying song, “Let your conscience be your guide”…umm “The heart above all things is deceitful.” This isn’t all one giant conspiracy theory on my part nor is it an ignoring of the Christian liberty we have in Christ. I don’t think these movies are intrinsically evil, that’s counter Scripture (c.f. Mark 7:14-23). And I don’t think all Disney movies have bad messages (I mean seriously, The Fox and the Hound is a classic!) and that if you watch them you will grow up to be a horrible person. But I certainly don’t think they do much to help instill in your children a love for the gospel and rejection of the world. We are charged, in our child's baptism, to "strive, by all the means of God’s appointment, to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?” (BCO 56-5). And as parents we want to ensure that we do everything to remove every obstacle that stands between our child and the cross.

So I’m asking for thoughts (especially from parents!). Is there redemptive quality to Disney movies? Is all of this one giant conspiracy theory? How do you, as parents, protect your children from the world that they might be “infants to evil” (1 Corinthians 14:20)? Am I raping my child of their "deserved" childhood?

Behind the name...

Some of you may be wondering, "Why the name Evelyn Grace?" Well here is the answer :) Evelyn is just a name that we both thought was very pretty and feminine. Also, we love the nickname Evie! I personally like older, less common names. Many of the trendy names that are popular these days are just not my style at all. We thought about using a biblical name for awhile, but it seems that most of the "good ones" are either already taken by members of our families or close friends. I informed Kyle that Evelyn is kind of biblical because of EVElyn :) As for the middle name Grace, we thought it was also pretty and flows well with Evelyn. More importantly, it is our prayer that the Lord's sovereign grace would be realized in Evelyn, and that she would reflect that grace to her neighbor.

~ Rachel

Evelyn Grace Borg :)

So once again, I apologize to my readers (basically Mom) for my lack of blog posts. I just haven't had a lot to write about lately; however, I hoping to begin updating this blog at least once a week in order to maintain any readers that we do have :)

On Friday, Kyle and I had our ultrasound. It was super exciting! If you've talked to us at all over the past several months, you probably knew that we were having a hard time deciding whether or not we wanted to find out the sex of baby. Last week we had FINALLY agreed that we would wait to be surprised. However, on the way to the clinic Kyle changed his mind and informed me that he DID want to know. Kyle and I can both be pretty spontaneous sometimes, so needless to say we found out that we are having a GIRL and we are naming her Evelyn Grace. We were both super excited when we found out, although we would have been just as excited either way :)

The ultrasound itself was a very fun experience. It was so neat to see the four chambers of the heart, the kidneys, spine, bladder, etc. It's amazing that all her organs are basically developed, Evelyn just has to grow and gain weight :) We were so thankful to hear that everything looks good and that Evelyn is healthy. All of the screening tests came back normal.

I can't believe we are already halfway there! I will be 21 weeks on Thursday! Time is going so fast.

It's A...JOB

Well it's about time, but Kyle (woops, I mean "I") got a job! I lost my job last May due to circumstances outside of my control (ask if you want to know). I have been jobless since. During the summer I looked for jobs and didn't have much luck. Coming into the fall we decided maybe I should focus on other things. But when we found out baby (Witsius) was going to be born we decided it was time for me to get a job again. Anyway, I've been looking since January, and turned down one job offer since. But last Thursday I had an interview with Xcel Energy and they called on Friday to offer me the job.
So what is it? I'm a meter man. That's right, the creepy guy that once a month comes into the backyard and scares everyone. That's going to be me. Now before you point and laugh know that this job is going to be sweet! Not only do I get to be outside all day (during the summer) but I get to work on my tan. Albeit it will be a nice farmer's tan. No really, it's going to be a great setup and really help Rachel and I plan and save for seminary. Anyway, we are very thankful for this opportunity and the provision of the Lord at this time in our life.
Grace and Peace.

Behind the Names

Okay, two posts, two days. Not bad! I decided since our polling is so popular I would put faces behind the names. A lot of people are into names that sound "cute" or go nicely with the last name "Borg." But the sounding of a name palls in comparison with the meaning of the name. Rather then worry if kids will make fun of our child on the playground, we want names that are strong in meaning and significance.

Thomas Manton (1620-1677)

"Ministers who do not know Manton

need not wonder if they are themselves unknown."-CH Spurgeon

Manton was a Puritan of great repute. It has been commented that he was a man of many virtues and few failings. He suffered much as a preacher, especially during the Great Ejection. He has particularly been remembered for a WONDERFUL commentary on the Epistle of Jude (it's one of my favorites).

Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949)

Vos was a gentleman and a scholar...okay, so I don't know about the former but he certainly was the later. Vos was a Dutch Refo rmed theologian. We appreciate his legacy because he has l eft us with some wonderful stuff on Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology is a way of reading Scripture. Instead of systematizing all of Scripture, Biblical Theology seeks to interpret Scripture from a redemptive historical perspective. We have especially appreciated Vos' books Biblical Theology and The Kingdom of God and the Church.


Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield (aka The Lion of Princeton) (1851-1921)

Warfield was perhaps one of the last great theologian of Princeton before the forming of Westminster Theological Seminary. If you ever get a chance to listen to a biography on this man's life, do it. Perhaps no one in the history of Reformed Theology has given such a great defense of revelation and inspiration of the Bible. He also did some work on the Person and Work of Jesus which we have appreciated. Above all this, he has a super cool beard, we only hope to attain his level someday.


William Perkins (1558-1602)

Was a Puritan in both word and deed. He was an outstanding preacher and has written a great little book called The Art of Prophecy. He is also well known for a chart he composed of election and re probation. Despite his deep theological work Perkins never seemed to have lost the pastoral tenderness. It is recorded that just before a young man was executed he came to Perkins begging him to show the way of avoiding God's righteous judgment. Perkins urge d the young man to believe on Christ and repent. The young man did and faced his execution. At any rate, William Perkins' works are currently being translated and we eagerly await the arrival!


Herman Witsius (1636-1708)
Okay, I'm not going to lie this is one of my favorites. If it was solely up to me our firstborn (boy or girl) would be named Herman Witsius Borg (H. Witsius Borg, or H.W. Borg...sounds sweet). Witsius was a renowned Puritan and INCREDIBLY intelligent. I am always astounded when I read him how educated he was. But mostly, there is rarely a time when I pick up something he has written (namely Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man) when I am struck with a great and deeper love for Christ. His work on the divine covenants seems to be unparalleled. I d on't even know where to begin, other then to say I would be delighted to someday share with my child the story of his name, and the great man who he is named after.

Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987)
Van Til is just a stud. One of the founding fathers of Westminster Theological Seminary, Van Til has had a profound impact on my life. Van Til was a pastor stuck in a philosopher's mind. His work on presuppositional apologetics is phenomenal. Really, what he did was show the philosophic conclusions of the Reformed faith, while throwing down all other philosophical theories. He was brilliant! He brought the gospel to the forefront of philosophical inquiry, which has given me an endless amount of help in my philosophy career.


Brian Lund (1982-Present)

What can I say? He's my NSC!





**UPDATE**
My wife wanted everyone to know that she is not serious about these names. Okay, we're not serious about them. She didn't think everyone would fully understand my sense of humor. It is said in humor with some serious overtones. For example the significance of a name is FAR more important to us than how well it goes with "Borg." Are the above names serious? Well, if it were just me they would be, but alas, marriage is about two becoming one, so I must take Rachel's thoughts into perspective (and she mine) which certainly rules out every name on that list. Save for Herman Witsius, I'm dead serious about wanting that one. But for the record, we have our names down to our favorite boy name and girl name. There, I hope this update satisfies my wife's desire.

It's That Time Again

Well it's that time again for me to make up for my wife's obvious inability in posting. Okay, so that wasn't meant to be harsh, I know she thinks she has nothing to post on.
I have been thinking about what I could write. I thought I could give everyone a play by play of my most recent game of chess. I first developed my knight (g1) to f3, and then knight (b1) to c3. My opponent countered my opening move with Alekhine's Defence, moving pawn (e2) to d4...okay, so my chess game doesn't interest anyone.
In more exciting news we heard baby's heartbeat today! He was moving around quite a lot, must be hyper. I knew it! What goes around, comes around. I get a terrible fright every time I think our child could be as hyper active as I was when I was a kid. But no need, that's what Ritilin is for these days, right? Or perhaps I will just have him get his back adjusted (sorry, that wasn't meant as a mean joke to provoke any chiropractors, but I don't think any of them read this blog anyway).
That's right I said *him* But PALEASE, don't go thinking I just gave away the sex of our baby, I haven't. I just refer to our baby as "he" for the sake of ease. After all to use "he or she" in place of "he" as a generic pronoun sounds awkward. Not only that but contrary to popular liberal feminism the generic use of the masculine pronoun does not exclude women. It seems the English language has been complete and there is no need to introduce new circumlocutions. The kind of language that changes this seems to be linguistically superfluous, and because I care very little about catering to people's petty individual needs I will continue to call our baby by the pronoun "he." We won't be finding out the sex until "he" is born, which also means we are uncertain about names. However, we have reached a final verdict on names. The list has been narrowed down and we are offering you, the reader, the opportunity to vote on your favorite name. Each name is catered to a special meaning and great significance. We want the name to be a rich inheritance. You can vote for your favorite boy or girl name, or both, over to the right. But be forewarned this is not a democracy, the majority does not necessarily win.
Now that you have read this I applaud you! You have put up with my nonsense once again. No worries, I will encourage Rachel to post on here more often.

To Blog, or Not to Blog

Okay, so I was told that my friend over at What the Thunder Said didn't have to blog until we posted a new something here. So this is my new something, so now he has no excuse.
We are sorry for not keeping this thing up to date, or I should say I'm sorry Rachel hasn't been. Ever since we decided to go pretty in pink I've tried to avoid this blog (okay, not really). But with having two other blogs I try to keep up with, I was hoping Rachel could take the bull by the horns on this one.
Life has been busy for both of us. I've been trying to find a job...still. I applied at Hobby Lobby the other day (yes, I'm desperate). My next choice is to go through ManPower and find some temp work. Anything that will help pay the bills. School is school. We're on spring break this week so I don't want to write about it, suffice to say I only have eight weeks left at this University! I'm also taking a lot of time to study Greek. I decided since I'm going into seminary without a good background I could try to do this on my own. It's tedious, but there is something thrilling about opening to John 1 and translating it. I spend a couple hours a day doing that.
Rachel is busy being pregnant. She has gotten a little baby belly and it's super cute! I can't wait till she shows more. We have our 16 week appointment a week from tomorrow, and in one month we get our ultra sound! We have names that we have agreed on, but don't bother asking we aren't telling. For those of you who aren't pregnant you will find, if you ever are, that everyone thinks they have a right to help name your baby and tell you what is good and what is bad. It gets a little tiring. So we decided no one is going to know until the baby is born, and if you don't like our child's name...well...tough. But Rachel isn't feeling as sick anymore, so we are very thankful for that. She is still working at TGIFriday's and seems to have gotten a bit of a promotion that will help a lot with the pregnancy.
Life is going on fine and dandy, the Lord has been abundantly good to us, far better than we deserve. But that's enough about us, here's a ponderable question:
What role does the wife have if her husband is a pastor? For all (one) reader(s), feel free to give us your thoughts.
Grace.

Baby's Heartbeat

Kyle and I just got back from our first appointment with our Doctor. Our visit at 8 weeks just consisted of some lab work and filling out a family medical history. Today's appointment was much more exciting. Dr. Gerig went over the blood tests, conducted a physical exam, and used a doppler machine to listen for the baby's heartbeat.
It was great, she put the jelly stuff on my stomach, set the microphone down and instantly we heard the baby's nice strong heartbeat. The doctor commented, "Wow, you have a really cooperative little baby!" I guess usually they have to search around awhile before they hear the heartbeat. Baby's heart was beating at about 160 bpm.
According to the doctor everything looks good and right on schedule. The estimated due date is September 11, and I will be 12 weeks along tomorrow! We are so thankful to the Lord for this good news!

~Rachel

Some Pictures!!

Here is the group photo we took before we left for Honeyrock the last weekend in January. The retreat was a lot of fun and provided us with many great opportunities for fellowship, worship and learning. As a group, we spent time playing broomball, tubing, playing games inside, snow shoeing, cross country skiing and having a pizza party! Kyle and Kenny lead sessions on the church and spiritual gifts. John Dregne and Jeff Isenor brought their guitars along which allowed us to spend some time singing hymns and other spiritual songs at each session. Thanks to Kyle, our college groups' new favorite song is "The Sands of Time are Sinking." Those who went on the retreat are going to be teaching this song to our congregation on Sunday in our worship service.

On Friday night Kyle and I the privilege of helping our friend Sarah Ruiter celebrate her birthday. It was a great time of fellowship with some of our close friends from church. We are incredibly thankful for the friends we have made in La Crosse. It's so nice to have couple friends! Before we were married it seemed that we were always referring to people as Kyle's friends or Rachel's friends. It's nice to have a group of couples that we both enjoy spending time with.
After dinner we played some pool and I think that the ladies completed one game in the time it took the guys to play four. Oh well, at least we had fun doing it :)Overall, we are doing very well. I am really enjoying not having classes anymore, and Kyle only has to make it through one more semester here at UWL. It's nice to have a some more spare time even though lately I've just spent it sleeping :) Well that's all for now! Wow I posted two days in a row this week! I will try to keep it up ;)

Borg Updates

Once again I have failed at keeping this blog up to date, the morning sickness (aka all day sickness), has made it hard to get much done besides work and sleep. Over the last several weeks I have been more tired than I have ever been in my life. I thought I slept a lot before I got pregnant :) Kyle and I are so excited! It's so fun to talk to our friends who have children and read about how our baby is developing each week. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness to the Lord for this wonderful blessing!

Kyle will be preaching at our church this coming Sunday, so please keep him in your prayers as he will be preparing for that this coming week. It has been fun and encouraging for me to see Kyle grow as a "preacher" and to hear about/discuss his sermons with him in advance. We are very thankful that he has been given these opportunities to preach.

My next doctor's appointment is on February 27. At this appointment we should be able to hear the heartbeat so we are greatly looking forward to that time!

Kyle is continuing his job search; he should be hearing back from several employers this week.

Overall, things are going pretty well in our neck of the woods. I will try to be more faithful in my posts from now on :)

~Rachel

Two posts in one day!!

Once again I apologize to our faithful readers for my lack of posts. Over the past several weeks there has only been one thing that I have been dying to post about but I couldn't. Since almost the whole world knows now anyway I figured that it is time to make an official announcement on our blog....

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!! YAY!!!!

I am due around September 12th which makes me around 6 1/2 weeks along. Overall I'm feeling great, just extra tired and hungry. Our seminary plans have been modified a little because of this very pleasant surprise. Currently the plan is to move out to San Diego right away next January. Kyle is hopeful about doing an internship at Christ Covenant Church in the fall to begin working towards the 700 internship hours that is required for seminary. We are praying that this opportunity works out!

We found out that I am eligible for Badgercare (Wisconsin low income healthcare). This is an answer to prayer because it will cover all prenatal care. My first appointment in February 4th. This appointment is just with the nurse to do labs and all of the initial stuff. At twelve weeks I will have an appointment with our doctor. I can't wait!

We are so blessed and thankful to the Lord for giving us the privilege of becoming parents. The Lord has already used this situation to teach Kyle and I so much and to bring us closer to Himself as well as each other. We are so thankful for God's sovereignty and faithfulness!!

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
~ Psalm 127:3~5

The Rise and Fall

The title has nothing to do with this post. I just don't like having to always come up with titles, so sometimes I make them nonsensical. Well, my wife, Rachel, doesn't seem to be doing a stellar job at keeping up with the blog, so I decided I would post something. Things around the Borg house have been going really well lately. Rachel is nothing less than thrilled to be done with school, and I am nothing less than annoyed that I still have a semester left. But my buffet of undergrad is nearly done. I call it a buffet because my undergrad has resembled a buffet line. I began with Bethel University in the Twin Cities, than moved down to Winona, after a semester there I dropped out and joined the Air Force, getting credits from the Community College of the AF. When I returned from training I decided to start at UWL. I should have been starting with almost 100 transfered credits (32 from Bethel, and almost 70 from the CCAF) but UWL decided not to accept 66 of my CCAF credits. In addition to that, apparently UWL has no course that was like Bethel's, Bible 101 or Leadership 101. This meant that all my "transfered" credits were completely worthless. So I had to begin again almost from scratch. I have treated college like a buffet, getting some of this and getting some of that. But I'm almost done!
Rachel has been working at TGIF, still. She has been doing, it seems, a few less hours lately. That is nice because with classes not starting until January 28th, we have a lot of time together (something which is terribly important for the success of any marriage). I have been looking for jobs, and had a second interview for a position at Associated Bank. I'm excited about that one!
We are getting ready to go on our yearly Church outing to camp Honey Rock. Honey Rock is in te way north frozen tundra of Wisconsin. It should be a blast. I have been organizing it this year, and I think we have 26 people going.
Well, so much for my "babbling" post. That's it for now. I will harass Rachel until she decides to post something on here.

A few prayer requests

* Kyle is currently preparing to preach at the Rochester PCA church on January 20th as well as at our church in La Crosse on February 10th.
* Kyle is at guards until Sunday afternoon which is not always his favorite place to be. This leaves me home alone for four whole days :(
* Prayer for wisdom as we are trying to discern what would be the best course of action concerning Rachel's employment for the rest of our time in La Crosse.
* Prayer for our new Pastor (Pastor McCune) as he is dealing with a family tragedy, and preparing to take his ordination exam and begin ministry at our church.

For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! Psalm 117:2

Let's read through the whole Bible this year :)

So I decided that this year I am going to take a journey through the entire Bible. It's been a long time since I was successful in this endeavor, but I really want to do it this year. Often when I read my Bible, there are books/passages that go neglected and since we know that, "all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," I think it will be very beneficial for me personally to go on this journey. If anyone would like to join me that would be great! I picked up a reading plan from church on Sunday. This particular one just schedules you to read four chapters a day beginning in Genesis. I started today reading chapters 1 through 4. I plan on blogging occasionally about what I am reading, and it would be really neat if we could have some discussion on this blog. Well those are my thoughts for the day!

~Rachel