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Our Charis
Family
Christi Jones
Caleb, Travis, Christi, and Bryce Jones
Hello,
My name is Christi Jones and I want to take a moment to
introduce myself. I was married in 2002 to my
wonderful husband, Travis. In that same year I graduated nursing school and
moved from Richmond, VA to Athens, GA.
My husband attended supply
school and I searched for someone to hire me. I ended up working at
a Christian book store since there were no hospitals willing to hire
a new grad of only 6 months. The Lord blessed us with just enough
money to pay the bills and we quickly learned how to budget.
The
Navy then moved us back to VA, only this time it was Virginia Beach,
which was close to family. Travis then left for his first deployment
and I worked as a RN at DePaul in the Telemetry Unit. Nope, still
nothing to do with babies or birth.
I enjoyed working as a nurse but
ended up leaving the hospital in another couple years. My reason was
primarily due to the inability to do what I loved most, which was to
serve, care for and comfort my patients. The patient load ratio was
too high and the paperwork took too long to even think about making
it a priority to establish a rapport with my patients. That reality
was too hard to swallow.
A couple of months after Travis returned
from deployment we found out I was pregnant, a little surprised but
excited. I attended a childbirth series and loved it. I had a friend
who had delivered 6 of her own naturally, to be my coach in the
delivery room. It was an ok experience but not what I had expected.
I had a terrible time breastfeeding and was recovering from a
partial fourth degree tear, thanks to an episiotomy. Those two
factors lead to some PPD. That being said, I soon found myself
wanting to share with all of my pregnant friends what I wished I
would or wouldn’t have done in labor.
I was
then asked to be a labor coach for a friend of mine and loved every
minute of it. I questioned however, what the Lord was showing me,
since I was pregnant at the time with baby number two?
It wasn’t until after the
third labor coaching experience that I finally saw what God was
truly calling me to do.
My friend Aimee and I were both being
stirred by the Lord to check out what being a doula looked like. We
prayerfully accepted that calling and embarked on the Charis
education bandwagon.
I have loved the learning process so far and
can’t wait to complete the certification. I am attempting on
completing the requirements, or at least the modules, by the time
baby number three is born. We are expecting our third son in early
June. One of the things that I am so excited about in the doula
profession is connecting with families, by ministering and building
a relationship with them. Servant-hood seems to be the resounding
theme in the professions that God has directed me in, first as a
nurse, then as a mommy, and now as a doula. I hope you are all as
blessed in your Charis educational endeavor as I have been thus far.
In Him,
Christi Jones
Christi holding her youngest son, Timothy Bryce Jones
He weighed 9 Pounds and 21 inches long
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Charis Cuisine
Mediterranean Pasta
Lydia Thompson
12-16 oz. penne
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of artichokes, quartered
1/2 cup of black olives, sliced
1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
Cook the pasta until al dente. Place cooked pasta in a greased 9x13
baking dish and cover with 1/2 the feta and 1/2 the parmesan cheese.
Saute the onion until tender. Add the tomatoes, artichokes, and
olives. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Pour over the pasta. Cover
with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. I add a good
"shake, shake" of Italian seasonings to the sauce while it's
simmering. Probably, about 1 heaping teaspoon.
Hope it is enjoyed!
Rachel Thompson
Caleb, Benjamin,
Miriam and Beth Thompson
Have a good recipe? Share it here!
Kids Korner
Gourmet Chefs
Gourmet Chef Joy Schuchmann
In our home, each child “owns a restaurant” and we eat at a
different “restaurant” each night. Joy’s is called “Pickle
Paradise”, Joel’s is “Joel’s Café”, and Rose’s changes names each
week, depending on the cuisine she has chosen to serve. Tonight it
is “Rose’s Mediterranean Restaurant”. They each choose one meal each
week from healthy recipes I have on file, make a list of ingredients
they need, and prepare the meal on the night that we are scheduled
to eat at their restaurant. (All the other nights we eat at
“Kristin’s Kitchen” or “Daddy’s Diner”) This has greatly broadened
their food horizons! Let’s face it; they are more likely to enjoy
something they prepare themselves, even if it is something unusual.
To encourage our children in their culinary endeavors, Todd and I
have raved and raved over their restaurants and called them “gourmet
chefs” on countless occasions.
Well, last week during our homeschooling one morning, I realized
that we had become so engrossed in the historical novel I have been
reading to the kids that we had read right through what is usually
snack break time. I announced that they should take a short snack
break so we could get back to work quickly. More than five minutes
had passed since they entered the kitchen to get a quick snack and
no one was eating yet! Feeling the need to hurry them up, I reminded
them that this was to be a QUICK snack. Rose was mixing something in
a bowl, Joel was wrapping something in a sprouted grain tortilla,
and Joy, who was standing there with a pile of vegetables, a cutting
board, and knife said, “Mommy, you should know that there is no such
thing as a ‘quick snack’ in a house full of gourmet chefs!”
At that point, I had to laugh and count my blessings that my
“gourmet chefs” were taking the time to prepare a healthy snack…
even if it wasn’t quick!
Kristin Schuchmann
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