Gavin in the future?

Tag Archive - Family

Recognition

March 18, 2009 in Bible, Family, Spirituality with 5 Comments

My son Gavin is 4 months old today. His latest development is that he is now able to recognize Michelle and I. When he does, he gets a giant smile across his face, his nose scrunches, and he lets out his current version of a laugh. It is just about the greatest thing in the world. There is so much power in it. When he does it, I know that he is acknowledging that he trusts me, that he’s comfortable around me, and that he likes me. There isn’t much that can compete with the feeling that we get every time he recognizes us and responds.

And it’s got me thinking about two questions along these lines of recognition:

Does the world recognize those of us that call ourselves Christian without us having to tell them? I mean, do they feel we are Christian because of the way we love them? Do they sense the Holy Spirit in our life and realize something is different? Do they trust us? Or do they only know what we believe because we verbally tell them? I hope people can recognize Christ in my life before I tell them.
Does God recognize those of us that call ourselves Christian? I’m reminded of Matthew 7:21-24. Do we try and convince God through our words or actions that we are His follower or do we live in such a way that our dependence on Him is proof of it? Have we turned God or the Bible into a tool for us to advance our own intellect and egos or do we humbly submit to Him in every area? Are we actually following Him or expecting Him to keep up with us? Does God trust us? I hope God can recognize me as His follower without me trying to convince Him.

Congrats to Mitch and Aimee!

February 9, 2009 in Family with 2 Comments

snv10815 On Saturday I officiated the wedding of our friends Mitch and Aimee. Yes, they even got me to wear a pink tie. It was a nice ceremony…short and sweet. Jared sang a song at the wedding so we unofficially dubbed it the first 3F wedding.

Gavin even went all-out and busted out his sweater-vest for the event. He is one good looking kid.

Pics of Gavin (12/6/08)

December 8, 2008 in Family with 10 Comments

Michelle and I were totally blessed to have a guy from church take pictures of Gavin for us. His company is Robert James Photography and he did a stellar job. You can click here to see all of the pictures we took and even order prints directly off his site. He and his wife have a heart for missions and he sees this as a ministry so if you are needing great quality photos (i.e. wedding, anniversary, Christmas card) and are on a budget then definitely check him out. He will take care of you. Here are a few pics below to give you a taste. Again, there are more on his site here.

What Do I Do Now?

December 2, 2008 in Family, Parenting, Reading with 9 Comments

The last 9 months of my life have been unlike any other. I have received countless advice and preparation as to what to expect once Gavin was born. Much of it was unsolicited and honestly rather frustrating. Some of it was priceless. As we sit at the 2 week mark of Gavin’s life, I’ve had a few weeks to reflect on what was told to me as an expecting father and what I actually experienced. I have come to two conclusions:

Becoming a parent is far more overwhelming than anyone can prepare you for. The most common thing that I heard from people was to “enjoy your sleep while you still can” almost as a curse on my dire future with a baby. This got frustrating to hear after about the 3rd time and was almost unbearable to hear the 75th time. It isn’t the amount of sleep that leads you to feel overwhelmed. It is your realized ignorance and inadequacy in a major new area of life compiled with a new responsibility unparalleled to any other.
Becoming a parent is far more amazing than anyone can prepare you for. The first time I heard him cry. When they told me how much he weighed. The first time I saw him bundled in a blanket. The way his mouth curves when he is hungry and frustrated. Every time he gets hiccups after he eats. The way his eyes look when he is happy and content and stares back at you. Just thinking of any of these things could bring me to tears with pride and joy.

One of the absolute greatest sources of help for Michelle and I has been a book called “On Becoming Babywise” by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. In my opinion, this book is worth its weight in gold. I absolutely recommend this book to any parent with a baby…especially first time parents. It has been a rare source of confidence in a very unknown aspect of my life thus far.

So…my two week conclusion about parenting: awesome.