Financial or spiritual burden?

Guess which one keeps mom up at night and which one keeps mom on her feet all day? She is a gifted nurturer, making the home a place for young eyes and ears to see and hear God's goodness. At the risk of Christa's pride I will say it-- she is a beautifully gifted mother. And if you read this babe, and you need a humbling reminder, your dependence for wisdom and strength from the Lord is everything you need. You will always be lacking and only he provides abundant wisdom, food, life.
Christa is like a fruitful vine, and this man is blessed (Psalm 128).
These are good boys. These are beautiful boys. The best thing they need is for their dad to love their mom well. For any prospective parents, the concern is often a financial debate, a question of whether the children will have sufficient food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, safety. I cannot emphasize enough, the true concern is whether a Christian husband and father leads his family to spiritual nourishment. This is much more than a physical effort, it is spiritual battle. Physical food is in abundance but it is the spiritual food that is scarce. Every Christian dad is prone to modeling physical overindulgence and spiritual malnourishment. If I am starving spiritually, my young boys could starve too. Physically, I can feed these boys all my life but only God can feed them in this life and the next, a food that satisfies into eternity.

It's a boy!

May 26, 2011, Elliot is seen kissing his mommy's tummy and baby brother or sister.

May 31, 2011, Christa is seen resting, minutes after delivery with our second-born son. His name is Clement.

June 7, 2011, Elliot and Clement are seen at home as boys, siblings, brothers.

On Tuesday morning on May 31, 2011 and after 10 hours of labor, a couple doses of penicillin for mom's strep B, an epidural and three doses of pitocin, a determined mother pushed a 6 lb, 15 oz baby boy from her womb at 11:44am in Denver, CO in the presence of a blessed dad, two excited young grandmas, four amazed (even light-headed) aunts and two encouraging nurses.

It doesn't get old. Childbirth has taken place billions of times and in this one birth, I see God's hand and a sliver of his kingdom and he grows my faith. And even in the pain of childbirth, a beautiful command of God's to be fruitful and multiply is fulfilled and we are humbled and blessed to steward these two lives until God takes us to his kingdom.

Elliot's become big brother.

A Cursed Christ

Christa has specified more than once that I not drink coffee after 11am. I had one cup at 11:18am today and it allowed for a very productive evening tonight... including some carry over into this morning. I am still up at 1am. She is right, and she normally is. I will finish my cup by 9am from now on, babe.
She is sleeping one room over from me while Elliot sleeps in his new room in the basement, just below where I now sit. He is such a big boy, sleeping in the scary basement. Christa, you are a wise, 9-month pregnant wife and I love you.


Christa and I talked at length tonight about the pains of childbirth (Genesis 3:16). Her labor is around the corner and she is anxious and afraid, understandably so. I wanted to encourage her but I had no wisdom so we opened scripture and read a couple Psalms together.
While her contractions are slowly getting stronger, I pray she sees the Lord in her pain and believes. I pray she believes that she can't labor in fear and apart from God's strength. She is weak but he is strong. Childbirth is a terrible thing. The Fall described in Genesis 3 is the first great tragedy of humanity. Man was driven out of Eden and in Genesis 6, God greived for what man had done. Satan's deception and the first couple's fall was horrific, and as sons of Adam we are affected today. Cursed we are, but God, is rich in mercy. We will be praying and singing and pleading for mercy in a hospital room very soon.


I watched 127 Hours tonight and was extremely moved by James Franco's character, Aron Ralston, and the certain death he faced in a lonely Utah canyon. I wish I could have seen the movie without knowing the end and how he would eventually free himself. But this desperate, dying young man saved himself, nearly at his last breath and it was powerful.


Aron Ralston broke his own bones to safe himself. Christ broke his own body to save every one but himself. This is Jesus' answer to the Father's grief become wrath for our sins; we were cursed but Jesus' work allows God to show us mercy. Jesus became a curse and redeemed us to God (Galatians 3:13). God pour out your mercy on mothers and blessed be your name.

One Thousand Years

Christa and I have questions to answer. As parents, some will need to be answered soon, and some later. Some will never be as important as we thought they would be and others, they just won't ever be answered. And most all questions will not matter in a thousand years.
In this finite life, my wife and I will soon be faced with the all-important childbirth question of epidural or no epidural?
Do we name our second-born after a Bible character, someone in our lineage, or after a poet?
How can we be most consistent toward a marriage-centered home and not child-centered?
Is Elliot colorblind or do red and green still not come easily for him?
Does home school, public school, or private school best suit our family and children?
Will children bury parents or will these parents bury their children?
How great is God's affection for us and will we be afraid to convey to our children our awe of Him?
Shouldn't our conversations with our kids be about God, all day long?
Can we and will we lose this life for the best life, an eternal inheritance and a heavenly dwelling? (2 Corinthians 5)
Do we really believe? Or am I satisfied to never share God's glory with my neighbor and accept the likelihood of his eternity separated from God?
Lord-willing, I will see my neighbor in the morning.
And I will wake up for only so many more mornings.


Elliot has begun speaking and his words are communicating so much about what he sees, thinks and loves. It really is beautiful to see the wonder, enthusiasm and innocence in his person. He has yet to ask us any specific questions. He has not stumped us yet with, "How can God see me in the dark?" and "Daddy, why didn't you ask mommy for forgiveness?" He will be asking questions soon and everything will change. My hope is that we will be praying together as dad and son to be men of strong bones and soft hearts. Strong bones, steeled with truth; soft hearts, melted by grace (thank you Sammy Rhodes).


In a thousand years, circumcision, parking tickets, 3G, hospital bills, IRA, photographs, dirty dishes, backyard weeds, dust, facebook, worry, taxes and inflation will have no bearing on eternity. Just as Osama bin Laden's corpse will cease to be probably this month, my material self will cease to be, and very soon. Grandpa Dean is 83, he says he remembers being 16 years old like it was yesterday. It was. Life is a vapor. (James 4:14)


Elliot's parents will have many unanswered questions but will we answer for him clearly, consistently and humbly Who we belong to? (Deuteronomy 11:18-20)


We have another baby coming any day.
According to a mentor, if we have a boy, he will often ask himself as he grows up, "Do I have what it takes" and if we have a girl she will ask, "Am I beautiful and worth being pursued?"
And I must affirm both. Wholeheartedly.
Jesus was affirmed by his Father. God said," This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased." A son must be affirmed.


Uncle Ben, praying for your transition, your safety and that you see God's glory, downrange. I thank God he is with you.

I am reading "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream", by David Platt.
Read this book.
But pages 35-38 are not to be read just before bed.

21-month old Elliot drove past a liquor store near our house this morning with his mom and pointing to it he said, "beer."

tidbit

At only 21 months of age, Elliot notices and appreciates small imperfections on both his parents' faces: he points to our moles and stares at them. When questioned, he claims the moles indeed are from God and that he would like moles on his face as well.


Elliot learned this week his mom also goes by "Miss... Christa". Unfortunately, he also thinks his dad goes by "Miss... Chris".


And I don't think I have yet declared this officially but Elliot's Uncle Matt is unarguably his favorite person in the world.