Encouraged by baptism

God granted me the privilege of experiencing a real "wow" moment on Sunday evening.

Five people were baptized at the conclusion of our Sunday evening worship service; three kids and two adults. It was truly an emotional time.

The kids included siblings -- brother and sister -- and another little boy. Our pastor referred to the kids as "little brother" and "little sister," which brought some tears to my eyes. I'm sure both sets of parents felt the same emotions as I did, although probably much, much stronger.

Witnessing these baptisms also caused me to think of my own little guy, my son Joel. While we have shared the gospel with Joel and explained it to him, he has not yet expressed faith in Jesus Christ. We keep praying and will keep sharing the gospel with him.

In the week leading up to the baptismal service, we talked with Joel about what baptism is and what it means. He asked about it since his usual Sunday evening kids program was postponed this week due to the baptismal service.

All week long the verse from Proverbs 22:6 kept nagging at me. It reads, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

I didn't realize why that verse kept coming to my mind until Friday. My wife, Jolene, received a phone call from Joel's teacher that afternoon saying that he and several other students had caused a ruckus in class on Thursday and Joel had gotten himself into more trouble on Friday.

After hanging up with my wife, I headed to Joel's school to speak with his teacher and principals to get the scoop on what happened. It was a good talk. We really appreciate his teacher and the principals; good people.

When we got home, Joel and I had a long talk about his little "adventure."

Part of our conversation included me having the chance to share two verses of scripture with him: Proverbs 22:6 and Colossians 3:20.

I explained that in Proverbs 22:6, God is telling parents that their responsibility is to teach their kids how to live the way God wants them to live.

After explaining the Proverbs verse to Joel, we read Colossians 3:20, which states, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

We talked about obedience and what that means. We talked about being obedient to God and how to please God. We talked about the importance of being obedient to his parents and teachers and other people that Daddy and Mommy trust to watch over him. We also talked about the fact that he would need to be disciplined for his disobedience at school.

There were a lot of tears, but it was a good time.

Which leads me back to Sunday evening's baptismal service.
Our pastor explained that baptism is a sign that believers have committed to being obedient to Jesus Christ by placing their faith in Him as Savior. Seeing those three kids express their faith in Christ and obedience to him publicly through baptism was indeed encouraging.

So we will keep trying to practice what Proverbs 22:6 mandates by explaining the gospel of Jesus Christ to Joel and keep praying that he will place his trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. And we look forward to the day when Joel will -- like those three kids at church on Sunday evening -- publicly express his faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Jesus in the waters of baptism.

Now that's funny ... at least to me

I have an odd sense of humor. Things that aren't funny to many people, I find hilarious. I'm the guy in the theater who inexplicably laughs out loud during the credits. You know him. If it's not me personally, it's my twin -- possibly evil, so look out.

Anyway, it's Saturday evening and I'm watching TV with my wife and son, and I bring up the on-screen guide to see what else is on besides the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. Now, I have nothing against the NHL All-Star Skills Competition. I'm a hockey fan. It's pretty amazing to see what those guys can do with a galvanized tree branch and a piece of frozen rubber.

Wow! Henrik Sedin of Vancouver just pinged the post of a 12-inch wide goal three times. He should get more points for that than for actually scoring.

Sorry. Easily distracted.

Okay, so back to the on-screen guide. I'm looking through our network channels and see "Figure Skating" on our two NBC affiliates. I'll pass, thanks. Then I scroll down to our ABC affiliate and notice that the American Broadcasting Company is running the Will Ferrell and Jon Heder classic, "Blades of Glory."

Snicker. Snort. Bahahahahahaha!

Just in case you're not familiar with it, "Blades of Glory" is a ridiculous film (See Ferrell and Heder) about two male figure skaters who are banned from singles competition. They then team up to compete in doubles skating. Yeah.

Get it? ABC running a parody about figure skating opposite an actual figure skating competition?

Now that's funny. Well, at least it is to me.

All right then.

Sorry.

I'm leaving now.

Have a good evening.

P.S.
Don't worry, my wife didn't find it funny, either, so you're in good company. She claims she chuckled, but she's just patronizing me, in Merriam-Webster definition 2 fashion.

Deeper devotion, deeper love

This week at church, our pastor challenged us to commit ourselves to gaining a deeper understanding of and a deeper love for the Word of God. He reminded us that the only way to accomplish both of these spiritual goals is to pour ourselves into the Bible daily and allow the Word of God to pour itself into our hearts and minds daily.

Psalm 119:97-104 (NKJV)
Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

Daily reading of scripture and daily meditation on scripture is something with which I struggle. I find myself distracted by a variety of things, even good things, that battle for my time and attention. But that is precisely why I must commit myself to reading and meditating on the Word of God daily, because of the many things that compete for my time and attention.

So how can I face those things and determine which should be priorities in my life and which should be pushed aside? I cannot, unless I have studied them under the microscope of the Word of God. My prayer and my commitment must be that of the author of Psalm 119, who devoted his life to meditating on the Word of God, hiding God's word in his heart and letting it pour out of his life daily.

Psalm 119:9-16 (NKJV)
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.
With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Jan. 22 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday for the year 2012.

As a Christian, an adoptive parent and a pro-life advocate, I believe in the innate value of every human life and the potential of every individual born into this world. I believe that we are all created by God, who loves us so much that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for our sons. And I believe that, as John 3:16 states, "that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life." (NKJV)

Following is a short video from Focus on the Family that speaks so much more eloquently on the subject of the sanctity and dignity of human than I ever could.

This video can be found on Focus on the Family's Youtube channel. I claim no right to or ownership of this video. It is the intellectual property of Focus on the Family.

But I've been wrong before .... a lot

I've always enjoyed the NFL much more than college football. I realize that's tantamount to blasphemy in some sectors, but I'm a NFL guy. What can I say?

Now, some would say that my favorite team -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- hasn't always met the qualifications for NFL status, but you know what, I could be a Cleveland Browns fan.

Sorry, Bryan.

So this Sunday, I'll be watching the conference championship games. We've got two good match-ups to look forward to with New England (the NFL's version of the Evil Empire) and Baltimore in the AFC, and the East Rutherford (nee New York) Giants taking on San Francisco in the NFC title game.

It's a good thing the AFC championship starts at 3 p.m., because I'll be up from my mandatory, post-church, Sunday afternoon nap by then. Maybe. If I'm not, we've got a DVR.

Anyway, I've been watching all the usual suspects on ESPN this week and reading blogs and online commentators who have all thrown in their two cents worth about these two games. What have I learned from all of this "research"? My opinion is worth about as much as anyone else's.

AFC Championship Game: Baltimore-New England

Ravens QB Joe Flacco became future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed's whipping boy this week. Reed said he wanted to motivate Flacco and the offense to reach new heights. Well, Ed, your offense is what it is.

Flacco is in a lose-lose-lose situation. If Baltimore wins, he gets no credit. If Baltimore loses, he gets all the blame. Well, a lot of it. If Baltimore wins AND he has a great game, well, even a blind pig ... aw, you know the rest.

So which Flacco will show up? The "newly motivated in hopes he plays like Joe Montana" Joe Flacco or the Average Joe Flacco we all know and love. Well, Average Joe didn't look great last week against Houston (See five sacks. Hey, thanks, O-line guys!), but he did throw two touchdown passes and didn't turn the ball over.

Game management, baby. Game management.

Meanwhile, back at the Patscave, New England hasn't lost a game since the first Sunday in November 2011. That's nine straight wins if you're counting.

I had to check their schedule since I usually can't remember what I had for breakfast, let alone what happened back in November of last year. Yeah, so it wasn't that long ago.

Anyway, the Pats slaughtered a bad Denver team last week and have hung at least 31 points on eight of the last nine defenses they've faced. And their own defense is actually presentable.

Random thought: "Wait, I don't even eat breakfast. No wonder I never remember what I had for breakfast. Hmm."

Bottom line: Baltimore needs this game to devolve into a three yards and a cloud of dust affair. Or, since they're playing on field turf, three yards and a cloud of rubberized filler material. The Ravens can't survive Pats QB Tom Brady playing pitch and catch to the tune of 500 yards. If they can't get pressure on Brady, they'll be checking online sites for tickets to the big game. By the same token, if the Pats can't keep Brady vertical, come Monday, they can start figuring out which players will be guest Zamboni drivers at Bruins home games.

My pick: Evil Empire, er, New England. But I've been wrong before ... a lot.

NFC Championship Game: New York Giants-San Francisco

Los Gigantes are on a roll right now. Winners of four straight and five of their last six, including a 37-20 thumping of just about everybody's Super Bowl lead-pipe lock, Green Bay, thus bumping the Packers off their throne. Hey, the East Rutherford crew even beat New England last November, but then proceeded to lose four straight. Um. Yeah. Okay.

But what is past is prologue. I read that somewhere. Hey, if it makes me seem smarter, that's cool.

These Giants have rediscovered their swagger on defense over the last four weeks, giving up just 15 points per game, including just two points to Atlanta in the wild card round of the playoffs. They held one of the NFL's most prolific offenses (See Green Bay) to just 20 points in the divisional round. On top of that, they're running the ball pretty well, QB Eli Manning is playing really well and their receivers are coming up with big plays. Pretty good recipe for success.

Plus, crabby ole Tom Coughlin can flat coach. The media reports that the guy's job is in jeopardy after every NYG loss, but, a la Rasputin, he just keeps coming back.

And then there's San Francisco. The 49ers enjoyed the extreme football makeover Candlestick edition in 2011, winning the pedestrian NFC West in fairly easy fashion on their way to a 13-3 record under the leadership of the at-times surly "Capt. Comeback" Jim Harbaugh.

Brother Jim would probably like another shot at Brother John and his Ravens in two weeks. You remember Brother John's team beat the 49ers 16-6 during the regular season. A lot of analysts say that the Niners reaching the Super Bowl just ain't gonna happen. But a lot of other analysts say it will.

Frisco is a lot like Baltimore in many respects. They get it done with defense and running the football, and they even kind of hate their QB, former No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith.

Smith enjoyed an epic game last week against New Orleans, throwing for three touchdowns, including the gamewinner with nine seconds left in the game. That toss to TE Vernon Davis prompted comparisons to legendary 49ers postseason TD pass plays "The Catch" (Joe Montana to Dwight Clark) and "The Catch II" (Steve Young to Terrell Owens).

Davis even wept on Harbaugh's shoulder like T.O. A tender moment to be sure.

And for good measure, Smith added to his best Steve Young impersonation by scoring on a 28-yard TD run with a little more than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The burning questions this week: Can Smith repeat last week's performance against the improving Giants defense? Can Manning and the NYG offense crack the 49ers defense?

Note: The Saints pasted the Gigantes 49-24 during the regular season. What does that mean? I don't know. I saw it on the Giants schedule. Oh yeah, NYG also lost to San Fran and Green Bay during the regular season. Yep. Saw it on the schedule, too. What does it mean? No clue.

My pick: 49ers. But I've been wrong before ... a lot.

So, based on my predictions, what will we see in Super Bowl XLVI? Looks like New England and San Francisco.

But I've been wrong before ... a lot.

Enjoy the games!

P.S.
If you're not a football fan, ignore everything you've just read.

We gotcha, babay!

Okay, so I'm cheating today.

 

Part of what you'll read here first appeared on my Facebook page on Wednesday evening; so, to all my Facebook friends who will receive this notification, sorry, nothing new to see here. Move along quietly and play nice, please.

 

On Wednesday, we celebrated Gotcha Day, the day that we brought our son, Joel, home from Guatemala. Our Gotcha Day is Jan. 18. Joel came into our lives on that date in 2005. He was five months old at the time. Cute little dude.

 

(Side note: I realize that there are those folks in the adoption community who disapprove of the term "Gotcha Day." If my use of it has offended you in any way, I apologize, but that's the term we like to use in our house.)

 

When Joel was brought to us in Guatemala City by the folks from our adoption agency, European Adoption Consultants, he was decked out in a little blue outfit with a smart-looking little blue and white hat. He was quite the dapper gentleman.

 

And he had this look on his face that said, "It's about time you guys got here."

 

As I held Joel for that first time and gazed into his chocolate brown eyes, I thought, no, I knew I caught a glimpse of the Divine. Seven years later, I still look for and catch that precious glimpse of the Divine. Cue the chill bumps.

 

At first, I was sort of freaked out by the whole affair. At the time, I was just shy of my 38th birthday and pretty comfy with my life. Smokin' hot, loving wife; good job; nice little house in a quiet, picture-postcard town along the Ohio River; a couple of dumb dogs that wouldn't hurt a fly; good  family and good friends ... it was all good, bro!

 

Or so I thought.

 

Fast forward to the present day and here's what I know now that I didn't know then: I didn't know squat about life. God has taught me so much by bringing Joel into my life. God has taught me to be more compassionate, patient, loving, and just plain nicer than I was before Joel came along. Nicer? Well, most of the time.

 

Our short trip to Guatemala in January of 2005 also opened my eyes to the plight of people across the world who do not enjoy the benefits that we do here in the U.S. Up to that point, I knew in my head that we had it better here than anybody, anywhere else across this big, blue marble; however, that visit to Guatemala drove those facts that I knew into my heart, and I began to see things in a different light ... a brighter light that provided more clarity.

 

It also taught me that we in the U.S. have much to learn about living life in a more simple fashion. And that four days or so in Guatemala -- actually our entire adoption experience -- taught me that I need to depend on the Lord so much more.

 

Thank you for all the Gotcha Day well wishes. So many people played roles in helping us to bring Joel home.
     

We praise the Lord for all of our family members and friends who prayed for us and helped out in so many ways. Also, we are so thankful to God for leading us to the fantastic people at European Adoption Consultants -- our agency. Wow! Can't say enough or thank them enough for all they did! It is a true labor of love for all of the folks who work there.
     

Also, many thanks to our church family at First Church of the Nazarene in Gallipolis. You guys prayed for us and welcomed Joel with open arms. You gave us a true church home and we can't thank you enough for all that you did for us while we were there. We love you guys and miss you a lot!
     

Thanks to our adoption group in Gallia County. You guys are the best! We had so much fun at all of our gatherings with all of you and your beautiful little kids from China, Vietnam, Russia, so much fun.
     

We are also thankful for a courageous little woman in Guatemala who loved her little boy so much that she made the heart-wrenching decision to place him for adoption in the hope that he would find a better life. She stated that she wanted Joel to come to America so that he could be in a loving home and have opportunities that he would not have had in Guatemala. Our prayer is that, by God's grace, we can live up to her expectations of us, even though she didn't know with whom or where Joel would land.
     

We don't know why God chose us to be Joel's parents, but we are so thankful that has He blessed us with this sweet little guy. Joel is the love of our lives and the apple of our eyes. The Lord has taught us so much through this little man that he has brought into our lives.
     

Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us! Thank you for Joel and the joy he brings us and so many others.

Stages of dad-hood and pinewood derby cars

Call me thick-headed, but I've just come to the realization that dad-hood is a series of stages.

So what is the catalyst for my new revelation of the seemingly obvious? My son joined the Cub Scouts last fall.

Let me rewind for a few moments and tell you what I've learned about the stages of my own dad-hood journey.

First, there's the carry and push stage. You carry the baby (sometimes). You carry the baby accessories. You carry the poopy diapers to the trash. You push the baby stroller. You push the grocery cart. You push the baby furniture into different configurations. It doesn't take a lot brain power. It can be tedious, but you don't mind because you're a proud papa.

Second, you have the chase and grab stage. Junior or Juniorette is now a toddler and an active toddler, at that ...... extremely active. If you've effectively kid-proofed your domicile, this stage on the home front isn't really a big deal. It's when you leave the safety of your effectively kid-proofed dwelling that you experience trials and tribulations.

At the grocery store, they're grabbing random items off the shelf and you're coming behind putting them back. At the department store, they're hiding under clothing racks as you frantically search for them, then they pop up behind you and ask you what you're doing. Parking lots are a nightmare scenario of their own. The church hallway is a race track. Restrooms are water parks.

"Hey! No! It's not a water fountain! Oh man ..... No. That's not candy, bubby."

Next, it's the school stage. In preschool, you're helping them learn all manner of vital lessons: coloring inside the lines, not to eat glue or pencils or crayons or markers (washable and non-toxic, of course). Preschool is much more complicated than it appears on the surface. You also have dress-up days, parties, field trips; it's a busy time. Plus, illnesses that you've never experienced invade your home.

"Pink eye?!?!? Really?!?!? Pink eye?!?!?"

Then it's on to kindergarten and the learning process is ramped up, not only for Junior/Juniorette, but more so for the parents. All of a sudden, you're no longer the main authority figure in their life. You come to realize this the first time that Junior/Juniorette comes home and states in response to something you've said, "Well, that's not what Mrs. Teacher said."

"BAM! Down goes Daddy! Down goes Daddy!"

Which leads us back to the present time: the Junior/Juniorette branches out stage. Our son first started branching out in the fall of 2010 when he wanted to play organized sports. We played rec league soccer followed by Upward basketball and a second session of rec league soccer. He wasn't as interested in the competition as he was in the socialization with his buddies, which is fine with us. He's more than a social butterfly; he's the mayor of everywhere he goes.

The next phase of the branching out stage led us to join the Cub Scouts. Our son is in first grade complete with a first-grade attention span, so Cub Scouts is, how can I put it, challenging. Yep. Challenging is good.

So what have I learned from this challenging stage of dad-hood? I need to learn how to do more stuff, like how to make a pinewood derby car.

I've never been particularly handy with tools. Okay, so I have zero skills as it pertains to anything that deals with using tools, technology, etc. And yes, I had to memorize "lefty loosey, righty tighty" just to be able to replace light bulbs. What!

Now about that pesky pinewood derby car. It's helping me to stretch a little, helping me to realize that I need to learn some things that aren't necessarily crucial in the overall grand scheme of life, but that are now important to me because they're important to my son.

Hmm. In light of what it means to my son, I guess it does make learning how to build a pinewood derby car crucial in the overall grand scheme of life.