The Next Chapter

Wow! Words can hardly express the experience of being a part of a precious grandchild's birth!

And so the next chapter of the adventure begins.

We are so blessed be grandparents, and so proud and in awe of our daughter and son-in-law, watching them 'labor' together to bring Gabriella Faith into our world. She was born at 12:21 AM and is more darling than I can adequately describe.

A picture say a thousand words, so here are a couple....

18 Months ago, Bruce placed his daughter into Brads arms. This night, Brad placed his daughter into Bruce's...


...Aunt Sam

Aunt Ashley & Uncle Nate...

We're Expecting

I am waxing philosophical today.

I sat down at my computer this morning to do some work, and an Outlook "reminder" dialog popped up. It said, "Baby Day!".

I put that in my Outlook calendar way back in the fall when Leah first told us that they were going to have a baby, and June 19th was the projected 'due date'. After the first sonogram, it was 'revised' to June 20th. But I never changed my Outlook calendar. Mainly because baby 'due dates' are really just a projected estimate of when the baby will pop out, and life will change for all of us, and 'normal' becomes different.

Here's where the philosophical part comes in... we (Bruce, Me, Ashley & Nate) have been semi-preparing for the trek to Michigan from our respective homes, hours away from the blessed event. Ashley's had a bag packed for 2 weeks now. Samantha, and Brad's mom and dad have all worked their schedules to be 'near by' and flexible. We've notified our co-workers and clients that we'll be dashing off to Michigan for the baby's birth, but don't exactly know when that is, but ... just want to give a ... 'heads up'. We don't have the car loaded, but we've been preparing, and we can be ready to leave in just a few minutes. Brad has been texting us everyday for the past week with little teasers, implying at first that the baby's coming, and then switching around to something else.

We know that God already has Gabriella's birthday written in His plan, and the timing will be perfect.

I couldn't help relate all of this excited anticipation to life, in general. I wish I could live this way all of the time, fixed on knowing that God's timing is always perfect, and that He is Good, all the time. Instead of getting caught up in my day-to-day details, my problems and trials, or my disappointments, I need to do more... expecting. More hopeful anticipating of what God is birthing in my life. More joyful awaiting for what He's got up His sleeve for me.

I know in my head that God's Plan is not stagnant. I know that He weaves the details of each moment into a tale of adventure. And yet, sometimes, ... most of the time... my thoughts and emotions get swallowed up in what's in front of me.

But this mindset of living the past few weeks in anticipation, ...getting ready to travel to Michigan to be on the scene, to meet our grandchild, knowing 'something's' coming, but not knowing when exactly... always having in the back of my mind the thought that today could be 'the day', ... it's put me in the mode of expectation.

And I like that! I like living the way I believe God wants us to live... expecting Him to actively orchestrate and surprise me... expecting good decrees from the Throne Room, and expecting the King's favor. I recognize there is a good destination, but I want to more puposefully expect that the journey can be thrilling, under the watchful eyes and mighty arm of a loving Father.

Isaiah 43:19, 48:3 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. ...then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass."

He Finally Came, And We Weren't Ready

As summer gets into full swing, I usually plop myself in my front yard and plant some pretty flowers. As I was weeding, the other day, I remembered something that happened last year, upon the occasion of my planting ritual.

Our drive is well off the main road, with only two houses on it, and so it's rare that people randomly drive up to the top of our hill. Bruce and I were both in the yard, doing some planting and mulching. And then, we heard it... at first it was distant, and then we realized it was coming up our driveway! We could hear the tinkling bell song, You Are My Sunshine, playing over and over, getting progressively louder.

It was the Ice Cream Man!!

For 25 years we'd been waiting for him. When the kids were little, they'd hear the song, and jump and squeal ... "It's the Ice Cream Man". They'd be very excited, and hopeful, but he never came up our drive. And by the time we'd grab our quarters and try to run down to the road to catch him and buy the frozen delights, he'd be gone. So the tinkling song became an empty hope.

But this day, a brave and curious man drove up our long driveway. When he saw it was just us, and we just stood there staring at him, and he realized that he'd driven up a driveway, he got very uncomfortable, and tried to sneak away.

BUT, after 25 years of waiting we couldn't allow that.
HOWEVER, we weren't ready! We didn't have any money on us to buy anything, and just sort of stood there gaping, thinking, 'He finally came, and we weren't ready!'

So, we didn't get any ice cream that day. But Bruce did stop the guy and talked to him and told him we'd been waiting 25 years for that moment. He told the fella we couldn't buy anything from him, but asked if he could pray for him about anything. ;~D

The guy speedily drove away. Hasn't been back since.