There are not a lot of things that come naturally to me. I’m not the smartest- I had to work for every B & C I got. I’m not the most athletic- just because I’m shaped like a ball doesn’t mean I can hit one. I’m not the most talented either.

But being a dad fits me like a glove right now. I never thought that I would love this kid as much as I do.

I find myself hovering over his bed almost every night while he sleeps. I think I’ve woken him up a few times. I pray that God will make him a better man than me, that Jesus will save him, and that the Spirit will guide him in everything he does.

I love this kid and I thank God for the gift of being his dad.

“Parenting is a Verb.”

He’s right. If I want to be the best dad I can be I have to be INTENTIONAL about it. Parenting doesn’t happen through osmosis.

As a dad, one of the things I want to do is create lasting spiritual memories for my family. The best time of the year to create these memories might just be the Christmas season. Over at The Resurgence Blog, Mark Driscoll offered dads a 16 point Christmas blueprint for making lasting memories this season. These challenges will help dads step outside of the poor expectations that this culture has for us. If you want to grow your family closer to your Heavenly Father and to one another, try a few of these tips.

My son will be a little over 7 months old this Christmas. I am challenging myself to modify a few of these suggestions this year for my little family. I have the holiday music on the iPod and I have a few thoughts about Christmas eve and morning but I’m going to hold off on the cider for my little one this year. What about you? What are you doing this year to create spiritual memories for your family?

16 Daddy Christmas Tips by Mark Driscoll

Dad needs…
1) a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?
2) to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family.
3) to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December?
4) to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?
5) to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?
6) to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?
7) to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless?
to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date?
9) to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?
10) to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready?
11) to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house?
12) to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set?
13) to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out?
14) to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room?
15) to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids?
16) to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?

Link

Weighing in at 7lbs 8oz. Born May 19, 2009 at 9:37pm.

Magnificent
“I was born

I was born to sing for you ?
I didn’t have a choice
But to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry
It was a joyful noise”

The Nursery. We have the nursery put together. Sandy and her mother helped put the finishing touches on the paint and decorations during Spring Break. I put the crib together- which was a bit more of an ordeal than I anticipated. I managed to strip 2 screws with the stupid, ridiculously small alan wrench included in the box. No worries though. Simmons sent us 2 replacement screws and Sandy gingerly put them in place. Darn my fat fingers! Sandy’s coworkers are throwing us a shower this week. We are thrilled that we now have a place for the gifts and diapers and clothes.

Birthing Classes. We start parenting/birthing classes this week as well. Thankfully, the hospital is across the street from our house so we won’t have to worry about traveling. I am a bit nervous about the classes just because I don’t know what to expect- except I know that we will watch THE video. I’ll give you an update on the class on Friday and let you know how it goes.

Loose Ends. We are preparing the hospital bag. We have her hospital attire and essentials ready to go. I am creating a birth playlist for my iPod- Some soothing tracks from Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, David Crowder, Alison Krauss and, of course, U2. I am also packing DVDs for Sandy- Our room will have a DVD player and Sandy thinks (ha) that she will want to watch “King of the Hill.” I’m packing them but not holding my breath. We have a car seat for my car. I need to put the stroller together. Um…. We’re just getting everything we can think of ready for baby. Anything we’re missing?

I had planned on posting this earlier in the week but I was unable to do so. I am scheduled to preach this Sunday and I caught a bit of the crud this week. I am feeling much better today. I hope every one has a great weekend. Enjoy my teaching notes from last week’s class, The Elephant in the Family.

Week 2: The Message Has Been Tampered With
As a youth minister I’ve heard my fair share of questions that teens ask about dating, relationships, and sex? There are a handful of questions that I seem to get over and over.

How far is to far?
If you participate in oral sex are you still a virgin?
Can I sleep with someone even though we are getting married?
Is masturbation wrong?
Can I be forgiven for having pre-marital sex? If I go too far?

These questions make us nervous don’t they? They catch us off guard. Like me, some of you may believe you have the perfect answer to one or all of these questions but feel like your brain and you mouth struggle to synch up when speaking. The problem is that the Christian message of holiness and purity and devotion has been lost is a sea of indifference, secular culture, and fear.

The issue is that kids have questions and who better to answer them then their parents and the church. In that order. Based on our discussions from last week and our experiences most parents do not take the time to deal with these questions. Kids aren’t hearing from us in ways that they should.

What They Hear
Teenagers hear these messages about sex…

Parents say, “Don’t do it…”
The Church say, “Don’t do it because it is dirty, rotten, and shameful… so wait ‘til your married.”
The Culture say, “You should do it when YOU’RE ready…make sure to use protection.”

No wonder our kids mess up. There is no consistency of message.

Crisis Points
This inconsistency leads us to a handful of Crisis Points that everyone in society is concerned with.

Results of promiscuity
Instant Intimacy
Early Sexualization

“The Christian perspective is much more concerned for the whole person. Our focus is on the development of healthy values, being responsible for one’s actions, one’s relationship with God, and generally what is right and wrong. The Christian perspective deal with, to a greater extent, how we treat members of the opposite sex and our deeper moral character.” (22)

Parents Job Description

Talk
Role Model with Honesty and Integrity
Positive Peer Influence
Grace & Forgiveness
Something is better than nothing

Since reading Tony’s post my reticular activating system has been working overtime. (When you buy a red car and then you begin to see red cars all over the place- that’s your RAS)

Everywhere I look I have been surveying children’s books to see if they are cross-centered or merely moral tales of values and ethical behavior.

I have only found one book so far that fits the criteria of being a) a children’s reading book and b) focused upon all aspects of Jesus’ life, teaching, ministry, and sacrifice.

The Book of Jesus For Families (Bethany House, 2002) is a great little book that would dutifully serve countless hours of reading and teaching time for you and your child. The book is divided into 7 “chapters” or sections categorized by different points in the life of Jesus. Chapter Six is titled “When Jesus Died” and Chapter Seven is titled “The Big Surprise”. When was the last time you saw a children’s book deal with the sacrifice and resurrection? Each chapter has a variety of different essays ranging from one to five pages written by some of history’s greatest writers.

From the dust jacket:

Calvin Miller presents The Book of Jesus for Families, a keepsake collection of stories, songs, parables, and poems about Jesus Christ. Writings by Charles Dickens, Walter Wangerin, Pearl S. Buck, Calvin Miller himself, and many others depict the life of Jesus, his teachings, and the amazing things he did. Lavish, full-color illustrations bring the stories to life.

The selections, some original to this collection, have been especially chosen for a young audience to help parents introduce their children to the greatest man who ever lived and help children identify with Jesus as a real person, not just a character in a story.

Whether enjoyed together as a family or alone, The Book of Jesus for Families is a treasury of literature and art that will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

Unfortunately, it seems that the book might be out of print but maybe you can find it somewhere. It would be well worth the search.

When they dropped him off they gave us a few tips to calm him if he began crying. “Oh, he loves The Simpsons,” his mom said. Bingo!!! I knew right there that it was going to be a good night!

The evening went by very smoothly- no crying, lots of giggles, and most importantly, I didn’t have to change a dirty diaper.

I did struggle with one thing though. I had a hard time putting his PJs on.

I laid him on the bed and began unbuttoning his onesie. No problem. Then he began to laugh and kick.

As I was pulling the onesie over his head it got stuck. I began to panic because I was sure that he was about to freak out. As gently and as quickly as I could I pulled it over his head. When it came over his face he began to just laugh and kick and laugh some more. I think he thought we were playing peek-a-boo. Whew!

The next challenge came seconds later when I tried to put on hs pajama pants. It sort of went like this:

One foot on.
Laugh, kick.
Pants are now inside out.
Fix pants.
Two feet on.
Laugh, kick.
Pants are inside out again.

It went on like that for about five minutes.

I have a hard enough time dressing myself in the mornings much less a laughing, sqirming little boy. A preview of things to come some day I guess.

Not anytime soon but some day. Maybe. Maybe.