We’re thinking that Levi (aka, “Nugget”) bears a striking resemblance to Andrew (aka, “Uncle Tino”). My history in pictures doesn’t begin until I was 13 months old, so we’ll have to wait for those comparisons. All the same, he’s a cutie pie, and I was able to give him a bottle for the first time today. Last night Samuel stayed overnight at our house, and we had a blast. I’m so thrilled he loves coming to our place. We love having him!
I just got back from church camp where I had the privilege of sharing five evening messages with a responsive and appreciative crowd. Their favorite, by far, was a sermon called “It Is Finished” from John 19:28-30, where Jesus says, “Tetelestai!” from the cross. It’s the gospel in a single word, and I got a bit exuberant preaching it!
While I was away, Samuel and Levi kept being cute, and I missed them greatly. I gathered up a few snaps and clips upon my return, and now I have some new ones to share. I may have shown a few of their previous pictures via PowerPoint during one of my sermons. 🙂 Do you remember that picture of Bubby washing the car? And the one where he’s holding a sponge, covered in suds? The camp folks are now smitten, too!
Here’s something I’ve been eager to say for the past nine months, and now I can say it: “When are the boys coming over?” Haha! Actually, Samuel was here yesterday (and it was SO good to see him). He’s coming tomorrow, too, so I’m super spoiled. I’m thinking it’s time to establish a Friday night pizza tradition at our house, with them staying overnight and having pancakes for breakfast on Saturday morning.
Enjoy a few glimpses of my cherubs. And a song that may send your spirit soaring.
💙 🩵 💚 💙 💚 🩵 💙 💚 🩵 💙 💚 🩵 💙 💚 🩵
I made a reference to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in one of my camp messages: “Barely even friends, then somebody bends unexpectedly.”
She was one of the best young friends our family could ever have.
She was one of the brightest and most insightful students I have ever taught.
She was one of God’s greatest gifts to those who needed a dose of beauty, truth, and goodness in their lives.
Today we laid Sara to rest after a private funeral service in her hometown of Fleetwood, PA. Tomorrow we begin discussing the public celebration of life service at her home church. Someday we will rise together and be forever with the Lord.
“She was beautiful. She was brilliant. She was broken. She needed a Savior. And she had one—Jesus Christ. You need a Savior, too.”
– Rev. Randall Grossman
Job 19:25-27a
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Isaiah 42:3
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
John 14:1-3
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
The empty tomb of the risen Christ changes everything. Let it change you, too, and give you hope beyond the grave. Abounding grace will be yours forever.
Death, Be Not Proud
By John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
Goodnight, dear friend.
Joy comes in the morning.
The flurry of activity these past two weeks—from the heartbreaking death of a family friend to the joyful birth of our little nugget—delayed the posting of snaps from our anniversary trip to Cooperstown, New York. We took scores of pictures, but a mere handful will have to suffice for now.
Day 1: We attended the Glimmerglass Festival production of Paccini’s La bohème at the Alice Busch Opera Theater.
Day 2: We toured the Baseball Hall of Fame, wax museum, Doubleday Field, and various shops in the area.
Day 3: We visited the Fenimore Art Museum, which featured an exhibit by M. C. Escher, the Dutch artist known for his tessalated woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints.
During the trip we stayed at the lovely Landmark Inn and ate at local restaurants. It was a lovely time away from the daily grind. (Pictures aren’t allowed during the opera, so there’s a stock photo included.)
Joy abounds as we get to spend more time with Levi. Micah revealed his first nickname: “Nugget.” So, now we have Bubby and Nuggy. 😊 Samuel is learning what it means to be a big brother, and his interactions with Levi have been charming. Mommy and daddy have been working hard to make Samuel feel special despite all the attention his baby brother needs right now. So, there are some snaps of him below, too. He’s in “Sudsy Bubby” mode. Enjoy!
💙 🩵💙 🩵💙 🩵💙 🩵💙 🩵
To the extent that this clip is “inside baseball,” my apologies. But everyone can appreciate a silly song with a high-level rhyme scheme, right?
I can’t even write a limerick for my wife. The only thing that rhymes with “Sonya” is “lasagna.” So, yeah, this is pretty brilliant. I may do a slight re-write at some point: “I am the very model of a biblical urologist”! The possibilities are end-less.😊
Levi is home now, settling into family life. It’s been quite an emotional week watching it all unfold. Since I’m an adoptee with no connection to my biological family, Levi is just the fourth blood relative I’ve been able to meet (after Andrew, Bethany, and Samuel). So, Levi has my genes! According to his paternal grandpa, he also has my mouth. Speculation is growing already that he’s going to be a preacher. 😊
As is our custom, I read Psalm 139 over him when he got home. Cue the waterworks.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Before any of us had a place in this world, we had a place in God’s heart. And Levi now has a place in our hearts, too. He is precious and perfect, and all of us savoring this wonderful gift the Lord has entrusted to us.
I promised some pictures, so here goes:
Samuel’s brother Levi Timothy was born today at 5:35 a.m., checking in at 8 lbs., 8 oz., and 20 inches long. He is so precious—ruddier, chunkier, and hairier than his brother, who he was born nineteen months ago. Maybe they should have named him Esau. 😊
I’m told Bethany did well. She was accompanied by her husband, mother, and mother-in-law, who is a nurse. After about 9 hours of labor, she needed only four pushes when the time came.
I wasn’t able to blog through the night like last time because I was babysitting Samuel—which is always an utter delight—but I was keeping up with all the action by phone. And, of course, when I heard Levi’s strong and healthy first cry, I melted into a puddle of tears. Again.
Samuel saw pictures of his baby brother this morning, and he was able to say, “Levi”! I will share some pictures later. For now, here’s a hymn that is meaningful to me this week in light of both the tragedy of premature death (a good family friend) and the beauty of newborn life (Levi Timothy).
The song is in desperate need of an update, but the message is timeless and true: God is always there. In good times and bad.
Samuel got to hang out with some of his cousins at the pool on Independence Day. Below are some snaps from the great time he had on the bright, sunny day—including a slow-motion clip where he goes under water for the first time. What a cutie! 💙
Meanwhile, the crew on our side of the family yesterday went to see The Sound of Freedom, the incredible story of Tim Ballard, a federal agent who rescued a boy from child traffickers. After learning the boy’s sister was still a captive in the Colombian jungle, Ballard quit his job (because of bureaucratic red tape) and embarked on a dangerous mission to save the young girl from a fate worse than death.
It’s not uncommon for me to get choked up at poignant moments of a good flick, but this was different. I tried three times to stand up and walk out of the theater after it was over, and two times I had to sit back down and continue the blubbering. It was an ugly sight. As I seem to remember, the same thing happened after the last Jim Caveizel movie I saw in the theater.
Yes, everyone needs to see this movie. And, yes, we all need to be angry, sad, disgusted, and—above all—mobilized to action. I’m pondering how our family (and church family) might be able to contribute to the solution. Speaking of angry, Disney stood in the way of this movie’s release for five years. Walt would roll over in his grave if he know what a slimeball enterprise his company has become.
Unrelatedly, this coming weekend we’re headed to Cooperstown, NY for an anniversary trip. Friday will be a Puccini opera, Saturday will be the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Sunday is the art museum. So, we’re checking all the important boxes here—music, sports, and the arts. 😊
Just had to share this brief clip of our little Bubby saying the name above all names (along with a few other odds and ends below). It took my breath away when he said it, not unlike when he said “Bible” a few weeks ago. His receptor language skills have always been good, and now his oral capacities are taking off. Best of all, we get to see him again tonight. Let the spoiling begin continue!
💙🙌🩵💙🙌🩵💙🙌🩵💙🙌🩵💙🙌🩵
Credits: Our Daily Bread, The Trend Spotter, The Babylon Bee
I literally have hundreds of these funnies ready to share when the schedule is more friendly, but I just couldn’t wait on this one. 🙂
Levi Timothy is supposed to arrive three weeks from today. It’s quite possible, though, that he’ll come early. I’m told his head is down, and he is in just the right position to come at any time. We’ll just have to wait to see what happens. We’re all so excited to meet him!
Meanwhile, Samuel continues to charm. He’s speaking full sentences now—a third of which is usually discernible to us. The rest makes sense only to him. He’s a happy little boy, and he loves coming to our house. That’s good because we love having him! 💙
We’ll have to work doubly hard to make sure he still feels special when his brother comes along. I think we might be up to the task. 🙂
He loves the water. I’m thinking that might be genetic.
Samuel has places to go in his new car. In fact, his mommy has a birthday four days from now, and she may have a new car, too. Shhhh!!!
I forgot to share with y’all that I’m the sheriff this week at our church’s Avalanche Ranch Vacation Bible School. I even have my own personalized badge. 🙂 Haha! I learned my very first Bible verse at a VBS many years ago as a child: “God is love” (1 John 4:8b). Not a bad place to start, eh? We’re having a blast with all these munchkins.
Praising God here in eastern Pennsylvania for the desperately needed rain. How could I not think of the ever enchanting sounds of Enya? Water seems to be a major motif in her work.
I should also share a hymn we did yesterday that doesn’t get enough airtime. Our folks were blessed, and maybe you will be, too.
Jesus, I am resting, resting
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,
as thy beauty fills my soul,
for by thy transforming power,
thou hast made me whole.
Refrain
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
O how great thy lovingkindness,
vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvelous thy goodness
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,
know what wealth of grace is thine,
know thy certainty of promise
and have made it mine.
Refrain
Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold thee as thou art,
and thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart;
satisfies its deepest longings,
meets, supplies its ev’ry need,
compasseth me round with blessings:
thine is love indeed.
Refrain
Ever lift thy face upon me
as I work and wait for thee;
resting ‘neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,
earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
sunshine of my Father’s face,
keep me ever trusting, resting,
fill me with thy grace.
Refrain
Photo Credit: “Rain’s Rustle in the Park” by Leonid Afremov
I’ve been really bad at posting lately. My apologies! It’s mostly because the latest chapter for my dissertation was 60 pages long. Oh, and there are nine appendices totaling 139 pages. Maybe I overdid it. 😊 Anyway, here are some recent clips of the Bubster. I think he’s a musician in the making! He brings so much joy to our lives. I’m off to read something light and airy for a few days before I start the next chapter. Any recommendations?
Only 6 more weeks until we get to meet Levi.
💙 👶 💙 👶 💙 👶 💙 👶 💙 👶 💙
Micah and Bethany recently got Samuel a Cocomelon sticker to put on his wall. He was absolutely thrilled with it. He started yelling, “Bus! Bus!” because he associates Cocomelon (or as he likes to say, “Coco”) with the video the two of us most often watch together: “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.” After that, we usually watch, “Old McDonald Had a Farm,” followed by “The Bath Song.” Then we try to do something less passive and more cognitive, like reading books or playing in the yard.
Speaking of the yard, the flower beds are now mulched, and the Mother’s Day flowers are now planted. This year we’re trying geraniums (red and white) in the back row, and marigolds (burnt yellow) in the front row. For the ten hanging baskets, we’re going to give impatiens (multi-colored) a try. We’re also trying impatiens (purple and lavender) for my mother-in-law’s flower patch. We also planted tomatoes and peppers in the garden. Lots more to come, but it’s a good start to the new season. Such a joyful time to be alive. 💙 💙 💙
