O.k., I don’t want to be that guy—the one who’s always posting baby pictures of the newest family member. But what can I say? I’m totally smitten with our little “SamJam.” He’s ten days old today.
What a blessing that he lives just 12 minutes away. Here are a few snaps for your viewing pleasure. 🙂
“Yahweh.”
It’s the personal name of God (Exod 3:14).
It comes from the Hebrew verb “to be”—the verb of existence.
In context, it refers to the true and living God—the self-existent God who rescues his people and owes his dependence to no one and no thing.
God just is.
And was.
And always will be.
God says, “My name is I AM.”
You are not a God created by human hands
You are not a God dependent on any mortal man
You are not a God in need of anything we can give
By Your plan, that’s just the way it is
You are God alone from before time began
You were on Your throne
You are God alone and right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
And you are God alone
We’re not really sure how “Yahweh” was pronounced—and it was seldom pronounced out of reverence for ha shem, “the name.”
But it was something approximating breath.
The sound of breath.
Breathing.
To say God’s personal name is to sound like you’re breathing.
Like you’re being.
Like you’re being a human being.
So, go ahead. Take a breath.
In and out.
Do it again.
In and out.
It’s something we do about 24,000 times a day—unless you’re just a few days old. Then it’s even more.
I was reminded of that when I got to hold Samuel for the first time last week. It was an indescribable joy to hear him breathe and watch him sleep.
Short rapid breaths.
In and out.
Each one softly stating the name of God—“Yahweh”—the God who knit him together in his mother’s womb (Ps 139:13).
Every single breath is a light movement of air, wind, spirit, ruach, pneuma—praising the self-existent God who is.
The self-existent God who beautifully creates in his own image.
You give life, You are love
You bring light to the darkness
You give hope, You restore
Every heart that is broken
Great are You, Lord
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
We pour out our praise
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise to You only
Even better is watching Samuel when he’s awake. Looking around. Watching me. Watching others. Watching his fingers. Exploring his brand-new world.
Crying.
Oh, there’s lots of crying.
Stronger movements of air, wind, spirit, ruach, pneuma—praising the God who is.
The God who beautifully creates in his own image.
The deepest praise can come through the hardest tears.
And all of it comes from the breath of God.
“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen 2:7).
Every moment thereafter, we say his name.
“Yahweh.”
“Yahweh.”
“Yahweh.”
In and out.
Out and in.
In our waking and our sleeping.
In our coming and our going.
“Yahweh.”
“Yahweh.”
“Yahweh.”
This is life.
And when I think about all this, it takes my breath away.
But only for a moment.
To stop breathing permanently is to stop saying, “Yahweh.”
To stop breathing permanently is to die.
Think of it! Death is so pathetic it cannot praise God. It cannot say his name.
Even a newborn can do that!
Poor death. He seems so strong, but a baby can best him.
Little Samuel can best him.
But death gets all of us in the end, doesn’t he?
He comes to where we are, and we stop breathing.
So, is Death the final victor? Will he succeed in getting us to stop saying “Yahweh” forever?
Will he prevail in getting us to stop praising God just by breathing?
Will the silence of the grave mock the God who is and was and will be? The God of life?
No.
“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last” (Mark 15:37).
But then—in resurrection life—Jesus breathed again.
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
The Son of God is still breathing today.
In fact, he will never not breathe again. He is life itself.
“Before Abraham was born,” said Jesus, “I AM” (John 8:58). Like Father, like Son!
Indeed, Jesus breathes on his creation to give us new life.
Eternal life.
“Jesus breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22).
The holy air, wind, spirit, ruach, pneuma—that which praises the self-existent God who is.
The self-existent God who beautifully RE-creates in his own image.
That’s why Samuel takes my breath away, too.
He’s being, and breathing, and praising the God of life.
So, I breathe in.
And I breathe out.
And with every breath, I praise the Lord.
I just can’t help it.
Samuel James White
Born: Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 7:40 a.m.
Reading Hospital, Reading, PA
7 lbs. 10.8 oz.
20.5 inches
Blonde hair and eyelashes
The pediatrician says, “He’s perfect,” but we already knew that. 🙂
Can’t wait to meet you “SamJam.” You’re just the third blood relative I have on the planet (that I know of).
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
– Bill and Gloria Gaither
I have permission to share that Bethany is at the hospital right now (as of Tuesday, November 30 at 9:45 a.m.). It looks like Samuel James (“SamJam”) is on the way. Prayers for mother and child (and daddy, too) are much appreciated.
You can send up a quick prayer for me, too, as I’m melting into a puddle of tears right now.
Thanks!
Early Afternoon Update:
Mid-Afternoon Update
Contractions every two minutes. Now discussing pain management. (3:53 p.m.)
Hospital COVID protocols have forced me to wait at home, so I’m just praying, texting, and “brutzing.” I’m told Bethany is still calm and has had no tears yet. Thank you, Lord.
She’s still able to smile and laugh periodically, but it’s about to get real. (4:42 p.m.)
Late Afternoon Update
Samuel’s head is in a good position. No cord issues. (4:42 p.m.) 🙌
Oh my word. Bethany just FaceTimed me to make sure I was o.k. How selfless is that? (She knows no father wants to see his little girl in pain.) She looks terrific and is in great spirits. (5:23 p.m.)
Evening Update
Pain meds slowed her down for a while, but she’s back to steady contractions and excellent vitals. I guess the little guy will come when he’s good and ready! (8:36 p.m.)
Breaking her water now. (10:09 p.m.)
And it just got real. Praying, dear one. (10:27 p.m.)
Epidural. (11:25 p.m.)
In the meantime…
Early Morning Update
The epidural is now done, and the small crew at the hospital is getting a nap. This adventure is a lot like my son’s birth. It’ll be a while before we get to pushing. (12:05 a.m.)
Translating a Latin text (Pseudo-Cyrpian) as I await the news. LOL. (12:53 a.m.)
9.5 cm. (1:27 a.m.)
Crowning. (4:05 a.m.)
Still pushing. She would like to be done. But she’s having all sorts of conversation between pushes. (6:14 a.m.)
This guy really wanted to be a December baby.
Just got the call of a lifetime!
Samuel arrived at around 7:41 a.m. (official time TBD).
I could hear him crying in the background. Loveliest thing I’ve ever heard.
I’m told he has hair, and Daddy cut the cord.
Physically and emotionally drained right now, but waves of joy are rolling in.
Signing off now for some badly needed sleep.
More details later.
💙
1. Since my MIL doesn’t travel well anymore, most of the family came to our place for Thanksgiving this year. We have a perfectly sized family room to accommodate the whole crew, and we had a lovely day together. I smoked one of our turkeys (now my favorite way to prepare it), and the other one we baked and then crock-potted. Both were delectable.
2. All the menu items turned out great (especially the Polish potatoes) except my feeble attempt to replicate “Cope’s Corn,” a dried corn that happens to be a local holiday favorite. Our stores couldn’t get any in stock this year because of the economy. So, I got regular corn and dehydrated it, but something didn’t work right in the re-hydration process, and I had to throw it out. C’est la vie. Maybe next year the cans will be back on the shelf. (The corn isn’t that great; it’s just a delivery system for butter and brown sugar. It’s also a childhood memory, so it’s a necessity at Thanksgiving.)
3. I had my annual sob-fest in the parking lot a few days ago as I was loading Thanksgiving groceries into the car. I didn’t even see it coming this year. It just hit me, yet again, that I am blessed while too many people in this world are still hungry. I had an overwhelming sense that the Spirit was saying to me, “Remember the poor.” That’s a mega-theme in Scripture, so clearly it’s something perpetually on the heart of God. It should be perpetually on our hearts, too.
4. In between meals and family laughs, I was able to work through all the primary sources containing Greek, Hebrew, or Syriac words for “veil” or “curtain,” the cultic tapestry separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Jewish temple, which is the focus of my second dissertation. I successfully made it through the Babylonian Talmud, so ancient Jewish Apocalyptic is the last block of texts to consider. That’s where things get weird. It’s not unlike the book of Revelation, an odd (to us) genre of literature that has its own set of rules for interpretation.
5. Here’s a lament from this former newshound: The mainstream media has become the journalistic equivalent of professional wrestling—mildly entertaining in the campiest of ways, but only people with severe learning disabilities take it seriously. There’s no greater source of misinformation, disinformation, and polarization in this country than CNN and MSNBC. They’re both contemptible organizations that need to whither on the vine and become utterly irrelevant. ABC, CBS, and NBC are close behind. The NYT is beyond redemption. The View is hell on earth. FOX is less annoying to my taste, but they don’t cut it straight, either. I spent a couple decades lamenting the growing bias and spin of the media, but that turned out to be a big waste of time and energy. Now I just mock them whenever I can. The Babylon Bee has the right approach. Make fun of them every single day. They deserve it. (O.k., rant over.)
6. My daughter is two centimeters and counting. If Samuel doesn’t arrive in the next several days, she’ll be induced on Wednesday. Question: How am I supposed to read the Infancy Narrative on Christmas Day this year with a newborn in the room? That’s just a puddle waiting to happen.
7. My son is in final preparations for his appearance in the Reading Civic Theatre’s production of Grease (December 10-12). It’s a fun musical, and I may or may not have been an Olivia Newton-John fan as a teenager.
Have a great weekend, everyone. And welcome to Advent.
2. I recently read that Tony nominee Andrea McArdle, who starred as Broadway’s original orphan Annie, has joined the cast of NBC’s Annie Live! I wasn’t enamored with that particular musical, but I was a major McArdle fan back in the day. She was amazing in Rainbow, where she played the incomparable Judy Garland in the star’s early years breaking into the entertainment industry. After hearing McArdle sing, “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” I became a fan for life. Maybe it was the mood I was in at the time, but it struck a chord. There’s a low-quality clip of it below, but it still illustrates “the little girl with a big voice.” I’m struck by the nuance and restraint she demonstrates in the piece, knowing she can belt with the best of them. McArdle will play the role of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt in the live musical, set to air on December 2 (SamJam’s anticipated birthday).
3. I dropped major hints to my MIL (via my daughter) about a gift book I’d love to read over Christmas break. It’s The Mystical Nature of Light: Divine Paradox of Creation by Avraham Arieh Trugman. I’ve always been tantalized by the ontology of light. What exactly is it—a wave or a particle? Physicists tell us it displays the properties of both; hence, the wave-particle duality of light theory. Science can take us little further than that. Relatedly, one can ask, “Is Jesus human (a particle) or divine (a wave)?” Scripture says he displays the properties of both. No wonder, then, he called himself “the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5). If scientists can propagate their duality theory of light with impunity, theologians can have our hypostatic union without fear of any justified riposte. Moreover, Einstein showed us that waves and particles are related. I suspect that’s why ontology always breaks down at some point; this world is a relational word, created by a relational God. Things only exist in relation to other things. Interestingly enough, George Whitefield once said, “Jesus was God and man in one person, that God and man might be happy together again.” Spot on. (Oh, that all the waves and particles in this world could relate to each other as they were meant to!)
4. They say that doctoral students start resenting their dissertation topics after a while. I’m not there yet, but I can understand the sentiment. I spent the day translating passages from the Mishnah, and tomorrow I need to make an attempt at translating a certain Syriac text. (I’m using the word “translate” very loosely here, as my Syriac is pretty dreadful.) It’s just the price of doing a deep dive on a single issue. The research is fun, but pulling it all together in an academic way is tedious and tiring. After it’s all finished, I’ll share some of my findings. I am blown away by the new things I’ve been learning.
5. My Thursday students loved our MBTI unit. Their favorite part—of all things—was the Jane Austen chart. They also appreciated how the instrument explains, to some extent, the different Christian spiritualities we find throughout the Body of Christ. (See below.) In the end, MBTI can be a helpful tool, but there’s more to who we are than these 16 categories. Tastebuds come to mind—but that’s another post. 🙂
6. The frost killed my zinnias. R.I.P., beautiful ones. See you next year—in another form. Hope springs eternal.
7. We’ll be singing a new (to us) worship song this Sunday, “King of Kings” by Brooke Ligertwood and Hillsong Worship. It’s rich and beautiful.
When my daughter was a little girl, I drove to meet her one weekend at her grandmother’s house in West Virginia. I had been away for several days, and I was looking forward to reconnecting with her. I wanted to make our rendezvous special, so the closer I got, the more frequently I called her on my cell phone, telling her with great delight, “I’m getting closer!” She giggled every time I said it. When we finally saw each other in person, we exchanged a ginormous “squeezie hug.”
Over the years, that phrase, “I’m getting closer,” became something of a family meme and mantra. Today we say it to each other in a variety of situations, and always with a twinkle in our eye. It’s a phrase that captures the joy of loving embrace. It represents the thrill of anticipated connection. It articulates the love of a father for his precious children.
Bethany had an ultrasound earlier today, and her son smiled for the camera. When I saw the picture, all I could think of was that my grandson is saying, “I’m getting closer!” Just a few more weeks, and we’ll get to see him face to face—chipmunk cheeks and all. (I may have gotten a little choked up today looking at him sleeping in utero.)
Thankfully, Bethany’s placenta previa is totally gone, so she is cleared for delivery. Thank you, Lord! And thank you—all who have prayed. Samuel (“SamJam”) is about 6 lbs. right now and may reach 8 lbs. by the time of delivery. He may still grow another inch or so, too, putting him close to 20 ins. long.
Is there someone you’re longing to embrace? Is there someone in your life you’re eager to connect with? I know the feeling! 💙 So does Christ. Someday soon he’s coming back to be with his people. Forever. Eternal squeezie hugs—and so much more—await us.
I think I hear him saying even now, with great delight, “I’m getting closer!”
Are you ready?
Yesterday’s walk revealed that our neighbors are killing it this fall when it comes to their plants, flowers, and decorations. What a pleasant place to live.
Here are a few shots from my “That’s Cool” fall folder.
Mrs. Mosby loves my daughter’s baby bump!
And finally, here’s a creature that needs a match to complete the heart shape…and some inspiration to believe it can happen!
O.k., back to dissertating!
Now that was a baby shower! What a great turnout. And we all had a wonderful time. (Alas, I had to slip out to teach a class for a couple hours, but I got my share of celebrating in.) Everyone was so kind and thoughtful. Bethany’s network of support really came through to bless her with practical items needed by a first-time mom. It was the power of love and community in action, and I was touched. It was also great to see so many old friends and out-of-town family members.
My favorite game was Diaper Pong. Bounce a ping pong ball into an open diaper hanging on a board and win a prize. I tried to persuade my daughter that first prize should be a bowl of chocolate pudding with a glass of lemonade, but she vetoed the idea. (Yes, 7th grade humor is my specialty.) The Make-a-Onesie station was also a hit. My favorite design was the one that said, “I’m always getting picked up by the ladies.” Ha! I’ll remind him of that when he’s 16 or 17. It was a self-catered event, and everyone pulled together to pull it off. We couldn’t have asked for a better team or a lovelier day.
So, now it’s getting real. Samuel is on his way, and we’re doing our best to get ready for him. What Peter said of Jesus could be said of SamJam, too: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you…are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8). Amen.
Along with the joy is a prayer request. Bethany’s placenta needs to move about 1.8 cm in the next seven weeks to be able to deliver naturally. Otherwise, it will be a C-section. She’s not opposed to that since her platelets are low, which would prevent her from getting an epidural. That does not sound appealing to her at all! So, the general prayer is for the safety of both mother and child, and the wisdom to make good decisions when the time comes. Thanks for remembering her to the Lord.
Oddly enough, my son and I got into a fun conversation today about the Styx song “Come Sail Away.” Stranger things have happened, I suppose, but that was kind of random. We talked about surface meanings and hidden meanings, and the universal quest to journey toward love. Since “sailing away” fits with the nautical theme of the shower, I’ll include it below.
Have a great rest of the weekend!
Some family life updates, etc….
1. We have beautiful chaos chez Valentino this weekend. SamJam’s baby shower is this Saturday, so there’s been a flurry of activity lately getting everything ready and set up. Fortunately, we’ve had a couple of productive days, and all we need to do yet is put the food out and finish up a few displays and activity centers. We’re holding the event in the seminary fellowship hall, which is the perfect size for a group of 70-80 people. The nautical theme my daughter chose is adorable. I wonder if it portends another swimmer in the family. Below are a few snaps of the room in its current state. Hopefully, more will be coming when it’s all complete.
2. We also have several relatives from out of town staying with us right now. It almost feels like Christmas. My sister-in-law is trying to learn French for an upcoming trip to Paris, so it’s fun to have a conversation partner. She’s doing well so far, and her vocabulary is increasing. French is harder to hear and comprehend than it is to read and understand because of all the silent letters it contains. Nevertheless, le français est la langue de l’amour, n’est-ce pas? Je pense que c’est très romantique. I’m very much looking forward to going back to Paris someday. England, too. The sights, sounds, tastes, and smells are magical. The theatres and museums are also amazing. Did I just write “theatre” instead of “theater”? 🙂
3. My students are killing it this semester. It’s a dream come true to teach at a theological seminary, and it’s way beyond a dream to be able to teach at the doctoral level, too. This crop of students is motivated, humble, curious, and wise. I love spending time with them. All told, I’ll be teaching, co-teaching, or assisting in 15 different courses this academic year. That’s kind of ridiculous, but I’m having a blast. Blessedly, there’s not a lot of academic snoot in our neck of the woods. The folks in my cohorts are eager to learn, not showcase what they already know for the sake of self-aggrandizement. As Paul said, “Knowledge puff us. Love builds up.”
4. I structured one of our sub-master courses around the simple question, “Who is God? Who’s asking? And why does it matter?” That’s enough to keep us busy for an entire semester! In another course, we’re drilling down on what it means to be made imago dei, in the image of God. What an eye opener! I can’t wait to post some of my research on that, but, alas, the dissertation comes first. We’re also doing a lot of self-awareness work, personality inventories, and family-of-origin analyses, including genograms. There’s been a lot of vulnerability among the students, and a whole lot of laughs, too. They inspire me to keep learning and growing myself. It’s been a while since I’ve taken the MBTI, so I’m eager to see if any of my PCIs have shifted in recent years.
5. On Sunday, we’ll be holding a service of remembrance for one of the two church buildings we’re in the process of selling. It’s important to acknowledge and celebrate what God has done in those special places before stepping into the future in a new place. (The congregational unity in this venture has been amazing.) My mind often goes back to similar places and spaces where God made himself known to me or blessed me abundantly through other people—whether through words, hugs, prayers, encouragement, conversation, or music. I have so many of those moments to look back on with delight–especially the hugs! As Michael W. Smith used to sing, “Friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them.” Exactly right. So, what we’re really celebrating this Sunday is God and his people—as they intersected our lives at specific times and in specific locations along the journey. We’ll do a similar service of remembrance for the other church next month.
6. Finally, I’m coming to the end of my Madam Secretary binge. For the most part, I’ve really enjoyed it. Next up is a collection of short-series period dramas, like Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Jane Eyre—all those good BBC productions. (Can you tell I’m ready to go back to England?) Actually, I want to re-watch these highly regarded flicks because my brain can’t hold anything new for a while. It’s already on overdrive from the academic load and the dissertation. Besides, my PCIs may change, but my tastes do not. ❤️📚 💙 📺 💛💻💚
Have a great weekend, everyone, and enjoy the blessings of God this beautiful time of year.
‘Old Blue Eyes’ singing a tune from Ship Ahoy!
O.k., my kids aren’t exactly munchkins anymore, but they’re still my kids. And one of them is carrying a munchkin, so there’s that. 🙂
Andrew continues working on a variety of projects in his new media business, AVM. He’s doing audiobooks, voiceovers, real estate photography, special occasion videography, editing, etc. He lives about an hour away right now, so we get to see him weekly, which is wonderful. He has even been worshiping with us each week and will be providing some church tech support in the near future. I got to see him last night when we met at the Hamburg Area High School for the Hawks’ game against Conrad Weiser, where I got to see my niece and nephew in action (cheering and coaching).
One of our favorite things to do is watch movies and discuss them. We just finished binging season 2 of The Chosen. My favorite line of the series so far is where the keeper of a certain house says one of the rooms is haunted by his dead grandmother, and Jesus replies, “Oooo, I’ll take that one.” Drew is excited to be acting in the local community theater production of Grease with a good (and super talented) friend from high school.
Bethany became my part-time personal assistant this week, as well as a caretaker for her grandmother. She knocked it out of the park on both counts, and her administrative assistance will help me stay focused on writing my dissertation. (I had a wonderful meeting yesterday with my dissertation committee and was greenlighted for the next stage.) Her background in medical administration has given her some skills for charting the dynamics of my mother-in-law’s Alzheimer’s. That can only help in an already challenging situation.
Her new dress for the baby shower came yesterday, so she tried it on and then asked me to take a few pictures. The shower is next Saturday, and about 70 people are planning to attend. Many are coming in from out of state, so it will be a busy weekend. I’m thrilled that she and her husband live less than 15 minutes from our house.
Samuel had the hiccups for the first time this week, but I already told you that. 🙂 I struggled a bit with the news that I was becoming a grandpa because, as I like to say, “I’m too young to be this old,” and “I thought it would take longer to get this old.” But a slight graying of the temples has begun, so maybe it’s time. When I was a competitive swimmer, my hair was three or four shades lighter because of the chlorine. It also gets a bit lighter in the summer these days, too. Maybe the graying effect will help me lighten up—on the age thing, too. 🙂 Well, at least I still have hair! 🙂
O.k., four smiley faces are enough for one post, and I need to switch gears anyway. So, have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for stopping by. Blessings to all.
In addition to which…
Just a little bit of this and that as I take a brief break from the books.
1. Fall is magical. As Khalil Gibran has said, “Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” In a similar vein, Ralph Waldo Emerson has said, “The earth laughs in flowers.” (See what I did there? Vein…) 🙂 Anyway, the crisp colors and beauty of this season always refresh my soul.
2. Speaking of laughter, six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15-100 times a day. Be six again. (O.k., feel free to accuse me of being silly—but only after you read Proverbs 17:22. Life is too short to be curmudgeonly all the time.)
3. Martin Niemöller’s robe and preaching collar are now the property of the seminary where I work. I hope to do a short post on that in the near future. Niemöller is not really a household name, but he should be. (“They came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew….”) See, I can be un-silly, too.
4. “I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” So said C. S. Lewis. Amen to that! Which books do you find yourself re-reading? Oh, you don’t read? As the adage goes (often misattributed to Mark Twain), “A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t.”
5. The Phillies are just two games back. Why do they always get close enough to give us hope but linger far enough behind to break our hearts? Fortunately, it doesn’t sting as much as it used to. While I thoroughly enjoy the game of baseball, I’m no longer a fan of professional sports.
6. On a happier note, SamJam (Samuel James) is just two months away from coming into view. I suppose I’ll be more of a puddle than usual this Christmas, getting to hold a newborn and all. This little guy is just the third blood relative I will have gotten to meet on the planet. What an honor!
7. Speaking of Christmas, I probably won’t be able to write too many original posts this year on the Incarnation—one of the richest, deepest, most profound subjects we could ever ponder. So, I’m thinking of doing some re-posts of the more popular ones I’ve done over the past few years. Since that almost feels like cheating, I’m hoping to write at least one original post this year.
8. My Advent series this year will focus on the history and theology of the carol “O Holy Night.” I did my own translation of it several years ago and discovered that the English version is way off the original French. Nevertheless, the lyrics are still poignant, and the tune is hauntingly beautiful. My favorite line is, “Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.” This concept is the next unit for two of the seven classes I’m teaching this semester. The Scripture pulsates with the sentiment, though we often try to obscure it. As Karen Salmansohn put it, “When you realize how much you’re worth, you’ll stop giving people discounts.”
9. Finally, here are two songs for your weekend pleasure. The first is Disturb’s cover of “The Sound of Silence,” a song about incommunicability. It’s really a lament about individuals who are physically close to each other but still separated by their inability to communicate. They speak without expressing any substantive content, and they hear without really listening. The realm of silence, into which the noisy nothings of this world often crash, is painful to the author.
The second song is much brighter. It’s the One Voice Children’s Choir performing “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman. I love this group of young people, and I find the musical itself quite entertaining. In fact, my son and I have talked about doing a Friday night sing-along of the whole show. (All recording devices will be confiscated before we push play on the DVD!)
Thanks for reading. And have a lovely weekend!
P.S., Hurricane “Sam” is headed to the East Coast. Yeah, we knew that. (See #6 above.) 🙂
1. Yesterday I walked out of the hardware store and started getting into my SUV. Or so I thought. (Hey, it looked just like mine!) I realized something was wrong when I saw a big dog staring back at me, growling. Fortunately, the creature was rather tame, but, oh what a fright he gave me! The real embarrassment was that the driver was still in the vehicle when I tried to fob my way into it! With her window rolled down, she smiled and said, “No worries, I do that all the time.” Glad to know I’m not the only one. Chalk it up to academic fatigue, I guess. (Yeah, that’s better than calling myself an airhead.)
2. I’m still plowing through my dissertation, and it’s wonderfully exhausting. I love the subject matter (more on that later), but academic research and writing are tedious and time-consuming. Still, I’ve learned so much, and I can’t wait to share the results. All in good time. Last I checked, my bibliography is 32 pages long, and that’s only half the entries. Yes, I’m insane, but I totally dig doing targeted research.
3. Speaking of insanity, when I lay out the syllabi for all the courses I’m teaching this semester, there’s no room left for anything else on the table. Not even a coffee cup. Still, I’m having a blast gearing up for the new term. The only frustration has been moving from Canvas to Pathwright. It’s not a terribly difficult learning platform, but there’s a learning curve, and my muscle memory needs to be retrained. Courses begin on Monday.
4. All these ventures leave little time for getting in the pool lately, but I do still get out for long, brisk walks. I can almost smell the fall season approaching. That’s nearly as good as the smell of coffee. 🙂
5. My mother-in-law’s garden has exploded this year. We’ve gotten so much produce from just a 64-SF bed that we started putting some of it in front of the house with a FREE sign on it. Tomatoes, lettuce, squash, zucchini, green peppers, cucumbers—what a harvest!
6. Samuel is due in about three months—another image bearer of God! What a profound mystery. I love the little munchkin already.
Well, time to get back at it. I do miss writing general posts and all the other features I used to do (e.g., Throwback Thursday, Friday Fun, etc.), but this is just a season. I’ll get back at it when I can. Thanks, everyone, for your support and encouragement.
Have a great weekend. Be blessed!
EDIT: Our church is singing “Goodness of God” tomorrow for the first time. I’m taking some tissues with with me.
The house is getting flooded already with crafts and decorations for my grandson’s baby shower, which isn’t happening until mid-October. Nevertheless, all the activity serves to heighten the anticipation of Samuel’s safe arrival in December, Lord willing.
They’re planning a nautical-themed shower, so piles of “Ahoy! It’s a Boy!” things are stacking up everywhere. Not only that, all my media feeds are filling up with baby ads. I tend to be a soft-touch, so I’m trying to resist being dazzled by all the cute things I could buy for him. Pray for my self-control. 🙂
My prayer is that Christ will be at the helm of Samuel’s life, and the Holy Spirit will help him navigate the turbulent waters of this world in due course. Even now, the Lord is at work. As King David wrote:
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.
Psalm 139:13-14
Parental (and grandparental) love predates a birth, just like God’s love for us (Jeremiah 31:3). Moreover, it’s conferred independently of the child’s status, health, or future performance. It just is. “Love is as strong as death,” said Solomon, “its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame” (Song of Solomon 8:6).
BBC News published a story two years ago titled “Babies Born at 22 Weeks Can Now Survive.” That’s a relief since my grandson is now 22 week in utero. Still, such a delivery 18 weeks early would be risky. Not impossible, just precarious. But even there, “With God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). God has a good track record making and preserving his miracle babies. May it be so here, too.
We can’t wait to meet you in person, dear one.
BONUS: Since my head has been in this space for several months, a recent Babylon Bee post really cracked me up:
I found out this week that we’ll be having a grandson in December. His name is Samuel James. My heart is overjoyed.
Samuel comes from the Hebrew word שְׁמוּאֵל (shemu’el). It appears to be a combination of the root “to hear” (שׁמע, shm’) and “God” (אֵל, el). Taken this way, it means something like “heard by God.” In Scripture, Hannah named her son Samuel because God heard her prayer for a son (1 Sam 1:20).
James come from Ἰάκωβος (Iakōbos), the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jacob. James was a dear friend of my daughter and son-in-law’s who passed away when was only 18 years old. Just as our daughter’s middle name (Paula) reminds us of a college friend who’s now with the Lord, so our grandson’s middle name will remind us of a greater life beyond this life.
If I seem weepy to you these days, there’s good reason for it. I pray blessings over the child, and I can’t do so without tears.
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
