Who He says He Is

One of my most favorite Christmas passages is found in Isaiah 9:6-7

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end."

Since we know that the Bible is God's Words, inspired by He, himself; it's fun to see the names God claims as He declares His son's coming. I wanted to share the footnotes my Bible holds concerning this passage:

"The same two Hebrew words underlying 'Wonderful Counselor' describe the Lord as being wonderful in counsel. 'Mighty God', His divine power as a warrior is stressed. 'Everlasting Father', He wil be an enduring,compassionate provider and protector. And 'Prince of Peace', His rule wll bring wholeness and well-being to individuals and to society."

The wisest most wonderful counselor ever, a warrior of a God, a provider and protector, and one who brings wholeness and well-being to all who will have Him. What a baby, what a God!

Merry Christmas!!

Early Christmas for Knox

Becca and Keri, in their usual style, have abundantly blessed us with gifts for baby Knox! I took a picture of my favorites...you can see those below:

Please note the little rain boots. After unwrapping them, Justin set them next to all twelve of his pairs in the foyer. He was very proud! Knox' (I'm guessing that's how I will make my son's name plural...it would be good if I checked on that.) Anyway his middle name will be "Mack." This is after the Mack truck. Their mascot is the bulldog, hence all the little bulldogs on the shirts.

This is what my son will be named after. That's Justin, in a Mack truck. Secretly I love it, but I like to pick on Justin for naming our son after a piece of equipment. Now, for the one piece Becca and Keri sent that my son can never wear...."Bachelor" would be false advertisement. He is already married to his Mommy.

A Boy

I realized, I have not even written about the most exciting news our little family has heard in a while. Our baby is a boy, a son. My fingers are just now recovering (bones healing) from the squeeze Justin gave when they identified the proper equipment necessary to be a little man child. We are very happy. I will miss bows, glitter, ruffles, and lace, but there is still hope. Not of my boy wearing any of that, but of another baby one day.

After the announcement of the gender, we had to return to the waiting room until our doctor could see us for his appointment. Justin was talking 90 to nothing about all the experiences they were going to have, all the machines they were going to destroy, just so they could rebuild, all the forts he had intentions of building, and about all the "treasures" they would bring home to park in my yard. He was so happy. When I saw how happy he was and how much excitement he felt, bows and ribbons left my mind, ok, not completely, but miniature Cinch shirts and cowboy boots will be cute too!

My family is full of girls. Between my brothers and sisters, there are 6 granddaughters, and 0 grandsons. So, Justin knew the risk of running with me, before we got married. But come to find out the gender is completely determined by the Father. That works well for him, because his family is boy heavy. As the nurse explained how this works I thought about our heavenly Father. The Bible says we are made in the image of God, as a people, as a whole. How interesting that He modeled even this, after himself. Our identity is found in our earthly Father as a mirror to the way our identity is ultimately and truly found in our eternal Father.  Who He says we are, is who we are. Regardless of what we feel like, or act like. He's the authority not our feelings or the world or our friends or our family. No one else.

Galatians 1:10 says, " Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

This verse can be troublesome for those of us who are people- pleasers, want everyone to be happy, or just desire to be liked. I think sometimes as a Christian it's a temptation to desire to "fit in" yet still be God's girl. Sometimes that coincidences well, because the world does still respect morals, general kindness and goodwill towards others. Yet, sometimes the world and the Word differ so radically there is a definite fork in the road and a decision must be made.Those are the moments that tend to be either extremely easy or extremely hard. Sometimes the world's way is so disgusting we don't think twice. Yet, others, it seems so easy that it beckons as a huge temptation. God knows. God understands. 

May your encouragement be, that you are His. And who He says you are, is ultimately who you are, even if you do not believe it. Strive to please Him alone. Even when you fail, He gets to say you are loved, cherished, redeemed, and forgiven-because you are His, and He decides who you are.

Now, back to browsing cowboy nursery decor. :)  

No longer 16

Today at lunch duty, a girl and a boy were fighting over a bag of Funions (those chips that taste like onions) and I dutifully asked them to stop. I threw in my own opinion and said, "Why would you want those things anyway, they are gross!" They immediately defended their position of complete devotion to their chip of choice. I told them that I had eaten so many as a young girl that I got burnt out on them. One turned to me dead serious shocked, "They've made Funions for that long?" First I said, "Huh??" Then I had to walk away.I guess even though I still feel 16. I am not. Ha. (I guess.)