Soon I will get to meet you face to face for the first time. Your mother has been experiencing the early stages of labor the last couple of days, and both of us are very excited that we will soon, finally, hold you in our arms.

I'm realizing that God made pregnancy a 9 month growth process because there is a growing process that needs to take place in the parents as well.

There will be a small number of large moments in your life, where the depth of your manhood will be tested. I find myself at one of those large moments, about to be a father for the first time. To be honest, I'm a little scared. But I suppose most of the big moments in a man's life are a little scary.

I ask God daily for strength, that I may be a good father for you. A father who loves faithfully, provides fully, and disciples honestly. There will be times when I fall short of this goal, and I will need to ask you for forgiveness. I will be learning some things along with you.

So yes, I'm a little scared. But I'm a lot excited.

See you soon.

An important decision

As you grow into a man, you'll have a choice to make:
Will you be a Predator or a Protector?

A Predator seeks to fulfill his own selfish wants. He fills his belly with the meat of those weaker than he is. He builds himself up by tearing others down. A Predator's eyes greedily roam.

A Protector seeks to build others up. He uses his strengths to help those who are weaker. He stands for truth, honor, integrity, and is brave when others cower. A Protector forsakes his own comfort or desires for the good of others.

How do you want to be known by others?
When women speak of you, what will they say?
When younger men look up to you, will they do so with fear or with respect?
When the Lord looks at your heart, what will he know you to be?

You will find that I revisit this choice throughout our conversations, and in more detail; but for now, know that I hope you will be a Protector. The world has more than enough Predators already.

Sycamore

My walk to work takes me under this sprawling sycamore tree, and I find myself looking up into it each day, marveling. There is inspiration and awe in it's age and beauty. It points me toward it's Creator. Your Creator.

Look at the world around you through curious eyes. Ponder on it's intricacies and enormities. God has given us artwork unimaginable, and yet here it is, all around us, just waiting to be delighted in.

As the saying goes: stop and smell the roses...

First and Foremost

I recently stumbled upon this quote by John Wooden, one of basketball's great coaches. (He won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years)

"I always tried to make clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere."

Here is a man who is a "winner" in the eyes of other men, yet he realizes that all of his titles are meaningless if not for his faith in Jesus Christ.

If there is one thing I can say to you in this first post, it is this: know and rely on Jesus. Do not run in circles and go nowhere. May your course have aim, an aim on the one infinitely greater than yourself.