Vacation Nearly Over

The Haps

"I heard a secret!"
"Oh, do tell, dahling!"

The girls are 27 days old already! Tara's folks were here for a while, then we had a week to ourselves, and then my folks were here for a few days over the holiday. Now we're enjoying lots of football and rest before I finally return to work. We've been well cared for by family and friends.

Thoughts

It didn't take long for me to start dreaming about our girls, but so far I always dream about one baby, a nameless, shapeless form that seems to be a combination of Abbey and Neave. And each dream typically involves something going wrong, such as accidentally leaving the baby in the car, so I wonder if this dream baby blob just represents the burden of being a father. Of course I love them like crazy, but it is a burden some days! I'm afraid my days of looking eight years younger than my actual age may soon be ending with all the stress they're providing.

Today's Scripture

Romans 5:1-11 (NKJV)

Key verse: (10) "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."

Reflection

There's a lot of information and explanation here, and much on which to reflect! I noticed that Paul spends some time explaining what our justification, by faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, means for us. That's very important for the Jews in Rome he's writing to as well as for us Gentile believers today. Reconciliation to God the Father is every bit as relevant for us as it was for them.

Paul lists five things that we acquire through justification by faith. The first is "peace with God" (verse 1), which is not something to take for granted. Throughout all the pages and pages of the Old Testament, there is very little peace except during Solomon's reign (1 Chronicles 22:9). Even when God is right there among His people, they often find themselves in rebellion and, therefore, trouble. Despite all God's revelations to them of what it takes to please Him, they are never able to live up to His standards due to their sinful natures. Even the heroes of the Old Testament are susceptible to sin. God continually brings strife into the lives of His people in order to chastise them and bring them to repentance. Peace with God was always something to be attained in the Old Testament, and it was not really possible until Christ came (Acts 10:36) and gave himself up for us by shedding His blood.

The second thing Paul says we get with our justification is "access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (verse 2).  Because our faith in Jesus justifies us, we have access to God's grace. I think that means that God not only tolerates us now, but that He also seeks out the best for us, wanting to bless us as much as we'll let Him (Matthew 7:11). When He looks at someone who loves Jesus and who believes in Him, God remembers the work of grace that Jesus accomplished on the cross and receives us with all the love He has for His precious Son.

Thirdly, Paul says "we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (verse 2). Because we are justified by God through Christ, we can have great joy and much hope. Glory is promised to those who are called His own (Romans 2:10), and in the end, the glory is all God's (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Paul says "we also glory in tribulations" (verse 3) because we've been justified. And why not? "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). If I am made righteous by His Son and am now as justified as His Son, how can I let any calamity discourage me from continuing on this path with God? How could I ever turn away? If Job could praise the Lord through his tribulations, knowing nothing of the cross of Christ, how much more can I live a life of praise and worship when times are tough, knowing all the Lord has done and all He's promised to do?

Finally, skipping ahead, Paul says that "having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (verse 9). The nation of Israel knew a lot about God's wrath. Until Christ, their hope was in their sacrifices and in keeping God's Law. There are many different ideas today about what form God's wrath takes for people living now, whether it's here in this life or in the afterlife. Maybe it's some of both. Whatever it is, we know that God's anger is fierce against those who treat the death of His Son as nothing (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). God has invited us to His wedding feast, and his wrath is hot against those who refuse His invitation, treat his messengers shamefully or show up dressed inappropriately (Matthew 22:2-13).

Fortunately, as our key verse (10) tells us, while Jesus' death restores our relationship with the Father, His life saves us from all of God's wrath. As long as Christ lives, He stands in the gap for us, praying for us (Romans 8:34) and looking out for our best as His adopted brothers and sisters (Romans 8:14). He's not like the older brother in Jesus' story who resented the father's forgiveness and grace for the younger brother who strayed (Luke 15:29-30). Jesus went out and found us, like lost sheep (Luke 15:4-6), and brought us into a relationship with His Father by dying and coming back to life. For all who believe in Him, we are being saved by Him. I can't imagine better news than that.

Prayer

Lord, thank you so much for all your blessings and all your promises. Thank you for my wonderful children. May I always remember the miracle and gift that they are. Thank you for Tara, the best wife and mother I've ever seen. You are truly good.

Final Thoughts

I'm a little concerned about the coming weeks. Starting Monday, Tara will be outnumbered by our kids for the first time while I go back to work. We're not even sure if she'll be able to drive a car because of the vertigo and visual disturbances she's been living with for weeks now. We'd appreciate your continued prayers.

Two Weeks In!

The Haps

Best picture I ever took, by far

Today is our babies' two-week, um, -versary. I think we did good! Neave has a real temper, ever since her first moments, and she's been impressing us with how loudly she can scream over the smallest annoyance, such as dropping her pacifier every half-minute or so. We're figuring this whole thing out. Their grandparents went home yesterday, so we're on our own as a four-person household now. I'm at home for the next two weeks, and my folks will be here for Thanksgiving.


Abbey had some health issues, mostly jaundice, but she seems to be all better now. Tara's health has been of greater concern, with pre-eclampsia and high blood pressure that seem to have brought on a weird kind of vertigo and disturbed vision. The vision problem seems to be her only issue now, but she won't be able to drive a car until it gets better.


That's about all that's going on right now. We finally sold an album, so we are $7.50 richer after ReverbNation took their cut. The kid who bought it is actually listening to it as I write this, and I hope he feels he got his money's worth.


Thoughts
I've confessed to a few people that I'm already having to deal with some anger issues in relation to screaming babies. I was difficult to live with, myself, starting about the sixth hour of Tara's 22-hour labor, and I didn't really get my attitude back into shape until a week ago. That first week was super tough, but I've dealt with myself and with the Lord, and, with the help of my incredible wife, I'm ready to be the father I've always dreamt I could be.


Today's Scripture
Romans 4:9-25 (NKJV)


Key verses: (20-22) "He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore 'it was accounted to him for righteousness.'"


Reflection
I had forgotten that Paul spends this whole section explaining what Genesis 15:6 means when it says that God accounted Abraham's belief to him for righteousness. I'm so glad he did. He explained it for all those new Jewish believers who were brought up believing that their circumcision as God's chosen people, Israel, was what made them right with God, along with all the animal sacrifices required by Jewish law. But this explanation also helps me, as a Gentile believer in the 21st century, to understand what Jesus did and that His sacrifice allows me to be saved by faith.


The key verses above describe Abraham's faith in detail so we can understand just what it was and why it meant so much. First, Paul says Abraham "did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief" when God promised him a son and that he would be the father of many nations. He chose to believe even though what was promised seemed absolutely impossible. 


Paul then says Abraham "was strengthened in faith". The way this is worded, in English anyway, sounds like the strength Abraham found to believe in God didn't come entirely from himself. God made Abraham's faith strong. I imagine that God found in Abraham a believing heart and decided to make this man's faith even stronger. "For whoever has," said our Lord Jesus, "to him more will be given, and he will have abundance" (Matthew 13:12).


Next Paul says that Abraham gave glory to God as he believed in Him. If you have ever had an experience in which you have believed in God and put your faith in Him, you probably know what it means to make God's glory a part of your belief in Him. Even when God doesn't answer my prayers the way I want Him to, I know that I must give Him glory, not because He demands it but because He deserves it. I know He wants the best for me and that He knows what that is much better than I do, just as I know what is good for my babies better than they do (ahem--diaper changes). Therefore I give glory to my Father in heaven as I believe in Him for every good thing.


Finally, Paul says that Abraham was "fully convinced" that God was able to do what He had promised. This goes beyond just believing--it's knowing. Do I have this kind of faith when I ask the Lord for the things I need? Do I know without doubt that He will provide for me because He loves me and is able to do absolutely anything that is required?


Let's sum up Paul's explanation of Abraham's faith. 

• He did not waver at God's promise through unbelief.
• He was strengthened in faith with a strength that came from the Lord.
• He gave glory to God as he believed.
• He was fully convinced that God was able to do what He'd promised.

I was hoping to make some fun acronym out of that, but there doesn't seem to be one. I think the point is obvious, though--this describes the true kind of faith that God credits to us as righteousness. It's not how many projects we do in His name that saves us, or even how many people we talk to about the Lord, though these things are important as His children and representatives in the world. And we know that He doesn't put our deeds on a balance and weigh the good against the bad, as many today still believe. 

It's an unwavering, God-strengthened, glorifying, fully convinced belief in God's promises that makes us righteous in His sight. And because His greatest promise is that the blood of His Son, shed on the cross, cleanses all our sin (1 John 1:7), it's our belief and hope in that promise that makes us worthy to stand in His presence (Hebrews 6:19) and be called sons of God (Galatians 3:26). Amen!

Final Thoughts

I'm so happy to finally be a "New Dad". I knew what kind of challenges were in store for us in theory, but the realities are shocking and, at times, absolutely overwhelming. But so are the rewards. We are so grateful for all the prayers, gifts, and acts of service we have humbly received from our friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and more. Thank goodness for us everyone loves babies! Now we just have to do an incredible job raising them and we'll be all set.

I'm a New Dad!

Very proud mommy!

Abbey and Neavey were born yesterday and are already 25+ hours old! It was a long and somewhat complicated labor, but God came through for us, and everyone is doing ok.


Abbey was touch-and-go for the first few minutes of her life, and she's still recovering. We've shed some tears over that very real scare. We expect to be in the hospital until tomorrow, but we're not sure yet.


They're the most beautiful babies in the nursery, and we couldn't possibly be happier! Thanks for all the prayers!