May 11 – “Absolutely Aww.”

We had a weekend of birthdays and baby dedications.  You know, one of those “absolutely aww” times.  Noa and Josiah both celebrated their birthdays with a Prince and Princess party on Saturday.  I think the guys responded better to the idea of being knights in shining armor, though, if the response to the games was any indication.

Christina had put together some cute games.  They did a dragon egg search.  Eerily similar to an Easter egg hunt, but inside each egg was a tiny dinosaur replica.  Micah then donned a dragon costume and the kids played hide-and-seek from the dragon.  Each one who wanted to had a chance to be the dragon.  The final outdoor game had a sneaky thief (aka Kel) captured red-handed trying to steal the accumulated dragon eggs.  He had to spend time in the cardboard stocks with each kid tossing very wet sponges at him.  The indoor activity was a craft.  The kids decorated made royal wands to go with the royal goblets they bejeweled when they arrived.  They also had the opportunity to magically transform a toilet paper roll, a piece of cardboard and some duct tape into an operating catapult.  Very impressive.  Very … aww.

Then yesterday, thanks to the efforts of Bob Wyrick filling in for me at Seaside, we were able to attend Noa’s baby dedication at her church in League City.  I was even asked to speak the blessing over Noa and her family.  That was a surprise and an honor, of course.  During the service Noa sat, then stood between her two oldest brothers, Jachin and Micah.  Any guy who wants to date her in the future is going to face quite a formidable obstacle.  As the singing started, so did her swaying.  And as the band reached an interlude, she followed their lead and nodded her head in time to the music.  As the singing continued she began to notice the guy across the aisle doing sign language interpretation.  Soon, as the song continued, her hands slowly rose and began to join in the sway with interpretive actions all her own.  Aww.  Absolutely fascinating look at the learning and developing of the act of worship in a two-year-old.  Parents, take note.  You can teach your child to worship.  It’s your job.

After the service a photographer was set up in another room to take free portraits for the Moms and their families.  As the last group walked away, Kel made a special request of the photographer.  Could he take a picture of Kel with his parents?  Go ahead and say it … aww.  Well, it would have been if he hadn’t added, “It’s so I can have evidence of being an only child.”  Uh huh.  I think your brothers might have something to say about that.  We did the extra portrait, and while we were there the guy even took one of just me and Chris, so I guess at some point we will have an official 40^th anniversary professional portrait.  Now you can say it again … aww. 

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 says, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Father, thank you for weekends with our little guys and for the chance to watch them worship.  Amen.