Luke has just learned to say “O WOW!” at just about everything new he learns about the world. Providentially, Rachel has made this month’s emphasis in our home to be amazed at all that God created. Tonight we were teaching him about a blow-fish as we puffed up our own cheeks with air. Luke thought we were doing something very peculiar, but this did not prevent him from still being amazed as we pointed to the picture of the blow-fish and he responded, “O, WOW!”
In watching Luke be amazed at all the new things he learns, the Lord showed me a bit more about what it meant to be his child. How many days am I simply not amazed at the glory of God, as he has revealed it all around me in the created order. Everyday I walk by large trees whose roots are pushing sap to the uttermost limb and whose plush leaves have a billion micro-factories inside running off carbon-dioxide and nutrients and returning good oxygen to the aire, and often find the sidewalk and my destination to be much more interesting. What would it be to just look up for 30 seconds to see God’s power and might and wisdom and say, “O, WOW!” Or even more, to look upon all the many peoples I know who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and say “WOW, Lord! You are amazing!” Still more, to look upon all those many people created in God’s image, who possess no gospel and have no hope in Christ, and ask the Lord, “Father, help me to preach your gospel to them right now, that they may say with me, ‘WOW! What a Creator! What a Mighty Judge! What a Great Savior!’”
I am thankful that my son is amazed at everything. I hope the Lord uses this to continue cultivating a heart in myself that is always remaining amazed in him [the LORD].
My Opa (grandfather) has had some health trouble recently, and I called him to catch up on how he was feeling, etc. As of the last three years, the content of our conversations has blessed me more and more. He does a lot of thinking about Jesus. Here are a couple quotes from our chat tonight.
“When you get into your 70’s, you begin thinking about how to die well…at least I do. I think about that a lot lately. How can I live every day in light of God’s grace? How can I glorify Him?”
“Man’s institutions are nothing but a flabby piece of garbage. The more I watch what’s going on, the more I see that our power amounts to nothing. I’ve GOT to believe that it is better to be with Christ than it is to live in this current world.”
Finding out that we’re having a baby girl has helped my thoughts concerning parenthood take shape. Knowing gender (and having a name to put with her) helps me think more about what parenting might look like, giving shape to otherwise nebulous thoughts. Here is a smattering of thoughts/prayers that have been running through my mind concerning my daughter, even before she’s out of the womb.
“Father, I pray she is not enticed by this dying world. Help her see you as better than everything.”
“Lord, save her. I pray everything we do points her to Christ.”
“Lord, please…please help her to be oblivious to boys who don’t love Jesus. Bring a Jesus-loving man into her life — and let me be excited when that happens.”
“Father, help me be gentle.”
“What will she look like?”
“I wonder what personality the Lord will give her.”
“What are ways I can, while modeling manhood, hang out with her and enjoy things she likes to do as a girl?”
“How can I keep the gospel in front of me at all times (now and when she is born)?”
“Father, I pray I am unashamedly goofy with her.”
“Lord, I pray you help me communicate your story of redemption to her in wildly exciting ways…because it is.”
“Father, give her good friends who love Jesus.”
“I have GOT to understand more about what God desires for women.”
“How can I teach her, as early as possible, about what beauty is in God’s eyes?”
Parents who read this, what are thoughts about your own children that frequently come into your mind?
Today my Mom called me and said that she was not sure whether or not she had ever made her desires for her sons clearly known to us. So, she wanted to do that today. Here is what she said:
“I want you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And I want you to love your neighbor as yourself.
I want you to love your wife and take care of her.
I want you to be a loving father who raises his children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.”
I cannot think of three better things to pray for. I’m glad the Spirit moved her to express these things — it was very encouraging.
With much gratitude I share with you just a few things the Lord has impressed upon me more deeply through my son, Luke (now 9½-months old). Perhaps I will share more later.
People are fearfully and wonderfully made. In watching his body develop, muscles build, limbs grow, eyes focus, hands grab, ears perk up to distinct voices, tongue form new sounds, and balance become increasingly stable, God has shown me that we are indeed fragile creatures, made so beautifully, held together so delicately, intricately knit together.
Life is a vapor. I do not really take note of how fast my own days are passing, the time God has alotted me is being spent, but watching Luke grow and develop so quickly has caused much fear and trembling before the Lord. It reminds me: “Only one life twill soon be past; only whats done for Christ will last.” Don’t waste it, Bret.
Christ died so that I no longer have to live for myself. Actively laboring to instill God’s testimony in Luke requires much self-forgetfulness: time thinking on his behalf, time praying for him, time playing with him, time reading to him, time… Self-forgetfulness is impossible for me; but all things are possible with God.
Where my treasure is, there my heart will be also. Luke must see in the way I live, love his mother, study for school, spend our money, minister to the body, preach to the lost, that the glory of God and the supremacy of Christ over all things is the main thing in life. My actions reveal the treasures of my heart to him. Will he see Jesus in the gospel? I pray so.
Adam Groza (PhD Candidate at SWBTS) and Steven James (ThM Candidate at SWBTS) just published a “White Paper” entitled: “First Things First: Being a Pastor in the Home.” Though it is a short read (about 5 pages), it has some real treasures that will serve not just pastors, but fathers in general. As a taste, three of the five practical activities they recommend implementing in order to shepherd the family well include worshipping regularly as a family, catechizing your children, and teaching your children about Christian heroes. To read their explanations of each and the whole paper, click here.
By the way, if you attend Redeemer Church here in Fort Worth, we have a great selection in the children’s section of the Book Nook that would help to familiarize your children with some Christian heroes.
Luke is now almost eight months old! This also means he is beginning to comprehend a bit (though a small bit) of what I am communicating to him through certain words (e.g. “no” or “good” or “mamamama…”). Before I know it, I will be making some of my first attempts at explaining big truths about God to my little boy who will then be able to understand me (I pray). Teaching the Desiring God Children’s curriculum to the three-year-old Sunday School class at church has helped me greatly in this area of articulation. Still, I am always excited when other God-centered resources are published to help parents saturate their children with lessons about God, Sin, Cross, Scripture, Grace, Faith, etc.
Just recently, a brother at Redeemer introduced me to a small box-set of cardboard books published by Christian Focus Publications that is titled Learn About God. Six small books are included in this set. Their titles are God Knows Everything, God is Everywhere, God is Kind, God Has Power, God Never Changes, God is Faithful. Carine Mackenzie authors these short reads, and on each page includes a big truth about God and how it relates to the world, themselves, or the people they see everyday and then provides a text of Scripture from which these truths have been gleaned.
For example, the second page of God Has Power teaches, “God has power. He can make the wind blow very hard. He can make the wind blow gently.” Besides these words are pictures which fit the catechetical statements and there is also provided this text below: “Its in the Bible: Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters…and all was calm” (Luke 8:24).
I look forward to reading them to Luke as he grows. For those of you at Redeemer Church, I have ordered them for the Book Nook as well; so stop by if you are interested. I would like to point others to order this box set from Westminster Book Storehere.
And there you have it. I’d give Gob Bluth a run for his money.
On a serious note, I am thankful for David and for the work of the Lord in his life. He always has very genuine thoughts about people and theology, seeking to apply what he is learning in a way that gives glory to Jesus. I am am encouraged by his life. David…happy birthday buddy.
And now an incredibly old picture of David because I have nothing up to date:
Posted by Bret 
Posted by Brandon 
Posted by Brandon 
Luke is now almost eight months old! This also means he is beginning to comprehend a bit (though a small bit) of what I am communicating to him through certain words (e.g. “no” or “good” or “mamamama…”). Before I know it, I will be making some of my first attempts at explaining big truths about God to my little boy who will then be able to understand me (I pray). Teaching the 
