Category — Family

Well, today was an exciting day. It all started around 1:30 am on Sunday morning. Dianne began having some really strong contractions. Based on her past history of quick labors, we called our friend to come over and stay with the kids in the house while we went to the hospital. At the hospital, the contractions remained strong, but started to get farther apart. Even after walking laps around the labor & delivery floor, the contractions remained sporadic, and they sent us home around 7:00 am. Our friend went home, and we fed the kids breakfast. Dianne’s contractions continued throughout the morning and we made plans to drop our kids off at church to stay with friends for the day. I met a friend halfway to church and got back home as soon as I could. Good thing. Dianne was definitely in full-on labor. The contractions were very strong, but still around 9 minutes apart. Most hospitals  tell you not to come in until they are 5 minutes apart for a full hour, so we waited. They got to about 6 minutes, and I could see from Dianne’s face that we needed to go. There was no 5 minutes apart. Everything turned into one long continuous contraction. At this point, the car is running, the stuff is in there, and I am wondering if I am going to get Dianne to the car. She had a sensation like her water broke, and things start to move very quickly. While Dianne is getting into the car, I dial the hospital and tell them we are coming quickly, be ready. About a mile down the road, about 4 minutes from the hospital, Dianne informs me that the baby is coming. I suggest to her kindly that it would be a good idea for her to wait a few more minutes, but her water breaks en route. I get on the phone to 911 while in traffic at a red light. The operator asks if I need an ambulance, and after consulting the birth committee, I decide to pull over into the parking lot of the First National Bank. After pulling into a parking spot, I rush over to Dianne’s side of the car, and the baby was there. Everyone asked if I delivered the baby, but I really didn’t do anything.  I was just the only guy who was there to sign for the package. The ambulance arrived on the scene in about 2 minutes, and I let the professionals take over. Everyone got to the hospital in great shape. Mommy and baby are doing great. She weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz.

Yesterday, the Little Man and I had our traditional meal at the Greek Food Festival. I’ve been every year since I’ve been in PA, and various members of the family have accompanied me. However, since it’s usually a very crowded affair, and eating out with all the children usually turns into a fiasco, it’s become a boys night out. We’ve been three years in a row, and each year it gets more special. Traditions need not be elaborate, just something simple you can share with your family.

Ten years ago today, Dianne made me the happiest man in the world. Other than the day I accepted Christ as my Savior, no other day has more significance to me than this one. On the one hand, ten years seems to have gone by so quickly, and on the other, some of our earliest memories after we were first married seem so long ago. I look back at pictures and wonder where those days went; you know the ones before the kids. We’ve experienced good times and bad, times when we had $50 to our names and times of plenty. We’ve had times of sickness and health, though Dianne never gets sick unless I’m across the country on business, then things get ugly. We’ve had the joys of having three wonderful children with one on the way, and we’ve experienced the sadness of having 3 miscarriages. We’ve moved from South Carolina, to Georgia, to Michigan, and to Pennsylvania. I am blessed to have such a wonderful wife to have supported me throughout all my schooling, moving away from friends and family, having to establish ourselves in new churches along the way, and yet Dianne never stopped supporting me. I just want to publicly acknowledge her now as the beautiful and wonderful wife that she is. Thank you honey. I love you.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;” Psalm 127:3-5

Here is our family mission statement that we have been working on.

The purpose of our family is to…
• serve the Lord together. Josh 24:15
• live our lives according Scripture. 2 Tim 3:16-17
• grow spiritually as a family and as individuals. Col 2:6-7
• be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us. 1 Cor 4:1-2
• be critical thinkers. 1 Thess: 5:21
• be an example to our family and others. Matt 5:16
To accomplish these things, we acknowledge our responsibilities in the following areas and shall…
…as members of this family:
• pray for one another. James 5:16
• encourage one another. Heb 10:24
• not criticize or complain about each other to others. James 4:11
…as members of this household:
• recognize that we are all part of this family and will do our fair share to keep the household running smoothly.
• clean up after ourselves. 1 Cor 14:40
• be truthful about what happens when an accident occurs. Eph 4:25
• do any tasks or chores assigned to us without complaining. Phil 2:14
…as members of our church and ministries:
• attend all regular church services if we are present and healthy. Heb 10:25
• support ministries and charities that uphold our same beliefs and values with our time and money.
• fulfill our responsibilities in our chosen ministries. Heb 6:10
• obey those in authority over us in these areas. Rom 13:1-2
…as stewards of God’s finances:
• place value on the things of Heaven, not on the things of this Earth. Matt 6:19-21
• work towards eliminating all debt. Prov 22:7
• limit the use of credit cards. Rom 13:8
• wait 24 hours in which time we will pray over any purchases over the amount of $100. Luke 14:28-30
• set aside portions of our money for giving, saving, and spending. 2 Cor 9:7
• trust the Lord to provide for our needs. Matt 6:31-34
…as husband and wife:
• recognize that a strong marriage builds a strong family.
• set aside time to connect each day with one another.
• learn to communicate effectively with one another.
• have a date night at least once a month.
…as parents:
• learn to recognize the individual needs of our children and strive to meet them.
• teach them God’s Word. Deut 6:6-9
• strive to spend one-on-one time with each of them. Eph 5:16
• protect our children from unwise relationships. Prov 13:20, 2 Cor 6:14
• protect our children from ungodly secular media. Ps 101:3-4, Eph 5:11-12, Phil 4:8
…as educators of our children:
• be our children’s primary teachers of values whether they are schooled in the home or elsewhere. Prov 22:6
• decide the best course of education for our children. Deut 11:18-20
• strive to encourage further studies in areas of interest. Prov 15:14
• support a broad liberal arts education with a Christian worldview. Phil 1:9-10
• make our home an environment conducive to learning. Prov 24:3-4
… as trainers of our children:
• not discipline in anger. James 1:20
• incorporate Biblical training into our discipline. Eph 6:4
• be consistent in discipline so all will know what to expect. Prov 29:15
• train up our children for God’s glory, not for ours. 1 Cor 10:31
…as children in this home:
• obey our parents. Eph 6:1
• respect our parents’ property.
• honor our parents with both our words and our attitudes. Ex 20:12
…as brothers and sisters in this home:
• not raise our voices or hands to one another. Prov 16:32
• respect one another’s privacy and property. Ps 133:1
• try to resolve conflicts first before involving others. Matt 18:15-17