Month: November 2012

Baby Dedications

November 4, 2012

It was a super blessing to be at church today during a baby dedication.  Little Ruby Bell has already won the crowds over (babies seem to do that!) at Southwest Central, and I think that will continue to be the case as she grows up and becomes an adult.  She is definitely apart of the family at our church, and we (I) will do the best I can in supporting  her growth.  It’s a super blessing because I want the best for that child, and because the Bells are such a super family that mean a lot to our church family, let alone to me.

For me though there is more food for thought as I am watching the baby blessing.  The themes came up constantly about family, and about the role of that life as part of the church family.  Just the theme of family alone is meaningful to me.  I have watched numerous times over the years as children are blessed and/or dedicated as part of a church service, and the meaning behind committing a child’s life and an adults’ parenthood to Christ because that is what families do is quite moving.  Families are called to be faithful, and bring their little ones to Jesus who doesn’t reject them but welcomes them with joy.  The dedication reflects the faithful joy that families ought to hold (and of course what I look forward to myself).  So I love the family aspect.  It is not simply any old blessing or any old prayer- it is an acknowledgement of the gift and joy of family in our Christian journeys.

It is also reflects the role of the church in our lives.  The church really becomes the place where we bring our personal gifts, our joys and sorrows, our celebrations and our griefs- it is the place where our lives become wrapped into something bigger and are given more life.  Though I am not knowledgeable myself, raising a kid as a parent is one thing, but acknowledging it as a gift (and challenge!) from God and placing it before the church family is another.  Bringing a grief, a pain, a prayer is much the same way.  That little baby Bell and those wonderful two parents claim the role of the church family as an important and critical part of their life around that child.  That’s cool, it’s inspiring, it’s meaningful, and it’s something I look forward to.

Thank you for Lord for the beautiful gift of Ruby to the world, to Southwest Central, to the kingdom of God, and to Michael and Luci, and may your gift reflect the power of Christ in our lives in so many ways in the church family throughout her wonderful life!  Amen!

The Girl

November 3, 2012

It has been a while since I blogged.  Well, it kind of makes sense you know.  Cause the last month has been full.  Actually, one girl has pretty much kept me from blogging because she requires time with me- I really don’t understand it. (Please read: sarcasm.  Don’t take me too literally please!)

Yeah, for those of you that don’t know, and for those of you that do, I am now dating this girl who I have known for two years at church, Elana Guerra.  She’s cool- she is assertive, confident, independent, funny, smart but not overbearing in using it, pretty extroverted, committed to her faith, thoughtful, and wait for it…clearly very beautiful.  For those of you that aren’t into the new lingo, that would mean she is hot.  Yes, indeed.  And she has a son that is oh so cute too that I kinda like quite a bit.  Aiden is quite awesome- he is quiet and shy and definitely a sports player- I mean at 4 years old he is already taking in whole Astros games (and that takes commitment right!).  She is beautiful and she is intelligent and has street smarts and has an awesome son- crazy awesome.  Actually, I think I like her most because she is somewhat edgy- but is extremely comfortable with herself.   I like that she is comfortable with the realities of her life and the experiences she has had, and that she appreciates it and owns it.  In that sense, I love that she is very direct and honest, which is also because she is a thinker and quite rational.  In fact, when I try to go chaplain on her, she can avoid those arrows and not get tugged in to therapy.  For example:

“So how was your day.”

“It was long and there was this one guy who was really frustrating and irritating.”

“Oh.  I’m sorry to hear that.  It sounds like that was really hard to deal with.”

“(laughingly sincere) Oh my gosh.  You’re being mushy again.”

Anyway, she is confident and assertive, traits I value so much.  I see it in her mothering, in how she acknowledges that she has to choose battles with Aiden and how she is confident about which ones she chooses.  She is comfortable with her choices, with her perspective, and comfortable with herself.

When she asked what she even brings to the table in this relationship, I laughed because for me it comes down to two things.  Her comfort with herself is huge.  She brings that as that is something I both appreciate and gain strength from.  She makes me feel pretty comfortable with who I am without having to change things.  I am not that artsy, not that smart, not that much of an athlete, not that much of anything, but I do some things decently.  But I don’t have to be great, rather I can be me and not have to stretch or pretend.  Second, I love spending time with her.  Her humor is edgy at times, and her conversation is great (and by the way, do not think that I forget that she is easy on the eyes! (smiles all around)).  I think that when I am around her, I feel comfortable and content, and those two things are beyond great.  And let me add another while I am at it- I like…no I love the way she thinks about her faith.  Just as have talked, it is freeing (and really cool) to hear your significant other talk about prayer and God as they are important for her.  And what’s even cooler is that I get to see her faith in practice with her son- whether it is unconscious to her or not.

Yes, I am being mushy. I know.  But it had to be done in one post or another sometime soon.  You can clearly tell that I like her I know.  And yes, I feel the same way about her son.  I love spending time with that guy and I am pretty sure that I feel extremely content and happy being around the both of them.

Here are some pic’s.  More to come.