Being a new dad is hard to wrap my mind around, especially since I haven't been able to hold the boys' yet. Jenni and I are extremely ecstatic to have the boys welcomed to the world! I just spent about 30 minutes in the NICU taking photos of the boys, and they are so precious. Josiah is doing well and breathing on his own, while Jayce has a C-pap which is giving him a little support with oxygen. Jenni and I have gotten a bit of rest, and are excited to go and be with the boys for a while before we go back to sleep tonight.
Today was definitely one of the most memorable days of my life, and I can't even begin to imagine the momentous impact these guys will have on my as a Father. I never knew I could love a human being so much, and to imagine that the love our Heavenly Father has for us compares to this has changed my relationship with Him. I just want to watch them all the time, sing quietly over them while they sleep, and care for their every need. God does that for us on a level beyond our imagination. Zephaniah 3:17 WOW!
Stay tuned for more details on our boys, and visit my facebook for pics!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Welcoming Josiah and Jayce!!
After hours and hours of labor, and some intense pushing by my amazing Super Woman of a wife, we welcomed two beautiful baby boys into this world. God is totally on the throne and answered our prayers as we were in labor asking Him to help Jenni deliver without a C-Section. And she was amazing. I am trying so hard to fight back the tears even as I think about it! I LOVE MY AMAZING WIFE!
Josiah was born around 10:45 am, weighing in at 4 lbs. 9 oz, and Jayce came out at 10:51 weighing in at 4 lbs. 2 oz. They are both in the NICU, and Josiah is off of his oxygen, while Jayce is still getting some help breathing, but they are looking amazing!!!
Jenni and I are soooo exhausted and excited at the same time, and are requesting any visitors and phone calls to be put on hold until we can get some rest. Thanks for all your prayers, and your thoughts. We are so blessed by our Father in heaven!
His,
the proudest Daddy and Husband in the world,
Gregg <><
Josiah was born around 10:45 am, weighing in at 4 lbs. 9 oz, and Jayce came out at 10:51 weighing in at 4 lbs. 2 oz. They are both in the NICU, and Josiah is off of his oxygen, while Jayce is still getting some help breathing, but they are looking amazing!!!
Jenni and I are soooo exhausted and excited at the same time, and are requesting any visitors and phone calls to be put on hold until we can get some rest. Thanks for all your prayers, and your thoughts. We are so blessed by our Father in heaven!
His,
the proudest Daddy and Husband in the world,
Gregg <><
babies on the way update #2
It's 3:30 and things are progressing right along now, and Jenni's water broke, and she's about 7 cm now, and contractions are about 4 minutes apart. Won't be long now! Once we are ready to push, we'll be moved to the Operating Room for her to deliver, just in case an emergency C-section is necessary. We are believing God will keep Jayce in position for birth after Josiah is born, and that he comes quickly right after his brother. I'm nervous, but confident, and am relying on the Spirit inside me to help Jenni get through this. She's been amazing so far! The advent is approaching!
babies on the way update
The time has come: Jenni and I came to the hospital yesterday morning at 6:30 after timing contractions for an hour. When we got here, they monitored her and the babies, and then gave her a drug called procardia to slow down the labor. Her cervix wasn't changing, so they moved us to another room to wait it out. At about 9 pm on March 13th, she went into labor with her cervix starting to dilate. I'm sitting in the Labor and Delivery room while she is trying to rest after getting her epidural (Thank God!) and waiting for labor to progress. Her water broke at about 11:30, so things are moving along quickly. I, however, saw a stretch of nerves come in after Jenni stabilized with the epidural and felt the need to lose my dinner, which I promptly did. Still a little sick to my stomach, and can't really sleep or rest. Now, we wait. The babies are almost 33 weeks along, which can come with its own set of complications, but we reject conventional wisdom and rely on a higher source of knowledge and strength, believing God to take care of these boys, their lung development, breathing when they come out, and the ability to get their nutrition from Mommy. I wanted to give you all an update, and thank you for your many prayers. I'll keep the updates coming as I have time, so keep an eye on this blog.
Soon to be Daddy,
Gregg <><
Soon to be Daddy,
Gregg <><
Monday, January 11, 2010
a new you for a new year
Every year we are faced with opportunity. Opportunity for a fresh start at a new year. A time where we can look back at our previous year and our previous goals and evaluate what went well and what didn't. As I looked back on last year I was met with joy, excitement, frustration, and disappointment as many days were filled with the gambit of emotions. At the beginning of 2009 I hadn't put much thought into my goals other than I wanted to lose weight and get fit—that's on everyone's list, right? Which is why the gym is WAY too crowded in January, and by March it's back to normal. Last year, I missed my weight goal by 5 pounds when I was at my fittest since high school. Now that I've been eating for three along with my wife, I'm 20 pounds off my former weight goal. That was my only goal for the new year of '09, and by May I was right on target to hit it, and maintained from then until about October.
I turned 30 in December, and as I'm creeping up the hill I am resolute to accomplish my goals and be the absolute BEST version of myself that I can be. I know my 30th year is going to be the best one of my life for a multitude of reasons, but I also know that it's going to take a lot of work—blood, sweat, and tears. Nothing that is worth accomplishing is easy. I've spent more time thinking through my resolutions this year than I have in all my previous years, and I WILL accomplish my goals. In fact, at this point in January, things look promising. I've already put a big fat check mark on one of my financial goals—paying off our credit card this year. We are now free from credit card debt thanks to Financial Peace and Dave Ramsey, and we couldn't be more thrilled. Now that's a HUGE check mark!
Among my goals, I intend to be physically healthy, spiritually mature, intellectually wealthy, financially sound, and pastorally strong. There's a myriad of goals in those categories that I'm still journeying through, but I AM resolute. Among the challenges of reaching these goals, I also have the challenge of figuring out how to be a dad—how to be a great dad. Challenges are quite often met with opposition, but this one will also be met with great joy, and the number one reason that my 30th year will be the BEST year of my life. I welcome opposition. I welcome challenge. I will overcome.
The opportunities to recreate yourself are endless, and you are capable of it at any point in the year, and at any point in your life. Don't just jump on the bandwagon of goals and resolutions because others are doing it, but because you realize that there are opportunities for growth in your own life. God loves you too much to let you stay the way you are. He is constantly at work in your life—Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." His work will never be done in your life and in mine; the process of sanctification will continue until you meet Christ.
I guess I could be labeled a "Construction Zone" because I am a work in progress. The work this year is going to be done more often, more swiftly, and more promptly as I am more open to growing exponentially now than I ever have been.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
the X in Xmas
i came across this blog on my myspace page that I wrote several years ago, and thought that I would re-post it here.
well, it's christmas time again, and I thought I'd share a bit of light on the whole "x"mas thing. I've used the term xmas in some of my writings and comments and such, so I thought I should share the wealth of knowledge that I've been privy to for the past few years.
I used to think like most Christians that we should put Christ back in Christmas, when everyone started putting the X in place of Christ. I've come to the realization that there are two very different ways to look at this.
Some use the x, just like that algebraic "x"= the unknown. That reminded me of a story in Acts 17, when Paul was in Athens. The Bible says in vs. 22-23, "Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'men of athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."
For these men of athens they were worshipping something they weren't aware of, and for many people in our world today, they put the X in X-mas not to, in my opinion, take the Christ out, but that they are unaware of what the season is about. So, it is our job to proclaim that to them.
How can we tell them what the X really means without sounding like an idiot? Well, you're in luck, I'm going to tell you!!! The other way to look at the X is the most logical and proper way. X represents the first letter of the word Xtos (XPIETOE), which in Greek is the word for Christ. So, what is the X in X-mas? The X is Christ.
On a side note, Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writings, where the X represents a Greek Chi (X). In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas, when in all reality, we are really pronouncing Christ.
So, take this knowledge to those who you know use Xmas, and see if they know what the X really is!
Now go watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, and spread the cheer by reading Luke 2 with your loved ones!
well, it's christmas time again, and I thought I'd share a bit of light on the whole "x"mas thing. I've used the term xmas in some of my writings and comments and such, so I thought I should share the wealth of knowledge that I've been privy to for the past few years.
I used to think like most Christians that we should put Christ back in Christmas, when everyone started putting the X in place of Christ. I've come to the realization that there are two very different ways to look at this.
Some use the x, just like that algebraic "x"= the unknown. That reminded me of a story in Acts 17, when Paul was in Athens. The Bible says in vs. 22-23, "Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: 'men of athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."
For these men of athens they were worshipping something they weren't aware of, and for many people in our world today, they put the X in X-mas not to, in my opinion, take the Christ out, but that they are unaware of what the season is about. So, it is our job to proclaim that to them.
How can we tell them what the X really means without sounding like an idiot? Well, you're in luck, I'm going to tell you!!! The other way to look at the X is the most logical and proper way. X represents the first letter of the word Xtos (XPIETOE), which in Greek is the word for Christ. So, what is the X in X-mas? The X is Christ.
On a side note, Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writings, where the X represents a Greek Chi (X). In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas, when in all reality, we are really pronouncing Christ.
So, take this knowledge to those who you know use Xmas, and see if they know what the X really is!
Now go watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, and spread the cheer by reading Luke 2 with your loved ones!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
goodbye, Apathy
Two nights ago, I was priveleged enough to view a pre-screening of a new movie coming out called "To Save A Life." Honestly, one of the most amazing and relevant movies to today's generation that I have ever seen. It was a captivating, enthralling, motivating tear jerker of a flick. After watching it, I was thinking about the youth ministry at our church, and the students involved in this ministry. As I thought about them, there was one word that resonated with me—apathy. I challenged them last night to confront apathy. As I shared my frustrations, the Holy Spirit confirmed I was doing the right thing by scrapping my talk on marriage by taking over my words. As I was speaking, I couldn't help but think, "This is coming out much more eloquently than I could ever have thought," so I knew it wasn't me speaking, but God through me. Some of those frustrations were mine—students being in cliques while at youth group, and not desiring to know each other in community, students not bringing their friends, their lack of participation in events and service projects. But at the heart of it, I think some of those frustrations were turned into challenges from God to say goodbye, Apathy. To choose to no longer say, "I don't care," and do something for those around you.
I wonder how much of it was taken to heart through our family time discussion, and want to throw the net wide to hear any thoughts on how you say goodbye to Apathy in your own life. What will it take for you to truly care enough to make a difference?
Take a look at the movie trailer here!
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