Spoiled is what you're supposed to be

Alexa,

Someone has to tell you this, so I may as well be the one. So here goes: you are spoiled.

But I want you to know that that is OK; in fact, that is the way it is supposed to be, the way God wants it to be. God delights in spoiling His children, as do your parents.

The problem is that being spoiled can lead to being a brat, and that's not the way it is supposed to be.

What is the difference between being spoiled and being a brat you ask. Simple: thankfulness. As you exerience the goodness of the heart of your mom and dad (and of God), you MUST be thankful...consciously, verbally, extravagantly thankful. Gratitude is one of the most powerful attitudes that you can develop.

Think about it. When you give someone a gift, or do them a favor, and they go out of their way to express their thankfulness and show their appreciation, what does it make you want to do? To help them or give to them again. BUT, if you give to someone and they take it for granted, how motivated are you to do it again? Not very.

SO, know you are spoiled and don't be ashamed of it -- be thankful for it. But never allow yourself to become a brat. (I actually believe that when we allow ourselves to become brats we tie the hands of God from blessing us -- after all, He doesn't want a bunch of brats for as His kids).

Changing....

Alexa....

Tonight I had the honor of changing your VERY poopy diaper. I won't take the time to describe it in detail, but just know that it was a work of art.

It also made me think about something........there are only two times in life when someone wears diapers: when they are very young and very old. I plan on living to be very old.

And remember - I changed your diaper when you needed it.

'Nough said.

What will the world be like....?

Alexa,

Your grandma and I just got to your house for Christmas week ... and it is so wonderful to see you. Everytime I see you after having been away from you for a few weeks, you seem to have changed so much. Needless to say, you just keep getting more and more beautiful (I can't wait to see how breathtaking you are when you actually get hair!).

Watching you change as time goes by makes me think of something else that continues to change with the passing of time: the world you live in.

In many ways, the world keeps progressing in very positive ways. Advances in communication, entertainment, technology, travel, etc, make the world a much better place to live. On the other hand, the world is also progressively moving in a negative direction: away from the character and nature of the God who created it.

As I think of you and your future, I can't help but wonder what the world will be like when you become a teenager, when you get married, when you have kids, and when you have grandkids.

Although I cannot predict with any sense of accuracy what the world will be like in those various seasons of your life, I can tell you that the more your life is connected to and anchored in the person of Jesus Christ, the more the world around you will make sense. He is the only one who is truly trustworthy and faithful, he will not let you down, and he will never deceive you.

Please stay close to him. Watch your mom and dad closely, and follow them as they live their lives in relationship with the person and truth of Jesus.

I love you.

Your first Christmas

Alexa,

Your first Christmas is just around the corner, and I can't wait to see you, and that reminds me of last Christmas, when I felt the same way, only different -for you were still warm in your mom's tummy.

You have brought a tremedous amount of joy since last Christmas, and our world would not been complete without you. So... I simply want to say thanks - for just being you.

I hope you realize that just the fact that "you are," brings us joy. You don't have to do anything or prove anything. Simply because you are you, the world is a better place.

Your value resides in who you are, and not in what you do.

Missing you...

Alexa,

You spent the day yesterday with Grandma Sherri and GreatGrandma Pat. You went shopping and out to eat (I think you went to Chic-fil-a). Your uncle Nik came by to see you also.

I miss you today as I was thinking about all the people who get to see you on a regular basis. I hope that none of them ever takes the privilege of seeing you regularly for granted.

Something I wanted you to know: I was reading in Genesis yesterday (I don't remember the chapter number at the moment) about Abraham and Sarah and Hagar (you will have to read the whole story to get the big picture). One thing stuck out to me. Hagar, a maidservant of Abraham/Sarah, had one of Abraham's kids and that caused problems and put her in a situation that she never asked to be in. She ends up running away to the desert, and there God comes to talk to her (again, read the story to get the details). After this experience, Hagar gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me."

I tell you this so that you will know that at any and every point and place in your life, God knows who you are, where you are, what you need and how to be there for you. Grandma Sherri would say it this way: "You are on God's radar screen."

So, even though I am separated across the state from you most of the time, God is right there with you -- and I know that he never takes you for granted.

P.S. I am coming to see you tomorrow....

On the road with your Pops and Grandma Sherri

A.J.,
This weekend you are traveling with your mom, me and your Grandma. We are in Springfield visiting the Lombardo's. You will see them off and on throughout your life. We are on the way to Branson to meet up with your dad at the District Youth Convention.
Anyway, what I wanted to tell you was that, much like our weekend, life is a journey. And I have discovered that it is more about the trip than the destination.
So...enjoy the journey, take detours, don't be in a rush and collect friends along the way. And also take a lot of pictures!

Pictures

Alexa,
It has been about three weeks since I have seen you, and I miss you a lot. I am very thankful that your mom loves me enough to be sending me pictures of you almost everyday. It is like watching a slide show of you growing up.
Now I would rather be there in person, but it is kind of cool to watch the changes that I see happening in the pictures. The down side of being with someone everyday is the likelihood to miss the subtle changes that are occuring that are too small to notice. Mostly, I am seeing your personality develop through the expressions that are on your face -- and it is a cute little face!
I look forward to watching you as you discover all that God has wrapped up inside of your heart, mind and soul.
I love you.

So excited...

Alexa,

I am so very excited about today, Monday, August 11th, 2008. Why? Because of you!

Today your grandma and I are driving from St. Louis to the Lake of the Ozarks...to see and spend time with you. And the reason that I am excited is that you are getting to the age where your personality is beginning to emerge. Before this, you just seemed to sleep, eat and poop (and you have shown yourself to be good at all three - two you get from your mom, and the last one probably from your dad).

This has got me thinking (the emerging personality, not the pooping). There is so much that God has knit together and wrapped up inside of you that it will take a lifetime to see it all revealed: your gifts and talents, your passions and purpose, and your ultimate beauty and glory. Time, circumstances, experiences and relationships will eventually bring these things into being.

My hope and prayer is that you will walk all the days of your life under the shadow of God's favor, so that His loving hand might gracefully unpack all that he has deposited inside of you.

I love you.

Your mom...

Hey beautiful girl....

When you get older, ask your mom about her favorite teacher, Mr. Freeal (that is not the way to spell it, but that is how it sounds).

Your pictures

A.J.
I keep going back and looking at your pictures and wondering what is going on in that cute little head of yours. I am always amazed at how beautiful you are, no matter how many times I see you.
I have been praying for the guy that you will someday marry. I realize that he may not even be born yet, but that's OK...I like getting a headstart by praying for his mom and dad, and his whole family. Always remember this: there will never be a guy that is good enough for you, so you have to work hard at finding the guy that is closest to it. And I am sure you will.

May you be...

This morning sitting on the back porch I read a few chapters in Romans. Toward the end I came across a verse that made me think of you (16:19). It expresses Paul the Apostle's hope for his readers, and my hope for you: that you may be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.

Being wise has to do with knowing and understanding, and being innocent has to do with action and intent. I hope you will have a deep understanding (wisdom) concerning what is good and what is evil - knowing the truth upon which good and evil are discerned (that word means to know something on the inside) and based; I also hope that you are innocent when it comes to your actions and involvement concerning evil. I don't want you to be ignorant, but innocent - and if you are wise concerning what is good, it goes without saying that you will be wise about what is evil...and if you are wise about it, you will be innocent.

Needless to say, Good and Evil, and knowing the difference, are very important. Listen to your paents and to the voice inside of you...they will not lead you wrongly.

We got news today...

Hey Beautiful Girl,

Yesterday you went to see the doctor about your pesky kidney (actually your mom, dad and G-MaSh took you since you can't see over the steering wheel to drive yourself). Today the doctor called to say that you have some cysts on your left kidney. When stuff like this happens, without thinking I begin to think, "What did she do to be having this kind of stuff happening?" And the moment I thought that, the story in John 9 (I think it is chapter 9) jumped into my head --sidenote: when things "jump" into my head, it is usually the Holy Spirit.

This is the story of a man born blind. The guys following Jesus asked Him who had sinned that caused this guy to be born blind, him or his parents? Jesus response was, "Neither." Jesus told them that this situation wasn't the result of anyone's specific action or mistakes. This situation had no "cause and effect" tied to it.....it just was.

That got me thinking about how we people are always looking for an explanation for things we don't understand, and a lot of times someone to blame. We want to know what caused it. But Jesus is saying nothing caused it. It just was.

I guess what I want you to know is that a lot of life "just is." Don't waste time trying to figure out why or how it got that way. Invest your time, energy and thoughts in figuring out how to respond or react to the things you don't understand.

I tell you all of this, and at the same time I am trying to follow my own advice when I think about you and your kidney. I think that it will please God for me to trust Him with you, and to be a support to you parents.

I love you.

Why not you?

Dear Alexa,

It has been said that "people are people." And while in some senses that is true, if you look around you will see that some individuals stand out in the crowd. All thoughout history there have been people who have marked their generation by the impact that their lives have made. They may have made a great contribution to the world with their ideas and talents, or maybe they have changed the world through their service and sacrifices.

When I have been thinking about you lately, I have been thinking, "Why not you?" Why could it not be you who stands out in your generation as someone who changed the world? Why could you not be one who marks this world for the better through your life?

And the answer is this: there is no reason that you can't be one whose life counts in ways bigger than yourself. The key is to take who you are (your gifts, ideas, talents, heart, mind, energy, etc)and line it up with who God is (his character, power, will, pleasure, purposes, ideas, etc).

Lean heavily upon the people that God puts in your life, and allow one question to always be dwelling in your heart and mind: "Why not me?"

Your First Day

Dear Alexa,

Yesterday was your very first day and it was incredible to finally see you. You are so beautiful.

One thing I want you to know about today ... you have great parents.

I say this not because your mom is my daughter and your dad my best friend; I say this because of all the people that showed up to support them while they were waiting for you to arrive. So many people love your parents, and your parents love so many people.

One of my favorite people there was Gabby Murillo - she is your parents' God-daughter. She was there patiently waiting for you all because she loves your mom and dad. She talks to them about all the things going on in her life, and lets them give her advice and help. She trusts your parents.

I tell you this because I want you to know how favored you are in having the parents that you have. So many people - and a lot of them young people - value your parents' thoughts and advice. You should, too. Listen to them; talk to them; honor them. You will not be sorry.

The greatest life

Dear Alexa,

The greatest life is one surrendered to God. I am not speaking about simply being a Christian, but about living a life directed by and surrendered to God.

You will have many thoughts, ideas and plans that grow in your heart and mind. They may be about your future career, school, husband, family, etc. But always remember this: God loves you, knows more than you, and is thinking about you at any/every moment. You will never regret making decisions that you know are the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And let me assure you that a life fully surrendered to God will be anything but boring. It is often uncertain, scary, insecure, crazy, exciting, confusing, but it will not be boring.

Your Great-Grandpa's

Your arrival means a lot to everyone, and for different reasons. I am thinking of two people specifically this morning: your great-grandfathers - Grandpa Toby and Grandpa Bob.

You coming into our family when you are catapults these two individuals into a very special category of people - Great-grandparents.

I hope that as time unfolds, you will have a lot of time and opportunities to get to experience them. They are both great men in their own ways.

Grandpa Bob has taught me throughout my life what it means to be responsible and hard working. He did this mostly by just being there. I saw in his example what it means to take care of my family. He has helped me to grow into the man that I am.

Grandpa Toby is even now helping your mom grow in many ways. You will have to ask her about that sometime.

We are praying for him

Who is "him," you may ask? He is the guy that you will someday marry. Your Grandma Sherri and I have been praying for him....and he may not even be born yet. We are praying that he will have parents as great as yours, and a faith in Jesus that guides his entire life.

We will continue to pray for him until the day you get married ... and then we will pray some more. We want you to know that we are looking ahead and preparing space for God to do crazy and great things in your life.

I will ask you to do one thing when it comes to choosing a husband: never settle. In fact, please do the opposite - dream strong and play the long shot. You will have to ask your mom what it means to play the long shot.

I love you.

First things first

I love you. I know that I have not yet met you in person, but, I still love you. And I want that to be the first thing that you read.

I love you because you are a part of me... or rather I am a part of you.

I love you because you bring such joy to my little girl, your Mom.

I love you because you are so valuable, just because you are you.

I love you because you have allowed me to watch your dad love your mom in ways that he couldn't before you were coming along.

I love you because you are my one-and-only FIRST grand-kid I will ever have.

Mostly, I wanted you to know that you are special and that without even being here yet, you are a delight and have brought great joy to this world.

I love you.