Wordless Wednesday

THREE YEARS OLD!!!!

That's how old my little boy will be in 32 minutes! How can that even be true?? How can my little boy be that old? Ok....enough for sounding like an old-man dad...

Here's the thing. I LOVE my little boy. More than I ever thought I could. What do I love about him, well let me give you a list. The other night I put Jonah down for the night and he wanted me to sing him a song. I asked him what song and he chose the classic lullaby, "The A-B-C's"...so here's my list.

Asking--Jonah loves to ask questions and I love that he's inquisitive.

Beginning--I love the new things that he does. It seems like something new every week if not every day!

Chutes and Ladders--Jonah recently discovered this game. He doesn't really get the concept, but he loves to go up and down the ladders and slides, and he loves to fold and unfold the gameboard.

Dog--My little boy has fallen in love with our little dog Max. I love that the one that took most attention away from Max has become Max's primary source of attention. It's so fun to see them together.

Eggs--Pancakes and scrambled eggs (we have this for at least one meal probably three times a week)

Funder--That's "Thunder" for all of you who don't speak Three-year-old. Jonah yells "Funder" everytime he hears thunder (or a car door closing, or a loud truck, or...)!

Grace--We don't call it "Grace" around here, but "B" for blessing is already taken. We get Jonah to say the blessing everytime he will because it reminds us of just how lucky we are to have him!!! Oh...and no "God is Great" prayers around Jonah. Oh no...he's a full on Thank you for....In Jesus Name, AMEN!! (The "amen" is always the loudest part.)

Hospital--Everytime we pass the hospital in Natchez, Jonah tells the story about when he was spinning around and fell and hurt his eye on the coffee table. Then we had to go to the hospital to see Dr. Farmer and get his eye fixed. It's a classic Jonah story! He has an unbelievable memory.

Inclusion--Ok...he definitely doesn't know this word, but it's what he does! Nobody is left out with Jonah. He loves EVERYBODY! I love that about him.

Jonah Daniel Gwen--That's how he introduces himself.

Ketchup--Oh my goodness. EVERYTHING needs ketchup. He put ketchup on pancakes and syrup!! Ugh!!

Lammy--That's his favorite stuffed animal. AND HE LOVES HIM!!! We've got three identical lammies just in case.

Movies--Jonah loves movies and he has quite a collection. You should see him flip through deciding which movie he wants to watch next.

Neck--We play a game where I pick him up and tell him to look up at the sky. He looks up and I give him kisses right where your neck meets your body. He giggles hysterically! It makes my heart smile!

Ocean--Jonah's never seen the ocean, but that just reminds me of all of the experiences that I still get to have with my little boy.

Please--We're working on getting Jonah to ask rather than tell. Please is the key word.

Quiet--If you've ever heard Jonah say, "We have to be very...very quiet..." You'll understand why this makes my heart swell.

Radiant--Have you seen his smile? Nuff said...

Swimming--Jonah's learning to swim and I'm so proud of him.

Tickling--I love that little boy's laughter when we tickle to the point that he is almost out of breath. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

Understand--Sometimes I have to be away. Jonah is so understanding and he's always glad when I get back home.

Vitamin--Jonah gets a Flintstone vitamin every night and if you don't remind him to chew it up, you'll notice 30 minutes later that he still has it in his mouth. Just one of those quirky things that is SO Jonah...

Whiner's Mat--We've just started this, but everytime Jonah whines, he has to sit on the whiner's mat. The other day, he was a little fussy and put himself on the whiner's mat! What a great kid!

X-tra hugs and kisses (need I say more??)

Years--looking forward to what my little boy will accomplish in the years to come. My love has grown for him exponentially over the last three years. How can that increase? I'm so glad I've got years to find out.

Zebra--Ok...this is only slightly about Jonah, because it was one of the first animals that I really remember him KNOWING what it was. But I think he really likes zebras. I know I do...I mean, what is it a black horse with white stripes or a white horse with black stripes. Who knows? Oh well...

Next time won't you sing with me...Happy Birthday, Buddy!!!

My little boy!

Jonah turns three Monday. I love being his dad!

God of this City

Someone asked me today to put the "GOD OF THIS CITY" video on the blog. This video was used for "GRACE DAY" last year. Steve Wilson and I went around Vidalia and took all of these pictures then I edited a video to be shown using a video I had seen on the Passion website.

7/12/09 Video of Service

Our service last Sunday was so powerful as we talked about the power of a changed life. The sermon is broken down into three segments on YouTube with the final being the cardboard testimonies.

SIXTY-EIGHT YEARS!!!

Ok...68 YEARS! That number has resonated with me over the last few days. Let me share with you why...

It's pretty common for me to go into hospital rooms. I usually am in one at least twice each week (sometimes many more.) But, this week was a little different. You see...Saturday, I got a call that a church member, Colmetta Myers, was not doing well. She has been battling leukemia for several months. The last few times that I had seen Ms. Colmetta, I could tell that she was really having some difficulties. Something about the call last Saturday made me think that this hospital stay may not be the same as the ones in the past.

I went to see Ms. Colmetta when we got back in town, and my suspicions were confirmed. She was not doing well. She was having a great deal of difficulty. I could tell that she was getting much weaker. I went back every day last week. And on Thursday night, I got the call about 10:45 p.m. Ms. Colmetta had breathed her very last strained breath.

I went over to the hospital to meet with the family and try to comfort them. When I arrived, most of the family hadn't gotten there yet, but not long after, Mr. Jimmy Myers, Colmetta's husband of 68 years, walked in. He stood straight and proud and handled this situation like only he could. I'm just so glad that he could.

You see, three years ago, Mr. Jimmy Myers at the young age of 85 made a profession of faith! Most people would tell you that if someone doesn't make a decision to follow Jesus by the time they turn 18 then the chances are pretty slim that they ever will. When a person turns 25, the chances are even smaller. Even smaller at 40...55...65...etc. But I'll never forget the day Ms. Colmetta called me and told me that her husband, whom she never thought would make that decision, was asking questions about what it meant to accept Jesus into his heart. I made a bee-line over to their house and found a very strong, hard-working...humbled man waiting to accept Jesus into his heart. I hardly said a word. He basically explained to me what it meant to become a Christian. I've heard that the greatest distance in the world is the distance between the head and the heart. On that day, I literally saw that distance disappear before my very eyes, while the knowledge that Mr. Jimmy had in his head exploded into his heart! He and I prayed right then and there, and I witnessed the entrance of Jesus into an 85 year old heart. And just a few weeks later, I had the opportunity to baptize him! What an experience!!!

On Thursday night, Mr. Jimmy said goodbye to his wife of 68 years. Let that sink in for a minute...........

But because of a decision that Jimmy Myers made three years ago...there will come a day when he'll say hello again! WOW!