Merry Christmas To All
It’s Christmas Eve. Witni and I are actually enjoying a day of cleaning up our house after all of the Christmas hussle and bustle. The grandparents have the baby tonight, and we are going to the movies to watch The Dawn Treader in 3D. I am very excited about this. These books were by far my favorite series as a kid (poor Harry Potter fans), and continue to impact me in a big way as an adult.
We’ve had a great year at BlanketMyBaby. It sure has been fun growing in our experience as store owners, and we are happy that there is many a baby across this great land who are snuggled and swaddled tight thanks to a blanket they received from our store. Maybe, there is a boy or two as well, who are clutching to their security blanket, straining with everything they have to hear sleigh bells on the roof. We hope so. To all of those kiddies, sleep well tonight. Tomorrow morning, you will open up all of your presents, but parents please remember to use this day to teach your children that we celebrate this day because the only gift we ever needed, came to earth as a baby. Our Lord and saviour, Jesus, came to earth and was swaddled the night he arrived.
God loves you. No matter what you are facing this holiday season, hold onto that. This world is full of heartache, pain and loss, but it is because of our fall and our choice to turn away from God’s original plan. We chose not to trust him. We chose to eat of the tree. But, he had a rescue plan in place, a greater intent. And his son came to the earth to seek and save that which was lost. I’m sure that is jibberish to many of you out there, but it is our life and our hope and our joy. Merry Christmas!
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: Christmas, God, Jesus | Comments OffMeeting The Great Grandparents
Back in October, we took Emil on his first road trip. It was about an 8.5 (normally 7) hour journey up I-75 to meet his great grandparents. Emil will be too young to remember this trip, but fortunately, we took some video to capture the trip. My parents grew up about 15 minutes from each others’ houses. They were high school sweethearts, and as a family, it’s been so nice to go “up North” and be able to visit both sets of grandparents.
One of the true joys of having Emil born into our lives is the increased connectivity between your family. For the older generations, I believe a baby brings memories, smiles, joy and hope for the future. Plus, they get to do all the fun stuff with the baby, knowing that it’s not their turn for the 2am feedings. Ha! But Witni and I have both experienced a new depth of understanding and intimacy with both our parents and grandparents. There is a sense of empathy for one another because you are now experiencing something in having children that is simply inexplainable until it happens. The same goes for being married, but this is just another deeper level. I love it.
While we were on the trip, we were able to talk to my grandparents about their parenting experiences and ask for tips and advice. The result was priceless, and I’m happy to say I was able to video some of those interviews as well. The following passage has been deep on the hearts and minds of my wife and I.
Deut. 6:1-9
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
I am so excited to be able to pass down the love of our Lord to our son. I cannot wait to tell him how much God loves him. I cannot wait to impress upon him the love of the Father – that the heart of the Father is that we “may enjoy long life”. What a blessing to be a parent. What a great responsibility. The Lord chose one family to bless the nations. His plan has always been to use the family as a way to bless the earth.
In the video below, you’ll see clips from the Sztanyo grandparents and being at the Britt farm (my mom’s side), with her mom and sister. We also got to take a stroll on the Britt farm through their exquisite tree grove. Our dog Legend, got to come as well.
Filed under Emil, Marriage, Videos | Tags: family, God | Comments OffA Baby Miracle
One of my best friend’s from college and his wife, Ryan and Keeley White, recently had twin boys, Braden and Reed. The tragedy was that Reed was born with a bad heart, and was in need of a transfer. So, for the past 70 days or so, my friends have spent days upon days in the ICU unit at Vanderbilt with one of their twin sons, and then going home to the other. How gut wretching! The horrible irony of it all was that in order for their son to live, they needed a heart from somebody else.
So, after 70 hard days of tears and prayers, God gave them a miracle. Reed was given a new heart from a donor, and immediately was rushed into surgery. It’s been 3 days now, and he seems to be getting stronger every day. If you would like to read more about this amazing miracle, check out Ryan and Keeley’s Blog.
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