My Daughter's Baptism! - A Father's Journal

    It's Sunday and we have just arrived home from a weekend getaway in Tennessee.  Completely unprepared for what I am about to hear, my little princess who is now not so little says to us, "I want to get baptized."   "What was that you said?" I asked.  She repeated, "I want to get baptized."  I was ill prepared to hear this AWESOME news!  "That is great, sissy!  When?"  was all that I could muster, as I continued to bring luggage from the garage.

   It's now Wednesday and the plan is set and I am going to get to help do the honors!  I now have time and my attention focused to parse the thoughts of my beautiful daughter, who now has the capacity to make some important life decisions and has chosen to follow the Lord Jesus in obedience to His Will to be baptized in water!   I cannot even begin to fill my mouth with expressions of what I feel in my chest!  She has never been forced to this decision, only informed as to what it is all about as given in Scripture, but my prayer continually has been, "God, may my kids know that You are their God! May they have a relationship with You all by themselves!"  I'm feeling pretty good about how things are going so far with this petition before the Father, and I press on to the mark of this HIGH CALL, that my kids be fully espoused to Christ!  I hope between now and Sunday, I can fully realize this moment.  For now.... only "WOW!" 

   It's Sunday, the big day! Though delayed by weather from the original Sunday, we finally arrived.  Today, I joined our Pastor in the baptism of my daughter at our local Church.  I can't begin to express what I felt looking across the baptistery at my beautiful daughter robed and ready to enter into obedient worship!  I know that she could not fully understand or appreciate what she was about to do, but I also know our Heavenly Father must have been even more pleased than I as our daughter stepped into the water to bring full Glory to God!!  As quickly as she entered the water, the experience was over.  I tried to fully capture every second, in my inner man and on my GoPro. As we began to lay her into the water, I placed my hand on the back of her neck so as to be her protector.  I mean, she's going under water, I have to make sure she's safe, haha! When she rose out of the water, I couldn't hold back the smile that exploded from within.  Crucified with Christ, nevertheless, she lives!   Later that evening, as we talked briefly before bedtime, I said to her, "Watching you grow up so fast is not the easiest thing in the world, but you sure are making it easier."   Then, I commenced to express how proud I am of her responsibility and decision-making.  I blessed her and then walked out of the room, praising God for everything that I had experienced on this Sunday.     

   My wife and I continually emphasize the value of trust.  It is hard to build, but easily broken.  We as parents work to build trust by always being honest and real, and we hope that she as a young lady will continue to live so as to build trust.  We assure her that her home life will be better as our trust in her remains.   For now, she has done well!  I praise God for her and for this day!  May she continue this walk to glorify and honor the Name of the Father, of the Son , and of the Holy Spirit!      

A Surprise for My Celtic Cheerleader

     My goal as father and husband is to build a beautiful family culture in my home.  I like to keep things interesting and surprising, to keep love-in-action as an regular occurrence for my kids and my wife.  So for this latest surprise, my son and I had a weekend home, while mommy and sissy traveled away for a cheering competition. My daughter's Celtics team brought home 1st place in 2 categories, so we made a little banner to welcome them home and celebrate their accomplishment.

18 Years Ago...

      It was March 13, 1996 and time again for the West Virginia State High School Boys Basketball Tournament. I was a freshman at what was then, Pikeville College (now University of Pikeville) in Southeastern Kentucky. Feeling like the big man on campus, you know... high school campus, I ventured to Charleston for a weekend of fun, basketball, and chasing high school cheerleaders. Having no specific prospects in mind, I considered the typical menu, Tolsia High cheerleaders or those from the more local Burch High. As that first night neared and my friends and I established our first strategic plan, we ventured downtown where the Bulldog Cheerleaders from Burch High were staying. I felt confident, as I should, I had an inside connection in the person of my aunt, the cheer coach! Upon entering the hotel, there before me was my first target, the younger but growing more and more HOT, Carrie Preece! When I saw her in the lobby, I was taken by how good she looked, and I braced for what the weekend might hold for me. As my friends and I became informed as to what floor the Burch cheerleaders were staying, we put our "game-face" on and up the elevator we went.  I played it safe for hours and just mingled and talked to lots of familiar people, shared some laughs and surveyed the females. As the night was nearing a close, I just might have played it too safe and failed to take enough risk. All of a sudden, the tide turned and I found myself in a very interesting and vulnerable situation. I walked out of a hotel room and into the hallway seeking a vending machine. Carrie, standing in the hallway as I passed by, shot me with an elastic hair bow. I caught it and proceeded to my destination, she followed! Noticing that she was in pursuit, I simply ducked behind  a corner to hide from her.  When she found me, I dangled the hair bow as bait, she took it.  As she reached for the bait in my right hand, I placed my left arm around her waist and pulled her close (still don't really know why I had the nerve to do that!). Suddenly, standing face-to-face with this young woman, who would become my wife, I became smitten!  I peered into her eyes and she into mine, everything faded into the background, and a connection was born!  As curfew became an obvious enemy to whatever was happening to me, I used my inside source, Coach Alice to get more much-desired time to talk to Carrie and further explore the developing connection.  We met in the Coach's room and engaged in conversation for maybe an hour before the inevitable occurred.... lights out.  Coach Alice ran us out of her room, and it was time for me to bid good-night.  However, I was not willing to go away without making a lasting impression, so there in the hotel hallway, just the two of us, I pulled her close once more and .... we kissed!  Needless to say, I have never forgotten that Wednesday night 18 years ago!