A Little Thankfulness

Here's a little truth I'm living out today. Thanks to my girls who make life way more awesomer!!

Proverbs 18:22 - He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

Psalm 127:3-5 - Don't you see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior's fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don't stand a chance against you; you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

I've Been Thinking About Sex

I know, what a cheap (effective) way to get more traffic back to my blog....

But seriously, I HAVE been thinking about sex. It's a physical thing right? Man & woman, physical "relations".

How does it end up being so much more than that?

In it's essence, it's a physical need finding physical fulfillment, but in actuality, it becomes a spiritual act binding and bonding 2 people together (who are hopefully prepared for such binding and bonding). And it's been going on for a long time (see the second chapter of the Bible, verse 24)

I'm not going to get into it much more than that because the point that has impacted me is how a physical act becomes a spiritual act. Someone temporal, has done something eternal.

Let me draw a parallel:
I've just returned from our yearly pastor's conference. I have reconnected with a lot of freinds that I haven't seen for a year. I've been able to share a meal with some really special people. I feel encouraged in ministry and mission for the first time in a good long while. And then my mind drifted to the sex thing (just wait, it will make sense). Here is another physical act that becomes a spiritual act. The physical presence of these people in my life has ignited a spiritual hunger and passion that lifts me.

This encourages me. That what I can do in my everyday life can have eternal siginificance. Because there are times that you feel like it doesn't. God is always working, it's our responsibility to "get into the bed" so to speak.

Momentum

Things stop without it. Companies and churches crave it. It often prevents change. It often speeds up change.

Much is made of momentum. I have one question..... WHY?

In 1 Samuel 8 the Israelites want a king. Even after God tells them that they don't need an earthly king because His kingdom is built in their hearts they still insist. Why?

Inherent in the word momentum is the concept of speed. "Speed Kills" it has been said. "Speed Thrills" it has been said. Which one are you?

Lately I'm believing more in TRUTH than MOMENTUM. I think momentum will always be about a race and keeping up to our competitor ("Then we will be like all the other nations.." - 1 Samuel 8:20).

I prefer truth because it causes me to rely more on something that God has determined and not something that I have envisioned. Momentum is stopped or reduced by the smallest of things. The truth isn't.

See you next week.

Hello Again

OK it's been a long time since I blogged but I was just having coffee with a friend and we talked a bit about disciplines and I want to discipline myself to write a bit in 08. I also added a picture of Annalise to get the women to come to the blog.

WHAT'S NEW IN YOUR WORLD?

In mine, everything is new:

New Joys
I can't explain to you how awesome it is to be a family. We've been at this 10+ months now and it's still amazing. I'm a dad and no longer just a husband. Wanda is now a wife AND a mother. Along with the joy of seeing Annalise's beautiful face each day, I have the joy of seeing my wife BECOME something new... And it's beautiful.

New Insecurities
Am I good enough?/Will I drop her?/Will I be a smothering parent?/How will I know when to let go?/Do I always see what I need to see?/Is my wife getting enough time alone?/Am I getting enough time alone?/Are we spending enough time together as a family?/Are Wanda & I spending enough time alone?/When will I NOT be tired?/Should we adopt again?/How can I be the provider I need to be?/Is this neighborhood safe enough to raise a family in?

New Possibilities
I continue to be amazed at this city... The last few days have made me stand in awe at God's beautiful creation again. But I am also amazed at our capacity for self presentation and promotion. People (Me as the Chief) love themselves and love to love themselves. Wanda made the comment the other day as we were entering a store that people LOVE to spend money. How do you teach people to b selfless when this city honors and makes famous those who are "self first"?

New Commitments
I've made a few, not resolutions but commitments for this year:
1. To blog consistently
2. To always be reading
3. To drink lots of water (because it is key to my emotional health)
4. To turn off the TV more
5. To turn off the computer more
6. To go see more live music because it's life giving to me
7. To spend more time with my friends
8. To spend more time on the Seawall with my wife and daughter
9. To be in the place again where I have lots of people speaking into my life
10. To have lots of seed to sow (Matthew 13)

Hello Again. I'll see you next week.

Does Anybody Still Read This Thing???

If so, here is an update of our life since last I wrote:

Lots Of Visitors
We have been so blessed to have many people come to see little Annalise. We've had Kamloopsians, Langlians (Langleyites??), and even some Nanaimoans. Tomorrow we have some Slave Lakers (Wanda's brother and his wife), for a week or so. Then Wanda will drive back with them and spend a week in Slave Lake showing off the baby. She'll fly home after that.

The Crunch Heard 'Round The World
Wanda and Annalise were in a car accident. Nobody was hurt. We found out on Tuesday that they've written off our car. We will get OK (not generous) money for our car. Thank you to our WONDERFUL friend who has lent us a car. She's a real blessing to us in many ways.

The Hunt Begins
We've been spending way too much time on Craigslist looking at used cars. We're trying to decide if we should replace (get something comparable to what we had) or upgrade (buy a long term family vehicle). If you hear of anything....

OK. Well back to my Facebook.

Reflections On My First Father's Day

Well it was what it was, a day that's now mine to celebrate every year but the first one was sure weird. Even today at work everyone was wishing me a "Belated Happy Father's Day". At church yesterday everyone was wishing me a Happy Father's Day.

It's kind of like the first time I went to sleep in the same bed as my wife (May 4th, 1996. I'll have you know). You've wanted this for so long but it's here and it's kinda weird.

I: think "Non-Fatherhood" was my last connection to believing I was actually young. I'm not young anymore. Nope. Not me. O L D!! I better start acting like it.

I'm responsible for others now. It's really FREAKY.

I'm not making much sense but all I can say is that when all these people were wishing me a Happy Father's Day, I really didn't FEEL like it was me they were referring to. I guess I'm feeling comfortable DOING Dad things but actually BEING a dad... as in, it's part of my identity, not there yet.

So anyway, since I think most of the traffic on my blog is moms, ask your hubby for some advice. I'm all ears!!

Ha Ha

I would never teach my girl to exclude other children, but this is simply one of the best picture in the history of civilization.

More GREAT Pictures

Upping the Cuteness Factor About a Kajillion Percent

Thanks Beautymark Photography. Awesome work!!!!

As Requested - More Pics of Annalise

At the Risk of Being Sentimental....

Leave one memory that you have with Wanda & I. It doesn't matter if you known us a little or a lot, anything you remember! Don't send a message, leave a comment on here. Next, re-post this on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool/funny to see the responses (at least that's what I've heard, I haven't tried it yet).

How LIFE has changed, HOW LIFE has CHANGED!!

Hey everybody. Not sure if you all know this or not but..... having a baby really changes your life. Especially when you and your wife have been doing just fine on your own for 11 years, thank you very much!

1. We eat alone... I mean we're in the same room but one person eats while the other is with Ally. Which lead to number 2...
2. Cold food. I think we may abandon hot food all together and exist on a diet of sandwiches and cereal (cereal will get soggy... DANG, scratch that, but there's always sandwiches).
3. Sleep. Huh, what.
4. How did our place get SO much smaller overnight?
5. No more of me wearing black clothing with her around. Baby puke stains look absolutely ridiculous on black.... but blend in rather nicely with lighter colours, which is encouraging.
6. How do they get their poo that color (that one was for you DB).
7. We are a family now. We will have different goals and dreams than we had before. We will have new love come from our hearts that we've never had before.
8. Someone else needs me. Incredibly humbling and incredibly challenging.
9. NOT going out in the evening doesn't mean staying home watching TV. It means spending family time together, tickling, playing, seeing how much of my chest hair she can rip out in one handful.
10. Seeing who my wife is becoming by having an outlet for all that maternal stuff that was always inside her and never had a chance to flourish.


How LIFE has changed, HOW LIFE has CHANGED!! But I'm not complaining.

We're Home

It looks like a Baby Gap and a Kids' R' Us threw up in my living room.

Adoption Update - WE RETURN!!!

We've finally booked a flight home.

We will be back at YVR at 10:18am on Saturday May 5th. We fly Honolulu Vancouver with a 3 hour layover in San Francisco. I'm not sure how long it will take to clear customs and (more importantly) immigration. Pray for immigration that they look favorably on us as we go there after our flight.

REALLY looking forward to seeing you and sharing our little Ali Jo with you. Thanks for being part of the journey.

Adoption Update - "Price Check In Aisle 3"

So we wanted to see how much she weighed. I think the blanket was really heavy.

Good news. Looks like we'll come home Wednesday, arriving Thursday morning. I'll post a confirmation on that.

New Pictures

Wanda & AJ kissy kissy

Wanda and AJ (under the blankets) at Diamond Head

Hanauma Bay - Great snorkeling place. We stopped there on our tour

Our little bundle of Joy









I took AJ for a walk so mom could have a nap


Thanks so much for all your encouraging words. Can wait to have you meet AJ in person!!!

ANNOUNCING............

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, Annalise Jordan Moores, born April 3rd, 2007, weighing 7lbs and 3ozs.

She was introduced to her mother on April12th, 2007 and her father on April 16, 2007.

Annalise means "graced by God's Provision". Amen, brother!!!

Acceptable short forms are Lisey (LEE-SEE), Alise, Ally, or AJ (not to be confused with the Backstreet Boy).

Here's your chance to say something to Annalise. I promise whatever you post, I'll read to her. So if you think she needs a warning about her father's taste in hockey teams or something of that nature, Fire away. I'll let you know what she says.

Our family officially begins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.5 - I'm Going Tonight

Well y'all, thanks for all the comments over the last 5 days. I'm headed out tonight at 6:40pm to Honolulu. Wanda and baby will be there waiting for me.

Promise to keep updating lots whilst I'm gone. I think we'll be home on the 25th but there are no guarantees in this stuff.

Here's what to pray for:

1. Immigration paperwork - I will send it off today after I get the adoption agency to give it the final once over. It would be really great if it was processed in 7 days, so by next Tuesday.

2. BC Ministry paperwork. We are still waiting for one more form from the hospital in Honolulu before we can process this. A friend is going to take care of receiving that form for me and then taking it to the adoption agency. Same time frame would be great.

3. Pray that we would build the foundation stones of being a family over the next week while we're there.

4. Deals!!! While spending all this time in Hawaii is nice, the bills are piling up. Pray that the hotel will give us a great deal when we tell them our full story.


Thank you all for sharing this with us and especially with me. I've really needed all of you over these last five days. Talk to you soon!!!

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.4 - The Name

So we're honestly struggling with naming her. Nothing really grabs us. so I'm appealing to my readers. Give us your best names. No silly stuff but girl names that you love that aren't YOUR children's names.

And for your trouble, I'll post another picture of baby.

Adoption Update Hawaii 2.3- JPGs

New pictures.