From the First
Big-eyed beauty
From the first second,
We loved you -
Your eyes and toes
Your skin and soul
And each molecule of miracle that is you.
Big-eyed joy
From the first second
Our hearts overflowed with gratitude.
We rejoiced the first time we held you,
At 96 hours,
Now that your adoption is “official”
And will continue to celebrate
The milestones and moments
All along the way.
Big-eyed [...]

Worshipping with Sophia
Let me pray with you she babbled
After she rocked out to “O Come All Ye Faithful”
Communing with eyes of wonder
And peek-a-boo
Her soft, brown skin receiving affection poured out
Doubling, quadrupling her return
Surrounded by family: immediate, extended, church
By the time we joined voices for “Silent Night”
She slept in heavenly peace
Sweet breath rising and falling like [...]

A Hands-On Advent
 Advent and Christmas seasons are the times that shiny, sparkly and breakable goodies are removed from special boxes and put on display.  And then we want children to keep their hands off. Perhaps the following can help with that dilemma.
As I have started the process of preparing the house for Advent, I thought [...]

                                                  
                                                        Blessing Children
How would a life change, how would the world change if, every night, a parent or both parents held their child and uttered words of blessing?  Isn’t that an amazing concept – to bless your baby, your child every night!? 
“Raising Healthy Babies,” an entry point into Faith Inkubators, provides parents with education and [...]

 In this week’s lectionary text Mark 10:35-45 Jesus asked James and John if they were able to drink the cup that Jesus would drink and be baptized with the baptism Jesus experienced. They quickly replied, “We are able.” They replied affirmatively not having a clue what the cup and baptism really meant and what would [...]

 
Two years ago this month when we had a baby shower for my friend Amy, each person was asked to bring a poem, blessing, etc. for the baby. No one knew the gender and friends and family did not know possible baby names.
This was my gift to the Barron-Gaffords and all the sweet babies of the world.
Feel free [...]

What songs do you sing to children that tell them you love them? that God loves them?
One of the songs I nearly always sing to our goddaughter Willa (now 22 months old) is “Jesus Loves Me” only I substitute Willa for me. Recently I sang “Jesus loves” and she said, “Willa.”
Oh, if we could all grow [...]

Finally, I’m honoring our daughter’s request to write songs for our youngest granddaughter. I was always creating lyrics when our daughter was little. Of course, they were very, very simple and put to the melody of a familiar song.  How about creating lyrics for your own child or grandchild or any special young person in your life?
                                      Love [...]