Grace!

As I hold my baby boy this Christmas season, studying his precious little face, marveling at his many tiny perfections, I repeatedly think of another mother over two millenia ago who held another Baby Boy in a stable in Bethlehem – so unlike mine in many important ways and yet so like him in others! And I stand in awe of the fact that HE humbled Himself to such a state of dependence: a tiny Baby, dependent on His mother for His most basic needs...

HE who is eternally God "became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth!" (John 1) Later on, as a Man, "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death" – and not just any death – but "even death on a cross." (Philippians 2)

Why such humility – and even humiliation? He did all this in order to "save His people from their sins!" (Matthew 1) Are you personally experiencing His amazing grace?

How the angels proclaiming the news of His birth to those humble shepherds on the Judean hills must have wondered at such amazing grace toward mankind! I, too, stand in awe...

Milestones!

Our precious Little Man is now six weeks old!

(Where does time go?!)

I'm finally getting around to posting one-month pictures. Computer time has been rather scarce these days...

He loves to hold up his head. We think he's showing off!

He's very smiley now, but this is his most typical serious face.

He'll be twice as tall as the Lion before we know it...

I took Elizabeth's milestone pictures with a very special Elephant that my Grandma had given me. I've tried to get some "look alike" milestone pictures now with DJM.

FUN!

Stars!

On the way back down the mountain on Sunday evening Elizabeth was enjoying the night sky:

I see a galaty! (She meant galaxy.)

After discussing galaxy (including its pronunciation) for a few minutes and after enjoying more of the view, she said:

I'll recognize the stars that are in the American flag when I see them because they're stacked in a blue square.

We eventually realized that she was expecting to find those fifty stars – in that formation – in the sky! After all, the stars in Alaska's flag (much loved during our summer travels) can be easily identified in the night sky!

Here are some of her renditions of the Big Dipper, the stars in Alaska's flag.

She drew these after our return from Alaska in mid-August:

Drawing is what she does (and loves!) most as the many miles of our travels go by...

She also informed us that we can see the star in Uruguay's flag every day.

Because it's the sun! The sun is a star. Well, it's really a big ball of fire!

Smiles!

We've been enjoying Big Baby Boy Smiles since DJM was fifteen days old. (There are definite benefits to being big!) Most smiley sessions, however, occurred during middle of the night diaper changes when we didn't have the camera on hand or (perhaps more importantly!) didn't need to encourage wakefulness.

Last Friday morning, the smiles were coming when we did have the camera handy.

Enjoy! (We surely are!)

for Daddy 

 for Mommy

another one for Mommy!

All-Wise

He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young...

(Isaiah 40)

Christ, my Good Shepherd, is all-wise. He deals gently with those who are dependent, weak, helpless... I am thankful that I can take my cue from HIM!