It’s been 3 months since my last blog.

No, this is not a confession. It’s a reality.  It’s been 3 months since my last blog and that’s ok.

So what’s been going on?  Well, first, my son Haden was born in June!  That’s about all you need to know, really.  It’s been an amazing adventure navigating the early twists and turns of parenting two kids.  The latest curve has brought us to the shores of Preschool.  Reese started today.  Between now and then we’ve figured out how to sleep, eat, play, and function in our new reality.

Haden has incredible eyes.  Nicole and I have been trying to figure out what the color is/will be.  Infants are born with this grey-blue eye color that eventually settles into their true color by six months.  Our daughter Reese’s eyes were a rich tootsie-roll brown from week 2.  But Haden’s been holding on to this blue tint for a while.  His uncle and grandma both have blue or hazel eyes, so it’s quite possible that he won’t have the chocolate eyes that the rest of us have.  And that’s awesome. 

But the color is not the most fascinating thing about his eyes.  Haden has those saucer-big, observe-the-whole-world, never-blink eyes.  At first we were wondering if he’d ever make eye contact with us.  (Don’t worry, he does.) He looks at colors, shapes, textures; he soaks everything in.

The only time his eyes soften is when he sees you.  He locks his eyes on you and slowly the corners begin to squint as simultaneously he gives us the biggest gummy grin you’ve ever seen. He’s a happy baby.  He’s almost laughing.

Exploring life for Haden brings him pure Joy.  It’s a blessing to experience the world through his eyes. It makes me think…

…If I didn’t move, talk, or worry, how much joy could I find in what’s all around me?

…If I slowed down to look, what detail would I be able to appreciate?

…If I smiled at everything that I found pleasure in, how many smiles would I get back?

…am I missing out on something here?

The past few months I’ve been thinking/praying/conversing about how to better experience/ retell/ relate to God’s STORY.  I think it starts with being STILL. Before we can say anything, we need to take it in – to SEE it, hear it, smell it, taste it, feel it.

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 46:10a (NASB)

¹⁰ “Cease striving and know that I am God.”

It starts with Stopping. How do you take refuge if you keep going?  How do you cease striving if you aren't still?