Henry's Birthday

My son, Henry, turned four years old today. Last night it started to snow, again. This is a pretty strange thing for this part of Texas this time of year. We've had quite a bit of snow this year... again, for this part of Texas. I took the kids in the truck and we went on a "snow ride" so they could see it falling while we drove. Henry said, "It's like God gave me a birthday present." Amen, Henry... Amen.

Families Worshiping Together

This is a really good post over at Generation Cedar about children and children's church/sunday school

FAMILIES WORSHIPING TOGETHER - WHY NOT CHILDREN'S CHURCH

Here's a Great Message

The Centrality of the Home in the Evangelism and Discipleship of the Next Generation - Voddie Baucham

Take 30 minutes or so to listen to this and you will hear Voddie talk about this mission.

CLICK HERE

It's a Girl

We had the mid-term sonogram this past week and we are officially going to be the Brady Bunch... it's girl #3. So that's three boys and three girls for those keeping score at home.

Everyone except the two oldest boys was happy about the results... the boys wanted another boy, of course.

A Banner Day

My 3 year-old son, Henry, has had this fear of pooping for a very long time now. It's not that he was constipated or anything... he just didn't want to poop. He actually would hold it in for a week at a time. We called it the Stinker Shuffle because of the dance he did while trying to hold it in with all his might. During these times he was extremely loud with crying and moaning and sometimes outright screaming. We all hate the Stinker Shuffle around here.

When it happened in public, people would really wonder what in the world those crazy people with all the kids are doing.

A few weeks ago, Henry decided (all at once pretty much) that he was going to pee on the potty and wear big boy underwear. That's how he put it. I gotta say, when the boy decides something, he does it. I honestly don't believe we've had one accident, even at night, since the very first day. Dry underwear every day and morning and after naps. We don't even ask if he has to go... he just does when he needs to. It's been the greatest potty training experience ever because he trained himself. He just decided to do it on his own without us pushing. Maybe that's the key.

BUT... we still have the Stinker Shuffle problem. He might be going on the potty, but the stinkers are still an issue as he still didn't want them to come out. THAT IS UNTIL NOW. Tonight, I was getting him ready for bed and he said he needed to go potty. That is totally normal and part of the schedule. We went in and he asked me not to peek, again his words. I said OK and turned my back and looked at the fishtank and my desk and whatever else was going on around me. After a minute or so I asked if he was done and he said, "Yup." Then he looked up at me and said, "I made my stinkers." I was stunned. I had no response but, "You did?" Well, God bless us all, he did. Not even a peep. I am thinking maybe the switch on his brain flipped tonight and the Stinker Shuffle is like the twist, or the mash potato... a thing of the past.

I can say that I felt very blessed and my wife was expressing the exact same sentiment. In fact, her exact words were, "It's a good day at the Beard's." Amen, Becca, Amen.

Proverbs 16:25 (New King James Version)

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.

Rededication

I know, I know... I am maybe not the world's worst blogger as far as getting posts out here, but I am up there the slakerest of them. I am officially going to try to do a post a week. Why you ask? Why take the time out of the insanely busy schedule to post on your blog that maybe three people read and two are my wife and mother (who I am not even sure she reads it, but I guess she'll let me know if she reads this post)? Well, my original thought with this whole thing was that I would write about the struggles and successes and failures of my mission as a father. In doing this I was hoping to maybe understand it and get a clearer picture of my mission and my path within that. It would make me think about what I am doing and hold me accountable for what I say here, in a way. Also, maybe my struggles and triumphs could be inspiration for others on this same path. That's why I am purposing myself to get here and write it down. I even spent a little time and gave this thing a new look. I kind of like it. Anyway, I will see you soon, constant reader. No, really, I will.