The Volatility of Cuteness – Annabelle Bombs Away!

 

While recently holding Annabelle in my lap, sitting at our kitchen table, her diaper seemed fully secure however was not securely working. She peed an unusual amount through the diaper, thus leaking onto my shorts and making it look like I peed on myself. All I could do was smile in the moment.

In addition to my wet pants moment, Lisa has been the victim of multiple projected vomits of milk. Honestly I laugh almost every time unless Lisa appears more perturbed than normal. The scene above from the movie, Four Christmases, further illustrates these unforeseen occurrences. Perhaps my reaction is sometimes the same as well.  

Babies can cry and cry and cry, only wishing one could get some quality rest, however in the same hour, a supposed grin still melts your heart (if infants can even scientifically grin). The cuteness of her baby face suddenly melts away the volatility of a panic attack moment. There is truly something peaceful in the quiet place of that still face that smiles up, looking into a father’s eyes.

Learning the art of prayer without ceasing eventually permits a father to let go. One can constantly worry with the unhealthy defined what if’s in life, questions that usually never come to fruition with fictional tragedies portrayed in the mind.

While Lisa, my wife, has been on maternity leave, it has been wonderful having her home, hugging a husband and holding a new baby in her arms. From day to day, we make fresh new memories with each hour that passes. I keep hearing the old saying that time goes by fast. Therefore, when I rest from working for the college or studying for a doctoral class, I surely try to sit still in this new place we call home, located in East Tennessee.

The season of fall is coming while leaves begin to fall from surrounding forests in these Smoky Mountain hills. The temperature is dropping. The wind is flowing with cascades of sound near my own ears. The chill of a new October month dawns on the dampness of wet leaves crashing onto the grassy roots below.

Annabelle stops moments standing still with her never-ending cuteness. Even when frustration begins to arise, that innocent face obliterates any negative feelings that come only to realize how fortunate I am in these very promising moments. Annabelle woos my soul into submission so that maybe, just maybe I can begin to fathom how much a Heavenly Father truly loves His children. Perhaps that realization is where the most important miracle lies.

For your viewing pleasure, please see the most recent adorable Annabelle photos below.

God’s Guardian Angels in Our Daily Routine

 

Toxic thoughts often enter our mind and then those toxic thoughts enter into our emotions, altering our perception. Perhaps we then believe the false claims of these toxic thoughts. As one might say, we are our own worst enemy, however I believe there is a bigger enemy at play.

Parenthood can be intimidating for anyone, however when you really look at an innocent baby, one might wonder, “How does this little human being scare the pants off me?” While there are many elements in life beyond our control, God is much bigger!

We try to fill our lives with self-accomplishments when Christ paid the price to give us ultimate freedom from our to-do lists. A young child-like faith is an exemplary standard of personal freedom to be experienced. We strive for perfection, and when I really think about it, I ask myself this question - “Why am I striving for a goal that one person in human history has already achieved?”

Jesus came down from the heavenly realms to become perfection so that we could live through him. The sacrifice has been paid, and while this truth seems so simple to understand, it is, indeed, hard to live out. Annabelle reminds me that we are not alone. We are surrounded by clouds of eternal hosts so that we may live our lives in the protection of God’s guardian angels.

Here are some of Annabelle’s latest photos to conclude this blog entry on another good note.