Welcome Joshua Stephen

Ok, this is a long one so if you don't have time to read everything I perfectly understand. I won't get offended if all you do is look at the pictures and the video at the end.

At about 11:45 on June 9th 2009 the Lord brought Joshua Stephen Channer into the world. It is quite an amazing thing. I wonder if any atheist has ever witnessed a woman giving birth. I don't see how anyone could witness a woman giving birth and still be an atheist. How can you experience something like that, and come away thinking that you had any power at all over the whole process? At any time if that umbilical cord quit working right the child would die. "Hey mister evolution. It took you how long to come up with the umbilical cord? A billion, or two?" "Ok, so how many babies didn't make it during that time? Where are their fossils? And where are the fossils of all the other mammals that didn't make it while you were trying to figure it out with them?" Do you see how retarded the logic is of the people who subscribe to evolution. I'm glad that the evolutionist will never figure out how life happens. Praise the Lord! They will never figure out how life happens because it doesn't just "HAPPEN". It is GIVEN. Life is given to man by God. Physical life and eternal life are given by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. They will never understand because they kick God out.
Prov 1:7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
It was a long night. I must say though that I did get a lot more rest than my wife. I spent the rest of the night with my wife there at the hospital. Thankfully when they moved us from the delivery room to the recovery room there were two beds. I am surprised to say that the hospital bed that I slept on was a lot more comfortable than some hotel beds that I have slept on before. I slept through most of the times that the nurses came in and checked on Kim and Joshua. I can only vaguely remember one time being awakened and hearing the nurses voice. The next day though I got a full experience of playing "Mr. Mom." It is an experience that I don't want to have too often. For those of you men who think that you would like to have an at home job, don't switch roles with your wife. I now fully know what it is that my wife has to deal with on a daily basis. I'm not talking about dealing with disobedient children. I'm talking working before the children get up, and working when the children are taking a nap, and working when they have gone to bed for the night. Being a wife and mother is not for a lazy woman.

My mom and Dad came up all the way from Fort Myers. It has been a blessing to have them here for the past week. I think that Joshua will turn out more like his grandfathers. Both of his grandpas are tall. Joshua's hands and feet are huge. It is something that you just have to see. I'll probably edit this post in a couple of days and try to get a good picture of his hands and feet in relation to the rest of his body. Maybe the Lord might call him to be a preacher to the lumber jacks up north like his great, great, great uncle Al Channer as written about in the book Last of the Giants.

Ryan is happy to finally have a little brother. He even spent one night up at the hospital with him. I'm sure he would rather have a brother a bit closer to his age though. I'm sure in a few years if the Lord tarries that Ryan will be teaching Joshua how to slam dunk a basket ball and to roller skate. Before that though I'll have to make sure that Joshua doesn't pester his big brother like I did mine. I distinctly remember my brother asking Dad on several occasions if he would give my brother permission to hit me. I can't imagine why my honourable brother would ever wish to do such a thing to his ever loving little brother . I hope that you read this part Jon. Maybe it will bring conviction upon you and cause you to "repent in dust and ashes." (For those of you who don't know me and my brother very well, that was just some friendly brotherly banter.)

Christina also loves her little brother. It is amazing that she knows the difference between a baby doll and a real baby. Just about every time that she sees Joshua she greets him with the sweetest "Hi." It's funny. Kim and I were both kind of wondering how she would take to the new baby, but so far Christina loves her new brother. She has helped burp him even offered him a cookie, but he wasn't in the mood for it just then.
Another thing that is kind of funny is that when Christina is tired she will cry when Joshua cries and stops when he stops.

Children sure are a blessing. We don't deserve the ones that he has given us. I pray that the Lord will let us raise them and train them for his honour and glory.

Pray For Silas Blackburn

Many of you who read this Blog know about the Blackburn family and their sick son Silas. My wife has written a Blog on Silas and has all the information that we know about him as of now. Please go to www.cherishedheritage.blogspot.com if you wish to find out more about Silas and if you wish to contact Bro. Nick. My wife will keep her Blog up dated as we find out more information about the condition of little Silas.

Thank you all once again for all of your prayers. I know the Blackburns appreciate them as well.

America needs to listen to this guy.

I don't agree with this guy on everything he may believe, but what he says is true. You can find more about Dr. James Manning at Atlah.org. If you want to see the video in full view just double click on it and it should take you directly to the youtube site so you can watch it with out it being cut off.


Preach it Preacher!

Behold All Things New

2Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Have you ever noticed that everything is exciting to a child? Well, it is that way with my son Ryan. Every thing new is exciting to him, no matter what. From a new bicycle to a Gators hat or the smell of shoe polish to a new sewer pipe, anything that is new is exciting to him. Many times I think, “What is such the big deal.” “You just got brand new underwear. Whoop dee do!” One day I got to thinking about Ryan’s attitude in the light of 2Cor. 5:17. Would to God that every child of God had Ryan’s attitude. How many times has the Lord sent you some blessing or gift where instead of being joyous and thankful for it, you whined and complained about its possible imperfections?

Case in point: The sewer drainage pipe on our trailer tore apart. Of necessity we therefore had to purchase a “brand spanking” new one. Me, in my ever joyous attitude said, “Great, more money down the toilet.” However when I got to the store I was thankful that the Lord had given us the money to buy the pipe. I was also thankful that the pipe I bought fit the connections on the trailer. After I had connected the pipe to the trailer I was thankful that we had a means of getting rid of our pungent debris. Ryan wasn’t there when I put the pipe on, but when he got to the trailer that was the first thing he had to see. His mother and I said, “What’s the big deal its just a sewer pipe.” (My wife wouldn't let me use this picture in her Blog.)
But to Ryan it was a nice brand new shiny blue sewer pipe! How many times has the Lord given you a blessing that is designed to carry out the sin and dirt in your life? And how many times instead of being glad for the blessing, and the means of getting the sin and junk out of your life, all you can think about is the busted old pipe.

If you find yourself complaining abut the possible flaws or imperfections in the things that the Lord Jesus Christ has brought your way, then you need to return to the child like faith that you had when you got saved (Matt. 18:1-6), and behold all things new.

The Setup

2Sam. 10:12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

Yes, Christians can have fun.