Stanton's Friday Night Lights

I have touched base with some folks that I have know since I was a little older than Stone and I have pondered a lot of silly reflections on how life was back then.

Jim, Stone and I went to the mall this evening and we saw our former selves in all the "teeny boppers" hanging out in the food court. Jim and I were looking at kids saying...that kid reminds me of this kid I knew back when and I would say...I can't believe I wore shorts that short! We also decided that it is not a good idea to drop off the kid at the mall. We hope Stone wants to always hang out with us on Friday nights! Check out the video from Dave-n-Busters that is located in the mall.

Stanton's Friday Night Lights

P.S. I have an awesome husband. For example, Jim gave away the tickets that he won tonight at Dave-n-Busters to random kids.  Stone is too young for the tickets!  The dad of the kids said to Jim, "Thanks man for giving my kid your tickets and that is really nice of you." What an awesome manly example for Stone.

48+ Hours

"I hear you think I am going to kiss your butt on this playdate?!?!"

"Mom, I am not a Dr. Seuss character!"

"Mom, I like Mrs. Casey and Noah Jack but why is he sitting in my Bumbo Seat?"

The great Stanton Family is now on Facebook!!!

Natalie, Debra, Casey, Amanda, and now Alica you are the ones to blame for me joining Facebook! (Stacy, I see you at least 3x a day-everyday...you IS like a walking Facebook friend!)

As of this moment, I can't comprehend all of the parts of Facebook. WAY too much for me to study in the few moments I have in between Stone's naps!!! I do know that the most enjoyable part of Facebook is the reconnection of the "friend fabric" pieces from my past that have helped to create my ever evolving "quilt" that I call my life.

These last 48+ hours have been the Judge Roy Scream Roller Coaster for me. Below are some words/phrases that come to my mind...think of these words/phrases as LANGUAGE mementos!!!

anticipation for Casey/Noah, pure joy for Casey/Noah's arrival, wedding plans, Market Street, wine, bible bedtime stores, Christian girlfriends, lots of children in the house, Jim has 3 wives, small hamburgers and large buns, Spanz, no food just gin, separation anxiety, new environment for sleep, carrot cake, Gran Torino, Christ like sacrifice, Yo Baby Yogurt, WRZ sti, watched a very sad movie about a boy who had no friends, be careful and I love you, McDonald's Cokes, 380 to Present Road then 5 miles south of OK, jeep walker instead of red hot spots car-walker, can't leave Noah alone like you do with Stone, Lisa, long torso, use a large ball, fed-played-washed-played-tucked into bed two 8 month old babies AT THE SAME TIME, name of plan parenthood movie, another movie???, Ester, Softsports, ISBN0865734356, Think Baby Bottle, Dave Ramsey's cds, New American Standard Bible, Boon, manuscript, Body of Christ, You and Jim have a lot to offer to the Body of Christ, authentic, Johnny Cash, old boyfriend wedding, kiss my a**, STONE HAS A TOOTH, spinner-no pinwheel, more formula from CVS, Pier 1, Pottery Barn, awesome portrait of Casey, jet ski, bye-bye, Laura Ingraham...click this and listen, KNOW YOUR HISTROY b/c I can't teach the truth, Johnson, no job-no money BUT full of hope, anger, hurt, sadness, take this job and shove it, bee in the bonnet, real motive for teacher hiring IS..., Holy Spirit...BEST husband and mother-in-law in the whole wide world, great e-mails, listening/prayerful ear Nat, Hackberry, staff crying, child care $33 with Stone next door, non-fake teacher appreciation from parents/administrators, subway, STONE CAN SIT UP, and sweet peaceful dreams! You are kidding me...up at 4:OO a.m. Ok then, after mommy/baby/milky time time to join Facebook!

P.S. Church this past Sunday night in the park was VERY sweet and revival like! May God's protection be over our family as we seek to join a church. May the enemy be gone from our family.

P.S. Our family does have a lot to offer the Body of Christ. May our commitment always be authentic with real/deep intimacy as well as be one full of spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical discipline.

P.S.S. Below are some "visual" mementos!

"My mom tells me...what goes around come around."
"So, thanks for sharing your Bumbo Seat."

"And thanks for sharing your awesome Jeep Walker!"

"You want to chew on a really awesome Boon spoon?"

"Mom, Noah is so cool!"

"Mom, why is Mrs. Casey sitting in dad's STI?"

"Mom, did Mr. Cash play the piano?"

"My mom said she has known you since her 6th grade year and you were born 5 days after me."

"Let's play!"

Casey goes to bible study at the church and I play, feed, bathe and put to bed 2
8 month olds. WOW! I could handle twins!!! I am awesome!!!

"Mom, look what Noah taught me!"
"I can now sit up ALL by myself!"

Giggle-Giggle

Constance Nicole Goram aka Connie
Coppell High School Freshman 1994
I am ONLY a choir singer NOT a soloist!

Yes, that skinny thing front in center is ME!!! OK, since we all are skinny, I am the 5th gal from the left and Casey Jane is the 6th gal.  ALWAYS in the middle I am!   AND, Natalie is the 4th gal, second row, from the left. Right behind me!!! Yes, Natalie has always had height on her!  I so could use her legs on this short and very curvy body!!! Where is Rachel F.????  Was Val not part of choir??? 

Casey Jane...the next 24+ hours are going to be a blast!!! I can't wait for you to get here!!! Our boys are going to have a blast!!! I am too!!! I wish ALL the FAB 5 gals and the FISH girls were coming over to the house!!! I am so a romantic like that!!! I have this prayerful hope that we all get back together sooner than later!!!

Casey...thanks for e-mailing this picture...along with the information below.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

What is Baby/Child Dedication?

Baby dedication and child dedication are the act of giving back to God the gift he has given you as parents. It is an act of worship, thanksgiving, dependence, trust, and commitment. The practice of child dedication has been modeled throughout the Bible.
The Israelites brought their 8-day-old children to the priest for blessing. Hannah (I Samuel 1:24-28) brought her long-awaited son Samuel to the priest Eli to dedicate him to the Lord. Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple for his dedication.
We recognize that salvation only comes to a child through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not passed on to a child through dedication. Parents covenant to raise their children by modeling Godly principles with the desire that one day, their children will receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Is dedication the same as infant baptism or christening?
Child dedication is different from infant baptism or christening. While these rites are significant for a variety of faiths, it is the practice of Grace Community to dedicate children.
At Grace we believe that all infants are destined for heaven should they die before they are old enough to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We also believe the Bible teaches that baptism should take place after a person has made a personal choice to follow Jesus Christ.
I am a single parent. May I still dedicate my child?
Absolutely!
Who should we invite to the Dedication Service? Do I need to select "God parents" for my child?
The Baby/Child Dedication Service is a very special time, so be sure to invite your family, friends, and/or small group members. There is no limit on the number of guest you may invite! We do not use the term "God parents" at Grace, however we certainly support your choice of significant individuals to offer support and encouragement and to hold you accountable to the commitment you will be making.
Being a new Christian, I am a little nervous about all of this.
If you are a new Christian, we are delighted to be a part of this important step in your newly found walk with Jesus. Our intent is to come alongside of you and help ensure that the Child Dedication is a non-threatening process that will be a personal time of deep significance for you and your family.

What is the dedication of an infant or child?

The dedication of children is a commitment in which parents give their child to God for the purpose of having the Lord direct the spiritual growth and development of the child. It is a rite where parents, before the local congregation, commit to raising their children in a loving Christian home. It is a commitment that the parents will pass on the truths of the Christian faith to their children.

“(Jesus) said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” (Mark 10:14, NIV)

Why child dedication and not infant baptism?

Although some congregations baptize infants, most Gentile Christians feel that Christ intended baptism to be for those who have come into the Christian faith through a personal commitment to follow Christ, which involves repentance and the new birth. Baptism is a voluntary expression that gives testimony of a personal decision of having become an authentic born again follower of Christ. Hence baptism should be reserved for those who have reached an age of understanding.

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.” (Acts 2:41, NIV)

Is Child or Baby Dedication demanded by the Bible?

The Bible nowhere insists that children must be dedicated to the Lord. However parents, desiring that their children grow up to know God and to live lives that honor Him and are blessed by Him, have long had a desire to state that aspiration formally before their local congregation.

Further there is Biblical precedent for child dedication such as Hannah’s dedication of Samuel

(I Samuel 1:20-25) and Joseph and Mary’s presentation of Jesus (Luke 2:22).

What does this commitment do for the child?

The child that is dedicated to God is set apart for a special place of blessing and protection. God’s hand graciously comes upon the child to lead and protect the child. Even when the path seems to lead to tragedy, God is present to provide victory and fulfillment. God will not overrule the will of the child, but the parents prayers of dedication will serve to invoke God’s special watch and care over the child.

“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)

What does this commitment do for the parents?

The parents gain a peace and confidence that the child they have dedicated to God will be under His constant care and guidance. They also know that they are part of a congregational family that will team up with them in their parental role of raising their child in the Christian faith.

“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (II Timothy 1:12b)

What preparation should be made before entering into this commitment?

A time of prayer and meditation should precede the formal dedication of a child to God asking the Holy Spirit to enable the parents to relinquish their hold on the child and to submit their wills to God so that wisdom can be imparted to them for the raising of their child.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -- for he grants sleep to those he loves . Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127)

What is the parent’s responsibility?

Parents are responsible to God to train their children to follow in the ways of God, to obey His commandments and to serve Him. By word and example they are to lead the child to experience the reality of the Christian life.

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

What is a God Parent or Sponsor?

A God parent or sponsor is an adult who is invited by the parents of the infant to be dedocated to commit herself / himself to be involved in the life of the child as a mentor in the Christian faith.

What are the responsibilities of a God parent or sponsor?

1. To be a professing Christian.
2. To understand and endorse infant dedication, it will be helpful for the God Parents or Sponsors to come with the parents to the pre-dedication session. However, if this cannot be done, the parents can share with the God Parents or Sponsors what they learned in the pre-dedication session.)
3. To support the efforts of the parents in having a Christian marriage and family life.
4. Through words and deeds to support the parents in their efforts to enable to child
   
   • to be aware he / she is loved by God
   • to understand herself / himself as a Christian
   • to live a Christian life
5. To stay in touch with the child throughout the child’s life.
6. To pray frequently for the child and the parents of the child.

Evolution Baby

The word evolution conjures up a variety emotions among all academic levels of a human being. In my humble opinion, Pearl Jam's animated evolution video shows how the human race evolves to extinction because of the lack of moral clarity. How can one have moral clarity if their is a lack of integrity, ethics, and loyalty in most all elements of culture?!?!

When people say and do things based on what others think, then the evolution process goes backwards. Since having a baby, I find myself evolving more in the direction of a well-rounded, healthier thinking/living individual. (I write those words with a great deal of humbleness). 

So, where did today's blog title come from??? The inspiration writing was birthed from a variety of sources. Starting with an e-mail from Natalie about this picture...

Natalie, I cry every time I re-read your words. You have helped me evolve to a place of contentment in regards to all of my vivaciousness. Thank you for being a well-rounded, healthy thinking/living individual who is Christ centered and who is sooo NOT PC!!!

Stone, your developmental evolution is happening every second of the day! I feel like I am a scientist watching you grow on a Galapagos Island. Yesterday, your daddy and I took you to one of our favorite restaurants. When your daddy was "courting" me during college, we ate at Cristina's in Lewisville all of the time.  I even had a virgin pina-colda there, with your daddy, for my 21st birthday!!!  Well, yesterday at our beloved restaurant, you sat in a restaurant provided high chair for the first time!!! The floppyset did help. Wink-wink!!! We are so proud of your evolution growth!!!

Jim, last night's movie Burn After Reading was an evolution for me. Thanks for encouraging me to finish the movie. Great dark laughs!

I look forward to the next blog because we are having a family get together with our neighbors and I thank God for them because they are not PC and are very Christ centered!!! Good Times!!!

Stone's Evolution Baby Videos!!!