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Dear Naomi, Welcome to the world! I can't believe once again I have the privilege of being a father.  I have been wanting to meet you for such a long time. You haven't been in the world for even two months yet and you have made us all so happy. Your siblings adore you and can't get enough of you. And your mother and I are once again filled with amazement and wonder, asking ourselves how it could be that we we have you, a precious gift beyond what we deserve. You have filled the house with new life and warmth.  I wanted to tell you a little bit about your name. You and your sister were both named after women in Bible passages that I happened to be studying around the time that you came into the world. Abigail means "my father's delight" and that was appropriate for her because she was the first one to come along and teach me what true delight meant. To me, happiness now has two distinct definitions: One for before I became a father and one for after. All three ...

Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Luke 13.20-21 Why is it taking so long?? When my wife Jo is out for dinner, the kids and I like to have a pizza party at home. I’ll cook and prep everything from scratch, and the kids help by (messily) spreading on the sauce, scattering some toppings, and then watching me do the rest while they eat about half the shredded cheese that was supposed to go on the pizza.  Abby likes watching me prep the dough the day before. I mix together flour, water, salt, some olive oil, a pinch of sugar for better browning, and yeast (message me if you want the recipe!) In anticipation she watches it all come together in a messy, sticky bundle. Before I even finish washing my hands, she asks, “Is it ready yet?” “Not yet, the dough needs to rise”  Later that evening she might spot the glass bowl sitting on the kitchen ...