What's going on...

OK, so just a few "random" things:

1. I'm not really missing Facebook. Seriously. I'm kind of surprised, to be honest. There are times I want to "pop in" to see what's going on in everyone's life, but it's not really worth the drain it was creating, so I'm good. Besides, I can always ask Becki to let me know...you know, from HER Facebook. :)

2. Off to Blue Ridge on Thursday. Long weekend in the mountains = a more relaxed Walton family. I hope. Just looking forward to getting away for a couple of days. As always, thanks to our good friends the Scotts for the use of their cabin. Praying it won't rain...

3. Major changes going on at work. I won't go into a lot of details, but I am heading up a major, major project and my role will be changing pretty dramatically because of it. I'm excited about it; this will be a challenge, but I'm more than ready. I think back to where I was three years ago, and how different things are (in a good way) with my career now...I'm thankful everyday for being with Health First. I truly am blessed and love what I do!

Also, I've got a cold, and I'm tired. So off to bed. I'll be back next week with stories and pictures from the weekend in North Georgia!

Starting Fresh: Post Facebook...

OK...so hopefully some of you are here because you are following my cryptic posting on Facebook this evening. No, I'm not ditching FB forever. The truth is I find it an invaluable resource for touching base with many of you, as well as browsing through some of the neat (and, let's face it, sometimes mundane) things in your lives. But, being Lent...I've recently been challenged to break ties, even if it's temporarily, with something that I struggle with. And, yep, Facebook is one of 'em. I will go into greater detail over the coming days but, for now...welcome back, for those of you who have been here before, and welcome to those of you who haven't, and are curious. Hopefully my little corner of the Information Superhighway will provide a brief glimpse into my life.

life with Emily...

Hard to believe one week has already passed since our daughter, Emily Faye, was born.

OK, I lied. It actually seems quite a bit longer than that, honestly. I don't know if that's because time flies faster when you're having fun (which, yes, we are, for the most part!) or because my concept of a week gets shorter as I get older. Probably both. Either way, though, here we are at the one week mark. I thought I'd mark the occasion with a few random thoughts and lessons learned:

-Cabbage leaves have many uses. I learned that one in the hospital. Seems they use 'em in the Maternity wing. You'll have to Google it to find out why, though. This is, after all, a "family" blog.

-When it comes to sleep, quality beats quantity hands down. Unfortunately, I won't be able to fully test this theory out for, oh, I'd say 16 years or so, but you'll just have to trust me. The 5 hours a night I'm lucky to get in seems much more effective than the 8 or 9 I used to get. Plus, it provides hours of laughter when talking about sleep cycles with people. Them: "Boy, I just can't seem to sleep past 8am anymore." Me: "Bwahahaha!!" See?

-Saying the words "the kids" is really, really cool. It's really gratifying to have not just one but two munchkins totally relying on you for every basic need. Frustrating, frazzling, and just plain exhausting at times, yes. But completely humbling and awe-inspiring as well...which trumps the former emotions by a mile.

Welcome Emily Faye Walton!

For those of you who don't know yet, our daughter, Emily Faye, entered the world at 7:44am on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, via scheduled c-section. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces (just 3 ounces lighter than what her big brother was) and 18 inches long. As you can see from the pictures, she also had a full head of dark hair. Contrary to Jacob's birth, which was a harrowing ordeal due to an emergency situation, this was a calm, ordered process, one that we both were able to fully participate in. It was an incredible blessing to be holding my wife's hand as we heard the first tiny cry from our daughter, and both of us were crying when we were able to see her. It was a joyous occasion and our whole stay here has been pleasant, if not relaxing. (Although Jacob is staying at Grandpa and Grandma Voris' house and, with the nurses help, we're actually able to get some pretty good rest in!)

Anyway, here are a few pictures (you can also see a small album on my Facebook page, for those of you so inclined).



I told Becki in the quiet after the initial "meet and greet" that followed all of the excitement of Emily's arrival that I had been nervous over the past few days and on into Wednesday morning, punctuating in a stream of relief as I saw and then held my daughter. We are so blessed already by having Jacob as our son that I honestly didn't think it could get better. In fact, I started going through scenarios in my mind: would she be healthy? What if she were "special needs"? What if something happened to Becki during the surgery? Of course, the answer to the first two (and, really, the last one, as well) is still--and always--that God is in control and I'm blessed anyway, But, as He so often does, God went above and beyond in giving me a perfectly created little girl, a healthy and beautiful wife, as well as an incredible son. I'm not usually at a loss for words, but, to be honest, I have none to explain the gratitude I feel toward my God for giving me all this. I only pray that I am up to the task of taking care of them.

Thank you, Lord!!

a quick update...

First, let me say that my creative juices have been flowing a lot more lately--I have a ton of things in my head that I want to write about and, in fact, I write whole posts up there--but I rarely have time to sit down and actually put pen to paper (or, in this case, finger to keyboard). Maybe I'll find more time for that sort of stuff in a couple of weeks, after Emily is born.


Yes, that was a joke.


Anyway, here is what's going on in the life of our family:


We're starting to settle in to our new home. As I wrote, it's significantly smaller than our previous residence, so there are definite unpacking and organizing challenges. We've resigned ourselves to just unpacking what we think we'll need for the next year and leaving the rest in boxes in the garage until we move into something larger. But the house is, for the most part, unpacked and livable. A lot of you are probably wondering why we made the move down here to (almost) Palm Bay. Simply put, it was hard to ignore a 5-minute commute to work. And, as I said...it's temporary. We fully expect to be in a new home next year at this time (whether that's in this area or not, we don't know).


T-minus 6 days and counting. Becki is scheduled to go in early next Wednesday morning (5/27) for her c-section that will give us our daughter, Emily Faye. It's really hard to believe that the time is here already and, although we're naturally a bit nervous about adding a new little one to our family, we're really excited, too! Everything is going great and we're as ready as we can be, I suppose. I'm sure I'll be sending out updates/pictures to those of you whose email addresses I have, as well as posting on here, so check back next week.


Still church-shopping. This is a whole lot tougher than I remember it being. I think we've come across one that we like, though, so we'll see. It's actually quite a commute (25 miles one-way), but some good friends of ours go there and we've really enjoyed the past couple of weeks. Bonus points for the Pastor remembering our names this past Sunday! I'm pretty desperate to get us plugged into a small group soon--I really miss that--but I don't want to jump head-first without checking things out thoroughly. Still, this place has some real potential and we've already identified some ways that we can contribute--something that is important to me.


Work is going well right now. We're severely understaffed, which can be bad (lots more to be done) or good (lots of overtime). As I mentioned a couple of posts back, I've been cross-promoted in the department to take on more of an admin role, which I'm really enjoying but is keeping me super busy. In fact, I've put in extra hours the past 3 weekends, and will be going in this weekend, too. I do love the fact that I have a job like that now, though. All that being said, I'm still keeping my eyes open for other opportunities. I don't remember who said it, but I love the quote, "The best time to look for a job is when you have a job." Becki and I are continuing to talk about where we believe the Lord may be leading us and, even though a move may be tough with 2 little ones, we're open to His leading.


Well, that's it for now. Obviously there's going to be a lot more going on next week at this time, so expect to hear from me then.

on searching for a church (to be continued)...

So, first of, for those of you who don't know...we've moved. Not far; just about 15 miles south of where we were, almost to Palm Bay. I never thought I'd ever be living in or near Palm Bay (indeed, I always assumed we were as far south as we'd ever go) but here we are. It's a nice place, albeit much smaller than our old house (which is now on the market), but MUCH closer to my current office. That in and of itself is a very nice thing for all of us. Anyway, at worst, this is temporary...we'll be making a more "permanent" move next year, depending on what God decides to do with us. For now, though, we needed to get into a place pretty quick before the baby comes in just 5 weeks. We've accomplished that, and now we get to unpack.

Anyway, this morning, we decided to venture out to a local megachurch (no, I won't be naming names. But I've always held this place in high regards because I love their pastor's teaching, the music is captivating, and their small groups are supposed to be top-notch). We've been shopping around for a church lately and, honestly, I thought this might be the one. However, things didn't go well this morning, and I left feeling frustrated and, to be honest, a bit angry. Here's how it went:

10:32 AM
We're greeted at the door by a woman whose sole purpose, it seems, is to make sure that visitors like ourselves feel "welcome". We're given a visitor's packet--complete with a sticker advertising the church that we're apparently supposed to place on our car--and immediately told that "we really encourage children to visit the children's department." Fine, but we want Jacob with us. But, you see, the pastor is preaching on sexual purity this morning and it may be sensitive. Uhhh...well, since my 14-month old son can't understand the difference right now between his "Baby Einstein" videos and "Debbie Does Dallas", I think we'll be fine. We're led to a "special" section for families with children.

10:47 AM
Two minutes into the service and we're packed in tight. Yet, I look behind us to see at least 7 empty rows of seats. Why does everyone feel the need to sit right by us?

10:56 AM
The music is good, and Jacob in particular is really enjoying it. But neither of us recognize the lyrics, which makes it hard to keep up with. And my sense of worship is really hindered by the two ladies behind me carrying on a conversation at normal levels. I turn to look at them, in hopes of helping them to be quiet, only to see that they're both wearing shirts advertising the kid's department.

11:08 AM
The pastor comes to pray and it's evident he's about to start his message (which I'm really looking forward to). It's at this point in any service that Jacob usually gets a little fussy, so Becki normally takes him out in the foyer where she can still listen to what's going on and allow him to run around, as well. I decide to accompany her today, and we make our way to the commons area, which is a large gathering area complete with information booths about various ministries, a bookstore, and even a cafe'. Plus several big-screen TV's sharing the live feed from the sanctuary. Here's where it gets really maddening for me. There are maybe 60 or so tables in this area. Every one of these is either taken or, apparently, reserved, as evidenced by the many bibles stacked on them. I look over to the cafe' to see a line of about 40 people, all of whom are ordering food. Almost no one in this area is paying attention to what's going on on the TV's; it seems their purpose is simply to socialize. Yet, we were told by "Greeter Lady" earlier that this is where we need to come if we want to watch the service and not have Jacob be a distraction. I missed the part, I guess, where she told us we'd need to stand to do it, and hope to hear over the noise going on. So, needless to say, at...

11:11 AM
We get in the car and leave.

OK, here's the deal. I know that all of this stuff is put into place by this church as a ministry. And, run effectively, I'm sure it helps. But there's a danger in it, too, and I think we saw that this morning. Simply put, this place is too big for it's own good. There's no personal touch (and, yes, I know that's what the small group infrastructure is for). And, from my first impression, at least, they've forgotten what their purpose for having a worship service is. It seems they're trying way too hard to make sure that everyone is comfortable, catered to, and feeling like they're in a "non-churchy" environment. So much so that they actually are in a "non-churchy" environment. Which is, in this case, not a good thing.

Look, I'm all for cutting edge. I'm all for casual. And I think we as Christians do need to loosen up somewhat and meet those who are seeking more at their level.

But, in doing so, as I said, there's a danger. We sometimes can make the mistake of trying so hard to be casual that we become irreverent, and forget that there should be a sense of awe and reverence associated with the worship of our God. It's easy to get so wrapped up in "cutting edge" that we miss the fact that the point is to actually have a sense of traditional worship...an attitude that gets us away from the fast-paced, media-driven world around us and forces us into utter honesty and honor of our Lord.

When, for instance, did it become common for a food court to be bustling about while the pastor is praying, as I saw this morning?

Anyway, one thing I nailed down this morning...I definitely want to be part of a smaller congregation. One that doesn't try to impress with the food court, or multimedia, or "shock and awe" (as I like to call it), but that is more interested in meeting the needs of the people in the name of God's love.

I'll keep you posted on how that goes...

on death and missing my Mema...

My Mema passed away this week. She was 88, and had lived about as full a life as most anyone can, I guess, when she went Home on Thursday, April 9. She’d been in declining health for the past few years; not unexpected at that age. But she didn’t complain about it, at least not to anyone I know. The end came when she entered the hospital late last month after falling and breaking her hip. She got progressively and steadily worse, leading to the decision to have her placed in Hospice care on Saturday morning, where she slipped away as peacefully as anyone can just a few days later, with most of her family by her side and rejoicing in her bolting from the pain that was holding her back from the arms of Jesus, my Papa (who preceded her by almost 20 years), her son, Clinton, sisters, Ide and Carolyn, and a host of others who no doubt welcomed her with shouts of joy and encompassing embraces.

I’ve not had to go through this journey for many years—as I said, Mema’s husband, who we lovingly referred to as Papa, passed away 20 years ago this June. So, naturally, I’m looking back at that experience as an 18-year old fresh High School graduate and comparing it to my thoughts and feelings now, as a 38-year old husband and father. And I think that there is a stark contrast evident between these two experiences that neatly parallels my growth both as a man and as a child of God:

1. Of course, the most striking difference between then and now is my role as a husband and a father. Yes, I’m “older and wiser”, but, make no mistake about it, having Becki and Jacob by my side in situations like this make a world of difference. I can’t say I would be more outwardly emotional, because I believe that’s how God made me, but it sure does give me comfort to have my family with me in times of need.


2. My faith is stronger, much more practical, and plays a deeper role not only in my everyday life, but, naturally, in situations like these. This enables me to look past the “now” to the future that God’s promised us to spend eternity with Him. In this respect, I have a much clearer picture of how death, even though we view it as a final, painful thing, is actually a beautiful transition into Real Life. It’s difficult to explain this to people—even my closest friends and family—but, getting past the sad realization that I have to wait to see them, I rejoice that those who have passed away are actually much, much better off than I. This gives me great comfort and hope, and, to be honest, it’s difficult to mourn much at that point.


3.There’s something comforting, too, about knowing that a spouse is being reunited with their soul mate in Heaven. 20 years ago, when Papa left us, it was painful to look at Mema, knowing that her best friend and lover would no longer be here to comfort, protect, and care for her. In fact, I remember hearing her tell him one night as she held his hand as he lay in the hospital bed in those last days, “Who’s going to hold my hand when I go through this?” (Naturally, and thankfully, my family took this role for him when it came her time). Anyway, in this case, I picture Mema being comforted and even excited about the prospect of seeing her Jim Bob again, along, of course, with Jesus.

I write all of this to flesh out ideas I’ve had for a long time about why I show so little emotion at times like this. Don’t get me wrong—I have my moments. And, I’m sure when Monday comes and we celebrate my Grandmother’s life before placing her body at rest for the final time, I’ll be shedding a few tears. But as I sit here typing this, it’s difficult for me to feel tragically sad, knowing Where my Mema is and Who she’s with. I’ve been accused of being unemotional and cold, even uncaring. The truth, though, is that I recognize that she’s in a much better place than any of us and, for that, we should be thrilled.

I will miss you, Mema, though…for the brief time we’re apart. Enjoy golfing and fishing with Papa, Clinton, and Jesus. Don’t forget to meet your sisters to “sit a spell” on your bench swing, just like out back in the yard. I love you!