Rob Monti,
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Atheism Presupposes Theism
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World Magazine Blog
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Introducing Baby MonT-SteR #2
Here, friends, is the true reason for the recent dearth of postage on the MonT-SteR REPORT. I am a daddy all over again.
Our second son, Mark Christian Monti was born on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. and measured 21 in. long at birth.
Christi was nothing short of magnificent. Due to some complications, our first son (Robert) was born by c-section. Christi's goal was to deliver Mark naturally, but finding an OB/GYN practice that would allow a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) was tough. We eventually found one, and although they labeled Christi's pregnancy high-risk from the start (and made no pretense about their skepticism with regard to Christi's ability to deliver Mark naturally), she never wavered. Her labor was very intense and painful due to the fact that she had both back and front labor, but she persevered.
I married an amazing woman. And now we have an amazing family of four. I have two, count 'em, TWO sons, and I couldn't be happier.
Thank you, Jesus, for showing your grace and faithfulness to our family again.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Our second son, Mark Christian Monti was born on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. and measured 21 in. long at birth.
Christi was nothing short of magnificent. Due to some complications, our first son (Robert) was born by c-section. Christi's goal was to deliver Mark naturally, but finding an OB/GYN practice that would allow a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) was tough. We eventually found one, and although they labeled Christi's pregnancy high-risk from the start (and made no pretense about their skepticism with regard to Christi's ability to deliver Mark naturally), she never wavered. Her labor was very intense and painful due to the fact that she had both back and front labor, but she persevered.
I married an amazing woman. And now we have an amazing family of four. I have two, count 'em, TWO sons, and I couldn't be happier.
Thank you, Jesus, for showing your grace and faithfulness to our family again.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements, baby, blessing, family, The MonT-SteR
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
The MonT-SteR household...
...is pleased to announce that BabY MonT-SteR #2 will be my son Robert's little brother. We're having another boy. :)
Mark Christian Monti is due to enter the world in mid-April.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
...is pleased to announce that BabY MonT-SteR #2 will be my son Robert's little brother. We're having another boy. :)
Mark Christian Monti is due to enter the world in mid-April.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements
Monday, November 05, 2007
Things that make you go hmmmm....
I received an e-mail update today from a local ministry, urging prayer for tomorrow's election. The message contained the following titillating tidbit:
Well, now, just who is this mysterious former senator? Would his first name happen to be George? And, if so, did this discussion regarding the efficacy of prayer (or the lack thereof) vis-a-vis elections come before or after the infamous "macaca" incident? If before, I wonder if Jim Webb's predecessor might now reconsider his stance on prayer?
Just a thought...
In other non-political news, the entire MonT-SteR CLAN goes to the baby doctor tomorrow to find out whether or not BabY MonT-SteR #2 will be a boy or a girl. I'm so excited!
I'll post the results of our ultrasound tomorrow...
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
I received an e-mail update today from a local ministry, urging prayer for tomorrow's election. The message contained the following titillating tidbit:
I once had a conversation with a U.S. Senator from Virginia, telling him how I had prayed for him and others and how I believed prayer had influenced a number of elections. I was surprised when he said to me, "I don't really believe prayer influences elections." While respecting his leadership, I politely disagreed with him, because I sensed he was courting trouble. Though he was heavily favored to win and even rumored to be a presidential candidate, he lost his next election to another man who serves as a Senator for the State of Virginia.
Well, now, just who is this mysterious former senator? Would his first name happen to be George? And, if so, did this discussion regarding the efficacy of prayer (or the lack thereof) vis-a-vis elections come before or after the infamous "macaca" incident? If before, I wonder if Jim Webb's predecessor might now reconsider his stance on prayer?
Just a thought...
In other non-political news, the entire MonT-SteR CLAN goes to the baby doctor tomorrow to find out whether or not BabY MonT-SteR #2 will be a boy or a girl. I'm so excited!
I'll post the results of our ultrasound tomorrow...
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements, politics, prayer, The MonT-SteR
Friday, October 26, 2007
Evolution of a blog
Well, working on a corporate blog at work as highlighted the need to add some bells and whistles to my own site.
If you scroll down a bit, you'll see that I figured out how to add categories on the sidebar. I plan to add links to archives there as well.
I've also switched my stat counter to StatCounter, which offers an invisible counter and the ability to keep any user from accessing my site statistics if I so choose (unlike my previous stat counter provider, which I shan't name).
I also plan to add Technorati, Digg, and Del.icio.us chicklets to each post, as well as some Feedburner features in the sidebar.
I probably derive WAY too much pleasure from tweaking my blog...
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Well, working on a corporate blog at work as highlighted the need to add some bells and whistles to my own site.
If you scroll down a bit, you'll see that I figured out how to add categories on the sidebar. I plan to add links to archives there as well.
I've also switched my stat counter to StatCounter, which offers an invisible counter and the ability to keep any user from accessing my site statistics if I so choose (unlike my previous stat counter provider, which I shan't name).
I also plan to add Technorati, Digg, and Del.icio.us chicklets to each post, as well as some Feedburner features in the sidebar.
I probably derive WAY too much pleasure from tweaking my blog...
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Darth, I mean DEARTH of postage
The MonT-SteR has been on a bit of a hiatus lately for a couple of reasons:
To make a long story short, I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). When I sleep, the soft tissue in the back of my throat collapses, closing off my air passage, which in turn causes me to stop breathing. In order to make sure my body is getting enough oxygen, my brain has to wake me up during the night to force me to breathe. My sleep study showed that my brain was having to interrupt my sleep about once every four minutes to keep me breathing. No wonder I've been so tired!
In essence, OSA forces my body to operate at a higher metabolic rate during the night to get enough oxygen to my vital organs. For me, the unhappy side effect of this phenomenon has been an increase in blood pressure, combined with general fatigue due to poor sleep quality. So I have had little energy or enthusiasm for blogging -- it's been all I can do to attend to family and a few church matters after dragging myself home from work in the evening.
Thankfully, I received a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine last week (you can see me at right with my mask on, bearing an uncomfortable resemblance to Darth Vader) to treat my apnea. In essence, this machine forces a continuous stream of air through my nose into my air passage to keep it from collapsing while I'm asleep. It's taken some getting used to, but it's working. I can tell that my sleep quality has improved, and I'm far more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed during the day. My brain doesn't feel like it's in a fog anymore, and my wife LOVES the fact that she doesn't have to listen to me snore when I'm wearing it.
Anyway, friends, I share all this to explain and apologize for the silence around here in recent weeks and months, and to state that things ought to be picking up on tMR in the near future. I find that my energy level in the evening is increasing, and it's a gratifying feeling.
Look out, blogosphere. The MonT-SteR is back, and he's mad.... Well, I'm not really mad. I was just trying to be cool, actually funny -- not cool -- and, er, um... oh, never mind.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
The MonT-SteR has been on a bit of a hiatus lately for a couple of reasons:
- We had to make yet another trip to the ER this past Friday, because Christi was experiencing troubling symptoms again. Thankfully, all is well. As a bonus for our trouble, we got to see an ultrasound of the baby, who was REALLY cute! I'm hoping this was the last of these little excursions...
- Your One and Only Favorite, Friendly Neighborhood MonT-SteR™ was recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnea.
To make a long story short, I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). When I sleep, the soft tissue in the back of my throat collapses, closing off my air passage, which in turn causes me to stop breathing. In order to make sure my body is getting enough oxygen, my brain has to wake me up during the night to force me to breathe. My sleep study showed that my brain was having to interrupt my sleep about once every four minutes to keep me breathing. No wonder I've been so tired!
In essence, OSA forces my body to operate at a higher metabolic rate during the night to get enough oxygen to my vital organs. For me, the unhappy side effect of this phenomenon has been an increase in blood pressure, combined with general fatigue due to poor sleep quality. So I have had little energy or enthusiasm for blogging -- it's been all I can do to attend to family and a few church matters after dragging myself home from work in the evening.
Thankfully, I received a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine last week (you can see me at right with my mask on, bearing an uncomfortable resemblance to Darth Vader) to treat my apnea. In essence, this machine forces a continuous stream of air through my nose into my air passage to keep it from collapsing while I'm asleep. It's taken some getting used to, but it's working. I can tell that my sleep quality has improved, and I'm far more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed during the day. My brain doesn't feel like it's in a fog anymore, and my wife LOVES the fact that she doesn't have to listen to me snore when I'm wearing it.Anyway, friends, I share all this to explain and apologize for the silence around here in recent weeks and months, and to state that things ought to be picking up on tMR in the near future. I find that my energy level in the evening is increasing, and it's a gratifying feeling.
Look out, blogosphere. The MonT-SteR is back, and he's mad.... Well, I'm not really mad. I was just trying to be cool, actually funny -- not cool -- and, er, um... oh, never mind.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements, sleep apnea, The MonT-SteR
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Happy Birthday, tMR!
As of today, The MonT-SteR REPORT is a venerable 3 years old.
I mentioned last month that tMR would be shifting its focus a bit in the days to come. Well, those days have arrived. An e-mail I received from a friend sums up the need for change:
In 2002, tMR struck out with a specific purpose in mind. I stated that purpose in my original post, and I quote it again here:
Does this mean I won't talk about politics ever again? No -- I don't think I'm capable of making such a promise. ;) What it does mean is that my blog needs to be more God-focused. The Bible is a deep book. Lifetime upon lifetime has been spent mining its treasures, and they have never been exhausted. Mine is yet another lifetime called to be spent in like manner, and tMR is supposed to be an outlet for that adventure. Today, I'm rededicating it to that end.
To the readers of tMR who have come and gone over the past 3 years, thank you for visiting this little space on the Web. Please be sure to visit from time to time in the future. Things are about to get good around here. :)
Jesus, I humbly offer this blog to you anew. You are the one who gave me the inspiration for it to begin with. I pray that in the days to come it will be a tool in your hands -- ever sharper and more precise -- to bear much fruit for your kingdom. May my thoughts and meditations be pleasing in your sight. Amen.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
As of today, The MonT-SteR REPORT is a venerable 3 years old.
I mentioned last month that tMR would be shifting its focus a bit in the days to come. Well, those days have arrived. An e-mail I received from a friend sums up the need for change:
Things in culture land are growing more nasty. I glanced at your blog earlier today. It is refreshing by contrast. However, it looks to me that you like to mount your charger and sally forth with gusto to whatever excites your pet peeves. I agree with all you write, but I do not think you pick the most significant targets all the time. [Frontpage.com does a much better job in this respect. I wish you would read up on Islam, Russia, China, the war on terror, the economy, the threat of nuclear terrorism, etc. and comment on those topics. Of course, that assumes you have tons of time to expend on researching issues for your blog, which you don't.] Emotional exasperation with liberal nitwits seems to be the dominant note you strike, though your frustration at times is tempered with mercy and sweet reasonableness. The irenic note in the cultural wars is appreciated. I also wish you could work in the gospel some place so that those who are undecided between the Antichrist spirit and Christ can make the right choice. It is the gospel -- not conservative political commentary -- that is the power of God unto salvation. That's your true calling, not superficial cultural apologetics. May God grant you the spiritual passion to make your message life-giving and compelling.I received this e-mail at the end of July, and by the time it arrived in my inbox I had already considered that the focus of my blog had gone askew; my friend's missive only confirmed what I had been feeling.
In 2002, tMR struck out with a specific purpose in mind. I stated that purpose in my original post, and I quote it again here:
- I enjoy writing, and I enjoy helping other people to my opinion. ;) tMR will function as an outlet for me to express some of my ideas, opinions, and heartfelt emotions on current events, personal matters, and metaphysical topics. I am a Christian, and since I am adjured by Christ's command to love God with all my heart, strength, and mind, tMR will endeavor to reflect a genuinely Christian, Biblically-centered worldview.
- As a Christian, I want tMR to demonstrate a couple of things to surfers who may bump into my site:
1) Being a man or woman of faith does not mean that you check your brain out at the church door. Although Christian theism hinges upon truths which deal with the immaterial and/or the supernatural, it is not irrational. Faith is not the antithesis of reason -- the two go hand in hand, guiding and informing one another. God made us whole persons; we can't reflect all that He made us to be if we live as though faith and reason are mutually exclusive.
2) Being a man or woman of faith doesn't mean that you can't have any fun! I plan to have fun with tMR. Lots of it. I can be Mr. Serious, but I have a definite goofy side. Just ask my wife. :) - Above all else, I hope to persuade those who visit my site to consider and accept the claims of Jesus of Nazareth -- Son of God, Savior of all mankind. I know that Jesus is a controversial figure. I've alienated good friends by talking about Him. I've angered people by taking Him at His word that He is the only Way, Truth, and Life, and that none can come to the Father but through Him. But He has changed not only my own life, but those of countless billions across the past 20 centuries. I'd be crazy not to share something so wonderful, so fundamental to my own existence and well-being, with those I care about or encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Does this mean I won't talk about politics ever again? No -- I don't think I'm capable of making such a promise. ;) What it does mean is that my blog needs to be more God-focused. The Bible is a deep book. Lifetime upon lifetime has been spent mining its treasures, and they have never been exhausted. Mine is yet another lifetime called to be spent in like manner, and tMR is supposed to be an outlet for that adventure. Today, I'm rededicating it to that end.
To the readers of tMR who have come and gone over the past 3 years, thank you for visiting this little space on the Web. Please be sure to visit from time to time in the future. Things are about to get good around here. :)
Jesus, I humbly offer this blog to you anew. You are the one who gave me the inspiration for it to begin with. I pray that in the days to come it will be a tool in your hands -- ever sharper and more precise -- to bear much fruit for your kingdom. May my thoughts and meditations be pleasing in your sight. Amen.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements, The MonT-SteR
Friday, August 19, 2005
Dearth of postage
Once again, dear tMR readers, please accept my humble apology for the lack of postage around here lately. Most of my free time has been taken with studying and preparing to deliver lectures, as I was slated to co-teach a Christian Education class at my alma mater, Regent University's School of Divinity. The demands of preparing to teach graduate students forced me to knock blogging down a few pegs on the priority list in recent weeks.
All that's going to change in the near future, because I found out mere moments ago that the class has been cancelled due to lack of enrollment. I'm not too happy about that, but -- on the bright side -- it will free me up to tackle some tMR-related projects that have been plotted by recent Machinations of the Monti MindTM.
Moreover, you're going to see a bit of a shift in focus on tMR in the weeks to come. The MonT-SteR REPORT will be a whopping 3 years old next month, and I've been doing some soul-searching about the general direction my blog has taken since its auspicious beginning (stop snickering!) back in 2002. In short, I think my flight through the blogosphere needs a bit of a course correction, but I won't say any more about that until tMR's actual birthday.
I'm looking forward to the days to come.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Once again, dear tMR readers, please accept my humble apology for the lack of postage around here lately. Most of my free time has been taken with studying and preparing to deliver lectures, as I was slated to co-teach a Christian Education class at my alma mater, Regent University's School of Divinity. The demands of preparing to teach graduate students forced me to knock blogging down a few pegs on the priority list in recent weeks.
All that's going to change in the near future, because I found out mere moments ago that the class has been cancelled due to lack of enrollment. I'm not too happy about that, but -- on the bright side -- it will free me up to tackle some tMR-related projects that have been plotted by recent Machinations of the Monti MindTM.
Moreover, you're going to see a bit of a shift in focus on tMR in the weeks to come. The MonT-SteR REPORT will be a whopping 3 years old next month, and I've been doing some soul-searching about the general direction my blog has taken since its auspicious beginning (stop snickering!) back in 2002. In short, I think my flight through the blogosphere needs a bit of a course correction, but I won't say any more about that until tMR's actual birthday.
I'm looking forward to the days to come.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Change is good
Regular visitors of The MonT-SteR REPORT will notice a few small improvements. In addition to my recent migration to Audioblogger, I've discovered another happy little feature provided by the good folks at Blogger. The search bar that appears at the top employs Google site search. Visitors to tMR now have the ability to search the entire blog by keyword. Nifty, huh?
I should also mention the linkage commerce that has recently occurred between this space and Robert Hayes' blog, Let's Try Freedom. Robert contacted me and, after buttering me up with kind comments about tMR, inquired about the possibility of trading blogroll links. His site is chock full o' libertarian-conservative punditry, including a series of excellent articles on why America needs the electoral college. Give it a look-see.
By the way, folks, Mr. Yuk is mean, Mr. Yuk is GREEN! What in tarnation am I talking about, you ask? A fond childhood memory. The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh devised Mr. Yuk in 1971 to help children identify poisonous substances in the home and refrain from ingesting them. Mr. Yuk stickers were distributed to us at school, and then our parents would place them on anything that kids should not smell, should not drink, should not touch, should not eat, or they...will...be SICK! SICK, SICK, SICK!
Sorry. I lapsed into the Mr. Yuk song. The very end of the song was played on the Mr. Yuk TV commercials, and that's what I remember most. It must have been unique to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the D.C. area, because people I know who are my age and grew up outside those areas don't have a clue who Mr. Yuk is. If you're one of those folks, I told you already: Mr Yuk is mean, Mr. Yuk...is...GREEN!! MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA!!
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Regular visitors of The MonT-SteR REPORT will notice a few small improvements. In addition to my recent migration to Audioblogger, I've discovered another happy little feature provided by the good folks at Blogger. The search bar that appears at the top employs Google site search. Visitors to tMR now have the ability to search the entire blog by keyword. Nifty, huh?
I should also mention the linkage commerce that has recently occurred between this space and Robert Hayes' blog, Let's Try Freedom. Robert contacted me and, after buttering me up with kind comments about tMR, inquired about the possibility of trading blogroll links. His site is chock full o' libertarian-conservative punditry, including a series of excellent articles on why America needs the electoral college. Give it a look-see.
By the way, folks, Mr. Yuk is mean, Mr. Yuk is GREEN! What in tarnation am I talking about, you ask? A fond childhood memory. The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh devised Mr. Yuk in 1971 to help children identify poisonous substances in the home and refrain from ingesting them. Mr. Yuk stickers were distributed to us at school, and then our parents would place them on anything that kids should not smell, should not drink, should not touch, should not eat, or they...will...be SICK! SICK, SICK, SICK!
Sorry. I lapsed into the Mr. Yuk song. The very end of the song was played on the Mr. Yuk TV commercials, and that's what I remember most. It must have been unique to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the D.C. area, because people I know who are my age and grew up outside those areas don't have a clue who Mr. Yuk is. If you're one of those folks, I told you already: Mr Yuk is mean, Mr. Yuk...is...GREEN!! MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA!!
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Audioblogger to the rescue
Audlink has been having problems lately, so I decided to give Audioblogger a try. The result is below:
Audlink has been having problems lately, so I decided to give Audioblogger a try. The result is below:
Labels: announcements
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Well, waddya know!
Fellow blogger Bob Sacamento, over at Between a Rock and a Hard Place, was nice enough to nominate The MonT-SteR REPORT as a top underblog at LivingRoom's Celebrating the Underblog 2004 series. Take a look -- you'll see TMR listed with the other bright-eyed and bushy-tailed underbloggers.
Thanks, Bob, for that kind gesture. To the handful of faithful tMR readers (boy, this really is an underblog), I heartily recommend Bob's site. He's writes in a perceptive, thoughtful, irenic spirit about matters of faith and culture.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Fellow blogger Bob Sacamento, over at Between a Rock and a Hard Place, was nice enough to nominate The MonT-SteR REPORT as a top underblog at LivingRoom's Celebrating the Underblog 2004 series. Take a look -- you'll see TMR listed with the other bright-eyed and bushy-tailed underbloggers.
Thanks, Bob, for that kind gesture. To the handful of faithful tMR readers (boy, this really is an underblog), I heartily recommend Bob's site. He's writes in a perceptive, thoughtful, irenic spirit about matters of faith and culture.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements
Saturday, June 19, 2004
A MonT-SteR sized apology
Dear tMR Readers,
You have no doubt noticed that my blog has been a vacuum of inactivity since my last post on May 10th. I apologize for that. The MonT-SteR has been very occupied since that time. The photo below explains why:
As you can see, there is a new bouncing BabY MonT-SteR in my household; it was one month ago today that he entered the world. And the picture accurately represents what has been happening in the MonT-SteR household since BabY MonT-SteR arrived -- Daddy or Mommy catching a desperately needed nap while Baby takes a snooze. Actually, I didn't intend to fall asleep here. It just kind of happens these days. As Bill Cosby said, "Those of you with children, you'll understand."
Since I'm explaining why The MonT-SteR has taken another hiatus, I might as well turn this entry into a formal birth announcement:
Robert Etienne Monti was born by c-section at Sentara-Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, VA on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:50pm. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and measured 21 in. at birth. Mom and Dad both give thanks to God for seeing the whole family safely through a trying labor, and for blessing us with such a beautiful, precious baby boy.
And how is parenthood, you ask? To answer that question, I have to describe a dream I had shortly before we found out that Christi was pregnant. I dreamt that I was carrying a baby girl around our apartment. She was dressed in one of those little pink sleepers, and she was so cute that to look at her was to just go to pieces inside. In fact, I was actually surprised in the dream by how intensely I loved this tiny bundle I was holding -- so much so that my affection for her was more like a sharp pang. The emotion was also indescribably warm, and very pleasant to feel. I loved loving this little baby that way.
Parenthood is like that dream. I find myself "going to pieces" several times a week, moved to tears as I hold my newborn son. He is my angel. But for the dream I had, I never would have guessed that I would be so enamored with my children. Little Robert is my precious son, and my life with him is unspeakably blessed.
Psalm 127 says that children are a reward from God, and that a house full of them is a recipe for happiness. I am not so naive as to forget that there will be challenging days ahead as Robert matriculates through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. But I am indeed happy, as Scripture foretells. Now that Robert is here, I couldn't imagine my life any other way.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Dear tMR Readers,
You have no doubt noticed that my blog has been a vacuum of inactivity since my last post on May 10th. I apologize for that. The MonT-SteR has been very occupied since that time. The photo below explains why:
As you can see, there is a new bouncing BabY MonT-SteR in my household; it was one month ago today that he entered the world. And the picture accurately represents what has been happening in the MonT-SteR household since BabY MonT-SteR arrived -- Daddy or Mommy catching a desperately needed nap while Baby takes a snooze. Actually, I didn't intend to fall asleep here. It just kind of happens these days. As Bill Cosby said, "Those of you with children, you'll understand."
Since I'm explaining why The MonT-SteR has taken another hiatus, I might as well turn this entry into a formal birth announcement:
And how is parenthood, you ask? To answer that question, I have to describe a dream I had shortly before we found out that Christi was pregnant. I dreamt that I was carrying a baby girl around our apartment. She was dressed in one of those little pink sleepers, and she was so cute that to look at her was to just go to pieces inside. In fact, I was actually surprised in the dream by how intensely I loved this tiny bundle I was holding -- so much so that my affection for her was more like a sharp pang. The emotion was also indescribably warm, and very pleasant to feel. I loved loving this little baby that way.
Parenthood is like that dream. I find myself "going to pieces" several times a week, moved to tears as I hold my newborn son. He is my angel. But for the dream I had, I never would have guessed that I would be so enamored with my children. Little Robert is my precious son, and my life with him is unspeakably blessed.
Psalm 127 says that children are a reward from God, and that a house full of them is a recipe for happiness. I am not so naive as to forget that there will be challenging days ahead as Robert matriculates through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. But I am indeed happy, as Scripture foretells. Now that Robert is here, I couldn't imagine my life any other way.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements, The MonT-SteR
Saturday, October 18, 2003
George Bailey Lassos Stork!
For those tMR readers who are classic Christmas movie neophytes, the title of this entry is pulled from the portion of "It's A Wonderful Life" where George learns from his wife, Mary, that she's pregnant (or "on the nest," as Jimmy Stewart's alter ego puts it).
Why am I citing this portion of the perennial Yuletide favorite? Because, dear friends, The MonT-SteR has lassoed a stork as well. That's right -- ere next Independence Day, there will be a bAbY MonT-SteR on the scene. I'm going to be a father! WOO HOO!
I had planned to share some other personal profundities borne of pensive reflection on the matter, but my energy level is not sufficient to the task. Not only that, but Mrs. MonT-SteR is snoozing here on the couch nearby, and I need to get Mommy in the bed. So the profundities will have to wait until at least tomorrow. I'm sure The MonT-SteR REPORT's modest readership will find some innovative way to get by until then.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
For those tMR readers who are classic Christmas movie neophytes, the title of this entry is pulled from the portion of "It's A Wonderful Life" where George learns from his wife, Mary, that she's pregnant (or "on the nest," as Jimmy Stewart's alter ego puts it).
Why am I citing this portion of the perennial Yuletide favorite? Because, dear friends, The MonT-SteR has lassoed a stork as well. That's right -- ere next Independence Day, there will be a bAbY MonT-SteR on the scene. I'm going to be a father! WOO HOO!
I had planned to share some other personal profundities borne of pensive reflection on the matter, but my energy level is not sufficient to the task. Not only that, but Mrs. MonT-SteR is snoozing here on the couch nearby, and I need to get Mommy in the bed. So the profundities will have to wait until at least tomorrow. I'm sure The MonT-SteR REPORT's modest readership will find some innovative way to get by until then.
Blessings,
Rob
aka The MonT-SteR
Labels: announcements, The MonT-SteR
