new birth and new birth

Today a good buddy of mine and his wife, Will and Amanda Cyrier gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Evan Elizabeth Cyrier, coming in at 9lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches. Happy Birthday.

Without any prior knowledge that today would be the day that this infant arrived in the world, I set myself to memorize 1 Peter 1:3-4: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you..."

I love these big natural reminders that our God awaits our arrival with love and anticipation, just like my friends loved their daughter even before she open her eyes to take in her new life. Take a moment, let it sink in, you were "loved before the foundation of the world..."

Lots of prayer today. Busy lunch rush at work. One of the boys was filled with much excitement today as he feels God is giving direction and a vision for the uniting of churches in Kitsap County. O God, let it be. I pray for the miracle of pastors uniting because they love God and not because they have an irreplaceable granule of wisdom to share or a hollow platform to build and stand on alone. May God humble the minister so that he can use them as he does his angels--as flames of fire. Please continue to pray as many lost souls pass through our doors each day.