Matthew, a.k.a the world's best uncle

Samuel,
Your Uncle Matt is one of my very favorite people on the planet.

Here are some of the things that you'll love most about him:
* his love for others is nearly unmatched * he studies God's word diligently and lives it out each day * he's quick to love and even quicker to forgive * he adores Southern Gospel music * when you need encouragement, he will give it freely * he can tell you everything you need to know about wrestling * and he's so excited to be your uncle!

"It'll be my honor to be your uncle.  All the family loves you and in time you will be with us in spirit.  Your great mother and father will be happy you're with us.  Heart.  Love Uncle Matthew."

'He's gonna be like me.'

Samuel,
More and more conversations between me and your daddy are about you.  Yesterday, we were talking about music and football--two of your daddy's loves--and your daddy said, "he's going to be like me; he's going to like both."  Here are some things to know about the man you're going to be like :0).

Cooking outside is the only cooking that he does.
He looks forward to football season like most people look forward to Christmas.
Saturdays in the fall are his favorite days of the year.
The way he loves you and me will show you a picture of how God loves us.
He knows more about music than any one person should know.
Dependable, honest (sometimes brutally), trustworthy, and compassionate is he.
Give him a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and he's good to go.
He is the very best drummer that you'll find.
God's truth sustains him and guides him.
He's prepared to raise you in the goodness and knowledge of the Lord.
He loves you because your YOU and will love you no matter what!

We love Sam!

pearl snaps & cowboy boots

Samuel,
There's something you must know about the men in the Warren family.  They LOVE pearl snaps and cowboy boots.  Pearl snaps and cowboy boots are worn for all occasions, and it's rare that you'll find one of the Warren men without their pearls and boots.
Thanks to your Aunt Andy, you are set to go!  She's given you your first set of pearls and boots, and we can't wait to see you in them :0).

I'm ready!

Oh, sweet Samuel, I already feel like your Mama.  You are my sweet baby sent from heaven, and I love you more than I can even begin to describe.  I am ready to experience being your Mama though!
I am ready for bedtime stories,
playtime outside,
and bathtub toys.
I am ready to read to you,
sing to you,
and pray with you.
I am ready to watch you learn,
experience the world,
and get to know your Creator.
I am ready for an experience that will be like no other, an experience that I'll never forget.

they influence by their actions

Samuel,
In the previous post I wrote about the faith that your daddy possesses, but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the men that have influenced and shaped his faith and character.
They are men of character, integrity, and faith.
They do the right thing, even when there's no one around to notice.
They are men that work hard to provide for their families.
And sacrifice to meet the needs of those around them.
They are men that seek God's will, stand on His truth,
And trust Him when the storms of life blow.
They have opened their hearts and their arms in anticipation of you,
And I absolutely cannot wait for you to know them!

So, meet your grandpa and great-grandpa, Samuel.  Two of the most wonderful people you'll ever know!

~love you, sweet boy~

loaves, fish, and $600

Reading John 6 (where Jesus feeds the five thousand) this morning reminded me of some conversations that I had with Jeremy this summer.

I was at home in Louisiana having a yard sale; Jeremy was on the road.  During the yard sale, he text me to ask how it was going, and I told him that we had made $600 so far.  His response was, "well Jesus fed the five thousand with a few loaves and fish; he can adopt a baby with $600."  Faith.

Fast forward to about a week after the yard sale--I was on the phone with Jeremy having a major emotional meltdown because I couldn't imagine how God was going to provide the money that we needed.  I said to him that maybe we should just borrow it, and he said, "no."  Can you believe that?  He told his poor, pitiful boo-hooing wife no!  He said, "Sarah, God would not call us to do something and then not provide a way to do it."  Then, he started quoting Proverbs about the borrower being slave to the lender.  Truth.

We all know how it turned out.  God did the impossible and provided the money over the next few weeks, which still amazes us.  And, I am amazed by this husband of mine who not only keeps the faith but leads by it.

*please, do not tell Jeremy about this post...we can't have his head swelling ;)*

lessons of eternal value

Samuel, you'll learn many lessons in life from many different places.  But, the most important lessons you'll learn are those that come from God's word.

1.  God is good and trustworthy.  Trust Him and the plans He has for you.
       "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

2.  Hold loosely to the things of this world, for it is not our home.
      "But our citizenship is in heaven & we eagerly await a Savior from there" Philippians 3:20

3.  Keep your eyes open and always looking for the unseen.
     "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:18

4.  Be ready for God to call you to something bigger than you are, and trust that He'll equip you for it.
      "equip you with everything good for doing His will"  Hebrews 13:21

~We can't wait to experience the joy of teaching you God's word.  It'll definitely be the most exciting, most fulfilling teaching that I've ever done :).  Love you, sweet boy.~

I guess you could say my mind has gone

It is getting harder and harder to concentrate, for my mind has wandered to the other side of the world.  A word of warning that it probably won't get better anytime soon.  It will most likely get worse as the year goes on, but I'm sure a cure will come next summer.  Until then...the faraway look in my eyes just means I'm thinking of a sweet faced little boy in Seoul that has stolen my heart and my thoughts!

Nothing Sweeter

This morning's service couldn't have ended any sweeter--two little boys came forward and accepted Christ as their Savior.  My heart was rejoicing for these two that are now my brothers in Christ, and my mind was thinking of our Samuel.  I'm looking forward to the day when it's him standing up there next to the pastor, publicly acknowledging Jesus as his Savior.  Oh, what a day that will be!

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14

A note to our sweet Samuel

Samuel, the best thing about this start of the school year has been people's reaction to seeing your picture on my desk!  It makes me so happy to tell them that you're our baby.

You are the baby that we longed for, the one that we hoped for, the one that we asked the Lord for.  Never forget that, sweet boy!  ~love you~

Expectant? Yes. Typical? No.

Typical expectant parents we are not.
We do not go to monthly doctor visits to check on the health and growth our baby.
We do not see pictures of our baby through an ultrasound.
We will not bring our baby home from the hospital down the road.
And our baby will not come to us as a tiny newborn.

No, typical expectant parents we are not.

We are updated on our baby's health and growth by someone from half a world away.
We are excited by those monthly emails in our inbox with the subject line of "Pictures!"
We will joyfully travel around the world to South Korea to bring our sweet baby home.
Our baby will come to us as a toddler full of curiosity and a mouthful of teeth :).

Typical expectant parents?  No, but we wouldn't change it for the world!!

The First of Many

Keep an eye on mail, sweet boy, because we're sending you a present!

Looking forward to the day when we can give you presents in person....oh, what a day that will be!  

~love you, Samuel~