Let faith arise: Jayden's first three months

         
           Let faith arise
           I lift my hands to believe again
          You are my refuge, You are my strength
          As I pour out my heart, these things I remember
          You are faithful, God, forever 
           -- Chris Tomlin

           Three months ago this week, Jayden Scott Thomas was born.

            Michelle has been ribbing me a bit because I haven’t blogged since then.

            Truth be told, I just didn’t know what to write.

            It’s not like I didn’t have anything to say.

            Of course, there have been a lot of feelings running through my mind.

            But how exactly do you put into words witnessing the birth of your only child, holding him for the first time, sharing him with his older brother and sister, watching his grandparents interact with him and the bond that has brought Michelle and I even closer since Nov. 8, 2011?

            Talk about a life-altering experience!

            I have been overwhelmed by God’s grace and goodness in the last three months.

            At 44, I never dreamed I would have a son.

            Heck, there was a time not all that long ago, that I figured the chances of me even getting married weren’t too good. But when you serve a Risen Savior, there is nothing He can’t accomplish through you and for you.

           Sometimes when the house is quiet – and that’s extremely rare these days – and it’s just me and Jayden, I just sit there in the rocker or recliner holding him, thinking how unbelievably lucky I am and praising God.

            See, even now I’m not sure how to adequately express my feelings.

            That’s probably bad for a journalist.

            But if you are a parent, you likely know what I’m talking about.

            Here are some of my most vivid memories from Jayden’s first three months:

• Holding him in the hospital nursery minutes after he was born as 30 of our closest friends and family crowded around a single window and took pictures of us – mainly him, but I was in some of the pictures. One of the most powerful moments of my life. I wish I had taken a photo so Michelle could have witnessed it as well. She was still busy in the OR at that time. 

• The first moments Michelle and I had with Jayden later that night, after everyone had left and it was just the three of us. We prayed and just thanked God for his goodness and for this awesome boy that we have. We were both exhausted by that time. It had been quite a whirlwind that afternoon. But I could have lingered in those thankful moments for a long, long time.
• The expression on my Mom and Dad’s face as they held their second grandchild for the first time. Really, it’s pretty much the same anytime they hold him. The love of a grandparent is a special thing indeed. 
• Jayden’s first “words.” Not really. He hasn’t spoken yet, at least he hasn’t spoken clearly. But only recently he was on our bed cooing and making other baby noises, and I would swear you could make out a “hello.” Michelle videotaped it with her phone. My Mom says she watches it on Facebook every night before she goes to bed.

            There are plenty of more memories obviously. Too many to list in one blog.

            So then how do I sum up my feelings for Jayden?

            I saw a movie not too long ago where a father said to his son, “I’ve loved you every second of your life.”

            That hit home with me.

            I have loved Jayden every second of his life and really even before that.

            He was an unexpected blessing from an awesome God.

            The same can be said for Michelle, Robbie and Alyssa.

            We have challenges almost everyday as a family, but we share a love that many people spend their lives searching for and serve a God whose goodness knows no bounds.

            Six years ago in Montgomery, my top priorities were making sure our weekly college football section went to press on time and trying to lead our writers through coaching searches without using anonymous sources.

            That seems like a lifetime ago.

"You Spread His Love to Everyone, You want to Pass it On"

Aug. 14, 2011

Today, Michelle and I had our first day teaching the sophomores of our youth group in Sunday School. For the last year, we worked with the juniors, which included my stepson Robbie, and that was fun. Brother Tim Spell, a great Christian man who I admire greatly, was the teacher and we were kind of crowd control, so to speak.

I think we both learned a lot from Tim. I know I did and, hopefully, we can use that as we work with the sophomores this year. It really seems like we have a great group of youth, who will be a core part of our youth group for three more years. I can't wait to get to know them better, share whatever knowledge I can with them and learn from them as well.

Today, Michelle and I told them a Cliffs Notes version of our life stories (Do they have Cliffs Notes anymore?) ... where we were before we met, how we met and became a family and where our passion for Jesus Christ came from. It brought back a rush of memories from my youth group and, especially, the adults who gave up their time to work with us. That's you Mom and Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Heath, Mr. and Mrs. Yarbrough, Mr. and Mrs. Bradford, Mr. and Mrs. Magley and really a cast of thousands. Our youth minister at Jubilee, Joe Stringer, puts it well when he says it is our job to pass along the Gospel to the next generation, just as the generation before did for us. That's what all those adults did for me back in the day while working alongside my great youth ministers and great friends, David Carroll and Durwood Foshee.

A lot of memories I have from that time have to do, not just with my friends who were in our tight-nit group, but also of the times we had with the parents who worked to make us better people. Mr. Magley diving headfirst in a competitive game of Kick the Can, Mrs. Bradford telling us to sing one more verse of "Pass it On," Trivial Pursuit with Rev. Dean and Mrs. Head and the continued guidance from two of the best people I've ever known, Ted and Marcilla Heath.

There is so much more. Times that are locked in my heart, cherished in my memory forever. We had fun times, great times. We went to Epworth by the Sea (where I gave my life to Christ), we went to Six Flags (too many times to count), saw a lot of Braves losses, had a lot of Krystal Challenges, etc.

But, you know what I remember the very most, and this is what I told our kids today: the passion I had for my church then, the fact that I wanted to be at every UMYF meeting, every Sunday service. I looked forward to going to church all week, just as I do now as an adult. That's a great feeling. That's what I hope our youth group of today feels, and I can see it happening before my eyes. I'm proud to serve with my beautiful wife, alongside an unbelievable Christian in Joe Stringer and many other adults. I'm proud to work with these kids.

Mr. and Mrs. Heath once told me, "Believe us, we learned more from you kids than you ever did for us."

I don't know if that is 100 percent true because we sure learned a lot from them. But I see it now. I know what he was talking about. These wise kids, full of energy, teach us something everyday we are blessed to be with them. Their energy and passion for Christ is something to behold. It gives me sometimes needed energy.

My goal for Michelle and I is to do as good a job passing on the Gospel and our love for Jesus to this generation as the adults and youth ministers of Clarkston Methodist did for me and my group. I want to make Joe Stringer proud that he afforded us the responsibility of leading these kids.

Most of all, I want to follow our Lord's lead and I pray everyday I succeed.

And I pray for energy, a lot of energy. Afteall, only 15 more years and our November arrival will be a sophomore. :)







Until next time, God Bless .....

Finally, the official word: It's a .......

So I had an awesome experience this week.
Yes, I saw Poison-Motley Crue-Cinderella last weekend and that was awesome, but that's not what I'm talking about.
This is EVEN better than that. In fact, way better.
On Tuesday, Michelle and I took our 12-year-old, Alyssa, with us to the baby doctor.
Michelle was exactly 21 weeks pregnant at the time and it was time for another ultrasound. This was the time we could find out whether we were having a boy or a girl if we wanted to, and we wanted to.
The ultrasound technician took a lot of pictures and showed us a lot of stuff.
I have to be honest. I couldn't make out everything she was pointing out.
I watch a lot of Grey's Anatomy, but the liver, the four chambers of the heart .... it could have been pretty much anything as far as I could see.
But there was no mistaking our little baby's body, hands, feet, head.
There was no mistaking the baby's heartbeat, which Praise God, was strong and steady.
I realize many of you have experienced it before.
Maybe it is old hat to you.
But to this 43-year-old guy who thought he just might be past the time to have his own child, it was pretty magical. Isn't God awesome!?!?
My life is full right now. I have a great wife, two great stepkids, the crazy Pacey dog, great parents and family and friends. I have a job I like, working with coworkers I also like and respect, and we are members of a church we love.
If that were the story of my life, I would still feel blessed beyond belief.
But God didn't want to leave it at that.
So here I was, sitting next to my beautiful wife/best friend on one side and my precious stepdaughter on the other, and we're watching this tiny baby created by God out of our love move and squirm and do whatever those little babies do in there.
Wow!
I realize I'm a journalist and I'm supposed to have all these lengthy, eloquent descriptions of such events. If you've been there before -- Wow -- is the best description you can come up with.
So at the end of the ultrasound, the nurse got to that final picture, showed us what was what and simply said, "It's a boy."
My eyes swelled up a bit -- as they're doing right now as I write this.
I think the reaction would have been the same if she would have said it was a girl.
That phrase just seemed to bring it home for me.
This is really happening.
I'm going to be a father.
God continues to bless us.
After the news went out on the ANN (Alyssa News Network via Ipod touch), Michelle and I messaged a few folks as well and then went about our day.
Pretty ordinary, right?
No.
Pretty amazing, I'd say.
Thank you Lord for all you continue to do for us.

Learning how to be a Dad from one of the best

When I bow my head tonight
There will be no me, myself and I
Just watch my wife and kids, please Lord
That's all I ask for anymore

Let them outlive me by 100 years
Let their laughter dry up all their tears
Let them love and be loved back
..... LIKE I HAVE BEEN

-- Trace Adkins

At age 41, I became a stepfather.
Later this year -- in November to be exact -- I will become a father at 43.
God continues to bless me beyond my wildest imagination.
When Michelle and I got married, I didn't know anything about how to be a stepdad to Robbie and Alyssa. What did it mean? What would my role be in their lives?
I really had not even been around kids that much for most of my adult life.
I spent a lot of time working, a lot of time alone, a lot of time with my dogs -- first Chipper and now Pacey.
This would be a new challenge. And it was.
I know November will present even more challenges.
Many of our friends joke good-naturedly about how I will handle it. Will I change diapers (I'm not big on messy things)? Will I be able to handle random sleep times throughout the night?
All of that is to be determined I suppose. Though I know that the Lord will lead me, my wife will help direct me and all will be great.
I am confident I guess because I kind of have an ace in the hole.
That ace is my father, Don Thomas.
When Michelle and I married all I really knew to do for Robbie and Alyssa was just be as much like my Dad as I could be. I'm not their real father. I don't try to be. They don't need me to be. What they do need me to be and what I hope I am is a good husband to their mom, a good provider for them and a respectable Christian male influence in their lives.
My Dad was (still is thankfully) all that and more to me.
When God blesses Michelle and I with a fifth member of our family (sixth if you count Pacey), I'll strive to be those things for him/her as well.
And I'll try to be patient, kind and loving.
Because that is all I ever saw in my Dad.
I have so many memories about my father from my youth.
Many of them I didn't even understand back then.
Once when I was playing catch in the front yard, Dad threw me a high pop. I lost it in the sun (or maybe just missed it with my glove). I had a nice shiner to show for it at the Braves game the next night. No doubt it was my fault. Dad took the blame for a bad throw, though, so I wouldn't feel bad.
Sometimes when my brothers and I were younger we were maybe a little perplexed that Dad didn't buy us a bigger TV or get us a better lawnmower or whatever. Well you know what? He was planning all along. He saved some then so he could help us when we REALLY needed it ... like when we bought our first houses, when we got married or maybe when we needed a crib.
One thing I love is laughing with my Dad. I stayed home a lot at night in high school to watch "Dukes of Hazzard" or "Sherriff Lobo" or "Newhart" with my Dad and we would laugh together. I thought it was so unique that he and I loved the same shows.
Now I know the truth.
Dad probably didn't really love those shows. He might have rather been reading the paper or chilling out after a long day's work. But he loved me. So he watched without reservation.
Today, I strive to have that same role in my own family.
Maybe Alyssa will look back when she is an adult and remember me playing Family Feud with her on her IPod.
Maybe Robbie will remember our post-school snacks at Wings and the shoot-em-up movies we go to see together.
I know I do. And I cherish every moment.
I can't wait to experience more times with them like that and similar times with the new baby. And I can't wait till my Dad visits again so I can pop in another episode of the "Andy Griffith Show."
We'll laugh at Barney all over again at an episode we've seen 10 times.
But it wouldn't matter to me if we'd seen it 100.
I'll be thankful just for that time together.
So when the kids in our youth group pick at me, saying "You'll make a great Dad ... Just a really old one," ..... I'll laugh. It's funny. But I won't worry.
Maybe I am older than most Dads with a young child.
But that's OK. I've got an ace in the hole.
I'll just try and love like I have been loved.
Happy Father's Day Dad from one of three very blessed sons.
I love you

Honoring a good boss and a great friend

This weekend, my wife and I will have the pleasure of attending the induction ceremony for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham.
There are some big names going into the Hall this year: Shaun Alexander, the great Alabama running back; Frank Thomas, the former Auburn tight end who went on to be a perennial major league baseball all-star; and Jeff Rutledge, a former Alabama and NFL quarterback.
It will be great to see all of those folks and others honored.
But the biggest name on the inductee list for me is someone maybe most people wouldn’t recognize as quickly as the three listed above.
His name is Jimmy Smothers.
To put it simply, Jimmy was my first professional boss.
But it goes much deeper than that.
Jimmy spent a lifetime as sports editor of the Gadsden Times. He’s now retired, though he still contributes to that paper as its sports editor emeritus.
Jimmy hired me to his staff basically right out of college.
I did a brief internship at the now defunct Gwinnett Daily News before I got the call from Jimmy, who I’d met a few months earlier when I was trying to nail down an internship.
Those few months at the Gwinnett paper — writing about city council meetings and soap box derby races — and a few articles I’d written for the school paper in college were the only experience I had.
Translation — no experience.
For some reason, though, Jimmy Smothers took a chance.
I’m not sure what he saw in me. I’m not sure why I deserved a shot to learn from someone — then and now — considered one of the best sports writers ever in this state. It must have been a God thing.
I spent the first two years of my professional career at the Gadsden Times, then I returned for three more years after a brief hiatus in my home state of Georgia.
The memories I have of that time in my life are indelible.
I didn’t really know anyone when I arrived in Gadsden. That’s pretty scary as a kid right out of college.
When I left to take a job in Montgomery in 1998, I had many great friends both in and out of the newspaper business. I now look back on those days at the Gadsden Times as some of the best in my professional life.
I learned a lot there — certainly about the newspaper business. Anything I’ve accomplished since in this profession can be directly linked to my Gadsden experience.
I also learned about life in general.
All of that can be attributed to Jimmy Smothers.
Here’s a guy who was and is larger than life in my chosen profession. He didn’t have to spend time with a green reporter just out of college. At that time, unlike this business now, he would have had many other options to hire I’m sure. But I was lucky.
Not only did Jimmy hire me, he showed me everything he knew about the business. He taught me a work ethic that I still have today. He taught me how to write a good story, to work on deadline, to interview people.
Jimmy and I spent countless hours together — on the road, in the office, at various stadiums around the SEC. I got to cover the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, got to meet Andre Agassi and followed Auburn and Alabama to numerous bowl games and NCAA basketball tournaments while I worked for Jimmy and because I worked for him.
As I look back on it now, the whole time I think Jimmy was coaching me. He was giving me little tips along the way, showing me how to do things in our business even if, at that time, maybe I didn’t quite recognize it.
He knew a lot more than I did, obviously.
I think the unique thing was he never acted like he did.
Jimmy was my boss then. He quickly became my friend.
He still is today.
Jimmy also was my biggest fan.
He never wanted me to leave, but he sure did support me when I did — both times.
As I sit here I could write about all the numerous awards he’s won, all the halls of fame he already has been inducted to. Those things make Jimmy great at his profession.
The things I know about Jimmy make him a great person.
So, Jimmy, it will be my incredible privilege to sit alongside our friends John Alred, Greg Bailey, Michael Southern and others Saturday night at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame induction.
It’s a long overdue and well-deserved honor for you.
And Jimmy, on this day, I’ll be your biggest fan.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you 1,000 times.
And God Bless.