Aaron in Real Life

This week has been a peculiar one. Today, my aunt threw Julie a post-birth baby shower (or a "welcome to the world" party for Andrew). It was a celebration of a new life - a new start. It was an incredible blessing that my family bestowed upon us. We were richly blessed to day with everything that we received. And having Andrew and this new life has reminded me of just how awesome and precious life is.

But as we geared up for this party and celebration, I was also reminded of how short and fleeting life is as 4 people that I have a connection to passed away this last week. First, the head usher at my church and a very dear friend to so many passed away of a brain tumor that was only discovered a week prior. Second, old friends of my parents and people I currently go to church with lost their son-in-law. I don't know anymore details other than he just collapsed on a cruise and died. Thirdly, a friend and co-worker of mine lost his sister to a long, long battle with cancer. She had been recovering, but took a turn for the worse last week and died on Thursday morning. And lastly, my wife's uncle and my mother-in-laws only brother died after a month long battle with cancer. It's crazy to think that he was only diagnosed at the beginning of January .

For some of these, I truly believe that their death is a celebration as they pass into eternal glory. For some, I pray for the mercy and grace that only God can give. Judgment is not mine to pass and I truly pray of each family to be able to cope and have peace in these troubled times.

All this simply reminds me of what James 4:14 in the Bible says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." We are guaranteed nothing. We must cherish the very breath that God grants us.

I think I've discovered the game I hate the very most! Maybe you've played it before? It's called the waiting game. I hate it. My wife Julie and I are now unwilling participants in this devilish game as we wait with overflowing anxiousness for her to go into labor and our son to be born. She's been having a lot of contractions. Alot of them are pretty painful. We've been to the hospital a couple times and sent home just as many times. The last time we went was last Saturday. Her contractions were regular and painful, but not enough. They told Julie and the pain needs to be at least twice what it was then. And her cervix wasn't open enough. Her body just wasn't ready.

Now, we do things just to pass the time. We go on walks, shopping, bumpy car rides, watch movies. Anything to take our minds off of "it." We've looked up and tried just about every way to get her body into labor, but with no success yet. Her due date is not until Jan. 3rd, but she's just done being pregnant. I'm totally ready for her to be done, too. We laugh because Julie has never wanted to be in so much pain before. She wants the pain of labor, because at least that means the pregnancy is almost over and baby Andrew will be here.

Pray with us that Andrew comes soon!!!

I hate computer viruses. I also hate that Norton Antivirus didn't protect my computer. I had to re-format my harddrive and reinstall everything. I think I'm finally done.

I found that Windows Live OneCare work pretty good (assuming your running Windows). This blog is pretty lame, but it's all I have time for right now. Life is definitely busy. October is already gone!

I wanted to post an email that my wife sent me. She is pregnant and recently has been tested for gestational diabetes. Her first test results were high, so they had her come back last Friday for addtional testing. The test involved fasting (difficult for any pregnant woman to do) and a lot of blood being drawn. Here is the results:

Guess who passed their glucose test with flying colors??...... ME! Dr. Abbey said that my levels were great on all 4 tests. Amazing. What is even more amazing is that I was talking to my mom… and she said that her mom, and she both had Gestational Diabetes (which I knew) but on top of that Grandpa Q’s mom had it… and actually ended up with full blown diabetes, and Grandpa Q has diabetes. And then my Dad has diabetes too. But I don’t!! I totally dodged the bullet with this one. I’m amazed with all that family history that I didn’t get it. God’s got his plan!

God is amazing!!! Miracles still happen!!!

This week, my pastor began a sermon series entitled and based upon the book Unchristian. I have yet to start reading the book, but plan to this week. Basically what I have understood so far is that we as Christians, evangelicals in particular, have an extreme image problem. The world hates us because we essentially have hated them. The world distrusts us because we have not given them anything to trust. The world see us an homophobic, hypocritical, judgemental, too political, and users of people and resources because that is the exact image we have given them to see. Instead of being united in faith, we divide ourselves and wage war against other local churches in the name of "numbers." We're seen as seekers of converts and money instead of loving and genuine people who want to share our lives with one another.



A Christian is a "Christ follower" or someone who is "Christ-like." Christians should be "Jesus with skin on." Instead, we are no different than those whom we condemn, look down upon, cast aside, or disregard. The truth is that we are guilty on all charges. Maybe not every single individual christian, but Christians as a whole are guilty of pushing away the very world that we are mandated to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have relegated the "good news" of Jesus to a simple conversion experience when God specifically commanded us to make disciples. We have relegated the "good news" of Jesus to a message that is either shunned, disheartening, guilt ridden, too lofty to attain, offensive, or all of the above.



The sad part is, most Christians are shocked to hear that this is what the world thinks of us. It's also sad because most Christans probably don't even recognize the very thing we have become. The Bible says to love the Lord and to love others and that the world will recognize us because of our love for each other. To quote the Black Eyed Peas, "where is the love?" Where is the love that Jesus tells us we should have when we go to work everyday and see the same people everyday and have the same meaningless conversations everyday and yet say nothing about the love that Christ has for them. Most of us don't care because our "ticket" is already punched. Is it really?



Our actions speak much louder than our words. Our actions as Christians is one of the most undermining aspects of our movement. The world sees us a hypocritical because our words say one thing, but we live another. Who have you and I given Christianity a bad name to because of how we acted? Who have I turned away from God in the name of being "right" instead of "righteous?"



This is simply food for thought. You can agree or disagree. I will post more after I read more, but it's definitely something to think about.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/780976

I think I've figured out the one thing that I really don't like about pregnancy: False Labor. Yesterday, Julie started feeling contractions for the first time. We both had read a little bit on what is called Braxton-Hicks contractions. Basically what they are is the woman's body "practicing" for the real thing. The uteris will contract some and strengthen to be ready for the real thing when it comes along. All of the books we read said the these practice contractions are usually not painful and usually don't occur more than a couple times. They can be caused by stress, dehydration, and a variety of other reasons. Well, Julie had 4 painful ones in less than an hour. So, she called her doctor and told her. The doctor said, "Don't go to the hospital tonight, go RIGHT NOW!" So, we packed a couple things and headed to Providence Southfield. Our usual hospital is new and not equipped for baby delivery this early in a pregnancy (Julie is only 26 weeks).

There were so many things going through my mind on that drive. What if he's born tonight? What if there's something wrong with him? What if something happens to Julie? Am I ready to be a father right now? What if something happens to both of them? What if they make me choose between the two of them? I really was thinking and preparing myself for the worst. If Andrew had been born last night, he would have been 14 weeks early. He would have had to stay in the hospital in the ICU for 14 weeks so that his body could finish developing. I can't say that I would have had the strength to go through something like that.

But thank God, none of my fears came true. Julie is fine. Andrew is fine. God is great and still on the throne!

With the soon arrival of my baby boy (Andrew David Sexton), I have thought a lot about how miraculous humanity really is. Mark 10:8 keeps going through my mind: "and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one." (read all of Mark 10 for context).

Now I know that this verse is dealing with marriage and divorce, but it triggered an amazing thought. Something that I had never really thought about until now. The verse says that the man and woman in marriage will become one flesh. The miracle that I am in amazement over is the creation of a new human being, a little baby. A baby (or all humans for that matter) are half their mother and half their father. Everyone has 13 chromosomes from each parent for a total of 26. This is where this verse in Mark 10 came to mind. Literally, a man and woman become one flesh in the form of their offspring.

When I have the opportunity to look into the eyes of my baby boy I will see myself and my wife at the same time. Sure he may have more physical traits from me or Julie, but my wife and I have become one flesh in the form of Andrew. It is such a miracle and an amazing thing to know how God designed humanity to operate. Mark 10:8 has a new meaning to me now. It may not be theologically correct, but I see a figurative and literal meaning in it now that I didn't see before.

Food for thought I guess. I love God and I love His amazing creation and I love how He designed us.