Photos

Dear "Pebble",

I saw your first picture yesterday. Very much the same emotion I had when view your Mom's, and you Aunts and Uncle. A REAL THRILL! A new life. Part of MY family.

The picture (ultra-sound) was taken because your Mom was sick, severely dehydrated, and the doctors wanted to make sure you were OK. You were, and she was.

What pictures tell me are two things. First, a way to remember, looking back for whatever reason. To laugh, to talk about those times, etc. In the Bible Jesus uses the word remember to teach us about His Supper. It's a way to gain spiritual food with His people. So important to you. As a baby, you will cry for food regularly. Very normal. Sad that Christian forget they are spiritual babies: we love praised for being so grown up. Enjoy all the pictures taken of you. We will!

The second reason pictures are good is seeing the changes. I hope your changes will be positive and helpful to you and to God's kingdom. I've seen pictures of me where I laugh - hair styles, clothes of another era. All of us change. It's a matter of what changes in you, and why.

Look to the reasons you change. Begin with your eye of Jesus. Read (or have your parents read) St. Matthew 14:22-33, where Jesus and Peter walk on water. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was safe. The moment he worried about the storm raging around him, he started to sink and drown.

I can't tell you how exciting it was to get your first photo. I can't wait to meet you face-to-face!

Grandpa Fincke

Patience

Romans 15:5 (NKJV) Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

Maybe one of the hardest virtues to learn is patience. That's been true of me. Part of you is a Fincke, and I can speak some to those genes in you. We can be stubborn and hard-headed. It's not just your genes, but the Fincke side of you may be less than patient too often.

Honesty forces me to tell you sinful creatures tends not to be patient. But we can't use our genes or lineage or not having coffee yet as an excuse. Solomon, the wisest man ever, wrote "The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height" in Proverbs 14:14:29, (NAB)

Learn from patient people. Watch them and learn how they do things. They will help you grow up better and more biblical.

Our age is all about ME. The world has no patience, everything is all about that individual. Not God, His Son Jesus, His Church, His world. The Great ME. Early in your life with will be crying, whining, complaining until things go your way. This is childish and evil. Run from that thinking.

Follow Jesus. It is His world. He created it, and He died that you and I could live forever.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NKJV) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

Grandpa Fincke

P.S. This is your great-great grandfather's birthday. His name was George Washington Fincke, Sr., born in Pittsburgh. My father, was George Junior. But my prents (I think it was my Mom, wanted my middle name to be Brian. George the 3rd seemed almost un-American.

OK, we're up and running....

Psalm 90:12 (NKJV) So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

We are grandparents-in-waiting. Emily started a blog about "Pebble" Stone, and it seemed a good idea from this end as well.

This blog is mostly for our grandchildren, whoever they are, and whenever they're born. I know that our first grandchild us in utero, so we started to write down the things we want to tell them. I don't care than others might find this maudlin. Tough. It isn't written for them, is it?!?

As bits of wisdom cross our minds, we'll share that. I want to let them know of people who love them dearly, even if we haven't yet met.

Grandpa Tidbit #1: Your spiritual lives are a vital part of who and what you are. It's important who you worship, and why. Jesus Christ laid down His life for you. His love is so much stronger than any love you will ever know. Deeper and more abiding than Mom or Dad, grandparents or larger family.

You are God's. Your baptism 'cleans' you up, but that is just the beginning of a life given to Him. Live your baptism. Remind yourself of the vows taken of the day. Are you living the way "you" vowed at your baptism? Are you the picture of Jesus to the world?

We'll talk more.
Grandpa Fincke.