What's in a Name

Benaiah - You might recognize part of the name ("Yah") as coming from the God's covenant name in the Old Testament, Yahweh. Many names within God's covenant people bore His name in a small sense: (say them aloud) Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah, Hezekiah, Joshua, etc... All of these names for individuals also said something about God! Such is the case with Benaiah and the reason we found it fitting for a first-born. The other part of his name comes from the Hebrew word "banah" which means to build or be built. Thus the combination of "banah" and "Yah" into Benaiah comes out as something like "Yah has built up" or "built by Yah". This was actually a pretty common name in Old Testament times but the most famous Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was one of David's mighty men and the general of Solomon's armies (2 Sam. 23:20-22)

Around the block today, 26.2 tomorrow!

Picture Speak Louder Than Words (sometimes :-)

Big Boy Benaiah!

Happy Mommy, amazing how make-up and a shower help you feel better!

The Leman Family (Minneapolis)

Meet Our Son!

This morning at 2:05 AM our first son was born - Benaiah Jeffrey Leman (8lbs/12ozs - 21 1/2 inches). His name means "God builds up" which we thought fitting for a firstborn. (though we didn't know it was a boy until he arrived)

It was a grueling 25 hours of labor but mommy Rachel is doing good and very happy. Benaiah's a good sleeper and even let us get a few hours of rest this morning. Rachel's parents are here to help us through the next few days and I'm sure we'll have many more guests after that :-) Thanks for your love and support, we'll continue to need it.

Marcus (for Rachel and Benaiah)

Horticultural Insights (pt.2)

Last week I met a tree. Walking through this arboretum a note by its roots read "Casaurina Equisetifolia - 100 years old". Who kept track of that? When other of its larger cousins were being hewn down and harvested, someone cared for this plant, watered it, trimmed and cleaned... Who did that? I wonder what they looked like... Did they smile a lot? What did the like to eat for breakfast? Could they run like the wind or were they confined to a wheelchair? I'll never know. All I know is that they loved this tree. They loved it, cared for it, and passed it on to someone else who would do the same.

"Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." -Moses

Most of us won't be remembered long after we're gone. Family and friends may crack open a photo album from time to time and tell stories. Maybe they'll remember my smile, maybe they won't. But if they can look at my effect on the world around and know I loved Jesus, that will be good indeed. Maybe it will be a person they see, or a group of people. Maybe it will be where I put my money, all that non-necessity money. Maybe it will be an investment of hours week in and week out, or maybe just thirty seconds later today. Maybe it will be in a note I write, or something I say. Whatever it is, will it last, will it point the to God? In fact, it doesn't even matter so much that they know "I" loved Jesus but that Jesus is worth loving because someone devoted a life to it. 27 years and counting...

Whoever planted that Horsetail Tree is long since gone and now a second generation of caretakers is ticking off the days, maybe a third. Do they love trees? We'll see.

Horticultural Insights (pt.1)

Yesterday I met a plant. The brilliant blue of this blossom only shows its face for a few hours... and then it dies. "What a waste!" (we say) "Why would God create such a short lived beauty?" The Ohio Spiderwort, as botanists have named it, is God's gift to all humans to stop and consider the length of our days. Some wise-man once made the observation, "as for man, his days are like grass; as the flower of the field so he flourishes, and the wind passes over it and it is gone."

If we want to be a little less man-centered think about this: every Spiderwort that ever bloomed in every wild-meadow of this tiny earth bloomed to declare the glory of God for God's pleasure first and foremost... only after that to men and angels partake in this festivity. Hundreds of people walked past this Spiderwort yesterday. Did anyone notice it's fragile progress towards explosive beauty and death? God did, and he saw it blossom today though I couldn't be there. But yesterday I heard its story, saw His art, and worshiped.

Reflections Nearing Fatherhood

I’ve been given cause lately to think about parenting, specifically fatherhood because in God’s design that is my coming charge. (T+1 day) God has given fathers the charge of leading and their own household, to provide and protect what is under their care. And this is hugely important because a father isn’t just “Dad”, a father is a role model for both sons and daughters, a father is both a friend and an authority, a father is leader who does so through service, a father is strong and yet knows how to be gentle, a father is courageous but also knows how to cry, a father doesn’t rule for his own comfort but for the good of all those under his care, a father blesses and builds up, a father loves...and one might rightly call him a king, but not a tyrant. Earthly fathers don’t always know what to do, but they know to whom they must look. They are the image of God to the world in a way that no other creature can! Such is my understanding of fatherhood from Scripture and experience.

And glad am I that “experience” is one of God’s gifts to me! Almost every Father’s Day in the Sunday sermon we are reminded how difficult a day this can be, honoring our fathers. For many this holiday is not celebratory because their father was nothing like what I’ve described above...but, thanks be to God, mine is!

I remember as a child peeking into my parent’s room just before bedtime, and there was dad on his knees, praying. You see, he didn’t always know what to do, or where to lead, or how to bless and build up, or what it meant to be fulfill the impossible task of modeling the Father to us kids...but he knew the Father and that showed. Because even though no dad is perfect, by God’s grace he’s taught and modeled for me how to be a friend, how to lead through service, how be strong and courageous yet gentle and compassionate, how to bless, how to build up, and most of all...how to know the Father.

So, he’s to you Dad, on this special day of remembrance. Though I’m full of trembling at soon joining the ranks of Fatherhood, this is a day I can truly be thankful for God’s gift to me and my family.

I love you! Glad to be your son,

Marcus

Due Date...and Counting

The long anticipated day is here! And yet we're still waiting for baby to arrive. Mommy is doing ok, pretty stiff and tired. She's more eager than anyone to meet this little one she's carried day and night for nine months now. And yet we wait...

Those of you who've had children before can empathize with this expectation. You wake up every morning and wonder, "is it the day?" Sometimes you're startled in the middle of the night and the mind races with all the possibilities. Yet all the signs show that every hour takes you one step closer to this long awaited event.

I've been challenged by this series of events. I've only experienced expectation like this as we prepared for out wedding day. How much more so the return of our Lord Jesus? Yet this event is even more like the final day we're all awaiting. We can't put the day on our calendars and mark it off...but we know it is coming, all the signs point to it! We can wake up each morning and wonder, "is it the day?" and yet live that day with all our might knowing that the day is coming. Like Paul we've all received a task in life "according to the mandate of God our Savior and Jesus Christ our hope." Hope, wait, and pray with us for this baby and that glorious day!

P.S. - Here are some recent pictures from an outing:

A City to Come...

How refreshing it's been these past two weeks as Rachel and I have had time to settle into our new apartment and prepare for Baby's arrival. We've enjoyed the relaxed pace after such an intense year of study. We're very thankful for this respite!

But God is good to not let us over-enjoy these pleasures such that they become idols in our lives. I was reading an email today that I receive from Voice of the Martyrs about the Christian community in NE India. In 2008 there was a lot of violence in Orissa State and many Christians lost their lives at the hands of Hindu extremists. Others, nearly 100,000 were internally displaced as their homes and villages were destroyed. (This is a good place to ask why we never heard about this in the regular news sources!?) Two years later nearly 50,000 of these believers are still displaced and homeless - monsoon season is coming. Take a moment to pray for their physical provision and spiritual perseverance.

I was reminded of a dear scripture from Hebrews 13:

"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. "

Oh friends, let us enjoy every gift our Father gives, enjoy it fully and happily - but let us never idolize these things. May we too learn that this "city" is not our true home, we look for the city to come when our King descends and establishes the Kingdom. Let your Kingdom come Lord!