August 2 Baby Proofing Day

Well hello there, sorry haven't written for a week. Seems like it gets busier and busier each month here in Orange County. Lately, people seems to be driving faster and faster, careless and unaware of other people around them. I guess the accident really affected me and how I look at my surrounding nowadays. Now that my baby will be a year old in Sept, I am very afraid of how she will adapt to her surrounding. The whole nature versus nurture theory that I've studied in college did a hula-hoop and came back to remembrance that no matter how you have raised her at home, she is well to adapt to her life outside of home. Today my wife and I will go though the house and baby proof everything, including our strategies in raising her.

I was at the mall the other day and couldn't help seeing groups of teenagers just doing what teenagers do, shop, being silly and very audible in everything that they do. My attention wasn't at them but couldn't help noticing that these behaviors hasn't really change or anything new was being done. The things that amplified was that the girls seems to think that wearing bathing suit is acceptable at a public mall but, who am I to judge when everything is being taught in school that everything is acceptable and "do as you feel"

The first thing I saw this morning was my baby looking at my face, again with her cutest overtone "da-da, da-da" my heart must have jumped and double the beat from her calling. I love that, I love everything about being a dad. I know it's not the easiest thing but it is the "natural" thing. She will see me at my worst and at my best. I know she will always be looking (just like every Saturday mornings) at me for directions and suggestions. So, how do I raise this child who is now beautiful, cute, intelligent and I think already loves to shop? (and she is only 10 months old - this is not a good thing please see http://www.storyofstuff.com/index.html) I have a tough path ahead of me, lots of work to be done, lots of patience's and endurance to convinced her that God is love. He is good, all the time not only the "good" times but also the bad time and that He has a plan for her (and that plan is good - Jer 29:11).

I want to teach her that our nature is sinful (never had to teach her to be bad) but we have choices to make between the good and the bad. Everything that we do can bless someone or can tear that person down. Our words matters, our actions matters and we are accountable to every actions and words.

I want to tell her that she matters; her opinion counts and that she is important. I want to tell her that RESPECT is number one and honor is as important.

Wow, baby proofing day is hard, but here we come...