My Baby Mama

Check out my wonderful wife's blog. Big news on the parenting front!

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Jesus, Lottie & Santa

Growing up in a Southern Baptist church, there were three names associated with Christmas: Jesus, Lottie Moon, & Santa -- and in that order! As I think on it, those three names and all that they represent aren't a bad way to keep Christmas in its proper perspective.

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JESUS: Salvation!

Christmas (like every other time of year) in our home centers around our Savior -- we sing hymns, read Scripture, talk about Him, etc. Just think of all Jesus gave up when He humbled Himself by leaving Heaven and coming to live among us.

There, He eternally existed; here, He was born among livestock.

There, He dwelt in splendor and majesty; here, He had no home.

There, He enjoyed sweet fellowship with the Father & Holy Spirit; here, He was despised & rejected.

There, He sat upon a throne; here, He hung upon a tree.

"Oh, the love the drew salvation's plan! Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!"

LOTTIE: Missions!
Christmas is perhaps the greatest motivation for world missions. Just as Jesus left the glories, perfections, and comforts of heaven to dwell among sinful men and women, so Christians must be willing to sacrifice money, home, family, and friends in order to tell others the good news. This Christmas season, pray for the missionaries as they share the Gospel and as they are away from family. Give generously to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering (or any missions fund) this Sunday! And consider how the Lord might be calling you to personally go to the nations -- full-time or even short-term.
Remember Jesus came to bring good news of great joy to sinful people. What are you personally doing to continue that mission?

SANTA: Childhood Memories!
Last (and least!), is the fun tradition of Santa. The jury is still out for us on what exactly to do with Ol' Saint Nick, but we both really enjoyed the thought of him bringing gifts on Christmas Eve. It seems like an innocent childhood imagination (like playing pretend and having imaginary friends), so he makes the list.

Those three names and all that they represent sum up Christmas for our family. So I give you these three names, encouraging you to remember that Jesus is the name that is above every name!

Have a lovely Christmas!

Graduation, Thankfulness & Facebook

Well, I am an official graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary! I graduated yesterday with a Master of Divinity degree (can you really master divinity??). Nevertheless, thankfulness fills the Culbertson house today, and this is especially true for me.

I am thankful for Southern Seminary, a fortress of truth sending out an army that is mighty in the Scriptures. Everytime I walk on that beautiful campus I know it is a bright hope for the SBC.

I am thankful for Dr. Al Mohler and the men who taught me. I have come to deeply respect these men and greatly appreciate all that they teach.

I am thankful for my wife. Her encouragement, support and assistance eased the burden of these last few semesters. Dianna is truly a God-delivered helpmate.

These past two days were wonderful. And to top it all off, I'm on Dr. Mohler's facebook page!

The Mrs. Hits the Blogosphere!

My godly, gorgeous, Georgia girl now has a blog!

Several people (myself included) told her she should start posting her thoughts on homemaking and biblical womanhood. Before you visit her blog, I'll go ahead and warn you, Dianna's beliefs are counter-cultural. But 'counter-cultural' is just another word for 'biblical!' I'm so thankful to have her in my life, and I know her thoughts will be valuable to so many women seeking relief from the lies of feminism. So, with a somewhat biased zeal, I commend to you my wife's new blog...

The Joy of Home

Calling All Wise Men!

A Christmas Quandary...

It's Thomas' first Christmas, and Dianna & I are wondering whether or not to buy him a gift. Just the thought of us not buying this sweet child a gift is enough for some of you to call Social Services... I know. But here's the deal:

1. We're not rich. (Quite the opposite actually)
2. The grandparents are going to smother him with gifts.
3. Don't diapers & Enfamil count for something?
4. No matter how merry we make Dec. 25, 2007, he's not going to remember any of it.

So what do you think? Should 'Baby's First Christmas' come with a gift?
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As you ponder the topic at hand, here are a few pics from the '07 Christmas photo shoot.

Mr. Clean

Thomas is 1 month & 1 day old now, and he just received his first bath! You're probably wondering why we haven't bathed our child in all this time. The doctors said we had to wait for his umbilical cord thingy (actual medical terminology) to fall off. Dianna has washed him, but today was the first time using the bath tub.

Here are a few pictures...

He's Here!

Dianna and I are glad to announce the birth of our firstborn son, Joshua Thomas Culbertson. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz., our little boy was born at 9:29 on Tuesday morning. Thankfully, he's got Dianna's good looks! The only thing I contributed was the last name (and the Y chromosome). When we got to the hospital at 9:30 Monday night Dianna was about 6cm dilated. They got her in, gave her the epidural, and the waiting began.

You should have seen my excellent wife throughout this process. Not one scream. Not one unkind word. She was amazing! I definitely have a new hero... and a new love!