Ten years ago, yesterday, our little Haley Brianna Baker was born. Born in Hopkinsville, KY, she is a true Kentucky Wildcat. Well, being from Tennessee, I know very little about what a “true” wildcat from KY should act like, but if Haley is any clue, they’re nothing to mess with.
Tomorrow is the big party. We are really going to take advantage of living next to a church gym. The party is going to be science themed, with all kind of experiments (cool ones, of course) that the kids will be able to do. One of them will actually involve making ice cream in freezer bags!
Ten years ago, my daughter was born, but I really didn’t know what to think. You should have seen her! You know how everybody always says, “All babies are beautiful?” Well, to be completely honest, I shocked the nurse beside me when I said, “I don’t think she is mine.” Who could have blamed me? Do you know who she looked like? FRED SANFORD! You know, from the tv show “Sanford and Son?” White, Baptist preachers should not be having babies that look like old, black comedians! You should have seen you look on the nurses face. “Don’t say that,” she replied in a strong whisper which my wife was not supposed to hear.
Just a couple of days later, my wife carried Haley into the sanctuary of Hillcrest Baptist Church. I can still see her carrying that little bundle in her arms. The proud look on her face was beaming, as mine must have been, also. It was more than just the pride of having a new baby to show off, however. What most people can’t understand is that it was also a sense of pride that we were able to take our little girl to her first church service in her life, the first one after the day she was born, and dedicate her to God.
Psalm 127 compares children to arrows in a quiver, and verse five says that a man is happy whose quiver is full of them. Sadly, we can’t have any more children. Haley will be the last, naturally. She was our last home-made arrow, but we are happy with what we have. I just pray that God will continue to give us the grace to rear our children in such a way that, as arrows, they will stay sharp, straight and fly true when they are released to pursue their God-ordained target.
Why were Valerie and I so proud? I don’t really know for sure. But one thing I do know is this: it was really cool to think that we were responsible for bringing into this world one more weapon that would be destined to put some hurt on the Devil. Happy birthday to our littlest “Arrowhead!’
The Recovering Legalist 
So cute! What a good daddy!
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