Christmas 2006

Christmas for the Hamans this year was filled with family and friends, lots of joy and laughter, and way too much food! It's funny how we constantly graze in the kitchen like a bunch of cattle in a hay field. If I eat another praline, I think I'm going to explode!! Rachel made a seafood gumbo that was absolutely perfect for a cold, rainy Christmas Day.

My dad drove in from Galveston on Saturday, while my sister and her family came in from Houston Sunday morning. We all had a wonderful time at church--Candace brought the thunder...Pastor Dino brought the lightning...and we all got caught in the storm!

I started early Monday morning with some of my world famous Hamanator pancakes--some of you may be surprised, but I got skills in the kitchen. Soon after, the kids tore into their presents, and it looked like a tornado of gift wrap had ripped through the house. My nephew got a Dallas Cowboys football helmet--along with an entire uniform--so we spent the rest of the day tackling each other on our hardwood floors. At 32, I don't recover as quickly as I used to!!

I talked to my sister in Denver on the phone--they got hammered by some serious snow...wish she could pack some of it up and send it down here. We're tired of making snow angels in the mud!! My mom is coming in town tomorrow, so the party won't stop. Seems like we've had our Christmas tree up for 3 months now! God is so faithful...I'm believing 2007 to be nothing short of incredible!!

Late Nite Christmas Social

It was so good to be together and see everyone again this past Saturday night. The Late Nite Christmas Social was a huge success!! A big thank you to Joe Cobb and our Cooking for Christ team--the dinner was slammin' and the bananas foster was out of this world. Our Refuge Student Mininstry team served it up while Carlos and the gang took care of our cars. A shout-out to Lawrence and the "Misletones"--you guys did an amazing job of setting the atmosphere with some silky smooth seasonal tunes! Thank you.

The awards were great (Barton, you have an amazing artistic gift)...the highlight video was hilarious...but none of this would have been possible without the faithful contribution of our Late Nite staff and leadership team. I'm continually blown away at the commitment, sacrifice, and creativity of the awesome men and women Rachel and I have the privilege of serving.

This year has been full of so many "Divine Surprises" and life-giving experiences. In 2006, we gave away over 12,000 packs of gum and passed out almost 3000 pop-tarts on the campus of LSU. We were "maced" 3 times at bar outreaches and consumed almost 300 pounds of crawfish. More importantly, we touched hundreds of lives in our community and helped many cross the line of faith--the stories of life change have been inspiring. The integrity of our ministry is not in the multitudes but measured in how we treat just one. Like the old song says, "Though millions have come, there's still room for one..."

I believe 2007 is going to be even better! January 13 can't get here fast enough...only 25 days and counting! Saturday nights, here we come!

Clouds of Glory

This morning on our way to school, Mikaela (my 4 year old) and I were having a beautiful conversation. I love my children--it's amazing how much God reveals Himself to me through them! I learn about the touch of Heaven through their eyes.

As we were driving down Airline Hwy through the dense early morning fog, Mikaela said, "Daddy, why is it so blurry outside? It's blurry everywhere. I can't see anything!" After trying to explain the physical science of fog and where it comes from, I could tell she wasn't getting it. I was making it way too complicated--as adults, we have a tendency to do that. So I simplified. "Baby, fog is basically a cloud in the sky that has landed on the ground. It's hard to see stuff around us because we're driving in the clouds."

Instantly the her little light bulb came on. In a burst of excitement she asked, "Daddy, do you think Jesus is sending clouds down here to pick us up and take us to Heaven to be with Him?" She seemed to be a step ahead of me. I was checked big-time! I thought of the scripture in I Thessalonians 4:16-18 where it says, "And the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel and the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with our Lord!" Wow! I had no idea how prophetic Mikaela might be!

I told her, "Baby, this could be the day that Jesus comes back to get us and take us Home. We always need to be ready!" According to her, she's ready for the party now...are you?

Baby Update

I love the fact that Rachel is pregnant now because her life seems to revolve around food--much like mine always has!! Yesterday morning, she jumped out of bed and threw her clothes on in a rush to get out the door. When I asked where she was going, she said, "I'm going to get the girls some doughnuts for breakfast." Ten minutes later, she returned with 4 dozen doughnut holes (2 dozen chocolate and 2 dozen glazed)!! Now, I know it's important to Rachel that our daughters get a major dose of sugar-intake before school, but I have to question her motives for making a doughnut run that early. She consumed more chocolate than both of them combined!!

When I came home at the end of the day, Rachel was standing over the stove and every burner was being used. She had just made it back from Wal-Mart and the refrigerator was stuffed with food. The pantry was packed, and groceries were still on the counter. We had a buffet of dinner choices: spaghetti, pork roast, turkey, mac'n cheese, chicken salad, tomatoes and cucumbers, and vegetables prepared 7 different ways. I was in Heaven!!!! After looking at our food expenses, I realized I may have to second mortgage my house just to pay my grocery bill!

Tangle in Texas

My dad lives in Galveston, and my sister and her family live in Houston. So when the Tennesee Titans travelled to Texas to play the Houston Texans, I was thrilled to be able to do the chapel service for the team. I flew into Bush Intercontinental, and I'm proud of my dad--who turned 60 years old today...Happy Birthday, Dad! He drove way out of his comfort zone and actually braved the "big city" traffic to pick me up at the airport. You really can't appreciate this accomplishment without knowing how nervous my dad can get behind the wheel--not mention how nervous he makes all of us when he drives too!! He's the kind of guy that if he knows he has to make a right turn 10 miles down the road, he'll stay in the right lane the entire way...no matter how slow the traffic may be. How old do you have to be before you get your license revoked???? Just teasing, Dad!

I met the Titans chaplain, Reggie Pleasant, on gameday Sunday morning right before service. What a cool guy! Married and a father of two, Reggie has been serving the team for 8 years and does an incredible job. After talking with him for just a few moments, I felt an immediate connection--instant spiritual chemistry. The players showed up, and so did the Holy Spirit...we had church!!

Dad and I met up with my sister, Sarah, and her family (my brother-in-law Patrick and nephew Wyatt). After tailgating in the rain for 30 minutes (Ha! We made some great, soggy memories!), we headed to Reliant Stadium for the game...and what a game it was!! Tennessee won in overtime on a Vince Young QB scramble from mid-field! I may be wrong, but I think it was the powerful chapel service before the game that inspired the victory. My chapel record with the Jets wasn't that impressive, but so far with the Titans, I'm undefeated!!

A special thanks to Kevin Mawae for making this weekend such a beautiful experience for me and my family. Go Titans!!! You're on a roll!!

A Cake for the King

Saturday afternoon, I did the traditional, all day-untangle-the-Christmas-lights-and-hang-them-on-the-house project. Oh joy!! Since I am highly skilled in this area (and basically all home improvement related work for that matter), you have no idea how much fun this annual event is...trust me! After hours of finding defective bulbs, searching for replacements, and standing on ladders, I was starting to re-think how we celebrate this entire season. Is Christmas here again already? Seems like we were doing this just last month!

Sunday night I brought both Alexa and Mikaela to the HPC kids Christmas play--which was absolutely fantastic...thank you Mrs. Sherrie May and the entire team!! The kids did a wonderful job of showing us the primary purpose of Christmas.

On the way home, I used that experience to ask Mikaela (our 4 year old) questions about why we celebrate. In spite of the hype all around us concerning Santa Claus, reindeer, trees, presents, and snow (which would be awesome this year), she was quick to tell me about baby Jesus...and baby Moses. After affirming the importance of baby Moses and his little basket floating down the river, I made sure she knew that Christmas was all about Christ--His birth and our hope in Him. "Daddy," she said, "if it's Jesus' birthday, then shouldn't we make Him a birthday cake?" How could I argue with that? We celebrate all of our birthdays with cake, why couldn't we celebrate His with cake too!!

After stopping by Wal-Mart to pick up some chocolate icing--since Mikaela and I agree that chocolate is Jesus' favorite flavor--we spent the rest of the night baking a cake for our King. We made a royal mess of things in the kitchen but shared a beautiful moment together as a family. I never knew that celebrating the Savior could be so delicious!! With only 19 shopping days left until Christmas, do something different this year. Talk to your children. Get creative. Make a mess of things. But be sure to tell them the story of how Heaven came down to earth and kissed us all!

The Hamans...Plus One

We're excited to announce our family is growing: Rachel is pregnant, and we're all pumped!! Since Mikaela (our 4 year old) will no longer be the baby, she now thinks she gets to tell somebody else what to do. Of course, I'm fasting and praying, believing God for a man-child, and I want to know who is in agreement with me? After living in a house with 3 girls, it's about time for some back-up!! In fact, I'm declaring a double-portion: twin boys! That should balance things out. However, I'm not sure Rachel is in agreement!

It's funny, but Mikaela insists on having a little sister. I told her, "Baby, you already have a sister, you are a sister, you don't need another sister!" Alexa thinks it's a boy and has already picked out a name. The other night when the girls were going to bed, Rachel was leaving the room after saying their prayers. Alexa jumped up and said, "Wait Momma, I didn't get to tell the baby good night!" Then she kissed Rachel's tummy and said, "Good night, Trevor. See you in 9 months." I thought that was hilarious.

Mikaela wants it to be a girl--Alexa wants it to be a boy--I want it to be twin boys...and Rachel just wants it to be healthy. She's so spiritual!! I know God has a sense of humor--if you don't believe it just look in the mirror--but the ultimate irony would be twins...girls! Prepare ye the way for a little Hamanator on July 25th.