Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.–Proverbs 18:22
Yes, this month I celebrate my second anniversary with the most wonderful girl in the world! That would make her a candidate for sainthood in many circles. She’s very giving in allowing me to run around the countryside with my camera so much, and enriches my life in ways I can’t even begin to describe. She’s now the mommy of our handsome little boy, and Baby Number Two is on his way! I’m the most blessed guy I know. I LOVE MY WIFE!

That’s right, PJ…you’re going to have a little brother! My wife had been urging that we wait until delivery to find out the gender of our upcoming baby. In fact, she even turned on the tears to convince me that we should wait to find out. After her ultrasound yesterday, the tech wrote down “boy” on a piece of paper and folded it up, sealing it with a piece of tape. Who do you suppose looked? Yes, she did!

If there’s anything this country needs more of, it’s good fathers. These days if one turns on the Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, or pretty much any other show, the dad is portrayed as dumb, immature, or even worse. Whether it’s a reflection or indoctrination, I’ll leave that for you to decide…but the fact of the matter is that there’s little glory in pop culture today for a dad who will stand up and be a man for his family. Too bad…who wants to be popular, anyway?

Fatherly advice is incredibly important to a boy’s development. I remember my dad telling me things practical things like how to work on the car or the house, matters of character such as how to treat my wife when I get married, and disciplinary lessons in the consequences of my actions. They took a while to sink in, but now that guidance is with me and shapes the way I am as a man.

Fatherly advice has always been important. In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon relays the following guidance from his father David:

4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The advice David passed along to his son did not return void. Later on, when Solomon succeeded David as king of Israel, those words bore fruit. As depicted in I Kings chapter 3 and and II Chronicles chapter 1:

1:7 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
…
1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
1:11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
1:12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

Solomon obeyed his father’s counsel, and was pleasing to God. The Bible talks about David as “a man after God’s own heart.” His advice to his son was to seek wisdom, and Solomon followed through. But what is wisdom?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:10)

I learned a lot from my dad; mechanical skills, practical common sense, and a fear of God. But it wasn’t until one day when I was helping him at a job site before my shift at the TV station when he told me, completely out of the blue: “You know, you’ll never get to heaven unless you accept Jesus Christ into your heart.” This was a real shock to me; I grew up in a strict Catholic environment, attending private schools with uniforms and knuckle-rapping nuns. I’d fallen away from church after college, but still feared God. I just didn’t know much about him, although I could recite the Catholic Mass in my sleep. So my dad’s words made me curious.

I started exploring the gospels and was completely astounded by what I read therein. I took particular interest in the book of Romans, which every Catholic should read. I found out that trying to “be a good person” or “work my way to heaven” was not going to cut it. I always figured if my scales tipped toward good more than evil, I’d be okay. I found out that my idea wasn’t in line with God’s plan at all.

In the Old Testament times, the Jews would have to sacrifice a lamb without a blemish or spot (Exodus 12:5, I Peter 1:19) to atone for their sins. These sacrifices covered their sins, but did not take them away. But under the new covenant of the New Testament, Jesus Christ became that sacrifice for all the world. Remember how he’s called the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The sacrifice for our sins has already been made, we just need to put our faith in that “free gift” (Romans chapter 5).

The Bible tells us that “and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and that “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet I was simply hoping that I’d been more good than bad, thinking that somehow that would make me go up instead of down someday. Talk about some uninformed thinking! And I knew none of this until the advice of my father pointed me in the right direction and I opened God’s word for answers.

After reading and discovering what the Bible says about our eternal salvation, I repented and put my trust in the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on my behalf. I realized that I was a sinner that had separated himself from God; that no good thing I do or sacrament I perform could make up for that sin; and that Jesus Christ had already died and risen from the dead so that I could claim victory over sin through him. I’ve now got assurance of a place in heaven someday; not because Clint did anything of note, but that I believe that Jesus did it for me.

If you are trying to be a good person today, that’s great. If you expect it to get you to heaven at the end of your earthly run, that’s not scriptural. Only by the belief that Jesus died on the cross for your sins as well as the sin of the world can you see him in heaven someday. Read the Bible; it’s simply amazing how God’s plan works, yet we’re all too busy or distracted to find out about it!

I’ve got some wonderful news to pass along to my little boy when he’s older. He’ll know that he doesn’t have to be a slave to sin all his life or try to work his way to heaven. He’ll grow up knowing that he has a loving God, an eternal Savior who has made a way for him. That’s far more important for a boy to learn than how to ride a bicycle or change the oil in the car. Don’t worry, he’s going to learn those things too.

Spring means new feathers, which also means that a certain Scooter loves his bath. His feathers come out like little porcupine quills, and he has to break off the outer coating so the feathers can unfold. It’s busy work for a bird, keeping him preening for most of the day. That also makes a lot of bird dandruff, too! With that in mind, a bird bath is a wonderful feeling indeed.

The camera actually cuts through the fog pretty well. This was the scene as another wave of snow rolled in Monday afternoon. I love it! If I could have my way, we’d get a nice six-foot blizzard for a day, then let the April sun burn it off and fill up the river and lakes for us.

One place that’s benefiting from this precipitation is east of Bismarck: The ND Game and Fish OWLS (Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site) along Bismarck Expressway. The catch & release lake on the site has been dredged and the shoreline repaired, so this year will be a fantastic year for fish and wildlife there.

I haven’t had much time to take pictures or post on my blog lately, but that’ll change. I’ve been struggling to be a husband, dad, tax preparer, freelancer, churchgoer…the works. If something has to take a back seat when things get tough, “blogger” is at the top of the list. But it’s not a permanent list. I’m still running around with my camera every day…it’s just harder to get blogworthy stuff when my only ventures are for errands or work!

Oh yeah…BABY NUMBER TWO is on the way. That doesn’t complicate matters at all…does it?

We three amigos were playing the part of couch pilot Saturday. Either PJ was having a really good dream, a strong case of gas, or a nice nap with his dad. I like to think the latter is the case. My wife was kind enough to grab my camera and document the possibility that yes, my boy likes me!

One concern we had was how Scooter would take to a baby. Having a jealous pet is one thing, having one that can fly and dive-bomb is another! True to his sweet personality, Scooter accepted PJ from day one and gives him a wide berth. If we let PJ sleep on our bed for an afternoon nap, Scooter perches atop the closet door, fluffs up, and guards the baby for us.

This is an interesting stage in a newborn, where they start to develop personality and become more expressive. I can’t wait until he starts to babble and smile and all that! Even more I look forward to taking him hiking with me, maybe giving him a little digital camera of his own, and having some father-son time as we ramble around Bismarck-Mandan and the rest of the world.

At first glance, this would look like another post about Scooter, my lovebird. Nope…wrong birdy! This is Chipper. For twelve years he’s been the official greeter at The Birdhouse in north Bismarck. Not only is he a cute, sweet little fella, he’s also accomodating in letting prospective bird owners hold him and decide if a birdy is right for them.

I visit Chipper every now and then and help rub out his pinfeathers over a conversation. He tweets and peeps, scolding me when I touch a sensitive one. We’re old pals, Chipper and I…in fact, it was my experience with him that made me decide on a lovebird before I purchased Scooter!

Chipper’s getting along in years. He went through two owners before coming to The Birdhouse for his role as store mascot. I don’t know how long it was between his hatching and his becoming a store employee, but he’s at least twelve years old. A healthy lovebird can live up to 20 years, so he may have plenty of time left in him. He did, however, have an unfortunate incident this year which resulted in a nasty fall. We figure he had a minor stroke which caused him to lose balance. To this day, he’s lost his equilibrium somewhat and leans to his right. He walks sideways too. That disability hasn’t stopped him from his duties as the store ambassador, however!

If you ever find yourself at The Birdhouse, stop and say hello to Chipper. He may not be as willing to let people pick him up these days due to his balance problem, but he’s still very friendly. Maybe you’ll just see him curled up in his coconut half-shell, beak tucked away in his feathers. But hopefully he’ll be there for years to come, providing smiles to new customers and old friends alike!

Yes, that’s right…I’m a dad After nine months and one day ahead of schedule, Paul Joseph (“PJ”, of course) joined our family. He’s a little tank too, weighing 9 lbs 4 oz and measuring at 22.5″ long. He’s got blond hair and blue eyes, just like his proud papa!

We went into the hospital for a checkup, and ended up being admitted. My wife is so strong, such an amazing lady…she endured an endless stream of contractions that were causing an immense amount of pain, but weren’t getting us closer to delivery. Finally she agreed to an epidural, and that allowed her body to relax enough for the process to get going.

No matter how many books you read, how many videos you watch, and how closely you pay attention in Lamaze class, there is nothing to prepare a man for childbirth. There’s so much uncertainty, so much helplessness, so many feelings of inadequacy. This is the woman’s job, and all the guy can do is try to be as supportive as a husband has ever been. To watch my wife in pain and travail through labor is the most gut-wrenching thing I’ve seen as far as I can remember, but its fruition is such joy that all those things seem in the distant past.

One observation I’ve made about women, and you can disagree with me if you want, is that they are 1) more in touch with their emotions than men, and 2) far less able to handle sudden changes in emotion than men. Sure, the stereotype of women being tougher emotionally is true; but a guy can be mad one second and happy the next, with no trouble switching gears. Those roles were reversed last night.

Stacy’s travail turned to joy, although some pain lingered. Once things settled down, however, I found myself finally able to decompress and sob through the flashbacks of her pain and disorientation. She’s so amazing. For her labor we’ve been blessed with a perfect little (big) boy, exactly an answer to prayer, and to see the two of them together wells up feelings I never knew I had.

I was a loner for 35 years. I had my own room as a kid, always kept my personal space regardless of friendships and relationships, and lived alone for a long time before getting married. I wasn’t sure I would be able to change and put a wife before myself, or a child for that matter. Obviously Stacy changed my mind in respect to marriage. When little PJ reached up with both hands and grabbed my finger last night, less than five minutes after being born, I was reassured that things will be okay there, too.

I didn’t spend any time preparing emotionally for fatherhood. How can I? There’s no possible way to do so. Instead I chose to be totally blindsided, with no preconceptions and no expectations. It was the best way to approach the birth of our little (big) guy. Now the only variable is how Scooter’s going to take to him. He’s a pretty understanding bird…hopefully he’ll be as awestruck with little Paul Joseph as I am.

Now, at the risk of sounding like an Academy Award winner, there are some people we’d like to thank. First and foremost would be my employer, Candace, whose experience and guidance have brought us through this whole amazing event. She was with us through every step of the way, counseling us and providing lots of much-needed backup. I can’t even describe the degree of comfort and help she brought to us this weekend. The Muggerud family is our family, I’m just fortunate enough to work for them as well. Second would be the nurses at the hospital. They’ve gone the extra mile to insure our comfort, and every need is met. One in particulary, Jody, even stopped in to talk to us at the end of her shift, even though she’d had to stay over an hour later than her scheduled time off. When she came in the next morning to find that we’re parents, she came to greet us with congratulations.

Obviously, my head is still swimming from the whole thing, and I need to cut this word dump short and get back to my family. Thanks for your prayers throughout our pregnancy and delivery. To those of you who loved the nickname we’d given him before birth, “Klaus”, thanks. To those of you who said we’d be nuts to name our kid Klaus, your fears can be abated. And to those of you who thought it was unfair to keep his real name a secret until his birthday…well, now you know.