It’s hard to believe that Kasen is turning 3. My role as a husband and father has been the most rewarding I’ve ever experienced and I look forward to many more in the future. Although we already had his party (this weekend), his REAL birthday is today so I thought I’d post this video. I love that boy!!!
Kesleigh’s First Birthday
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since she was born. I uploaded all the pics to our shutterfly photo site: http://cornphotos.shutterfly.com/5796
Also thought I’d post a couple of videos:
Kesleighs First Birthday from Steve Corn on Vimeo.
Happy Birthday Kesleigh! I can’t believe it’s already been a year.
Here’s one of Kasen too. He came up to Miranda and put the flashlight in her face saying, “Hi Fella Fella.” When she asked him about it, she said that’s what Woody says. I watched Toy Story with him again and looked for the scene that he might have been talking about and got him to reenact it.
Kasen – Hi Little Fella from Steve Corn on Vimeo.
It’s amazing what things they pick up. Makes me think I need to keep a better eye on what he’s watchin’.
U2 and my Bucket List
Lift Off!! U2 took us off the planet for a couple of hours last night. They called the stage “our space station” and at one point in the show the rocket launched. Away from the cares and worries of this world and into the skies soaring into a beautiful cloud of song.
I had to update my Bucket List today in order to account for the awesome night that Miranda and I had last night. We saw U2 for their 360tour. Miranda bought tickets back in April (before we knew we’d lose my job.) as our birthday gift to each other. Quite possibly the best concert I’ve ever seen. It was a great night of awesome music from some of the greatest musicians the world has ever known. They put on a great show. Every time you think you’ve seen it all, they’ve got a new trick up their sleeves and Bono does a phenomenal job of interacting with the crowd. He seems to really care about his audience. The Christian messages that are sprinkled into their lyrics were also very encouraging for Miranda and I during this time in our lives. Some of our favorite songs from the night were:
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Walk On
Amazing Grace
Where The Streets Have No Name
With or Without You
Here are a couple of pics. 
.
Kesleigh Pics
I figured it’s time to post a few more pics of Kesleigh. These are the ones taken by our friend, Jenny. She’s an amazing photographer. You should check out her stuff or even set up a sitting of your own – she’s really good. Anyway, you can find her at www.jhintze.com. You won’t be disappointed.
Just click the “pictures” tab to get rid of the filmstrip and then click the “right arrow” button to move through the gallery. If you want to see the whole image, click the lightbulb in the center of the pic.
[smooth=id: 5; width:500; height:500; timed:false; arrows:true; carousel:true; links:true; info:false; align:center; frames:true; open:true; text:Pictures;]
If you want to see the pics in a regular album, you can see it here: Kesleigh’s Professional Pics
Kasen’s Year in Review
Here are some things I’ve written during
Kasen’s first year of life. If you wanna see more, just click on the links and they’ll take you to the original post. If you’re interested in a Pictorial Review click here: cornphotos.shutterfly.com
Nov 5 – Oh no! I don’t know the first thing
about raising a child. How could God
give such an incredible gift to someone like me? What am I gonna do? I’m not
ready for this. Tap. Tap. The nurse tapped gently on the glass calling me back
to the present. Beckoning me out of my imagination and into reality. She
mouthed something about giving him a bottle and I answered.
I realize now that I don’t have to know
everything. I just have to be ready to love him in the present. I’ll
figure it all out as I go along. I’ll trust God to help me be the father
He’s called me to be. It was just a tap on the glass, but it taught me
something. . . . something profound. . . . .something important about living in
the present and about trusting God.
Nov 6 – Prayer:
Lord, show me how to “be” –
Who to “be” – and give me strength/courage/and whatever I’ll need to
“be” what you’ve called me to “be” in this role as
“leader” of my family and child.
Nov 19 – I wondered how I would communicate [Kasen’s] enoughness
to him. How could I communicate his value and worth? How could I show him that
God Himself thinks he’s worth dying for?
Kasen had a big day
yesterday!!
1 – He slept through the
night!!!! 10:31pm ‘til 7am!!
2- His umbilical cord fell
off.
3 – He had his 2 week
birthday.
Nov 26 –
As [Miranda and I] start this new part of our lives with Kasen, it kinda seems
like another dance. We’re still learning the steps, and how to move together,
but it sure is a fun song to dance to. And I’ve got the best dance partner in
the world. I feel like I’ve been writing and praying about the kind of dad that
I wanna be, while all along, Miranda is already everything a mom should be.
Dec 5 –
I’m turning into one of those guys who everyone dreads to see coming ’cause you
just know you’re gonna have to look at more family pics. Oh well – I guess I’m
that guy.
Feb 4 – I
hope to instill a sense of calling, adventure, and courage in [Kasen.] And even
if I fail . . . it will still accomplish this: Kasen will have known a father
who eagerly and persistently pressed on to God’s call. And I believe that
will be enough to inspire and encourage him to chase his dreams and lions.
Feb 7 –
It’s my job to represent God to my son Kasen. I’ll never be able to fully do
so, but I will give my life to love him, protect him, care for him, and raise
him to know Jesus.
Feb 18 – I
never imagined that I’d ever find myself lying on the floor cheering for
someone to roll over, but. . .it’s me. . .I’m that guy! I try to celebrate it
all.
Mar 1 –
Every day gets more fun. As he gets older and is able to respond more, my joy
is just magnified.
Mar 13 –
As the leader of my son, there are (or will be) times when it’s appropriate for
me to allow him to lead me. Of course I will only allow him to lead me to
certain places – it’ll always be within the boundaries that I set, but still, I
will choose to follow him sometimes so that he can grow into a leader himself.
Mar 27 –
My son was actually comforted by my voice and touch. What an honor and
privilege it is to be given that kind of influence and trust.
April 11 –
Everyone keeps talking about how much he’s grown. He still seems like the same
little boy to me, but when my new niece (Kallie Grace) was born a few weeks ago
and weighed almost the same that Kasen did, I realized how much he has grown.
April 17 –
Kasen wouldn’t sleep tonight. . . I walked him. It didn’t work.
With all the toys
surrounding him, [Kasen] still wants the remote.
May 1 –
[Miranda and I] talked about how we want Kasen growing up in a home where he
sees us studying the Bible together and that we want the Scriptures to be
clearly present in our everyday lives.
May 11 –
Kasen will grow up knowing that he is loved beyond measure, and he’ll also be
shown a beautiful example in his mother. She loves with all she has, and
will sacrifice her own desires to do what’s best for him. Even when it hurts
her, she will choose to love him.
May 20 –
We also got a little [bike] seat for Kasen and we’ve been having tons of fun
driving him around. The helmet doesn’t fit too well, but he still smiles and
laughs while he watches mommy riding beside us.
May 27 –
Miranda, Kasen, and I went camping this past weekend with my family. All the
Corns and Underwoods met together at Possum Kingdom Lake.
May 29 –
Kasen has started crawling. He’s coming up on his 7th month and now he’s
definitely got it down. . . Now we’ve gotta go through the house and kid-proof
everything.
June 14 –
Prayer: Empower and lead us to aim our
arrow (Kasen) correctly and guide him to take ground in advancing the Kingdom of God. AMEN.
June 22 –
Kasen, discovered himself in the mirror at the hotel. It was pretty funny
watching him laugh and giggle and dance and kiss himself.
July 28 –
It was also really cool to be able to take my son, Kasen, there [Meridian State Park – where I became a Christian]
for the first time. I plan on taking him back over and over throughout his
lifetime, but this was his first trip – unless you count when he went last year
inside Miranda’s tummy.
Aug 23 –
Kasen is walking a little better now. Still a little wobbly – but fun to watch.
I also can’t help but love the way he says “DaDa” while he walks.
Aug 27 – I
wonder if God looks over each part of me and rejoices the way I do over Kasen?
Sept 1 –
Prayer: Hold us all close and prepare
Miranda and I as parents. Give us special wisdom in understanding Kasen’s needs
in response to a new baby in the house too. Help our time to be multiplied so
that we can be everything You call us to be as parents.
Sept 21 – Kasen loved the stepping stones, but couldn’t
navigate them very well. . . He fell almost every time . . . but each time he
got up again and would clap for himself and say “Yeah.”. . . Each
time I’d join him in the applause and he’d continue. Whenever he made it
without falling, he also clapped and I joined him then too. . . As a father, I
loved cheering for him.
Nov 1 – Kasen was a dinosaur for his first Halloween.
He didn’t really trick-or-treat, but loved the candy he got from mama and
daddy. Dum dums are his favorite.
Nov 4 –
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I stood outside that glass in the
hospital and wondered if I could really be a father. It’s been the best year of
my life though. Miranda has been amazing too.
Kasen’s 1st Birthday
It’s
hard to believe it’s been a year since I stood outside that glass in the hospital and wondered if I could really be a father. It’s been the best year of my life though. Miranda has been amazing too. I hope to write more soon, but for now, I’ll just post a few pics/video of his special day. You can see more of the pics on our photo website. (http://cornphotos.shutterfly.com)
39
Whoa! I just turned 39 years old this week. Almost the BIG ONE. . . . but not quite. It gets me thinkin’ a bit.
I have enjoyed 39 summers of swimming and playing in the sun. 39 Spring breaks – some in the waves, and some on the slopes. I have heard the Happy Birthday song at least 39 times. Throughout the years, I have shared 39 birthday dinners with the people I consider my closest friends and family. I have also celebrated 39 of my mom’s birthdays with her – well OK, only 38 if you don’t count that year that she got upset and thought we hadn’t planned anything. I have experienced 39 football seasons – at first sitting in my dad’s lap in front of the TV, and later I got a play a few seasons, and then I cheered for my brother’s team some seasons, and other seasons I was just oblivious to it all. I have opened 39 Christmas stockings with excitement and anticipation. I have heard my mom and dad ask the same question at the Thanksgiving table 39 times – the years I wasn’t at their table, I still heard them asking it. I remember when my dad could beat me at the best video game ever invented (PacMan) and when I collected a whole set of “Empire Strikes Back” cards from the dime store. I was in High School when the shuttle blew up the first time, and I remember when you used to have to “dial” a phone number. I took computer classes in the summer on an Apple 2E and “keyboarding” was not an elective I could take (It was called “typing” back then.) I remember paying less than $1 for a gallon of gas, but it was only 35 cents/gallon on the day I was born. You could buy a house for $28,000 back then and a car for $3,400.
Since 2003, I will also always associate my birthday with another date – Sept 7, Miranda’s birthday. On Sept 7, 2003 I was given the greatest birthday gift of my life – Miranda said “Yes” to my proposal. We were married a few months later on Jan 3, 2004. These last few years with her have been the best years of my life, and this past year, with Kasen too. . . no question – the best.
Of course my birthday also will always be most remembered by the world for the tragedy of Sept 11, 2001 when terrorists attacked the world trade centers. This year, it will also be remembered by many Houstonians as evacuation day for Hurricane Ike.
All of this is a little surreal to think about. It’s strange to think that I’ve been blessed with this much life – the good, the bad, the joy, the pain, the change. . . .yes, the change. All of it is life. And what did I actually do with all of it? Did I truly drink in those great moments, allowing myself to feel the weight of God’s love in the gift of life? How did I spend each of those 39 spring breaks? How much of that time have I wasted? How much has been wasted on selfish living and garbage thinking? If I have 39 more years, will I spend them more wisely? Will I get to the end of life and wonder if my time was spent well? What other events will shape my life?
Prayer:
Lord, I thank You for life. It’s been an amazing life! I feel like it’s only the begining, but I don’t want to miss this opportunity to recognize Your work so far. You have given me so much life – too much to even recognize – certainly more than a sinner like me deserves, I’m so grateful for Your grace, this gift. And especially the gift of Your son, Jesus who has made it possible for me to even speak to You. He was the payment for my adoption into Your family. Thank you. Thank you for Jesus, for my bride, and my boy, and this child to come. Thank you for my family and my in-laws for my friends and for the church. Thank you for the experiences and opportunities You’ve given me and for creating me as I am. Thank you for life – for 39 years and for those to come. AMEN.
Advent Conspiracy
Is anyone else frustrated by the materialism that Christmas has become? We say we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth, but I wonder if he’d be happy with the way we “celebrate?” If you go to someone’s birthday party, do you get the presents? How did we get this turned around? Are we really helping our kids by giving them everything they want? Why aren’t we giving to Jesus instead of each other? We have some friends at a church called Ecclesia in Houston who decided to do something about it. Led by their pastor Chris Seay, they are taking a different approach to Christmas. It’s a conspiracy to take back the true meaning of Christmas. Chris says that he believes that 100 years from now, people will look back at the way Americans celebrate Christmas and feel about the same way we do about the practice of selling indulgences. They’ll be disgusted. Anyway, they are focusing their giving on Jesus. Instead of buying gifts for other people who don’t need them, they are taking the money they’d spend on gifts and giving it to “Living Water International.” They provide people in 3rd world countries with clean drinking water. I think it’s good idea and I bet Jesus likes it too.
Check out: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/
Kasen Mathew’s Birthday!!!!
A Tap on the Glass
It was just a tap on the glass, but it was so much more! Yesterday, is a day I’ll never forget. My beautiful bride gave birth to Kasen Mathew (our first child) at 5:08pm. He was 20.5 inches long and weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces. It had been an incredibly long day as she worked her way through labor, but when it came time to push, she was great. I saw his head the first time she pushed. He has lots of hair. After we had a little time with him, they took him away to the hospital nursery for a couple of hours. The nurse took me there so I’d know how to find him. As she winded her way around all those hallways, my mind wandered about whether I could find him even though she had taken me there. I wasn’t allowed into the nursery, so I stood outside watching them check him over. It was a quiet hallway, and the first time I was alone – away from the crowd of family and doctors. I looked at him through the glass and imagined the future. I imagined playing football and chasing him around the house. I watched him play with the dogs in my mind. I dreamt of Christmas and taking him camping. What would it be like to sing him to sleep? Will my lifestyle speak to him about Jesus? How will I care for him when he’s crying? What will I do? How do I. . . .? How. . . Oh no! I don’t know the first thing about raising a child. How could God give such an incredible gift to someone like me? What am I gonna do? I’m not ready for this. Tap. Tap. The nurse tapped gently on the glass calling me back to the present. Beckoning me out of my imagination and into reality. She mouthed something about giving him a bottle and I answered.
I realize now that I don’t have to know everything. I just have to be ready to love him in the present. I’ll figure it all out as I go along. I’ll trust God to help me be the father He’s called me to be. It was just a tap on the glass, but it taught me something. . . . something profound. . . . .something important about living in the present and about trusting God.