Happy birthday, Ishaq Shalom Hameed

Today, my baby turns four years old! Ishaq Shalom Hameed is the light of his mommy and daddy’s world. He is the child neither one truly expected and from one parent’s perspective (Mom) a living, breathing example of redemption and for the other(Dad), someone that he will protect for the rest of Ishy’s life and nobody will ever come between, no matter what.

See, Ish was born to older parents and by older, I mean parents in their 30’s and 40’s. Now, four years later, that’s 40’s and 50’s. We’re blessed, make so mistake about that but we’re scared as well. Daddy is a daddy for the first time in his late 40’s and Mommy has had two before that she was unable to keep (as is described in her “Love Letter to Karl and Katrina) and then along came Ish, in her late 30’s. As though this isn’t enough of a reason to be scared, we’re also homeless, staying with a man and his childish 40 year old son and some other guy no one is sure HOW he got in the picture. Ish deserves to be safe and happy and CONSIDERED as if he’s a PERSON and not just part of the woodwork. We try our best to keep him safe and now that he’s in school, neither of us ever having had the experience of putting a child in school (preschool), all we’re going through is new to us.

We love our son and praise and thank God daily for this precious gift to us and to the world for he’s named so intentionally! Yes, he’s named after his grandfather, who gave his life for this country and for raising Raphael until his death (story available in View from Within the Spirit). But it’s so much more. Ishaq is Aramaic for Isaac, which means CHILD OF LAUGHTER; Shalom means PEACE; and Hameed means PRAISEWORTHY.

Speak LIFE into your kids. They’re the next generation- the future and it’s up to US as parents to give them as good a start in life as possible and with GOD in our corner-there’s no way that we can fail, if we keep vigilant and steady.

Ish, you are our pride and joy. We will protect you and love you and yes, we’ll screw up periodically because we’re human, learning and not always certain that what we’re doing is right. In this world, there’s too much confusion, too much anger, too much SIN and we’re walking examples of the Power of God sustaining individuals who’s walked and loved God and fell down and got back up.