Been a while... over two YEARS!

Wow! So, I really don't do this enough... Maybe it's because I don't have much to say... or maybe it's because I always forget that I have this account... or maybe it could be that I don't know many people who actually keep up with me through blogspot, so I don't think about it... whatever the reason, let me catch you up on what's been going on:

1. We are expecting our 2nd baby!!!!! The due date is May 28, and we have only been to the doctor once... and that was simply to confirm our pregnancy. Our first OBGYN appointment is Wednesday morning! We are super excited! Izabella is already showing; she around 15 weeks. It'd be great to see a picture of the baby, but we're not expecting to be able to!

2. I have left the classroom and am now a full-time youth pastor at Gorman Baptist Church. I have been there about a year and a half. Fits me like a glove! God has been so gracious as I have transitioned into this. I have great students, good parent support, and am part of a pretty decent staff.

3. We are planning to take the youth on a mission trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, in the summer to work with some church plants and with my state-side father-in-law, Mike! We are all jacked about this opportunity, so please pray for us as we make plans and work out all the details!

That's it for now. We are about to go to bed, because tomorrow morning we are heading to Charlotte to volunteer at the Operation Christmas Child Processing Center!

May His name be preached and the lost be reached!

Joel

Pathway to Parenthood: Overwhelming?

Wow! Let me just say first that we are so blessed to have yall in our lives. Since our announcement and the last blog, we have received so many messages, wall posts, texts, phone calls, hugs, congratulations, etc. that our "love tanks" (haha) will be full for a while! Thank you for all the words of encouragement and all the prayers that you have offered up on our behalf. On that line, please continue to pray for Izabella as she just started the morning sickness symptoms this weekend while we were at a Disciple Now in GA and also managed to catch my cold! Being sick while pregnant isn't exactly the easiest thing, since your medication possibilities are greatly reduced in order to ensure the health of the growing baby!

So, we got our appointment dates for our first OBGYN visits. They are March 31 and April 7. The first one is just an initial consultation with a nurse and the second is with a doctor. Not sure why it takes two, but hey, this is my first time, so I am doing as I am told! All I know is that Izabella is going to have to go through a LOT of tests to check for all these different things going on in her body and how that affects Mini Mac!

Mini Mac... wow... I still am in awe of the fact that my long-time desire to be a father is actually becoming a reality! I have often thought that if we didn't have children, then my students would be a wonderful alternative, but now I am actually going to be raising my own. I'll be teaching M&M to walk and talk. I'll be teaching right and wrong. I'll be trying to instill a love for Jesus and His Word. I'm going to be one of the biggest direct influences in his (it's just easier to type that rather than M&M every time -- it's no indicator of preference or prediction) social, emotional, cognitive, intellectual, spiritual, and many other areas of development. My relationship with him will impact how he makes decisions and his relationships with other people! I'm responsible for keeping him safe, nourished, clean... making sure he feels loved, secure, appropriately challenged and encouraged... And these things are just what I am able to think of at the moment! I can't begin to describe how encouraging it was to read and hear from so many of you that think we are going to be great parents. I pray that you confidence in us will be fleshed out in our lives! Thank you for being excited with us and for loving us and the little baby that you haven't even met yet. If all the people who said they'd babysit really babysit, then this child will never have trouble with socialization and Izabella and I will never be starved for a date night! haha

We love you and are so excited that you are praying for us and taking this journey with us!
Joel and Izabella McMillon

Gonna be a Daddy!!!

Wow! So, it's almost been a week since we realized that we were going to be parents. It was last Tuesday night while I was on the phone with Brian (a friend I hadn't talked to in a while) when Izabella decided to use a home pregnancy test. She politely asked me to get off the phone, but being my normally dense self continued to chat another 15-20 minutes. Once I got off the phone, Izabella led me to the bathroom door where she entered, leaving me in the hall, then returned with the stick that showed a positive (+) sign! It was almost unbelievable! We immediately started doing research on Babyzone.com and connected my parents. The next day we told more family members and used another pregnancy test... sure enough, still positive! So, Izabella scheduled a doctor's appointment for Friday just to get medical confirmation and so we could be referred to an OB/GYN. The picture above was taken at the doc's office. By our best estimates, it looks like the baby's due date is November 12, 2009 (which will give us just another reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving)!!!

Since finding out that God saw me fit enough to be a dad, I have cried twice. Both times were on the way to work while listening to my I-pod (that's because the radio doesn't work in the station wagon). The first time was while listening to "Where You Are" by FFH. It's a song about simply desiring to be in the presence of God. I can think of so many reasons why I am unworthy to be a Dad. I haven't fully gotten being a husband down yet, much less raising a little soul to become a man or woman who will love and honor Jesus Christ in all things! What an amazing, awe-inspiring, and challenging responsibility and blessing! While I have always wanted to be a father, I didn't know if I would ever be one! I can't tell you how wonderful I feel right now!

As we walk this pathway, I hope to be more consistent in my blogging. It will be something fun to read years down the road and something that will hopefully point others to a stronger relationship with Christ through the testimony of a strengthening relationship with Izabella and the coming "Mini-Mac" or "M&M"! Thanks for reading.

Finally joined Blogspot

So, after much encouragement and time spent reading my friend's blogs on this website, I decided to go ahead and start one. This makes four ways that people can contact or read about me, although I think I am getting rid of Xanga simply because I NEVER use it anymore. So, thanks for stopping by. Hopefully I will have something of interest up to read soon!