One Small Step For Bran

Yesterday was a big day for the Brooks Family. After a full day of walking around with a scanning gun, Tisha and I registered at Target and Babies "R" Us and we are pretty happy with our list. However, Tisha constantly checks the list as often as I check my fantasy stock portfolio on facebook. Although the baby isn't due until February, feel free to browse the list and buy a few items if you so desire.

This stroller is my favorite item on the Babies "R" Us registry.

Politics Not As Usual

Over the past few months or so, I've been really thinking about politics and where I stand with the democratic party. My political views have shifted from left to center on a few issues and I'm starting to feel as though the democratic party does not speak to where I am in life right now. I even flirted with the idea of switching to the republican party but after doing a little research and some sole searching, I decided to stay with the Ol' Dems. The two major reasons I decided to stay with the Democrats are: the Kennedy's and the Clinton's. A few weeks ago, Tisha and I watched a 3 hour TV movie about the Kennedy's and once again I felt inspired to get involved with politics. I must mention that Bobby Kennedy will always be my favorite Kennedy because of his dedication to social justice and his tenure as the U.S. Attorney General against organize crime. The Kennedy's was a prime example of what it means to be a democratic and I was proud to be associated with the political party of such strong men and women who closely hold on to their conviction of justice and service to the least of among us. The second and more important reason why I still consider myself a democratic is the example and legacy of Bill Clinton. Clinton considered himself a New Democrat, and as of today, I consider myself a New Democrat. The New Democrats were created after the 1984 election of Ronald Regan. The founders of the Democrat Leadership Council (DLC) believed the United States Democratic Party needed to shift to the right of center to remain viable during the Reagan era. A New Democrat basically identifies with a center-right view on social/cultural issues and favors a fiscal conservatism on economic issues but still holds a sense of accountability to the people. Andrew Jackson said it best when he proclaimed,

Equal opportunity for all, special privilege for none.

The DLC also notes that at the heart of a New Democrat are three principles:

Promoting opportunity for all; demanding responsibility from everyone; and fostering a new sense of community.

So there you have it. I will continue to vote democratic and possible run as a democrat some day because of this unique approach to solving America's problems. As a country, we have to move beyond liberal or conservative views of where we should go and try to find a moderate view of critical possibilities of where we could go for the benefits of the generations to come.

Above you will see a picture of myself with Delaware's Senator Thomas Carper. Click on the picture to learn more about the Senator. I have a great story to tell about Delaware's other senator and presidential hopeful Joe Biden but I will save that for another time.

Bonds Hits 756

Click here to read a report from ESPN.

Raising Confident Kids

Last night, as I was doing research on the 2008 election, I stumbled across a Christian website for men. The website titled, The New Man Magazine, is a great tool for Christina men who wants to improve aspects of their lives that need attention. From faith to fitness, this website covers it all.

In the blog section, I saw this piece on fatherhood and thought I should feature it on my blog. Raising Confident Kids is the title of the post and Tommy Newberry's main theory is the power of Positive Memory.

Newberry explains that,

Kids with real confidence have what I call a “Positive Memory.” This means that they tend to notice and stay mindful of what they do right, instead of what they do wrong. This mental habit is learned (or not learned) as a result of exposure to grown-ups who possess and emphasize this positive memory.

Therefore,

When your children see that they’ve made progress–even a little–they want to succeed even more. This gets the momentum going. Often, as dads, we shut our eyes to the progress our kids are making because we’re fixated on perfection. But demanding perfection is a toxic mental habit that only serves to amplify your children’s weaknesses.

I really like this theory and it goes great with Newberry's philosophy of having a Philippians 4:8 attitude.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

In conclusion, Newberry urges us to,

Remember, what gets impressed through your habitual thinking gets expressed through your circumstances.

Amen Brother.

Do I Have What It Takes?

One of the first questions that I asked myself after finding out that I was going to be a father was, "Do I have what it takes?" I wrestled with that question for a couple of weeks until I came across a book in Hackman's (Allentown's Christian Book Store) titled, "You Have What It Takes" by John Eldredge. It was a small book (only 53 pages) and it only cost $2.99 but it was big on answers.

The book opens up with the basic question every child is asking their father. For a boy, that question is: Do I have what it takes or Am I good enough? For a girl, that question is Am I lovely or Am I worth fighting for? These are the questions that all boys and girls are longing to ask and desperately seeking an answer. Eldredge writes that you should always answer this question with a resounding Yes!

Eldredge points out

You, Dad, are the most powerful man in the world...at least their world. Your children are looking to you to answer the deepest questions of their lives. How you handle their hearts will shape them for the rest of their lives. (14)

Eldredge illustrates that as mothers show children how to love and mercy, fathers are blessed with the task of shaping their identity.

A boy learns if he is a man, if he has what it takes, from his dad. A girl learns if she is worth pursuing, if she is lovely, from her dad. That's just the way God set this while thing up. This power he has given to you. (15)

Looking back on my youth, I also longed to hear those words come out of my father's mouth. From softball, football, track, and in the classroom, I was always seeking my dad's approval and his assurance that I was good enough: that I was good enough to carry on his name and that I was good enough to make him proud to be my father.

It took a long time but I finally got to hear those words shortly after I graduated from Harvard Divinity School. As my family was walking around Harvard Square, my dad and I went into the Coop to frame my diploma. As we were waiting in line surrounded by Harvard students, my dad turned to me and said, "You're graduating from Harvard with all these people from around the world...I'm proud of you, Son." It was a great moment in my life and I will always remember that day!

My goal is to have moments like that with my children. Starting from a very young age, we have to shower our children with love, self worth, and the notion that God cares about them. These are only a few of the tools that we need to parent our children into the people we hope and pray they will be. Stay tune for more tools in the future.

Its Unoffical...

We are having a boy. Let me explain. Yesterday, Tisha and I were sitting on the couch enjoying each other's company when I started drumming on the table with Tisha's pens. When you're married to a PhD student, you have to get used to the fact that writing utensils are always going to be lying around. After a few seconds or so, I realized that one pen was baby blue and the other pen was pink. Thus, I had the bright idea of pointing the pens at Dixie and seeing which pen she chooses and the color would represent the sex of the baby. (I know that blue=boy and pink=girl is old fashion and maybe a little sexist but it was all in good fun). I also have to add a footnote to this story: the first trick we ever taught Dixie was to press her nose against a stick or my finger whenever she wants a treat. The funny part was that Tisha and I tried this test 5 times alternating the pens in both hands and Dixie choose the blue pen every time. Once again, we have to wait six or so more weeks to find out the sex of the baby but according to Dixie, we are having a boy.

Delaware

Tisha and I had a great trip home this past weekend. Click on the picture to see more pictures. LOL.

Nothing Else Compares

Tisha and I had our first doctor's appointment Tuesday and it was one of the best day of my life. The doctor let us hear our baby's heartbeat and it was sweet music to my hears. Although the baby is super tiny (Tisha is 10 wks pregnant), the baby's heart was beating strong and super fast. The doctor thinks we're going to have a boy but its way too early to tell. We won't know the sex of the baby until 18 wks.

Actually, to tell you the truth, this have been one of the best weeks of my life. I got a new lacrosse stick, a free bag of M&Ms from the vending machine, and my paper on Langston Hughes was accepted by the Harvard Theological Review Journal. Life is definitely good and God is definitely good.

Super Tuesday

Tomorrow is a big day for Tisha and I. We have our first doctor's appointment tomorrow and we might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat. As always, I will give you a update after the appointment.

Fastest Game on Two Feet

Thanks to Uzma Siddiqui, my good law school friend, I went to my first Major League Lacrosse (MLL) game this past Sunday. However, this wasn't just any old game but it was the All Star Game. I got to see my favorite lax player, Kyle Harrison, score a goal and I got to spend a nice (hot) afternoon watching great lacrosse. Oh yeah, and to top it off, I caught one of the free MLL T-shirts they were throwing in the stands.

As some of you know, lacrosse has a special place in my heart. I never played in high school and I always regret the decision not to play. The lacrosse coach use to hound me in the halls but I was too busy thinking about to track to start playing lacrosse. What a waste! All I have to show for my 3 years of running track are a few school records.