With the din of traffic and the sounds of the suburbs muffled, Third Day lead singer Mac and his wife, Aimee, settle into conversation inside their West Cobb home.

It is the end of the day and the house breathes a collective sigh of relief. The children are finally asleep and a placid blanket settles over the house. Of course, that can all change in a second if their youngest child, the recently-adopted Emmanuel, decides he’s hungry.

The setting here is far from the stage and the road where Mac’s throaty growl stirs the souls of thousands during the band’s tours. The worlds of Mac the daddy and Mac the rocker might seem worlds apart, but Mac’s family keeps him grounded.

“When he’s home he’s just dad,” says Aimee of Mac, known as “Papa” around the Powell house. Aimee is Mama and the nudge of reality that Mac needs off stage to remind him where he hangs his hat and his heart.

“People ask me how I stay humble,” says Mac. “If I’m humble it’s because I have a family and wife who don’t treat me like a rockstar. Who couldn’t care less if I win Grammy Awards.”

Mac doesn’t hesitate to provide an example. He recalls a sold-out arena. A crowd chanting the band’s name. “Third Day! Third Day!” And the thought “I’m in the greatest Christian rock band in the world!” Then the trailer door swings open, two arms holding a baby emerge, his wife’s voice, “Mac. Will you change this diaper?”

“I’m humble because I can’t help but stay humble,” says Mac.

And Aimee isn’t the only one to keep “Papa” humble. She is aided by the other Powells — Cash, Camie Love, Scout and now Emmanuel.

“People say ‘Y’all are so wonderful for adopting this child. It isn’t like that at all,” says Aimee. “He’s blessed not because of something we’ve done but because of who he is.”

The Powells met with the birth mother over the summer, assuring her that Emmanuel was in good hands. And they were able to dip his feet in the ocean for the first time as a family.

“We knew things weren’t final yet but we wanted to make him apart of some neat experiences,” Aimee says.

In a day when celebrity adoptions seem flippant and silly, the Powells are making a statement about the importance of family and the necessary actions that accompany their faith.

“I think it’s something that God has placed down in all of our hearts — to be able to raise and educate and love and bring up a child,” Mac says. We want to raising them up to be children of faith. To know they were created by a God who loves them and has a purpose and a plan for them.”

Just ask Scout, the Powell’s eldest child.

“He’s sweet and funny and fun,” she says Scout, “He’s adorable. He’s chubby. When he sees me he smiles.”

“His face lights up when she comes around,” says Mac.

As Third Day continues its Revelation tour, Aimee manages balancing new baby with homeschooling through Cornerstone, a homeschooling community based in West Cobb. The Powells choose this style of education “so they can see their daddy” more often and possibly travel on location with the band.

“We’ve been doing it for five years. It’s a lot of work, but we really enjoy it,” Aimee says.

The family hopes to join the band on some international trips coming up, and then settle into the holidays. Last year they were in Hawaii about this time. This year they’ll stay in Marietta where it sounds like they’ll have some explaining to do about where their gifts came from.

“We had to explain to them that Santa Claus isn’t for real,” says Aimee, sadly. “Camie Love sat me down and talked to me about it.”

All good illusions must come to an end, but gifts will come none-the-less as will a Powell family Christmas tradition of providing gifts to underprivileged through Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by the Powells’ church Riverstone.