Dedication

We dedicated Elijah & Josephine at church on Mother's Day. Some people have asked, so I will explain a little more... Many churches baptize infants. I’m not opposed to this, but I have always believed that infant baptisms are really a commitment on the parents’ part in raising their children to come to know the Lord. Children still have to come to a knowledge and acceptance of Christ for themselves as they grow older and more mature in their understanding. Our family’s preference – and how our church does it – is to baptize once the person has come to the understanding and acceptance of Christ. The dedication is a commitment of the child’s parents, before the Lord, to raise the child according to God’s Word. The Biblical reference is in 1 Samuel, as Hannah gave Samuel back to the Lord.

As part of how our church does this, the parents choose a Bible verse/passage for the child. Ours was Jeremiah 29:11-14a:

For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD...

This passage has context in the Israelites’ exile in Babylon. To us, this passage has held great promise in the trials that we have experienced in growing our family - both with infertility and then adoption. Though the path to our children has been long and winding, and sometimes it was hard to see through the obstacles we were facing, we can now look back and see along the way how God has provided for us. He has used each of those obstacles to guide us through to the path he chose for us, to the children he chose for us.

This is our prayer for all of our children as well, that they would come to know the LORD who has a plan for their lives, the LORD who has plans to prosper them and not to harm them. And that they would call upon Him and pray to Him and seek Him with all their hearts. God will guide them, through the obstacles that appear, to His perfect plan for their lives.

**Thank you Marti S. for taking the photos for us!!!