Forever Family Tree: Mommy Monday

Baby Dedication

This was a very special weekend for our family. Sunday morning at Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake, we were part of the Baby Dedication ceremony. Much of our family was able to attend and support us in this act of obedience to God's Word. For those of you wondering, a dedication is not a baptism service...this will come later if/when Cooper makes the decision to surrender his life to the Lord. The dedication service is about the commitment Richard and I are making by God's grace -

-to recognize that Cooper is God’s gift to us for a season;

-to raise Cooper in a Christian home;

-to train him the discipline and instruction of the Lord;

-to through our words and actions encourage him to one day trust Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord

As believers we are called to recognize that Cooper belongs first and foremost to God. God in His goodness gave Cooper as a gift to us. We not only have the awesome responsibility of caring for this gift, but also the wonderful privilege of enjoying His gift. Because Cooper belongs to God and was given by grace as a gift to us, it is only proper and appropriate that he be dedicated back to God. So Sunday morning, Richard and I and our families presented Coop before God and our church, asking for grace and wisdom to carrying out our responsibilities. And to pray he might one day trust Jesus Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of sin.

Raising our child in the Lord was something that Richard and I committed to before we even started the adoption process. So making this pledge in front of our church family was really just a way for us to proclaim publicly our already intentions. For me the most meaningful part of the service was when our church family was asked to stand and commit to encourage Richard and I to be faithful to God, to assist us as we teach and train Cooper according to God’s Word, and most of all that they would pray for Coop, that God would show him favor and draw him to Himself, that he would one day repent of sin and place his hope and trust in Jesus Christ, through whom we have forgiveness of sins. How awesome to know that we have the support of our Body helping and guiding and praying with us for our little guy!!

The Lord is faithful and during my time with Hime this week I was reminded of when the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her "For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:37-38). May I remember to be a servant to the Lord in the years to come...

In keeping with his regular style...here are a few of the pictures I took Sunday morning...