Ellie is Baptized!!

My sweet baby girl was baptized in Jesus'name on February 21st at Cedar Grove UPC in Tupelo, MS!  She, like her other two sisters, was baptized by her daddy.  Eliana (known lovingly as "Ellie" by all her friends and family) is 5 1/2 years old and loves Jesus with all her little heart.  She loves to pray and worship in church and means every bit of it.  Below is a photo snapped just in time about 2 weeks before she was baptized.  She had her little hands raised and was praying so hard in the altar, when another 5 year old came by and lovingly put his hand on her head and began praying for her.  Then, another little girl (8 years old) gently laid her hand on her back and began praying with her as well.  It was one of the most precious things I had ever seen.

She had been telling us for awhile that she wanted to be baptized, but we were waiting until we knew she fully understood it, well, at least as much as a child can comprehend it.  She was so excited when we set the date.  Here are some more photos...

Nothing fills my heart with joy more than seeing my children walking in Truth and putting into action what they have been taught since birth.  I pray that I can have a childlike faith such as theirs and that they will continue to grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  

"Repeat" and be Baptized!

My second little girl, Jordan Elisabeth, was baptized in the precious name of Jesus two Sundays ago, January 27th!  Words can't express how proud of her I have been over the past few weeks.  She is only 6 years old, but her understanding of the Scriptures is enough that she comprehends the need for water baptism in Jesus' name.  I believe we all need a little more of that child-like faith Jesus spoke of in the Bible.  We don't need years of study and more degrees than a thermometer to simply understand the need for Salvation.  Jordan has been taught this truth from infancy, and she decided on her own that she needed to "repeat" (as she first called it) and be baptized in Jesus' name.  We asked her a few more questions to gauge her understanding of the subject, because we as parents don't want our children to just mimic and go through the motions.  We want them to comprehend.  There was no doubt that she understood, so we set the date!

During this time, her father and I were in the middle of a Daniel's Fast as part of our church-wide corporate 21 days of fasting and prayer. (see www.ultimatedanielfast.com).  Our girls had been watching us, taking notice of the fact that we were not eating and drinking the same things they were and they had lots of questions.  Rachel, our oldest daughter (8), asked specifically why people fast and pray, and after we had a talk about it at the dinner table she told us that she wanted to fast and pray for her sister to receive the Holy Ghost. (see Acts chapter 2)  Jordan was also listening, and she wanted to participate as well.  So the next day she and Jordan, of their own free will, chose to forgo breakfast with the main purpose of Jordan receiving the Holy Ghost.  I can't tell you how that made me feel.  I don't think I have ever been any prouder as a mother than at that very moment.

 Here are a few more pictures...

   

She was so small, we had to use a metal chair for her to stand on.  :)

 

On a side note, Jordan was baptized in the very same homemade dress that Rachel was baptized in.  It was first intended for a Bible character costume made for Rachel by my husband's grandmother (AKA "Bikkie").  I thought it was sweet.  :)

They had been playing dress-up with it among their other play clothes, but I have now pulled it out of the box and put it away.  Maybe we'll baptize Ellie in it in a few more years.  :)

Jordan is presently seeking the Holy Ghost, and we pray she will be filled with God's Spirit very soon!

"Train up a child..."

Last night, my oldest daughter was baptized! Rachel is 6 years old (she'll be 7 in November), and she was all smiles as she took on the precious name of Jesus. Her daddy performed the baptismal which made it even more special to us. Mom and Dad, as well as his parents and grandmother, were there. Rachel received the Holy Ghost last Sunday night, and she told us she was ready to be baptized and even explained it all to us (in her own way). So we know she understood. As I stood there watching, I was reminded of my own experience as a child of 4 (almost 5). My daddy baptized me, too. How precious these days are to me! To the congregation of WPPC, we were so honored to have shared this special time with you. WPPC will always be special to our family. It was on the back pew of that church that my husband proposed to me on a Christmas morning. We were married there, spent almost 8 years of our married life there, including the baby dedication services of our three girls. Rachel received the Holy Ghost there, as well. So, it was fitting for her to be baptized there. As a mother, I have been overwhelmed with emotions — just about every kind you could imagine. But none can compare to the feelings I have when I watch my children mature in the Lord. For my ever-growing list of mistakes as a new parent, it's nice to know I'm doing some things right every now and then. There is no doubt about it, instilling a love for the Truth is my greatest responsibility as a mother. In this I must not fail.