New Life

For months our first born has been asking “When can I get baptized?” We have read the Word with her and she decided she needed to be baptized like Jesus and the other people who followed after him.  She wrote it neatly on the family meeting board and at every meeting asked again….

She asked at bedtime prayers almost every night and at seemingly random intervals throughout the day.  She clearly chose to follow Him and we have seen the spirit in her life.  The day before we left for Oman we were watching old video clips on our computer and we came across her dedication service when she was a wee one.  She watched it like she was glued to the screen and she cried.  Me too.  As I listened to specific words I had long forgotten I realized just how faithful God is.  We specifically prayed for God to give her compassion for people, for Him to bless her with wisdom beyond her years, and for the desire to use her gifts to bless others.  I was overwhelmed by just how awesome God is and how faithful He has been in her short but full life.  She loved watching the video and asked to watch it over and over again.  I capped it at 4 times as it was way past bedtime.  We talked about how much God has done in her life and how much more is to come. We emailed our pastor back home for advice on baptism (they are supposed to know this stuff right?) And we prayed about it. We wanted to do it in God’s timing.  We were not sure if she was ready, if she really understood all it means to follow Jesus. But then I was clearly reminded I still do not understand all it means. We are all on a journey and He is revealing more to us as we obey, cling, search, embrace mercy, and love.   The Spirit reveals His truth to the people He calls in His timing.  We have gotten to see Anni’s faith grow and along with the pain and joy we have been blessed as a family to follow Him together.  On Easter Sunday we baptized our little girl in the Sea of Oman along with our friend’s son.  The moment was clearly Spirit led, and I love when that happens.  We talked together and prayed together and we asked God that they would be the first of many that thirst for and find Living Water.  It was awesome.




she was so emotional and tears flowed..wonder where she gets that?

pumped about celebrating New Life.


after the kids got dunked we headed to DQ (Yes, they have DQ there!) for some Blizzards to properly celebrate and listen to all of our stories of choosing to follow our Savior.  Sisters and Brothers sharing how good He is.  A gift we do not take for granted.

Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It’s not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you’re already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it’s an initiation ritual you’re after, you’ve already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. 
Col 2:11-15 The Message.
That is Good News.