"Every good and perfect gift is from above."
That's the verse I chose for our Lyssa and it is proudly adorned on her name frame.
Sunday April 10th was a proud day for us. Alyssa Marie was baptized in front of family and friends and it was perfect. The house was buzzing as we all got ready for the service and when I finally pulled out the same baptism gown I wore and put it on her tears filled my eyes. She looked so pretty. Derrick oohed and ahhed over her and in that moment I had a sudden epiphany of how much my parents love me. It was 28.5 years later but knowing I was wearing that gown in November 1982 and that my parents were probably feeling the same way was a very special moment.
Randy Stroming was the officiant and I have known Randy my whole life. He was my DCE all throughout confirmation, youth group and during my two National Youth Gathering conferences. I have been friends with his daughters throughout private school and now into adulthood and his wife was my preschool teacher and is actually 30 years later Director of Mt. Olive Preschool and gets to see Riley enter the same school I did. To say this was meant to be is an understatement. Pastor Heiden took a call to go to another congregation this last summer (the Pastor who confirmed me, married me and baptized Riley) and as a result we have three very nice interim Pastors serving but I do not know them very well and they will not be with us for long so I was so relieved to hear Randy was our man. He knows us, remembers my baptism and will probably be instrumental in our children's faith as the DCE of the youth for many years to come.
The service was beautiful, the music was touching and Alyssa was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of Holy Spirit in my arms as I fought back tears of JOY. Kyle and Sheri are her sponsors and I know that she will be prayed over and remembered by both of them as she grows up. She received a very special blanket from the church and The Beginners Bible which is tradition. Pictures afterwards were a blur as I felt like I was floating somewhere between 1982 and the present pondering how fast time flies and how very thankful and lucky I am to be part of something so stable and present as my family is to us. Derrick and I had also noticed a piece of black paper or something float from the ceiling of the church during the service and when we looked at eachother and smiled we both thought it was Papa Bob letting us know he was there, smiling over our daughter and telling us how beautifully and wonderfully made she is.
We ended the morning with pizza at Davannis, a great cake made by my dear friend Jen and a sense of completion. We were a family of four and it makes my heart sing.
Thank you so much to Kyle and Sheri for accepting Alyssa as your Godchild. It makes us immensely proud to see her in your arms and we know she is in good hands.
"Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
She is so precious in His sight and ours.
Randy Stroming was the officiant and I have known Randy my whole life. He was my DCE all throughout confirmation, youth group and during my two National Youth Gathering conferences. I have been friends with his daughters throughout private school and now into adulthood and his wife was my preschool teacher and is actually 30 years later Director of Mt. Olive Preschool and gets to see Riley enter the same school I did. To say this was meant to be is an understatement. Pastor Heiden took a call to go to another congregation this last summer (the Pastor who confirmed me, married me and baptized Riley) and as a result we have three very nice interim Pastors serving but I do not know them very well and they will not be with us for long so I was so relieved to hear Randy was our man. He knows us, remembers my baptism and will probably be instrumental in our children's faith as the DCE of the youth for many years to come.
The service was beautiful, the music was touching and Alyssa was baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of Holy Spirit in my arms as I fought back tears of JOY. Kyle and Sheri are her sponsors and I know that she will be prayed over and remembered by both of them as she grows up. She received a very special blanket from the church and The Beginners Bible which is tradition. Pictures afterwards were a blur as I felt like I was floating somewhere between 1982 and the present pondering how fast time flies and how very thankful and lucky I am to be part of something so stable and present as my family is to us. Derrick and I had also noticed a piece of black paper or something float from the ceiling of the church during the service and when we looked at eachother and smiled we both thought it was Papa Bob letting us know he was there, smiling over our daughter and telling us how beautifully and wonderfully made she is.
We ended the morning with pizza at Davannis, a great cake made by my dear friend Jen and a sense of completion. We were a family of four and it makes my heart sing.
Thank you so much to Kyle and Sheri for accepting Alyssa as your Godchild. It makes us immensely proud to see her in your arms and we know she is in good hands.
"Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
She is so precious in His sight and ours.
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