Pooh & the Gospel

Carysse: (Putting together a Winnie the Pooh puzzle) Do Piglet & Pooh know God? They have to love Jesus so they can go to heaven. They don't want to go to hell!

In Hope that She Will Belong Wholly to the Lord

Our little Kalia Joy was dedicated to the Lord on Mother’s Day. We had the privilege of dedicating Carysse on the 1^st Mother’s Day after her birth so I wanted to do the same for Kalia. I truly enjoy being part of the baby dedication services at my church. The pastor gives a short word about children & dedications. Then the parents commit to strive by grace to fulfill the parental promises. Those promises are:

1. Do you recognize these children as the gifts of God and give heartfelt thanks for God's blessing?

2. Do you now dedicate your children to the Lord who gave them to you, surrendering all worldly claims upon their lives in the hope that they will belong wholly to God?

3. Do you pledge as parents that, with God's fatherly help, you will bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort, with patience and love, to build the Word of God, the character of Christ and the joy of the Lord into their lives?

4. Do you promise to provide, through God's blessing, for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of your children, looking to your own heavenly Father for the wisdom, love and strength to serve them and not use them?

5. Do you promise, God helping you, to make it your regular prayer that by God's grace your children will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for the fulfillment of all his promises to them, even eternal life; and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings?

After the parental promises are recited, the pastor goes to each child and gives the Words of Dedication, "Together with your parents who love you dearly and this people who care about the outcome of your faith, I dedicate you to God, surrendering together with them all worldly claim upon your life in the hope that you will belong wholly to the Lord, forever."

What a wonderful way to glorify the Lord for giving us these precious gifts of children! Also, these dedication services remind me to continue to entrust my children to His care all of their days. What a high calling to be a parent…Praise Jesus we NEVER have to do it alone.

No way; I'm NOT praying for that!

A few years ago as a mom of a young child with multiple disabilities, my prayer requests list for my son was like a grocery shopping list. There were major requests like, "Lord, please spare my son's eye sight during this glaucoma surgery. Please enable him to walk before he turns 3. Please stop his seizures before he stops breathing and goes limp." The list goes on & on.

During that time, I couldn't stand to be in prayer circles of other moms sharing their requests. I had a hard heart towards them and refused to pray for a picky eater, teething, potty training issues, or a sick pet. I would think, "Are you kidding; is that the most dire thing in your life you deal with?!?!"

Thankfully, the Lord began to show me that I had a pride issue of wanting everyone to suffer like me and not wanting anyone to have it better than I did. Also, He showed me my discontentment to the circumstances that He allowed in my life.

Praise the Lord that my heart has been softened and now I share the burdens of my sisters in Christ and strive not to compare my circumstances to them. God uses each of our unique trials to perfect us (James 1:2-4) and conform us to his image (Romans 8:28-29). Through His grace, we can lay aside our concerns and truly "rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15) even if their load is a lot lighter than ours and they receive the blessing that we've been longing for.

Trust Him; He is doing something greater than you could imagine (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 55:9). Many times that greater thing is transforming our mind to know His good, acceptable, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). As we persevere through our difficult circumstances, May we find much joy in being God's beloved image bearers of Christ!