CJ's Dedication Sunday

I know this pic is sideways, but I wanted a picture of his satin shoes.
In deep thought.
Me and CJ
Daddy and CJ
CJ with his Papa Charlie
Days just don't get better than this. Yesterday was so awesome for Chuck and I. After a hectic morning trying to make sure everything was perfect for CJ's dedication at church, we enjoyed a beautiful baby dedication. Our Pastor Tony did a fantastic job and it was so exciting to have so much of our family up there with us, joining us in dedicating our son back to the Lord. Our Pastor actually joked that the church was going to tilt if some of my family didn't line up on the other side of the altar (there must have been fifty family members up there with us!)...what a testimony to God's love within our family.

In thinking about the dedication I couldn't help but think of the contrast between how we are raising our son and how I was raised the first eleven years of my life. There was no aknowledgement that I was a gift from God or a committment to raising me in a Christian home, always pointing me to the cross. The opposite was in place when I was a baby. I think that's why CJ's dedication means so much to me. Yesterday it was like all my life's woes melted away as I aknowledged this perfect gift from God. It's so easy to question "why" for all the bad things, and overlook the abundant blessings God sends our way. In CJ, I see God's love for me.

Another thing that crossed my mind in the midst of all this dedication fun, is that without my mama none of this would have happened. I am so thankful to her for taking me to church and more importantly, for being such a good example of what a God-fearing Christian woman and mother is. I've said it before and I'll say ot again, without her I would not be who I am.

Lastly, I could not imagine raising our son with a better man than my husband. What an awesome example CJ has to look up to. While I only began to learn about God when I was adopted, Chuck was born into a loving, Christian home, where he was brought up to be a man of God. Chuck once said that he felt he had no testimony to tell, since he was saved at an early age and never really fell away from church. All the testimonies he had ever heard were from people who had been so far away from God and then came to His saving grace. While I thank God for these people, I think that perhaps Chuck's testimony is one of the sweestest to God's ears. Perhaps in churches, we should also have these testimonies given, so that young people being raised in the church have an example of what staying in church looks like, since such a high percentage of kids raised in church often rebel before coming back to God. Again, I thank God for loving me enough to bless me as Chuck's wife. He is so good to me and to our son. He has made it possible for me to stay home with CJ, while he works and supports us. I am honored every day to wake up next to him and I pray that CJ will always know what an amazing daddy he has.