What We Want For Our Baby Girls

Faith's Dedication was at Browns Bridge Community Church on March, 18. They did a program for the babies and their families at 3pm. Each family is seated at a round table in an auditorium-- they start out with music, a slide show and a talk on parenting with tips on raising your children in such a way that you are pointing them to Jesus. After the talk-- each set of parents stands at their table and shares with their family what they want for their child. (We weren't just put on the spot-- we had previously done the homework that they require and listened to 3 messages--- that included some good parenting advice-- http://www.brownsbridge.org/babyd )

This is what we hope and pray for Faith:
1. For her to love Jesus and always have a growing relationship with Him
2. To experience life beyond status quo-- to be INTENTIONAL and live a life of PURPOSE-- to be HER and not conform--relish the way God made her
3. To have a servant's heart and be compassionate to others (like Jesus)
4. Freedom (and the guts) to follow her dreams-- to Let Jesus be her guide and influence (not the world)
5. To love and appreciate nature and all of God's creations
6. To have a supportive, encouraging, motivating family
7. God's gift of PEACE (actually ALL the fruits of the spirit-- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control)

They asked you to think of practical, every day things you want to do to try to move towards the things you want for your child. This is what we want to strive to do:
1. Pray with her and for her, 2. seek to grow spiritually (they say the greatest factor in helping your child's spiritual growth is your spiritual growth), 3. seek to be good role models ( want to be selfless, faithful, motivated, active, loving, and outdoorsy) 4. Brandon and I want to show her how much we love each other, 5. Read the Bible to her and help teach her the stories and truths, 6. Encourage her-- lift her up, listen to her, not be sarcastic, be sensitive to her feelings, 7. Dinner as a family, 8. take her places and introduce her to new things-- (see the mountains, the ocean, sunsets, flowers, trees, animals...etc), 9. provide-- work hard and smart, 10. stay involved and close as a family-- talk and address things-- not brush then under the rug (even when it is hard)

A special verse that came to our minds for Faith is JEREMIAH 17:7
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they go right on producing fruit."

A lot of our family members were able to join us in the celebration---
(Cappie, My Mom, Milla, Brandon, Me with Faith, Kelli and Brian, Brandon's Grandparents, my Grandma Dunnington, my Dad, and Brandon's Mom and Dad)
***Tears started to spill over at the end of the Dedication program as two vocalists sang Darius Rucker's "It Won't Be Like This for Long"....
He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Lying there in bed and listening
To his newborn baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says,
"It's gonna be okay"

"It won't be like this for long
One day we'll look back laughing
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby, just hold on
It won't be like this for long"

Four years later, 'bout 4:30
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at pre-school
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says, "What can I do?"
She says, "Now, don't you worry
This'll only last a week or two"

"It won't be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won't even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long"

Someday soon she'll be a teenager
And at times, he'll think she hates him
And he'll walk her down the aisle
And raise her veil,
But right now she's up and cryin'
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her goodnight
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watching her it breaks his heart
'Cause he already knows

It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
And this phase is gonna fly by
So he's trying to hold on
It won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long