Eden's Baby Dedication

After Josiah's birthday party on Saturday, everyone stayed in town for Eden's baby dedication on Sunday. It was such a wonderful ceremony. First, Jack's mom made a beautiful gown for Eden to wear. It was gorgeous and so incredibly special. And then she took a handkerchief that belonged to my great aunt, Toss, one of Eden's namesakes, and made it into a bonnet. Her name was Florence Frances and Eden's middle name is Frances. There are several women who bear the name Frances that Eden is named after (me, Toss, my grandmother and Jack's grandmother), and Toss is a very special one to me. She was so important to me and having Eden wearing something that belonged to Toss was very special as well. I am so thankful that Nana was able to make the dress and the bonnet.

It was also very special because of our church. Jack and I feel so blessed to be a part of Remedy Church. We absolutely love our church. And we feel so grateful to have our friend, Phud, be our pastor. We love the Chambers and we are so thankful to be here with them. Having Phud be the pastor to dedicate Eden made it special. But our church made it special in another way. The boys were also all dedicated in church, but it was done much like it is done in most churches. We stood up front with many other parents and many other babies being dedicated. And while that was still a special day, at Remedy babies are dedicated one at a time. So yesterday, the baby dedication was all about Eden and our family. We were able to give Phud verses that we have chosen specifically for Eden and for our children. That made the service so very special and Jack and I really appreciated it. The verse we chose for Eden is the verse containing her name-

For the LORD comforts Zion...

and makes her wilderness like Eden,
   her desert like the garden of the LORD;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
   thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Isaiah 51:3

And the verse that Jack and I pray for all of our children and want to be true of their lives is Ephesians 1:16-18

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints

It was an incredible day. I was very emotional as Phud read these verses about our daughter. I prayed then, as I do without ceasing, that she would know the hope that He has called her to and that the eyes of her heart will be opened up to the truth of salvation. I pray that our sweet Eden will know the deep meaning of her name, of the promise of salvation in Christ made in the Garden and the promise of God to one day restore us to Eden. I pray that joy and gladness will be found in our Eden as she grows into a woman after God's heart.

My heart is full even now as I remember yesterday. Having our family there with us, Eden dressed in such splendor and the beautiful ceremony as we promised to raise her for the glory of God. 

Showing her off to everyone

  I love the way Jack is looking at her here