So, this last Saturday we had a wedding shower for my sister, Faith. Our church in Tacoma went above and beyond to make the event REALLY beautiful!!! I was filled with gratefulness when I walked into the building Friday and saw how much had already been set up.
(And someone even took the day off work to help!:)
Truthfully, these last few weeks have been bittersweet for me. I feel like I imagine a mother might (Ok!, a Mother Hen).
I AM GOING TO MISS HER WHEN SHE'S GONE!
Maybe it's because I'm nine years older than her. Maybe, it's because we are actually friends now and BOTH of US can receive from each other - the criticism and rebuke as well as opinions and ideas. I am so thankful for the help she has been to me in so many ways. Thank you Lord! He truly places us in the body, family, as it pleases him.
The party was really edifying. I especially appreciate Christal Hicks bringing clarification to the phrase "the conversation is the relationship." We have a "mutual conversation" that started before us and will continue after us. We are brought (OK, sometimes dragged!) to this river of conversation. And we also have the "mutual consolation" - we are not the center of the conversation. The efficacious Word of God is. This is why there is no "catching up" awkwardness when I see my friends that live in far away places like Eureka,CA. This is a real consolation to me.
So, after living with my mom for 33 years you would think I would be a little quicker to see the Holy Spirit at work in her. I confess that I wasn't that excited about being a singing "Lassie" when she first handed us the lyrics the night before the party.(!) She also kept the verses a secret from us. All we knew was the chorus, so I was blown away with everyone else when she started singing the story. Christ in my mother never ceases to amaze me!
Christal earned some callouses on her fingers when she broke out the guitar for this song!
The Bride. She's thankful for her Father and the men in the church that have created an alternate reality that we get to live in!
Open Mike! God's Word was flowing richly and dwelling with us! We are a people of the Word. That is what we have in common, and we will never not need to be reminded of that!
________________Some of the beautiful decorations___________________
Faithful Friends! Fuzzy and Liv
Faithful Friend and Sister-in-law Mahea
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The other highlight of the weekend was the baptism of my newest niece
Sonya Leigh Hicks
Her grandpa, and pastor, baptized her and her other Grandparents stood up as her sponsors! She doesn't know yet how blessed she is to have grandparents that will stand alongside her parents and make sure is brought up in nurture and admonition of God's Word!
She didn't even cry!
I just LOVE the way my sister looks at her babies!!!!
"The Verbal Sign itself Is the Reality."
Everything that God has done and is doing flows out of our baptism.
~Colossians 2:11-15~
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
