There's a Party in Heaven

We have had the privilege of celebrating a couple of exciting milestones in our family this week.

#1 - Meg sang in the chorus for a play called "Seeker: The Armor of Light." The plays (and books that they're based on, and songs) are a great ministry that share the Truth of God's Love through allegory. Seeker and his friends live in the Kingdom with the King, and they are part of His army. They fight off dragons (the dragons in this particular story were Anger and Abuse) and bring people out of the darkness and into the Light, where the King gives each of them a new name.

(Meg's at the front right. I apologize for the quality of the photo - forgot my camera and don't really know how to work the camera on my Blackberry yet.)

I can't say enough great things about the plays and the songs. They minister to me, bringing home God's Truths in a new way. As their "creator," Dian Layton says, they are most definitely "divine downloads!" I think I may just need to have a giveaway relating to Seeker in the new year...

Anyway, at the end of each performance, the audience is told that there is a Real King who loves them. The Good News is shared and an invitation is offered. On Saturday, while watching the play with my parents (I was backstage helping), Shea decided that she wanted to go pray and ask Jesus into her heart! Yay, King Jesus!

#2 - Sunday afternoon was a special occasion in our Church, called the "Big Birthday Bash." The reason - celebrating new life for 16 children. Two of mine were included in the sixteen children who chose to be baptised!

Unfortunately, Braeden was intimidated by the crowds of people (there were at least 150 in attendance), and he decided not to be baptised right then. Apparently, he wants to be baptised in the bathtub tonight. If so, we'll put on some trunks and take pictures to document the special moment.

Abbey, though, pushed through her fears and acted in obedience to what God had called her to do! Double yay, King Jesus! (I should mention that all the kids being baptised were given invitations to hand out. Abbey's teacher and principal came. Man, do I ever love our school!)

(As you can see - on the left - Abbey's Daddy had the honour of assisting in the baptism. Go Pat!)

After the baptism, while we were enjoying our birthday cake, I was telling Abbey how very proud I was of her. She was giggling and grinning and bouncing up and down. She said to me, "I'm so happy, Mommy!" I told her that maybe she felt so happy because Jesus was smiling. With the confidence of a child, she replied, "Of course He is! There's a party in Heaven right now!"

(There I am crouching with the towel, clapping and cheering. You can see our family and other guests gathered behind us - Pastor Mike asked everyone who was invested in these children's lives to come up and be a witness, as well as offer their commitment to encourage each child in their walk with God.)

Precious.

I ask that you pray for protection over our family during the next couple of weeks, that the children's faith decisions will settle deep within their spirits, and that the enemy will not be able to mess with God's work in them (or in our family). As a family, we have been strapping on our Armor of Light at bedtime and in the morning...