Easter.  Resurrection Sunday.  It is certainly a day to celebrate!  For it is because of what happened on this day so long ago that we have hope -- freedom -- salvation -- eternal life.  All we have to do is ask and receive. Then the transformation begins.  God pours out the fullness of His grace upon us and we are never the same.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."  (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Jesus is risen and He is alive in me!  Isn't it amazing?  It just doesn't get any better than that...until it happens to your child.

Happy Easter!  (Jacob and Annabelle with our pastor, Dr. Keller)

Back in January, Jacob asked Jesus to come into his heart and become Lord of his life.  He was excited about his decision and I was thrilled beyond words.  A few days later, he was given a Bible study workbook entitled, I'm a Christian Now! which he couldn't wait to complete.  He worked through the first couple weeks of activities in a couple days.  All he wanted to do was work in this book.  He worked on it at home.  He worked on it in the car.  Even Legos took a backseat for awhile.  One Wednesday evening on the way to church, he said, "Mommy, the next thing I have to do is write my testimony."  I told him he could go on to the next activity and we could work on his testimony together in the morning.  Silence.  I assumed he moved on to the next page.  Just as we were pulling into the church parking lot, he announced, "There, I did it!  I finished my testimony!"  Sure enough, he wrote it on the way to church, all on his own.  I asked him to read it to me....  

"I first started thinking to become a Christian when I heard something in VBS.  I thought to become a Christian because I felt Jesus knocking on the door to my heart.  What happened when I did it was I felt better when I did it because He's with me now.  My life is different because he cleans all the sins out of my heart.  I would help someone become a Christian by telling them what it is like."

Well, of course, I teared up.  It was just so sweet and honest.  He didn't need my help to write his testimony.  He knew what he felt and he wrote it down...in the car...on the way to church.

Jacob took the next step in his Christian faith as he was baptized on Easter Sunday.  I wasn't sure he was ready for baptism.  He screams when he gets water in his eyes in the bathtub.  Would he really be okay being dunked under the water in front of a church full of people?  Apparently, he and God had already worked this out.  On the day he asked Jesus into his heart, Jacob told me he was ready to be baptized.  I took his word for it.  He seemed so confident.  After we finalized the date, we did a practice run in the bathtub one night.  No screams.  No tears.  No fear.  I couldn't believe it.  That's when I knew God was truly working on his heart.

So on March 31, Easter Sunday, we celebrated our risen Savior and Jacob's baptism -- a glorious day!

I can't think of a better day to be baptized than Resurrection Sunday!  Heath's parents, my parents, and JoBeth and David were there with us to celebrate the happy occasion.  Heath videoed the baptism, but since  we purchased our video camera back in the stone age, I haven't figured out how to get the footage on the computer...yet.

As everyone knows, Jacob loves music.  If you ask Jacob what his favorite song is, he'll tell you "Cornerstone."  Click here if you want to listen.  He sings this song all the time and has figured out how to play it on the piano (both the lyrical and instrumental parts).  In fact, he even recited this song for one of his CC presentations several weeks ago.  I love hearing him sing this song when he's alone in his room playing with Legos.  I can't help but smile.  During the invitation at church a couple Sundays ago, we were singing the song, "Once Again" (Click here to listen.)  Jacob was singing so sweetly, so confidently.  I thought to myself, "This truly is real to him.  He is six years old and he gets it."  As I listened to him sing, his words soaring straight up to Heaven, I could hardly hold back the tears.  It just makes me so happy.

God, you are amazing!  Thank you for your grace.  Thank you for your mercy.  Thank you for your never-ending love.