dedication

It is hard to picture this chubby baby brother as anything other than a pudgy blob of cuteness that breaks into a grin whenever I look at him. The extreme example of innocence.

But one day he will be an energetic little boy, and then he will be a man.

We stood in front of our church body this morning, as a family, and committed to raise our little son up to know and love Jesus, to the best of our ability. We dedicated this precious little soul to the Lord, annointing him with oil. (You can see the girls loved being on stage)

Annointing and dedication are ways of separating something, or setting something apart for a special purpose. We want to make it publically known that we have set this baby boy apart to be holy, so that God's special purpose for his life can be fulfilled. We know he will one day have the choice to exercise his freewill, but in the meantime we will do our best to lead him down the path of Truth.

As a parent raising two daughters I feel the great call to protect them and to instill the values of purity and gentleness. I have been surprised how different it is to think about raising up a boy to know and follow Christ. To raise a boy, we need to teach him to BE the protector... a man who is a leader that makes wise decisions for both himself and others... and a man who has humility. Leadership and humility do not naturally go hand in hand. Only with the influence and example of Jesus Christ does it become possible to be a humble leader.

I have known so many godly women throughout my life, in all walks of life and all ages. But I have known so few godly men. So few men that I would want my daughters to consider marrying. I would venture to say that it seems much harder to raise up a godly man than it is to raise up a godly woman.

Without question it is something we cannot do alone. We are so grateful to be surrounded by special friends and family who love our children as their own, and who love the Lord God with all their hearts. It takes a village.

Karsten's outfit did not have the history of the dress that Sommer and Annike wore, but this day will be remembered all the same. Visit this link for those pictures.

Dedication Prayer for Karsten

May his mind have Your wisdom

May his eyes see Your glory

May his ears hear Your voice,

May his mouth tell Your truth,

May his heart be Your home,

May his hands do Your work,

May his feet follow wherever You lead,

May his knees bow only before You, his loving Lord and God.