Dedicating our Little One

"Der HERR segne dich und behüte dich; der HERR lasse sein Angesicht leuchten über dir und sei dir gnädig; der HERR hebe sein Angesicht über dich und gebe dir Frieden."

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

With these words from Numbers chapter 6 our little baby Maya was dedicated on Sunday, January 1. This is a practice that we find very meaningful and important. It is something one only does a few times in life. It is a practice that finds its roots in Mark 10. The people are bringing their children to Jesus, and the disciples don't think that is a valuable usage of Jesus' time. The teacher is, after all, a very important and busy person. The Lord's response is to rebuke his disciples and to take the children in his arms and bless them. 

A baby dedication is also a chance for us as parents to recognize our role. We are not owners of the child any more than we own our own bodies. We are stewards, entrusted by God to raise Maya in a way that honors Him. 

This step also affirms our need not only for God and His gracious work in our family to transform our hearts, but we also confess our need to be in Christian community. It is the same in my own story, as well as in so many other stories I have heard from others. God uses the witness of parents and family members in childrens' lives, but He also uses voices out of his church to speak into young lives and hearts. Church isn't just important to "check a box", but it is a vital community that affirms and works alongside the discipleship that is happening inside the home. We need the examples of others around us and their faithfulness to strengthen our faith and bring the focus back to Christ. We will not be able to raise Maya in Christ without the church.

It was also wonderful to have Bethany's parents present for the dedication. My parents were there when Ellie was dedicated. Even though we live far away, we know the input, help and support we get from both sets of parents is vital. They have shaped us into who we are and continue to shape us. We are very thankful for them.

Maya Elizabeth is here!

It is our pleasure to announce that Maya Elizabeth Johnson made her entrance into the world on Thursday, October 20th at 12:16 am, weighing 7 lb. 4 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches. Mama and Maya are doing very well and should be going home soon.

Maya's arrival was a bit of a challenging and emotional journey, but we are very thankful for the final outcome and that Bethany's recovery is going well. We had been hoping for a VBAC, but after many hours of labor, very little progress and some increased risks, we agreed with the doctor's recommendation for a c-section. Thankfully, everything went very smoothly, and Bethany was up and around the next day. Maya has been sleeping and eating well, and she enjoyed meeting her big sister on Thursday afternoon. Thanks for your prayer for our family!

Our first family photo (minus the other two minions, Ellie & Mozzy)

Big sister and baby sister meet

Sleeping on her first day of life...lots to take in!

And now with eyes open!

New House, New Baby, New Ministry

For this month's update, we'd like to share a quick video of a tour of the new house and prayer requests for us. We are so appreciative of your prayers during this major time of transition for us. Thank you!

Our Team is Expanding!

This Easter we have a special announcement to make. Our team is growing! Take a look below to hear the whole story. 

Ellie's Dedication

This morning, we dedicated  Ellie during the church service. It was a very moving ceremony for us to experience, bringing her before our church community here and asking for their and God's help in raising her and modeling Christ to her. We prayed that she would one day come to know Jesus personally and then share his message with the World. We acknowledged that we are very imperfect parents who will (and already have) make a lot of mistakes. We thanked God for the gift of Ellie and the gift of His grace that we depend on.

Here are a few photos from this morning:

Being prayed for by Dieter, representing the church body.

We planned the dedication for when Nate's parents were here visiting. It was so special for them to participate!

Ellie was worn out afterwards and took a nap.

Out to lunch afterwards to celebrate.

A Special Arrival

Mama and baby are healthy and  recovering. Thank you for your prayers and enjoy the following photos!

Our first family photo

 

Finally caught her with her eyes open!

The proud Papa

Looking fresher on Day 3

Admiring Ellie

Our cute little owl

Preparing for J-baby

We haven't posted about the baby in awhile, so I thought I'd give an update on how preparations are coming for her arrival! We have less than two months (probably) until she joins our family and with the holidays here, the time is whizzing by.

As far as she's concerned, J-baby is doing her part by developing and growing! She's 32 weeks along and is just the size she's supposed to be. Her legs are especially long, according to the doctor (probably inherited from me!). We went in for a high-resolution ultrasound last week and all of her organs look great. She's moving and kicking and seems excited to enter the world :)

J-baby's closet, full of pink!

On our end, we're just about ready for her to get here. We painted the baby room last week and will be getting a crib from some friends next Sunday. Then we'll be able to hang up a wall cling above the crib with a bible verse from Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV):

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

Me at 31 weeks. And of course, Mozzy snuck into this photo, too...

 The theme of the baby room is sheep, so this verse fits perfectly! It also has cute little sheep around it. J-baby's closet is stocked with clothes, because we've been blessed with friends here who have loaned or donated many items to us. We are just lacking a few basics, which we registered for on amazon.co.uk here. 

We are so excited to meet her, and we marvel at God's workmanship as He crafts her in my womb. We truly are beautifully and wonderfully made!

A Shadow of What's To Come

I knew that getting a puppy would be hard work. But what has been a bit of a surprise to me is how similar caring for a puppy is to having a baby. Here are a few similarities we've noticed...

• We get up at all hours of the night to clean up after the puppy when he goes to the bathroom (on his puppy potty) or take him outside
• We are attempting to train the puppy to go to the bathroom outside. This involves taking him out constantly and wondering whether or not he understands what is happening. Potty training is a big part of our life
• When Mozzy takes a nap, I wonder to myself, "hey, what can get done while he's sleeping?"
• We bought him a bunch of cute toys, but all he really wants to play with are paper towel rolls and milk cartons
• We plan our outings around the dog, since we can only be out for a certain amount of hours
• He goes through regular waking, eating and sleeping cycles throughout the day. When he's awake, he often needs attention and to be entertained
• When we take him for walks, we get stopped by many people oo-ing and ahhing about how cute he is
• We speak to him in the same voice we use for most small children
• He's absolutely adorable. But I suppose everyone thinks that of their own "children"

More than one person has commented on how having a puppy is good practice for us as we prepare for our baby girl to arrive in January. And yes, it's a bit like a warm up. But honestly, we know this stage is only a shadow of what's to come. We may be practicing now, but anyone with kids knows that you can't really know what it's like to have a baby until it happens to you. It is much more intense than anything we've experienced before. Mozzy is a wonderful part of our family, but we will love our child more deeply than we can now imagine. And we know that having a baby will be much more work and much less sleep.

This is perhaps a stretch, but thinking about this comparison led me to think about the difference between talking about eternity with God and actually experiencing it. During our physical life on earth, we catch glimpses of eternity - we experience God's grace and mercy, we reflect God's love in our actions towards others, and we read about eternity in scriptures. But we know that our experience here and the words we read are only a glimpse of the magnificence of what's to come. Our imagination cannot even fathom what God has planned for us. As it says in I Corinthians 13:12:

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Our perspective of parenthood now is dim. But soon we will know fully. Our experience of eternity with God is dim, but soon we will know the blessing fully!

And the verdict is...

We got some big news at the doctor today!

Big Announcement!

Watch this month's update video to find out about 
a big development in our life!