Great is Thy Faithfulness

do you ever have moments where you feel like your heart might burst from the goodness and happiness surrounding it?  the kind of moments that bring tears to your eyes and let your mind turn off the constant chatter it produces.  the moments that calm your soul, that remind you what living feels like...

for whatever reason, i don't have those moments all the time.  don't get me wrong, i can manufacture some of them, and consciously "live in the moment."  but truly genuine moments of pure delight are unique and special... and they seem to write themselves on my heart.  they stay fresh.  i can recall them with amazing accuracy.

i was lucky enough to have two of those very special moments on this past sunday.  savannah's baptism was sunday morning.  it seemed perfectly timed {minus the persistent rain and unfriendly freezing temperatures} as it was the day the church celebrated Jesus' baptism.

savannah's behavior in church is perfect.  she is an angel... sitting quietly, inspired by the music.  wide-eyed and curious.  peaceful.  she made it all the way through, not a peep.  brother was taken to the nursery promptly after he was baptized.  {although, with bribing, brother made it just fine through the service this time.  just not as peacefully and silent as sister...}

after we finished at the baptismal font, and we were sitting down, ethan walked over to savannah and kissed her forehead.  the very sweetest, purest, delightful thing you've seen.

i nearly lost it.  fighting tears...
 

how wonderful to see someone that i love so much loving on someone else that i love so much.  it was beautiful. 

savannah also loved the music.  loved it.  responded to it.  people commented after church on just how responsive she was to it {she perked up with every crescendo, relaxed when the music was soft, and would bounce when the music invited her to.}  the song she loved the most?  the piano offertory of great is thy faithfulness.  she loved it.  and the music was beautiful.  and i felt the words of the song {that weren't being sung, but i knew from years of being drug to church...} wash over me.  i felt that i had so many blessings, that so many of my hearts desires had been realized.  i felt so grateful for my life, and the loves of my life.  i felt so richly blessed with a wonderful life.  i felt as if my heart might very well burst.

it was the kind of feeling that follows you for days.  i am enjoying the afterglow.

here is savannah, after church, sleepy.  this is her sleepy pose -- one hand on the ear, one thumb in her mouth.



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and on a very, very superficial note, i was not too pleased with the photos from the day.  although, i will admit, i didn't try that hard.  my mom took pictures of us.  by the church office wall.  with wretched lighting.  and it was raining.  and my hair looks like it was raining.  and not everyone would look at the camera.  and group family photos drive my husband bonkers.  and i didn't want to push the issue.  {and seriously, i need to remind myself that makeup is my friend.  i need to wear much more than i do.}

and taking a picture of a baby in a long dress is silly difficult.

and ethan's baptism pictures were equally horrible.

but here is my plan:  {you see, it is on my "one day list."  if you are married to a resident, nearly everything goes on the one day list.  it makes your ability to live in the moment a bit screwy sometimes...} my plan is to have portraits painted of my kids in their christening gown.  genius, right?  because obviously, we can't afford to have professional photographs made of them now.  and in the christening gown, trust me, you need a professional.  so, my thinking is, the artist could somehow make it look realistic, like use the pictures i have, and other pictures of their faces... and the dress...  what do you think?

one other superficial point:  the gown.  very special, my mother made it.  i want all my children {and all of their children} to wear it. 

and a big thank you to my mother-in-law, for hosting us at her home for sunday dinner after the service.