Dedication Day

Our church had their annual child dedication service on June 24, 2012.  We were so excited to finally make our public stand to raise Sydney to serve the Lord.  I just love how our church makes it a special service, and we are required to type up a letter to our child and choose a life verse for her.  Then all the parents get up and read their letter to their child followed up by a dedication prayer.  I thought for sure I would be able to make it through the letter without crying.  Nope!  I had to stop twice to control my emotions.  Crazy what a mother's love will do to someone. =) 

Sydney had quite a few of our extended family able to make it to the service.  She is has quite the fan following. ;o)  Such a special time and memory.  

Sydney Grace, you are such a precious gift!  Only by God's grace are you here.  Mommy and Daddy have taken a long journey wishing and hoping for a baby for a very long time.  It is so awesome to look back now and see how God was leading our steps to you.  You were chosen by Him from the beginning of time to be a part of our family.  We are so grateful, and you were worth waiting for! 

Four years ago in March of 2008, you and six other tiny embryos were created by another family who was hoping for another baby, too.  That family joyfully had twin boys from two of the seven embryos.  The remaining five, tiny babies were frozen to wait for the next chance at life.  That family knew their family was complete, but loved those precious snowflakes so much that they chose to donate them for adoption so another Mommy and Daddy can have a baby to love.  After 2 1/2 years of being frozen you and your four snowflake siblings were transferred into our care.  We were so excited to watch God's hand at work while two of you survived the thaw and were transferred into Mommy. You then continued to grow big and strong!  You arrived into this world with some coercion 18 days past your due date on June 28, 2011.  This is very fitting of your bubbly, care-free personality!  Over the past year we have had some rough patches to cross, but have loved seeing the little girl you are becoming.  You a such a joy, and we are loving being your parents!  We are excited to be going back in the fall to give two more of your siblings a chance at life.

Micah 6:8 NKJV

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?"

God has taught us a lot of life lessons along the way, and I know there are many more to learn while raising you.  We hope to live out a life of character and godliness before your little eyes, so that while we are training you up in the way you should go, you will be able to see it in action.  We pray your little heart will come to know our amazing God at a very young age and that you will choose to serve and follow Him with your life.  We hope to teach you how to live justly and without reproach so that others may see you and want to know more about your God. May you develop a sweet spirit and love mercy so that others will experience the love of Jesus flow through you.  But most of all we hope to see you walk humbly with our God!  Nothing is more important for you to learn than to know that life is all about seeking God first and following His plan step by step.  Only then will your life be full of joy.  

Although you are our precious gift on loan from God, our job is now to let you go one day at a time by showing you how to serve Him on your own.  Since it took so long for you to join our family, it has been very hard for us to realize this, and we desperately want to hold on to these days.  But you are in our care to guide your heart towards God and then release into the world so that you may be a blessing to others.  May God and our families always remind us of that.  We hope that God will also use your many godly family members and friends to point you to Him.  You are a VERY loved little girl!!  We love you more than you know and promise to do our best with God's grace to show you how to live life to the fullest!