We had us some church this past Sunday!  I knew it was going to be an exciting day in the Lord because my step-dad and one of our favorite girls was getting baptized in the evening, but I had no idea how awesome the morning service would be!  Our new pastor had a friend in from Columbus, Ohio, and she was going to sing for us.  Oh. My. Goodness!!  We raised the roof off of that building Sunday morning!  She sang "Days of Elijah".  It was incredible!  People were literally asking for an encore!  She graciously said that she would sing after the baptism service that evening.  Yay!!!

We had seven people get baptized. One was a surprise!  My niece's boyfriend, who is a U.S. Marine, got home the night before as a surprise and because he was already planning on being baptized on base in a few weeks, took the opportunity to have family and friends and be in his home church for his baptism.

 Happy Couple!  We're proud of our Marine!

My Pops!  He waited quite awhile to do this and I believe his waiting honored God because he was honoring his father.  So thankful for this man in my life and especially in my mom's life!

Sharing his testimony.

D sharing her testimony.  She will be 13 in September, but she is so mature and has such a beautiful heart!  We love this girl so much and are so very proud of her!!

This young man has a powerful testimony!  He is an example of a truly transformed life!  We're looking forward to his fulfilling his calling!

After all the amazing testimonies and public professions of faith, we were once again showered with the powerful, worshipful voice of S.  

What a gift God has given her and we were so thankful to have it shared with us!

Even our little L loved it!

Baptism is a wonderful picture of what Jesus did on the cross and how our acceptance of His gift changes our lives.  There is the death and burial, going under the water, and then the glorious resurrection, being raised out of the water.  We no longer will ever experience spiritual death, Jesus paid that price for us.  We have eternal life because of His death and resurrection.  We are made new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 

John 14:6 (NASB)
⁶ Jesus said* to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Jesus is the only way!  There is no other.  I cannot work my way to Heaven, I can do nothing that will earn me points with God.  It is a free gift!  I simply have to believe.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.