Chloe was baptized on Saturday! I will post pics later, but I wanted to record some feelings I had while I still remembered them.
My girls always ask what their actual due date was, and Chloe's was actually Feb 7. She loves the fact that she was baptized on the day that was supposed to be her birthday. It is pretty neat.
The day was wonderful. I really felt the Spirit all day long. In the morning before we had visitors and guests arrive, we had Chloe open a few gifts we got her. One was her own set of scriptures with her name engraved on them. Ben and I both wrote special notes to her on the inside of them, and as she read them out loud, I couldn't help but get teary eyed, and feel the Spirit so strongly. I know that Heavenly Father is so happy with her and so am I. My feelings were so tender as I watched her get baptized, and later, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. I love that my children are doing the things that will help them return to Heavenly Father. After she came out of the water, Kessler (2) said loudly, "How did she DO that?!?" She said the water was freezing cold, and I felt so badly because I reassured her that it was going to be warm like a bath. I got to hold her extra long after in her warm towel to help her warm up. She was lucky to see 3 of her friends from church get baptized that day too. It was nice to have it be a ward baptism, and to see all of them baptized. Chloe was asked to pick a person to give a talk on the Holy Ghost, and she picked me! There were a lot of people there, it was like a sacrament meeting, but I actually really enjoyed speaking to my Primary kids! I love all the children in my Primary, and so to be there with them on that special day and speak to them about the Holy Ghost was a great experience. She loves the scripture stickers she got as well, and is so excited everyday to look up a scripture, read it, and put the sticker on. She loves that she has her own Faith in God book too, like her big sisters. I love that her testimony is growing stronger. I hope that we can always support and help her to keep the covenants she made that day.
Here I am 5 months later, just now uploading photos from that day! Here they are!
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| Opening gifts! |
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| necklace and CTR Ring |
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| Pillowcase for guests to sign |
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| Scripture marker |
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| Card, money, and another scripture marker from Great Nana who was too ill to travel |
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| Journal and matching pen |
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| and her very own scriptures and case with her name embroidered on it! |
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| Beautiful girl |
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| Nana and Grandpa |
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| here are some of the cousins that came, I didn't get a picture of all of them! |
Here are some pics of afterwards. We had treats and salads in the primary room.
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| Playing bball in her dressy clothes! |
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| These were the girls she got baptized with, Elizabeth and Isabell, twin sisters! There was another boy too from our ward, Sam, but I didn't get a picture of him. It was the most baptisms our ward had in one day! |
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| Olivia loved holding Coco |
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| the finished pillowcase! She sleeps with it every night. |
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| Her journal entry from the day, so sweet! |
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A lovely day for our lovely daughter! She wanted me to take this photo with her Instax Mini 8 camera.
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Here is a copy of the talk I gave at the baptism. I didn't just read this word for word, I used it more as a guide....
So you guys all recently had a birthday! Isabell and Elizabeth just had one 2 days ago! Chloe's was just on Monday, and Sam's was just a few weeks ago. I love birthdays, and I LOVE celebrating birthdays. I love to celebrate my kids birthdays with them. The other day, I asked Chloe what her favorite part of having a birthday is, and she told me that it is....getting older! She loves to get one year older every year! I wonder if she'll always feel that way? When I was little, my favorite part of having a birthday was getting presents and gifts. I bet you guys got some pretty great presents and gifts for your birthdays this year. Well today, I'm going to talk to you about another very special and very wonderful gift that you are about to receive. That is the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Heavenly Father gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost because He loves us, and because He wants us to have a constant companion to help us here on Earth. He also gives it to us as part of the covenant we make at baptism.
When you got baptized, you promised to be a witness of Jesus Christ and to take His name upon you, and that means to keep the commandments and to always remember Him. Well, in return, Heavenly Father promises to give you the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that is His spirit to always have with you.
Most of the time, when the Holy Ghost speaks with us, it's in a quiet, almost unnoticeable way. And that's why we often refer to the Holy Ghost as the "still, small voice." And actually, it's usually not even a voice that we hear with our ears. Instead, it speaks in our minds and in our hearts. When we listen for the Holy Ghost, we are listening for a thought, and searching our heart for a feeling. That feeling is one of peace and right and sureness. It is a warm and good feeling.
Yea behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you, and which shall dwell in your heart.
You guys have probably already felt the power of the Holy Ghost in your lives, even though you don't have the gift of Holy Ghost yet. Maybe in church or in Primary, you were singing a song and you had a nice, warm feeling come over you. Well, that is the Holy Ghost. Or maybe, you were praying with your family, or on your own, and you have had a peaceful feeling come upon you. Well, that is the Holy Ghost too.
Anyone, in the whole world, can feel the power of the Holy Ghost.
If you look at the light hanging from this room, you'll see it's a very bright light, and it fills the whole room. Anyone who comes into this room can see that light and can use it, right? Well, that is like the power of the Holy Ghost, anyone can feel it.
But the gift of the Holy Ghost, is more like having your own personal flashlight with you at all times, that you can turn on at anytime. Even if you find yourself in a dark space, you can still have that light with you to help you. The gift of the Holy Ghost can always be with you, to light your way and to help you.
The scriptures teach us that there are a lot of ways that the Holy Ghost can help us. Some of these ways are:
It can comfort us. When you guys were babies and you got upset and started crying, your parents may have wrapped you up in a nice blanket, and held you close, and maybe given you a soother, or maybe spoke to you in a nice voice. They comforted you, and made you feel better. That is what the Holy Ghost can do, it can help you to feel better when you are scared, or sad, or nervous, or worried.
The Holy Ghost can also testify truth to us. When you are reading your scriptures, or listening to your primary teacher or to your parents teach you, the Holy Ghost can let you know that what you are learning about is true. He can help your testimony of the Gospel grow and become strong.
It can also guide us. He might help you to know where to go or what to do. He can help you if you have to make an important decision about something, like maybe what to study in school when you grow up, or maybe who to marry one day.
The Holy Ghost can also warn us of danger and protect us. I read a story in the Friend once of a little girl who was sitting by a tree and she suddenly had this really strong feeling to get up and run away, and so she quickly got up and ran far away, and then a few moments later a car crashed into that tree. So the Holy Ghost was protecting her that day. It might also protect us from spiritual danger, or temptation. Maybe you'll be watching TV or playing on the computer, and something bad may come up. You might have a feeling to stop watching, and turn off the computer or the TV, well that would be the Holy Ghost protecting you from that kind of danger.
Some other things that the scriptures say the Holy Ghost may do is it can help us to know and choose the right, it can help us understand things, it can teach us, inspire us, help us remember things, and it can help us understand and communicate with each other.
I'm going to share a time that the Holy Ghost helped me in my life....
(And then I shared a story of a time I was about their age, and I got trapped in the garage at my house. I was scared and worried that I would have to spend the night there! I prayed for help. As soon as I prayed I had a calm and peaceful feeling come over me, and I knew it was the Holy Ghost comforting me. I knew Heavenly Father heard my prayer and sent the Holy Ghost to help me. I still had no idea how I was going to get out, but I knew I would be ok. A while later, I heard thumping on the door, and then it wooshed open and there was my Dad! He said they had been looking all over for me. I feel like it was the Holy Ghost that prompted him to come outside and look in the garage for me. I am so grateful the Holy Ghost helped me that day.)
I'm so grateful the Holy Ghost helped me that day. I know that the Holy Ghost can be a help to you guys too.
I know that Heavenly Father loves each of you very much. He wants to guide you, comfort you, warn and protect you, and help you, and the Holy Ghost is how He does that. I hope that you will always keep the commandments and live your lives in such a way that the Holy Ghost will always be near you.
I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
