A PLEASANT AND PURE OFFERING

Our granddaughter Coleen was one of
the nine kids dedicated.

Babies! Aren't they the cutest?

Walk through your most pleasant thoughts and the road will lead you back to little children, babies particularly. They are the cuddliest, funniest, sweetest, and most amazing, huggable, kissable, lovable, charming, melt-your-heart cutie-pies. One just runs out of words! 

(Ask me, I'm one of those lolas. As far as we're concerned, our grandkids are the best.)

And each one is special―perfectly knit together by God in his mothers' womb, fearfully and wonderfully made, says David in Psalms 139:14.

Victory San Diego* (VSD) became some sort of goo-goo center recently as nine children―five of them babies―were dedicated to the Lord.

The entire VSD family came in full force, these kids' parents and  ministry volunteers putting on their snappy shoes to ensure the entire celebration went without a hitch―from the fast, orderly and baby-fied set-up of the venue, the mouth-watering feast (Kids' mommies, you're the best!), to the baby dedication rites per se.

Pretty much in keeping with Jesus' (Luke 18:16) teaching his disciples: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

New-born Paul, dedicated by his parents Anne and Philip.

"It is not about committing a child to a religion," Pastor Robert Hern explained to the gathered VSD family, the children's sponsors and other guests. "A child is offered to the Lord so that when he is old, he will not depart from his Christian upbringing." 

Baby dedication takes its roots from biblical times.

Hanna, the prophet Samuel's mother, for example, offered baby Sam to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:27-28 "So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord."

The Lord Jesus Himself was presented and dedicated to the Lord by Mary and Joseph (Luke 2) in Jerusalem.

              Victory San Diego's Pastor Robert Hern                  
encourages the children's parents and sponsors.

Psalm 127: 3-5 "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them..."

Pastor Robert underscored how the Lord treasures children, that they are rewards from Him, and as such, must be valued―loved, prayed for, and provided direction, significance and material needs―by their parents. "They are like arrows that must be released, so that they might hit their mark someday, because the Lord's purpose has been built into each life."

Blessed are these children indeed!

Kudos to the Victory San Diego family for laboring with their parents as well.

All glory to Him who directs everything for His own good pleasure.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for little children. You treasure them, so help us to value them too by leading them to You as their Way, their Truth and their Life. Amen.  

*Please like the Victory San Diego Facebook page. 
Website: http://victorysandiego.org/victorysandiego/ 

Address: 11010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, California (858) 800-4792

More prayers and laying on of hands

Two-some offering: LA and Jai's children, Eli and Emma

The venue prettified with baby photos and balloons

And of course, loved ones from San Diego came.
(This photo and below)

ANCHORS AWEIGH

Image credit:
http://www.imdb.com/

Mention "anchor" and the first image in my mind is that of cartoon character Popeye the sailor man ―with his anchor-tattooed arm―created by artist Elzie Crisler Segar in 1929.

I remember being fascinated by this character even when I was a teener in the 60s (Yes, I'm a baby-boomer!) craning my neck to catch this animated cartoon from outside our richer neighbor's window.

Each episode's wow! moment? When Popeye rapidly chomps on spinach and pounces―POW!―on his nemesis Bluto with his paddle-like arm.

The anchor is a popular maritime symbol―declaring, "I've been toughened, having braved the cruel seas," if a sailor sports one.

Real anchors are massive metal structures lowered into ocean beds to secure ships especially from strong ocean currents. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Holly Herline writes (http://www.navy.mil's) that the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz once had a 60,000-lb. anchor with a 90 foot chain totalling 20,500 lbs. All of 30 tons! That's roughly equivalent to a one tractor-trailer.

Image credit:
http://www.submarinerdiving.com/

More than two thousand years ago, the greatest of all anchors dug in. "Anchor aweigh," must have been His Father's instruction, translated in sailor-speak.

Hebrews 6:19 describes Jesus as our soul's anchor, firm and secure. When life's turbulences or tsunamis threaten to wreck your family, finances or whatever you've depended on to survive, He assures:

"I am the Rock on which you stand. I will hide you and keep you. Never fear or be discouraged." Our mighty God who created this awesome universe has everything under control.

Returning to our beach front from our island hopping when my siblings, with our husbands, vacationed at El Nido, I was amazed to see so many unmanned boats probably a mile or more before the beach.

It was a pretty yet intriguing sight―colorful boats dancing with the wind and the waves, but with no boatmen, and not bumping into each other. "The boats have been anchored and parked for the night," our utterly suntanned boatman (We called him Apl.de.ap.) educated us.

Free-floating, happy and dancing boats, cool!

That's like the freedom we have in Jesus. Once He becomes your anchor, He takes your hand, lets your feet settle on His, and makes you dance―with Him directing your every step and body English.

Center of the Universe. Me-Moi and Myself. Lust Galore. Money-Money-Money. Pride of Life. This once used to be our song list. And we loved to sing their refrains. The more we sang them, the heavier they felt―to the point where sinking into the miry depths was the only option.

You and I know of some who've been anchorless and ended it all.

Sufficiency apart from God is a no brainer. The stuff of Titanic tragedies.

Who is your anchor?

Boatmen soon call it a night.  

Jesus offers Himself to both be our boatman and anchor, through stormy nights and even on sunny days. Would you let Him?

Prayer: Jesus, be my Anchor. I struggle navigating through life. Be my Rock, my Refuge. I repent of my sins, entrust my life to You, and cast all my cares unto You. Be my Savior and Lord.