LOUDEST LOVE!

I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning because I kept running through a mental slide show of moments from Journey's first baptism celebration yesterday. Here are some of my favorites in random order:

- Seeing Joe emerging as a leader as he spoke of behalf of those being baptized.

- Watching Mike baptize the first person and having that person help baptize the next person and so on. He said to Lisa, "Now that you have been baptized, you can baptize others. Cool isn't it?" And, yes...it really was!

- Hearing the Word of God on baptism being shared in my brother and sister's backyard!

- See Angela throw her head back and joyfully shout "Yes!" when asked if she was ready and willing to commit to her baptism and to being faithful to Jesus all her life.

- Seeing two different unmarried couples getting baptized and wondering what significance this would hold for their futures.

- See Andy do these wild double back flips into the pool.

- Seeing Tracey sitting on a blanket with the little kids. I was going to go chat with her until I saw the expression of joy on her face as she interacted with them. It just seemed like a holy moment.

- Seeing the same sweet expression on Angela's grandma's face that I see on Angela's mom. Now I know where that comes from.

- Singing songs of worship accompanied only by the guitar under the open sky. Usually I only hear the lead singers and the instruments, but yesterday I heard a symphony of voices, young and old, in simplicity, united in praise.

- Fussing over Carrie, who graciously shared her precious time with us.

- Getting this great daughter hug from Melissa.

- Getting several great daughter hugs from Rachel.

- Having Josiah tell us that we couldn't talk...no girls could talk...but then deciding that if we gave him a hug...then we could.

- Seeing Joyce learn about Jet Dry.

- Celebrating with "Texas" who just fit in right from day one and feeling like we have known them forever.

- Being introduced to Lisa's parents and seeing the love in their eyes for their daughter and hers for them.

- Having Jack tell me his recipe for the greatest (non-binding) cheese dip in the world.

- EJ's jokes. Funny. All night.

- Listening as Jessica and Lindsay discussed their pregnancies.

- Laughing at a TV show at the end of the night with Danielle, Aaron, Vicki, and Rachel.

- Walking in the front door and having Angie say, "Hi Aunt Kathy!"

- Looking around the backyard and never seeing any person sitting alone even though there were lots of people who didn't know each other.

- Seeing each person baptized, as they came up out of the water with the happiest looks on their faces.

- Sitting and celebrating with "the girls" in the dining room.

I have a friend who pastors Discovery Church in Galway, Ireland. He always signs his emails...loudest love, Paul Cullen. That is the perfect expression for our celebration yesterday. In the simpleness of our gathering, God shouting, "Loudest Love My children!" and in our worship of gathering and fellowship together...us shouting back, "Loudest Love our Beloved King!"