Jason's Dedication

Jason, with thanksgiving we dedicate you to the Lord of life.  May the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.  The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

“Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray.  The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said:  ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’  And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.”  (Luke 19:13-15)

And so, in the spirit of Jesus, we celebrate children as a gift of God, and affirm that they belong to God before they belong to us.  Parents, especially, have the privilege of enjoying this great gift, but also bear the responsibility of caring for this precious gift. In as much as our children belong to God and are given by grace as gifts to parents, it is only proper and appropriate that our children be dedicated to God, and that we pray for the hand of God to be upon these parents throughout the journey of their child’s upbringing.

 In the book of Acts (Acts 17: 24-28) the Apostle Paul addresses these words to the followers of Jesus in Athens: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one ancestor he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

 Our children belong to God, and are entrusted into our hands for but a season.  Parents have the tremendous opportunity to witness it all, and the great responsibility to guide this process.

Elizabeth and Joshua bring their son Jason, presenting first themselves and then their son before the Lord our God. Accompanying them in making this commitment are Jason's godparents, Glen and Carolyn Thompson.

Liz and Josh, you have brought your precious son before this congregation to consecrate him to the Lord.  As you love God, one another, Jason and his sister Sophia, you will model before Jason the love of God. Do you this day acknowledge that Jason belongs first and foremost to the Lord our God? So that Jason may walk in the abundant life that Christ offers, do you Liz and Josh, vow to the best of your ability, with God's help and in partnership with the church, to provide Jason a home of love and peace, to nurture him in the love of God, and to raise him in the truth of our Lord? Will you encourage Jason to grow in faith and loyalty to God, so that he might later be received into the fellowship of the church by baptism?

It has been said that “it takes a village.”  Modeling this kind of love requires the help of others. For this reason, Liz and Josh call upon the help of Glen and Carolyn. Glen and Carolyn, not only do you, who stand with this young family today, thoroughly enjoy and help nurture this precious child in your own unique way, you also support his parents through the wonder-filled and sometimes frustrating process of parenting. Will you pledge to help Liz and Josh fulfill the vow they have just made as Jason's godparents, and to love Jason and his parents through these years, to uphold them in prayer, and to invest in Jason's spiritual growth?

Finally, I ask that the church make a vow as well. This room is full of many hearts and hands whom God has drawn together into a family of faith. Within the church of Jesus Christ, no parent stands alone, no child is without many spiritual aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers. We are here to help bear this awesome responsibility of raising children, and to encourage this child to walk by faith. God did not intend families to go it alone in this world, so I ask you who are gathered here to take seriously your responsibility. Will you accept the call to be a community of faith to this child and his parents so that Jason may walk in the abundant life that Christ offers?

Dear Lord, we are filled with joy, and yet, we are also mindful of the awesome responsibility you have given to us: For we are imperfect parents living within an imperfect world, in need of your comforting Word to us, in need of the assurance of your Spirit, and in need of a believing community. During the time we are granted with Jason, grant us your guidance, comfort, and assurance. This we ask in your Name. Amen.

Having heard and shared the commitments made by Liz and Josh, and Glen and Carolyn, let us commend them and Jason in prayer to the gracious keeping of the God “in whom we live and move and have our being.”Most gracious and ever loving God, with these parents and this child, we give ourselves this day to uphold him with your love, to teach him your Word, and to encourage him in times of failure and rejoice with him in times of success.  Give to these parents the special graces of insight and love that this child may grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with you and the whole human community. Grant that we your people may truly be a household of faith for this child, providing him with food for the spirit to nourish him through the years of his growth into maturity.  This we pray in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

The pictures were taken by our dear friend Melissa Fuccillo from www.lovelifepics.com and the Dedication was officiated by Jason's Grandfather, Reverend Dr. C. Raymond Trout.

Jason began the service asleep, but fortunately woke up just in time for his dedication.

Easter 2018

Two weeks after Jason's adoption, we boarded the plane to celebrate Easter in Pennsylvania.

It is my Mom's favorite holiday and there is truly nothing greater to celebrate than Resurrection that brings redemption and new life.

The bunny ears and egg hunts are optional but also fun.

Jason is not a fan of the human sized bunnies that move but was willing to greet this giant stationary one.

He insisted on inspecting the contents of each egg prior to putting it into his grandfather's caddy bag.

He was delighted by what he found inside each time.

Sophia's strategy was to stick close to the bunny who as the supposed hider of the eggs would likely know where they could be found.

Easter morning brought even more treats that are now being rationed piece by piece as lunch, dinner and sometimes breakfast dessert.

The cross is covered with flowers. Death now blooms with life!

Nada's nursing home party preparations included Joshua and Sophia filling the jar for the jelly bean guessing game.

Nada made sure her husband Bone was able to jointly give Sophia and Jason Easter presents by moving his hand with hers. 

Easter reminds us to live with hope and give thanks for forgiveness!

Jason's Adoption

The morning after a March Nor'Easter we stood in a crowd waiting for the courthouse to open.

Friends and family from as far as Lousiana braved the cold with us for this moment that was years in the making but would take only minutes.

The social worker who educated and licensed us as foster parents, first told us of our son, and walked with us through his first months at home came to be with us.

The social worker who advocated for Jason for the past two years and told us when this day would be was also present.

The Judge directed her questions to Sophia. "How old are you?" and "How old is your brother?"

Jason was given his adoption certificate to sign.

We were told purple is the color of adoption and Jason got to keep the purple pen that lights up.

To make it official, the gavel was hit three times, first by the Judge, then by Sophia, and finally by the little boy who now has a very long name. 

His lavender bow tie was lent to us by a friend who has a heart for adoption and has been a strong supporter of our family.

We were surrounded by loving cheerleaders.

After the ceremony, our crew of 15 shared lunch at the cafe across the street. 

Jason loved going from table to table to visit.

He fell asleep on the drive home and slept in past 7:00 the following morning, something which almost never happens. 

We hadn't really talked with Sophia about what the day meant, but her prayer that night was, "Thank you that my brother and me are now official brother and sister."

In addition to a new last name, the Judge gave Jason a teddy bear, but he seemed to like the lollipops she gave him the best.

He is loved by the Mother who gave him life and by the many he has met since that day.

May he always feel secure in the love that is his. We are so fortunate to belong to him.

Accepting the Invitation

There is a lot of parenting advice out there and I have nothing new to add.

I can say that the best advice I have heard involves prioritizing one thing while deferring another. While, "sleeping when the baby sleeps", is nearly impossible because of all that could be accomplished, I never regretted one of those naps. 

These days I'm often still doing the task, it just takes a lot longer. Such as saying yes to reading a book while making dinner. This entails the book next to the food prep and telling Sophia when it is time to turn the page, alternating between reading a recipe and "Amelia Bedelia". 

Sometimes chores or desirable activities are deferred because a little boy with chocolate eyes is looking up at me with arms outstretched. The frequent invitation to pick up this ever growing person means I find myself without arms to do whatever I had in mind. 

Despite a weight which necessitates shifting him from one hip to another, I am honored by his trust to display this vulnerability with his entire being. One day I will no longer be able to lift him and sooner than that he will no longer want to be held. 

I have never been invited to play more often than I am right now. 
Often there is something else I'd prefer to be doing (frequently the "game" consists of my watching a train move endlessly around a track). 

I am reminded of when my own mother was uninvited. 
I always invited her to play dolls with me (because otherwise the dolls didn't talk). Until one day, a young friend of mine told her not to play with us. 
To this day, I think I am more heart broken by this than my Mother was. 
A day comes when the invitation to play is no longer so readily extended. 

Often there is emphasis placed on how quickly the years go, but perhaps more importantly it is that they happen only once. 

It is why I say yes to a little girl who wants to tell me "just one more last thing" before bed and why I extend my arms to carry a little boy who is capable of running.

Chinese New Year

You arrived at our home on the first morning of the Chinese New Year, speaking Mandarin.

You played purposefully, exclaiming to dolls in a language we couldn't understand. 

When it was time to sleep, I rocked you in the dark and thought about how, though you would not remember me, we were forever a part of each other's story. 

It was where I wanted to be and those moments will always belong to you in my heart. 

For other moments, I had help. 

When you were crying, my daughter said, "Its ok, you don't have to cry, for right now you are a part of our family, because you are with us". While the four of us walked to the playground, she remarked how good it was that there were two big helpers (she and I) for the two babies. When we arrived, she suggested  instructed that I "keep watch on" her brother and that she would "keep watch on" you.

You helped her too. 

You taught her about shared responsibility and that love is not restricted to DNA, or language, or any other confines, it is so much greater.

How to Swim

I love the confidence in these eyes and I admire her boldness.

This picture was taken right before her first swim lesson.

We were avoiding them because they cost money, and you have to commit to being in a certain place at a certain time (though there are worse places than an indoor pool in February) and we are attempting to avoid overscheduling a four year old.

When we realized learning to swim might not "just happen" (as we had hoped), and given that my two childhood goals for her are 'learning to ride a bike' and 'learning how to swim', we decided it was time. 

As soon as she and her fellow learner entered the pool, I watched the teacher skillfully employ techniques that would have never occurred to me. "Simon says, put your toes in the water", "Now, Simon says put your nose in the water".

I was filled with gratitude for this person gently encouraging my daughter. 

I was thankful that I could trust her to keep my baby safe in deep water.

I sat on the sidelines watching awkward efforts to coordinate arms and legs, water splashing in her patient teacher's face and reminisced about first steps that turned into somersaults. 

And I marveled at my front row seat, celebrating an increased confidence in the water and glad to be the one to wrap her in a towel afterwards.