Emma Denise Malheim: Child of God

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart... [Jeremiah 1:5a-b NIV]

"I was there to hear your borning cry,

I'll be there when you are old.

I rejoiced the day you were baptized,

To see your life unfold.

- John Ylvisaker, 1985

Dear Emma,

Today, October 16, 2011, at Grace Lutheran Church, Oakes, North Dakota, you will be received into the kingdom of God's grace through the washing of Holy Baptism. How perfect it will be that you will receive this gift of God at the baptismal font in front of a congregation of His people that celebrates His grace everyday by their very existence as Grace Lutheran Church. One day, when you are a little older, you may ask your mother to recount a simple way to remember the G.R.A.C.E. of God. In confirmation classes and sermons preached by me, grace has been explained as God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

Imagine the grace of God coming to us through simple means - water and the Word. In Baptism, we are not the ones doing. As Martin Luther explained, "Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God's command and combined with God's Word." We are reminded of Jesus' life-changing, world-changing directive to His disciples: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." [Matthew 28:19 NIV]

"Baptized into Your Name most holy,

O Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

I claim a place, though weak and lowly,

Among Your seed, Your chosen host.

Buried with Christ and dead to sin,

I have Your Spirit now within."

Luther, in his Small Catechism continues: "...the Word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without God's Word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the Word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit..." Your parents and godparents bring you to receive the new birth in Christ. Your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the members of Grace Lutheran Church and the entirety of Christ's Church pray God's constant blessings upon your life as you grow in stature, in faith and in His grace.

Emma Denise Malheim, God has a plan for your life. To the prophet Jeremiah, God said: "I know the plans I have for you, ...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The truth is, no one but God knows those plans but I am confident that He has great things in store for your life. You hold a special place in His heart as His child. May God pour out His abundant blessings on you today and always!

Love,

Grandpa Turnmire

Letters to Emma - Day 3

"People were bring little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them." [Mark 10:13-16 NIV]

Dear Emma,

What a blessing you are, especially in the eyes of God! It is my prayer that as you grow through the days and years ahead, that God will always reach out and bless you through His own dear child, Jesus. One day, you will read these letters and gain a greater understanding of my love for you. Even more, it will always be my prayer that you will also come to know the love of Jesus in your life.

Someday I hope to share with you my faith journey and how, even when others thought God was so far away from my life, He was indeed right there beside me all the way. I trust and pray that Jesus will be your friend and that it will never seem that he is not there right beside you.

Today has surely been a big day for you, Emma. You and your mommy and daddy had a day of bonding together - the first of many. I also know that you have another of God's creatures who will be very interested in playing with you and protecting you. The picture of you and Sage together is adorable. In time, you will enjoy watching Sage and the kitties, playing with them and maybe even pulling an ear or tail from time to time.

Tomorrow, we will pray for your family in church and celebrate your arrival into your family. For tonight, I will share one of the first songs your mommy learned to sing.

Jesus love me, this I know

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong,

They are weak but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me; Yes, Jesus loves me;

Yes, Jesus loves me; The Bible tells me so!

Good night, Emma.

Love, Grandpa David

Letters to Emma - Day 2

"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." [Proverbs 17:6]

Dear Emma,

Your mommy and daddy, all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends of your parents are more captivated today than yesterday by the adorable baby girl in Muncie, Indiana. By now, your parents have taken you home from the hospital and all of you are getting settled in as the Malheim family. Don't tell them but your mommy's and daddy's lives have only started to change.

Just between you and me, Emma, I am enjoying being a grandfather. Contrary to common thought, it is actually helping me to feel younger rather than older. Some of my co-workers and friends are having a great time calling me "grandpa" or asking "How's grandpa today?" That's OK because I enjoy showing off pictures of you to friends at work, at church and even where I used to work in Minnesota. And if your daddy and mommy keep taking adorable pictures of you, I will keep showing them off. Since it has been decided that I will be visiting you in Indiana in a few weeks, perhaps we can have our picture taken together. You will become a celebrity here in Dallas, Texas.

The time has grown late dear Emma so I will end this letter with the following night time prayer.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.

To guide me safely through the night

And wake me with the morning light."

Good night and God bless!

Grandpa David

Letters to Emma - Day 1

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." [Jeremiah 1:5a-b NIV]

Dear Emma,

Welcome to the world! When you were born, a little more than 24 hours ago, God graced His creation with another touch of beauty and innocence. Your mommy Amy and daddy Jeremy have awaited your arrival with the utmost love and anticipation. And now, dear one, you are here!

As you grow to know the love and warmth of your mother and the gentle touch of your father, I know that God has great things in store for you. His plans for you began even before you were a twinkle in the eyes of your loving parents. I know you are a special little girl because your parents are very much in love with each other and have longed to share that love with the greatest of God's gifts - their own dear child.

What a tremendous blessing you have already been for your daddy and mommy, as well as all of the extended family members and friends who have waited for the day of your birth. It is my prayer that those loved ones will always treasure you and be a blessing to you. In return, I believe that you will bring an abundance of blessings into their lives.

Emma Denise, there are a thousand wonderful things that I would tell you about your family in due time. Of course, most of those things are about your mother and her siblings. Your mother and I shared a special father-daughter bond in those early years and I pray that you will share that same special relationship with both of your parents. I imagine that you will become "daddy's little girl" in due time, even though I am sure he will want you to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

One day soon, I hope to hold you in my arms as I once did your mommy. It is very hard for me to believe that time has passed so quickly and this "daddy's little girl" has grown into a beautiful mature woman, a wife and a mother. Now I am a grandfather and hope you will be "grandpa's little girl" whenever we have time to spend together.

Until then, I will ask God to send his angels to watch over you and your parents. May He bless each of you with the fullness of His love and grace to keep you safe and healthy. Tonight as you and your mommy rest, I entrust your family to our Heavenly Father with the words of an ancient Welsh folk song:

"Sleep my child and peace attend thee,

All through the night;

Guardian angels God will send thee

All through the night."

Good night Emma!

With love, Grandpa David

Another Crossroads!

Crossroads. Which way should I go? There are biblical directives which lead us, there are poems which inspire us and there are songs to remind us to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV) If anyone is led to believe that you come to a crossroads once in life and that is that, that person is truly misled.

Here I am, once again at a crossroads of life. And not so much that I expect my life to change or be changed dramatically. Yet it seems that life as I know it is changing all around me. Sometimes I find myself waxing all nostalgic for earlier times in my life. I am taken back to the farm country of my youth, the small town schools, familiar faces and places. Of course, many of the faces are gone through the years that have marched on despite all my best efforts to stop them. Sadly enough, I never really imagined myself at this age - 20s and 30s, yes! Never in my 50s.

So I ask myself if this is what I want to be doing with my life. Even as I take a step more permanence in this stage of my career, there remains a nagging, a longing, a yearning for something more. The next few weeks will bring challenges, successes, disappointments, joy and possibly heartache. Yet I know that "I can do all [things] through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

Tomorrow, Bill is scheduled for another vascular procedure at Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas. In the words of the hymn "Take My Hand and Lead Me" by Herman Brückner, Rudolph A. John & others based on Julie von Hausmann (1826-1901)...

Lord, when the tempest rages, I need not fear;
For you, the Rock of Ages, Are always near.
Close by your side abiding, I fear no foe,
For when your hand is guiding, In peace I go.

As Amy and Jeremy move closer each day to celebrating the birth of a precious gift from God, I am reminded once again of that life verse that has been a source of comfort and strength in many situations. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

At a crossroads? Not sure which way to go? Perhaps some time spent praying other words from the same hymn quoted above would be time well spent.

Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life's way;
Direct, protect and feed me From day to day.
Without your grace and favour I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, And lead the way!

- DB Turnmire

13 February 2011