"For God So Loved the World....."

Daniel with his Evangecube after we got home from our meeting with Blake

Daniel with his 'Love of Christ' banner


"......that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16


On Friday, February 4, Daniel accepted Christ as his Savior!!! We were in the car by ourselves talking about Daniel (from the Bible) and what a man of faith he was when Daniel told me that he wanted to pray to receive Christ. He said that he believes in Jesus and wants to go to heaven and that he wanted to pray "that prayer". I should note that he told me this just as we were parking at Dollar General. Ha! Dan and I have been very aware over the past several months that he has greatly matured spiritually, so I wasn't at all surprised. I (trying desperately to hold it together) told him that it was WONDERFUL & that we would talk to his Dad about it when we got home. When we got home, amidst the supper rush, he reminded me that we had to talk to Dan. I again put him off until our devotional time after dinner (I wanted us to have some time to talk without Laura Ann). We did a quick devotional, got Laura Ann settled & then Dan, Daniel and I sat in our living room floor and had a long, detailed discussion about what this means. We gave him some 'prompt' questions, but mostly let him do the talking. By the time we finished, there was no doubt that he understood his decision, so Dan led him in the most precious prayer I have ever heard. I was so tempted to get my camera, but I didn't want to ruin such a sweet moment. There is no doubt a photograph stamped on my heart, though! Daniel is SO, SO, SO excited, as are we! Dan and I having been praying for this since we found out we were expecting him, and are rejoicing in this answer to prayer. What a huge praise & blessing for our family!

I talked to Blake, our children's minister & we met with him last Thursday. Blake had basically the same discussion with Daniel that we did and agreed that he understands his decision. Daniel was really detailed telling Blake about when he decided to receive Christ. He told him that he told me about it "just as we were turning into the Dollar General parking lot." Blake, of course, cracked up, but the Dollar General parking lot will forever be a special place for the James family! :) (Just to clarify, that is where I take Daniel & Laura Ann when they have money so they can 'afford' a toy. Wal-Mart & Target toys are too expensive! Daniel had $5.00 from the Tooth Fairy and at Dollar General he can get something for himself and Laura Ann with that amount.) Anyway, Blake gave us a workbook to work through in the next few weeks and an evangecube, which Daniel loves. It is a cube, that unfolds with pictures that tell the 'story' of our salvation. We are very excited to share Daniel's decision with our church and schedule his baptism in the next week or so!

My friend & prayer partner, Amy, told Daniel that the angels were celebrating in heaven and throwing a big party. He really liked the thought of that! We decided we would celebrate along with the angels, soooo...... What better day to celebrate, than Valentine's Day when we are already celebrating love? Our celebration just focused especially on the love of Christ this year. Laura Ann helped me make a banner with some of our favorite verses about HIS love. We began our Valentine dinner with a prayer of thanksgiving for God's amazing love and that Daniel has accepted His free gift of salvation. Then we read & discussed all of the verses on our banner about love. I am going to have to agree with Laura Ann that this was the BEST Valentine's Day ever!!

"Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."
-II Chronicles 20:21

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! -I John 3:1a

We love because he first loved us. -I John 4:19

Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.
-I John 4:8