Caleb's Baptism

Caleb decided to be baptized on Sunday, April 3rd. Baptism is simply a public demonstration to show what has happened in their spiritual life. It symbolizes the burial of the "old" life and the birth of their "new" life in Christ. Caleb has a visible desire to know God more, and know more about Him. I love his ever-learning, teachable heart. When asked why he wanted to be baptized, he simply stated, "Because in the Bible it says, 'Believe and be baptized.'" That's as black and white as it can get. God says to do it, so we're supposed to do it. He's been like that from the time he was very young; things are either black or white. Not much room for gray. At 4 or 5, he would watch the speedometer as I drove and remind me when I was going over it. The law is the law, right? Even before that, he would tell Grandpa Harold not to "joke" because it says in the Bible not to lie to others and then say, "I was only kidding". Yep, it DOES say that. Maybe part of that was how I was raising him, but much of it just came already programmed. That's how God wired him.

I distinctly remember (which is an amazing feat considering my ability to remember things) where we were when his serious little heart wanted to know how to go to heaven. He was about 4 years old and we were sitting on the stairs of our old house. Now that I think about it, that was the very spot that I remember getting out the Bible when I was pregnant with him and looking up what Caleb meant. Caleb (in the Bible) was a man "who followed wholeheartedly after God". I loved the name, and I loved the meaning even more. After naming him, we would often pray that God would make him into a man "who follows Him wholeheartedly". Now we include our other boys in that same prayer, but that prayer began with the meaning of Caleb's name. It's been evident throughout his life (so far), that God is fulfilling that desire in my (and Paul's) heart. We're excited to see how God is going to use him as he matures.

Caleb with Grandpa and Grandma Larson (top),

and with Grandpa and Grandma Pemble (below)