It has been a while since I made a record of our doings. Unfortunately, not all of these will be happy updates. We have had a great loss this week. Those of you who know me well or in person already know about our loss. I'm sorry that this will come as such a startling surprise to the rest of you.



Amira and Yasmina helped their dad get the hay in from our tiny crop around the border of our property this summer.



Here is Mariam the morning of her baptism. We stayed at a friend's house on our way to our long trip. We stopped at one of our communion's churches where the priest very generously performed a private mass for our family and did the baptism with the godparents in absentia because of some difficult circumstances in our location.



Alexander served at the mass and lit the Paschal candle. There are two times in a believer's life in which the Paschal candle is lit specifically for him: At baptism and at his funeral.



Mariam, newly baptized into the body of Christ.



Our whole family with Fr. Mark after the baptism and mass.



This is Mariam in our modified camp swing at Yellowstone.



Here we all are at the Continental Divide.



Here is our baby who will never need to be baptized. Rayan was delivered Tuesday, November 15. I miscarried naturally at home, so we were able to keep the body for burial. I do have pictures of the baby for those who truly wish to see, but here is our child in a treasure box that Alexander made for me when he was six. We asked if he would offer it as a casket for Rayan. It was much too big, but seemed more fitting and respectful than a jar or box from something else. This is the first time we have ever been glad for a unisex name, as it was too difficult to determine the sex. Rayan means gentle and heavenly and is an Arabic name given to both boys and girls.

From the words of the burial service:

O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered; Accept our prayers on behalf of the soul of thy servant departed, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.

I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.

We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." I Corinthians 15:20-26

"Jesus said unto them, 'All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.'" St. John 6:37-40

Labels: Baptism, Faith and Morality, Family, Homesteading, Prayer Requests