my new sister.

when i woke up yesterday morning, 

i had no idea what a 

huge day it would be! 

for her whole life, 

we've been talking with willow

about Jesus. 

the love He has for us 

and the suffering He endured for us

so that we could be with Him 

in heaven one day. 

for about the past year or so, 

she's been saying that

she wants to ask Jesus into her heart

and as her momma,

i've prayed that we would know

when it was the right time and when 

her heart really understood. 

for the past several months, 

she's been asking very good 

and smart and tough questions 

about sin and the devil. 

i've watched her little heart break 

when she realized that her bad choices hurt God but that He loves 

her so much anyway. 

literally held her while she sobbed and told me she doesn't want the devil to think he's invited into our home because she made a bad choice.

that's a pretty clear picture 

for a little five year old to paint! 

because isn't that exactly how it is? 

we sin, satan welcomes himself in?

we've talked so much about forgiveness

and grace and mercy 

and heaven and unconditional 

everlasting love. 

some days it seemed like 

every 15 minutes, 

she was asking a 

whole new set of questions. 

it was wonderful!

and it was a lot. 

yesterday was different, 

and as she was talking, 

i just felt it was bigger. 

i got butterflies because it's 

the moment i've prayed for for as 

long as I've known about her. 

because it's not guaranteed 

that your child is going to 

want to follow in your footsteps

and give their lives to Jesus. 

i told her that when she felt like 

she could tell a stranger 

how they could be forgiven for 

their bad choices and 

go to heaven when they die,

she would be ready. 

we were on a walk around the neighborhood and looking for 

william and sutton so we could meet up

and run around and play 

and in her little stroller,

she said "mommy, i'm just sure

i'm ready!". 

so i had her tell me

what she would say if that man

over there asked her how

he could go to heaven 

and she explained it to me 

in the sweetest, most precious 

and real way and i knew. 

at the same time, we saw the boys

and willow ran and yelled

"daddy!! i'm ready to ask 

Jesus into my heart!!". 

so we knelt down right there on the

walking trail by the bay,

and my little girl said the most beautiful words to her SAVIOR!!! 

it was amazing and surreal. 

right after, she said 

"now i'm ready to be SANITIZED!!!". 

(aka baptized!)

she's loving the idea of now being 

my sister and daddy is her brother!

she's named everyone she can think

of and asked if they were her 

sister/brother too! 

(when nana asked her who told her about Jesus, she casually pointed at me with her thumb and said, "my sis". haha!) 

she's told so many people already! 

friends and strangers. 

most people have celebrated with her

but sadly some have brushed her off 

and that hurts. 

but this is her mission field now

and she is such a light.

she's on a mission to bring 

as many people to heaven 

with her that she can. 

that's what she says her plan is anyway  and i'm marching right along side of her

in the Lords army!  :)