Sunday Faith Blog...and a Muslim baptism addition to this post

"I could never have sought my happiness in thy love, unless thou had'st first loved me."*
With beauty like the above picture, He just has to love us.
Have a beautiful Sunday.........Z *The Valley of Vision
RE: the Muslim Baptism....we had a baby baptized in church today and it's quite a story: Her father is a Christian, very cool guy in his early thirties raised nearby in Venice. They live a few hours away now but his parents are still here so they came to visit at Christmas time, came to our church, and decided to have their daughter baptized there. The mother is an Iranian Muslim who is 'on the fence' about Christianity, or was, when I met her 2 weeks ago. Today, I hear the mother, after some good question/answer time with our pastor, has nearly made the decision to be baptized at our church herself.
Some of her Iranian relatives were there today. One man, in particular, was right in front and mouthing the responses to Pastor about God....This wasn't something we do every Sunday so I've forgotten quite what the sentences were but something like "If you believe in the Sovereignty of God and that He loves you, say I believe ..." And this Arab man was responding with us. Finally, after 3 or so of these "God responses", Pastor mentioned Jesus Christ and the Arab went along and answered as he had been and caught himself and giggled to the two women who'd come with him. It seemed to me like he was saying 'Oops! He mentioned Jesus and I went along with it!!'...I had to laugh at a rather charming moment.
I want to add another thing (I told you these Sunday Faith Blogs write themselves, didn't I?) about Iranians and faith. A dear friend met an Iranian parking attendant who she saw was reading a Bible in the garage where she was parking. My friend has MS and can use help with her SUV and getting her scooter out from the back when she feels she needs it so this fellow was helping her very happily, unlike the attendant who'd been there for years (it's where she has her hair done once a week) and has rarely helped her at all. She asked where this new very helpful young man was from and he said "Iran but I'm Armenian...." She asked what it was like there for Christian Iranians...and he said that it's very tough, Iran killed the head of the Christian church there five years or so ago....but that MANY Muslims are coming to faith every single month and they can't talk about it and the media, of course, won't admit it. I'd heard this from missionary friends but there's nothing like hearing it first hand.
Pastor told me today that he was told Muslims like to frequent Armenian establishments in Iran because the Christians are fairer with their prices, etc.. I thought that was interesting, too.
Anyway...wanted to tell you about this and to ask you to pray for the baby's Muslim relatives here and in Iran......I can't say their names, but God knows who they are :-) Pray for ALL of Iran's Muslims..... Thanks.. xxx me
z