Children are a gift of the Lord...

Welcome to the world, Baby Morgan! I know that big sister, Abbie, is going to take good care of you. (Look at her practicing reading books she will soon be sharing with you!)

I think it is appointed for some people to come into our lives. The mother of these two precious little girls is one of those people in my life.

Years ago, I taught Allison's cousin in kindergarten. (He is now married. Do the math. It's been a while!) His mother, Allison's aunt, became a good friend of mine.

Years later during a time of crisis, my young children and I ended up living in the Texas Baptist Children's Home for a year and a half. Who was the director of the Home? Allison's mother. I had never met her, but she became a good friend as well.

I joined a local church. Who was the precious older man who handed out bulletins at the door every Sunday with a hug and a smile? Allison's grandfather! And friendship with her grandmother was not far behind.

I got to know every nook and cranny of Allison's family. Several years ago, she asked me if I'd like to work for her in her photography business. Besides studio work, she shot one or two weddings each weekend. Who doesn't love going to weddings? And getting paid to attend weddings? Well, that was an offer too good to refuse. We had a great time. I came to admire her work and her professionalism.

(See her pictures at http://www.fpphoto.com/)

Of course, our connections did not stop there. She did a photo shot of my family when our last child was about to move off to college. I consider photographs such a gift. They were the last shots taken of my family. Priceless.

She also shot my daughter's wedding last fall as a favor. Beautiful, beautiful memories forever captured by my friend.

But the most generous gift she's given me? Last spring my husband was facing a life and death surgery. I walked out the morning before our hospital trip and found a package on the porch. Allison had left a CD for each of us containing the family shot she had done last May. Precious memories to hold close. And we were all so very grateful for her ministry of love and photographs.

And now Allison is a mother to two beautiful girls. My hope and my prayer is that she will reap a bountiful harvest of blessings for all the joy she has sown into my life, the life of my family and anyone else she has graced with her loving spirit and breathtaking photographs.

And I'm looking for more connections to this wonderful family in the future. Because I know that the grace of God will fall on these precious daughters as they continue to grow and become more like their mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt. Godspeed, Abbie and Morgan. Godspeed.