I got baptized today.
A year ago I entered in to a time of life that was more
grueling than I’d yet to experience.
And
during that time
God gave me a vision.
In the vision I saw myself in a coffin.
But my body didn’t look like normal flesh, instead I saw a decrepit,
decaying body composed of black sooty skin, sunken in cheek bones, brittle,
dull hair – everything dead about myself.
And the Lord said to me – “Talia, here’s your flesh, let’s bury it and
be done with it.
Let’s get rid of it.”
And so God came in like Aslan the Lion and
began ripping away a lot of my grotesque dragon flesh.
The past year has been a process of seeing a
lot of my flesh die.
And then last week our local contact, Samuel, invited us to
a big baptism celebration with his church.
An Episcopalian father baptized me as a baby, but I’d yet to be baptized
as an adult (all theological debates aside); so I asked if I could be baptized
as well.
This baptism was a tangible symbol of the process God has
been doing in me over the past three years and more specifically the past
year.
Ripping away my flesh, and then
bathing me, new and fresh.
Much like Eustace
(from the Voyage of the Dawn Treader) bathed as a dragon and came forth a clean
whole boy.
Likewise, Jon and Eric (my teammates) had not been baptized
and wanted to be.
So, it became a family
affair and was actually quite special.
Here are a gazillion pictures.
*Another sweet blessing from the Lord – when I was 15 or 16
I knew I wanted to be baptized as an adult.
However, never got the chance really to do it and in my heart I’d always
wanted to be baptized in a river in a foreign country.
I wasn’t going to hold out for it, but it was
very sweet that God gave me that to me anyway.
Church celebration beforehand!
I love this shot…:)
*You can actually view it all online if you’de like. It’s only a couple minutes long. Here’s the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHgZ8K9eydU&mode=related&search=
I love you guys! Thanks for sharing in this with me!
Talia, you’re shining! And you make me cry. 😀
You go, girl!! 🙂 So excited for you…
I am SOOOO excited for you,hermana querida! Your testimony is great. Kudos to you as well for being the translating maven on this leg of the Race. You rock!!!!
great stuff, kiddo. we’re so happy for you. of course i did this myself w/ pastor Juan Almazan, Clint and Lisa in Tampico ten years ago. it makes your mom and i so happy to see you going for it. loved the pics and the video. keep running the race!
Thank you thank you thank you for sharing that… and thank God for having you share that, for the pictures… for everything… you’re story is so incredible… (I was in Salt with you, in case that helps you make sense of these random comments.)
Prasie God for you! Praise God. You are remarkably beautiful. May your heart remain steadfast and faithful for the Lord! “Count it all joy my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 I love you girl and keep racing! UPdate for me…still sore in my neck and back, so keep praying for healing for me, leaving for Swazi and SA on the 16th of Feb…so I’m pretty excited about that! Love you
H
hey sista- thanks for letting your new wr family be a part of your new life! this is just the begining! god is totally going to rock your world this year! especially as you have continued to be faithful to the little things that he has given you…
blessings and love,
casey
talia barnes, you make me smile. your joy is infectious. i’ll be seeing you in june (yes, i have joined the WR) and i can’t wait. love your pics, stories and smiles.
yer jest bootiful!
talia. your smile brings me joy. i love you. keep being you… you are what makes the sun shine.
doug
oh babe….this is so sweet. The pics are so you. i’m happy this family has turned into a family… miss you and love you
You look so beautiful! I love this story & the video. Miss you tons!
Aww Talia! These pictures are amazing. What an amazing oportunity God gave you after all these years. Thanks for sharing!
I love the pics!! “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
“In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He
SHALL direct your paths.” What a promise!
Your blogs make my hair stand up. They are awesome stories! I feel joy for you. The pics are wonderful and your team is a blessing also.
Bless You, Pam
Talia,
Way to go girl. God is so awesome and faithful, he knows the desires of your heart. Thanks for sharing the memeories.
Carol Pitts
Talia,
you look so beautiful! It’s so great to see what the Lord is doing in your life!
You are radiant! Thanks for sharing what the Lord is doing in your life. I’m celebrating with you!
You’re amazing and what God is doing is amazing! I love you and miss you so much!
Talia,
I love the pictures and they are such an encouragement to me! Love you much!!
Aah Tal this is just great! It’s so encouraging to see what the Lord is doing in your life. I love you and miss you!
WOW…ms barnes! no lie, i am sitting here crying just from looking at these pics! thats powerful! yes, england here i come. you are an awesome person and i am happy to say that i consider you my sister in the Lord!!!
Talia:)
I am so glad that you are seeking God with all your heart.Thanks for share your pics with us.Love.