Graham Lawrence Bauman
Blessed on February 1, 2015
By his Father: Daniel Glenn Bauman
Daybreak 7th Ward
Graham is a little over 3 months old
Here to Celebrate with Us: Marlene, Larry, Deedra, Sam, Dawson, Chett, Kaylee, Trent, Mom, Dad, Karey, Chrissy, Krisha, Seth, Kimberly, Aidan, Ethan, Eli, Madi, Brendan, Tavin, Katie, Livy, Dan, and I.
Those who Stood in the Circle with Dan: Dad, Bishop Rechtenbaugh, Sam, Seth
Blessing (Daniel's Gift to Graham):
I bless you with a strong healthy body
I bless you to be strong in the gospel
I bless you to serve a full time mission
I bless you to be a leader to those around you
I bless you to be married in the temple to a righteous woman
I bless you to have the peace that comes with living the gospel
I bless you to always know and do what is right
My (Kendra's) Gift to Graham-My Testimony:
It is such a wonderful feeling to have another one of our family members be reunited with us...I know the children especially feel it-their excitement-wanting to hold him and be near him. They have waited for him to come.
It seems like in our family our babies are born during times in our lives when we are in need of extra love-and I have felt Graham's love fill our home....I am so grateful for that.
I'm not going to lie, life with 4 kids is not easy-to most who ask me I like to just call our daily life an "adventure."
But I feel with all the hard things in life there is a lesson to be learned and if we embrace it, we will come out on top-a better person than we were-knowing something more than we did.
During all the nights that I am up feeding Graham-I have been able to finish The Book of Mormon for the second time in my life. The spirit that I felt alone late at night is irreplaceable.
I have also learned that I have to ask for help-I don't like to do it-but sometimes it is necessary to allow others to help me-give them the opportunity to serve me an receive those blessings for doing it. Listen to the Holy Ghost because often, when you listen to those promptings to go and do something, you are helping God show someone he or she is loved.
On my hardest days, when I needed to know Heavenly Father cares-someone sent a simple text just asking how I am doing with it all....remembering me showed me Heavenly Father's love.
Another person showing up at my door with a meal while Daniel was gone on a work trip-I might not have looked very inviting....my hair a mess and not dressed for the day-but I felt the love of my Heavenly Father through that individual-answering my prayers for help.
I have also learned about the Atonement and repentance-I am not perfect...none of us are-so in my struggle to get everything just right and do everything just perfect-I have failed. I have learned though that if I use the gift of the Atonement that has been given to me, I can start again each new day-it isn't just 3 strikes and your out-I can try to be a better person than I was the day before every day because Christ makes up for what I can't to myself...he makes up for my imperfect state.
I am grateful for a purpose in life-there are so many people on this earth without a purpose or a reason for existing-I am grateful to know who I am and why I am here and where I am going. I am grateful that I can teach my children these same principles.
I am grateful for my family and their support-I know as we grow and get bigger, it is harder to get things together and get to events like this-I am glad for their help and their effort. Some of them that are here don't believe in everything I do...and that is OK....but it is important to me-they are important to me-so I want them to know that I know this gospel is true. I know that it is the answer to their problems.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.
