Baptism 09-24-2023
Claire Voelmle
My name is Claire Voelmle. I am 11 years old and have a family of 6, including my sisters Norah, and Lydia, and my brother, Taylor. I love to play soccer, sing, and hangout with friends. Like many of you, I was baptized as a baby around 6 months old. As a younger child, I was never afraid, and loved to be the center of attention. I always loved going to church and praising our Lord. That is why I'm here. I know I was put on this earth to do good things. The reason I'm committing my life to Jesus is because I want to complete my life with him.
I want to share my story of reaching God with you. I can recall asking my Mom and Dad about baptism, frequently after church in the car ride home. Even though I was only around 5, I was very interested in accepting Jesus to become my forever best friend. I'm certain some of you felt the strong connection with the Holy Spirit after church too. Close to the age of 6, I didn't have many close friends at church. I was looking for even just the slightest sign from God of change. When I was 9, my family and I started to go to a new church with many of our close friends at church. One day my friend sang to me the Fruits of the Spirit song. She really gave me a sign that God was watching and he always will be. One day close to the end of school in 4th grade my Mom asked me if I wanted to attend the Sportsworld camp at LEFC. Of course I said yes, because I knew this was God's calling to me that it was time to regain a stronger connection with him. Then my family and I started to attend LEFC. Since the start of LEFC, I have felt an even stronger connection with God and all of the people here. My life now is wonderful. I love Jesus with all of my heart, and I will continue to praise him forever. I pray to him frequently, and read the Bible too. At school, and even the world around me, I try to proclaim the word of our Lord, even if nobody listens. Jesus makes a huge difference in my life. I know he is always watching. He always forgives, and speaks, to us. He will always have a place in my heart.
I like to think of Jesus as a puzzle piece. Our lives are all of the little pieces that make up the puzzle. Each piece represents a part of us. You obviously know that the pieces fit perfectly together to create the whole picture. But one piece dead center of the puzzle is missing. You look in every nook and cranny in your house, outside, your friends' houses, and even the park. Finally, you find the one missing piece and you celebrate with all of your heart. This is like Jesus. You look and look and look, and when you finally are about to stop looking, you find him and celebrate. That is what I am doing here today. Celebrating with all of you that Jesus has come over me and given me his forever love. I hope that someday I will be able to help others find their missing puzzle piece.
My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 18:30-36, "The ways of God are without fault. The Lord's words are pure. He is a shield to those who trust him. Who is God? Only the Lord. Who is the Rock? Only our God. God is my protection. He makes my way free from fault. He makes me like a deer, which does not stumble. He helps me stand on the steep mountains. He trains my hands for battle, so my arms can bend a bronze bow. You protect me with your saving shield. You support me with your right hand. You have stooped to make me great. You give me a wide path on which to walk. My feet have not slipped."
I am getting baptized today to show my true love for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.