Yet with all the fun I'm having dressing my baby up in cute clothes and drooling over her mushy cheeks and oh-so-cute chubby thighs, the bigger picture of why she is in our lives keeps knocking on my heart's door. The very idea that Christ foreknew my daughter, loves her more than I possibly could, and has her future all mapped out is breathtaking. The idea that the world we live in continues to fall deeper into sin each passing day and there is an enemy prowling around seeking to devour Life for Annabelle is real. So we pray. We teach, even now. We live our lives to love Him. When all is said and done, it won't matter how good I was at changing her diapers or putting her on nursing or sleep schedules, or even making her the best behaved child in Sunday School. It will matter where she spends eternity. It will matter if I guided her down the straight and narrow.

So while I kiss her awesome cheeks and show her off at a dinner party tonight, I'll remember the bigger picture.