developing lifestyle worshipers

It was another great day in Addis Ababa.  This was the first full day I got to spend with Eli.  Much needed I think for the both of us.

Started the day with the head nanny to invite me to pray with them to start the day in the baby room.  As they started, everyone dropped to their knees and filled the room up with sweet prayers.  I was honored to be asked to be a part of this.  The agency we used is not a Christian agency, but most of these workers are and pray diligently and care for these children.

We made some progress today.  Two of Eli’s biggest issues are: 1) sharing, and 2) new environments.  The sharing issue makes sense, he has never had anything of his own, and somehow he is the ring leader in a room of six children but he is the only one who can’t walk.  So other kids can get to stuff quicker than his and so he gets frustrated when someone takes a toy away.  Plus, he is a 2 year old.  Enough said.

The new environment thing makes sense too.  He has lived in 5 places in 23 months of life.  3 orphanages.  So whenever I walk him towards something unfamiliar, he gets real uneasy.

I took him to our living room today.  First time, he cried until I distracted him with a toy.  Second time, he whimpered a second.  Third time, no problems at all.  He is learning to trust his dad.  I am longing for the day when he is not familiar with the new environment, but his trust in his dad is so that he doesn’t care as long as he is in his father’s arms.

How I want to be there too.  As God has led me to new places, I don’t want to whimper or cringe, I just want to trust the one holding me.  He has been faithful this far, I know he won’t leave me now.

During Eli’s nap time this afternoon, I had the best worship service since coming here.  Emotions came in like a whirlwind.  As I was listening to Bluetree sing “When I Survey,” once I got to the words, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all,” I just worshiped.  I mean it was intense.  I was worried the nannies were going to check on me.

I think it finally hit me.  Loving that boy is just an extension of the love that has been given me.  For the first time, I looked towards this very difficult plane ride with expectation.  I have been loved by the Christ, any amount of love, discipline, or effort I exert is nothing compared to what I have experienced.

Tonight, I am very humbled to be loved by Jesus and to been given the call to father this wonderful boy.

Leaving tomorrow evening (Friday @ 10:30PM, 3:30 PM for Eastern time).  Please continue to pray.  Amanda and I wept on the phone today thinking about how much Eli and our family has been prayed for.  We are truly blessed.  You have no idea how much we appreciate each and every one of you.

In an increasingly busy society, many forces compete against the unity of the home.  Parents should utilize the local church to assist in raising godly children.  Neglecting the local church concerning a child’s development is not only detrimental to the child’s spiritual vitality but also exposing the parents’ limited resources.  While the local church does serve to bring the family together, unfortunately, too many parents rely solely upon the institution of the church to initiate faith conversations with their children.

Many parents never attempt to converse with their children about God, faith, or salvation.  Contrastingly, parents who have experienced spiritual harvest with their children saw their role as the primary spiritual developers of their children and did not expect a pastor or a church body to accomplish their assumed task of evangelism.  Churches which passively comply with parental apathy create an unhealthy dependence upon the church to relieve the family of its biblical responsiblity.

While initiating conversations with one’s child concerncing salvation can prove to be a daunting task, a concerned parent should accept this responsibility with great fervor.  One study revealed, in fact, that children who had parents who took them to church but who never witnessed significant change within their parents’ lives reached adulthood with a minimized view of a vital relationship with Jesus.  In the task of evangelism, parents are the most important voice and example in the life of a child.  Parents must remember that the goal is not to make a child simply spiritual but for a child to enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

For parents to evangelize their children, they must understand the gospel essentials, developmental levels, and evangelistic principles.

Last night, we had our first of four sessions of “Making Faith Stick.”  If you missed it, we are repeating the class on Sunday night 5:30-7 at the Junction coffeeshop.

I will also post some notes from the study in the days and weeks to come.

• 1:13 PM TravisAgnew - Liz Murray is up now. Her story is “Homeless to Harvard.”
• 1:31 PM TravisAgnew - You have air to breathe, what really else do you need to start today?
• 1:31 PM TravisAgnew - “You can pick one thing in life: resentment or gratitude.” -Liz Murray
• 1:33 PM TravisAgnew - “That work became my commitment rather than my excuses.”
• 1:36 PM TravisAgnew - “You want to be careful where you get agreement in life.”
• 1:40 PM TravisAgnew - “Life is a miracle. You don’t have to be stuck in the situation you are in.”
• 1:46 PM TravisAgnew - President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Al Weiss, is coming up.
• 1:55 PM TravisAgnew - Everyone enjoys learning about leadership. No one loves to make the changes to become a leader. -Maxwell Paraphrase
• 1:58 PM TravisAgnew - Lesson on creativity: It doesn’t matter what your position is, you have to deliver great creative product. Creativity doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money.
• 2:00 PM TravisAgnew - “Relationship with the Lord first. My wife and family second. Then there is my business.”
• 2:01 PM TravisAgnew - Here’s a definition of success for you: “Those that know you the best, love and respect you the most…There’s something wrong when those who know us the least respect us the most.” -John Maxwell
• 2:04 PM TravisAgnew - Al Weiss made a plug for this ministry (pretty neat): www.vision360.org
• 2:05 PM TravisAgnew - Mark Sanborn is now up.
• 2:06 PM TravisAgnew - “Dad’s stories are true. He just remembers big.” -Tony Campolo’s son talking about his father.
• 2:07 PM TravisAgnew - What if we never had to look for good employees because they came looking for us?
• 2:11 PM TravisAgnew - “You don’t want to be the best at what you do. You want to be the only person who can do what you do.” -Jerry Garcia
• 2:14 PM TravisAgnew - “Passion alone will not make you successful. You must combine passion with process.”
• 2:59 PM TravisAgnew - fdgqjergj [jgrj jpqijg mqg km
• 3:00 PM TravisAgnew - Sorry, that was Obie typing.
• 3:12 PM TravisAgnew - If you don't enjoy what you are doing, not only are you miserable, but you are making the people around you miserable.
• 3:19 PM TravisAgnew - "The hardest thing to control was me." -Jack Nickalus
• 3:36 PM TravisAgnew - Why are many businesses in the shape that they are in? Because we hired based upon charisma over character, style over substance... -Bill George
• 3:37 PM TravisAgnew - We will work more than anything else in life (family, play, even sleep). Don't you want to spend that time investing in something that matters?
• 3:56 PM TravisAgnew - "It's always the person closest to us that can truly see us for who we are." -Bill George
• 4:07 PM TravisAgnew - "Are you really on track with your purpose in life?"
• 4:11 PM TravisAgnew - Done. Good event. now about to head over to the YMCA to play at the Relay for Life (6-7) - hope to see you there!