Salvation is a gift, and I hope God chooses to give that gift to Josiah. But in the meantime I can teach Christ and pastor my son and pray with wild abandonment for the miracle that God, in his mercy, save my boy from death.
How to be courageous
To me, courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's our ability to understand and manage it.
How to treat people, especially women
We treat people men and women, like we want to be treated. But, in a culture which demeans women and objectifies them...I'll teach him to especially respect women by seeing them as the equals they are. After all, he is living in the house with a strong mom and sister....he'll have to learn eventually :)
How to play sports
Sports have the capacity to teach many life lessons: teamwork, hard work, exercise, managing disappointment, dealing with authority, and learning social dynamics. We won't force a certain sport but we'll encourage athleticism and teach the skills necessary for sports.
How to seek and offer forgiveness
We don't run from our pain, we embrace it. When we are wronged, we don't hide...we talk. When we wrong each other....we ask for forgiveness, publicly.
How to be creative
My art is preaching, playing violin, and working on cars. Not sure what his will be....but I'll help him discover it.
How to be a leader
Leaders are not born...they are made. Leadership is a life-long list of acquired skill. I'll teach Josiah to think like a leader...and maybe one day, he'll become one.
How to be respectful
"thank you", "please"...are, for some reason, really important to me. Maybe it's because I have worked personally with 1000's of youth in almost 10 years of youth ministry and I've seen the disrespect. But for me, there is nothing more attractive than a kid who is respectful.
How to be affectionate and emotional
If you want to laugh...laugh out loud. If you want to cry...cry boldly. If you want to get mad...do it without sinning. If you want a hug, go hug somebody close and hold on tight. Wear your heart on your sleeve and expect it to get broken and grow back bigger.
How to finish a task
If you start something, finish it, even if it takes a long time. What an important lesson with so many useful applications!
How to find adventure
Explore mountains, eat things you're unsure about, drink out of rivers, sleep in "scary" places, and do activities that have undetermined outcomes. Adventure teaches so many lessons, and I believe the male heart....NEEDS this.
How to appreciate art
All art should be appreciated at some level because someone took the time to create it. But the difference between poor art and great art is HUGE...and my son will know how to appreciate the difference.
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