How Quickly They Grow Up

Yesterday my 6 year old son and I went to visit the neighborhood grade school that he is likely to start attending in September. We went with one of his classmates named Thea and her dad.

My mind flashed back to 3 years ago, when we first met Thea & her mom at the orientation for the school that my son and Thea are having their last day in today. My son and Thea looked so little back then.

I recall the first day 3 years ago when we brought him back for the afternoon. We weren't sure how he would do taking a collective nap with all the other kids. But he ended up doing really well.

I'm surprised about the sadness I feel about his finishing up this section of life. He feels sad about leaving his class and school, although yesterday's school visit helped him see the next section of his life. It's amazing how quickly the past 6 years have raced by.

For me, raising kids has been a great step in faith building. As my kids get older, I feel so much less in control of them and of my life as well than I did before. They already have their different preferences, personalities, opinions, ideas, etc.

Yesterday my dad turned 75. It struck me that he was my age (46) when I started at university in 1979. He started the father thing at a much younger age than when I did. 75 used to seem so old to me that I can't believe my dad is that age now. I think he was honored and pleased by many different notes of appreciation that he received yesterday from friends from different sections of his life.

Recently I woke up in a panic about how my kids would turn out, especially being raised in such a secular environment. God comforted me with the thought that He would provide all the resources that they would need, including faith resources. The mother of one of our recent interns wrote that nothing pleased her more than knowing that her adult children were following God. I think that I could say the same thing, although this is still a work in process with my kids.

Some days, it really feels like we're going 2 steps forward and 1 step back with our kids. For this reason, it's important to be able to step away from the canvas from time to time and get some overall perspective. One of the Sunday school workers at our church recently commented on how much progress our son has made. So did a school psychiatrist who has observed him during the last 20 months.

We learned on Monday that our next child, due in November, is a girl. More estrogen & pink to add to the family. Like our son, she is very active inside the womb. It will be exciting to see how she fits into our family constellation.

Another busy week, including the flu for a day

While waiting for a busy today, I realized that since last Saturday, either our whole family or at least 1 of our kids has been invited to a party (summer birthday celebrated early or actual birthday, end of the school year, or going away) on 5 of the last 8 days. Today my older daughter was invited to one party that I tried in vain to take her & my younger daughter to, while our son was invited to a favorite classmate's birthday.

I was at le Pavé d'Orsay helping at 2 concerts by Philip Thomas, Sandrine & Anthony revolving around music by George Brassens. They are some nice people..

I was as sick as a dog Wednsday, so my schedule got out of wack. Thankfully my kind of sickness usually as a duration of just one day. I have alot more patience with my wife now.

First music lesson & other extracurricular activities

Yesterday my son had his first music lesson. He has been interested in playing the violin for awhile. I'm not sure what triggered interest in this particular instrument.

I picked him up from school, then we caught 1 bus and 3 different subway lines to get to Jessica's place. As the crow flies, the distance between his school and her apartment is probably only 4 miles maximum, yet it took 45 minutes on public transport. That's a reality of Paris life.

But it was worth the hassle to see him concentrate and try learn how to hold the violin, plink out the 4 cords with both hands, and learn a little music theory. It struck me that, while he is 6, he soon will be 18.

The lesson cost 20 euros, which is over $30 at the current exchange rate. That's not cheap. But we would like to give him the advantage of feeling competent musically with some instrument. We've had him in swimming since he was a baby.

We want to branch out further into activities that he in interested in and/or we think he might have talent or interest in. This may include a class in hip hop dance.

We want similar things for our girls. Our 4 year old didn't continue swimming this year in order to do a dance class.

One important side benefit of all these activities are the friendships that both our children, as well as us parents, develop with the other children, parents, and teachers. This helps link us into our neighborhood and lives there.

Passion Manila, Louie Giglio blog entry on Passion Paris

One of my priorities, even while located in France, is helping promote Passion Manila on August 1. One of the reasons why I believe, in God's providence, that He had me go to Manila last month was to make some contacts with my organization of Filipino colleagues working with young people in order to link them with Passion Manila.

The night after Passion Paris on June 3, I got to attend a celebration meal with the Passion Paris Event Leadership Team. While there, I met Joshua Harrelson, who is on the lead team of Passion Manila. Since then, I've been working my network to link colleagues up with Joshua. It's exciting to see the enthusiasm of some of my colleagues for this project.

In a promotional letter that Joshua sent about the Passion Manila event, he mentioned the blog of the "268 Movement," which is another name for Passion. It can be found at http://www.268blog.blogspot.com/
The following is what was written about Passion Paris. I found particularly encouraging the words that I highlighted in red.

Once again, the thought we are carrying from a fabulous night in Paris is hope. In the end, just near 1,000 people were with us for a beautiful night. Granted, students are right in the midst of exams, but as we had been told all along, an event of this size would be the largest university gathering for Christ in this city. I can't tell you how grateful we feel to carry the story of rescue in Paris tonight. The church is alive here, and we pray what happened tonight fans the flame of passion for His name. Kampala, we played the video of you chanting "Pair-ees" and brought your sign all the way from Uganda. The students were blown away by that and started cheering like crazy.

There were so many highlights, but having MP with us was truly special. She's one of two French women to have won Roland Garros in the past forty years and is a national hero here. We met her through friends a few months ago and when she found out from Chris about Passion Paris she really wanted to come (she's injured, but here doing TV for the tournament). She never thought she'd share, but wow! Not only did the place go absolutely nuts when she came out, but her contagious love for Jesus just caused the whole night to erupt.

At the end I met a friend of the Blog and podcast (you'll hear her on it later) who is an Italian university student in Milan. Like most people there tonight, it was her first Passion, and the first time she has ever been able to worship with a room filled with students like her. Thank you, Paris, for making that happen!

Thanks to all of you who prayed for and with us. Now it's time for some of the Passion family (you guys reading this) to move into the neighborhoods of Paris and plant your lives for the cause of making the light of Jesus bright here. This city needs all the love and support we can give.

Paris, we love you and believe this little tribe we saw tonight will multiply into a mighty wave throughout this city and nation. With much love, Louie and the whole Passion Team.

"The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord, in its time I will do this swiftly." Isaiah 60:22

PS! Kampala, you gave $3842 US [6,147,200 Ugandan Shillings!!!] for Paris. Paris gave $4900 US for London and is praying! DSN in Paris = 230 Pairs of socks and 320 toothbrushes for the homeless of the City.

Father's Day...for the 7th time

Tomorrow is Father's Day, both in France and in the U.S. It will be the 7th time that I get to celebrate it as a dad, as my firstborn (son) arrived in early 2002. Since then, my life, priorities, and schedule have drastically changed.

Today my wife commented on how lanky our son was getting. Our pudgy baby is now getting lean and strong. We looked at photos of my sister-in-law's wedding 2 years ago and he looks so young back then.

On one side of it, fatherhood is a fluid role. As my 3 kids (and now 4th on the way) have grown and changed, my particular jobs have changed. Yes, there are some basic conceptual roles to fatherhood, such as providing for the family's well-being. However, how this is done has need to shift as the kids grow. Today it included wrestling with all 3 kids after supper, unloading and loading the dishwasher, vacuuming, changing diapers, wiping bottoms, and watching the kids while my wife went out this morning. Someday it will include helping with homework and passing on the car keys.

I have lots of hope and dreams for my 4 children. I expect that God has particular plans for each of them, as well as for some of their peers who are now part of our world. Some of the success of my life will be measured by how successful my children are in making a difference in the world.

I'm also thankful for my father, who is celebrating his first Father's Day as a widower this year. We got to talk on the phone yesterday. His role in my life has changed over the years. He is now like a peer, friend, and advisor, although I still have the respect of a father for him. He's growing and changing still. One exciting project for him this year is his first trip to the Philippines, the land of his fathers.

Passion Paris is history

A few minutes ago I returned home after Passion Paris. It was a full day for me. I left home at 7:25 a.m. and arrived at the venue le Palais de la Mutualite at 8:07 a.m. I think I was the first one on site. I left the site around 12:15 a.m. and got home around 1:30 p.m.

The whole day went very well. We had a surplus of volunteers, so no one felt overworked. I was blessed with an excellent team for the Do Something Now Component that I oversaw. After I went over the instructions at the beginning, everyone found their place and the whole project went well, even without my being around much of the time.

I enjoyed standing outside and watching the young people standing in line. They were joyful and not at all pushy to get to the front. It was good to see many friends there.

In the morning, one young woman asked if we knew each other. We couldn't figure out where that might have taken place. During the David Crowder concert around 11:30, she finally guessed that it was at the Mission Radicale events 2001-2005.

The concerts of Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and the David Crowder band all were inspiring. They all sang some of my favorite songs. Tennis woman Mary Pierce shared her testimony and Louie Giglio gave a good message on doing with excellence whatever vocation or desire that God gives us. He encouraged us to use the 5 seconds of the flame of the matchstick of our lives to count and get in with the grand flame of God's work.

I'm guessing that 1000+ people attended. The crowds were not rowdy, but enthusiastic. My camera batteries ran out by the David Crowder concert. But I was standing in the front with many of the young people with hands lifted up and singing "O Praise Him."

I enjoyed networking with some old friends and meeting some new ones among the workers. I imagine that this is what heaven will be like. I think that we'll all have jobs there. But everyone will get along, work together for a common purpose, and not have competition.

Now I'm about to fall asleep, so I'll close. Praise God for the excellent day.

Passion Paris: in just a few hours now

Well, June 3 is finally here. Passion Paris is today. I'll be heading over early to arrive by 8:00 a.m. for a meeting of the Event Leadership Team. The first wave of volunteer workers should arrive by 9:00 a.m. After an orientation session, we'll begin our various organizational and set up tasks for the day. The 2nd wave of workers should arrive by 4:00 p.m. Ticket sales for the remaining tickets begin at 5:15 p.m. The doors of the concert hall will open at 7:00 p.m. The concert should start at 8:00 p.m. and finish at 11:30. Take down begins at 11:30 p.m. The organizations who will be receiving the socks and toothbrushes brought by the participants of "Do Something Now" will be given to the groups at midnight.

Yesterday I had my car inspected. It passed and is good for 2 more years. The man there remembered me from my previous 3 visits.

The group of 10 from First Baptist Church of Texarcana, Texas arrived today with all their luggage. The van shuttle picked them up on time and got them to their hotel. I then helped them withdraw money from a bank ATM, purchase weekly transport passes, exchange dollars for euros, visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, eat an early supper in the Latin Quarter, visit the Passion venue and meet Lauren, and then they headed for a boat cruise. They already gave us a big bag of full of mac-n-cheese boxes, jello, fish crackers, vitamins, maple syrup, etc. They apparently have many more for us. We appreciate their generosity toward us.

Soon it will be showtime. May God show up in a big way today.