ADOPTION...I believe this word is going to define my life.
After Apostle Ron's sermon this morning, my heart has been burning to do some research on my own about the fatherlessness that so characterizes this upcoming generation. I've been busy studying fathers, sons, orphans, adoption, the millenial generation, and anything related that I can find.
In the process, I found an amazing sermon by John Piper about Adoption: (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/1991/Audio/)
This sermon, along with the various other blogs and sites that I visited tonight surrounding the topic have only helped to remind me how the subject of ADOPTION continues to surface as a recurring theme in my life.
1. My Childhood: Growing up in Hendersonville, NC did not mean that I was adopted (although my brother tried to convince me of this on more than one occasion
), but it did mean that I would end up being intimately associated with the Easler family. 2 of my best friends were the Easler twins, Abbie and Katie, who are older sisters to more than 12 adopted brothers and sisters!! Let's see how good my memory is: Jared, David, Julia, Mac (diseased), Tory, Eilish, Konstantin, Sergey, Jimmy (diseased), Bethany, Ben, Aden... and I know they've adopted at least two more since I went off to college!! I basically functioned as an older brother figure to all of kids, as I was over at the Easler farm constantly.
2. Marrying Nicole: As I began to date my wife and move towards marriage, a common topic of conversation was our expectations for children. Even in the beginning, Nicole and I dreamed together of having children of our own in addition to adopting. And since Nicole had been to both Kenya and Sri Lanka, we always said we would get a boy from Kenya and a girl from Sri Lanka (although Sri Lanka is presently closed to foreign adoptions).
3. Working in Outreach: Doing consistent ministry in inner-city Los Angeles for the first year of our marriage, Nicole and I came face to face with the plague of fatherlessness. Hebrew culture defines an orphan as one who does not have a father, and time and time again, it says in scripture that God will be a father to the fatherless. Having the same Spirit in us, which according to Galatians 4 is the spirit of adoption causing us to cry "Abba, Father," we did not find it difficult to fall in love with one particular set of orphans: Courtney, Joequeesha, Janet, Janice, Rodzay, Joneill, and Michelle. The 2 boys and 5 girls have 4 different biological fathers, none of whom play any significant role in any of their lives. However, we felt called and were fortunate during our year in L.A. to spend significant time with these precious ones. And Outreach in Greenville was no different: immediately being assigned to Boulder Creek or City Heights, one of the worst hoods in G-vegas, we jumped right in and sensed once again the call to spread as much love as we could to the throngs of fatherless children hanging out in the streets.
4. Becoming a Father: I cannot think of a more compelling reason to want every child to have a father, than to experience in my every day the joy of being a father. I beam with pride every time Ella utters her first and favorite word..."Dada." I well with emotion when I sing her to sleep, or see her run from my chase, or laugh with my tickles. I know the difference that I make in her life. I know that with every touch, with every "I love you" I am building up her subconscious and reassuring her of the unconditional love of her father. I am defeating insecurity with every moment that we spend together, and with every solid catch after I toss her in the air. There is no profession I can fathom on earth more honorable than "Father." And now, with our precious Ella being 14 months old and baby berry #2 in the oven (Nicole is just entering 2nd trimester), perhaps the reality of adoption is not as far off as it once was...
5. Becoming Youth Pastor at Redemption: When Apostle Ron tagged me as the new youth pastor back in February, the new challenge forced me to take a hard look at not only the vision of the house (the "Z"), but to also properly recognize the situation that this present generation finds themselves in (the "A"). In doing so, the pervasive fatherlessness kept surfacing at every turn. Therefore, after much prayer, I believe the strategy of Heaven for getting from "A" to "Z" has become crystallized in our mission statement:
The mission statement of Revolution Student Ministries is...
"Adopting an Awakened Army of Kingdom Revolutionaries"
...and the progression of the vision is 3-fold: AWAKE, ADOPT, ARISE.
And now, as I am about to delve into budgeting for the ministry for 2009, I know that I will be forced to make some tough decisions based on priorities that God has given me. I am praying for wisdom, that I may be like the sons of Issachar numbered among David's mighty men..."able to discern the times and the seasons." I am sensing that God's recurring emphasis on ADOPTION in my life is no coincidence.
More to come... What do you think??? How has adoption affected your life?
In the process, I found an amazing sermon by John Piper about Adoption: (http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/1991/Audio/)
This sermon, along with the various other blogs and sites that I visited tonight surrounding the topic have only helped to remind me how the subject of ADOPTION continues to surface as a recurring theme in my life.
1. My Childhood: Growing up in Hendersonville, NC did not mean that I was adopted (although my brother tried to convince me of this on more than one occasion
), but it did mean that I would end up being intimately associated with the Easler family. 2 of my best friends were the Easler twins, Abbie and Katie, who are older sisters to more than 12 adopted brothers and sisters!! Let's see how good my memory is: Jared, David, Julia, Mac (diseased), Tory, Eilish, Konstantin, Sergey, Jimmy (diseased), Bethany, Ben, Aden... and I know they've adopted at least two more since I went off to college!! I basically functioned as an older brother figure to all of kids, as I was over at the Easler farm constantly. 2. Marrying Nicole: As I began to date my wife and move towards marriage, a common topic of conversation was our expectations for children. Even in the beginning, Nicole and I dreamed together of having children of our own in addition to adopting. And since Nicole had been to both Kenya and Sri Lanka, we always said we would get a boy from Kenya and a girl from Sri Lanka (although Sri Lanka is presently closed to foreign adoptions).
3. Working in Outreach: Doing consistent ministry in inner-city Los Angeles for the first year of our marriage, Nicole and I came face to face with the plague of fatherlessness. Hebrew culture defines an orphan as one who does not have a father, and time and time again, it says in scripture that God will be a father to the fatherless. Having the same Spirit in us, which according to Galatians 4 is the spirit of adoption causing us to cry "Abba, Father," we did not find it difficult to fall in love with one particular set of orphans: Courtney, Joequeesha, Janet, Janice, Rodzay, Joneill, and Michelle. The 2 boys and 5 girls have 4 different biological fathers, none of whom play any significant role in any of their lives. However, we felt called and were fortunate during our year in L.A. to spend significant time with these precious ones. And Outreach in Greenville was no different: immediately being assigned to Boulder Creek or City Heights, one of the worst hoods in G-vegas, we jumped right in and sensed once again the call to spread as much love as we could to the throngs of fatherless children hanging out in the streets.
4. Becoming a Father: I cannot think of a more compelling reason to want every child to have a father, than to experience in my every day the joy of being a father. I beam with pride every time Ella utters her first and favorite word..."Dada." I well with emotion when I sing her to sleep, or see her run from my chase, or laugh with my tickles. I know the difference that I make in her life. I know that with every touch, with every "I love you" I am building up her subconscious and reassuring her of the unconditional love of her father. I am defeating insecurity with every moment that we spend together, and with every solid catch after I toss her in the air. There is no profession I can fathom on earth more honorable than "Father." And now, with our precious Ella being 14 months old and baby berry #2 in the oven (Nicole is just entering 2nd trimester
), perhaps the reality of adoption is not as far off as it once was... 5. Becoming Youth Pastor at Redemption: When Apostle Ron tagged me as the new youth pastor back in February, the new challenge forced me to take a hard look at not only the vision of the house (the "Z"), but to also properly recognize the situation that this present generation finds themselves in (the "A"). In doing so, the pervasive fatherlessness kept surfacing at every turn. Therefore, after much prayer, I believe the strategy of Heaven for getting from "A" to "Z" has become crystallized in our mission statement:
The mission statement of Revolution Student Ministries is...
"Adopting an Awakened Army of Kingdom Revolutionaries"
...and the progression of the vision is 3-fold: AWAKE, ADOPT, ARISE.
And now, as I am about to delve into budgeting for the ministry for 2009, I know that I will be forced to make some tough decisions based on priorities that God has given me. I am praying for wisdom, that I may be like the sons of Issachar numbered among David's mighty men..."able to discern the times and the seasons." I am sensing that God's recurring emphasis on ADOPTION in my life is no coincidence.
More to come...
What do you think??? How has adoption affected your life?
Hey Pastor Brandon,
I really like the section on team work. You have some awesome information on this website. Keep up the great work my brother. Kingdom Blessings!
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