A Look Back - Part 1

2009 was a big year for the Via Family. Tasha asked me a few minutes ago what I thought were the top 5 events or happenings of 2009 for our family ... and we listed off the exact same five. She'll be blogging them as well, but here they are now in several installments from my perspective.

#1. Having Baby #3 - Micaiah Joel Via was born on August 6, 2009. As third children go, he pretty much fits the mold. Totally laid back. Cries very little. Sleeps through everything. Goes with the flow. And eats everything within his limited line of sight. I love this little guy so much. He's so fat and cuddly, and makes it very hard to walk out the door many mornings. His name means "Who is like Jehovah?" And our prayer for him is that he will be such a prophetic mouthpiece for God that when people observe his speech and his life, they will begin asking for themselves, "Who is like the Lord?" That by this very question, they will be pushed to seek out a relationship with their Creator.

#2. ATG (All That Glitters) evangelistic CD - Though it seemed to be the project that would never end, the end did finally come. We've already begun to see the Lord use it in some pretty cool ways. In fact, here's one brief story of what will hopefully be many more to come. About two weeks ago, a young college girl strolled in the church where my brother Jared serves as the college pastor. Jared recognized her from previous events that they had held at their church, but hadn't seen her in a long time. After reconnecting briefly, she began to pour out her heart to Jared, confessing that she had given up on God, abandoned her faith to atheism, and had recently been suicidal. Jared said what he could to her in those brief moments, but by all accounts she talked as a woman with her mind made up--her heart totally hardened. As she walked away, in one last-ditch effort, my brother handed her a copy of ATG and asked her if she would just take a few minutes to listen to it. At first she declined and said that she was done trying--done searching out the God-thing. But after a few moments of going back-and-forth she said that she would take a listen. Later that night, Jared received a phone call from her. Her tone of voice had totally changed. She told Jared that she had listened to the CD and read the tract that he had also given her. And then she said, "I think that I was wrong about God. And I'm not sure what I believe now, or even what to think. Can you help me? Where do I go from here?"

Prayerfully, this girl will be following Christ very soon.