What does it mean to #LiveLikeAustin

First of all, Austin was a normal teenager.  He was not perfect...just ask his brother and sister. He had begun to turn the corner to become a man, but he was not 100% ready to leave his childhood behind.  He was studious, he loved tennis and Wranglers, he enjoyed his friendships, and he loved horsing around.

At the base level, he was a person of faith.  That is what fueled him. What does that mean?  For us, it means he was...
Redeemed - He knew his Savior, and he sought his identity in Christ
Served - He knew helping others was part of his walk
Intentional - He lived his life on purpose, and he was ready for the challenge 
Discipler - He desired to help others grow closer to God
Relational - He engaged with others to encourage and enjoy each other

Although in  future blog, I'll dive deeper, it could be summed up as in the greatest two commandments....
“And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'” - Matthew 22:37-39 NASB

​Losing Austin is hard. He and I laughed, played hard, wrestled, talked a lot, worked alongside each other, etc. As a parent, I never want to lose sight of those things, but it's God had a greater purpose for him beyond my dreams for him. I must admit I don't understand it yet. God help me to live like Austin in these difficult days.
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http://www.watermark.org/blog/austin-silvas-full-life