So last night I went to an elder/staff meeting and we were discussing our vision statement for the church, which is the following:  A community of sojourners in Christ, committed to live by FAITH, to transmit HOPE, and to be known by LOVE! While we were discussing the vision, this question was brought up; “What about our vision excites you?”  I sat back for a minute, truly in thought and asking God…..tell me what really excites me!!  So we were in a point of a standstill, am I excited about the Faith part, definitely. Am I excited about transmitting Hope, for sure!  What about the love part…..and that is where it stayed…right then I began to think of I guess the way that God has wired me….I believe that without a shadow of a doubt that I can outlove anyone on this earth…no matter what you do to me, I love you….no matter how many times you crap on my parade…I love you… Now do not get me wrong….alot of people I do not truly get along with, but honestly would do anything for.  I guess I would say that I am excited about that part of the vision, because that is the easiest for me to do…it is the thing that I am wired for…but what about the weak link…what about the FAITH part?

I thought for the rest of the night, that wow, my Faith is not the faith of those in Africa, not the faith of my Grandma, that when she was dying of Cancer she was still praising God…heck when I am sick for a day…you can find me shriveled up on the couch…not doing a thing! I began to think, it is my Faith that will make me love better! It is my Faith that will make me transmit hope in a better way. It is my faith  that will help me to be involved with the community of which I live in!  But without it, am I truly doing any of it???  So now I get it….I have Faith, but why do I have it….I need Faith, but why do I need it…I preach Faith, but do I truly exemplify it… and now I blog about Faith, but is it truly written in my heart.  Now do not get me wrong, I believe that everyday I am putting an effort into becoming closer with Christ, but am I truly living by the Faith of which I believe.  The faith that God may be requiring me to think outside the box, and really dream….the Faith that this year God is definitely going to move, and I am going to be right their with Him….whatever that may be!!  The faith that no matter how bad this economy gets, God is still enough!!  I ask you what is your Faith, not just that you believe that Christ died for you…but how do you practice what you preach…or do you.   For example there is a buddy of mine, named Charles Hill….a leader in ministry that frankly is that of someone I have never seen!  Someone who gets it, and goes after it!! I am asking you to pray for his next step. He has just announced something huge in his life…he never wanted to plant a church again, thinking that he would stay at New Hope Community in Loudonville, Ohio forever….but now is following the call to plant a church in Salt Lake City, Utah….which is possibly one of the hardest places to plant a church, but is also one of the fastest growing places in our country.  I ask you to jump over to his blog, you will find it on my blog roll, and begin to pray for this man of God and his family…..that God will continue what He has started, and that no man will be able to bring it down…. Charles…keep bringing it bro!!!

Until tomorrow,

Tug

P.S.  Mall Cop is hilarious, but I am still a bigger fan of Slumdog Millionaire!!!