Our son is now 21 months old and is finally figuring out what movies are.  This is becoming a very fun stage because Aaron is learning how to imitate different things he sees.  It is also a little scary at the same time as I see him imitate Melissa and me.  Any how…Aaron loves to watch his movie, “Baby Praise.”  It is a short 25 minute video of different video clips and pictures of nature and toddlers all set to popular worship songs.  Every time we sit to watch this video he finds something new to imitate.  Sometimes he imitates the cartoon hippo who randomly blinks his eyes to shaking his head in the same manner a tiger does to cool himself in the heat of the day.  As I watch my son, I am absolutely amazed to the detail he picks up and the things he chooses to imitate.

Most importantly, I am reminded about how moldable our minds are, especially by the things we watch.  I can easily fall into a trap thinking that as I mature I can handle images or mental pictures in a way that they won’t interfere with my worldview or my testimony.  I find it interesting that Jesus told us to love the Lord our God with all of our minds.  He knew how important our minds are and the way we think can often affect our ability to move in faith.  The challenge is for me to look at my mind as being just as moldable as my son’s mind.  As I protect him from things that aren’t good and holy, and totally unnecessary (granted I recognize I can’t protect him from everything); I too need to consider how my mind may be moving away from Holiness by the things I allow myself to watch and maybe even imitate.  Nevertheless, I consider this a battle worth fighting for!

“Missional living” has been a popular phrase around Christian circles over the last couple of years.  However, I think it is a relatively difficult term to define.  Take a minute to read this article below that encompasses missional living and then let me know what you think.  How do you define missional living?

8 Ways to Easily be Missional – by Jonathan Dodson

Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples….”; “Walk wisely towards outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “be prepared to give a defense for your hope”. We can be missional in everyday ways without even overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Eat with Non-Christians. We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaraunts where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations (Mighty Fine Burgers, Buca di Peppo, The Blue Dahlia, etc.). Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Xn subculture

2.  Walk, Don’t Drive. If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking your neighborhood, apartment complex, campus. Instead of driving to check the mail, go to the convenience store, or visit a neighbor, get out and walk. Say hi to people you don’t know. Walk the dog. Take a 6-pack. Bring the kids. Make friends. Get out of the house when your neighbors are out (weekends, after work, holidays, afternoons). Take interest in your neighbor’s hobbies. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas and the planet.

3. Be a Regular. Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places. Get to know the staff. Go around the same times. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffeeshops all over the city. I pray for them. They give me free drinks and food. I give them the free gospel of grace. I know a professor that used to wait by his trash can each week for the garbage collector and gave him a drink. Be a Regular.

4. Hobby with Non-Christians. Pick a hobby that you can share with your city, community, town. Get out and rub shoulders doing something you enjoy with others. City League basketball, football, soccer. Local rowing and cycling teams. Teach sewing lessons, piano lessons, violin, guitar, knitting lessons.  Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Be gracious. Have fun. Be yourself.

5. Talk to Your Co-workers. How hard is that? take your breaks with intentionality. Get a drink with your team after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form mom’s groups in your neighborhood, just don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Be sociable.

6. Volunteer for a Local Non-Profit. Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group with you. The options are endless here. Just do it.

7. Participate in City-wide Events. Instead of playing X-Box, watching TV, or talking to your mom on the phone every weekend, go to the city garage sale, fundraisers, the festivals, the clean-ups, the summer shows, SXSW, ACL, Pecan Street Festival, etc. Go and meet people. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

8. Look for opportunities to Serve your Neighbors. Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Stop by your local Police and Fire Stations. Ask if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative.

Don’t make the mistake of making “missional” another thing to add to your schedule. Instead, make your existing schedule missional.

It’s Melissa here! Lee asked me to do a post from the perspective of the “church-planting wife” – that’s one of my job titles right now, unfortunately not a paid position at this point but I’m working on it. =) Anyway, as I sit here and reflect on what to write in a few short paragraphs, I find it hard to articulate my heart on this whole issue – mostly because there is so much to say, so many different emotions, fears, excitements, etc., and each day seems to bring different things to the surface….

I also find, to be brutally honest, that I get weary of it all, this church plant business – I get weary of talking and worrying about the finances of it, esp. with the constant news of the economy blaring in our faces. I get weary of my husband’s time being consumed. I get weary of feeling a little homeless right now since we haven’t fully launched yet but have left Red Mountain – my home church for almost 20 years. I get weary of people trying to make conversation with me and asking “How are things with Harvest going?” because they don’t know what else to ask and I know they won’t understand my response anyway. Actually, I think my shoulders feel a little sore from shrugging a lot since I’m not sure how to respond at times….

But when it comes down to it, there is an inner peace amongst this “wearisome chaos” that can only come from our merciful Lord. The comfort and tranquility of living in obedience to Him is worth these burdens that are just really beginning in this crazy journey. I am so comforted by Paul’s words to the Galatian churches to “not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9). The bottom line is this; this is what God has called us to. Period. Who am I to question what my Father asks me to do? His will is GOOD and what greater calling do we have then to spread the news of His great love??? As cliché as it sounds, PEOPLE NEED JESUS. How foolish is it to let my selfish desire to be comfortable and to have a predictable life get in the way of this calling?!

And so…. I press on, simply put. I take it a day at a time, and try to make as many jokes as possible so Lee and I, and the insane but AMAZING people joining us, will keep laughing and smiling…. Once again, yet another thing I’m not getting paid for…. =)

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