This Blog will self-destruct in five, four, three....

Watched "Mission Impossible 3" over the weekend. Good action movie. Phillip Seymour Hoffman(the bad guy) is one of the truly great actors of this generation. Anyways, that explains the title of the post.

I'll get to that part in a minute. Otherwise, an update:

-We are officially partnered with Victory Baptist Church of Lexington, KY. On May 4th, we will have a ceremonial covenant signing during both of Victory's morning services. We could not be more excited about this partnership in ministry.
-We launch our public worship gatherings weekly beginning September 21st. There will be "preview services" before then, but those dates are not set in stone.
-We are close to securing a location for our services. This is a huge step. Major props to KS and AD(moreso KS than AD) for their work in that area.
-We are in the process of securing a worship leader, sound equipment, and nursery equipment.
-We are having visitors! And more people asking about the church(and when services will start).
-We have planned some events for later in the summer that will spread the word about our church to the community.

Lots of exciting things going on. And every day that passes marks another day that makes us more of a "legitimate" church. Not that we haven't been already, but it's clear that we are gaining momentum. We've gone from a calling and a vision to a church with people, a name, a site(soon), worship services, ministry partners, visitors, childcare, the whole nine yards.

So that's why this blog is about to go dark. Because God has started a church. So there's really no reason to maintain two blogs about the church(www.mosaicversailles.blogspot.com being the other). So all the "Mosaic news"-type stuff will just go there, and the three of you who actually read this stuff can just follow our progress there.

In the meantime, we're in the process of developing a REAL Mosaic website. One that isn't a blog, but a pure website with church info on it. And....I've created a personal blog that is just a side venture of mine.

www.minmithjesus.blogspot.com.

Go check that out, the first post explains everything.

Thanks to all of you who did take time to read this, who have been praying for us, and who felt like you have been part of this ride. You still are. It's just that this road is now closed. The other road is just beginning.

Grace and peace.

The Big Mo

Momentum is a funny thing.

Take Kentucky basketball, for instance. I am 99 percent positive that hiring Billy Gillispie was a great move, and that he will win at least one national championship at Kentucky. That said, I, along with the rest of the state, suffered through two and a half months of pretty uninspiring basketball, complete with shocking losses, rumors of player disenchantment, and an overall dark cloud over the program.

Then, two weeks ago, a win over previously undefeated Vanderbilt. Next, a close loss on the road to a good Mississippi State team. Then, another close road loss to a good Florida team. And finally, a big win at home over third-ranked Tennessee. It has only taken two weeks and four games(two of which were losses) to get everyone on a positive vibe about Kentucky basketball again. There is definite momentum.

Andy Stanley has said that when a church/organization/product/company has momentum, it's for one(or more) of three reasons:

1. It's new
2. It's improved
3. It's improving

Mosaic Versailles is finding itself on a wave of momentum right now. Even though this momentum can't be seen tangibly(in other words, there aren't more people on Wednesday nights than there were, say, a month ago), there is definite movement...

-A large number of conversations about Christ...God...life...church, and Mosaic...with co-workers and friends.
-Many of those people expressing interest in the church, either to attend now or to wait until worship gatherings get underway.
-A possible partnership in ministry with two churches who have church planting in their bloodstream
-A possible partnership in ministry with the KBC
-Numerous ministry opportunities in the community that are already underway or are being discussed.

These have all really come to the forefront in the past month or so. And the combination of them has created a pretty palpable sense of momentum. Mosaic is new...it's fresh...it's designed to connect with people in a very relevant way. And God is starting to give us opportunities to connect with people, which is what we've prayed for all along.

So what keeps the momentum going? Just my two cents...
-A continued alertness to where God is at work around us, and a willingness to have conversations with people that point them to Christ and, to a lesser degree, Mosaic.
-Looking ahead to numerous ministry possibilities(partnership with HES, community events, etc.)
-Committed prayer about "big decisions" in Mosaic's future...worship gatherings, meeting space, partnerships, etc.
-Just a daily commitment to love God and love people.

To keep momentum alive, we're going to have to step out in faith on a few things. But God has given us a very unique opportunity at this point in history. We must be faithful to love Him, love others, and connect with people. If we commit to doing those things, we can be assured that momentum will stay with us.

Not baby steps...

It was a simple step, actually...a fairly insignificant occasion. But last week, our daughter(Eva Kate) moved from the two-year-old class at Hope Community Church(the church we attend for Sunday worship gatherings) to the three-year-old class. Different area of the church, different teacher, different structure, different everything.

As I watched her and Kelly register for her new class, and watched her look around at her new surroundings, I got a strange feeling. I imagine it's the precursor to the feeling I'll get when I take her for her first day of Kindergarten. I didn't get emotional last week, but something inside me said that life was moving fast, and that before I can blink, she'll be a five-year-old shopping for a backpack, pencils, and rulers.

Mosaic is taking similar steps...steps that might seem fairly insignificant to a casual observer, but steps that are, in reality, major occurences in the life of our young church. We've made contact with the SBC and KBC, both of whom want to talk to us about our young church. We're looking towards a public "launch" in 2008. On Tuesday night, I had a very encouraging conversation with a team from Victory Baptist Church in Lexington about Mosaic and a possible partnership in ministry.

And just tonight, we were invited to a special service at Victory, where they celebrated the culmination of their sponsorship of Masters Church, a plant in Lexington, and the possibility of both churches sponsoring our church in Versailles. At the end of the service, we were called upon the stage, where we were prayed over by people from Victory, Masters, as well as Dr. Mackey and Larry Baker from the KBC, and Don Reed from Elkhorn Association.

And there it struck me...people BELIEVE in us. I always knew that God believed in us(hence the calling), and I knew that those involved in Mosaic believed in Mosaic, but now, people are starting to sense that God really has called us to something fresh in our community, to connect with people in a new and relevant way, to see all people come to Christ. And they not only believe in us, they want to bless us and minister to us and WITH us, and cheer us on.

How exciting it is to see established churches that "get it". Victory and Masters are just two in a wave of existing churches that see the big picture, have Kingdom mindsets, and want to invest in communities to see people won for Christ. It's exciting to consider the possibility of having them support us in ministry. Tonight was a huge boost for me, a really timely reminder of our mission and calling, and, I believe, a strong word from God that it's time to stretch ourselves to crack our community and start loving people and connecting with them.

These aren't baby steps for Mosaic. They may look that way from a distance, but up close, God is starting to connect the dots in a very real way. May we step back and see where the picture is headed, and be encouraged and empowered to continue praying for and loving Versailles, desiring to see all of Woodford County connected to Christ.

The Sin of Competition

When the blogging urge strikes...

I've been asked, more than a couple of times, what the hardest part of starting a church has been, to this point. It's a two-fold answer, but it's an easy answer.

Hard Part Number One...

1. Making connections with the unchurched. This has been much, MUCH harder than I ever anticipated. For 12 years, in youth ministry, I lived and moved and breathed primarily in the church context. I knew non-Christians, but they were teenagers who would come TO ME by way of their friends/families. My ministry was primarily challenging teenagers to minister to their unchurched friends. I spent more time doing that than I did actually out, building relationships with unchurched teens, trying to connect with them.

In a way, I was doing the right thing. Kids influence kids...so having our teenagers be the primary point of contact/influence was the way to go. But in a way, I was delegating the very thing I was telling our kids TO do. I was telling them that they needed to get out there and reach their unchurched/lost friends, while I was content to simply plan and structure a ministry that would target those friends once they arrived at the church.

So I dealt with 99 percent church people for those 12 years. And knowing ONLY people from that church, when Kelly and I left to start Mosaic, we had no clue where to begin meeting people and building relationships with them. We had always had the church structure to create those opportunities for us, and without that, we were(and still are) a bit lost. And we realized that most(all?) of our friends were church people.

With that in mind, we've tried to take a few steps to get out into the community and just meet people. It's a long and arduous process, but it's starting to work, and I'm excited about us(and the rest of Mosaic) discovering ways to really connect with people who aren't part of a church family. The more we make a point to do that, the more we'll see that God can do with those relationships.

2. This is where I'm probably a bit too honest. I think the other "hardest part" of church planting for this past year has been the negativity that we and others have faced from Christian brothers and sisters with whom we used to worship. *NOTE*...this isn't a lot of people, in fact it's not very many...but the amount of it, and the uneasiness that surrounds it, is enough to make you stop and take notice.

For Kelly and I, it really hasn't been that noticeable. Any negativity that we've face came initially, and it wasn't so much negativity as it was questioning. Some of it was good, honest questioning("Why not do it this way?"..."Why do it here?"). There is nothing wrong with that at all. But some of it, to be honest, was startlingly negative. People tried to talk us out of it, tried to paint it as a negative process, ignored us, stopped speaking to us altogether.

I was prepared for some of that. I guess you're never fully prepared for it, because it still stings. But it happens. When you make difficult decisions, and when your vision doesn't align with that of others, there will always be some confusion, anxiety, frustration, etc. So it goes with the territory.

What has bothered me MUCH more than that, however, is the response that the rest of Mosaic has received from many with whom they used to worship. My heart stings every time I hear of an awkward conversation at the grocery, or a snide remark, or a pitiful pleading for them to "come back", as if they've run off and lost their minds and joined a cult.

*It's important....VERY important...at this point to state that every single person who is part of Mosaic initiated their interest in Mosaic. When Kelly and I left the former church to pursue this calling, we intended to go it alone. Others have stepped alongside us in ministry without ever being asked or invited by us. Every single other person initiated contact and expressed interest. There has never been one instance, nor will there EVER BE an instance, of Mosaic initiating and invitation to someone who is actively engaged and involved in a church family.*

But it has happened. Almost weekly, we hear an example of someone getting cornered somewhere and being interrogated about Mosaic, and being hounded about "coming back". Obviously, in many of the cases, the "interrogators" are well-meaning people who are genuinely excited about Mosaic, and simply want to know how the church is coming along. Kelly and I run into people like this all the time. There are a lot of people out there, in our own community, who are absolutely rooting for us. Thank God for Christians who don't have a scorecard, and realize that we're all on the same team.

However, sometimes, it's ill-advised, awkward, poorly-executed, and done for no other reason than to guilt or shame someone back "into the fold". Again, it's not many people doing this...but it has happened. And I think I know why it's happening. Two reasons...

1. People don't like me, and the fact that I left a great ministry position to pursue my true calling.
2. They have a scorecard.

The "scorecard", as we learned from Reggie McNeal, is one of those things which has, for decades, prevented the church from being all that God has ever called it to be. And it's very, very simple:

Who has more?

Which church has more...
-Space?
-People?
-Youth?
-Cash?
-Influence?
-Programs?

That's it, that's the scorecard. And in the interest of full disclosure, let me say that up until I left to plant a church, I, for 12 straight years, kept score as much as, if not more than, anyone. I was completely guilty of it, especially in youth ministry. In fact, youth ministry is probably the worst. Everywhere I went, as a youth minister, I'd be asked, "How many kids do you have in your ministry?"

Rarely was I asked, "What is God doing in your youth ministry?".

But the scorecard is/was always there. And it always weighed on me. "Church X is getting kids left and right. What can we do to get more kids?"...."Some of our kids are going to Church X, what can we do to keep them here?"...."Maybe we ought to do this, Church X does it".

In my first six months of youth ministry at my last church, I heard about Church X almost as much as I did about our own church. And that's not an exaggeration. At times I wondered if I was working for both places. And the funny thing is, most of the kids weren't the ones keeping score. It was parents and other adults. Not most or many, but some. And the only kids who were keeping score were the kids of THOSE parents. A cycle of competition, a cycle of keeping score...

So we jump to present day, where people who have followed God's calling to Mosaic get put into awkward positions by others who seem offended at the notion that God sometimes calls people to FOLLOW HIM. People seem to forget that for thousands of years, God has called people to LEAVE their surroundings and PURSUE Him....even when it has meant uprooting and leaving behind everything that is comfortable and safe.

And yet, these people think something is wrong. How DARE someone actually follow God's leading, even if it means leaving family behind, leaving friends behind, leaving a church behind? How DARE someone actually do what they feel God is calling them to do, regardless of what others might think, instead of playing it safe and sticking it out in a place they're familiar with, even when everything inside them screams that it's not where God has called them to be?

It's all about the scorecard. Actually, though, it's not. Much of it is about the scorecard, but much of it is the fact that we hate to lose, even when we're not "losing" at all. It's the Sin of Competition, the sense that we need to keep everyone reined in, and keep adding people, so that we can claim to have X-number of people, and so that we can avoid embarrassment of having to admit that someone left our place to go somewhere else, where God actually WANTS them to be.

It's the Sin of Competition. Frankly, it's a sin I've had to repent of(and will undoubtedly struggle with again at some point). But make no bones about it, it's a sin. It's a sin, the Scorecard is a sin, the whole shebang is a sin. It's never been categorized that way(instead, we just chalk it up to human nature, which is naturally, um, sinful, in case you forgot). But it's a sin. Trying to pull people away from God's calling for them is a sin. Guilting and shaming anyone away from where God wants them to be is a sin. Casting negativity on a sister church, because you don't agree with how it does things, or you don't like the fact that people have left your place to go there, is a sin. For years we haven't called sin...sin. So here we go: sin sin sin sinny sin sin.

It's an ugly word, but it's also an ugly sight...Christians treating fellow Christians with contempt or shame because they happened to follow God's calling. That's sin.

So here are my suggestions...

1. If you're one of those people who have fallen victim to the Sin of Competition, and you're guilty of shaming anyone who has stepped out in faith to pursue God's calling, then stop it. Get over yourselves. There is an entire community out there waiting to be reached and connected to Christ. They need our undivided attention. You are using a scorecard that is wrong, irrelevant, and sinful. *Again, I've done this before too...I'm not without fault in this area*. But quit worrying about Christians pursuing their calling, and by all means, quit treating them like second-class Christians, or poor, lost sheep who have somehow wandered off the trail and have ended up in the wrong pen. Don't guilt them, shame them, or corner them with snide remarks and pitiful attempts to "woo them back". Drop the scorecard and repent of the Sin of Competition that leads you to believe that "losing" these people is a loss at all. It's never a loss when people follow God's leading. Never.

And remember, we love you in Christ. But just stop it.

2. If you're one of the faithful people of Mosaic, THANK YOU for being faithful to your calling. Kelly and I thank God for your willingness to leave familiarity(and family) to pursue God's calling for you. We have had an unbelievable year(see the entry below) and we look forward to what 2008 brings. You have made great sacrifices to be part of what God is doing, and God will honor that obedience. When you do feel slighted for being part of Mosaic, consider it a confirmation that you are following Christ, and not a scorecard. Thank you.

3. If you're a faithful follower of Christ who supports and prays for Mosaic, THANK YOU for being a fan of what God is doing. We feel the strength of your prayers, and we covet them as we move to the next level of ministry. Continue to pray for us as we reach Versailles and Woodford County with the love and message of Christ.

May we ALL make our pursuit of God's calling for us(and our churches) our highest priority.

A Look Back, A Look Ahead...

Blogging just gets away from me sometimes...

As 2007 comes to a screeching halt, and we roll over into 2008, I thought it would be appropriate(and timely) to take a look back at this past year at Mosaic, and take a glimpse ahead.

A year ago, Mosaic was nothing more than a calling, a vision, a dream. A year later...

-We have a weekly Bible Study and core group
-We have a name
-We have CHECKS
-We have contributed to, and will thus be recognized by, the Southern Baptist Convention and Kentucky Baptist Convention
-We are LEGAL
-We have partnered with a local elementary school in ministry
-We have helped sponsor one local event, and participated in another
-We have a Children's Minister, who is doing a great job of ministering to our children(sorry for the redundancy)
-We have completed Basic Training for Church Planters
-We have entered into discussions with potential partnering churches
-We have a blog and a website
-We have business cards and a logo

That's quite a year. I'm not sure any of us could have expected that all of this would have happened in 2007, but God has moved us along at His pace, and (thankfully) prevented us from either moving TOO fast or stalling in hesitancy.

That said, I believe 100 percent that 2008 will bring:
-A second Connection group that meets weekly in the city
-Development of "affinity ministries" based on the passions/connections of Mosaic people
-A weekly worship gathering, prayerfully starting in the Fall, after two "preview" worship gatherings
-A publicity campaign to celebrate and announce our public "launch"
-A partnership(or multiple partnerships) with churches who believe in us and share our vision of ministry
-More involved ministry with Huntertown Elementary School, as well as a more intentional prayer ministry for those involved in mission around the world and at home
-A new website(with our own domain name)
-More ministry opportunities here in Versailles, and more opportunities to make connections with our friends/neighbors.

Obviously, the things listed above depend on God's guidance. He may still have us in a "season of preparation" for those big steps, OR He may have those things AND MORE in mind! We just need to prayerfully stay in step with Him, and constantly be looking for that "next obedient step". If that happens, 2008 will be a HUGE year in the life of our church.

Over the past week to 10 days, God has been laying some very specific dreams on my heart for the upcoming year. They're pretty much detailed in the list above. I feel a renewed sense of vision, passion, and excitement about our direction for 2008. May God give all of us a spirit of mission, unity, and boldness as we share His love with those around us in the coming year.

Back to blogging

It's my favorite time of year, for a couple of reasons...

1. The weather is PERFECT. Sunny and 65, I'd take that all year long.
2. Sports
3. Leaves changing colors.
4. Sports

These are exciting times for me. And they're exciting times for our new church as well. I realize that I have not blogged consistently for nearly 7 weeks now, but it is definitely time for some updates for those of you who have followed this journey.

-Kelly had a very productive meeting with Ray Van Camp on Friday, and learned about some potentially exciting partnership possibilities that may come to fruition very soon. Ray was also very helpful in detailing the "legal" process for us in becoming a REAL CHURCH! We're now set to move along that process, having had our questions answered. Pray that we can now move along this process confidently and enthusiastically.
-We found a children's minister! Her name is Meghan and we are SO thankful for her. She's a freshman at Georgetown College, and seems to have such a sweet spirit and love for children. She also has some really good ideas about teaching the Bible to our kids on Wednesday nights. Pray that she is patient with our kids as they get used to a new face on Wednesday nights and a different "structure".
-We have a great opportunity to be involved in the community on the 21st of October. We'll be participating in the Canine Olympics, where we'll have a booth with information about the church, passing out doggie bandanas, and I'll be doing a prayer for the animals. It not only sounds like a lot of fun, it also sounds like a great way to meet people and "get out there" as a church. Pray for good weather and a lot of opportunities to meet people.
-We are having a prayer/communion gathering Wednesday night. Great idea, Carrie! I'm excited about spending time in deep prayer, individually and corporately, and sharing our first communion as a church. It will be such a special time.
-We are prayerfully considering other partnerships as well with churches that share our passion and vision for ministry. Pray that God will make it clear to all parties whether a partnership will be mutually beneficial and pleasing to Him.

Lots of things happening. Please pray for us as we take some big steps soon!

In Christ, TP

Transitioning....

We are transitioning from using this blog as the "go-to" for all things Mosaic, to a new blog, which is being designed for the public. The new blog site is www.mosaicversailles.blogspot.com. Eventually, we'll have an even NEWER site, which won't be a blog at all. Check out the new site for stuff you won't find on here.

In other news...
-I've been asked to serve on the Advisory Council for Huntertown Elementary School as a Community Representative. Nothing could thrill me more. Kelly and I have both been praying for God to open doors for us to meet people in the community, and this is an answer to prayer.
-We donated a TON of school supplies to HES, and they seem very, very grateful. We've also donated some clothing, which has already been put to good use.
-We lost our childcare provider, Amanda, who is off to college. We've put in a request at UK's BSU for one or two students to help out in that way on Wednesday nights.
-We were mentioned twice in the local paper for sponsoring a hole in a local charity golf event.
-We're looking for churches to partner with us in our mission. This has been a slow process, but I will be following up this week with some churches who have inquired, and will be trying to engage other churches in this possibility.

Continue to pray for us as we stay at God's pace in what He is doing in our midst. Peace.

The only thing bad about Sunday afternoon naps...

...is that I can't fall asleep on Sunday nights. It's 1:11 a.m., and I'm not the least bit sleepy. Kelly usually tells me that if I lay down and close my eyes, I'll fall asleep, but it just doesn't work that way, at least not for me. I took a three-hour nap this afternoon, so it's messed me up. While I'm waiting to get groggy, I thought I'd share somethin that's been on my mind tonight for the zero people who read this.

-CONFESSION....Kelly and I watch "Big Brother". It's complete trash, disguised as a "social experiment". But we love it. It's pure group dynamics at its best...who can influence who, who can exert quiet influence, who stays loyal and who bolts, etc. For someone like myself, who has long held an interest in the subject of group dynamics, it's fascinating stuff. But who are we kidding? It's a bunch of weirdos thrown together in a house like rats in a cage.

But as we've watched this summer, and as I've watched countless other reality shows over the past few years(note: the only scripted shows I watch regularly are "24", "The Office", and "The Nine", which has been cancelled), one question that has repeatedly come into my head is this:

WHERE ARE THE NORMAL CHRISTIANS?!?!

Steve Rose, Executive Pastor of Hope Community Church in Lawrenceburg, basically asked the same on his blog, going as far as to say that he wishes he'd be on "Big Brother" just so America could see a NORMAL Christian. And he's right....whenever you see a reality show that features a Christian, it is usually a Christian that falls into one of these categories(and I'm not categorizing the Christian so much as I'm categorizing their behavior on the show)...

A)Super-sanctimonious judgmental jerk
B)Crazy off-the-trellis charismatic nutjob
C)Sweet Christian who infuses God into every single conversation, even when it's a completely unnatural segway, speaking in terms that sound ridiculous to unbelievers, and just coming across as confusing and spacey, even if their intentions are good and pure
D)Competely compromised Christian who one minute proclaims faith in Christ and speaks of being used by Him on (insert show here), but the next minute is either getting completely sloshed, cursing like Howard Stern on satellite radio, and/or practically burning any semblance of their "True Love Waits" card with whoever is breathing and nearby.

And that's what America sees. In the interest of full disclosure, there are times, many times, when I fall into the trap of the categories I just mentioned. I'm not perfect, by any means, and I shudder to think what people will see if there was a camera pointed at me 24/7.

But, I think it's safe to say that Christianity has NOT been represented well in mainstream media for the last several years. Most of that is the need/desire of TV and movies to embrace and emphasize stereotypes, so putting on a "normal" Christian is not nearly as interesting as putting on someone who will generate better soundbytes and create interest in a show.

But that makes it all the more important for Christians to counteract that type of exposure, to show the world that following Christ isn't about being judgmental, compromising, self-righteous, spaced-out, unloving, and self-seeking. We need to show that we are ordinary people who serve and worship and extraordinary God. Will that cause us to look/act/talk/think/feel different? Sure...but hopefully, in the process, people will see that difference in us and be DRAWN to Christ, instead of seeing in us the same type of caricature that they see perpetrated by Hollywood.

It's okay to be normal. God doesn't call us to be extraordinary. God calls us to Himself, and He takes it from there.

Kelly made a GREAT point during "Big Brother" tonight. If you don't watch the show(and for your sake, I hope you don't), all you need to know is that Jameka has professed to be a Christian and, by and large, has given a pretty solid representation, from what we've seen. Amber has professed to be a Christian and, by and large, has proven to be an absolute train wreck. And naturally, they've gravitated towards each other, and instead of being a godly influence on Amber, Jameka has been more and more compromising, while Amber has remained a train wreck who cries more than Richard Simmons during a testimonial on those old "Sweatin' to the Oldies" infomercials.

Then there's Dick...an aging Tommy Lee wannabe whose existence seems to revolve around rock-and-roll, alcohol, and confrontation. He has spent the entire season trying to manipulate everyone around him into his line of thinking through angry confrontations, needling comments, and basic jerkiness. Lately, he has set his sights on Jameka, tearing into her, calling Christianity a joke, and basically trying to break her down emotionally/spiritually/mentally. So far, she's done alright, though sometimes she has to retreat and pray fervently for God to give her strength and wisdom(which is what we all should do, of course).

Tonight, that changed....and during one of Dick's rampages, Jameka fought back. At first, it was her simply defending herself and her faith. But that soon regressed into her cursing Dick, calling his mother names, lambasting(love that word) him as a father, and basically trying to tear him into shreds. She completely lost control of her mouth and her attitude, and it was absolutely PAINFUL to watch. Chalk up one more member of the "Christian who shows nine million people what Christianity is NOT to look like" club. Again, in the same situation, I'd make mistakes too. But it's just hard to watch another example of a Christ-follower, who to this point I would have characterized as genuine and strong, falling into the temptation of acting just like everyone else, and making her faith look like something she can take on and off like a scarf.

Kelly's point...wouldn't it have been interesting if Jameka had used all this time, energy, and words to actually influence Dick FOR Christ instead of trying to tear him down in the name OF Christ? What if she saw that house as a mission field? What if she loved him instead of "defending herself" by ripping him?

Basically, we're all Jameka. We all claim to be Christ-followers, and when we leave the sanctuary of our own homes, we're thrown into places where Christianity is thought to be a joke, where the tomb is sealed and occupied, and where any interest in faith or spiritual matters is complicated by thoughts of TV preachers, news of dishonest Christians, and experiences with believers who treated people seemingly the opposite of how Christ would have treated them.

So, as I see it, we have three options...
1. Allow our faith to be compromised, leading to us looking/acting/thinking/talking like the rest of the world, and following Christ when it's convenient for us, and doing what we want to do the rest of the time.
2. Do absolutely nothing, keep our faith to ourselves and those we love/trust, and plug away at life, hoping that SOMEHOW, those in our circle of influence will come to know Christ and follow Him.
3. See each day as an opportunity to live on mission...to love those around us as Christ does, to invest in people and build relationships with them that lead them to the Father, to engage people for the sake of the Kingdom, and to honor Him in the process.

I hope all of us, Jameka and Amber included, choose #3. Every single day.

I've decided to pray for Jameka and Amber, that they would see the opportunities before them to present their faith in a genuine and graceful way, and that they would hold up against the temptations before them. May we all make it our mission to see the world come to know Christ.