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"Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." Luke 12.48

3 questions that drive our family to be active

what has God given us?

a home in our school neighborhood

3 boys who love baseball

a heart & a match for a little girl in india

a public school

a church plant in the city

what's the point of it?

to be a blessing to our neighbors

to be hospitable

to interact with families in the city, in our school, on our teams

to love and care like Christ

to make a difference

"to be a part of the good of the city and the hope of the world"

what will we do with it?

this spring, we will host an Easter egg hunt for the kids on our block.

i will host a brunch in our home for moms who have influence in our city.

we will celebrate creation and spring by planting in our backyard.

this constantly changes. yet it's constantly on the calendar.

what will you do with what you've been given?

in helen lee's the missional mom book, she says that we have a primary calling and many secondary callings.

our primary calling is to love God.

Matthew 22.37-40 speaks to this: "Jesus replied, 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it, 'love your neighbor as yourself.' all the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.'"

our primary calling must motivate us to be active. we respond first out of our love to God. we shouldn't make decisions because we're moms or wives or daughters or workers or leaders, but out of our response to God. we are called to "love our neighbors" not because we live in a cool neighborhood or go to church or vote on the same ballot that they do.

being active makes me feel vulnerable.

it’s risky at the very least, especially with the kids at my side, but we’re discovering it makes all the difference for us where we live.

what do you have the capacity to do right now?

if you're daily inside the home, you can still make a difference outside the home.

if you're daily outside the home, you can still make a difference inside the home.

be active at church 

how many of you say this about your parents, “well, they went to church, but they weren’t active.” how many of your kids would say this about their parents? the way to practice activity, the simplest yet satisfying way to be active is at church. keep this at the forefront of your mind, if you’re there, if you’re a member, if you’re a resident, if you’re a donor, then be fully there! the same is true at church. find a church to call home, then participate, serve, be active.

strollerprayers

you can't argue this one! it gets us outside, it gets us moving, and what child doesn't love a stroller walk? okay. at least the majority do! consider how you might map out your neighborhood, your streets. when ours were stroller-aged, i'd do this in the morning. then after dinner when the evenings were nice, ben and i would do this as a family. we'd walk our block, our cul-da-sac, our neighborhood. now, i do so 15 minutes before the boys wake up on school mornings. i get fresh air and pray for our neighbors by name.

as parents, we get to reassure out kids that God is stronger, He is present, He gives us courage, He never leaves you.

conversations

instead of asking, “what did you do at school today?” or "who did you play with today?" ask, “what’s happening that only God can do?” “where do we need to ask God to show up and who’s life does He need to change?”

footprints

our city values eliminating carbon footprints. compost. recycle. run dishwasher and laundry machines fully loaded. buy local. read online. reuse bags. unplug when not in use. use the microwave. use laptops vs desktops.

but what about eternal footprints? what mark are you leaving behind that will lead others to follow you? what part of town needs your footprints? God gives us the courage to explore, to embrace a new part of town, to join a new community. He wants to give us a fresh new look at our surroundings.

embrace where you are and what you love.

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth, and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. For God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us." Acts 17.26-27

declare to God your desire to be active where you live.

"the steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in His way." Psalm 37.23

and do something.

 "but we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls." Hebrews 10.39