From my heart....

I adore these guys!!!  Just because picture...

Matt Wilmington did a sermon several years back and talked about his families mission statement. I really wanted to do something like this with my family but also desired a personal mission statement as well. One big confession for me is that many times God might put something on my heart and then I move forward with a right heart but get side tracked on a marketing view. It has been years and “I” have not come up with my personal mission statement because there was not anything that “I” could come up with that reflected my heart’s desire and sounded fluff and catching!

Fast forward to this past week…. I am in the middle of my time with the Lord. I am asking God to manifest himself in my life and may the fruits of the spirit be evident. I began asking the Lord once again as He knows my heart to give me a personal mission statement. One that reflects my heart, two-something I could share with others and it point them to him, and three- one that He inspires. After a gentle rebuke, I felt like this was a crash and burn attempt last time because I took my eyes off him and took the controls in trying to formulate the words of my mission statement. This particular time, I committed to wait on the Lord.

Seriously all the while I am praying this song is in my mind. I continue to move forward after prayer with more of my study and I find myself singing out loud… “To love the Lord our God, is the heart beat of our mission.” Talk about a stop dead in my tracks… Lord, in the past I did not use just a scripture verse as the heart beat of my mission because (and I say with shame) it was not fluffy and did not have this cutting edge sound. In my mind I needed a flashy statement that reflected the verse I would use. For the record, I love when people seeking God can put together something and in such a way that it could be used as a bill board…. so this is in no way a negative to those that God has gifted in this way or spoken to in this way!

OK so the Lord did not literally speak but He so spoke to my heart. Connie, I want you to stand on the basis to Love me with all your mind, soul, heart, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. My very first thought was loving you Lord will be way easier than loving my neighbor. I then began to meditate on this verse… yep another confession not knowing where it was in the Word…. To love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. This does not just mean to practice the expression of love as a feeling. Loving means Obeying!Trusting!Following!Honoring! and oh how the list go on. Then to love my neighbor as I love myself. I do love myself and want the best for me so even when someone rips me up, cuts me off in traffic, makes a stupid choice, hurts my kid,- Connie love them. Seriously think of all this verse means…WOW I honestly want to live this way.

So I finish my Bible study and then later take some time to find out the reference of this scripture. This verse is mentioned 3 times that I could find in the new testament. First, in Matthew- When asked which is the greatest commandment of the law. Second in Mark- When Jesus says there is no commandment greater than this. Third, in Luke when Jesus says, “Do this and you will live.”

So for all to know, I believe that God has given me a mission statement for my life;

To: Connie

Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with your strength, and with all your mind, and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” -Luke 10:27

From: God

To take this a step further, I believe that God was asking Chris and I to talk to our kids about a family mission statement. Be ready… I am so excited to share with you what God is doing in our home and how He is speaking to our kids and giving them scripture that they want to bring to life in the lives of our family!