Our faith series has come to a conclusion and I have recieved a lot of wonderful feed back from our faith adventures. In particular, I really got to thinking about applying this to our lives. A life lived by faith is something completely different, something unique. A life lived by faith is lived with excitement and joy. A life lived by faith is specifically defined as a life of hope.

If this is truly the case (I think it is), than my life should have more hope and joy. I should be more than excited to be a part of living, and when things aren't going the way I expect them to be going, than I should remember that it's not me that is in charge. Hmmmmm

I was listening to Bob Welch, who was at a local church of a men's ministry evening. Bob was talking about how important that it is that our lives are a better representation of our faith. He spoke at the beginning of a man who had called him angry about a piece that he had written for the Register Gaurd. The man was yelling frustrated and when Bob mentioned the church he attended, this man replied with, "Oh, you are one of us Christians." From then on the man was nice.

Shouldn't it not be that way. Shouldn't we be nice regardless of the person, doesn't my faith call me to be different. Anyway, Bob talked about a time when he was in the library and heard a little girl singing. Frustrated that she was cause a quiet library to be not so quiet, he moved closer, considering asking the girl and her mother to be quiet. As he approached, he heard the words to the song, "Jesus loves me this I know. . . " Wow, he thought, she is one of us.

Than it hit him, shouldn't he have showed love and grace to her regardless of the song?

It is very important that our faith is not only something very personal, but something very public. People should notice the joy love and peace that we have in Jesus. They should notice the love that we have for EVERYONE. Does your faith give you the confidence to live your life like that?

Lets do this, together.

aaron