I just finished reading a book by Rick McKinley called This Beautiful Mess: Practicing the Presence of the Kingdom of God it spoke powerfully of Kingdom Principles and brought reflections on some of the following questions:

·         So what does the kingdom look like?

·         How does or will Jesus govern his kingdom?

·         What does patriotism in the kingdom look like?

·         And how do I really know if I am a citizen?

Many of you know from a previous post that I was considering running for county commissioner. A very important role, and one in need of believers who will step up and lead our county admirably into the future. Yet a role that I am not ready for at the moment.

A few of the reasons:

1)      My girls are 13 & 15 and the pace of life that would be needed might be too much.  4 years from now they will be in college and timing might be much better considering the time commitments that would be involved in running an effective race.

2)      Journey Church is just getting off the ground and will need the bulk of my attention in the coming year.

3)      Integrity CSG needs time and attention in conjunction with the new church launch. To make ends meet I am currently bi-vocational and the nature of this work is getting paid for hours spent working so any time spent away from this could have a very negative impact on our financial situation.

4)      Impact Clay has been stagnant through these transitions. As the dust settles in my life we want to re-invigorate it’s mission and vision and continue to use it as a tool to unite pastors, community leaders, and non-profits for the furtherance of the kingdom in our area.

In essence – at the heart of my desire to serve in that capacity was to make a difference in the community. Making it stronger. Keeping faith and family values high on our agendas and simply believing for the best in people. A hearts desire to be a reflection of our God who came down out of a heavingly dwelling place to bring a slice of heaven to people whos lives were often times a mess.

So don’t rule me out for a few years from now!

Being difference makers is something we can all do.

Something to think about and reflect on. Why not stop for a moment, pray, and answer these questions:

What do you see at the top 3 places of need in our community?  1 – 2-  3

What are some creative, simple ways that you, your family, your friends, or Journey church could help represent the kingdom in those areas?

Finally the question for you..

What keeps you and those you know from being signposts of heaven in our community? And how can you remove those obsticales?

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