LukeDooley.com

As promised, I’m going to be devoting some space on this blog over the next few days regarding the phrase: Live Big.

For those unaware, first let me give some context for the phrase “Live Big”.

Way back in the spring of 2005 the lead pastor of Journey Church, along with some key leaders set out to define through words what a new church in West Chester might look like. Like any good church or business for that matter, they set out to create a meaningful, inspirational, life changing set of mission, vision & values. What they ended up with was quite good… it was also a lot for the run of the mill new church visitor to retain. They decided that they needed one good phrase that spoke to the heart of this new church, and summed up all of their core values. The outcome was: “Inspiring People to Live Big”. As if this wasn’t short enough, it didn’t take long for the phrase “Live Big” to rise out up and become the motto for Journey Church.

The phrase and the thought behind “Live Big” comes from a couple of places in scripture. The first is found in 2 Corinthians 6:11-13 which in The Message paraphrase simply says this: 

Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

The second, and the more oft repeated passage from which Live Big was comprised is found in John 10:10. In this passage, Jesus is talking to a crowd of people that includes a group of Pharisees, Jesus’ disciples, and a man who was just healed from a life of blindness. Jesus shares a truth that is a must for each of us to hear if we are going to grasp what God desires for us in terms of our lives:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

So if this is the background of the phrase: “Live Big”, then what does it mean? Check back here over the next few days and I’ll do my best to put into words my understanding of what Living Big looks like in our daily lives.

Our motto at Journey Church is: “Inspiring People to Live Big”. While simple, it is still rather vague in the sense that people can often find themselves asking: ‘What does it mean to Live Big?’

Over the week or so, I’d like to devote some digital ink to defining what it means to LIVE BIG!

To kick things off, I must share the following video with you. When I saw the text on this link, I couldn’t believe it… the video is awesome. The actions displayed by the person in this video are a quintessential example of living big!

This Sunday at Journey Church we will be looking at what the Biblical book of Proverbs has to say about the tongue (the kind in your mouth). 

I’m 99% sure that the person preaching will be sharing this story about an apology that came years after it was owed. Better late than never…. Read here. 

Oh yea… you might want to keep an eye on Shaun’s blog (the guy in the story above). He is about to plant a ridiculously passionate church in what is without a doubt the coolest venue I have ever seen. God is about to be magnified in a big way in the ATL.

Typing this from my iPhone in bed at the ministry center, so forgive me for errors, and short length.

My #1 thing I’m looking forward to – Sharing God’s love in a practical way here in Guatemala, and then taking it home to so the same in my daily life! This week we will be doing several tasks; tiling a floor, building chicken coops, and working at a feeding center, (among others). These are all very good and practical things. The reality is however, we are here to do so much more than that. We are here to do God’s work among his people. We are on a covert mission to share the love of God with everyone we come into contact with through practical acts of kindness. Whether it be through a social service, a physical gift, a hug to a new friend, or a futbol (soccer) match with the children of the town…. We seek to share the love of our Savior with people who may not know him.

I don’t intend to let it stop there however. I am praying, and asking God to show me new ways, fresh ways, consistent ways to do the same in my everyday world back home in Ohio. Sharing God’s love in practical ways should not be reserves for mission trips, it should be a daily practice for any Christ follower! My prayer is that God will make that a reality in me.

My #1 Fear regarding the trip to Guatemala – Not being able to write this post! I had convinced myself that this trip would not happen. Something would go wrong at the airport, with my passport or ticket, or even worse, something would go wrong with the flight. I’m a little paranoid like that! But here I sit, writing this post, and I couldn’t be more excited. There are so many things running through my head, I just can’t wait to see what God has in store for Jen and I (and our team).

Be sure to visit the Jpurney team blog for the latest info. It will probably get a little more love than this site for the next few days (although I will be updating here as well). Find the team blog here: http://cincyjourney.org/guatemala2008

For context read here. For the full account of #5 on both lists read here.

Top 5 things I am looking forward to regarding the Guatemala mission’s trip:

So… I’m headed to Guatemala next week. Read all about it in an earlier post here.

I’ve promised to give you two “Top 5″ lists over the next few days (Today-Saturday). Here is #5 on each list: 

Top 5 things I am looking forward to regarding Guatemala mission’s trip:

5.) I’m looking forward to traveling out of the country. Believe it or not, I’ve never been out of the country. There was a time when I was like 8 years old that my Grandpa who lived in Michigan and I almost drove to Canada just to say that we did, but traffic got bad so we didn’t. Sadly, that’s the closest I’ve ever come to leaving the good ol’ U.S. of A. I’m not so much excited just for the sake of being able to brag that I’ve been to Guatemala, rather I am excited about the opportunity to broaden my global worldview.

It’s easy to sit in suburban Liberty Township, Ohio, watch a few documentaries or National Geographic specials and pretend like we know how the rest of the world lives. It’s a completely different thing to see another culture and way of life with your own eyes, and to live in that culture for a few days. I fully expect for my world to be rocked by what I see. I fully expect to see a nation full of people who are loved by God just as much as the people of America. I fully expect to see the same joy, hope, pain, suffering, and happiness that I see here everyday, in a completely different light on the faces of the Guatemalan people. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for my heart as a result of this trip!

Top 5 fears regarding the trip to Guatemala:

This list will be much more concise… simply because it’s not cool to admit that you are scared or nervous about certain things. So, today I give you fear number 5.

5.) Flying. I absolutely hate flying… it turns my stomach inside out. I won’t be able to sleep Saturday night, and when the alarm goes off at 3 am Sunday morning, I will instantly feel the uncomfortable feeling of “flight day”. The feeling will only intensify as I: Head down I-75 to CVG, hug the family goodbye, tow the luggage through the check-in process, take off the shoes & empty the pockets for security check, wait in the terminal, and board the plane. It will all come to a crescendo when the engines fire up, I see the ground racing by my window, and suddenly feel the wheels come off the ground. It is then that I will turn up the sweet tones of John Mayer on my iPod, say a prayer to Jesus, and wait for the wheels to touchdown again… only then will my stomach settle. Not for long though, because then I’ll have to do it all again as we go from ATL to GUA. Yes, I am a wimp who is not a fan of flying. Don’t hate, instead feel sorry for me and offer up prayers for the safety of myself and the rest of the team from Journey. 

Check back tomorrow for #4 on both lists. Until then, I’d love to hear what you think your expectations and or fears/concerns of a similar trip might be.