Proud to be a member

"Being a part of such an amazing diverse family is overwhelmingly satisfying to say the least." F. Lugo

As I read from my bible this morning, the message was spoken loud and clear into my heart. Be proud of your family. Be proud of what they are doing and accomplishing. Be proud to be a member of such a family, with such a rich history. Be excited to see your family members and root them on. Their tasks are no mere mole hill but mountains to be climbed, great distances to trek, and many sorrows and afflictions to remain hopeful and faithful through. Be proud...your family is amazing. 


A great sense of thanksgiving overcame me, as I envisioned my family members faces. The smiles, the embraces, the words of joy and excitement exchanged to one another. The tears, the sorrow, the moments when listening is all that can be done accompanied by a hug. I am very proud of my family. I love my family. They're all amazing. Some are great speakers and teachers. Some are amazing leaders. Others manage tasks quite well. You have those who love to connect with others; absolute people persons packed with smiles and always having words of encouragement. Some have such a great loving heart for children. There are those who will keep the house unbelievably tidy, and we belong to a very BIG house. I'm so thankful to them. Their tasks are quite time consuming. You have those who feed the family, and food is very much needed to remain energized to continue on. I am thankful to them as well as we belong to a very BIG family and they're many mouths to feed. You are such a blessing! You have those who earn much more money than others and they supply much for the family. Without them, our tasks would be that much harder to accomplish. So grateful for all of them, truly I am. You have those that make sure all the cars in the parking lot and drive ways are secured and traffic flows well. So many areas to tend to in our house, and every last one of my family members executes their duties to the best of their ability, but you can be assured that we will always be challenged to improve on our improvements. That's a good thing though. Belonging to such a big family with such a rich history, success is all about the next step taken, not the last step. The the most influential member of our house is a quiet humble man. He's shy yet powerful when he is called to the task. Out of the many brothers and sisters I have, I remain amazed to see them growing in all their ways right before my eyes. As I walk around the house and look around at my huge family, I am filled with joy, excitement and of course you can see how I'd be a proud member of such an amazing family.

The words I read today speak to such a thing, and I very much want to share them with you:



Unity and Diversity in the Body


 ¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. NIV emphasis added)

As I reread the above words, that overwhelming sense of being proud of my family brought tears to my eyes. We may not all succeed in all the same areas. We may not always get along with each other as we very much would like to. We may not always see eye to eye. Being a very big family, with a very big task, can cause some friction at times, yet it's love that binds us all together in perfect unity, and that is what makes us unique, and for that I am thankful to God for my family. 

Love Is Indispensable

We all desire to have the more excellent way of being a tightly knit family, and the way to such closeness is shared so eloquently here, ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV emphasis added) 

All of these put into perfect practice will give us that wonderful unity. Now out of all these amazing attributes being applied to one entire family executed by every member, there are three overseeing attributes that govern all the above to remain in perfect unity, and they are, ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV emphasis added)

As I am very proud of my amazing family. I know you will be as well. Take the time to let your family members know they are loved and appreciated. You are more than welcomed to come see, and be a part of my amazing family. We're called Potential Church.

As always...YOU ARE LOVED.