Sometimes a beautiful manicure isn't perfect, but painted in love!

I had the blessed opportunity to serve and pour out into the lives of kids and adults in Arlington, Texas this week. My brother and I went with our church group and we were all given the great reminder that what we did in Arlington we can certainly do in our hometown. It doesn't necessarily mean that we have to do the same things we did on our Arlington mission trip:  kids Bible study groups at apartment complexes, clean up a community center, pickup and drop off donations, or clean rooms for the next group to stay, but that every day we have the opportunity to go and share the Gospel and God's love with someone around us. 

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations[help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words],baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

In Arlington during our daily devotions the speakers reminded us over the 4 days that taking the news that Jesus saves doesn't just apply to missionaries that work in different mission fields around the world. We who are saved are all missionaries! We are all called to tell the world about what Jesus can and wants to do for them. It doesn't mean you have to start a Bible club and have games, music and a program, it can be going across the office and telling that struggling co-worker there is hope, or that you go and visit with your aunt/uncle and share coffee and joy, or if you are out running errands and see that lady/guy who looks sad and instead of walking by praying for them later you stop and talk. 

It doesn't take fancy words or knowing every Bible verse by heart to share the Good News; it takes you being willing to show a dying world that there is life! 

9 I am the Door; anyone who enters through Me will be saved [and will live forever], and will go in and out[freely], and find pasture (spiritual security). 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. John 10:9-10

Don't forget that no matter where you go you represent Jesus and that you can share His life, light and love with those around you! And you might just get a manicure painted in love by an eight year old who you have been sharing the Gospel with. ( :

16 So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 18 But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. 21 He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21