MEDIOCRITY WILL NOT RESIDE IN THIS PINT.

COMMUNITY. THIS WORD HAS BEEN ON MY HEART AS OF LATE. WHICH IS INTERESTING, FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS. LET ME START BY STATING THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THIS WORD HAS BEEN RECURRING TO ME: COMMUNITY IN THE CHURCH. CHURCH MEANING THE BODY OF CHRIST. I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH PLACING MYSELF IN A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS, WHERE WE HAVE A "COMMON" GOAL OF SPREADING THE NEWS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE MAN WHO WAS CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED, AND IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE FLIPPIN UNIVERSE. NOW. I HAVE A COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS, WHO LOVE THE LORD, YET WHEN I PONDER ON THE SUBJECTS WE HAVE FOCUSED ON IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, VERY FEW TIMES HAS THE HOLINESS OF THE LORD WET OUR LIPS. DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND, OUR CONVERSATIONS AREN'T EVIL - OF THE DEVIL. GOD LOOKS DOWN ON US AND IS HAPPY TO SEE US DISCUSSING THE THINGS THAT HE HAS BLESSED US WITH THAT BRING US JOY, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER. YET, I CAN'T HELP BUT QUESTION IF THOSE THINGS ARE TAKING A HIGHER ROLE IN OUR LIVES THAN OUR PURPOSE HERE ON EARTH, WHICH IS TO LIVE OUR LIVES SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, PROFESSING THAT THE KING OF KINGS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE COMPLETE JOY. I KNOW THAT IN THIS SEASON OF MY LIFE, GOD WILL BE SURFACING AREAS OF MY LIFE THAT NEED TO BE DUSTED OFF AND REFRESHED. THE PROCESS WON'T ALWAYS BE PLEASANT, BUT I TAKE COMFORT IN KNOWING THAT IT IS ALL IN PREPARATION FOR MY DEPARTURE TO PORTLAND. IT IS ALL TO BUILD ME UP AS A SOLDIER OF MY JESUS. I REFUSE TO LIVE STAGNANTLY, TO LIVE IN MEDIOCRITY. I AM DETERMINED TO RISE ABOVE. JUST LIKE JIMMY FALLON ROSE ABOVE THE GENERIC ICE CREAM FLAVORS, AND CREATED A UNIQUE POWERFUL PINT OF CHOCOLATE AND POTATO CHIP GOODNESS.