Church "Love Dare"

West Houston Church of Christ has been inspired by the movie Fireproof to initiate its' own "Love Dare." To keep myself honest I'll try to keep track of my progress here on a daily basis.

Day One 10/27/08:
Spend today praising God all day. Whatever you do today, see His glory everywhere. Spend your day giving thanks for all that He does. Acknowledge the Lord to those you come in contact with. Grow in your love for Him.

Not to hard...I even took dinner prayer tonight from Hannah and Michael. God is good!

Day Two 10/28/08:
Today, when you hear or are a part of a conversation involving gossip or someone being put down behind their back, say something positive on behalf of the party being talked about.

I can see this is not going to be a walk in the park already. C'mon...I'm a cop! It's in our blood to gossip! And if we can't talk bad about someone...c'mon! Ok, I finished the day successfully! Actually, I made a point to make conversations short and for the most part stayed away from other officers. Found myself trying to build one day on top of the other. Had a great conversation about God with a maintenance man at Ben Taub Hospital. I've seen what day three is about....Oh Lord!

Day Three 10/29/08
For the next 24 hours, concentrate on being completely truthful with everyone and in everything!!

Scary at first since I have little trouble telling people exactly how I feel. Applying this to work is not a problem at all...if I tell you you're going to jail then odds are you are. Of course it did make me think differently about the messages I send my children when I delay this or that. Today made me more concious of that fact.

Day Four 10/30/08
Do something for someone anonymously with NO EXPECTATION that you will receive anything in return. Pay someone's toll, pay for their coffee, give a small gift, or whatever would be a kindness they did not expect.

Today happens to be Thursday which makes it my municipal court day. I have spent nearly 19 years at Municipal Court "training" the traffic defense attorneys in what is right and what is wrong as oppossed to what is right for their clients. I know it sort of goes against the grain of the typical attorney line of thinking where no matter how wrong their client is they defend them, but someone has to stand up for truth and justice....right?!

Anyway, cases that could have been easily disposed of by having the attorney pose to their clients the choice of pleading guilty or going to trial were disposed of simply by having the attorneys tell their clients not to ever do it again. Needless to say some mouths needed surgical repair to get them to close again.

On the homefront, personal side, I was a little more concious of doing for others without "pre-conditions."

Day Five 10/31/08
May we all live today remembering that our salvation is nothing we deserve; that we need grace to make it each day; that we are not spiritually better than anyone else. As we encounter people today, let us remember we all are in need of His grace.

Some people just don't mean to do the things they do or understand what they do has consequences...sometimes lasting ones. Today I realized I'm blessed to have what I have and in my line of work that is often more than others have. I found my self today praying for others as I saw them and "perceived" that they needed a little more grace than what they were currently cashing in on. We all have the same grace given to us...some of us just need to be more focused!

Day Six 11/01/08
Tell your spouse, child, parent, or someone close how much they have blessed your life. Today, look for good things in others and tell them what you see.

Seeing how today is my birthday you would think that this would be a walk in the park. I "try" everyday to thank my wonderful wife and kids for being in my life and how lucky I am to have them. This is especially important after losing our precious daughter over 8 years ago.

Now for the not so easy part. I stayed home today (I never work on my birthday) and spent the day watching the kids while Mommy worked. The kids invited more kids over (so much for a quiet day at the house) and after several hours had gotten on my last nerve. Once Mommy got home she had to jump right in to the melee and by the end of the day there was not much love left. Now I know it was there and will always be there but to bring it up to the surface was just tough.

Overall I see that no matter how the day goes I need to make a concentrated effort to tell my "core" that they mean everything to my life.

Day Seven 11/02/08
Recommit to following Jesus in all you do. Spend today remembering the time you made your commitment to following Him.

Study study study study...
My first commitment to follow Jesus was when I was very young, before the ways of the world had time to work on me. As time passed, so did the original understanding of what "commiting to Christ" was all about. The only way to TRULY understand what this commitment is all about is to continue to faithfully study and make it a way of life.

Day Eight 11/03/08
Get to know someone you think the world would consider inferior an "outcast". Go beyond what most people would do in these relationships.

This is great challenge for me at work. I see "outcasts" all the time and this Love Dare has done a great job in challenging me in many areas of my job. Unfortunately, I'm off today and I'm very limited to the interactions I have. Now I can make every effort tomorrow to play "catch up" but that would be cheating myself.

Each day of this love dare I have tried to continue and build upon the other and continue each day forward. Remembering that we all are outcasts in some fashion, we must all go outside the walls and minister to those who need to be touched by the Lord.

Day Nine 11/04/08
Today, we are going to practice being like Christ when we drive. Be courteous wherever you go. Let people in front of you. Allow others to have the parking spaces that are closer. Do not allow people to take your joy away while you drive to your destinations.

Now how am I supposed to do this and my job at the same time?

Day Ten 11/05/08
When asked to do something today, whether by an employer, a spouse, or maybe even a child, do so willingly and immediately. Even think about asking if there is anything else that can be done.

Day Eleven 11/06/08
When you start to say something negative, stop. Instead, offer a prayer of praise and thanks to God.

Day Twelve 11/07/08
How can you talk about Jesus or our Father in ways that will plant seeds for those who do not know Him? Try to have a conversation with someone today that will plant seeds.

Day Thirteen 11/08/08
Double Dare Day: Ask someone if you can pray for them. Pray for someone who would not be expecting it.

Day Fourteen 11/09/08
Write notes today to those you love and mail them. Letters are becoming so uncommon that they are truly treasured.

Day Fifteen 11/10/08
Acknowledge God in everything you do today. From the sunrise, to your family life, give God glory for all that is around you all day. As we worship today, acknowledge Him.

Day Sixteen 11/11/08
We can’t do everything ourselves, sometimes we need help and we need to ask for it when we do and not be ashamed. Let others shoulder the heavy burdens in life with you because we can easily collapse under the load: ask for help today.

Day Seventeen 11/12/08
Wash someone's feet -- find a way to serve people today. Be a servant at home, work, school, etc.

Day Eighteen 11/13/08
Who needs you to take up for them today? Look out for those who can't/don't know how to protect themselves.

Day Nineteen 11/14/08
Just as the Spirit helps us, help someone who seems overwhelmed with work or someone in trouble. When you encounter these people today, make it your first instinct to ask how you can help them.

Day Twenty 11/15/08
Make a sacrifice of your time today. Be a living sacrifice today. Give up your time or something that you normally wouldn't give up. Maybe you need to share something.

Day Twenty One 11/16/08
Spend today in an all day prayer. Where ever you go, keep the radio off. In the silence of the car spend time speaking to Him. Think of ways that you can be in constant conversation with God. Pray without ceasing.

Day Twenty Two 11/17/08
Give up your own rights and privileges in order to serve others. You will one day receive everything God has in store for you. Do not ask for your own way today.

Day Twenty Three 11/18/08
If someone says harsh words or does harsh deeds toward you, pray for them instead of retaliating with equally harsh words. Possibly take it a step further -- ask them if there is anything you can pray about for them.

Day Twenty Four 11/19/08
We will encounter people today that look different, think different, believe different, and that are just different. They live in this world and have bought into what this world has told them. Don't be offended that they live this way because they don't know Jesus. They may know of Him but they may not really KNOW Him. Don't judge them today, but love them. Let's grow in our ability to love the people in this world, really love them. They don't need our judgement.

Day Twenty Five 11/20/08
Commit to be a support and friend for someone with health problems or a shut in. Pray for someone who is chronically ill. Choose joy today and everyday. Joy doesn't happen, we have to choose joy.

Day Twenty Six 11/21/08
Today, we are going to fast. Choose something to fast from such as TV, food, internet, etc. Spend that time considering God and His will for you.

Day Twenty Seven 11/22/08
All of us have a lot of stuff!! Clean out your excess and take it to CAM, or bring it to the church for the Impact garage sale.

Day Twenty Eight 11/23/08
Commit to being a person of the word. Spend time reading His word and work on making it a daily exercise.Have a great weekend!

Day Twenty Nine 11/24/08
We can't do everything ourselves, sometimes we need help and we need to ask for it when we do and not be ashamed. Let others shoulder the heavy burdens in life with you because we can easily collapse under the load: ask for help today.

Day Thirty 11/25/08
Today, we will be slow to become angry. We all have those people in our lives that just set us off. Situations, people, circumstances that seem to just set us on edge. Don't let it happen to you today. Pray that you will be able to keep your cool. Stay calm. See what happens when you don't respond the way people expect you to. Remember, your wife, husband, and kids deserve this also.

Day Thirty One 11/26/08
Stop and pray for your loved ones several times during the day.Stop before you get home and pray that you will be a blessing at home duringthe evening and through the Thanksgiving Holiday!

Day Thirty Two 11/27/08
Today is Thanksgiving! Give thanks with your family for what God has done. Spend time having each person share their thankfulness.

Day Thirty Three 11/28/08
Do a random act of kindness for someone you know that is a widow or widower or for someone in your neighborhood or your community that you know is alone. We also have people in our area who are foster parents. Think of a way you can bless them in their ministry to the children in their home.

Day Thirty Four 11/29/08
Show grace and mercy to all! Try and understand where others are coming from. Hear all sides of their story. Give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a break.

Day Thirty Five 11/30/08
Work on cultivating relationships at work, school, in your neighborhood or church that are important to your walk. Let them know they are important to your walk with God.

Day Thirty Six 12/01/08
Check on or write a note, email, or make a phone call to someone who has suffered a loss; someone that is in mourning.

Day Thirty Seven 12/02/08
Make things right with someone you've hurt or offended, whether intentionally or unintentionally. It may mean that you forgive someone or finally let something go.

Day Thirty Eight 12/03/08
Do not procrastinate! Answer emails and phone calls immediately. Make people feel that they are significant.

Day Thirty Nine 12/04/08
Our love dare during the season is we will not add to the stress. Let us work on being kind to the check out person, the people in line, the person who is having a hard time making up their mind, the spouse who wants to make one more trip to the store, the kids who have one more idea. Be the person who makes the season truly joyful and hope filled for all around!

Day Forty 12/05/08
During this time of doing the love dare I have realized how much I have to be a person who acts justly, loves mercy and is humble. The love dare has reminded me time and time again that it is not about what I want or desire. To be like Christ means to die to self daily, to put others before me, and to love Him with all I have. My prayer for all of us is that we learn to be like Christ in all we do. The way we live in our world, at home, alone and when we are with the Bride of Christ. May the way we live be a living testament to His goodness and our salvation.